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   of judgment and threat of judgment. . ..It is the same sort of   
   ambivalence which Christians have been taught to recognize in   
   the season of Advent."   
   (From The Arthurian Torso, by C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams, p. 157.)   
      
   The Day of the Lord   
      
   The last devotion spoke about the quest for the Holy Grail beginning   
   in Advent. In this devotion, we remember both the Good News   
   and the Bad News of the coming of the Christ. He came that we   
   might have life; that's the Good News. But he had to come because   
   we had chosen sin and death; that's the Bad News. Lewis, too. writes   
   of redemption and judgment. The "rich thing" that goes about the   
   Round Table of King Arthur is the much-sought Holy Grail. But its   
   presence will destroy the Round Table.   
   Our Scripture quotation also speaks of the redemption and   
   judgment in the coming day of the Lord . That day is near, the   
   prophet Joel writes. But that day will have a different message for   
   different people. For the people of God, the day of the LORD is a day   
   of deliverance. For the enemies of God, the day of the LORD is a day   
   of judgment. That's both good news and bad news, both law and   
   gospel. The truth is that we need to hear both messages. It's not that   
   good news is for good people and bad news for bad people. There   
   are no truly good people.   
   Actually, the day of the LoRD is any day when God's plan of salvation   
   takes a significant step forward. The final day of the Lord will   
   be the great Day of Judgment. Days of the Lord long-past include   
   the Babylonian Exile of Israel, the Day of Pentecost, and especially   
   the birth of Jesus. On those days, God's plan of salvation took an   
   important step forward. The coming of the Messiah was hastened,   
   and we are the beneficiaries.   
      
   Prayer: Lord, you come in judgment and hope. Be for us the hope,   
   and light, of the world. Amen.   
      
   14 (Isa 34:2-8; Joel 1:15) Multitudes, multitudes,   
   in the valley of decision!   
   For the day of the Lord is near   
   in the valley of the decision.   
      
   Joel 3:14   
      
   From Follow the Story Marva J. Dawn   
      
   MONDAY, SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT   
      
   The Question of Virginity   
      
      
   34 Then Mary said to the angel,   
   "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"   
      
   -Luke 1:34   
      
   For Mary it was a question of procedure: should she marry Joseph,   
   her fiance so they could have this child? But for   
   most people today, the question is of biblical truth:   
   children aren't born of virgins!   
      
   Gabriel's answer leaves us with mystery: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you,   
   and the power of the Most High will   
   overshadow you ... " (Luke 1:35).   
   In other words, this is utterly the work of God.   
   Consequently, the child will be perfect, unmarred by human sin,   
   and will be called not the son of human beings, but the Son of God.   
      
   My redaction criticism teacher in graduate school   
   considered this text in wonder.   
   The Hebrew word in the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14   
   can be translated "young maiden"   
   (either married or not) or "virgin," but Matthew 1:23 renders it "virgin."   
   Thus, he said, the texts are all consistent;   
   we must accept that Mary was a virgin.   
   Hallelujah! It was a miracle!   
      
   prayer   
      
   0 Holy Spirit and Most High, thank you for conceiving Jesus   
   in Mary's womb! Amen.   
      
   Read Luke 1:26-35.   
      
   The Birth of Jesus Foretold   
      
   26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God   
   to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,   
   27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph,   
   of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.   
   28 The angel came to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favuored.   
   The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women."   
   29 When she saw him, she was troubled by his words, and considered   
   in her mind what kind of greeting this might be.   
   30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found   
   favour with God.   
   31 Listen, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son   
   and shall call His name JESUS.   
   32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest.   
   And the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David,   
   33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever.   
   And of His kingdom there will be no end."   
   34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"   
   35 The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you,   
   and the power of the Highest will overshadow you.   
   Therefore the Holy One who will be born will be called the Son of God.   
      
   From the AH-HAs of Advent by Rich Bimler   
      
   AH-HA! Ambassadors of Health, Hope and ALLELUIA!   
      
   1 (Isa 11:10; 4:2; 53:2) And there shall come forth a shoot   
   from the stump of Jesse,   
   and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.   
      
   ISAIAH 11:1   
      
   Alleluia is another word for AH-HA! And how about other alleluia words   
   like hooray arid wow and even you betcha?   
   Today's Scripture focuses on the AH-HAs and alleluias that we celebrate   
   daily, even in the midst of our UH-OHs and ouches. Life is certainly not a   
   bowl of cherries. But the message of Advent. Christmas, Lent and Easter is   
   that the Lord has removed the power of the "pits" of sin in our lives so that   
   we can live as alleluia people!   
   Check out Isaiah 11:"As hoot will come from the stump of Jesse; a branch   
   shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him." That's   
   Jesus! That's the reason for the alleluias and the AH-HAs, even in the   
   midst of our UH-OHs. Verse 6 says the wolf shall live with the lamb. Can   
   you imagine that? A professor explained once why pictures of a wolf and   
   lamb lying down together always appeared to be morning photos. He said   
   it was because every morning the photographers would have to bring in   
   a new lamb! Not so. at least to us alleluia people! ln a world where even   
   carpenters are resurrected. everything is possible!   
      
   Lord, we pray today:" O come, O Rod of Jesse's stem, from every foe   
   deliver them that trust your mighty power to save. Bring them it victory   
   through the grave. Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to you. O Israel!"   
   In Jesus' name. Amen ... alleluia ... and AH-HA!   
      
   Read Isaiah 11:1-10   
      
   1 (Isa 11:10; 4:2; 53:2) And there shall come forth a shoot   
   from the stump of Jesse,   
   and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.   
   2 (Isa 61:1; Mt 3:16; Isa 42:1) The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,   
   the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,   
   the Spirit of counsel and might,   
   the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.   
   3 (Jn 7:24) He shall delight in the fear of the Lord,   
   and he shall not judge by what his eyes see,   
   nor reprove by what his ears hear;   
   4 (Mal 4:6; Job 4:9; Ps 2:9) but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,   
   and reprove with fairness for the meek of the earth.   
   He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,   
   and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.   
   5 (Eph 6:14; Isa 25:1) Righteousness shall be the belt of his loins,   
   and faithfulness the belt about his waist.   
   6 (Isa 65:25; Hos 2:18) The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,   
   and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,   
   and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;   
   and a little child shall lead them.   
   7 The cow and the bear shall graze;   
   their young ones shall lie down together;   
   and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.   
   8 The nursing child shall play by the hole of the asp,   
   and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den.   
   9 (Hab 2:14; Job 5:23) They shall not hurt or destroy   
   in all My holy mountain,   
   for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord,   
   as the waters cover the sea.   
   10 (Isa 11:1; Lk 2:32) In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,   
      
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   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)