Welcoming The New Year

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As 2012 is drawing quickly to a close, my flesh wants desperately to do what it has done for countless years.  It desires to make plans and promises regarding how I will live in the coming new year.  For as long as I have been old enough to understand what a resolution is, I have made them.  Some were utterly ridiculous, while others have been truly important and desired out of my love for God.  But the truth of my resolutions has been just that:  they were MY resolutions.  You see, I have always been a planning,  goal-setting and goal-achieving sort of girl.  But if this past year has taught me one thing it would be that all my plans and goals and resolutions will come to nothing if they are not in line with God's plans for me.  This has been the principle that God has been driving home (sometimes painfully) in my heart in 2012.  This has been the year that He took all of the comfort of my plans and goals and turned them upside down.  And I know He has only had one purpose in mind:  to help me see clearly my self-sufficiency that keeps me from greater intimacy with Him.

As I turn my gaze from looking back at 2012, I see the coming year with eyes that cannot detect exactly what lies ahead.  I know I am not alone in this for none of us knows what our future holds.  But I am excited this year at my inability to "have a plan,"  because it is forcing me to live in greater trust and dependence on the only One who knows the plans He has for me.  He is asking me, "Will you surrender ALL to Me?"  I know my heart desires that, but will I be faithful to do it?

So instead of making well-meaning resolutions and promises this New Year to do this or not do that, I only seek to sit more at the feet of Jesus, simply listening to Him as He tells me all the plans He has for me, day to day, and even moment to moment.  It is in this simple act of surrender that I will truly find joy and peace and rest in 2013.  This is the "better part" that Mary discovered.  What a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders as I place the government of my life upon the shoulders of the One who was sent to carry it.

May you find this same joy and peace and rest in 2013!

With love and gratitude for you all!
Cheryl

Jesus, Light of the World (12-23-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light all of the Advent Candles and the Christ candle.)
"Since the creation of the world when God said, 'Let there be light,' our dark world has been influenced by the illuminating quality of light.  God always intended for the darkness to be separated from the light, and that principle has deep spiritual ramifications as well.  Once, while we were still sinners, Christ came into the world bringing His light, so that we might come in faith to Him.  When we did, we began to walk in the Light of Christ.
Today, as we consider all of the Advent Candles and their significance to our walk, we are again reminded of the importance of light in the Christmas story as we have been studying it in this blog devotional.  Think back with me to the very first candle of Advent, the Prophesy Candle.  Isaiah told us of the coming of the Messiah.  He told us of a Light that would come out of Galilee;  that those who walked in darkness would see this light; and that the Light would shine on them.  Later, Isaiah said to us all, 'Arise, shine, for the Light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon us.'  His prophecy foretells the Light of Christ coming into the souls of humans who have been darkened by the sin found in their hearts.  Once inside of us, though, this Light will now be seen by others who walk in the same darkness in which we once walked.  How we thank you Lord, for the prophets of old who told us that You would come.
Next, let's contemplate the Bethlehem Candle, our second Advent Candle.  We remember that God revealed the Light of the world to an obscure village and its people.  On a dark hillside outside of Bethlehem, the shepherds were astonished when all at once an angel lit up the entire night sky with all the glory of Heaven itself.  The angel stood in the shepherds' presence and declared to then the good news of great joy.  But God did not stop with just one angel.  He sent down a multitude of these heavenly bodies who brought glory to the Christ Child, the Light of the world, and the warmth of the Light surrounding them comforted the shepherds as they heard the good news of a Savior who had been born in Bethlehem.
As we consider the only pink candle in the Advent Wreath, our thoughts return again to the words of the angels.  This pink candle, the third Advent Candle, represents the good news of salvation in Christ alone.  Because this Infant God would bear in His body our sin, of which He would die from the punishment He would take for us, we would no longer have to be separated from God if we would but realize that His bloodshed was the only  punishment needed for our sinfulness.  The color of the candle represents blood that now saves us, something we could never do for ourselves.  Jesus accomplish this salvation because He was the perfect and holy sacrifice that was required.  Now we must share this good news of salvation in Christ with others, carrying to others the only Light that can now brighten their darkness like the noonday sun.
Our last candle in the wreath, the third purple one, causes us to remember the wise men who traveled so very far to come and worship whomever the star would lead them to.  By a bright heavenly star, God lead these brilliant men to a tiny child who would become the Savior of the world.  These men followed a light to the Light!  To follow the directions of the star was their obedience to God, and such obedience led them to the Light.  This candle, the Wise Men Candle, teaches us what our response should now be to so great a Light and Salvation.  We should, like them, follow with joy, obeying all He tells us to do.
We have one last candle to light.  It is not in the wreath itself, but stands tall above the four, in the center of the wreath.  This is the Christ Candle and it symbolizes the purity and holiness of Christ, the One who is to be the most see in all that we do, a shining example of who we are to be.  The light of His candle should prompt our hearts and spirits to reflect that same light, His light.  The Christ Candle calls believers to a deeper walk of commitment as we face the coming New Year.  So let's join our spirits together in a prayer of just such a commitment as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, the Light of your world and mine.  Will you pray with me?
Precious Light of the world, how we desire to worship You in a new and fresh way.  Today, we want to offer You a sacrifice similar to the wise men who brought their very best to You.  Teach us the deeper meaning of Your birthday story. 
In the coming year . . .

