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AdventDevotionsPreparingfor a Seasonof Hope, Peace,Joy andLove
Preparing for a Season ofHope, Peace, Joy and LoveAs I write, a radio station in Richmond is playing Christmas music. That’s right! And it’snot even November, yet. 2020 has been a hard year! In the midst of COVID-19, people arelooking for hope, peace and joy, and they’d like to have it now; it seems this radio stationis happy to oblige!Anticipating an announcement for a vaccine, surely we are all hopeful for a better 2021. Butwe cannot lose sight of a far greater message of hope that was announced 2,000 years ago:“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy thatwill be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who isChrist the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)This is good news! It is the one thing that can truly bring Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.Somewhere—in your community or around the world—someone is waiting for you to sharethis Good News.Once, when my wife, Kathy, and I were serving in Brazil, we were out doing an evangelisticcampaign. A young lady named Marilena came up afterwards during the invitation. Later, asI was putting away the projector and film (you can tell this was a few years ago!), I glancedaround and saw the same young lady in earnest conversation with my wife. I stopped what Iwas doing to join them.Marilena began to tell us her story. “All my life,” she said, “I have wanted to know God.”Looking up into a night sky filled with thousands of stars, she continued to speak. “When Ilook into the heavens and see the beautiful stars, I know there must be a God that put themthere. And when I stand on the rocks and look out over the beautiful ocean, I know theremust be a God that created this beauty. One day I went to my parents and asked them aboutGod,” she said. “But they didn’t know what to say,” she added. Marilena even walked sevenmiles to the closest church and spoke to a priest in her search for God. “He told me manythings, but I could not understand them,” she said in a low, sad voice.But then Marilena turned to me and brightened up. “Tonight,” she said, “when the volunteersshared the difference Jesus had made in their lives and when I heard you preach the Gospel,my heart understood, and I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord!”Then she said something I have never forgotten. With happy tears streaming down her faceand with one of the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen, she said, “Thank you! Thank you for comingto tell me about Jesus!As we celebrate the birth of our Savior and Lord, remember that over 3,000 people groupsare still waiting for someone to come and tell them about Jesus. 154,937 people are dyingeach day without Christ.It is a joy to provide these Advent devotions; I am grateful to Jamie Work and Bill Langley fortheir hard work and pray this resource will bless you during the Advent season. May they alsoremind and encourage each of us to go and share this Good News across the street andaround the world.Terry SharpConvention and Network Relations LeaderCo-leader Diaspora Coalition
Is There Any Hope?“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm,for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” (Hebrews 10:23)On December 17, 1927, the crew of a U.S. Navy submarine was trolling beneath thewaters of Cape Cod Bay. They were engaged in routine testing of their vessel. TheCoast Guard also had one of its ships traveling across the surface doing the samething. The two vessels never saw each another. The submarine broke the surfacejust in time to receive a deathblow from the ship. The submarine, with its crew of40, sank more than a hundred feet and came to rest on the ocean floor.Everybody needs hope! We can’t live without the expectation things are going towork out for us in the end. In a world that may look like it’s coming apart at theseams, hope is critical. Hope is the spark that keeps the human spirit alive.In 2 Corinthians 4:16, Paul said, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even thoughour outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far moreexceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things whichare seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen aretemporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”Life is hard right now and, honestly, things could even get more difficult beforethey get better. But cheer up! Why? Because the Bible assures us in Romans 8:18,“the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared to the glorythat will be revealed in us!”Is there any hope? Absolutely! We have the hope that one day this broken worldis going to get fixed. We have hope that Christ is coming back to this sinful planeta second time, not as a suffering servant but as the King of Kings, and right all thewrongs. We have the hope that one day this earth is going to be filled with theglory of