Today’s Devotional is offered by Robert and Marsha Garrett.

Luke 2.10: And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

As we begin Advent and prepare for the season, there is an event that we recall and cherish as a family. The church our family attended when our children were school age held a live nativity each year during Advent. All four of us looked forward to dressing up as a Wisemen, a shepherd, Joseph, Mary, or an angel. One angel stood next to the manger while three stood on the roof of the manger.

For the first two or three years, our daughter begged to be allowed to be one of the heavenly hosts and stand with the angels on high. She waited with anticipation each year hoping to do so. For safety reasons, we insisted she stay grounded next to baby Jesus. Finally, the time came when we as parents felt reasonably comfortable allowing her to join the heavenly host on top of the donkey’s stall. She was beyond thrilled and still speaks of that memory from her childhood.

We can only imagine the joy and excitement that the Virgin Mary experienced when the angel appeared to her to announce that she had been chosen by God to bear the promise of the only begotten son, Jesus, Emmanuel God among us, the Incarnate Word of the Lord. For centuries, the prophets had foretold the coming of the Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords, the King of Kings.

Imagine how her heartfelt and the anticipation as she waited for this child, the hope of the world, to be born on that first Christmas morning. Mary was blessed among women, chosen by God to be the mother of the Christ-child. Take time to read the account concerning Mary in Luke 1: 27-35.

As we enter Advent, the season of anticipating the joy that is Christmas, let us embrace the excitement, hope, and joy that comes from celebrating the fulfillment of the promise of God’s coming to Earth and look with eager expectation to Christ’s second coming.

Prayer: Lord, help us to anticipate this season with hope and joy because of all that is possible, rather than apprehension, anxiety, and fear.

Today’s devotion is written by Susan Crews.

Hope As we enter into the season of Advent and begin preparing our hearts to meet the baby born in the manger that brings light to the world, we are greeted with HOPE, a feeling of expectation and desire for something to happen.

“For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 comes to mind when I first begin thinking about hope. In the Old Testament God promised to bring the scattered Jewish exiles out of Babylon and back into their homeland. He was willing to listen to their prayers and allowed them to call on him. It took 70 years for this to happen but the good news was He had prosperous plans for His people. And the same is true today.

Just like the Jewish exiles waiting for the time to re-enter their homeland, today we enter into Advent, the season of waiting and preparing our hearts for the good news. When I enter into Advent, I reflect on where I am in my relationship with God. Am I walking hand in hand with him dwelling in me or have I left Him out of the journey? Am I calling on him faithfully or randomly? Is my heart dimly lit like a smoldering piece of coal or am I shining bright like a star with His love? Where do I see hope?

This Advent season let’s enter the time of darkness together, examining our hearts and the anticipation of the birth of the baby that will bring us light and give us hope.

But, in a crazy busy hurried world how do we prepare our hearts during Advent? We begin by reaching out to God…asking him to guide us on this journey to His star. This could be by reading the Bible, participating in a daily devotion, through prayer, sitting quietly listening to hear his voice, attending worship and carving out daily time with Him. He is shining bright and waiting patiently for us to reach out to him.

The good news is He is faithful and has promised restoration to you and me. His plan may not be what we think it should look like or at the time we feel is correct, we may have to wait just like the Jewish exiles, but what is true is His plan is perfect and to prosper me. Fortunately, it is here in this time of Advent we can be healed and made whole. It is here we can be forgiven and find hope. And it is here our light will shine bright.

How will you begin the season of Advent? Where do you see hope?

May God’s love and light shine bright in you!

Prayer: Dear Lord, During this Advent season bless the times I am choosing to sit and be still in your presence; listening and looking for you. Rekindled my passion and love for You reminding me that it is a precious gift to sit in your presence. When I search my heart show me the places I need to entrust into Your care so I will be renewed and refreshed. And may Your love and light shine brightly in and through me so others will know your love.

 

Today’s devotional is offered by our friend, Dennis Herman

I am asking myself some serious questions this year before I rush out to celebrate “the most wonderful time of the year!” The reason I am asking those questions now is because I often find myself weary, grumpy, and burned out before Christmas Day arrives and I really do want this to be the most wonderful time of the year.

One of the practices of the medieval church was to look at Advent as a time of preparation. It was actually referred to as “little Lent” as it attempted to duplicate the time of discipline and preparation the Church has traditionally known before Easter as the Lenten season. I wonder if we can focus on Advent as a time to prepare, watch, be ready, stay alert, be more fit physically and spiritually.

Therefore, I share with you the following questions I am asking myself as I anticipate this Advent and Christmas season:

–Can I find a quiet spot to sit still and pray each day? This may involve getting up a few minutes earlier or staying up a few minutes later, but the spiritual discipline to stop and pray and meditate will help to spiritually frame this Christmas season.

–Can I cut back on the times I check email, Facebook, and use social media and devote that time to reading the Christmas narratives from the Gospels?