• let us arise from our complacency and shine Your light to others, lighting their way to You,
• let us run to meet with You, Jesus, and then run to tell others of Your transforming light,
• let us remember the sinful state from which we have been saved and learn to walk daily in the light of Your salvation
• and let us follow diligently after You, O Bright and Morning Star, for You are the Light of the world, and our Light and salvation, and we rejoice in You!  In Your holy and most precious name we pray, Amen."

Merry Christmas, my dear readers!  And may 2013 be a bright year, filled with the Light of Jesus, the Light of the world!
Watch for more blogs after the New Year!
Blessings to you all!

Jesus, Light of the World (12-22-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the fourth Advent Candle, the Wise Men candle.)

Matthew 28: 1-10

"Had there ever been a darker day?  'How could they have crucified Him?  How could they have not know that He was the Light of our lives?  But now He is dead.  He's gone, and the darkness is more than our souls can endure.'  could these have been the heart-wrenching thoughts of those who had followed Jesus and had believed the He was the Son of God?  the would have been ours that day, I am quite sure.

Mary Magdalene had been demon-possessed, and He had cast seven demons out of her.  She had known Him personally as her Light.  On the first day after the Sabbath was over, this Mary, and another Mary (the mother of James who was also called Jacob), and Salome were now able to do the work that was required for burial.  They left their homes early that day and brought to the tomb the spices that were necessary for a proper burial preparation of Jesus' body.  The sun had barely risen in the sky when they set off to the tomb in which Joseph of Arimathea had placed Him  There was not much to talk about as they walked to where He lay, for their hearts were too heavy for idle chit-chat and too sad to speak of their great sense of loss and sorrow.  But all of a sudden, the thought of the stone in front of the cave weighed heavy on them as they wondered who might help them move it so that they could do what they had come to do.

Approaching the tomb they saw an amazing sight.  The stone was already rolled to the side, and upon closer investigation, there minds tried to understand why the tomb was empty.  Jesus' body was not there!  A man wearing a white robe was sitting just to the right of the cave's opening, and he told the three not to be afraid.  But what were his next words?  Had he really said that?

'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified.  He has risen; He is not here; behold here is the place where they laid Him.'

Jesus . . . alive?  How could it be?  Was it really true?  Oh, what joy filled their souls as the reality of the scene settled upon them as they stared at the empty tomb!  The sorrow in their hearts melted away as the words He had spoken to them just days before became a clear reality in them.  ' And on the third day I will rise from the dead.'  At that very moment, their darkest day had tuned into  bright hopefulness as the Light began to fill their hearts.  The Light of the world was not dead at all.  He had risen from the dead.  The words of the man in the white robe rang in their ears as ran to tell the disciples this great news.  'Jesus, your Light, is alive!  He us on His way to Galilee where you will will soon see Him!'

It's all such an incredible story, isn't it?  From beginning to end it is truly amazing!  It requires faith to receive it and believe it, doesn't it?  Just like the wise men of old, the Magi of the greatest story ever told, we only must study the story, recognize the miraculous signs, and follow the Star, the Light of the world.  Having done those things, we must become again like the Magi.  Our love, adoration, and worship are the greatest treasures we can bring to the Light of the world.  As we offer ourselves up to Him, fully surrendered to His will and fully crucified in our won flesh, His Light in us, the Holy Spirit, will begin to shine outward to the world He is trying to reach.  The challenge to each one of us is to continue in daily fellowship with Jesus, reading His word, praying, and obeying all that He says.  Then He will be able to fulfill His purposes for all men, both Jew and Gentile, through those who are devoted to Him.

