Recently in Advent Conspiracy Category
If you want a helpful introduction to the issue of when Jesus was born (and when other events in his life happened), download Paul Maier's article, "The Date of the Nativity and the Chronology of Jesus' Life" at Between Two Worlds.
Maier argues that Jesus was born in the latter half of 5 B.C. (perhaps November), and that he died on Friday, April 3, A.D. 33.
From Daniel Wallace's devotional on historical aspects of the birth of Jesus.
Shortly after the birth of the Messiah, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem and inquired of king Herod where the real king of the Jews was to be born. The theologians of Herod's court knew the Scriptures well--in 'Bethlehem' they recited. Ironically, though they knew the Scriptures, they did not believe them! They did not even bother to travel the five or six miles to Bethlehem to see their Messiah.
But Herod believed the Scriptures! That is why he sent a corps of butchers to Bethlehem to slaughter innocent children, in hopes of destroying this rival to his throne. But he was too late. The magi had come and gone and Jesus was by now safe in Egypt.
And the magi believed the Scriptures. They had traveled several hundred miles to worship this Babe. They were guided to Bethlehem by a supernatural celestial phenomenon--and by the Scriptures. Apparently, their ancestors had been instructed by Daniel the prophet about the coming Messiah. . . When they saw the child, they fell down and worshiped him. This was God in the flesh. They could do no other.
The theologians of Herod's court did not believe the Scriptures. They were fools. Herod believed, but disobeyed. He was a madman. The simple shepherds and the majestic magi believed in this infant Savior--and it was reckoned to them as righteousness. May we follow in their train.
Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle encourages fathers to make the most of the holidays this year.
'Tis the season for Dad to drop the holiday ball, stress out as the money is being spent for presents, and miss yet another providential opportunity to lovingly lead his family. So, this blog is intended to help dads not fall into the same old rut of holiday humdrum, sitting on the couch watching football and eating carbs, but rather intentionally plan out the upcoming holiday season. Our children grow quickly and if we miss the sacred moments God opens up for us to connect with and bless our families, everyone suffers and we set in motion generations of missed opportunity.
#1 - Dad needs a plan for the holidays to ensure his family is loved and memories are made. Dad, what's your plan?
#4 - Dad needs to not let the stress of the holidays, including money, cause him to be grumpy with Mom or the kids. Dad, how's your joy?
#15 - Dad needs to read about Jesus and pray over his kids. Dad, how's your pastoral work going with each of your kids?
Read all 16 here.
I'm worried that people are being guilted into Advent Conspiracy. The last thing we want is for people to feel like they can't shop because their church or family member or friend told them it's not the [AC] way. Because that's not true. So what is the [AC] way? Simply this: We want to encourage people to do Christmas differently by worshiping Jesus first before anything else. We want to push back on hyper-consumerism. Notice the word "hyper". We're not saying you shouldn't buy a gift, we're merely suggesting you don't gorge yourself on gifts or buy stuff out of obligation.
Some will shop on Black Friday because they really want to honor their finances by saving money on gifts, and that's a smart thing. Here's what's not a beautiful thing: Getting all bent out of shape and stressed out because someone said "we" don't want you to buy gifts. Kind of a silly thing, especially since one of [AC]'s intentions is to help people relax and enjoy the season. The point is, make it personal by making it about Jesus first. The rest is just details.
Read the rest here.
Here's an email I received from Marla Chantry yesterday:
Dear Staff,
I just wanted to share with you that a poem I wrote has been made into a mini drama that will air Wednesday and Thursday on Christian radio station KFLR, 90.3 FM, on the Intentional Living show. The drama is about three minutes long, and I am told it will air sometime between 2:15pm and 2:30pm each day. There is a possibility that I will be interviewed on air on Wednesday; we'll see.
I wrote the poem eight years ago, after spending too much time under the crushing weight of the commercial reasons for Christmas instead of the real reason for this special day of celebration. Three years ago I gave the poem to Cynthia Bogart after she expressed the same frustrations I had experienced years earlier. About six weeks ago, as a surprise to me, she submitted my poem to Randy Carlson of KFLR's Intentional Living show. They decided they didn't want to just read the poem on air, but make a mini drama out of it.
Also, the theme of Randy Carlson's show this week is "Intentional Giving". To express their gratitude to their listeners and to be "Intentional Givers" themselves, they are going to provide the audio - via a download link on their web site - free to anyone who requests it.
Blessings,
Marla
Pretty cool! Everyone who works with Marla knows she is an excellent writer. It's great to see her gifts being used to help so many people remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Click here to find when and where the show broadcasts in your area or listen online here. Listen to the archived shows when they become available here.
That's Christmas! from andy pearce on Vimeo.
From St. Helen's Bishopsgate in London.
Christ the King Presbyterian Church (Raleigh, N.C.) has prepared a devotional of Scriptures, prayers, and hymns to help you and your family remember that God stepped out of heaven, became one of us, and fundamentally altered the course of human history so that those who believe in him might be redeemed. To download a copy of the devotional, click here.
Or, visit the Virtual Advent Wreath where over the course of the next several weeks leading up to Christmas, they will be posting a series of meditations focused on the story of Jesus’ birth from the Gospels.
