Devotionals

Intro: For our Advent season this year, Pastor Mary has chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.

Today is day eleven of our journey and our symbol is The Ten Commandments.

As a kid I used to think that some of my parent’s “house rules” were just ridiculous. Then I became a parent and our “house rules” seemed to almost mirror image the rules that I once followed as a kid in my parent’s house.

Now, when I think about God giving Moses the Ten Commandments, it is almost as if God was passing on the “House rules” for His Family, Israel, through Moses. The Commandments were a conditional covenant, like a set of God’s “House rules” for humanity’s relationship with Him and with others. When Moses takes the instructions and regulations of the Ten Commandments down to the foot of Mount Sinai and gives them to the people, they all at once responded, “we will do everything the Lord has commanded” (Exodus 24:3). We know that wasn’t always the case, and if we are being completely honest, you and I are no different than the Israelites because we fall short of following God’s “House rules” from time to time.

We know that the law, the Ten Commandments, was similar to a guardian until Jesus came, it protected God’s people until they could be made right with God through individual salvation and faith in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:24). Remember, when a teacher of the religious law asked Jesus which of the commandments was the most important, Jesus said that we are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength; and equally as important, love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:35-40, Mark 12:28-34, & Luke 10:25-28). Jesus wasn’t telling us to ignore the Ten Commandments, rather since He was the fulfillment of the Law of Moses meaning He lived out the Ten Commandments perfectly, He was simply encapsulating all ten of God’s “House rules” and putting them into two clear commandments known as the Greatest Commandment.

Friends, when it seems difficult to follow God’s “House rules”, pause, and connect with Him in prayer with an open heart. When we seek to love Him the way we are called as His children to love Him, with our whole heart, it makes our relationship with Him closer and deeper and as a result it makes loving our neighbor a little easier because we get a chance to love them like Jesus loves them, perfectly and whole.

Exodus 20:1-17 (NLT)

Ten Commandments for the Covenant Community

1 Then God gave the people all these instructions:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

3 “You must not have any other god but me.

4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

7 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You must not murder.

14 “You must not commit adultery.

15 “You must not steal.

16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

Exodus 24:12 (NLT)

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people.”

Matthew 5:17 (NLT)

Teaching about the Law

17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.

Hebrews 4:15 (NLT)

15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Galatians 3:21-24 (NLT)

21 Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. 22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.

God’s Children through Faith

23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.

24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for coming and being the perfect example of love and for outlining the way I am called to love with clear instructions. Help me to follow those instructions more closely so that I may grow closer in my relationship with You, as I walk further away from sin, and deeper into a place of pure love with You. I want to love my neighbor more selflessly, like You love them, and to do that I need Your guidance, Holy Spirit, and a heart like Yours, Jesus. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.

Today, is day ten of our journey and our symbol is Manna.

When God wants me to embrace change, He typically leads me in small obedient steps. Of course, that is not always possible, because life is fragile and we are not in control. However, small steps are a good start when making positive changes to our lives. Never despise small faith-led beginnings, because God always builds on them.

In our Old Testament passage today, God is helping the Israelites learn how to trust him by taking small steps of obedience. They are in a barren land; the environment is hostile and they are surrounded by sand and stone. Therefore, the people complain and express a desire to return to slavery in Egypt which is obviously not what they really want. They simply want their lives to be easier. Don’t we all?

So, God promises to meet their needs in this desolate place each day. They cannot gather and store up tomorrow’s provision of manna. They must gather what they will actually consume in one day. God lays out detailed instructions for each day to test their obedience in trusting His supply. This calls for faith which will help to shape them in the Lord’s character.

The Lord God sends manna from heaven. The word manna means, “What is it?” In its present state, the manna does not look like food or provision, but the people will understand if they will simply follow the instructions and trust God. This unusual manna was an unexpected Gift from God. They did not have to work to harvest it; rather, it fell down from heaven fresh each day. And, when they ate it, they were satisfied.