Won't you be a part of the continuing Christmas story, that is still being read by the dark world today, by allowing His Light to shine out of you and onto those who are in desperate need of the Light of the world?"

Jesus, Light of the World (12-21-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the fourth Advent Candle, the Wise Men candle.)

Luke 23:44-46
"Jesus' archenemy did not quit trying to destroy His light.  Satan waged war on our Savior throughout His entire life.  Time and time again while Christ walked this earth, he would come to Him with one purpose in mind.  The enemy would never stop until he had destroyed the Light, once and for all.

From Satan's part in an evil alliance between another King Herod and  Pilate; to the lies he whispered to the Pharisees;  to the temptation for money and power that he dangled in front of Judas; to the mocking and vicious whippings that the Roman guards administered; to the spineless accusations and acts of the priests; to the crazed mob who yelled out, 'Crucify Him'; to the awful end, Christ's crucifixion on the cross, Satan surely had set his focus firmly on the end of Jesus.  And in Christ's last days on earth as a human, Satan stepped up the torment to a horrifying level.

The Magi had come to a King Herod from a different era, asking him where the King of the Jews could be found.  The questioned had enraged the Herod who governed Judah at the time of Jesus' birth.  And again we see Jesus referred to as the King of the Jews in our verses today, but this time they are spoken as an insult to Jesus but the very Roman guards who nailed Him to the cross.  They mocked His  authority and power by saying, 'If you are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!'  Could it have been the whisper of Satan that then caused them to insult Jesus even further by placing an inscription above His head on the cross that read, 'This is the King of the Jews'?

Surely Satan moved in and about the crowd that day, watching and listening.  A wry smile curled on his lips as he wrung his evil hands together.  'Surely the time is near,' he thought.  'Soon, yes very soon, this Jesus will no longer be a threat to me.'  The darkness of the fallen angel was not contained within him, for at that very moment, at the sixth hour (12 noon), a deep darkness 'fell over the whole land' and remained until three hours later.  It was so dark that the sun could not be seen.  Darkness seemed to be overpowering the Light.

'Yes!  YES!  The Light of the world is ebbing.  It won't be long now until I am in charge!' Satan muttered to himself.  The the words he had longed to hear for so long were filling the vast emptiness of the darkness that surrounded them.  'Father, into Thy hands I commit My Spirit.'  And Jesus died.  The evil grin on the face of Satan turned into a low chuckle and then into riotous laughter.  'I've won!' he shouted with delight.  This indeed was the darkest day in all history.  The Light had been extinguished, or so everyone thought.

Dark days will surely come to us all, days when it seems like we are miles and miles from the Light of Jesus.  But we know the rest of the story, don't we?  In the end, Jesus wins!  No matter how the 'darkness' tries to creep into our lives and blow out the Light of Jesus in us, Satan will never be successful if we but keep our eyes firmly fixed on the Light the world, Jesus our Savior.  He is the Light of all of your days.  Spend time with Hm, and He will bring even more light into your life."

Jesus, Light of the World (12-20-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the fourth Advent Candle, the Wise Men candle.)

Matthew 2: 12-18
"Now that the Magi had seen the Christ Child, had worshiped Him, and had given Him their greatest treasures, they understood that it had been God who had orchestrated their journey and this meeting.  God had spoken to them through the Scriptures and the prophecies, through the sign of the star, and through seeing the Savior as the fulfillment of the journey God led them to make.  But now, this was something new.  God had never before spoken to them in this manner.  Yes, God had clearly spoken to them in a dream, warning them not to return to King Herod!  Leaving Bethlehem, they chose to listen to God and heed His warning, so they returned to their own country, but they did not return by the same path on which they traveled when they were following the star.  Instead, they chose to walk in the Light!

But King Herod refused to accept the Light for who He was.  He chose to remain in the darkness of his sin, jealousy, and bitterness.  Herod believed that he had been tricked by the Magi when they did not return to Him, as he had requested of them, and report to him the exact location of the Christ Child.  It appeared that way as he muttered to himself in the darkness of his own making, but in the light, it is clear that it was God who would not allow Herod to discover the whereabouts of Jesus.

