Advent Devotional from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

Monday, First week of Advent 2009

“He is the image of the invisible God…” –Colossians 1:15a

Have you ever heard the phrase –“he’s the spitting image of his father?” I’d never wondered about this phrase until I began to think of Jesus as the “spitting image of His Father.”

Isn’t it true when a baby is firstborn everyone is trying to figure out who he/she looks like? At least I’m that way – for some reason it’s important to me to figure it out. Perhaps because I didn’t look very much like any of my siblings when I was growing up – so the old fear of not really belonging reared its head in my heart and mind. Of course that fear is gone now – as I’ve aged I look very much like my family!

Some say the phrase “spitting image” came from a comic play written in 1689 - "Poor child! he's as like his own dadda as if he were spit out of his mouth."

This is Jesus – the exact “spitting image” of His Father! The word used by Paul does not denote that Jesus is “like” His Father – it means that “Jesus is the very stamp of God the Father.” And of course we believe that Jesus is equal – one – with God.

So if Jesus is the image of God, what does God look like? For the past 17 days I’ve been in California with my grandsons, Andrew (7) and Ethan (3) while their parents were on a Work & Witness trip to Haiti. My daughter said to me several times – so who do my boys remind you of? Who are they like in our family? I had brought a photo taken of my paternal grandfather with me to show Olivia (my daughter) how Andrew’s ears are just like Great-great-grandpa McElroy’s. Ethan looks like his daddy, like his mama, like his Papa Randy all rolled into one.

As I’ve been thinking about this scripture from Collosians 1 and the fact that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, my mind continues to go back to the scripture from Psalm 145:8-9:

The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.

Don’t we see this over and over again in Jesus? He is gracious and compassionate – the image of the invisible God. He is slow to anger and rich in love – the image of the invisible God. He is good to all – the image of the invisible God. He has compassion on all he has made – the image of the invisible God. Sometimes we forget these attributes of God our Father – they are lost in a muddle of guilt, regrets, and failures on our part to live up to His image.

So we have Jesus, born to us in frailty, the “spitting image” of His Father to show us what our Father looks like. We have the Holy Spirit to stamp the image of Jesus deep on our hearts. Today as you go about your everyday, work-a-day life, remember Jesus is the image of the invisible God and you are the image of Jesus.

Father, we are so thankful You gave us Your Son, Jesus, so we could see You for who You really are. Thank You for Your gracious compassion in our lives – help us, through the power of Your Spirit, to extend that gracious compassion to all we come in contact with today. Thank you for not getting angry with us – but covering us with Your rich love. Help us, through the power of Your Spirit, to keep our tempers in check and extend love to all we come in contact with today. We want Your image to be stamped deep in our hearts. - Amen

This is verse #2 of the old hymn ”O to be like Thee”…

O to be like Thee, full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand’ring sinner to find.

O to be like Thee, oh to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

Advent Devotional from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

First Sunday of Advent, 2009

“Prepare the way of the Lord.” This is the reason we spend time during the Christmas holidays in daily worship. I don’t know about you, but if I don’t have something to prepare for, usually I get a little lazy about life. The floors don’t get mopped regularly – dust begins to build up on the furniture – weeds spring up in the garden – time is wasted in trivial pursuits.

This is why I need to spend these days of the Advent Season preparing my heart and mind for the real reason we have Christmas celebrations. If I don’t, I will allow all of the worldly trappings of the season to muddy up my mind, the dust and cobwebs of spiritual neglect will collect in my soul, and weeds of selfishness in the pursuit of trivialities will sprout in my heart.

I wasn’t sure about taking the time to write this year – I’m even more insecure than ever about whether I have anything of significance to say to anyone. But maybe that’s good – it won’t be about clever words and phrases or technically correct theology (sorry you theologians) – it will be about what I see and hear the Holy Spirit saying to me. And once again, if it’s of any use to any of you – then God be praised. Otherwise, hit the reply button and tell me to take you off the list. Or if you feel too shy to do that, just hit “delete.” My feelings won’t be hurt!

This season I want to focus on Colossians 1:15-23. This is a beautiful passage describingJesus Christ and His work in the world and in our hearts. I plan to look at this scripture for this Advent Season and again during Lent – it covers the whole spectrum! Jesus Christ, firstborn over all creation; Jesus Christ, firstborn from among the dead – He is all in all!

So here’s the scripture today from the NIV:

The Supremacy of Christ

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

You remember the old hymn “O, to be like Thee” don’t you? Let me remind you of the words – just as Christ is the image of God – so our prayer should be to have His image stamped on our hearts…

O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee,

Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art!

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

So as our culture strives to stamp its image on Christmas – let’s prepare our hearts, homes, and churches for the Spirit of Christ to be born anew in us – His image stamped on everything we say and do!

What a privilege to watch God at work!!

It has been a pleasure to be a part of the journey of Shane and Crystal Endicott. The are real people with a transparency and authenticity that doesn't pretend to have it all together but does scream out "We love God!!" As often is the case, God has been preparing the Endicott's for something different and they didn't even know it. I'm not going to claim any clairvoyance, but I saw it happening I think before they did.

Shane has a clear calling to full time vocational ministry. He has enrolled in Nazarene Bible College online and will begin shortly. Last Sunday Shane came before the church board and shared his calling and the church board unanimously affirmed Shane's call by granting him a Local Minster's License. Yesterday the entire church body had an opportunity to affirm Shane and Crystal as the public presentation was made of his Local License.

I believe in you Shane and Crystal! I wish I could promise you smooth sailing with no bumps along the way, but I can't. God does promise to use you mightily if you will keep your servant's hearts attuned with Him, and you will be blessed by what He does through you!What a privilege to watch God at work!!