In our New Testament passage from the gospel of John, Jesus reminds his disciples, the religious leaders, and the crowds that it was the Father, not Moses, who sent the manna to feed Israel. Generations later, the same Father sends the Son as the Bread/Manna from Heaven who will bring eternal life. Jesus wants to meet our spiritual needs each day with grace, but we must eat the Word to sustain our spiritual souls. It’s a daily walk of small steps that grows our faith!

Exodus 16:4, 14-15, 31 NLT
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.
14 When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground. 15 The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. “What is it?” they asked each other. They had no idea what it was. And Moses told them, “It is the food the Lord has given you to eat.

31 The Israelites called the food manna. It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey wafers.

John 6:31-35, 48-51 NLT
31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

48 Yes, I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.
Today, is day nine of our journey and our symbol is the Cup.

Have you noticed some things are crisp in your memory and other things not so much? I write down many more things these days, because I don’t want to forget something important. If I don’t have a way to write something down, I associate what I want to remember with a person, place, or life event. It works pretty well most of the time! lol!

In the Old Testament, God rescued the Israelites from bondage in Egypt; yet, in spite of all God had done for them, they quickly forgot His goodness. So, God called them to remember what He had done to deliver them by celebrating the Passover table every year. During this celebration, they would retell the event of when they wiped the blood of a spotless lamb over the doorframes of their dwelling. Through the retelling, the people would remember and focus on the goodness of God to spare their lives; to save them from death.

In the New Testament, Jesus used His final Passover meal with the disciples to show that His sacrificial death would give new meaning to the festival. Jesus came to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He shed His blood on the cross to fulfill the Passover; He died for you. Just as there had to be an act of faith and obedience in which the blood was applied to the doorframes of the Israelites’ homes in Egypt, so there must be an act of faith in which Christ’s shed blood is applied to our lives. If you have never done so, by faith ask for Christ’s blood to cover you.

Exodus 12:21-27 NLT
21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel together and said to them, “Go, pick out a lamb or young goat for each of your families, and slaughter the Passover animal. 22 Drain the blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out through the door until morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the Lord will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down.
24 “Remember, these instructions are a permanent law that you and your descendants must observe forever. 25 When you enter the land the Lord has promised to give you, you will continue to observe this ceremony. 26 Then your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’ 27 And you will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families.’” When Moses had finished speaking, all the people bowed down to the ground and worshiped.

Matthew 26:26-28 NLT
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.
Hebrews 9:22 NLT  In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the cup of salvation; the shedding of your blood applied to the lives of your children. The blood confirms the covenant we have with you. Thank you for the rest this gives our lives. We know you will bring us safely through the day of judgment. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.
Today, is day eight of our journey and our symbol is the Burning Bush.

Years ago, my parents owned a home in North Carolina. The way they got rid of fall leaves and tree trimmings was by placing them in a fire pit and burning them. From a safe distance, I was mesmerized by the flames reaching high into the air and enjoying the smell of the fire.

Today, our reading highlights the life and faith of Abraham’s descendent Moses [the great-nephew of Joseph] and his experience at the burning bush. Moses is mesmerized by the fire, but he is frightened when God speaks from the bush, identifies Himself as “I Am,” proclaims the ground as holy, and calls Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. I am not sure how any of us would have responded to all that, but Moses protests this calling from God by saying, “Who am I to lead your people out of Egypt?”

God designs every human being and directs his or her path; therefore, He knows what He is doing in leading our lives. Sometimes the difficult part for us is getting into agreement with God, because we would more than likely choose different things for our lives. The way God brings Joseph [and the people of Israel] to rule Egypt is a complete surprise, but God’s grace gives Joseph the ability to provide food for them all during a severe famine. Years later, God calls Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, because they had become slaves to the governing authority and were not free to worship God.

Our lesson reminds us of God’s faithfulness; He is constant and whole—never changes and is always there to love us. God never runs out of power or energy; He is a consuming fire whose love burns on forever. Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God and He wants to be Lord of our lives. Therefore, He will do the unexpected in order to get our attention, too!

Exodus 3:1-6, 10-15 Moses and the Burning Bush
1 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. 3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”
4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

“Here I am!” Moses replied.

5 “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.

10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”

13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”

14 God replied to Moses, “I am who I am. Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.”

John 8:58 NLT Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!”

