The Upper Room Daily Reflections, daily words of wisdom and faith of Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Pray a Breath Prayer" for Tuesday, 1 December 2015

The Upper Room Daily Reflections, daily words of wisdom and faith of Nashville, Tennessee, United States "Pray a Breath Prayer" for Tuesday, 1 December 2015
Today’s Reflection:

For the next twenty-four hours, whenever you find yourself waiting (for a phone to be answered, for a computer to come on, for a traffic light to change), pray this prayer with the rhythm of your breathing: “O God, you are my hope.” In your mind, say, “O God,” as you inhale and “you are my hope” as you exhale.[by Mary Lou Redding, While We Wait]
From page 27 of While We Wait: Living the Questions of Advent by Mary Lou Redding. Copyright © 2002 by Mary Lou Redding. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question:
Try the prayer exercise described above. For the next twenty-four hours, whenever you find yourself waiting (for a phone to be answered, for a computer to come on, for a traffic light to change), pray this prayer with the rhythm of your breathing: “O God, you are my hope.” In your mind, say, “O God,” as you inhale and “you are my hope” as you exhale.
Today’s Scripture:
See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight–indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.[Malachi 3:1, NRSV]

This Week: pray for estranged family members. 
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Did You Know?
In need of prayer? The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by trained volunteers, call 1-800-251-2468 or visit The Living Prayer Center web site.
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Saints, Inc.:
This week we remember: Nicholas (December 6).

In the fourth century Nicholas was the bishop of Myra (present day Turkey) in Asia Minor. He was exiled and imprisoned during the Roman Emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians, and attended the important Council of Nicaea in 325. In the sixth century Emperor Justinian I built a basilica in his honor in Constantinople. Not many more substantiated facts are known about the man who over the centuries was transformed into Jolly Old Saint Nicholas.

From at least 1095 Nicholas has been popular. He is given credit for many miracles. Numerous legends have fostered the image of a man with a generous spirit who loved children. Russia's Vladmir I encouraged veneration of Nicholas. Dutch stories and traditions expanded Nicholas' connection with Christmas.

Nicholas died in Myra and is buried there. Many claim that an oily substance with healing powers known as Manna di Santo Nicola has exuded from his bones since his burial.

If Nicholas had taken the spiritual type test, he probably would have been a Lover. Nicholas is remembered on December 6.

Image is detail of St. Nicholas icon, compliments of St. Isaac of Syria Skete, www.skete.com.

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Lectionary Readings:
Sunday, 6 December 2015
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Malachi 3:1-4

Luke 1:68-79

Philippians 1:3-11

Luke 3:1-6

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Lectionary Texts:

Malachi 3:1 “Look! I am sending my messenger
to clear the way before me;
and the Lord, whom you seek,
will suddenly come to his temple.
Yes, the messenger of the covenant,
in whom you take such delight —
look! Here he comes,”
says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
2 But who can endure the day when he comes?
Who can stand when he appears?
For he will be like a refiner’s fire,
like the soapmaker’s lye.
3 He will sit, testing and purifying the silver;
he will purify the sons of Levi,
refining them like gold and silver,
so that they can bring offerings to Adonai uprightly.
4 Then the offering of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim
will be pleasing to Adonai,
as it was in the days of old,
as in years gone by.
Luke 1:68 “Praised be Adonai, the God of Isra’el,[Luke 1:68 Psalms 41:14(13); 72:18; 106:48]

    because he has visited and made a ransom to liberate his people

69 by raising up for us a mighty Deliverer

    who is a descendant of his servant David.

70 It is just as he has spoken

    through the mouth of the prophets from the very beginning —

71 that we should be delivered from our enemies

    and from the power of all who hate us.

72 “This has happened so that he might show

    the mercy promised to our fathers —

that he would remember his holy covenant,

73     the oath he swore before Avraham avinu

74 to grant us that we, freed from our enemies,

    would serve him without fear,

75 in holiness and righteousness

    before him all our days.

76 You, child, will be called a prophet of Ha‘Elyon;

    you will go before the Lord to prepare his way[Luke 1:76 Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3]

77 by spreading the knowledge among his people

    that deliverance comes by having sins forgiven

78 through our God’s most tender mercy,

    which causes the Sunrise to visit us from Heaven,

79 to shine on those in darkness, living in the shadow of death,[Luke 1:79 Isaiah 9:1(2)]

    and to guide our feet into the paths of peace.”

Philippians 1:3 I thank my God every time I think of you. 4 Whenever I pray for all of you I always pray with joy, 5 because you have shared in proclaiming the Good News from the very first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this: that the One who began a good work among you will keep it growing until it is completed on the Day of the Messiah Yeshua. 7 It is right for me to think this way about you all, because I have you on my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and establishing the Good News, you are all sharing with me in this privileged work. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the deep affection of the Messiah Yeshua.

