NIGHT VISIONS

DECEMBER 9, 2025

Genesis 28:14-15

“…All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go… I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”


Sometimes the weight of our choices and decisions can feel very heavy. This is certainly true for Jacob. As he leaves home to seek a wife and to find his place in the world, he carries the fear that his brother Esau might kill him for stealing both the birthright and the blessing. In the midst of this exile, Jacob encounters God in a dream. There, he hears the divine promise to include him in the covenant first given to Abraham and Isaac. God assures Jacob of a secure future, and though Jacob acknowledges the dream and declares the place holy, his response is rather striking, he vows that if God provides for his needs, then he will serve Him.

Before we are too critical of Jacob's self serving negotiation, lets consider the fact that his response is such a common human reaction to situations that result in fear and uncertainty. How many of us try to offer God our devotion if He will only help us out with our problems. 

Scripture shows us that Jacob’s life was far from peaceful. He faced hardship, fear, grief, and trial after trial. Yet what stands out most is that God’s promise to Jacob was always greater than Jacob’s problems. In moments of anxiety, Jacob clung to that promise, reminding himself, and even reminding God, that he was included in the covenant. In much the same way, many of us have wrestled with doubts about God’s faithfulness, only to look back and realize He was weaving good out of circumstances we never could have predicted. Who would have imagined that the fulfillment of God’s promise to Jacob would come in the most unexpected way, through the birth of a of a baby in an animal stall?

When it seems that God is not fulfilling His promises, how should we respond?  

Well, Proverbs 3:5-6 suggests the following response in such times:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,  

and do not rely on your own understanding;  

in all your ways acknowledge Him,  

and He will make your paths straight.  

WAITING .... WAITING ..... FULFILLMENT

DECEMBER 7, 2025

Genesis 21:7

“Who would have said… that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne [Abraham] a son in his old age.”


How many of you have gone through periods of waiting in your lives that seemed like they would never end? Most of us, if not all of us.The Bible is filled with inspiring stories of people who had to wait—wait to be delivered from their enemies, wait to enter a new land, and wait to meet the long-awaited Messiah.

Abraham and Sarah waited many years to have a child, and their story is truly remarkable. The Bible records, Sarah was 91 and Abraham was 100 when their long-awaited baby was born. Think about it, this incredible couple endured decades of heartache and disappointment before finally experiencing the joy of parenthood.

I feel, this long wait was even more difficult considering God’s promise to Abraham when he called him. Do you recall in Genesis 12 the covenant that God makes with Abraham includes the promise “I will make you into a great nation.” In Genesis 17 God again says to Abraham “You will be the father of many nations. ... 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.” In another place angels and the Lord came to Abraham and told him that "his descendants would be more than the stars in heaven.” Promises, promises. Still no kids.

Sarah was well past her childbearing years, yet God continued to give them an incredible promise. The waiting felt endless, but as we read their story, we see  that God was faithful to his promise.

Isaiah 30:18 encourages us by reminding us that,

the Lord waits to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.

See that beautiful promise? All who wait for him are blessed.

 I wonder what is your heart waiting and longing for? 

Where have you perhaps endured decades of heartache and disappointment?

Today we are reminded in the story of Abraham and Sarah that yes waiting, and waiting, is a struggle, with many questions and doubts, yet we can have confidence in the Faithfulness of God, our God is a "promise keeper"!! 

As we close today's devotion let's hear/read the words of God that are found in Isaiah 46:3-4. 

Since the day you were born,
I have carried you along.
I will still be the same
when you are old and gray,
and I will take care of you.
I created you. I will carry you
and always keep you safe.

No Way that's IMPOSSIBLE!

DECEMBER 5, 2025

Genesis 12:2-3

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you… and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Can someone at 75 years old still change the world? Abram’s life seemed to say no. For decades he worked the same job, in the same land, following the same path as his father. His story looked ordinary, destined to be forgotten in time, no son, no legacy, no lasting impact. But God had a different plan. Instead of choosing a mighty king to establish His nation, God called a childless, unknown man from Ur.

When God steps in, everything shifts. The barren couple becomes a family, the overlooked become honored, and the insignificant become world-changers. Scripture almost seems to delight in showing us that God chooses the ones everyone else would pass over.

That’s good news. It means His blessing isn’t bound by our résumé, our status, or our skill set. God’s power is not limited by human expectations.

Throughout history, God has worked this way:

• He chose Abram and Sarah at 75 to begin a nation.

• He chose the youngest son of Jesse to rule Israel.

• He chose a teenage girl from a small town to bear the Savior.