John 10:30 NLT “The Father and I are one.”

John 18:4-6 NLT
4 Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to him, so he stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” he asked.
5 “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied.“I am he,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.) 6 As Jesus said “I am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground!

Hebrews 13:8 NLT Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being constant in love and power. You are faithful and true to love and provide for your creation. Thank you for the lesson of the burning bush. Help us, as your children, to be willing to go and do whatever you have designed us to do. May we be quick to obey. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.
Today, is day seven of our journey and our symbol is Joseph’s Colorful Coat.

Do you have an article of clothing that is one of your favorites? I have several clothing items that I wear frequently because they make me smile! These pieces are comfortable and colorful. In fact, one of my favorite tops is vibrant with every color imaginable and has been “dubbed” by a friend as Joseph’s coat! When I wear this top, people can certainly see me coming.

Jacob’s son, Joseph, had a coat of many colors—Jacob had it made especially for him. In fact, Joseph had eleven brothers, but this coat set him apart as Jacob’s favorite son. Naturally, there would be some pride involved in Joseph when wearing this coat. As well, there would be a response of jealousy from Joseph’s brothers. So, over time, the coat of favor becomes an issue of conflict and pain. To deal with their jealousy, the brothers devise a plan to kill Joseph, but later decide to strip him of his robe and sell him into slavery. Evil may be busy, but is this the end of Joseph?

No, it is the new beginning for Joseph in the Hand of Almighty God; Joseph is powerless to move unless God moves him. God uses the jealousy of his brothers to position Joseph in Egypt where God moves him from the prison to the palace! When God is working in our lives and positioning us for His work, it requires grace or favor. The world hates grace, because it is entirely based on the power of God and not climbing the fleshy ladder of human success or power; it is always driven in unexpected ways. The favor on Joseph’s life is God-designed, because the Lord plans to use Joseph in order to bring Wisdom and salvation to Israel during a time of extreme famine. In fact, God’s plan is so big for Joseph that his jealous but hungry brothers eventually bow to honor him. You see the enemy may have plans to harm God’s children, but God’s grace and goodness is much more powerful. Where is God beginning to work anew in your life?

Genesis 37:1-4, 23-28 NLT Joseph’s Dreams
1 So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived as a foreigner.
2 This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing.
3 Jacob[a] loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe.[b] 4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.
12 Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem. 13 When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I will send you to them.”
“I’m ready to go,” Joseph replied.
14 “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebron.
15 When he arrived there, a man from the area noticed him wandering around the countryside. “What are you looking for?” he asked.
16 “I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Do you know where they are pasturing their sheep?”
17 “Yes,” the man told him. “They have moved on from here, but I heard them say, ‘Let’s go on to Dothan.’” So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.

Joseph Sold into Slavery
18 When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. 19 “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. 20 “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”
21 But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. 22 “Why should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father.
23 So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. 24 Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. 25 Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt.
26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime. 27 Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. 28 So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces[b] of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt.
Genesis 45:5 NLT But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.

Genesis 50:20 NLT You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Romans 8:28 NLT And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Acts 3:13-15 NLT
13 For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him. 14 You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for Joseph’s life and the lessons we have learned through him. Thank you, Jesus, for rescuing us from our enemies; for offering us salvation. When we feel betrayed or treated unkindly, may we remember Joseph’s colorful coat as a symbol of the grace that covers us in Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.
Today, is day six of our journey and our symbol is Jacob’s Ladder.

Last week, as we were decorating the church to celebrate Christmas, I spent quite a bit of time climbing up and down a ladder. If you are short in stature like me, most of the time a ladder is your friend. When you need to go closer to something out of your reach, you grab a ladder and start climbing until what you desire is within reach. We tend to climb up a ladder slowly; however, sometimes we can come down much too fast [yes, I fell off the ladder!]

Jacob is the son of Issac and the grandson of Abraham. Jacob is a hard worker, but the way he goes about climbing the ladder of success is not rooted in integrity. He deliberately deceives his father and tricks his brother, Esau, in order to get the Lord’s blessing. Because of his sinful actions, Jacob fearfully flees to Haran, but on the way, Jacob has a dream from the Lord. Isn’t it just like God to find us when we are running from ourselves? Anyway, God takes the initiative to communicate through this dream, because He wants to be closer to Jacob so He can redeem him.