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may more and more overflow in fullness of knowledge and depth of discernment, 10 so that you will be able to determine what is best and thus be pure and without blame for the Day of the Messiah, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Yeshua the Messiah — to the glory and praise of God.

Luke 3:1 In the fifteenth year of Emperor Tiberius’ rule; when Pontius Pilate was governor of Y’hudah, Herod ruler of the Galil, his brother Philip ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, 2 with ‘Anan and Kayafa being the cohanim g’dolim; the word of God came to Yochanan Ben-Z’kharyah in the desert. 3 He went all through the Yarden region proclaiming an immersion involving turning to God from sin in order to be forgiven. 4 It was just as had been written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Yesha‘yahu,

“The voice of someone crying out:

‘In the desert prepare the way for Adonai!

Make straight paths for him!

5 Every valley must be filled in,

every mountain and hill leveled off;

the winding roads must be straightened

and the rough ways made smooth.

6 Then all humanity will see God’s deliverance.’”[Luke 3:6 Isaiah 40:3–5]

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John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Malachi 3:1-4

Verse 1

[1] Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

I — The Messiah.

My messenger — John the Baptist.

The Lord — The Messiah.

Whom ye seek — Whom ye, who truly fear God, long and wait for.

Suddenly come — After the coming of his fore-runner.

To his temple — That which was the second temple at Jerusalem, lately built by Zerubbabel and Joshua.

The messenger — The angel of the covenant, the Messiah, in whose blood the covenant between God and man was confirmed.

Whom ye delight in — You Jews, among whom, few there are, who do not please themselves to think of his coming, tho' from various motives.

Verse 2

[2] But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:

Abide — Who shall be able to stand under the weight of those crosses which in that day, will fall on all sorts of men? The day - This day was from his preaching, 'till the utter destruction of Jerusalem, about seventy years after the birth of Christ.

A refiner's fire — Some are like metals, which nothing but a fierce fire can purge, such fire shall the troubles of these days be.

Fuller's soap — As boiling waters, into which, spotted cloaths are thrown, and as the rubbing of them with soap; so that day will prove to all, a day of great trial, to purge and refine.

Verse 3

[3] And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

He shall fit — As resolved to attend his work and finish it.

He shall purify — The effect of this fiery trial, shall be the thorough cleansing of the persons that are to pass through it.

Sons of Levi — Either the Jewish Levites, or all Christians, who are made priests unto God.

In righteousness — That they may offer themselves, their souls and bodies to God, in righteousness and true holiness.

Verse 4

[4] Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

The offerings — The services and duties of the whole Christian church.

Pleasant — Well pleasing to him.

Luke 1:68-79

Verse 69

[69] And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

A horn — Signifies honour, plenty, and strength.

A horn of salvation — That is, a glorious and mighty Saviour.

Verse 70

[70] As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

His prophets, who have been since the world began — For there were prophets from the very beginning.

Verse 74

[74] That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

To serve him without fear — Without any slavish fear. Here is the substance of the great promise. That we shall be always holy, always happy: that being delivered from Satan and sin, from every uneasy and unholy temper, we shall joyfully love and serve God, in every thought, word, and work.

Verse 76

[76] And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

And thou, child — He now speaks to John; yet not as a parent, but as a prophet.

Verse 77

[77] To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

To give knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins — The knowledge of the remission of our sins being the grand instrument of present and eternal salvation, Hebrews 8:11,12. But the immediate sense of the words seems to be, to preach to them the Gospel doctrine of salvation by the remission of their sins.

Verse 78

[78] Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

The day spring — Or the rising sun; that is, Christ.

Philippians 1:3-11

Verse 4

[4] Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

With joy — After the epistle to the Ephesians, wherein love reigns, follows this, wherein there is perpetual mention of joy. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy." And joy peculiarly enlivens prayer. The sum of the whole epistle is, I rejoice. Rejoice ye.

Verse 5

[5] For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

The sense is, I thank God for your fellowship with us in all the blessings of the gospel, which I have done from the first day of your receiving it until now.

Verse 6

[6] Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Being persuaded — The grounds of which persuasion are set down in the following verse.

That he who hath begun a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ — That he who having justified, hath begun to sanctify you, will carry on this work, till it issue in glory.

Verse 7

[7] Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

As it is right for me to think this of you all — Why? He does not say, "Because of an eternal decree;" or, "Because a saint must persevere;" but, because I have you in my heart, who were all partakers of my grace - That is, because ye were all (for which I have you in my heart, I bear you the most grateful and tender affection) partakers of my grace - That is, sharers in the afflictions which God vouchsafed me as a grace or favour, Philippians 1:29,30; both in my bonds, and when I was called forth to answer for myself, and to confirm the gospel. It is not improbable that, after they had endured that great trial of affliction, God had sealed them unto full victory, of which the apostle had a prophetic sight.

Verse 8

[8] For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

I long for you with the bowels of Jesus Christ — In Paul, not Paul lives, but Jesus Christ. Therefore he longs for them with the bowels, the tenderness, not of Paul, but of Jesus Christ.