God. We can look forward to the future because we have the reassuringhope that soon we will see Jesus Christ face-to-face!Let this Advent season be a time of renewing your hope. “For I know thethoughts that I think toward you,” says the Lord, “thoughts of peace andnot of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).imb.orgDAY1H O P ERescue attempts began at once but, due to insufferable weather, it took 24 hoursfor the first diver to descend to the wreckage. As the diver’s feet hit the hull, heimmediately heard tapping. Survivors were trapped inside the submarine.Pounding out Morse Code on the hull with a hammer, the diver discoveredseveral crewmen were still alive. With their air supply dwindling, the survivorstapped out this haunting question, “Is there any hope?”AdventWeek 1
AdventWeek 1DAYH O P E2Hope That Overcomes“Why, my soul, are you downcast?Put your hope in God.” (Psalm 42:5)Habakkuk is one of the most fascinating books in the Bible. It opens in chapter 1with complaining, but it closes just two short chapters later with praising. Whatmakes this so significant is that not a single circumstance had changed. The crimerate was terrible in chapter 1; it’s just as bad in chapter 3. The criminal justicesystem was perverted in chapter 1; it’s just as twisted and corrupt in chapter 3.The Babylonian army was breathing down Judah’s neck in chapter 1, and they’veonly just picked up steam in chapter 3. Nothing has changed; at least notcircumstantially. Yet, instead of complaining, when we get to chapter 3,Habakkuk is rejoicing.Habakkuk 3 is a prayer. Actually, it’s a psalm or a song that was sung as anexpression of worship to the Lord. The theme of chapter 3 focuses on the factthat God is going to set the record straight. Even though, at times, when it lookslike God isn’t doing anything, He is. God is always doing something.Something interesting happens in Habakkuk 3:16. The prophet’s fear turns tofaith and he says, “I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike.”That’s how the NLT puts it. The KJV says it like this: “I will rest in the day oftrouble.” That’s what we want, isn’t it? We want to learn how to wait patiently andcalmly for God’s ultimate victory. We know it’s coming. We know how things aregoing to turn out. We’ve read the last chapter and we know Jesus wins in the end.We just want the kind of faith that will enable us to make it to that point.While Habakkuk thinks about the coming judgment of God, as well as the devastation and destruction his own people are going to endure at the hands of theBabylonians, it fills his heart with trembling. Yet, he says, “I will wait patiently forGod’s ultimate victory to come. More than that, I will rest in the day of trouble.”None of us look forward to problems. None of us enjoy pain. In fact, everythinginside us, humanly speaking, wants to do all we can to avoid it. But experiencein this world has taught us pain is unavoidable. Jesus said, “In this world you willhave tribulation but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world” (John16:33). Do you need hope? Meditate on those wonderful words of Christthroughout this Advent season: “I have overcome the world!”Come, Thou long expected Jesus born to set Thy people free;From our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee.Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art;Dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.(Charles Wesley)imb.org
Hope for Acceptance & ApprovalAdventWeek 1“I no longer call you servants. Instead,I have called you friends.” (John 15:15)DAY3Thirty-five thousand high school students who were active in their church youthgroup were asked to give a one-word answer to a single question: “What do youthink Jesus Christ thinks about you?” The answers are more than interesting –they’re enlightening. The top four answers given were:1 “Disgust” A lot of the students, who had been in church the majority of theirlives, said they felt like if Jesus evaluated their lives He would look at them andsay, “I poured out my life in agony and bloodshed on a cross for you, and youcan’t make a commitment to me that lasts longer than a few days! You disgust me!”3 “Disappointment” A lot of Christians feel like if Jesus evaluated their lives Hewould simply say, “I’m so disappointed in you. I had such high hopes for you.You have done so little with the gifts, talents and abilities I’ve given you.”4 “Distant” These students felt like Jesus has so many other important things onHis mind, like calamities and catastrophes all over the world, that He never gavethem a second thought.H O P E2 “Anger” Some of these kids sat under pastors whose preaching sounded likethey were “ticked off for Jesus!” It didn’t matter what passage was beingpreached, every sermon echoed the same theme – God’s mad at you and He’sgoing to get you!These were the top four answers to the survey, and they were given by people whohad grown up in church and say they’ve known the Lord for years. But if