In the dream, Jacob sees a ladder connecting heaven and earth. Strangely the ladder is not for Jacob to climb up in order to be with God, it is for God to descend from heaven to earth. The Lord is standing near the ladder in heaven and He knows Jacob. The same God who promises Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, reminds Jacob He is now with him.

From the Old Testament, we know the Lord desires to come close to His fallen human creation, but He cannot because He is holy. In the New Testament, the Lord descends and takes on human flesh so He can live with humanity. This way, He can heal what is broken…to bring and restore human beings in the shalom of God. The ladder is not for us; it is an image of Christ and His angels as salvation comes to earth. Christ is the One who connects heaven and earth in the Love of God. Jacob learns the Lord Jesus is the Way!

Genesis 28:10-17 NLT Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
10  Jacob left the town of Beersheba and started out for Haran. 11 At sunset he stopped for the night and went to sleep, resting his head on a large rock. 12  In a dream he saw a ladder that reached from earth to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down on it.
13  The Lord was standing beside the ladder [or stairway] and said:

I am the Lord God who was worshiped by Abraham and Isaac. I will give to you and your family the land on which you are now sleeping. 14  Your descendants will spread over the earth in all directions and will become as numerous as the specks of dust. Your family will be a blessing to all people. 15 Wherever you go, I will watch over you, then later I will bring you back to this land. I won’t leave you—I will do all I have promised.
16 Jacob woke up suddenly and thought, “The Lord is in this place, and I didn’t even know it.” 17 Then Jacob became frightened and said, “What a frightening place! It must be the house of God and the gateway to heaven.”

John 1:51 NLT 51 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway [ladder] between heaven and earth.”

John 14:6 NLT 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for descending down the heavenly ladder to earth in order to have a relationship with us. Even though, like Jacob, we may try to climb our way toward you through our own efforts and works, the ladder is about your work of grace and love to restore us. You are the only Way to the Father. Help us to trust and wait for your timing; your appointed time to move in our lives. We need you, Prince of Peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.

Today, is day five of our journey and our symbol is a ram.

Children may look forward to Christmas with the anticipation of opening personal gifts and toys that have been picked out especially for them. I could be wrong, but I don’t imagine any child would be excited to find a ram as their gift under the Christmas tree. However, we serve a God who is the Master of unexpected and miraculous gifts; so, our lesson today is about a gift only God would give.

Picture Abraham and his son, Isaac, heading to worship the Lord. On their way, God asks Abraham to offer his only son as a sacrifice. In the grace of God, Abraham prepares to obey God, but just as he goes to sacrifice his son, God stays Abraham’s hand and provides a ram to take Isaac’s place. Now, that ram would be a monumental and unfathomable gift for any parent given such instructions, but God never planned to allow Abraham to fulfill this sacrificial task. It was a test involving faith and a very unexpected gift of provision.

This was a lesson for Abraham [and us] about the love of God; the Lord was revealing something about Himself and the future. God knew the pain involved in what he was asking of Abraham; because, in the future, He would live it. God knew Abraham needed a way of escape; because, in the future, He would want it. God knew the peace that would flood Abraham’s soul when he saw the ram; because in the future He would be the One to make peace between God and His human creation. God knew the joy of Abraham when the ram became the sacrifice in Isaac’s place; because in the future He would endure the cross for the joy of regaining a relationship with humanity.

The ram reminds us that Jesus was sent, by God, to offer his life as a sacrifice in our place. We deserve to die for the sins we have committed against our holy God, but we serve a very merciful God who knows all about us, our hearts, our lives, our motives, our needs and He chooses to love us in a sacrificial way. Jesus is God’s most generous Gift; the Savior who pardons and provides abundant Grace.

There won’t be a ram under your tree this year, but please don’t forget the Gift of Christ that hung on a tree (a wooden cross) to provide a way for the world to enjoy eternal life in God’s love. When you think of the ram, remember God gave his one and only Son to save you!

