Tonight when we light
the third candle,Isaiah 9:6–7
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
With God nothing is impossible. Holy Spirit within us is our promise of life with God for eternity. Believe! Carla
Luke 1:26-35 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by 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. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth 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 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
Jesus fulfilled (and will fulfill) God’s promise to David concerning an unending dynasty. The Old Testament develops in detail this promise of an eternal Davidic kingdom (2 Samuel 7:8–16; 1 Kings 2:24, 25; Psalm 2:1–12; 89:14, 19–29, 35–37; 110:1–7; 132:11, 12; Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:1–5, 10; Jeremiah 23:5, 6). First-century Israelites based their hopes on these promises, but their focus was on a political and earthly kingdom.
Mary did not ask for a sign, so this remark does not reflect unbelief. She accepts her role without question in verse 38, and thus is a model of faith even though she does not fully understand everything. The work of God in Mary introduces something unknown before or after: the birth into the human race of One who is both God and man.
The Holy Spirit will come upon you is a direct declaration of Jesus’ divine conception. The association of the Spirit with power is frequent for Luke (verse 17; 4:14; Acts 1:8; 6:8–10; 10:38). The child’s conception means He is uniquely set apart, the Holy One, a phrase which is here not so much a title as a description of Jesus’ sinless nature.
God keeps His promises regardless of how difficult the circumstances may seem. Gabriel’s statement about God should be our statement of faith: Nothing is impossible with God. The NKJV Study Bible
Luke calls Mary a virgin twice in this verse to demonstrate that Jesus’ conception was an act of God (verses 34–35; Matthew 1:23).
At this time, betrothal represented a permanent relationship nearly equivalent to marriage; breaking off a betrothal required a decision akin to divorce.
Of the house of David alludes to Isaiah 11:1–2 to portray Jesus as the shoot and branch of Jesse.This portrays Jesus as the Messiah, from King David’s line. (David was Jesse’s son.)
The Lord is with you recalls “Immanuel” (“God with us”) from Isaiah 7:14, which was already alluded to in Luke 1:27 (Matthew 1:23).
Jesus is from the Hebrew name Joshua, which means “Yahweh is help (or, salvation)” (Matthew 1:21). Son of the Most High highlights Jesus’ divinity and royalty (Luke 1:35, 76). Gabriel implies that Jesus will fulfill the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:12–13). Son of God title reflects Jesus’ miraculous conception and, consequently, His divinity. Faithlife Study Bible
Matthew 1:18
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 1:20–21
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
2 Samuel 7:11–17
since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the LORD tells you that He will make you a house.“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom…
Whatever the label or narrative of smallness we may carry, it is never the whole truth. Never. Never. Never.
Mercy lets us see what really matters. Not the labels. Not the playing small. Not the putdowns. Not the belittling or bullying.
Because no matter where we live or labor or toil, our “calling” is to spill the light.
And the good news? For this we don’t have to pass a test, or qualify, we have only to be willing.
Jesus made it simple, “Let your light shine.”
Not, when you get your act together.
Not, when you feel noble.
Not, when you find a specific vocation.
Not, after you've chased all the gloom away.
Just let it shine. Because the light is already there. Inside of you. Now.
“Mercy is radical kindness… Mercy, grace, forgiveness and compassion are synonyms, and the approaches we might consider taking when facing a great big mess, especially the great big mess of ourselves — our arrogance, greed, poverty, disease, prejudice. It includes everything out there that just makes us sick and makes us want to turn away, the idea of accepting life as it presents itself and doing goodness anyway, the belief that love and caring are marbled even into the worst life has to offer.” Thank you, Anne Lamott. Sabbath Moments
Habakkuk 2:4 (ESV) "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith."
While God's Word in Habakkuk 2:4 applied first to these circumstances, "the righteous shall live by his faith" also points us to a greater truth: Our righteousness is not just about what we do but who we trust.
As believers in Jesus, we know our right standing before God comes solely from our relationship with Him. When we trust in Christ, God sees us as blameless despite our sin. It's not our work or effort that saves us; it's God's grace through our faith (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:4-5).
To illustrate this, the Apostle Paul even quoted Habakkuk 2:4 twice in the New Testament. Once, he used it to teach the church in Rome, with its mix of Jewish and gentile believers, that salvation is not contingent on a person's background but purely on belief in Jesus (Romans 1:17). Second, Paul also reminded the church in Galatia that faith is the only way to eternal life; salvation can't be earned (Galatians 3:11).
