First Sunday in Advent

First Sunday of Advent
“Almost Out Of Hope”
Micah 5:2-5

ADVENT The English term advent comes from a Latin word meaning “coming” and designates the four Sundays before Christmas during which Christians reflect on the meaning of the second coming of Christ and prepare for the Christmas season. These two events are connected because it is through our faith in the first coming of Jesus – His birth and his life, death and resurrection – that gives us faith and hope in His promised second coming in final victory.

On the First Sunday of Advent we look to the Old Testament Prophet Micah and the promise that God will send Jesus who “shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.” (Micah 5:4)

This promise of God came to Micah during one of the worst times in the history of Israel. Like Israel, we are living through a very difficult time, and we may be “Almost Out Of Hope.” But through faith in God we can renew our hope in God's Best Gift in the Worst Times. God’s promise is that Jesus, our Messiah, will be our strength, our security and our peace.