Genesis 22:1-2, 9-14 Abraham’s Faith Tested
1 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.

“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”

2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”

12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

John 3:16 NLT “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Hebrews 11:17-19NLT
17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for stepping in and making a way for our salvation. You spared us the penalty of our own sin, by offering your Son, Jesus, as the sacrificial Lamb. You are so very generous to us and we thank you. Please forgive us when the challenges of life seem to overwhelm us. Help us put things into a proper perspective. Thank you for being with us and giving the Gift we really need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: For our Advent season this year, Pastor Mary has chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.

Today is day three of our journey and our symbol is The Starry Sky.

The starry sky is a reminder of the promise that God made with Abraham (who was once known as Abram) and with all of his descendants who place their faith in Jesus. God used the stars in the sky as an example to show Abraham how big his family would be because of his faith.

Do you realize that you and I, as believers, are a part of Abraham’s family? When God revealed this promise to Abraham, He was including us! Isn’t that amazing, you and I are grafted into God’s Family, first through the promise that God made with Abraham because of his unwavering faith and hope, and next through the birth of Jesus and His ultimate sacrifice to save us from our sins and bring us into eternal glory with Him.

We need to remember that it took 25 years for Abraham and Sarah to have Isaac, in other words, it took 25 years for the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abram (who would be Abraham). Would you be hopeful for 25 years and cling to God’s promise through unwavering faith, like Abraham? The Apostle Paul tells us that “even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping – believing that he would become a father of many nations. For God had said to him, ‘That’s how many descendants you will have!’” as He was referring to the stars in the sky.

As we repent, reflect, and seek restoration for our hope in Christ this advent week of hope let’s step outside tonight or one night this week and look up at God’s creation in the sky. As you look up, remember God’s promise to Abraham that was fulfilled through the birth of Isaac and later through the death of Jesus, and allow Him to renew your hope and give Him great praise for being a part of His Family, because you, my brother or sister, are one of those stars that God was referring to as He made His promise to Abraham.

Genesis 15:5-6 (NLT)
5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Genesis 22:17-18 (NLT)
17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”

Romans 4:18-25
18 Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” 19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.

20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

Galatians 3:6-9 (NLT)
6 In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.

8 What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for coming and laying down Your life so that my life could be saved. Help to strengthen my hope in You and faith in You to be like Abraham, so that You can use me as a bright shining light for Your Kingdom. I place my trust, hope, and faith in You, Jesus, and I bow myself down before You so that You can work in, through, and all around me so that others may see, hear, and know You. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.
Today, is day three of our journey and our symbol is the Ark and the Rainbow.

Many years ago, God gave me a message to teach about venturing into the depths of His love. Because we cannot contain the fulness of God, the Spirit leads us from glory, to glory, to glory in his love and victory. The Spirit—the Living Water—is the One who washes the filth of the world off from us.

We begin with repentance at the surface level of God’s love where it is comfy, affirming, and warm. Everyone loves this season of splashing in the waters of the Spirit, but we must grow up, because spiritual immaturity does not bring glory to God or victory to our lives. Second, the Spirit calls us into the convicting love of God; some filthy areas of our hearts, minds, and wills get a real cleansing here. During these times, our faith must stretch for us to meet God’s will for our lives. We face trials and tribulations differently at this level; endurance and growth become our goals so we climb up closer to the presence of God in Christ [our Ark]. Lastly, there are the raging flood waters of God’s confrontational love where he calls us to rest in the truth of who He is so He can reveal his awesome and mighty power. Christ becomes the redemptive Ark of glorious hope that now carries us through every situation and protects us from evil. We need to rest in Christ’s salvation! In Him we now live, move, and have our being.

The story of the flood reminds use of the depths of Almighty God who can be gentle, compassionate, and inspiring, as well as powerful, holy, and awesome. Humanity did not learn the lessons from the garden, because they continue to eat rotten fruit. We become what we eat; therefore, the world becomes filled with violence and evil. So, God chooses to do something about it. He sends water..lots and lots of water; but, he chooses to preserve Noah [whose name means “rest”], his family, and every kind of animal. Then, God promises to never flood the world again and provides the rainbow to remind Him of that promise—a sign of God’s faithfulness to His covenant of redeeming grace.