any of theseevaluations are true, what is the wonderful message of hope you and I have for theworld? “Come to God through Jesus Christ so He can be disgusted with you!”I’m thrilled to say none of those answers comes close to hitting the mark of what Jesusthinks of you. If you belong to Him, here are some of the things He says about you:You’re chosen! You’re not on my team because I had to pick you. You’re on my teambecause I want you.You’re accepted! You don’t have to do anything to earn my approval. You don’thave to wait until the end of the race to hear me cheer. You get my smile and myacceptance at the very start.You’re secure. Jesus will never leave you. He will never walk out on you. He’s with you always!You’re loved. How do we know we’re loved? We are certain of God’s love becauseHe gave the ultimate demonstration – while we were sinners, Christ died for us!Let the gracious love of God fill you with hope during this Advent season, anduse these days of opportunity to share this incredible hope with others!imb.org
AdventWeek 1DAYH O P E4Hope and Confidence“In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, alwaysbeing prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks youfor a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15)Peter wrote this book at a time of incredibly intense persecution. In the face ofincredible mental anguish and physical suffering, Peter writes to his brothers andsisters in Christ and tells them not to be troubled. The word “troubled” comesfrom a Greek word that means “to agitate.” It spoke of something that was usedto stir up water. But Peter said you and I don’t have to be agitated. We don’t haveto be troubled. We don’t have to be afraid. Instead, we can experience hope andpeace even in a troubling world.What does it take to overcome the world’s intimidation? Look again at verse 15:“In your hearts honor Christ as Lord.” How many hearts do you have? Last time Ichecked, I only had one. So, if Peter tells us to honor Christ as Lord in our hearts,who is he talking to? He’s talking to all of us. He’s telling us we have to take ourstand for Christ together.Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego stood strong because they stood together.Paul and Silas stood strong because they stood together. Peter, James, and Johnstood strong because they stood together.We are drawn to movies where the hero is a reluctant loner. We admire characterslike Josey Wales, John Rambo and Jason Borne. Batman is the ultimate loner. Hedoesn’t need anybody. That may play well in Hollywood, but it doesn’t play well inreality. And it certainly doesn’t play well as we live out our lives as followers of Christ.A lion hunts by separating its prey from the herd. Peter tells us, in the fifthchapter of his book, that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someoneto devour. But while he’s prowling around, when he comes to you, if he sees youstanding with other believers, he’ll move on to someone else who has wanderedoff and left themselves unprotected. For that reason, the writer of Hebrewsexhorts us saying, “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do,but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawingnear” (Hebrews 10:25 NLT).This world is an intimidating place. Anarchy and violence have been amped upin these past few months like many of us have never seen before. However, theseare not just days of difficulty. They are also days of great opportunity! So manyare ready to be reached with the gospel. The fields are white unto harvest.People are unsettled. They’re looking for answers. They’re longing for hope.Take advantage of this Advent season to share the wonderful hope youexperience in Christ with those who desperately need it.imb.org
Hope for a Different Kind of KingAdventWeek 1“And when they had opened their treasures, they presentedgifts to Him:gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)DAYWhen the wise men from the east arrived in Bethlehem and saw Jesus for the firsttime, the Bible tells us they “fell down and worshiped Him.” What prompted their worship, and what was their worship all about? The gifts they gave Jesus tell us the answer.5The first gift they gave Jesus was gold. Throughout history, gold has been considereda symbol of royalty and nobility. So the wise men, in giving the gift of gold, wereaffirming the fact that Jesus is a king.Everything about the wise men’s arrival points to the fact that they believed thisbaby was much more than just another human being. They were convinced theywere worshiping God Himself. In His wonderful grace, God had led these men bythe star of His shekinah glory to a little house in Bethlehem; and in that house Heallowed them to see His divine Son, face to face. Charles Wesley speaks of this greatexperience in his beautiful Christmas hymn: “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hailth’incarnate deity; pleased as Man with men to dwell, Jesus our Immanuel.”The third gift given to