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4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.” 10 Again, it says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:4-13 NIV)
Happy Tuesday, dear Friend! May the blessings of the Lord be rich and plentiful upon you, today and all days. Make this a memorable feast of Advent.
The late Rev. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, pastor of Marble Collegiate Church, author, publisher of Guideposts Magazine and the best-seller The Power of Positive Thinking, stood on a busy Manhattan street corner during the height of the Christmas rush. Pedestrians at every street corner awaiting for the lights to change, all loaded with lavishly wrapped Christmas gifts; cars and cabs rushing here and there; and Dr. Peale said, "I'm delighted and amazed, all of this is because of the birth of one Middle Eastern baby!" Indeed. I concur with that sentiment and as I've shared before for me it starts as we prepare for All Hallows Eve, which is to me, an Advent season of the coming real Advent season; a rush of special days packed together, all leading to the actual day of Jesus' birth which we celebrate as Christmas. It is an emotional hight that helps me enjoy each day even with all that is expected of me and the to and fro my body takes me; delayed airline flights, poorly prepared commercial meals posing as the actual Thanksgiving Dinner, but even those cannot dampen the joy of being with loved ones. Yes, I do halfway miss the preparations that I once upon a time had to do; the preparation of bulletins in the early days without a secretary and the printing of said bulletins on a mimeograph machines, to the four worship services on one Christmas Eve at a certain big church I pastored, including the ever difficult time of an 11:30 pm candlelight service. I spoke with a retired friend and colleague who today finished the bulletins all the way through Christmas Eve 2025! I could sense the relief and tiredness in his voice at all he had to do. It's all part of the preparation; the getting ready.
We celebrate Advent as a season of hopeful waiting and Paul's words to the Romans capture the essence of what we're waiting for—not just the celebration of Christ's first coming but the fullness of what His coming means for all people. Paul begins by grounding our hope in Scripture: "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." The Old Testament isn't just ancient history or interesting stories—it's God's instruction manual for living with hope during long seasons of waiting. The patriarchs waited for promised descendants. Israel waited for deliverance from Egypt. The exiles waited for return from Babylon. The prophets waited for the Messiah. Their stories teach us endurance—the capacity to keep believing when fulfillment is delayed. Their testimonies provide encouragement—proof that God keeps His promises even when centuries pass. And both endurance and encouragement produce hope—confident expectation that what God has promised, He will do. This is the posture of Advent: we look back at promises kept to find strength for promises still unfolding.
Paul then prays for unity: "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." The call to unity isn't based on uniformity of opinion or sameness of background—it's based on sharing the attitude of Christ Jesus, who humbled Himself, served sacrificially, and welcomed those who were different. In Paul's context, this means Jewish and Gentile believers learning to worship together despite profound cultural and theological differences. In our context, it means the church embracing diverse people with one mind and one voice to glorify God. Advent reminds us that Jesus came for all people, that His kingdom transcends every human division, and that our unity in Christ is itself a testimony to the world that God's promises are true. "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." The basis of our acceptance of each other isn't agreement on secondary matters—it's the reality that Christ accepted us while we were still sinners, enemies, rebels. If He can accept us in that condition, we can surely accept one another in our differences.
Paul then demonstrates from Scripture that Jesus came for both Jews and Gentiles, fulfilling God's ancient plan: "For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy." Jesus' ministry confirmed God's faithfulness to Israel while simultaneously opening the door for all nations to experience God's mercy. Paul quotes four Old Testament passages showing that God always intended to include the Gentiles: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name," and "Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people," and "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him," and "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope." This barrage of Scripture makes the point unmistakable—from the beginning, God's plan included all nations. Jesus is the fulfillment of Israel's hope and the hope of the Gentiles. Advent celebrates that God keeps His promises and that His promises are more expansive than we imagine. The baby born in Bethlehem came not just for one nation but for all nations, not just to save a select few but to offer hope to every people group on earth.
Paul concludes with a benediction that captures the heart of Advent hope: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Notice the source—"the God of hope." Hope isn't something we generate through positive thinking or optimistic outlooks. Hope comes from God Himself, who is inherently hopeful, who sees the end from the beginning, who is working all things toward their appointed conclusion. This God fills us—not with vague optimism but with joy and peace that come through trusting Him. Trust is the channel through which God's hope flows into our lives. And the result is overflow—hope so abundant it spills out of our lives into others'. This overflow happens "by the power of the Holy Spirit"—it's not self-manufactured enthusiasm but Spirit-generated confidence in God's promises. During Advent, as we light candles and sing carols and wait for Christmas, we're practicing a deeper waiting—for Christ's return, for God's kingdom to come fully, for every promise to be fulfilled, for every tear to be wiped away, for every wrong to be made right. And in this waiting, the God of hope fills us with joy and peace, making us people who overflow with hope even in a world that often feels hopeless. This is the gift of Advent: not just remembering that Jesus came, but living as people confident that He will come again to complete what He started.
PRAYER: Loving God of hope, thank You for keeping Your promises, for sending Jesus as Savior for all nations, and for filling us with joy and peace as we trust in You—during this Advent season, help us overflow with hope by the power of Your Holy Spirit, living as people who believe Your kingdom is coming and Your promises are sure, in Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: During this Advent season, practice overflowing with hope by intentionally sharing one specific reason for your hope in Christ with someone who seems discouraged or hopeless, letting the joy and peace God has given you spill into their life.
I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me. Advent is a journey best shared with each other, working to make the world a better place and to usher in the kingdom of God.
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
