The Christmas and Advent season are focused on the first coming of the incarnate Christ giving us hopeful expectation for the second coming of Christ. And as Christians, this time of year presents many opportunities to experience the joy and peace that come with waiting in faith for what is to come, while remaining in the present moment and embracing all that God has for us now.

With that said, we face an enemy who would love nothing more than to steal that joy and peace this time of year and replace it with anxiety and stress, and to replace our hope with doubt and despair.

This Advent season, join us for a journey through Scripture as we wage spiritual warfare against our common enemy and destroy strongholds that keep us from experiencing all that this season has to offer.

In Week 1, we will discover the power and the beauty of waiting on God through the story of a priest named Simeon, who would wait a lifetime to see the Lord’s promised Messiah.

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’”

Luke 2:25-35 (ESV)