• He chose fishermen to ignite a movement that would reach the ends of the earth.

This is who our God is. From the least to the greatest, He calls and blesses because His ways are higher than ours.

And God is still inviting us today, into His “crazy, impossible, and amazing adventure.” The question is not whether we are qualified, but whether we will follow.

The Water Is High

DECEMBER 4, 2025

Gen. 9:13-15

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth... Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.”

When I read the story of Noah, I can’t help but think about how overwhelming it must have been for him. Imagine God assigning you the task to build a large Ark (boat), way before there was even a threat of heavy rain. Where would you even start? How do you gather that much wood? What do you say when people stop by and ask what on earth you’re doing? And on top of all that, would you wonder if there was any real hope for the future of creation after the occurance of such a massive flood?

Try putting yourself in Noah’s place ("sandals" ) for a moment.
What would be going through your head?
What fears, doubts, or questions would you have?

Truthfully, the season of Advent can feel a little like that. The closer we get to Christmas, the more the “water” seems to rise. We’re running around trying to find the right gifts, track down ingredients for family recipes, attend dinners, finish up end-of-year tasks, decorate the house, and keep up with everyone’s expectations, especially our own. It can feel like the stress is piling up fast, almost like a flood. 

And yet… we keep doing it year after year.

Why?

Because underneath all the busy moments is something stable and secure, something beautiful: our Messiah has come. Advent gives us space to breathe, remember, and celebrate Jesus, our Savior, our Living Hope, our faithful Friend who never leaves us to face the flood alone.

And just like God didn’t leave Noah alone and unsupported, God doesn’t leave us without reminders of his presence either. God gave Noah everything he needed to build the ark, and when it was all over, God placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign, a promise that destruction, loss and ruin would never have the final word.

So as we wait for Jesus this Advent, maybe we can look for those same signs of hope.
Maybe, if we pause long enough, we’ll see the “rainbow” God is setting before us too.

Who Are You Going to Listen To?

DECEMBER 3, 2025

Genesis 2:16

“You are free to eat from any tree, but not the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”


The saying “with great power comes great responsibility” is familiar to most of us, often this is exemplified in superhero stories where the central question is how the hero will use their special powers. Scripture reveals that humanity is the pinnacle of God’s creation, made for worship and work, and granted unique significance and privileges. No other creature possesses the breath of God’s life or bears His image. In the creation story, God took what can be seen as an extraordinary risk by granting humans the freedom to choose—to trust Him, take Him at His word, and follow Him willingly from the heart. This is because love given freely is love at its highest form. I believe, like superhero tales, God’s story centers on a question: What will humanity do with this extraordinary gift?

Turns out, humankind messed up! Genesis 3 shows the tough truth that humanity chose to doubt God and follow other so-called ‘wiser’ voices, opening ourselves up to the pull and harmful power of evil. Thankfully, God’s story does not end there. Its central theme is His plan to deliver us from the grip of evil, to eliminate its power from the world, to restore all things to a state even better than the beginning, and to grant us another opportunity to live as He intended. All this is made possible through Jesus, the pioneer of God’s new humanity and the evidence of His new creation.

Truth is we are bombarded by so called "wiser" voices too. So, I wonder if the question for us today may just be this:

“Whose voice have  we been listening to in our life?”

Finding Joy in Beauty

DECEMBER 2, 2025

Gen. 1:1 & 28

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...God saw all that he made, and it was very good.”

The Amazing story of Chrstmas begins . . . .

The opening chapters of the Bible make some bold statements, claiming that God created the entire universe simply by speaking it into existence—saying, “Let there be…” and it happened. Genesis 1 and 2 describe how God was deeply satisfied with His creation, filling it with beauty and purpose, and then stepping back to enjoy it, declaring, “It is very good.”

Jenny Toews shared the following personal story, she writes

“I remember one sunny morning when I was travelling along a beautiful route that wound its way between the rocky coastline and a towering mountain range. Traffic came to a complete stop along a bend and people stood outside their cars peering over the cliffs. My immediate thought was a terrible accident had just occurred. I, too, got out to look, but there was no accident. The morning rush hour was brought to a standstill by a large pod of dolphins diving in and out of the water and skipping along the surface. No one said a word, nor did getting to work on time seem to matter either. Everyone just stood there taking in this breathtaking sight. It was a special moment of strangers standing back to delight in beauty and to respond to something greater than themselves.”

Whether we acknowledge God’s hand in creation or not, we are all awestruck by the beauty of the world around us. Splendor tells us something about the heart of the Creator of beautiful things. Being awestruck suggests that wonder is a response of worship as we ponder the glory of our good world. Our Genesis reading today points to the source. "In the beginning God ...."

