Christianity Oasis Forum

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December 6
Sunday


ADVENT
ADVENTURE

READ:
Matthew 12:11-21
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In His name Gentiles
will trust.
__Matthew 12:21
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During the season of Advent on the church calendar, Christians around the world light candles. The first candle symbolizes hope. the prophet Isaiah said that all nations will place their hope or trust in Christ, God's Chosen One (Isa. 42:1-4; Matt. 12:21).

We think of Advent from the perspective of earthbound creatures who know nothing but his life. We rejoice that Jesus came to visit us on this beautiful planet that He made especially for us. But it's important to remember that Jesus came from a better place. He is first and foremost from heaven, a place more beautiful than we can imagine.

Whenever I think about Jesus coming to earth, I also consider that He had to leave heaven to get here. For Him, earth was hostile territory. Coming here was a dangerous venture (Matt. 12:144). Yet He came. Our just and compassion God made Himself vulnerable to human injustice. The Creator of the universe put on the garment of flesh and came to experience firsthand what life here is really like.

Jesus tasted death for everyone (Heb. 2:9) so that we can taste His goodness (1 Peter 2:3). He left the splendor of heaven to bring us to glory (Heb. 2:10). He gave His own life to give us hope for eternal life. __Julie Ackerman Link
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`````````````````The hope of Christmas is the song````````````````
````````````````````````Of angels in the sky,````````````````````
``````````````````And Christ within a manger laid`````````````````
````````````````To bring salvation nigh. __Campbell```````````````
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God broke into human history
to offer us the gift of eternal life.

**************Today's Bible Reading __ Matthew 12:11-21**********

11 Then He said to them
"What man is there among
you who has one sheep, and
if it falls into a pit on the
Sabbath, will not lay hold
of it and lift it out? 12 Of
how much more value then
is a man than a sheep?
Therefore it is lawful to do
good on the Sabbath."

13 Then He said to the man,
"Stretch out your hand."
And he stretched it out, and
it was restored as whole as
the other. 14 Then the
Pharisees went out and
plotted against Him, how
they might destroy Him.

15 But when Jesus knew it,
He withdrew from there.
and great multitudes
followed Him, and He
healed them all. 16 Yet He
warned them not to make
Him known, 17 that it might
be fulfilled which was
spoken by Isaiah the
prophet, saying:

18 "Behold! My Servant
whom I have chosen, My
Beloved in whom My soul
is well pleased! I will put
My Spirit upon Him, and
he will declare justice to
the Gentiles. 19 He will not
quarrel nor cry out, nor will
anyone hear His voice in
the streets. 20 A bruised reed
He will not break, and
smoking flax he will not
quench, till He sends forth
justice to victory; 21 and in
His name Gentiles will
trust."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Here, Jesus is not only dealing with the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, but
also with their lack of understanding. They were using the Sabbath to
subjugate and control, rather than to restore and refresh. to that end,
Jesus reminded them and us, "The Sabbath was made for man, and
not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). __ BILL CROWDER