What is Advent?

Although not a question I have received this year, many have wondered about the season of Advent. Before long it becomes evident that the word “advent” is not found in scripture, yet as we will see it is an important time in the life of the Christian.  

Advent means "coming" or "arrival" and is celebrated during the four weeks before Christmas. It is a time where we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth, receive the risen Christ, and wait with hope for Christ’s coming in final victory. 

The focus of the season is the celebration of Christ’s birth in His First Advent (or coming), and the anticipation of the return of His Second. Thus, Advent is more than the marking of an event in history. Instead we celebrate the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation is reconciled to God. 

Through this double focus, we affirm and are reminded that Christ has come, that He is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power. Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, anticipation,  preparation, and longing for Christ’s return.

Where did Advent come from? 

Christians have celebrated the incarnation and nativity of Christ on December 25th since the early part of the third century; just a few generations removed from the apostles. By 336 AD when the Philocalian Calendar was first used, Christmas Day was already a respected and tenured tradition. Although there is no historical evidence that Christ was born on that day; the conversion of the pagan tribes of Europe left a gaping void where the winter cult festivals were once held.

It was both a culturally convenient and evangelically expedient to exchange the one for the other. So joy replaced desperation. Christians’ feasts replaced new moon sacrifices. Christ replaced Baal, Molech, Apollo, and Thor. The celebration of the unconquered sun, was replaced with the celebration of the Savior of the World. 

To the early Christians, different meanings were to be found in the days of Advent; and in the sixth century, it was a time when Christians reflected on the meaning of Christmas and when new believers were prepared for baptism. Until WWII most people who celebrated Advent dwelled more on the time when Jesus would return, than on the first coming. But as Christmas evolved into a holiday for children, Advent also evolved into a time to remember the child in the manger.

Why do we celebrate Advent today? 

For centuries Christians have used the month prior to Christmas to ready their hearts and their homes for the great festival. Advent is this season of preparation; a time set aside to contemplate what the coming of Jesus meant to the world and to our own soul. It was a time of quiet introspection, personal examination, and repentance. A time to slow down, to take stock of the things that matter the most, and to do a thorough inner housecleaning.

We moderns do a bit of preparation as well during the crowded hours between Thanksgiving and Christmas: shopping for presents, compiling guest lists, mailing holiday greeting cards, perusing catalogs, decorating hearth and home, baking favorite confections, and getting ready for one party after another. However, that hardly constitutes the kind of preparation that is meant. Instead, Advent helps guard us against such things and thus, is more relevant today than ever before!

Throughout the season many traditions are used to assist us in the preparation process. When presented in the proper way, Advent grows our understanding of the ‘reason for the season.’ It heightens the senses and emotions and sets the stage for the wonder of Christmas. Christmas is still Christmas without Advent, but the festive four week countdown puts the holiday into the proper perspective.

The best way to prepare for the coming of the Lord is to make straight His pathways in our hearts. 

“It is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” - “a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’” Mark 1:2-3

Join us this season at Amery Free Lutheran Church as we “Prepare our Home” for the Coming Christ this Christmas Season. 

Wednesday in December:  1^st - 8^th - 15^th

Christmas Coffee House 

6:30 - 7:00 PM 

Enjoy a time of fellowship with you church family over some christmas goodies. 

Family Advent Celebration

7:00 - 8:00 PM

Christmas Carols - Family Activities - Promise of Coming Christ

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

December 24^th 4:00 PM

Christmas Worship

Sunday December 26^th 10:15 AM

Why are the books of the Bible in the order that they are in?

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

II Timothy 3:16–17

“For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” II Peter 1:21

All of God’s Word (the Bible) is inspired by God, which means that He is its originator and author. He chose to use men with different gifts, backgrounds, and unique abilities to write it as He spoke to them by the Holy Spirit. As a result, the Bible Is God’s Word and contains no errors, or mistakes, and cannot be changed by anyone. However, the format of the Bible (chapter and verse breaks, headings, names of the books, and order of the books) is not inspired. They have been organized this way by men over the centuries to make the books and passages within the Bible easier to find and read. The English Bible contains sixty-six books and is broken up into two major sections: the Old Testament (spanning from creation to about four hundred years before Christ) and the New Testament (encompassing approximately one hundred years, starting about a year before the birth of Christ and closing with a prophecy describing the end of the world). The former contains thirty-nine books and the latter twenty-seven.

