gotandem "The Advent: Day 15" for Monday, 12 December 2016
Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”[Matthew 2:7-8.]
Herod was sneaky. If you've read the rest of the story, you know he wasn't interested in finding Jesus to worship him. He was looking for a way to assert control. He wanted to make sure that he wasn't upstaged and would do whatever it took. And though Jesus was never actually threatened by Herod himself (God would not allow that), it's scary to think that there are these kinds of people in the world. People who are willing to do anything to get ahead. To make sure they maintain control. It's something we need to be mindful of. And it's something we need to fight against.
Today's Homework: Where do you see evil in the world? How can you start to actively work against it?
T The Holy Holidays - goTandem
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gotandem "The Holy Spirit Gifts You"God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.[1 Peter 4:10]
What do you believe your spiritual gifts are?
How are you using the gift that God has given you?
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gotandem "God's Love Letter to You"
READ
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12
REFLECT
The Bible is God's love letter to you. He never intended for it to be intimidating. He never wanted reading his Word to be a daunting task.
He wants you to know how much he loves you. He has great plans that he wants to share with you. He desires that you know him more intimately, love him more passionately, and follow him wholeheartedly. He wants to light your path so you can see clearly where he is leading. Reading and studying the Bible on your own lets you experience the power of this living and active word.
RESPOND
Who needs to hear about God’s love letter today?
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Bible Study Guide
RECEIVE
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”[John 3:1-4]
REFLECT Dallas Theological Seminary Professor Howard Hendricks had this advice about the observation step:
- Read the passage thoughtfully. It is part of God's love letter to you.
- Read the passage repeatedly. Read until you know what is going on.
- Read the passage patiently. There is no rush. Take your time.
- Read the passage prayerfully. Pray before, during, and after.
- Read the passage imaginatively. Put yourself in the passage.
- Read the passage purposefully. What does the writer want you to know?
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The Advent: Day 16After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.[Matthew 2:9.]
Let's take another moment to recognize how faithful these wise men were. They went on a long road trip on a hunch and an urging. God told them to go, so they went. And went and went. The journey required these wise men to put their lives on hold and travel over 400 miles in the hope that they would discover something worth finding. That takes a lot of faith. If I'm honest, it takes more faith than I normally have.
Today's Homework: Take an inventory of your faith. What are the things that God would require of you that you would be unwilling to do?
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"The Holy Spirit Guides You"
RECEIVE When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.[John 16:13]
REFLECT Before starting out on a trip, I enter the destination in the GPS app on my phone and then proceed to the route. My GPS tells me how many miles to travel on a certain road, what exit to take, and how to get back on track when I take a wrong turn.
One night while traveling from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh on the PA Turnpike, my GPS told me to take a certain exit off the turnpike. I knew better, or so I thought, and ignored the instruction. Within five miles I was in the middle of a traffic jam due to an accident that had occurred. I was delayed several hours because I chose to ignore the instructions.
The Holy Spirit is the believer’s internal GPS. He guides you to the right path and instructs you regarding exits and dangers ahead. When you choose to ignore his instructions you end up stalled or moving in the wrong direction.
RESPOND When have you experienced the Holy Spirit's guidance in your life?
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"Literary Types"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.[2 Timothy 3:16-17]
With its 66 individual books, the Bible is sometimes referred to a library. God used 6 different literary types in his love letter to us:
- Narratives describe the accounts of events.
- Parables are short stories that illustrate truth.
- Poetry utilizes symbols and figures of speech to paint vivid pictures of the attributes of God and our response.
- Prophecy uses figures of speech as well to foretell the future.
- Proverbs present practical principles for everyday life.
- Epistles are letters written to churches or individuals that present truth, address issues, and provide practical instruction.
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"The Advent: Day 14"Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”[Matthew 2:7-8.]
If you know this story at all, you know that Herod was just looking for an excuse to kill Jesus. He was trying to scheme his way into eliminating a rival before the rival came of age. It’s interesting to see Herod's mind at work here. Herod is jealous and he's afraid of losing his power and I think most of us can relate. We experience those emotions. We want things that other people have. We get angry when we can't have them. And when someone threatens our place of power…well, get ready for a battle. So as much as we would like to separate ourselves from this heinous man, it would actually behoove us to take a moment and realize…we might not be that different.
Today's Homework: Take a moment to think of two people that you secretly think you're better than. How can you change your perspective on that?
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"Observation: What Does It Say?"
