devotional

Advent: Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

by Kerry van der Vinne

“This book is an invitation. If you’ve ever been troubled by the superficial consumerism surrounding the season—if you’ve ever felt out of sync with the festive cheer—if you’ve ever wondered whether there might be more to Advent—then this invitation is for you…” (From the Introduction)

Kerry van der Vinne writes, “if we want to celebrate a more meaningful ‘Christ-Mass,’ then we must prepare our hearts by participating in a more meaningful Advent.”

In this compelling series of daily devotions, readers are invited into a deeper experience of the Advent journey. It’s a journey that traces our salvation-story through the pages of scripture—from the first chapters of Genesis, to the incarnation of the promised Messiah, and onwards to his triumphant return.

The daily reflections also introduce readers to some beautiful lesser-known Advent texts which have been passed down through the centuries by our ancestors in the faith. Though unfamiliar to many of us, these “spiritual treasures” are rooted in scripture and saturated with truth that transcends time. A selection of these traditional prayers, readings and hymns are also included in a supplementary section of exceptional seasonal resources.

Quotes from “Advent: Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room”:

• “The message of Advent doesn’t fit neatly into a sound-bite or vignette. It’s too complex, too deep, to compete with glitter and noise; and it’s a hard sell in a culture that would rather skip straight to the big finish. But Advent is too important to be forgotten, because it is this season that prepares us to encounter our Lord.”
• “To be a prophet was to speak hard words that people did not want to hear, and to receive in turn all the violence that they wanted to inflict upon God himself. Yet God, in his omniscience, surveyed all this, and decided to send one more messenger: his son.”
• “The story of Christmas begins farther back than we can really grasp—back before the darkness of our broken relationship with God. It begins with a love so unfathomable that everything concerning us, from our creation to our redemption, was undertaken in spite of all it would cost.”
• “Though penitence is never ‘fun,’ it is rooted in hope and has the power to produce genuine joy. Penitence was never meant to trap us in a place of shame and condemnation; rather, it is a gateway from despair to freedom.”
• “As Christmas draws near, we begin to greet one another with the words ‘Merry Christmas,’ and our hearts rightly rejoice because of the baby who was like no other baby. But we need more than the message of Christmas. We need the reminders that Easter and Pentecost bring—and we need the spirit of Advent to prompt our hearts to say to one another again, ‘Maranatha.'”
• “Dark nights come to each of us when the questions crowd in. Was this really how it was supposed to go? Why didn’t God intervene? Does he even care? Each time we find ourselves asking these questions, the answer is there in his actions. He humbled himself to take on human flesh for us. He suffered and died for us. He is making a home in heaven for us. There is our answer.”
• “One of the things I love most about liturgical worship is the way it helps me to express the longings of my own heart through the words of scripture—especially during those times when it can be a struggle to put my own thoughts and feelings into words.”
• “On this eve of Christmas, whether you feel yourself to be surrounded by earthly blessings or whether you feel your blessings to be few, set aside those thoughts and concerns long enough to remember what it is that we are celebrating: God’s loving plan to bring you home to himself, through the gift of Jesus Christ.”

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The Book of Ruth:
A 6-Part Bible Study on Knowing True Love

by Kerry van der Vinne

We use the word “love” today to mean many different things…

“How are we to know whether or not our idea of love is in alignment with God’s idea of love? The answer is simple: by studying his word and listening to what he tells us in and through it.” —from the Preface

In six powerful sessions, Kerry van der Vinne will guide you (on your own, or with a group) through the Old Testament book of Ruth. Suitable for ages 14 and up, this study explores the context in which we find Ruth’s story, and follows chapter-by-chapter as it unfolds. It draws on other biblical texts that shed light on the events of the study, making note of underlying themes and principles. And finally it challenges readers to consider how some of the romantic narratives of our own day compare and contrast with what Ruth teaches us about godly love.