Jesus by the wise men was myrrh. Myrrh was a spice used formedicinal purposes. It was also commonly used in the preparation of dead bodiesfor burial. Therefore, the gift of myrrh was prophetic. This present was actually aprophecy of Christ’s future suffering and death. With this gift, the shadow of thecross fell upon the cradle.H O P EThe second gift was frankincense. The book of Leviticus identifies frankincense asa special kind of incense that was used by priests in offerings made to God.Frankincense speaks of sinlessness. It denotes deity.Isaiah 60:6 is an interesting verse: “Vast caravans of camels will converge on you,the camels of Midian and Ephah. From Sheba they will bring gold and incense forthe worship of the LORD.” What’s missing? Myrrh. Why? Because this prophecyisn’t referring to Jesus’ first coming. It’s referring to His second coming. When Jesusreturns to this earth we will bring Him gold, because He is the King over all kings. Wewill bring Him incense because He is the Lord God Almighty. But there’s one gift wewon’t bring – myrrh. Why not? Because the payment for sin has already been made.Never again will Jesus suffer. Never again will He die.The wise men brought three wonderful gifts to Jesus. Yet their gifts can’t compareto the gift God has given to us. During this Advent season, take time to thankGod for His priceless gift of salvation. “For God so loved the world that Hegave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish buthave eternal life” (John 3:16).imb.org
AdventWeek 1DAYH O P E6Hope That Celebrates!“There is joy in the presence of the angels of Godover one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)Possibly the saddest statement in the Bible is made in Ephesians 2:12. Speaking ofthose who don’t know Christ, it says, “they are without God and without hope.”Right now, in your community and all over this world many are without God. Andbecause they are lost without God they are living without any true sense of hope.This is where good news becomes great news. God loves finding things that arelost! Jesus told three parables in Luke 15 that illustrate this so well. The stories aresimilar. Great celebration is made over the discovery of a lost sheep, a lost coin,and a lost son.The first story was from the farm. The people of Jesus’ day understoodshepherding. They understood, not only the economic value of livestock, butthe affection and care as well. Sheep are completely dependent upon shepherdsfor their survival. For one to be lost can quickly lead to death. So, a shepherdfinding his sheep was cause for great celebration!The second story, at first glance, seems to focus, solely, on economics. A womanhas ten coins but loses one of them. However, these coins were likely part of awedding gift so, again, there is great emotional attachment. She moves all thefurniture and sweeps the entire house thoroughly until the coin is found. Whenit is discovered she calls her friends to come celebrate with her.To bring His point to a climax, Jesus relates a third parable. A father had two sons.The youngest dishonored him by taking his inheritance early. More than that, heshamefully squandered it on sinful living. After the young man blew through thefunds and was reduced to a life of begging, he came to his senses and returnedhome. Instead of receiving condemnation from his father, he received gifts andwas the honored guest at a huge party! None of this sat well with the olderbrother. He was outraged by the grace the father extended to his younger sibling.He was so bitter he wouldn’t even dignify the party by coming into the house.The older brother prided himself in thinking he had done more than enough toearn his father’s favor. The concept of grace was repulsive to him. All of us knowpeople who think God’s blessings in their lives are well deserved. They havedifficulty celebrating the grace that is extended to others.Jesus makes the heart of God easy to understand. He loves sinners and delightsin seeing the lost found. Throughout this Advent season, take time to celebrate the hope you have in Christ. Look for opportunities to join Him insearching for those who also need to experience this great hope.imb.org
Prince of Peace“And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6c)George Liele became a messenger of peace with God; an ambassador for Christ.The one who had been reconciled to God was given the ministry of reconciliation.And so have we! Paul declared this truth to the church at Corinth when he toldthem, “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself throughChrist and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christreconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, andHe has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making as appeal through us; we beg you onbehalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).George set an example the rest of us should follow. He was serious about God’spurpose and calling—this ministry of