I hear Him speaking, “Take the Advent journey — the journey to My heart…”

The Advent of Jesus

An unexpected little message, but one, nonetheless that is burning like a flame within my heart… an invitation for each of us — into the “Advent of Jesus” and the journey to His Heart.

I can feel so strongly in my spirit that He is coming to His People in this season, looking for our lamps to be lit and ready for Him — ready for “Encounter with His Presence.”

Advent Traditions

This is a season celebrated by many in the Western Church, of the Advent of Jesus, the journey of His first coming into the earth, celebrated in the four weeks before Christmas, each commemorating an aspect of the Miracle Advent of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

I have been sharing with a few home-school families that I work with about family traditions and celebrations in this season, highlighting treasured family traditions from when my own two children were young.

As a family, we celebrated the “Advent Journey,” carving out a path that roughly followed the Prophet’s week, the Angel’s week, the Shepherd’s week, and the Blessed Birth week.

During these four weeks before Christmas, as a family, we would read from the corresponding chapters of the book of Luke, in chapters one and two.

Beginning with Zechariah’s story, we would draw, recite, enact and create displays around each of the weekly themes, lighting a candle to celebrate each week.

We wanted this season to be more about “giving to others”, and sharing the blessed message of “the birth and life of Christ” rather than succumbing to the materialistic trappings of the culture.

Each week we also determined different groups of people that we would minister to, such as family, friends, church, relatives and those on the perimeters of our daily life.

The “Stranger Week”

We would also ask The Holy Spirit to designate for us the “Stranger Week”. This would be the week that we would be on a “treasure hunt” for the “stranger” upon whom The LORD wanted to minister Love and Kindness to through us.

I remember poignantly the very special “Stranger Week” that The LORD gave us when our children were very young.

This particular year we were returning from a pre-Christmas, extended-family-get-together, through snowy Western Canada. Our daughter was two, almost turning three, and our son was a little over a year old.

We got caught in a snowstorm, and the roads were too treacherous to safely continue our drive. My husband decided to pull over at a roadside cafe for a couple of hours while the snow settled and the roads were cleared.

We were the only customers in the little cafe on this wintry day.

I remember the waitress coming to serve us, being so taken with our little ones, and their animated loving ways.

I could tell that life hadn’t been easy for this waitress. Though she was friendly, pain seemed deeply etched upon her features, I was happy to share the joy and love of our little ones with her.

This had also been the week which our little girl felt was to be our “Stranger Week” — wherein Holy Spirit wanted us to look for the stranger whom we could help, and tell about Jesus.

So the day after arriving home again, the children and I picked up our coloring and story time around the theme of Advent.

Our daughter knew in her heart that our “special stranger” was the waitress. She wanted to draw a picture for the waitress of the Angel coming to Mary, and baby Jesus being born to tell the world that God loved them.

I wrote out the little story that she wanted to tell the waitress and mailed it along with her picture, sealing a poignant heaven-sent encounter that is now forever etched upon our memories.

The Advent of Jesus within our hearts

In this particular season, much of the Western Church celebrates the first Advent of Christ, and the “journey to Jesus” …. ”prophesied of old”, heralded by Angels unto common shepherds, and born of a virgin in a humble stable, for the Salvation of the whole world.

We also anticipate the Great Advent of the return of Christ, coming to take His Bride Home, and rightly so.

However, in this time, we must be aware that The LORD Jesus wants to come to us, before He comes for us as His Bride, and He is looking for a fully mature Bride who carries the fruit of His life within her!

This is an Hour of highly charged anticipation within The Church, but we must be sure that our focus is clear and our heart pursuits pure in this Hour that we anticipate The LORD’s Second Advent.

Remember that Heaven’s goal is Love, and the fullness of the seed of Christ formed within each one of us….

Before He comes “for us”dear saints, He wants to come “to us” individually… in fullness, bringing us into wholeness, producing the richness of His life within us… then sending us out as beacons of light and love among a people lost in the darkness.

Glory to God in the Highest!

Listen Online

“And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of The LORD stood before them, and the glory of The LORD shone (round about them), and they were (sore afraid). Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which (shall) be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ The LORD. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which The LORD has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.” Luke 2:7- 20 NKJV.

 

~ Shelley M Ed

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Shelley M Ed/ LifeSetMinistries: Ordained Minister CMA/ working with Leaders and Ministry Houses: US/CAN/INT. Leadership development, counselling, and oversight.
“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom…. Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning” Luke 12:32;35.

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