Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries ""The Impossible Gift"" for Sunday, December 4, 2016

Advent Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries ""The Impossible Gift"" for Sunday, December 4, 2016

And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this?"(Luke 1:18)
The impossible gift: for some children it's a pony; for us it was a pool table. Every Christmas we asked for a pool table and ended up disappointed. Finally, one Christmas we sat around the tree after opening all our presents. Figuring there would be no pool table, we resigned ourselves to look more closely at the presents we had received. That's when mom and dad brought out one last present for each of us. One brother opened a triangle; another opened a box of pool balls. We were all running downstairs before the other three gifts were unwrapped.
That's what happened to Zechariah. But instead of running downstairs to see the pool table, he sat on the floor asking "How shall I know this?" Long ago he had given up the dream of having a child. So even though an angel stands before him delivering this tremendous good news, Zechariah finds it impossible to believe.
God's great promises often greet us when we are beaten down, discouraged and depressed. A cynicism often creeps in that keeps us from enjoying God's gifts as we should, but those gifts are still offered whether you believe it or not. The Baby is still in Bethlehem's manger for you. Will you pass Him by just because you've been discouraged by the events in your life?
Christmas is really all about God stepping into our world of disappointment, heartache and failure. He came to share our life of pain and sorrow; He came to give us His life of joy, peace and bliss.
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, come to me in my disillusionment and pain. Reassure me of Your power to heal my pain, provide all my needs, and lead me to unending joy in Your presence. Amen.

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Today's Bible in a Year Reading: Ezekiel 47-48; 1 John 3
Ezekiel 47:1 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the house, and I saw water flowing eastward from under the threshold of the house, for the house faced east. The water flowed down from under the right side of the house, south of the altar. 2 Next he led me out through the north gate and took me around outside to the outer gate, by way of the east gate, where I saw water trickling from the south side. 3 With a line in his hand the man went out toward the east and measured a thousand cubits [one-third of a mile] and had me wade across the stream; the water came up to my ankles. 4 He measured another thousand and had me wade through the water, which reached my knees. He measured another thousand and had me wade through water up to my waist. 5 Finally he measured a thousand, and it was a river I couldn’t cross on foot, because the water was so deep one would have to swim across; it was a river that could not be waded through. 6 He asked me, “Human being, have you seen this?” Then, guiding me, he got me back to the riverbank. 7 After being returned, I saw on the bank of the river a great number of trees on the one side and on the other. 8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and continues down to the ‘Aravah. When it enters the sea, the sea of stagnant water, [the Dead Sea,] its water will become fresh. 9 When this happens, swarms of all kinds of living creatures will be able to live in it wherever the streams flow; so that there will be a vast number of fish; for this water is flowing there, so that, wherever the river goes, everything will be restored and able to live. 10 Then fishermen will stand on its shores spreading their nets all the way from ‘Ein-Gedi to ‘Ein-‘Eglayim. There will be as many kinds of fish there as in the Great Sea, [the Mediterranean,] a great variety. 11 However, its mud flats and marshes will not become fresh but will remain salty. 12 On both riverbanks will grow all kinds of trees for food; their leaves will not dry up, nor will their fruit fail. There will be a different kind of fruit each month, because the water flows from the sanctuary, so that this fruit will be edible, and the leaves will have healing properties.”

13 “Adonai Elohim says this: ‘These are the borders of the land you are to distribute for inheritance by the twelve tribes of Isra’el, with Yosef receiving two portions. 14 For inheritance you will each have equal shares. I swore to your ancestors that I would give them this land, and now it falls to you to inherit it.

15 “‘The borders of the land will be as follows: on the north, from the Great Sea through Hetlon to the entrance of Tz’dad, 16 Hamat, Berotah, Sibrayim (which is between the border of Dammesek and the border of Hamat), Hatzer-Hatikhon (which is toward the border of Havran). 17 The border from the sea will be Hatzar-‘Einon (at the border of Dammesek); while on the north, northward, is the border of Hamat. This is the north side.

18 “‘On the east side, measure between Havran and Dammesek, Gil‘ad and the land of Isra’el by the Yarden, from the border to the eastern sea. This is the east side.

19 “‘On the side of the Negev toward the south it will be from Tamar as far as the waters of M’rivot-Kadesh, then to the Vadi [of Egypt] and on to the Great Sea. This is the south side toward the Negev.

20 “‘The west side will be the Great Sea, as far as across from the entrance to Hamat. This is the west side.

21 “‘This is the territory you are to divide among the tribes of Isra’el. 22 You are to divide it by lot as an inheritance both to you and to the foreigners living among you who give birth to children living among you; for you they are to be no different from the native-born among the people of Isra’el — they are to have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Isra’el. 23 You are to give the foreigner an inheritance in the territory of the tribe with whom he is living,’ says Adonai Elohim.

48:1 “‘Following is the list of tribes:

“‘This is Dan’s territory: from the north end, through Hetlon to the entrance of Hamat, Hatzar-‘Einan (at the border of Dammesek), northward, next to Hamat; and they will have their sides east and west.

2 “‘Asher’s territory will run alongside the territory of Dan from east to west.

3 “‘Naftali’s territory will run alongside the territory of Asher from east to west.

4 “‘M’nasheh’s territory will run alongside the territory of Naftali from east to west.

5 “‘Efrayim’s territory will run alongside the territory of M’nasheh from east to west.

6 “‘Re’uven’s territory will run alongside the territory of Efrayim from east to west.

7 “‘Y’hudah’s territory will run alongside the territory of Re’uven from east to west.

