Central Message of the Season of Advent: God gave his Son!

During the four Advent Sundays before Christmas day, we will remember that Christ took on our weak, human nature and became one of us.   As the Apostle Paul puts it in 2 Cor 5: 21:  God made him who had no sin, to be sin for us so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God.

This is what Christ did for us during that first Christmas day. In taking on ”weak human flesh”, he associated himself with our dilemma which is the result of our mistakes, disobedience and sin. He came to live the life that God requires and we cannot accomplish, and lived it perfectly, holy and without sin, in our place! The Son of God became our brother and will never leave nor forsake us.

During the Season of Advent, the four weeks before Christmas, we want to celebrate that when God gave the gift of salvation, he did not send new laws and rules through which to figure out how we can be saved. No, he sent his Son to save us.

The central Advent message always remains that (John 3:16) God so much loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Let’s trust in the Son. Let’s rejoice because he did everything we could not do, to save us! Let’s pray that he will come back soon to dry all our tears and grant us peace.  

Let’s wait with the same urgent love of the believers in the New Testament Church for the victorious and conquering return of Christ, our King.

A liturgical Prayer for the Feast of Christ the King on 23 November 2014

The Feast of Christ the King: celebrated on Sunday 23 November 2014.

The reign of Christ the King is celebrated on the last Sunday of the Christian Calendar, this year 23 November 2014.  !  Sunday 30 November 2014 is the first Sunday of Advent, the “New Year” of Christianity.

A liturgical Prayer for the Feast of Christ the King on 23 November 2014:

Gracious God and heavenly Father, we come into your presence in the name of our Lord Jesus, the Almighty Christ and King of all!

Today, Lord Jesus Christ, we celebrate your glorious victory. We gladly bring honour to you, our Redeemer, who has not only redeemed us when we were lost, and bought us for God your Father with your precious blood, by your death on the cross and your resurrection, but also ascended to the right hand of God as King and Lord of all.   We rejoice that your Kingdom has come on earth, just as it is in heaven.

We bring honour to you, our Saviour, whom we call Christ, the King, who victoriously reigns now, and reigns forever. You, dear Lord, dealt with our every need, delivered us from every enemy, healed us from all sin, harm and injury and you are worshipped when heaven and earth bow down before you as Lord of heaven and earth. One day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, that you, Lord Jesus, are the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

Majestic Lord, everything promised about your reign has not happened on our earth yet! You are the King, and yet, your dominion is in many ways not visible and is still coming to us and to our world.  We live in hope, and in faith, that we truly heard the Word of God, that testifies that you will come in glory to effect in the smallest detail of your glorious reign.

King Jesus, thank you that you not only bring salvation to us, but through your work that you do through the ministry of your Church, you bring redemption and salvation to the whole world, yes, to the ends of the earth.  Your people accept the grace that you bring, and commit their lives to the power of the Holy Spirit who empowers your children and your Church to fulfil your commission to preach the gospel to everyone. Now bring justice wherever we serve you and bring hope and light where darkness still hides your glorious reign and salvation.

Dear Lord of every aspect and facet of our lives help us to live only for your honour, glory and reign. Help us to be obedient, by the power of your resurrection and of your Spirit. We know that nothing will separate us from the love of God that we received in Christ our King and our Lord! 

We pray for all your servants, majestic Lord! For those who preach your word and for those who listen. Protect and guide all the missionaries sent to the ends of the earth to proclaim salvation in you. Guide and keep them and bless their work for you.   Call many more servants to do your work and make us obedient to your call.

In your mercy, heal the sick and comfort those who are weeping. Set the captives free and grant relief to the poor.   Sanctify those who are powerful and influential and humble and bring to fall those who are proud.   Bring to an end the kingdom of darkness and let your majesty shine as the light of the world.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us your peace.

And now, great King of kings and Lord of lords –

have mercy on us, and on all your people.

In your Name, Lord Jesus Christ, we pray!

Amen.

Scripture Lessons for the Feast of Christ the King this year.

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Psalm 100 or Psalm 95:1-7a
 Ephesians 1:15-23
 Matthew 25:31-46

Prayer makes the difference

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16c)

Everyone who had a life-changing experience with God truly believe in our hearts that God is real and that he answers prayer. And we all have the desire to be able to pray in such a way that something important may happen - or change.

Yet it is not the belief in prayer that will change our lives and help us to experience a faith that works.

It is not the intentions to pray that will bring God’s interventions to resolve our fears and problems!

IT IS TO PRAY that will make the difference!

It is going on our knees and listening to and speaking to God that will make us experience that prayer is powerful and that God answers our humble petitions.

We know that if we would spend more time before God in prayer, we would see more of his Kingdom manifesting in our lives and the lives of others. When we find ourselves at the stress points of life, prayer should be the first thing we do, not the last.

When you are bruised, you should pray. "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray." (James 5:13)

When you are broken, you should pray.  "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him...." (5: 14-15)

When you are backslidden, you should pray.  “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins." (5: 19-20)

The main teaching of James on prayer is that you should actually pray and not only talk about the power of prayer!  Faithful, humble prayer will change our lives, our families, our church and our world!

Why is the Church not perfect?

Christianity is not perfect. The Church is not perfect.

It is the Christians that cause the imperfections of Christianity.  It is the church members, including the leaders, who are the reason that the church often disappoint people.

Jesus said the Kingdom of God may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field, but while everyone was asleep, someone else sowed weeds among the wheat. When both began to grow, the workers asked the farmer where the weeds came from. He answered, "An enemy did this" (Mt 13:28). And when they asked him if they should destroy the weeds, he said, (Mt 13:29-30) "No ... because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. (30) Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn."

Wheat and weed grow together in the Church. Jesus told the parable to warn his people that they have evil living amongst them.  He offered a promise that God will decisively deal with wickedness and sin in the church.

This parable warns against accepting Jesus as Saviour without accepting him as Lord. Some believe that Jesus died on the cross to save them from judgement. Yet they would not accept him as their Master, Lord and King. They are the weeds in God’s Kingdom fields. At the end of the age they will be pulled out. They will not be part of the harvest. Because we cannot claim that Jesus saved us, yet act as if he doesn't own us.

The parable ends with the righteous that rejoice in Christ as their King and Head and in obedience to him bear much fruit for his Kingdom.   We are told that they eternally "will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Matt 13:43).

The Kingdom of our Lord has come and he shall reign forever and ever.

If Jesus came to establish the reign of God on earth, if he proclaimed this message through his teaching and his life and as this message led him to the cross of atonement, then how do we who believe in Jesus, work for the coming of his Kingdom today?

We should live in the reality of the kingdom of God. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15). When we accept God’s rule over our lives, we adopt values and priorities that are radically different than those of the world. We live our lives in a brand new direction, namely the reign of God in Jesus Christ.

We live in the world as salt and light. Like Jesus, our message and our lives should proclaim the Kingdom of God.

We testify about what God has done for us, in Christ.

We invite others to accept the Gospel and live under God’s reign.

We live God’s reign by loving our brothers and sisters,

praying for the sick and the frail,

turning away from evil,

caring for the poor,

forgiving and loving our enemies

and living worshipfully in the faith-community of Jesus.

The kingdoms of this world became the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,

and he shall reign forever and ever.

Hallelujah! Amen!