Advent Week One

The time has come again for the celebration of Advent. The first week represents “The Prophecy of Jesus’ first coming” or “HOPE.” Advent is, after all, a prayerful, spiritual preparation for the second and final coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is also a joyful remembrance of His birth.

The Scripture Reading:

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is giving; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6-7

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2

The Prayer:

Father God in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. We thank You Father for sending Your precious Son, Jesus, The Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. We thank You at Christmastime for the prophets who foretold of Your coming. We praise You as we await Your second coming. Amen

The Candle:

The first week of Advent is celebrated with the lighting of one of the purple candles which represents the prophecy of the coming of Christ Jesus and the hope of our coming Savior and King!

The Song: (Suggested)

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

This traditional hymn is thought to have come from the 8th or 9th century and is one of the most solemn of Advent hymns. The song confirms the proclamation in Matthew 1:23, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Faith In The Midst of Hopelessness

For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:5

I was twenty one years old when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease; a disease of the immune system that causes your body to attack itself, specifically the small intestine. Having suffered with the disease and the horrible misdiagnoses my entire life, it was a relief to finally receive the news. Then it hit me—I have an incurable disease.

At the time, (I’m dating myself) there were only a couple treatments for Crohn’s. The preferred medication being Sulfasalazine, and the less favored drug was corticosteroids. Steroids are less favored because of their numerous side effects and inability to control the disease. I would soon find out that I’m allergic to Sulfa drugs. My only alternative was steroid therapy.

There were times in my late twenties when the pain, exhaustion and constant trips to the bathroom were more than I could bear. The ups and downs caused by the steroids were like being on an emotional rollercoaster, not to mention the damage they can do to your body. And I had to continue working a full time job in order to have medical insurance coverage.

I’ll never forget one night in particular when my pain became so severe that my husband called my mother for help. I was already taking a massive daily dose of steroids, so we knew that a trip to the hospital meant surgery…and surgery is not a cure for Crohn’s, only a temporary solution.

Mama arrived and came to my bedside. She laid her hands on me and prayed. It was hard for me then to understand why she praised God during this difficult time. But the pain immediately left my body, and I praised God right along with her.

There’s a lesson to be learned from Mama. As Christians we should learn to practice our faith even when the circumstances seem hopeless. God’s faithfulness to His children never ceases. So there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be faithful to Him, no matter the situation.