8 “‘Alongside the territory of Y’hudah, from east to west, will be the offering you are to set aside, 25,000 [cubits] wide [eight miles], and in length equal to distance between the east and west boundaries of one of the portions, with the sanctuary inside it. 9 The offering you are to set aside for Adonai is to be eight [miles] long and three wide. 10 This holy offering will be for the cohanim; it will be eight [miles] in length along its north and south sides and three in width along its west and east sides; Adonai’s sanctuary will be inside it. 11 The portion set aside as holy will be for the cohanim who are descendants of Tzadok that remained faithful to my commission and did not go astray when the people of Isra’el and the L’vi’im went astray. 12 It is to be an especially holy portion set apart for them and taken from the offering of the land, next to the border of the L’vi’im.

13 “ ‘Alongside the territory for the cohanim, the L’vi’im are to have a portion eight [miles] long and three wide — its total length will be eight and its width three. 14 They may not sell, exchange or alienate any of this choice land; because it is holy, for Adonai.

15 “‘The 5,000 [cubits, that is, the one-and-a-half miles] that are left of the width is to be for the common use of the city, for housing and for open fields. The city will be inside it. 16 and will measure 4,500 cubits [just under one-and-a-half miles] along each of its sides — north, south, east and west. 17 The city is to have outside it a border of land 440 feet wide on each side — north, south, east and west. 18 A strip next to the holy offering extending three [miles] to the east and three to the west is to be left. This area by the holy offering is to be used to grow food for those serving the city. 19 The people from all the tribes of Isra’el who serve in the city will farm it. 20 The entire offering will be eight [miles] square, including the section for the city.

21 “‘What remains will be for the prince — the land on the two sides of the holy offering and section for the city, that is, the portion eastward from the eight [miles] of the offering’s eastern border to the land’s eastern border and the portion westward from the eight [miles] of the offering’s western border to the land’s western border — this land adjacent to the [tribal] portions will be for the prince, with the holy offering and the sanctuary of the house inside it. 22 Thus the land belonging to the L’vi’im and the section for the city will be inside that which belongs to the prince.

“‘The territory belonging to the prince will be between the territory of Y’hudah and the territory of Binyamin — 23 which brings us to the rest of the tribes:

“‘Binyamin’s territory will run from east to west.

24 “‘Shim‘on’s territory will run alongside the territory of Binyamin from east to west.

25 “‘Yissakhar’s territory will run alongside the territory of Shim‘on from east to west.

26 “‘Z’vulun’s territory will run alongside the territory of Yissakhar from east to west.

27 “‘Gad’s territory will run alongside the territory of Z’vulun from east to west.

28 “‘Alongside the territory of Gad, from the Negev southward, the border will run from Tamar to the water at M’rivat-Kadesh, then to the Vadi [of Egypt], and on to the Great Sea. 29 This is the land you are to distribute by lot to the tribes of Isra’el for inheritance, and these are their portions,’ says Adonai Elohim.

30-34 “‘These are the city exits; they are to be named after the tribes of Isra’el, three gates on each of the four sides; the four sides each measure just under one-and-a-half [miles]: on the north, gates named after Re’uven, Y’hudah and Levi; on the east, gates named after Yosef, Binyamin and Dan; on the south, gates named after Shim‘on, Yissakhar and Z’vulun; and on the west, gates named after Gad, Asher and Naftali.

35 “‘The perimeter of [the city] will be just under six [miles] long. And from that day on the name of the city will be Adonai Shamah [Adonai is there].’”

1 John 3:1 See what love the Father has lavished on us in letting us be called God’s children! For that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it has not known him. 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now; and it has not yet been made clear what we will become. We do know that when he appears, we will be like him; because we will see him as he really is.

3 And everyone who has this hope in him continues purifying himself, since God is pure. 4 Everyone who keeps sinning is violating Torah — indeed, sin is violation of Torah. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and that there is no sin in him. 6 So no one who remains united with him continues sinning; everyone who does continue sinning has neither seen him nor known him.

7 Children, don’t let anyone deceive you — it is the person that keeps on doing what is right who is righteous, just as God is righteous. 8 The person who keeps on sinning is from the Adversary, because from the very beginning the Adversary has kept on sinning. It was for this very reason that the Son of God appeared, to destroy these doings of the Adversary. 9 No one who has God as his Father keeps on sinning, because the seed planted by God remains in him. That is, he cannot continue sinning, because he has God as his Father. 10 Here is how one can distinguish clearly between God’s children and those of the Adversary: everyone who does not continue doing what is right is not from God.

Likewise, anyone who fails to keep loving his brother is not from God. 11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning: that we should love each other 12 and not be like Kayin, who was from the Evil One and murdered his own brother. Why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Don’t be amazed, brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We, for our part, know that we have passed from death to life because we keep loving the brothers. The person who fails to keep on loving is still under the power of death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

16 The way that we have come to know love is through his having laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers! 17 If someone has worldly possessions and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how can he be loving God? 18 Children, let us love not with words and talk, but with actions and in reality!

19 Here is how we will know that we are from the truth and will set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 if our hearts know something against us, God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts know nothing against us, we have confidence in approaching God; 22 then, whatever we ask for, we receive from him; because we are obeying his commands and doing the things that please him.

23 This is his command: that we are to trust in the person and power of his Son Yeshua the Messiah and to keep loving one another, just as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey his commands remain united with him and he with them.

Here is how we know that he remains united with us: by the Spirit whom he gave us.

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CHANGE THEIR WORLD. CHANGE YOURS. THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
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