These books are not organized in chronological order, but rather by theme or type. The Old Testament is broken down into four sections: Law (Genesis - Deuteronomy), History (Joshua - Esther), Wisdom literature (Job - Song of Solomon), and Prophecy (Isaiah - Malachi). Likewise the New Testament is five sections: Gospels (Matthew - John), History (Acts) Paul’s Epistles (letters) (Romans - Philemon), other Epistles (Hebrews - Jude), and Prophecy (Revelation). Obviously, these are only general categories or themes that each book falls into; for history, prophecy, and law are contained in nearly every book of the Bible, not just the ones found in their categories. Moreover it would be difficult to place them in a purely chronological order, as many of the books cover similar time periods and overlap.

Why did God allow Job to suffer?

“Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’” Job 1:8

Suffering is one of the hardest topics for Christians to understand and accept, and typically there are no “easy” answers. This is only magnified when the one who is suffering seems to be a “good” person, or has done “nothing to deserve it.” When this happens it leaves us wondering and asking God why this happened. Job is no different. In Job 1:1b he is described as “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil,” and verse five further illustrates his devotion to the Lord. Despite this close walk with the Lord, chapters one and two recount the horrible calamity and suffering that fell his way. In one day, Job lost all his livestock, most of his servants, and all seven of his children (Job 1:13-19). Not long afterwards his body was afflicted with boils (Job 2:2) and his wife turned her back on him saying “curse God and die” (Job 2:9). All this to a man whom God’s Word calls “blameless and upright.” Why? Job 1:8-12 provides us with at least a partial answer. God suggests (and allows Satan) to afflict Job to ‘prove’ to Satan that not all people love and follow God because He blesses and protects them. In fact, Job did just this, he never disowned or turned his back on God. “In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing” Job1:22. “In all this, Job did not sin in what he said” Job 2:10. Rather “he fell to the ground in worship” Job 1:20b. It’s important to remember that through the remainder of the Book Job struggles through this experience, looking for answers; and never gets any. We know more than Job ever did, and we still do not know why God suggested and allowed Satan to afflict him. That’s important for us to remember today, whether we are the one suffering or someone else is, there are always things happening that we are unaware of. Nevertheless, God’s promise is still true “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” II Corinthians 12:9.

For further study on this hard and important topic of suffering, request a copy of Pastor Eric’s Sermon “Walking though Suffering & Tragedy” preached August 29, 2010 at Amery Free Lutheran Church.

What is the difference between Priest, Minister and Pastor?

Priest, Minister, and Pastor are all “man given” titles used to describe the role of the “professional church leader.” The title Priest is mainly used by Catholics, while protestant (non-catholic) denominations typically refer to their spiritual leaders as Pastors or Ministers. While the name might not be the same, nor found in scripture, the office and duties are. In Scriptures the terms overseer, elders, and shepherds (Acts 20:17,28; 1 Peter 5:1-2) are used to describe the man who has spiritual oversight of a congregation. Although there are many duties of a Pastor, his primary responsibility is to care for the spiritual condition of His congregation by the public teaching and preaching of the Word of God.

“We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word” Acts 6:3b-4

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”

II Timothy 4:1-2

Who was the oldest man in the Bible? What was the average life span of people in the Bible?

“Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.” Genesis 5:27

Yes! The oldest man in the Bible lived nearly to the ripe old age of nearly 1,000. However, Methuselah was not the only man to live an extraordinarily long life. According to Genesis 5, many of the early patriarchs lived for hundreds of years, and had children and grandchildren who lived with them. Believe it or not, ancient secular records (such as the Sumerian King List) give similar accounts of men living centuries longer than we do today.

The Great Flood recorded in Genesis 7-8 serves as the watershed for the age to which man lives. The average age of the patriarchs (recorded in Genesis five) who from creation to the flood (approximately 1,000 years) was 912. Nevertheless, it only took 1,000 years after the flood for the life span of man to decline from Noah who lived to 950 (Genesis 9:29) to Abraham who died at 175 (Genesis 25:7). (Moses was considered old at the time of his death at 120 years - see Psalm 90:10). In fact the average life expectancy is only 70-80 years old.

There are many reasons why the life span has declined since creation: environmental changes after the flood, family genetics and mutations. However it was never God’s design for mankind to die. We were created in His image, without sin, and with the ability to live forever. God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil or they would die (Genesis 2:16-17). They did not heed His Word and took and ate; consequently death entered the world and has plagued man since (Romans 5:17-19). God solved the problem of aging and death “through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” II Timothy 1:10.

For further study please consult The New Answers Book 2 published by Answers in Genesis, or visit them at www.answersingenesis.org.

