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The word “advent” come from Latin adventus = arrival. So we are waiting for an arrival, and we have four special Sundays for that. Today is the first one.
Adventskalender 2014
1. December 2014
If you passed by my website previously then you will know that with each little reflection there is a passage from the Bible.
Here Jesus strait forward is being asked whether we have to pay taxes or not.
2. December 2014
A feast is made for laughter, wine makes life merry, and money is the answer for everything. (Ecclesiastes 10,19 NIV)
The person who wrote this was a wise man who lived some thousand years ago. All kinds of proverbs on wisdom we find in the Old Testament of the Bible.
3. December 2014
During Advent Season all kinds of people and organisations come up to us and ask for charity donations. There are charity galas on TV, and in our mail we often find letters from various charity organisations that ask for donation. All this makes much sense. Scientists have carefully observed that during Christmas Season people are much more will to donate than the year round.
4. December 2014
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
5. December 2014
This is how yesterday's story continues:
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
6. December 2014
In Germany today is the day of Santa Clause.
In Jerusalem during the first time after the first Pentecost a congregation of people who believed in Jesus had come to exist. What this precisely means we will talk about later.
7. December 2014
According to the tradition today we lighten the second candle on the Advent Girlande. Advent has got a lot to do with light. It might have something to do with the fact that on the Northern hemisphere now the days are constantly getting shorter, and we see the sun less and less. Sunset is in the afternoon, it remains dark for many hours, and we need artificial light.
8. December 2014
Who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken. (Psalm 15, 5 NIV)
9. December 2014
All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people.
10. December 2014
Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John.
11. December 2014
What about your Christmas shopping? If you have a large family and many friends you might be quite busy now because you might want to buy presents for each one of them. This is most inconvenient because right now the shopping centres are packed with crowds. Masses of people want to buy loads of things, and the more they purchase the happier the sellers are.
12. December 2014
If the word “advent” means “arrival” whose arrival are we then waiting for? The arrival of the Christmas presents or the arrival or the Christmas baby? Why do we at all spend loads of money for buying all kinds of presents? What's the meaning of all that?
13. December 2014
Some days ago we read that Peter and John cured a lame man so that he had been able to walk. By the way Peter and John were two of the closest friends of Jesus. For some years they travelled together with Him through the Jewish towns and places and thereby learnt a lot from Him.
This is what Peter said to the people in that place:
14. December 2014
In Germany and in many countries that are influence by Christian tradition on Sundays by law the shops are closed, and it is a day where people in general don't work. According to the Jewish calendar Sunday is the first day of the week. It had been on a Sunday when Jesus rose from the dead.
15. December 2014
One of the big opponents of Jesus who intensively persecuted the first Christians had been a young Pharisee called Saul. He was highly educated and tried hard to lead a good live within the Jewish tradition.
16. December 2014
Here is another report of a man who met Jesus. After this meeting that man completely changed his life. Zacchaeus was a tax collector in Jericho. In modern words you might perhaps also say a tax inspector. In those days the tax gatherer had a wide range of possibilities. It had been practically impossible to oppose them.
17. December 2014
There are many passages in the Bible that deal with love. Love is the main theme of the New Testament, of that part of the Bible that deals with Jesus and the time afterwards.
This passage is part of a letter that Paul wrote to the congregation in Rome. Here he sums up what love is.
18. December 2014
When a young man falls in love with a girl, yet she does not love him, then he is in a quite unpleasant situation. He may invite the girl or send her numerous presents. But does she therefore love him?
In the Acts of the Apostles it is reported about a magician called Simon. He must have shown of quite considerably, and he had many followers among the people.
19. December 2014
When Jesus had still been on Earth he had a lot of talks with his close friends and companions especially during the time shortly before his assassination. Jesus knew that the Jewish authorities were going to kill him. This is why Jesus prepared his friends for the time when he would no longer travel through the town with them. This is what Jesus said to them:
20. December 2014
You cannot look at Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost separately. All these festivities belong together, and only together do they make sense.
Several hundreds of years before Jesus came into the world God already told some Jewish prophets that He would send His Son into the world for the salvation of mankind.
21. December 2014
During the past weeks we have read a lot, heard a lot and reflected upon a lot of things. I wish you with all my heart that these lines may have helped you to get to know Jesus in a better way.
While Mary had been pregnant with Jesus she visited her cousin Elisabeth. Among others this is what she said at that meeting:
22. December 2014
There are only three days left until Christmas Eve, and today we have winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. As from today onwards gradually the sun will shine for a little more time every day. Many people are getting melancholic when sitting in the dark, and therefore they spend a lot of money for artificial light.
23. December 2014
Every person who is loves by Jesus is rich. It is not important how much money you spent on Christmas presents, decoration, delicious food, and whatever. It is not important to give expensive presents to others, and it does not matter when you don't have any money to afford buying presents.
24. December 2014
The baby Jesus had been born into quite poverty. Joseph had been a honourable craftsman. But due to a counting of the population ordered by the emperor Augustus he had to go to Bethlehem. There Jesus had been born in a stable because all the hotels in the area had been fully booked.