PART 1: Our World vs. Ruth’s World
PART 2: A Loyal Resolution (Ruth 1)
PART 3: A Loving Response (Ruth 2)
PART 4: A Bold Request (Ruth 3)
PART 5: A Joyful Reward (Ruth 4)
PART 6: Godly Love, Then & Now

Quotes from “The Book of Ruth”:

• “The ultimate love story is one that you are a part of. It is the story that God loved you so much, broken and wayward though you are, that he sent his son to die so that you could be redeemed and brought into a right relationship with him. This is epic, in the truest sense of the word. All other love stories, if they are really loving at all, are only loving insofar as they reflect and point to God’s love.”
• “When our “loves” are ordered correctly, obedience to God, our truest love, comes first.”
• “A biblical understanding of repentance is not just about an emotional posture of remorse. It is about changing course.”
• “When you and I face temptations, the voices of justification are often persuasive. The longer we entertain them, allowing them to play through our minds, the more compelling and sensible the course of action they are nudging us towards seems. But if we are believers, committed to obedience, then the question that matters most is: What does God require of me in this situation?“
• “Hope is not happy-go-lucky optimism… It is confidence rooted in God’s character.”
• “If God only bestowed his gifts upon the deserving, the entire human race would have to be bypassed: including you and me. If we are proud, then this is a rebuke for us. But if we are broken in spirit, there is immense comfort to be found in this reminder.”
• “Boaz’s example of “true love” in redeeming Ruth, points us to this greater love—which we have in Jesus. Christ alone was able to set us free. In spite of all our sin, he was willing to bring it about. And all of heaven is a witness to this epic love which went to such lengths for us.”
• “As believers, whether we marry or whether we remain single, we belong to Jesus Christ, and we must strive to live in faithful obedience to our Lord as we patiently (though eagerly!) await the day when he will take us home to be his bride.”
• “God is the one who is writing your story, and he is able to write a new and good ending for you. He is the God of prodigals: return, repent, and know that he will redeem.”

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Hebrews: A Devotional Commentary
by W.H. Griffith Thomas
with notes for reflection by Benedict J. Howard

W. H. Griffith Thomas’s timeless commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews will help guide you into a consideration of the Bible text that is both scholarly and faith-fuelled; theological and pastoral. Griffith Thomas’ original work is complete and unabridged in this edition, while the addition of study recommendations by Benedict J. Howard will assist those who wish to use this meaty material devotionally, either for personal or group study.

About the Author:
W. H. Griffith Thomas (1861-1924) was born in England near the Welsh border. He became a Christian in his teens and soon thereafter began studying at Christ Church College, Oxford for what would be a lifelong ministry. An Evangelical Anglican, Griffith Thomas was theologically conservative, deeply pastoral, and a gifted teacher. Over the course of his life he taught theology and pastored churches in England, Canada and the United States. The scripture-based works that he penned are an enduring legacy, and one that continues to nurture the spiritual formation of devout believers to this day.

Quotes from “Hebrews: A Devotional Commentary”:

• “Revelation is the opposite of discovery, and it is God who has revealed Himself, not man who has discovered God.”
• “It must never be forgotten that salvation covers past, present, and future, and deals with the penalty, the power, and the presence of sin. The main if not the sole thought in Hebrews is salvation in its fullest aspect, as involving the believer’s complete redemption and full experience.”
• “Whenever we do not believe God’s Word, the inevitable result is that we doubt His power and love.”
• “Looking back over the past, we have been saved from the condemnation and guilt of sin; looking round upon the present, we are being saved from the power, love, and defilement of sin; looking forward to the future, we shall be saved from the very presence of sin in the glorified state above.”
• “We are so apt to associate the Christian life either with the past, or the future, that we often lose blessing and power through the forgetfulness of our present possibilities.”
• “While we are justified in relation to Christ solitarily and alone, we are sanctified in connection with other Christians, and we shall never know what it is to be a ‘saint’ unless we make much of ‘the communion of saints.’”
• “Drawing back in the Christian life is sometimes due to disappointment, at other times to depression, at still others to discouragement, but always to distrust… Thus the message is twofold—we are to ‘draw near’ and ‘draw not back.’”
• “There is no doubt as to the actual fact of ‘the pleasures of sin,’ but behind these will always be found, however hidden away, the ‘deceitfulness of sin.’”
• “It is not difficult to put forth special exertion; the real test of life is the steady, normal progress of the soul—‘not paroxysms of effort but steady endurance.’”

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