RECEIVE
And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.[Acts 17:11]
REFLECT The step of observation involves examining God's love letter and looking for "signposts." Ask the questions: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
In the process of observation, it is important to notice grammatical signposts. Here are several to look for:
- Therefore explains that what is going to be said is based on what has already been said.
- For explains the purpose or reason.
- If makes a statement conditional upon another stated truth.
- And connects two thoughts together.
- When denotes time.
- But shows that what is being said is in contrast to something that has been said.
RESPOND As you read your Bible today, look for these words and apply their meanings.
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"Reading and Studying the Bible"
RECEIVE
Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.[Psalm 119:18]
REFLECT
Remember what it was like when you were learning to ride a bike? You sat on the seat with your feet on the pedals and a tight grip on the handlebars. Your mom, dad, or older sibling helped you balance as you focused on that first movement of the pedal. As you pushed the pedal down the bike started moving and you tried to keep the handlebars straight. The person helping you, ran alongside to keep you from falling. Finally, the person let you go and you experienced the independence and responsibility of riding on your own.
After a while you didn't focus on pedaling or steering. You were able to see what was going on around and enjoy the freedom of the journey.
Acquiring Bible study skills is a lot like learning how to ride a bike. Over the next few days, we will focus on three steps to help you examine God's Word, understand what he is saying, and apply his truth to your life.
These steps are:
- OBSERVATION - What does it say?
- INTERPRETATION - What does it mean?
- APPLICATION - What do I do?
How comfortable are you with reading and studying the Bible on your own?
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"The Advent: Day 13"
King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’[Matthew 2:3-6.]
Take a moment to realize how crazy this is. The prophecy was so specific that it named the town in which Jesus was going to be born. It's mind boggling.
Today's homework: Think about some of the things that boggle your mind about God. The things that are so big, they're hard to think about.
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"Declared Us Righteous"
Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.[Titus 3:7]
Are you confident in this?
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"Using Your Pain"
Read
"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ"(2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
Reflect It’s easy to get mad at God for the bad things that happen in life. What’s harder is seeing and appreciating what God is doing to help us grow in the difficult times. Whether it’s losing your job, breaking an arm, or having to surrender someone you love to death, God actually does have a plan. It’s just a matter of learning to trust him.
Respond Take an inventory of those rough times God has brought you through. How did you grow? How have you helped someone else because of your experiences?
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"The Advent: Day 12"Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”[Matthew 2:1-2.]
These wise men were crazy. They saw a star and felt compelled to follow it. So they put their entire lives on hold to travel the 800 miles it took to get to Jesus. And these guys aren't vagrants. They're wealthy. They have lives that would be hard to put on hold. Which, again, makes these guys crazy. And it makes me think of the things I think are too important to give up for Christ. Is it my time? My money? My social standing? What are the things that I prize more highly than Jesus?
Today's Homework: Start seriously thinking about the things you consider more important that your relationship with Christ. What are some of the things that would be hardest for you to give up if God asked you to?
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"Taking Pleasure in Weakness"
That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.[2 Corinthians 12:10]
Do you believe this?
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"Grieving the Holy Spirit"
And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.[Ephesians 4:30]
What are some ways you can stop bringing sorrow to the Holy Spirit today?
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"The Advent: Day 11"The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.[Luke 2:20.]
What impact has God had on your life? Can you remember a time that it was like this? Maybe you went to a really powerful church service. I can't help but think of these guys just so full from experiencing the glory of God that they couldn't help themselves. They had to sing and praise all the way back to their fields. And I can't help but think that life would be at least a little better if we all did that from time to time.
Today's Homework: Praise God in a time or place that you normally wouldn't. It doesn't have to be loud. It could just be a prayer, but focus on giving glory to God.
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"Good Meals"
Wise words will win you a good meal, but treacherous people have an appetite for violence.[Proverbs 13:2]
How can you be sure you're wise with your words?
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"The Advent: Day 10"
But Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.[Luke 2:19.]
How often do you go back to what God has done for you and mull it over? Once a week? Once every 6 months? Once every 6 years? I confess, I'm not sure the last time that I did. That's why I think this is one of the most interesting verses in the Bible. Mary was there for the birth of Christ. She was the person who was most intimately involved. And she took all of that, and logged it away not to some obscure filing cabinet in her head, never to be seen from again, but right at the front. She stored them where she could see them often.
Today's Homework: Start writing down the things that God has done for you. And go back to them. Look over them. Remember them. Because it's a lot harder to stray from closeness with Jesus when he's constantly at the front of your mind.