When was the last time you were awestruck by beauty?

Today, take a moment to offer a prayer of gratitude to God for all the beauty in our world. As you go about your day, observe the wonders of His creation around you and express a simple prayer of praise, such as "Thank You, God, for __________."

JESSE TREE

December 1, 2025

Isaiah 11:1

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”



The Jesse Tree is like a big storytelling calendar for Advent, without the chocolates or little gifts of many Advent calanders. The Jesse Tree doesn’t just count down days, it walks us through the entire story that leads to Christmas. Starting way back at Creation, it traces God’s promises through the generations, Abraham, David, the prophets, and all the twists and turns of Israel’s journey, until it finally points us to Jesus.

In the Middle Ages, churches and monasteries began creating artworks, stained glass windows, and illuminated manuscripts depicting the “Tree of Jesse.” These showed Jesus’ genealogy as a branching tree, with Jesse at the base and Christ at the top. Over time, the Jesse Tree moved from being a church art motif to a family Advent devotion. By the late medieval period, Christians began using trees or branches decorated with symbols to mark the days leading up to Christmas. Many historians tells us that the Jesse Tree predates what we now refer to as the Christmas Tree that we decorate each year.

The name comes from Jesse, the father of King David, because the prophet Isaiah said that “a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse.” That promise was fulfilled when Christ was born from David’s family line. So every ornament or symbol on the Jesse Tree is like a chapter in the story, showing how God was weaving His plan all along.

When we follow the Jesse Tree, it is a way for us to see the whole sweep of Scripture as one long journey toward Christ, with God revealing pieces of His promise along the way. We are not just remembering random Bible stories, we’re seeing how they all connect, how they all build toward the birth of Christ. It’s the whole Christmas story, stretched across history, reminding us that God has always been faithful and that His promises always find their fulfillment in Jesus.
This Advent season, as we wait for the birth of Christ and celebrate His gifts of Hope, Joy, Peace, Love, and Light, we wait alongside those who came before us. Their stories are our stories. We are connected to the people who trusted God, stumbled badly at times, but also witnessed miracles and surprising victories as they waited for His promise to unfold.

This, I believe helps us to learn and understand that even in the waiting, God calls us to be faithful. Even in the darkness, God calls us to walk in His light.

Come,
You who are celebrating with joy,
You who are worn out, lonely, or feeling lost,
You who are longing for hope and for the Savior,
Come and wait with open hearts for the One who brings salvation and life.

Waiting with Hope — What Advent Really Is

November 28, 2025

 Isaiah 9:2

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” 

As winter approaches and the days grow shorter, Christians around the world enter the quiet, sacred season of Advent. The term Advent means “coming” or “arrival” and marks a period of waiting, watching, and hoping, not for something abstract or sentimental, but for Someone real: Jesus Christ, the Light who dispels our darkness. This season calls us to slow down, breathe, and remember that our faith is grounded in both remembrance and anticipation.

1. Advent Looks Back

We remember the first coming of Christ, 

a child born in a manger, 

a Savior clothed in humility, 

God entering our world to rescue and redeem.

"In the middle of ordinary nights and ordinary people, heaven bent low and hope took on flesh."

2. Advent Looks Ahead

But Advent doesn’t stop at Bethlehem.
It reminds us that we are still waiting.

We await the second coming of Christ, when He will restore all things, wipe away every tear, and fully establish His Kingdom of peace and justice. Advent reminds us to live with holy expectation, keeping our lamps burning and our hearts alert.

3. Advent Looks Within

This season is also an invitation to make room for Christ in our own lives.

In a world that runs fast, Advent gently asks:

What fills your heart?
What crowds out the voice of the Jesus?
Where do you need His peace, His hope, His joy, His love?

Advent is a spiritual reset, a chance to surrender our hurry and open our hearts anew to the One who comes near.

4. Advent Is a Season of Hope

Hope is not wishful thinking.
Hope is confidence rooted in God’s promise.

We light candles at church and perhaps in our homes too, not just for tradition, but to declare:
“The darkness will not win.” Why?

Because:
Christ has come, 

Christ is coming again, 

and Christ is with us now.

A Prayer for Advent

Lord Jesus,
In this season of waiting, awaken our hearts to Your presence.
Shine Your light into our darkness.
Teach us to hope with confidence, to watch with expectation,
and to prepare room in our lives for You.
Come, Lord Jesus, come into our world, our homes, and our hearts.
Amen.

Hidden Hope

November 27, 2025

Isaiah 11:1-3

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
His delight shall be in the fear of the lord.