Genesis 6:11-21 NLT
11 Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. 12 God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. 13 So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!
14 “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. 15 Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 16 Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper.

17 “Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. 18 But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives. 19 Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood. 20 Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. 21 And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.”

Genesis 7:17-8:1 NLT
17 For forty days the floodwaters grew deeper, covering the ground and lifting the boat high above the earth. 18 As the waters rose higher and higher above the ground, the boat floated safely on the surface. 19 Finally, the water covered even the highest mountains on the earth, 20 rising more than twenty-two feet[a] above the highest peaks. 21 All the living things on earth died—birds, domestic animals, wild animals, small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the people. 22 Everything that breathed and lived on dry land died. 23 God wiped out every living thing on the earth—people, livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and the birds of the sky. All were destroyed. The only people who survived were Noah and those with him in the boat. 24 And the floodwaters covered the earth for 150 days.
The Flood Recedes
8 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock with him in the boat. He sent a wind to blow across the earth, and the floodwaters began to recede.

Genesis 9:8-13 NLT
8 Then God told Noah and his sons, 9 “I hereby confirm my covenant with you and your descendants, 10 and with all the animals that were on the boat with you—the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals—every living creature on earth. 11 Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.”

12 Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. 13 I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.

Hebrews 9:15 NLT
15 That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

Prayer: Lord, we know you are powerful yet gentle, sovereign yet merciful, holy yet compassionate and we worship you. Take us into the depths of your love so our lives may glorify you. Our hope rests in you, Lord! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.
Today, is day two of our journey and our symbol is the fruit.

The garden was a perfect environment for humanity, because everything was operating in the harmony [shalom] of God. But, there was an imposter lurking within the garden; a spirit of evil that twisted the Word of God in order to tempt Adam and Eve to sin against divine authority. [From our lesson yesterday, we remember there are realities we can see, as well as realms of invisible realities that exist beyond our natural senses known only to God].

In God’s love he set a warning, but gave human beings a choice. In the visible, it seemed like it would be all right to eat the fruit and it looked delicious, but “What was it exactly God said, again?” Adam and Eve knew what God said, but they wanted what they thought they lacked to make them happy, so they chose to please their human flesh and exalt their desires rather than obey God.

Adam and Eve lost the divine and glorious oneness God provided in the garden, because they disobeyed Him when they ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. The first couple desired wisdom and Satan made the fruit looked tempting. Fruit can look good on the outside, but be rotten on the inside or provide a very bitter taste that lingers. We were created to eat spiritual fruit that feeds us eternal life. We cannot judge whether spiritual fruit is good or bad by human visual examination alone, because there is a great deal of evil lurking within certain decisions—evil that injures and destroys our oneness with God. Only God knows what is really going to be “good” for us, because He made us. We need God to teach us how to identify good spiritual fruit or we will fall for the rotten fruit Satan offers every time. Praise God for the work of the Holy Spirit!

So from the first Adam, we received a sin nature; something human beings never had when God formed us. Yet, in God’s goodness and in His appointed time, through the root of Jesse, we have a new Adam to follow—Jesus Messiah the sinless One who takes upon himself the sin nature of the world [the cross] and reconnects us in the righteous oneness of God. We must choose Jesus and follow Him as the Way to eternal life. He has been made Wisdom for us and He leads us to feast on righteous fruit. Our lives can once again sing in the harmonies of God by our obedience to receive Jesus. He is the only one who can heal and restore us when we lose our righteous way.

Genesis 2:15-17 NLT
15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

Genesis 3:1-6 NLT The Man and Woman Sin
1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.

Romans 5:12, 15, 19 NLT Adam and Christ Contrasted
12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.
19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

1 Corinthians 15:22 NLT
22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us understand the destruction hidden within the fruit of sin and disobedience. Help us to lean on your Word rather than on our own understanding. Heal and forgive us when we sin through selfish words or actions. Empower us to live godly lives in oneness with you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.