–Do I have to say “yes” to every invitation to a party or dinner? Maybe a quiet evening or afternoon on weekends will be more beneficial and renewing than another event. –

-Can I remember to exercise, walk, or play a game or sport I enjoy?

–Can I pay a visit to someone in the hospital, retirement community, or nursing home?

–Can I worry less about gifts, decorations, and festivities? Maybe mail order gifts, handcrafted gifts, or a gift of time will be better than another shopping trip.

–Can I commit these days of Advent and Christmas to the worship and service of God? Can each worship service be an opportunity to celebrate the week of service and prayer that precedes it?

Prayer: Loving God, in this season help me to care for others and to care for myself. In doing so, may I show more clearly how I care for Christ.

Today’s Devotional is offered by Rob Blackwood – Intern Emeritus

Matthew 14.23: After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.

I would like to begin by confessing, that it was incredibly hard to not make this devotional related to Star Wars. But don’t fret, we are merely days away from The Last Jedi opening in theaters! But I digress.

Now we are considering the topic of preparation and we are starting to prepare ourselves (for Advent, Christmas, even Star Wars on December 15th). On that topic, it has been said that failing to prepare is preparing to fail. That certainly holds true when it comes to Christmas but it seems like the preparation starts earlier and earlier each year. Although it’s a holiday when everyone is supposed to be happy and loving, the stakes are incredibly high for Christmas…mess something up and you’ll likely hear about it for years to come from your family.

We go to the extremes for Christmas, there is no denying that. We have days on the calendar that are solely dedicated to shopping for presents, which I fully admit to taking part in, because you better believe I want to cash in on those savings! But think about it though…think about all the things that need to be prepared during the Christmas season.

There is time allotted for cooking, time for traveling, time for eating, time for decorating your tree and house, time for gift giving and the list could go on and on.
The gifts need to be wrapped, the food needs to be picked up from the grocery store, the tree needs to be put up and Amazon can’t do everything for you, not yet at least.
While all that is well and good, we are actually entering into a time solely devoted to the idea of preparing ourselves spiritually. Spiritually, we are preparing not to do anything mentioned previously, but instead, to do the most important thing in literally the history of the world: welcome the birth of our Lord and Savior.

There is so much going on in our lives during this time of the year and it seems like we utilize every second of the day up until we reach the end of December 25 when it starts all over again. My hope and prayer for all of us this day and each day during this season is that we can take a step back and think about what we really must do daily to prepare for the coming of our Savior. Because of everything listed, that is what truly matters above them all!

Prayer: Lord, help us to take time to step back and reflect on what we really need to prepare for. And, if you need to make us step back, may we know it is you who causes us to pause, just like you did. Amen.

Today’s Devotional was written by Betty Fudge

Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

What ushers in the Advent season for you? This year, Advent begins on December 3rd, but for me, the excitement of the holiday season started way back on October 28th when Hallmark Channel started their 24/7 Christmas Movies! I really LOVE these movies! The beautiful Christmas trees decorated and lining the streets of the quaint towns that are the settings for the movies, the holiday music that is played, the sweet love stories, families gathered around a perfectly decorated tree eating freshly baked cookies and sipping warm beverages, ahhhh! Christmas!! After everyone else is asleep, and I am caught up for the day I will stay up too late, curl up with something warm and watch my favorite movies, basking in the glow of the upcoming holiday. I can envision the joyful, peaceful season ahead.

The problem, however, is that getting into the secular holiday spirit that early often causes a Christmas tidal wave for me. Weeks before Thanksgiving I am already planning for tree decorating, shopping, music, cooking, and baking. Before I know it, my Hallmark Christmas perfection has morphed into worrying about how we will get all the activities crammed into our schedules. This has the unfortunate effect of making me neither joyful nor peaceful. I want to reflect the light of Christ in my life!!

This year I have committed to spend time each morning focused on the most important thing I can do; reading my Bible. Before the holiday rush even begins, making the commitment to be still, to read my Bible, and to listen to His still small voice will not only help me experience the reason and the meaning of Christmas, it will transform my thoughts, priorities, and actions. After all, I want to reflect love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This season I commit to asking Him each day to order my steps so that I can shine His light into the world, and to make my priorities the priorities that are pleasing to Him. [1 Samuel 3:9] Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.

Prayer: Lord, we are your servants and we want to listen. Help us to pause and listen. And, when necessary, speak to us in ways that rise above the noise so we may be prepared for Christmas, and not just numbed by the holiday noise.

Welcome to the Oxford Baptist Church Advent Devotional page. I am thankful that you have found your way here and I am hopeful the content we share here each day will assist you in your Advent Journey.

Each day through December 27th, we will have a new devotional from a member of our church. And each day, we hope you will pause, read, think, breathe, and pray, even if it is just for a few moments because we know how busy the holidays can be.

If you like what you find in these devotionals, we hope you will share them with others. And, if Oxford Baptist Church can care for you in a special way during this season, we will do our best to do so, if you will let us know.

Thank you, again, for finding your way to this page. We pray it will help you this Advent and Christmas Season.

Peace, Chris Aho Pastor