Verse 9

[9] And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

And this I pray, that your love — Which they had already shown.

May abound yet more and more — The fire which burned in the apostle never says, It is enough.

In knowledge and in all spiritual sense — Which is the ground of all spiritual knowledge. We must be inwardly sensible of divine peace, joy, love; otherwise, we cannot know what they are.

Verse 10

[10] That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;

That ye may try — By that spiritual sense.

The things that are excellent — Not only good, but the very best; the superior excellence of which is hardly discerned, but by the adult Christian. That ye may be inwardly sincere - Having a single eye to the very best things, and a pure heart. And outwardly without offence - Holy, unblamable in all things.

Verse 11

[11] Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God — Here are three properties of that sincerity which is acceptable to God: 1. It must bear fruits, the fruits of righteousness, all inward and outward holiness, all good tempers, words, and works; and that so abundantly, that we may be filled with them. 2. The branch and the fruits must derive both their virtue and their very being from the all - supporting, all - supplying root, Jesus Christ. 3. As all these flow from the grace of Christ, so they must issue in the glory and praise of God.

Luke 3:1-6

Verse 2

[2] Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Annas being high priest, and Caiaphas — There could be but one high priest, strictly speaking, at once. Annas was the high priest at that time, and Caiaphas his sagan or deputy.

Verse 4

[4] As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Isaiah 40:3.

Verse 5

[5] Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

Every valley shall be filled, … — That is, every hinderance shall be removed.

Verse 6

[6] And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

The salvation of God — The Saviour, the Messiah.

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The Upper Room Ministries

PO Box 340004

Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0004, United States---------------------
Sermon Story "Great Expectations" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 6 December 2015 with Scripture Text to Read: Malachi 3:1 “Look! I am sending my messenger
to clear the way before me;
and the Lord, whom you seek,
will suddenly come to his temple.
Yes, the messenger of the covenant,
in whom you take such delight —
look! Here he comes,”
says Adonai-Tzva’ot.
2 But who can endure the day when he comes?
Who can stand when he appears?
For he will be like a refiner’s fire,
like the soapmaker’s lye.
3 He will sit, testing and purifying the silver;
he will purify the sons of Levi,
refining them like gold and silver,
so that they can bring offerings to Adonai uprightly.
4 Then the offering of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim
will be pleasing to Adonai,
as it was in the days of old,
as in years gone by.
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What kind of great extations are you placing upon this advent and Christmas holiday season for this year? We read about the promises of God to send a deliver of Israel for their oppression and sin. They are anticipating a Messiah who has a sent holy man of God to announce His arrival to set up His Temple for God's Glory. We look back on the history of Israel and their oppression by nations and realize that they were looking forward to a Warrior-King to deliver them, but God! God was proimising them a Messiah to deliver them from their sins and to give them the power of Holiness in their lives to bring Heaven on earth as the Messiah comes to set up the earth as He originally intended it to be. We read in the newspapers and magazines as well as listen and watch on the television and internet the violence around the world including ISIS and Al Quaeda killing people who disagree with them as well as our responses to kill and defeat the enemies by violence and warfare, but God! We come to realize that God is calling us to love and respect other people and allow His Spirit to shine thorugh in our words and actions in proclaiming His love and mercy. In our response, we realize that the refugees who are escaping from their countries to escape war, other violence, and poverty are being brought to our doorsteps for us to show His Grace and Love no mater what their faith may be because God is the one to redeem, not us because we are only used by God for His redemption of all of creation. This includes people who are different from us in culture or race or thinking or disability because God has a way to bring others into a loving relationship with Him thorugh our actions of love, not necessarily our words. We come to realize that we need to turn our expectations whether Jesus returns as He left or returns in His spirit to transform us to be more Christlike in our actions of Love. How are you responding to God's to love even people who we consider our enemies? Will you be a conduit of God's Love, Grace, and Redemption? We come to the time now to eat the Body of Jesus and drink His Blood as we participate in the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. We come to receive from God singing the Hymn "Expecting" by William Mcdowell:
I’m expecting. 
Anticipating.
A Move of God.
A Move of God.
(Repeat)
I’m expecting. 
Anticipating.
A Move of God.
A Move of God.
We won’t be satisfied (until)
heaven invades our lives
Move oh God. 
Move oh God.
Bridge:
And we’ll see 
Blind Eyes Opened
Cities and regions changed
I Believe.
We will see a move of God.
Special
Sopranoes: A move of God (repeat)
Altos + Tenors: We’ve been praying for it. We’ve been longing for it. 
We believe we’ll see (A Move of God)
Everyone: We’ve been praying for it. We’ve been longing for it. 
We believe we’ll see (A Move of God)
Move oh God. Oh Oohhh
Move oh God. Oh Oohhh
Move oh God. Oh Oohhh
Move oh God. Oh Oohhh
A Move of God…
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Gary Lee Parker
4147 Idano Street, Apt. 1
San Diego, California 92104-1844, United States
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