This Advent season, let's remember how God's people in Habakkuk's day awaited their coming Messiah, the One who would be their righteous and perfect King, their source of salvation. And let's rejoice that today we can live by faith in Jesus, the Messiah who has come!
As we depend on God and hold fast to His Word, even when we don't understand what He is doing, we can rest and rejoice in the Savior who fulfills His every promise (Colossians 1:15-23). First5
Hebrews 2:9–10 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
All of us, all of humanity, was made in the image of God. We are His creation and are inherently valued simply because of this. Jesus came to offer His life in exchange for ours, so that no longer bound to our sinful nature, we could reflect God’s glory. Choosing God above all allows us to be transformed into the image of His only begotten Son. All praise and honor to our Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Carla
Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The cloud of witnesses refers to the people of faith mentioned in chapter 11. They are not actually spectators watching us; they are witnesses testifying to the truth of the faith (11:2, 4–6).
Weight is anything that hinders a runner.
Looking here means “fixing one’s eyes trustingly.” We need to consistently focus on Christ instead of our own circumstances. Christ has done everything necessary for us to endure in our faith. He is our example and model, for He focused on the joy that was set before Him. His attention was not on the agonies of the Cross, but on the crown; not on the suffering, but the reward. The NKJV Study Bible
The footrace was one of the longest and most significant events in the Greek games.
Although Hebrews 11 included a long list of worthy exemplars, Jesus is ultimately the focus. In light of the footrace metaphor, the idea here might be that Jesus, who pioneered the course of the faith, awaits believers at the finish line.
Prizes often were set before athletes to provide motivation (according to first-century Jewish historian Josephus, Antiquities 8:302). Jesus’ endurance of the cross provides the paradigm for believers (verses 1–7), who also will endure suffering and shame (10:32; 12:3). Faithlife Study Bible
Philippians 2:8–9 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
Luke 24:26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”
Let us remember: Mercy is any compassionate gift given to someone, who is suffering, struggling, disheartened.
And in writing about mercy, today’s weather reminded me about the “storms” and “power outages” that happen to us emotionally and spiritually. About the times we have all experienced “outages” to our own emotional wellbeing.
And when that happens, how easy it is, to neglect self-mercy. To neglect self-care replenishment.
Self-mercy—the gentle awareness that precedes self-compassion—means offering yourself the same understanding you extend to others. It's choosing to embrace rather than punish, to understand rather than criticize.
Let us take to heart Saint Francis de Sales’ reminder, "Be patient with all things, but most of all with yourself."
Over the years, I’ve written that care of any kind—compassion, generosity, forgiveness, reconciliation, peacemaking, service, ministry, teaching, giving, healing—begins with and is nourished by self-care.
This is a good week to be gentle with ourselves. To find renewal.
And my confession: self-care isn’t always my strong suit.
Psychologist Kristin Neff was the first person to measure and operationally define the term “self-compassion.” She describes self-compassion as kindness toward the self, which entails being gentle, supportive, and understanding: “Rather than harshly judging oneself for personal shortcomings, the self is offered warmth and unconditional acceptance.” In other words, being kind to ourselves in good times and bad, in sickness and in health—and yes, even when we mess up.
“Having self-compassion means being able to recognize the difference between making a bad decision and being a bad person. When you have self-compassion, you understand that your worth is unconditional.”
Yes. The gift of mercy: seeing—and embracing—the dignity and value at our core.
To help remember, I keep this Parker Palmer quote close by. "It is a strange gift, this birthright gift of self. Discovering vocation does not mean scrambling toward some prize just beyond my reach but accepting the treasure of true self I already possess. Vocation does not come from a voice ‘out there’ calling me to become something I am not. It comes from a voice ‘in here’ calling me to be the person I was born to be, fulfill the original selfhood given me at birth by God."
And in my heart I know that “vocation” is not my job, and not my calling, but the mark I leave, and the place I take, in this world.
Self-care and self-mercy—the permission to be at home in our own skin.
I read this once, “she was reclaiming herself, alive in her own skin.” Yes, that’s it. At home in our own skin… Unabashed in a skin (a self) that feels, values, honors, esteems, loves, fears, desires, hopes for, believes in and commits to. With nothing to earn or prove, because life isn’t a race or contest or beauty pageant.
And here’s the deal: At home, I have a self to give.
To be an anchor, a listening ear.
To be a hand to hold, a hug to keep the heart alive.
And to spill mercy. And to spill light.
“Sabbath Moments”
As Advent points us to the coming of Jesus, today's verses offer a prophetic view of God's redemptive work through Him.
Psalm 118:22-24 foretold the joyful paradox of our Savior's arrival: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone ...let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Amid our greatest struggles, Jesus is our joy and strength. Even in our weariness, may we still rejoice in Him.
