Dec. 7, 2025: Mark Gates. Ohhh, My treasured brothers and sisters, HAPPY ADVENT!!
What a great time in our church year & the secular year as well! Some of us (me too) are digging out from a 10+ inch snowfall. I don’t think Isaiah, or Paul, or John the Baptist ever had to shovel snow. 🙂 I guess that’s what makes “Picking up your cross daily” so personal.
Now, ISAIAH 11:1-10, starts us off by ‘prophesying’ about a wonderful, joy filled time when a shoot sprouts from a tree stump. “On that day a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” Most of us may have seen this in our lives. A living tree sprouts an oddball stem from lower on the tree trunk away from the intended cluster of branches. So, we trim it off, so that it doesn’t use up nutrients that are vital to the upper branches. In this scenario Isaiah is referring to a tree ‘stump’, the tree is gone, completely sawed off. The stump is left for dead. Jesse is King David’s father! Jesse’s death (stump) would have been approximately 250 years before Isaiah, who was approximately 700 years before Jesus.
Later in this scripture we hear that “The calf will lie down with the lion, having a child to guide them.” This sounds like pretty peaceful times. I would certainly like to be there! Verse 10 finishes up for us, “On that day, the root of Jesse, being set up as a signal for all the nations, and having the gentiles seek Him out, for His dwelling shall be glorious!” Jesus is a son of David, the promised shoot from Jesse’s stump!! This one scripture of prophetic word covers 1000 years of biblical lineage. Isaiah’s lifetime is providentially nestled right in the middle, prophecy and legacy. Did anyone listen? Do we listen when Providence, God, sends an Isaiah to us. You may be sick of me saying this but, GOD speaks to us, Now!
Romans 15:4-9, Brothers and sisters: Whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another in keeping with Christ Jesus. So that, with one accord you may with one voice Glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you for the glory of God. For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, to confirm the promises of the patriarchs, also so that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. As It is written: “Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name.” Here, Paul is writing at the tail end of the previously mentioned 1000 years. Yet he speaks of “Whatever was written previously was written” and “to confirm the promises of the patriarchs,” Jesus Christ is crucified, dead. Paul is referring to the prophets. This confirms something that I personally have consistently preached! The Jewish folks, men especially, were well schooled in the Hebrew bible!! As one of the major prophets, all of the Israelites would have known about Isaiah. Why, oh why, did they turn their backs on the Messiah?
Our Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12, starts out, “John the Baptist appeared preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’. It was of him that the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, ‘A voice of one crying out in the desert. ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths'” Matthew goes on to preach about bad trees, bad fruit, Abraham, Pharisees & Sadducees, and Jesus baptizing with fire and the Holy Spirit! Jesus, as God, is preparing His threshing floor, separating grain from chaff. Prophecy and Legacy, the end times, our end times, let us please seek out our Blessed Trinity ‘Joyfully’ so that we are prepared and waiting. Thank you all & have a blessed Advent… Please continue to look for me as Bro BLU on YouTube videos.
I am Mark Gates, your servant. I currently live with my wife in Peosta, Iowa and have retired. I have spent my whole life as a God-fearing Christian, Mass Lector and cradle Catholic. In 1996 after a Charismatic Conference, My Spirituality ‘Exploded’. The Holy Spirit has since, blessed me with personal revelations and events in times of needed admonishment, teaching or encouragement. Having a personal belief and true affection for The Real Presence of Christ in Eucharist, and also a very sweet, tender, and special relationship with our Holy Spirit, I believe that our world is in dire need of Good News. I want my spirituality to create conversations! I pray that you allow these musings to start your own conversations.