reconciliation. A ministry we celebrateduring Advent and all year long! George’s heart longed to see others set free inthe peace only God can supply. As a result, he indentured himself to a Britishofficer at the end of the Revolutionary War, promising to work for the colonel inJamaica until his passage to the island was repaid. George took his family andemigrated to Jamaica in 1783, almost 10 years before William Carey, often calledthe “Father of Modern Missions,” followed God’s missionary call to India. Why?To make known to the African slaves in Jamaica the One who came as the Princeof Peace!This Prince of Peace compels us still today to “go and tell!” Jesus is God’sPeace! Who will be the one with whom you share this glorious news thisAdvent season?1 Stevens, Robert J. and Johnson, Brian, Editors. “George Liele: Missions Pioneer.” Profilesof African-American Missionaries. (William Carey Library: Pasadena, CA, 2012). p. 9.imb.orgDAY1P E A C EIn 1773, an African-American slave named George Liele was converted to faith inthe Lord Jesus Christ. George, in his early twenties, and “having been justified byfaith,” became a recipient of “peace with God!” (Romans 5:1). His peace, thoughstill a slave owned by another man, soon translated into a life of ministry. Whenhe was converted, Liele declared, “I requested of my Lord and Master to give mea work.” 1 And God did not disappoint George. The Lord put him on a mission,which George took up almost immediately, to teach the Scriptures to otherslaves. Soon enough the white church George attended with his master licensedhim to preach the Gospel. It wasn’t long afterward that his earthly master gaveGeorge his freedom so that he could preach the Gospel of peace without anyhindrance.AdventWeek 2
AdventWeek 2DAYP E A C E2Perfect Peace“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)If you will take a few minutes to reacquaint yourself with Lottie Moon’s story youwill soon discover that she embodied Isaiah’s prophetic words quoted at thetop of the page. God DOES keep the steadfast of mind in perfect peace! Lottieexemplified that life as well as anyone ever has. Once described as the mosteducated woman in the South, Charlotte Diggs Moon was born on December 12,1840, in Albemarle County, Virginia. She wasn’t always a missionary. She wasskeptical of the Christian faith as a young woman and was known to have toldothers that her middle initial “D” stood for “Devil.” However, just after her 18thbirthday in 1858, Lottie announced her faith in Jesus Christ and requested baptism.At the prodding of her sister Edmonia, who was eleven years her junior andappointed by the Foreign Mission Board as a single missionary to North China,Lottie began to seriously consider God’s missionary calling. On September 1, 1873,at the age of 32, Lottie left the U.S. for North China. The city of Tengchow in thenorthern province of Shandong became Lottie’s home for the rest of her life. Sheonce lamented, “The needs of these people press upon my soul, and I cannot besilent. It is grievous to think of these human souls going down to death withouteven one opportunity of hearing the name of Jesus.”In the midst of utter lostness among the Chinese, Lottie Moon was kept in perfectpeace. That’s what Jesus does for His children. Lottie invested every ounce of herlife for the sake of the Chinese people coming to faith in Jesus Christ. In 1912, withLottie’s health in very serious decline, broken by overwork and the impoverishedneeds of the people of Shandong, it was decided Lottie should return toAmerica. Having given almost all of her money and food to the Chinese, Lottienever made it to America. She died in the harbor of Kobe, Japan, on ChristmasEve, 1912, having served the Chinese people in God’s perfect peace for 39 years.You can read more of her story at ould-know-lottie-moon/.That our annual offering for international missions bears her name is more thanjust a kind gesture. It is a tribute to her steadfast mind trusting God in everysituation and thereby experiencing His perfect peace in the midst of unbelievablycrushing circumstances. So can you this Advent season by renewing yourtrust in Him and in His ways.imb.org
Peace Given“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you;not as the world gives do I give to you.” (John 14:27a)One of the ways in which John’s Gospel account is different from that of Matthew’s, Mark’s, or Luke’s is that John unveils the final week of Jesus’ life withdetails that would otherwise be unknown to us. For example, Jesus’ words ofinstruction and comfort in John 14-16 are an invaluable resource for allsucceeding generations of believers. And Jesus’ intercessory prayer in John 17?Is there anything more beautiful than His words of compassion and concern forall His followers both then and now? How much poorer we would be withoutJohn’s record of those words!This peace is so overwhelming that after the angel of the Lord announced Jesus’birth to some shepherds, one angel celebrating this peace was not enough!“Suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hostpraising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace amongmen with whom He is pleased!’” (Luke 2:13-14). God’s gift of peace deserves ourhighest praise, for indeed apart from Christ’s Advent and His willing sacrifice, weare hell-bound enemies of God.This gift of peace, still unknown by more than 7,000 people groups around theworld, numbering in the billions of people, is a large part of the driving force forour 3,700 IMB missionaries, and their nearly 3,000 children, to carry the Gospelto the ends of the earth! This offer of peace through faith in Jesus Christ willresult in the fulfillment of the Revelation 7:9-10 vision of “[people] fromevery nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues standing before thethrone” one day worshiping God and the Lamb, who has taken away our sin!imb.orgDAY3P E A C EPart of Jesus’ words of assurance to His disciples included His promise of peace.Jesus promised to send the “Spirit of truth” (14:17), our “Helper, that He may bewith you forever” (14:16). The “Helper, the Holy Spirit will teach you all things,and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (14:26). Where the Spiritdwells there is peace! Both Jesus’ example of faith in God’s unfolding plan, andHis presence with believers in the person of the Holy Spirit produces peace ina believer’s heart. Paul instructed believers in Galatia that “the fruit of the Spiritis love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and]self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).AdventWeek 2
AdventWeek 2DAYP E A C E4No Peace“’There is no peace for the wicked,’ says the Lord.”(Isaiah 48:22)The harsh reality of God’s peace is that those who refuse to put their faith inJesus Christ will never experience it. There is no other source for genuine, eternal,soul-satisfying peace than the One who came to bring peace. The Hebrew wordcommonly translated as “peace” is shalom. Similarly, in Arabic, another Semiticlanguage, the word most commonly used for “peace” is salaam. As similar asthese two words might look, they do not point to two different pathways topeace. There is only one. One. Both the sons of Isaac and the sons of Ishmaelexperience God’s peace only through personal faith in Jesus Christ.Jerry Trousdale, in his 2012 book Miraculous Movements, declares that “IfChristians can begin to engage Muslims beyond the headlines of burkas andbombs, we will discover hundreds of millions of disheartened and discouragedpeople. Muslims’ lives are too often bounded by desolation and broken walls, buttoday many of them are desperate to discover people who love them, a God wholoves them, and hope for the future.” 1 Trousdale’s findings affirm Isaiah’s propheticwords – “there is no peace for the wicked” (Isaiah 48:22). That lack of peace iscompelling Muslims around the world to put their faith in Jesus.Trousdale goes on to recount that among African Muslims between 2005-2012: 2T More than 6,000 new churches were planted among Muslims in 18 countries!T Hundreds of former sheikhs and imams, now Christ followers, are boldlyleading great movements of Muslims out of Islam!T 45 different “unreached” Muslim-majority people groups, who a few years agohad no access to God’s Word, now have more than 3,000 new churches amongthem!T Thousands of former Muslims are experiencing the loss of possessions, homes,and loved ones, but they are continuing to serve Jesus!We can be inspired and encouraged that many of those who are currently livingwithout peace are discovering that through faith in Christ there is real, lasting,life-altering peace. Let’s join together in prayer today asking God to exponentially multiply His fruit among the unbelieving tribes, peoples, languages,and nations in such a way that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord willcover the earth as the waters cover the sea! (Habakkuk 2:14; Psalm 22:27)1 Trousdale, Jerry. Miraculous Movements. (Thomas Nelson: Nashville, TN, 2012). p. 13.2 Ibid. p. 15.imb.org
Incomprehensible PeaceAdventWeek 2“’And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:7)5When Karen Watson was preparing to depart the U.S. to serve with the International Mission Board’s work in the Middle East, she wrote a letter to her churchfamily. She placed the letter in a sealed envelope marked “Open in case of death.”She really had no premonition of her martyrdom just a year later, she was simplybeing practical. But her words, on display at her funeral in 2004 revealed a heartat peace with however God’s will might unfold. It said in part:T Cares more than some think is wiseT Risks more than some think is safeT Dreams more than som
This is good news! It is the one thing that can truly bring Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Somewhere—in your community or around the world—someone is waiting for you to share this Good News . Once, when my wife, Kathy, and I were servi
