Love and Christ

Since today is Christmas Eve I thought it would work to include the last 2 candles of advent. Yesterday was Love and tonight is the Christ candle.  I pray that CHRIST'S  HOPE, PEACE, JOY and LOVE fill you as you celebrate His birth. 

                                                 Love 12/23         

          LIGHT THE FIRST PURPLE CANDLE, “Jesus is our HOPE”

       LIGHT THE SECOND PURPLE CANDLE “Jesus is our PEACE”
          LIGHT THE PINK CANDLE “Jesus is our JOY”

1 John 4:9-12

                        ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

LIGHT LAST  PURPLE CANDLE, Jesus is Love

We light this candle to represent LOVE.  God loved us so much he sent his only Son and Christ loved us enough to come to earth and lay down is life so that all people can be saved.  Through out the year we may love others as Christ loves us.

John 3:16-17

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

    PRAYER 

                        Our Lord God and gracious Father, we thank You for Your Son and the gift He was, and is, to all of us.  “Lord in You our hearts rejoice, for we trust in Your holy name.  May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You.” (from Psalm 21-22)

                                               Christ Candle (Christmas eve)

                    “For unto you is born this day, in the City of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

                                                                                                                            Luke 2:11   

“CHRIST IS OUR HOPE”

            LIGHT THE 1^st  PURPLE CANDLE


      “But God demonstrates His own LOVE for us in this:  While we were yet sinners, Christ died              for us.” Romans 5:8 
                        “CHRIST IS LOVE”
  LIGHT THE 2^nd PURPLE CANDLE


                             “Behold, I bring you good news of a great JOY which will come to all the people…” Luke2:10
                        “CHRIST IS OUR JOY”
LIGHT THE PINK CANDLE


"Glory to God in the highest, PEACE on earth, good will toward men” Luke 2:14
                        “CHRIST IS OUR PEACE”
             .LIGHT THE LAST  PURPLE CANDLE

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 1 John 1:1-5

       Jesus Christ is all of these, He is the greatest Gift.  He makes all these other gifts possible.  So, we light the Christ candle now, as we think about what His coming means to each one of us.

       LIGHT THE LARGE WHITE CANDLE

      

Romans 15:13 “ May the God of HOPE fill you with all JOY and PEACE as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with HOPE  by the power of the Holy Spirit.” 

Prayer:

We thank you God, for your gift of Jesus Christ to the whole world.  We thank you that His coming makes HOPE, PEACE, JOY and LOVE possible for every person in every nation. Encourage us to do our part to bring goodwill, and peace to our families, our churches and our neighborhoods and  the world.

Now  may Your Spirit fill this place and our hearts so  that this Christmas Eve brings you all the honor and glory befitting our Great and merciful GOD.  Amen                        

JOY

                                      

                                   Joy

                        LIGHT THE FIRST Purple CANDLE,  “Jesus is our HOPE”

                        LIGHT SECOND  Purple CANDLE, “Jesus is our PEACE”

                        Luke 2: 9- 10

⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

LIGHT THE PINK CANDLE

We light this candle to represent JOY.  The JOY that comes with the anticipation of the birth of a King.  The JOY that comes from knowing and accepting who Jesus is and what He came to this earth to do for you and for me. 

     John 15:10-11

¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

                                               

Prayer is from Psalm 28:7
“Lord you are our strength and shield; our hearts trust in you, and we are helped. Our hearts leap for JOY and we give thanks to you in song.” 

Lord may our joy be complete this season and throughout the year as we love others in the same way you love us.

PEACE

                                                                     

                                                                      Peace 

                        LIGHT THE FIRST PURPLE CANDLE, “ Jesus Christ is our HOPE”

                        Light the 2^nd  PURPLE CANDLE

“We light this candle to represent PEACE.   

He came to bring peace, to preach peace, to be our peace!

 His presence gives us peace,  that can sustain us day by day.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. Colossians 3:15

                         The PRAYER is from John 14:27

Jesus said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  Lord thank You for Your peace that is available to all, I pray that those here today take comfort in Your peace.   Amen

My prayer  for you is that you feel His peace today!

HOPE

Advent is here!  A time of anticipation of the coming of something great....we reflect on the anticipation of the coming of a Savior so many years ago, we find peace and joy in His coming as a child born humbly to save us from our own sin and unrighteousness and we anticipate His coming again...

  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.    John 14:3

Each Monday through Christmas we will do the Advent together.  If you are able an Advent wreath with the candles representing Hope, Peace, Joy and Love make a nice addition to your holiday décor and to doing this devotion.

HOPE

            LIGHT THE FIRST PURPLE CANDLE

  “We light this candle to represent HOPE. The prophecy of HOPE for a Savior to come.

READ Isaiah 9:6-7 

“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.”

HOPE in the birth of a child . 

Luke  1:31-33

“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

We have the HOPE of Christ’s coming again.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

                       

We HOPE for the Savior’s love to be spread through-out the world.

                        Prayer

Heavenly Father we thank you for the hope that we have in You.  You were, are and will be forever the HOPE of the world! May all who are here place their hope in You and You alone


See you next Monday for Coffee With A Dear Friend as we light the Peace candle.