Author Henri Nouwen writes,

I keep expecting loud and impressive events to convince me and others of God’s saving power…Our temptation is to be distracted by them…When I have no eyes for the small signs of God’s presence – the smile of a baby, the carefree play of children, the words of encouragement and gestures of love offered by friends – I will always remain tempted to despair.

The small child of Bethlehem, the unknown man of Nazareth, the rejected preacher, the naked man on the cross, he asks for my full attention. The work of our salvation takes place in the midst of a world that continues to shout, scream, and overwhelm us with its claims and promises.

LET'S PRAY

We welcome you, small child of Bethlehem, for whose coming we await with quiet attention.

Shield us from the shouts, the screams, the empty promises of the season, and encourage us to turn our hopes to your coming.

We know that the promise is hidden in the stable in Bethlehem and rooted in the offspring of Jesse; let us look for our salvation there.
Amen.


Today, look for one small sign that God is present in your daily life. Give thanks for his presence.

MARANATHA!

November 26, 2025

Revelation 22:20

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (MARANATHA)


Paul’s letters are mostly written in Greek, but when he closes 1 Corinthians he uses a surprising Aramaic word, Maranatha. This suggests that Maranatha was a common phrase of worship and prayer handed down from the earliest Aramaic speaking followers of Jesus, and that it had a particular importance for the church in early times. If you think about this in our worship language today we use ancient words like Hallelujah, Hosanna, and Amen in a similar way, they have become part of the language of our worship.

So what does Maranatha mean? It is commonly translated “Come, Lord” (see Revelation 22:20), Bible scholar Kenneth Bailey, in his book Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes points out that there are really three possible meanings for Maranatha:

He writes, “As often observed, this last word can be read maran atha (Our Lord has come). This translation addresses the readers and affirms a reality in the present (he is here). The two Aramaic words can also be divided to read marana tha (Our Lord-come!). This is a request addressed to the risen Lord that looks to the end of all things with the plea ‘Please come!’ A variant on this second option is, ‘Our Lord is coming.’ This also looks to the future but it is a statement of fact rather than a plea, and it is not addressed to Jesus.” (Pages 495-496)

What Bailey shows is that all three translations have been adopted through church history, and that the rendering, which is less known to us, the past-tense confession “Our Lord has come” has in fact been the favoured interpretation in Middle Eastern countries.

What if we do not need to settle on one definition over another, what if we understood the meaning of Maranatha as all these at the same time.

We declare with confidence that Jesus came in the incarnation. We can proclaim with hope that he is coming again. We can call to him in faith, interceding for our world and asking him to be present in our midst as we wait for his final return.

We would then confess the following when we say Maranatha,

Our Lord has come.
Our Lord is coming.
Our Lord - come!

1 Corinthians 16:23-24

Come, Lord!

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
24 My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

STEPPING INTO GOD'S FUTURE

November 25, 2025

Ephesians 1:20-21


He raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand... far above all rule and authority, power and dominion.

The words “king”, “kingdoms” and “throne” are ones we associate with storybooks from childhood, or perhaps epic fictional dramas made into long movies or a TV series. The Advent invitation to wait for Jesus as “the coming King” can therefore feel as if it has little to do with reality.

Perhaps we should instead use some other words from today’s verses: Rule. Authority. Power. Dominion. These are words that can be found in today’s newspaper, on the political blog you read, in the tweets of heads of countries. We are aware of the authorities around us: the leaders we’ve elected, as well as, the influence of big-business, tech companies and celebrity culture.

In light of these what does it mean to wait for Jesus, our coming King?

The believers in Ephesus knew about powers and authorities. Theirs was a city where Roman emperors were establishing and enforcing their rule, but it was also a Centre of religious power. The deities they exalted were plentiful, and the power of magic was sought out and worshipped. To the Christians in this place, Paul writes that the battle is not against flesh and blood, but “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12).

Paul prays for this young church that their eyes would be opened to the “incomparably great power” (v 19) that they possess, through Christ. Do you think of yourself as having incomparably great power? If you don’t, you might want to look at what else Paul prays for them in verse 18: that they would become aware of their “hope and inheritance”.

Hope and inheritance have to do with waiting. Yes, Jesus is the resurrected King, with every other power and authority below him. And yes, we share in this power. And yet, our hope is in a future when this is completely fulfilled, when we finally receive our full inheritance.

Paul’s prayer is for the church to begin living out of the reality of these promises now. This is a "Now and Not Yet"reality, “in the present age but also in the one to come” (v 21).

The invitation for us today is to step into God’s future for us now, to “practice resurrection” in the here and now.