Evil poured out of King Herod.  He became so enraged at the course of events, so threatened by this Child King, that he committed the unthinkable.  He recalled from his conversation with the Magi the approximate time that the star had appeared to them in the eastern sky.  He took that information and ordered his men to go to Bethlehem and its surrounding area and kill every male child who was declared to be two years old and younger.  They carried out his wishes to the letter and left in their wake so great a mourning and weeping that our finite minds could never completely imagine it.  Herod's evil and dark plan was intended to snuff out the flame of the Light of the world before others could catch on to His fire.  This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah concerning the event of the birth of Christ (Jeremiah 31:15).  But God had other plans for His Son.  Before the decree went forth from Herod, He had spoken to Joseph in a dream to warn him as well.  Joseph was told by God to take Mary and Jesus to safety in Egypt because Herod was going to search for the Child with the intent to destroy Him (Matthew 2:13).  Joseph was complicit, and he immediately and wisely chose to obey the warning of God.  Joseph and Mary, with baby Jesus in her arms, quickly packed up and left for Egypt, where they remained until God called them out, when Herod died and it was safe for them to return home.

God still speaks to those who will listen.  He used the Magi in His eternal plan for the gospel to go forth.  They were a part of His divine purposes.  And today, so are we!  As we continue to attempt to be faithful to spread the Light of Jesus in our dark and lost world, there will surely be opposition to overcome.  The darkness will always be looking for opportunities to extinguish the Light.  So we must be constantly connected to God and His word, listening to the directions that He gives us, so that the Light that we have to share will not be snuffed out.

Pray for divine appointments from God in which you can share Christ with others.  Pray for protection over the words that you will speak, so that they might not be overcome by the evil one.  Listen to the warnings and directions God is giving you.  Obey in faith all that He asks and directs you to do.  Those who can be called 'wise men' today are those who know the voice of God and who are willing to be intimately connected to Him and His purposes so that the gospel of Light can be shared with those who are trapped in the darkness of the evil one.  Who knows how many might say, 'I have seen the Light!' because of your willingness to share Him with them!"

Jesus, Light of the World (12-19-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the fourth Advent Candle, the Wise Men candle.)

Matthew 2: 10-11
"And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.'

Can you visualize that sight?  The moment the wise men were setting out to continue their journey, they saw that the light continued to shine on them.  The knew that the God of the universe was smiling directly at them.  They traveled on with great expectancy and urgency because they knew that they were close to where the Christ Child would be found.  They were filled with so much joy that it could not be contained by any of them.

When I was a child my family occasionally  traveled to central Florida to spend Christmas with my grandparents.  Coming from central Illinois, and trying to make the best use of the time we were given for Christmas vacation, we always drove it in 24 hours.  It was a grueling trip for my dad, who did all the driving.  He often had to maneuver through snow, sleet, or ice, or even all three in order to not lose more than a day to travel travel time.  In Tennessee he had to add driving through Lookout Mountain to the itinerary, and coming from a completely flat state, this was a big deal, especially if the weather was bad!  Breakfast was usually somewhere in Georgia, and the moment we hit the Florida line and the sun began to shine brightly and warmly, the excitement would begin to build.  With three children crammed in the back seat of our Chevy, loaded down with toys, blankets and pillows, and loaded up on sugar from the orange juice at the welcome center, dad had the most difficult part of the drive just ahead of him simply because of the uncontainable excitement of those children in the backseat who couldn't wait to get to Grandma and Granddad's house.  The moment that we hit the two-lane road that led from the interstate to Lakeland, it would be a zoo.  When we reached that spot, we kids knew that we were down to the last sixty minutes of the 24-hour drive. . . sixty minutes before we could jump into the arms of Granddad and be smothered with kisses from Grandma.  As we passed each of the well-known 'guideposts,' the excitement grew to a near-frenzy until, at last, we pulled into their driveway, jumped out of the car, and ran to greet our awaiting grandparents.

The magi's experience was similar.  They were close, so very close, yet not quite there.  Joy burst forth from them with such rejoicing as they continued their trek to Bethlehem, to the place where they would soon gaze upon the Messiah, the Light of the World.

At last, at long last, they came to the place where Jesus was!  They entered the house, and in sheer awe, joy, and ecstasy, they bowed down before the King of the Jews and poured out their heartfelt worship to Him.  And just like when we visit relatives for Christmas, they 'opened up their treasures and presented to the Christ Child gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.'  These were the very best gifts they had to give.