Hebrews 12:2 profoundly reminds us that the joy of our salvation compelled Jesus to go to the cross. What indescribable love! First5
John 14:6–9 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”…
We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Without the salvation of Jesus who died in our place we would all be without hope in this fallen world. Carla
John 1:12-18
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
The phrase believe in His name occurs three times in the Gospel of John (1:12; 2:23; 3:18). Name does not refer to the term by which He is called, but to what His name stands for—the Lord is salvation (Exodus 3:14, 15). In this context, the phrase means to believe that Jesus is the Word, the life, and the Light—that is, He is the Christ, the Son of God (20:31). To them He gave the right refers to the legitimate entitlement to the position of children of God. By believing, undeserving sinners can become full members of God’s family.
This new spiritual birth is not of blood, that is, by physical generation or by parents. Nor is the new birth of the will of the flesh, that is, by personal effort. Neither is the birth of the will of man, that is, something done by another individual. Each person must individually trust Jesus Christ for eternal life. It is a gift to be received (4:10, 14), not a reward achieved through any human effort.
The Son of God who was from eternity became human, with limitations in time and space (Philippians . 2:5–8). This is the doctrine of the incarnation: God became human. Nothing of the essential nature of deity was lost in this event; we might rephrase became as “took to Himself.” John uses the word flesh to refer to the physical nature of humans, not to our sinful disposition (contrast Romans 8:1–11).
Dwelt comes from the Greek word for tent that was used in the Greek OT for the tabernacle, where the presence of God dwelt. In the OT, glory refers to the divine presence (Exodus 33:18). As God manifested His glory in the tabernacle, so Jesus displayed His divine presence before the apostles (18:6; 20:26, 27). Only begotten (3:16, 18) means unique, one of a kind. The same term is used of Isaac (Hebrews 11:17), who was not the only physical son of Abraham, but was the unique son of promise. All who trust Christ are born of God. In the Gospel of John, these “born ones” are called children of God (verses 12, 13), but Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God. He is the only Son who is fully God. He is also full of grace and truth. When God revealed Himself to Moses, He proclaimed Himself to be “abounding in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). As applied to Jesus Christ, this phrase marks Him as the author of perfect redemption and perfect revelation.
Jesus was born after John the Baptist (Luke 1:36) and began His ministry later than John the Baptist. Yet John the Baptist said Jesus was before him, meaning that Jesus’ existence is from eternity past (verse 30).
Throughout the NT, grace is God’s favor expressed to sinful humankind apart from any human works or worth. Though there was abundant grace and truth expressed by God through the Law He gave Moses, it is in the person of Jesus Christ that grace and truth are realized to the fullest.
God is Spirit (4:24) and is invisible (Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17) unless God chooses to reveal Himself. Humans cannot look at God and live (Exodus 33:20). Abraham, the friend of God, did not see God. Even Moses, the lawgiver, could not look at God’s face (Exodus 33:22, 23). However, the Son is in intimate relationship with the Father, face-to-face with God (1:1; 6:46; 1 John 1:2).
God became visible to human eyes in the man Jesus. It is through seeing the Son that we see God. We cannot see Him today, but we know Him through His word. The bosom, or chest, is used here to designate a close and intimate relationship (13:23; Luke 16:23).
The One who is the Father’s only begotten Son and who knows God intimately came to earth and declared Him. Declared can also mean “explained.” The NKJV Study Bible
John 1:7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
John 1:30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’
Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
What does mercy look like?
How can I choose to heal, instead of choosing to hurt?
How can I spill grace to those around me, instead of disregard or neglect?
How can I make room for transformation and growth, instead of numbing and detachment?
Mercy is the fruit of compassion in a world where inhumanity and heartlessness is real. Mercy is any compassionate gift given to someone who is suffering.
And raised in a church where verbal affirmation was the key to “passing the test”, I need to take to heart that compassion is more than just a verbal nod, and more than just feeling concerned about someone in distress (or caring about a person’s misfortune); compassion involves action.
And that action, is mercy.
But here’s the good news. Mercy is not an acquirable, attainable trait. Mercy is what flows from an open and vulnerable heart. In our vulnerability and humility, mercy matures, and is spilled.
The healing balm of God’s mercy. Yes. Let us sit, and allow that to percolate. A balm that is healing and replenishing and sustaining for both hope and courage.
And my friends… We can be voices of mercy. “We”, the applicable pronoun, as more than ever the saying is true, “In the shelter of each other the people live.” Sabbath Moments
