Advent Devotional for November 30th First Sunday of Advent

He Gave His Word
Isaiah 11:1-11
The life-giving Spirit of GOD will hover over him, the Spirit that brings wisdom and understanding, The Spirit that gives direction and builds strength, the Spirit that instills knowledge and Fear-of-GOD. – Isaiah 11:2 MSG

I still remember how disappointed I was when I discovered that my father was not perfect. I saw my father as God in my young life, one who never made mistakes. Even though I cannot recall the circumstances, I know that I was shocked and devastated.
However, that did not affect my love for my father. My dad always kept his word. I do not ever recall a time when my dad never followed through on a promise, whether it was a punishment for my bad choices or behavior, or rewards and accolades for good behavior. If my dad said he would do something for his family or a friend, he always followed through.
I must confess, along with many of us, that it is difficult to keep a promise like my father. In fact, our society seems to live on broken promises. Yet, we have God our Father who will never leave or forsake us, for “the life-giving Spirit of God will hover over [us].” That is the Spirit of a Promise-Keeping God.

Prayer: Dear God, help me to keep the promises I make to you and to others. May I learn to follow through. In Jesus name, Amen.

Thought for the Day
Where is God calling me to make and keep a promise today?

Prayer Focus: People who break promises

Doing Our Part in Obedience

Last week, Mitch Ward, presented to us our current financial situation, our budget for 2009, and some of the capital needs for the future. Mitch did a wonderful job with the presentation. Even though we are slightly in the red with our income vs. expenses, we still have all our obligations met. Thank you for stepping up your giving to help with the opportunity before us. In fact, I thank all of you for giving to our mission to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
However, I know our economy seems to be in a downturn and I realize that times are difficult. We seem to have less spending income in our pockets. I also know there are many obligations in our homes, with high utilities, registration fees for kid’s activities and sports, increasing food costs, car payments, mortgages, rent, and gasoline eating away at our household income. Unfortunately, some of us have even been laid off from work, and there is an immediate need for pulling the purse strings. It seems that we just can’t give as much as we would like because so much more is being spent for basic needs and wants. In fact, for some of us, our daily expenses have significantly reduced the leftover funds we intended for giving to others.
The words below are not for those who have their giving in order; God truly thanks those who follow His command on giving. It is interesting though, that many of us have our giving a bit backwards. God commands us to give our first fruits. Some of us have made poor choices financially or experienced a financial crisis that placed us in a situation of not being able to give as much as we would like or as God desires. Many times, out of fear or desperation, we end up giving our leftovers. But the fact is, we have a God who forgives us and calls us in faith to turn around from our disobedience and work each day toward giving our first fruits to God. Please listen to God’s promise in II Corinthians 9:6-15 (The Message):

Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a
lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and
make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob
stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.
God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for
anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As
one psalmist puts it, He throws caution to the winds,
giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
His right-living, right-giving ways
never run out, never wear out.This most
generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is
more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away,
which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that
you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.
Carrying out this social relief work involves far more than helping meet the
bare needs of poor Christians. It also produces abundant and bountiful
thanksgivings to God. This relief offering is a prod to live at your very best,
showing your gratitude to God by being openly obedient to the plain meaning of
the Message of Christ. You show your gratitude through your generous offerings
to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone. Meanwhile, moved
by the extravagance of God in your lives, they'll respond by praying for you in
passionate intercession for whatever you need. Thank God for this gift, his
gift. No language can praise it enough!

May we cheer and shout Hallelujah; may we be exuberant and blessed in our living and in our giving; may we be excited how God smiles on us as we meet the mission of the church to make disciples of Jesus for the transformation of the world.
Doing our part in cheerful obedience, Pastor Jack

Future and Hope

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

This scripture is one that we see placarded in many places. It is very common to walk into a Christian bookstore and see novelties with this promise engraved on them. This scripture is one that truly reminds us that just as God knows the plans for the people, Israel, God knows the plans of welfare and a future with hope for each of us and for First United Methodist Church Whitesboro.

FUMC lives out this promise through several happenings:

• 
  We witnessed the love of Christ for our children during our celebration of Children’s Sabbath with Celia Whitler. We remembered our responsibility for nurturing God’s children, giving them a future with hope.
  
• This past Sunday we remembered those who passed on to glory in the previous year, when we celebrated All Saints Sunday. We remembered the legacy of friends and loved ones in the faith and remembered the plans of a future with hope God calls us to live out and pass on to others
  
• We will celebrate the ministry of the church in the past year, and make decisions for the future with hope that God calls FUMC. We gather this coming Sunday, November 9, 2008, during both services and Sunday School at our annual Church Conference. We will celebrate how God led us on his plan and where God’s plans will take us in the future.

The annual Church Conference is open to all persons who attend FUMC. Each full, professing member of FUMC may exercise their right to vote on reports and decisions brought before the body. Dr. Clara Reed, our new District Superintendent of the Sherman-McKinney District will preside over our conference.

For those of you not familiar with this process, each year the local congregation of the United Methodist Church meets to discuss what the church accomplished in mission and ministry in the past year, and provide the mission and vision of the church in the year(s) to come. Various program directors and coordinators will present this information to the conference during both worship services.

During the Sunday School hour, the administrative items are presented and/or voted on by the members of the church conference. The administrative items include presentation of the annual cost of ministry (budget); approval of pastor’s compensation report; approval of the Lay Leadership’s nomination report of leaders of the church; approval of continuance of Lay Speakers, and candidates for Ordained Ministry; first reading of members who are inactive and have not responded to contacts in regard to their continued membership; and other items deemed necessary. Dr. Clara will preside over the proceedings of the church conference.

Prayer: O Lord Jesus, thank you for the people of First United Methodist Church, and for the opportunity to be in Christian conference through our annual Church Conference. May we discern your future with hope. May we pray together:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy
will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily
bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass
against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. Amen