With eyes opened to our hope, our inheritance in Christ and our shared power with him, let us pray for change in the situations around us that we feel powerless to change. 

LET'S PRAY

Pray Ephesians 1:18-23 below, as your personal prayer today.

18 I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened in order that I may know the hope to which he has called me, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.   Amen

WORTH THE WAIT

 

 NOVEMBER 24, 2025

Psalm 130:5

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits.”


On November 30, 2025, we begin the season of Advent. “Advent” means “coming,” and it’s a time when we live in an in-between state, anticipating what’s ahead. It’s like when friends or family are on their way for a celebration—we might rush around tidying up, checking the clock, or looking out the window. We’re not yet enjoying their full presence, but we’re already acting in hopeful expectation of their arrival.

Let me ask you, How have you approached Advent in the past? Has Advent become mostly about opening a chocolate-a-day calendar, or simply lighting a few special candles? Or perhaps the whole season has been overshadowed by the rush, shopping for gifts, planning gatherings, attending dinners, tying up loose ends at work, just to feel ready for a bit of rest when the Christmas finally arrives?

What if this year you chose to spend Advent simply waiting? Imagine not rushing ahead, but taking the time to pause, to anticipate, and to be filled with expectation.

The psalmist wrote about waiting for God with their “whole being”. The Psalmist looked expectantly for God to come and restore him: “I wait for the Lord, more than watchmen wait for the morning” (130:6).

Let’s not forget that this is the Psalm which begins: “Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord.” This waiting is a result of struggle and hardship. The writer cries out to God for mercy, trusting in God’s faithfulness when all around them is crumbling.

I believe we all recognize that some waiting in our lives produces anxiety and impatience. Think about waiting for a treatment, or surgery, or diagnosis. Think about waiting for that job interview, or for housing, .... This waiting creates frets and worries, so we try to hurry things along. 

But there is another kind of waiting, called a godly waiting, where with the psalmist we choose to “put our hope in the Lord” (130:7). As we prepare for the Advent 2025 season let us explore aspects of what it means to worship God in the waiting.

LET'S PRAY

Loving Our Neighbor

 

November 21, 2025

Mark 12:31

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” 

We’re wrapping up our series of devotions on Neighborhood Prayers, bringing it full circle to where we began on November 12, 2025, with the words of Jesus above.

Don't you love that Jesus’ command is simple enough for a child to understand and yet deep enough to shape an entire life. “Love your neighbor as yourself”  is central to what it means to follow Christ. When Jesus connects this command directly to loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, He is telling us something profound: our love for God is made visible in the way we love the people He has placed around us.

Loving our neighbor goes beyond simply feeling warm or sentimental toward them. It’s not merely polite nods across the street or a wave as we close the garage door. It’s a daily mindset that turns our hearts outward, seeing our neighborhood as a place where God is already moving, softening hearts, healing wounds, sparking hope, and inviting us to be part of His work.

When we pray for our neighborhood, we are practicing Jesus' command in its simplest form.

We are saying:

“God, give me Your eyes for the people around me.”
“Give me courage to care, patience to listen, and compassion to respond.”
“Give me a heart willing to be inconvenienced.”

I believe and have experienced, that prayer opens our hearts so we can love not just in theory, but in practice. A few years ago at our church, some of you may recall this we held a series of prayer walks in our community. Our Ladies Bible Study group, our Church Council members, and a group of our worshippers after a Sunday service walked areas of our neighborhood praying. As a Pastor, I found that these exercises opened my eyes to where God was leading me, and us, to be more Community Focused faith community. 

As we pray for the homes on our street or the families in our building, God’s Spirit transforms our attitudes and aligns them with His heart. Over time, prayer inspires small acts of kindness, checking in on someone who seems lonely, offering help to an overwhelmed parent, or noticing needs we once overlooked. These are not grand gestures, but they are often the very means God uses to draw people toward His love.

To me, this command is the clearest and most direct instruction in Scripture about life in community. It tells us that the way we treat others is part of our worship. Praying for our neighborhood becomes a natural, joyful expression of loving our neighbor. It turns ordinary streets into spaces of potential and everyday interactions into opportunities for God’s grace to shine.

Simply Put, "LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE!!"

Let's Pray


Jesus,
You told us clearly: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Teach us to obey these words with sincerity and joy.
Open our eyes to the people around us,
their burdens, their hopes, their hidden needs.
As we pray for our neighborhood,
let Your love soften our hearts
and shape our actions.
Make our homes places of welcome,
our words sources of peace,
and our lives reflections of Your compassion.
In Your name we pray. Amen.