Before All Time-Advent 10, 2021

During Interludes in which we feel like nothing’s happening, it’s not inaction. Don’t fool yourself thinking that God doesn’t care about sin or gives it a pass. Far from it!

If you’re tempted to despair, only recall He kicked Adam and Eve out of Eden.
Time went by and He scattered and confused people trying to institute
a “one world government” apart from God at Babel.
He flooded the entire earth once and promised not to do that again.
He sent plagues, He sent people into bondage in Egypt
and captivity in Assyria and Babylon
so they could learn what independence from God looks like.
It looks like oppression, slavery, and hell.
He gave them judges, priests, and kings
to enforce and encourage compliance and He gave them the Law–
all as custodians until the first Interlude ended
with the birth of Christ
and the next Interlude would be ushered in after His ascension.

The birth of our Savior was never plan B because God suddenly remembered that flooding was off the table. It was plan A all along. Jesus is the only cure for what truly ails humanity.

Questions for further study:

How do we know it was plan A? Read John 17:3-4, Ephesians 1:3-10, 1 Peter 1:14-25, especially verse 20: “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”

And it’s not that after Jesus died, we all get a pass to do what we want independent from Him and say, “Who cares? Jesus covered it. I’ll live as I please.” That’s not how it works. Don’t believe me? See Romans 6:1-15.

Did sin get a pass in the Crucifixion of Christ? See Colossians 2:13-14, Acts 2:23-24.

What might be among the functions of the first Interlude? Between the Son of God (Jesus, the second “person” of the Trinity) being chosen before time and His entire earthly ministry (birth, death, and resurrection)?

What might be the function of the second Interlude before the return of Christ? For insight, read Romans 11 and

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

Take a moment to thank God that He doesn’t give sin a pass and yet He forgives us when we stumble and acknowledge our sin.

===

Advent 2021 began Sunday, November 28th and continues to Friday, December 24th as we explore the multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King. By signing up on the sidebar of my Home Page you can receive these daily “Interlude” devotionals. Or they will be reposted on SeminaryGal’s Facebook page as well.

===

Last year’s Advent Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.