We as Christians go through times of depression. How can we overcome when we are often too far down the spiral already?

Depression is a very complex and serious illness. In fact it is estimated that over 50 million people are living with depression in the United States today. One author called it the “common cold” of mental illness and can be used to describe feelings of disappointment after losing a game and on the other end of the spectrum, can refer to the paralyzing gloom which can lead to suicide. Dr. Gary Collins lists seven major “categories of causes” for depressions and “six major approaches” to treating it. In light of varying severity, causes, and methods of treatment there are no easy answers or “quick fixes.”

Moreover the Bible doesnʼt use the Word “depression” but does describe people who experienced depressing times, emotions, and physical effects associated with depression. (For some examples visit www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/depression-bible.html#examples.)

One common cause of depression is unconfessed sin, or guilt (and shame) over something we have done. King David experienced this same sentiment in Psalm 32:2-5:

“Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "—and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

Although “depression” is not used here, one can hardly deny this is what King David is experiencing; and it is clear from the following verse it is directly related to unconfessed sin. After he “comes clean” and seeks the Lordʼs forgiveness the cloud of depression is replaced with one of joy.

However, not all depression is caused by unconfessed sin. There are many many things which bring on depression; including chemical imbalances in the brain. In these cases medication should be used to help treat it. Whatever the cause, it must be acknowledged and dealt with in light of Biblical truth. Sadly, in today’s society it is easier to “pop a pill” that makes us feel better rather than face and deal with the root cause of the problem; or as Christians we feel too ashamed of our feelings to tell anyone about it. Both thoughts are mistaken.

Depression is no different than any another illness or feelings that Christians deal with, and when handled with care and concern one can experience freedom here as well. However, there are many times where we are unable to pull ourselves out or overcome depressing times in our lives alone. Due to the complexity and severity of depression, a Pastor or Christian Counselor should be sought for help.

For more helpful articles on depression and the Christian, and how to help loved ones who are depressed please visit www.christiananswers.net, or www.focusonthefamily.com/lifechallenges/ emotional_health/depression.aspx.

Why are the dinosaurs not mentioned in the Bible?

Although names like Tyrannosaurus, Stegosaurus, or Brontosaurus are not contained in the Bible, doesn’t mean God’s Word does not mention them. It is an undisputed fact that dinosaurs once roamed this planet. For almost 200 years scientists have been unearthing, reconstructing, and studying their fossils. The question is, where did they come from? The answer is found in the book of Genesis, chapter one. Here, we are told that God created everything from the heavens to the earth and everything on it; including all land animals.

“Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind” and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind.” Genesis 1:24-25.

Since God created every living thing, and dinosaurs were once living; it is proper to conclude that God created them as well. Moreover we should not expect to find the term “dinosaur” in the Bible since it was not coined until 1841. Nevertheless, Genesis 1:21 tells us that God created “the great creatures of the sea,” Job 41:1-34, Psalm 73:13-14 and Isaiah 27:1 speak about a sea creature called Leviathan, Job 40:15-24 tells of a land dwelling animal called Behemoth, and Isaiah 30:6 mentions a “flying serpent” (NASB). The descriptions found in each text sound nothing like a current animal, rather they all carry dinosaur like qualities.

Dinosaurs are mentioned in the Bible, just not with the words or pictures we associate with them. Why doesn’t the Bible say more? Because the purpose of the Bible was not to describe in great detail everything God created, rather it was to reveal God’s redemptive plan of Salvation found in Jesus Christ.

For more information concerning dinosaurs and the Bible please visit “Answers In Genesis” at the link below, or look for “The New Answers Book” edited by Ken Ham.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/1999/11/05/dinosaurs-and-the-bible

Are we a soul or do we have a soul?

“The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7.

God created man in two steps. First, He formed him out of the dust of the ground and created his physical body (body, bones, organs, etc). Second, He breathed life into man’s body and at that time man became alive - literally a living “Soul.” Humans are made up of both “material” (visible or tangible) and “immaterial” (invisible or intangible) parts. The immaterial qualities (soul, spirit, intellect, will, conscience, etc) are all closely related to one another, are what make humans different than anything else that God created, and exist beyond the physical lifespan of the individual. In its simplest meaning the Biblical word for “Soul” in both the Old and New Testament is life, the “spiritual” life that was given to humans by God in creation, and is separated from the Body at death to spend eternity in heaven or hell. Humans do not just have a soul, but humans are a soul. The immaterial, invisible, eternal part of our creation.