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"Upright Citizens Brigade"
Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper,
but the talk of the wicked tears it apart. [Proverbs 11:12]
How can this relate to a family?
Would you consider yourself a good citizen? Why/Why not?
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"Captive to Sins"For the LORD sees clearly what a man does,
examining every path he takes.
An evil man is held captive by his own sins;
they are ropes that catch and hold him.
He will die for lack of self-control;
he will be lost because of his great foolishness.[Proverbs 5:21-23]
How does this relate to sexual purity?
What are some of the sins you feel held captive by?
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"The Advent: Day 9"After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished.[Luke 2:17-18.]
When was the last time you just had to tell something to everyone you could find? Was it when you found out you were pregnant? Or maybe when you got the job of your dreams? If you can recall that feeling then maybe you'll get the smallest sliver of what the shepherds were feeling that night. They went out, in the middle of the night, and started telling everyone what just happened.
Today's Homework: Go find people that you love and trust. Fellow believers. Tell them what God has been doing in your life recently. Just let them know. And then ask them to tell you.
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"To Have or Have Not"
Better to have little, with fear for the LORD, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.[Proverbs 15:16]
Do you value things more highly than you value your relationship with God?
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"Quit Stealing"
If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.[Ephesians 4:28]
What are some things you can do to keep yourself from sin?
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We understand that spiritual growth is a journey, and there can be some obstacles along the way. But you don't have to face them alone.
The goTandem team would be honored to pray for you. We also love to hear how God is working in your life. We encourage you to share your stories as well so we can celebrate with you.
Share your prayer request or story with us simply by replying to this email.
Thanks for being a part of the goTandem community!
Sincerely,
Arnie Cole
CEO, goTandem
goTandem
PO BOX 82808
Lincoln, Nebraska 68501, United States
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"The Advent: Day 8"
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.[Luke 2:15-16.]
Notice this. They hurried. They didn't hear from God then dally. They hustled right on down to the manger side to see Jesus. Sometimes we lose that kind of urgency which is understandable, but sad.
It's easy to imagine the shepherds getting used to an every night angel show if it went on long enough, but let's think about what it was like to be new believers for a moment. That initial joy of discovering the Prince of Peace, it's special.
And we, as believers should be doing everything we can to get back there. We need to get to the place where we want to run to the manger side just to catch a glimpse, just the tiniest fraction, of our Savior.
Today's Homework: Memorize this verse. "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you."[Psalm 51:12]
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"Each Heart Knows"Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy.[Proverbs 14:10]
What are some of the hurts you're carrying in your heart?
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"Search Me"
Click here to listenAnyone believes that his heart is not deceitful is deceived.
In a time of personal reflection, the prophet Jeremiah wrote these words, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"(Jeremiah 17:9) Left on my own there isn't much I can't rationalize. Even a clearly sinful action can be explained away as something earned or deserved. That's why David's prayer in Psalm 139:23-24 should be our daily prayer.
Here's what David prayed. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
When I understand that I am not the best judge of my motives, it's time to bow before the God who sees all the way into my heart. Let's ask Him to do some serious searching.
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"The Advent: Day 7"
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”[Luke 2:13-14.]
Today's Homework: Take a moment to try to imagine how this felt. Just sit down for five minutes and think about how it must have felt being in the presence of angels doing what God specifically created to worship him.
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"When You Pray"
Click here to listenIn the Gospel of Matthew, we read how Jesus went up on a mountainside and preached the greatest sermon ever preached. Among the many subjects He taught on that day was the topic of prayer.
Here it is in Matthew 6:5,6. Jesus said, "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men...."
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen."
The purpose of prayer is not to impress people, but to communicate with God. In fact, Jesus advised a prayer of solitude when possible. And even when our prayer must be in public, our heart should be locked in on a one-on-one conversation with God.
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"So no one will stumble"
We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.[2 Corinthians 6:3]
Do you live like this?
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"Binding Together"
Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.[Ephesians 4:3]
How do you do this?
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"The Advent: Day 6"
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”[Luke 2:8-12.]
Jesus did not first appear to kings. He didn't first appear to the Roman Emperor. His first public appearance was to a shabby group of guys on the night shift sitting on some hill outside of town. So before you start thinking that God has dealt you a short deck in this life, remember, Jesus isn't looking at the state of your clothes, the size of your paycheck or any of the other superficial stuff. He's looking straight at your heart.
Today's Homework: Take a moment to really think about how much you value humility and which areas of humility you need to work on.
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