Is your joy level high as you approach the day that we celebrate the birth of your Savior?  Is it pouring out from you and onto others?  What gifts are you bringing Him this season?  Have you considered giving Him the gift of YOURSELF and your worship?  Or have you been wrapped up in the activities that bring the seasonal stress?  Why not take several moments today to bring Him your gift.  I promise, it will restore the excitement in you, like when you were a child waiting for Christmas Day to arrive.  He is worthy of our delight and joy-filled hearts!"

Jesus, Light of the World (12-18-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the fourth Advent Candle, the Wise Men candle.)

Matthew 2: 3-8
"Something new was on the horizon, and the very ones who had been told of a new king for countless years were the one who remained completely in the dark.  The King of Judah, King Herod, was troubled by the news that the magi had brought to him.  Because he was so troubled, all of Jerusalem was troubled as well.  The life that they had become accustomed to and were perfectly content with seemed to be at stake.  King Herod's blood pressure must have risen to an all-time high as he considered being dethroned by some baby in a manger!

Herod had no personal knowledge of where the Messiah of the Jews was to be born.  Therefore, he had to gather together all the chief priests and scribes to ask them where the Christ would be born.  Strangely enough, the religious leaders of the day did know where He was to be born, but they had not recognized the star that would have led them to Him.  They quote to their King from the prophet Micah, who said, 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a ruler, who will shepherd My people Israel.'

'Ah, I see...Bethlehem is where He is,' the King said to no one in particular, rubbing his hands together with a strange smile on his face.

And from there the plot thickens even more as we observe King Herod's inner darkness be revealed.  Secretly he calls together the magi to find out from them when they first saw the star light up the night sky.  His cold and calculating ways probably were not obvious to the wise men because they left from Herod's chambers to head straight to Bethlehem, to find the Christ Child, as they had been asked by the King to do.  Herod feigns a deep desire to know where the King might be, and he asks the band of wise men to report back to him when they have found Him.  He lies to them when he tells them that he want so go worship this Child King, as even as he is speaking, his dark heart clearly is focused on how he will 'handle' this little matter.  Worshiping this new king, the King of Kings, is the last thing on the mind of the jealous king.

Do you see how King Herod's spiritual darkness is threatened by the true Light of Jesus?  His heart is dark and closed to this infant king who should become his  Light and Salvation, the only One who can save his soul from an eternity in hell.  But instead, King Herod's eyes can only focus on himself and what this new king can do to his own reign.  Thoughts like, 'What will this mean for me?' and 'How will this king affect my rule?' and 'Will my loyal subjects turn on me, replacing me with rule and reign of their Messiah?'  In his mind this new king would only have negative affects on him personally.  These very dark thoughts clouded even more his already dark heart and mind.  And Herod never received the Light of the world.

Self-focus will always cloud our vision.  If we look at what we think it might cost us, or what we might have to give up in order to deepen our relationship with the Light of the world, we are already defeated.  It is only when our eyes are fixed on the Light, knowing that, in the end, we will have to sacrifice everything fleshly and sinful, that will we grow deeper in our walk with the Light.

What sacrifices do you need to bring the King of Kings.  What thoughts, emotions, and/or actions rule you?  Are you willing to take your eyes off of yourself in order that you might surrender your body, mind, and soul to Jesus, so that He might have full reign over you?  When we hang on with a death grip to what we think  'belongs to us,' we are in danger of our own sinful flesh taking up complete residency in us and full control over us.  God is seeking our surrender.  To refuse Him this one thing reveals the darkness that still resides within us.  Surrender is the match that ignites the Light within.  It is time that the jealous 'king Herod' that resides in us all is put to death, once and for all."

Jesus, Light of the World (12-17-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the fourth Advent Candle, the Wise Men candle.)

Matthew 2: 1-2
"As we begin our last week of preparation, anticipating the lighting of the fourth Advent Candle, our focus will be on another critical part of the Christmas Story.  This week we will be led to the manger by the wise men.  Their story can be found in the book of Matthew.

In the days when Jesus was born Herod declared himself King of Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel where Jerusalem is located.  One day while Jesus was still an infant, a band of men from Persia arrived in Jerusalem.  They were called 'magi' (pronounced 'may-ji') which meant that they were from a certain sect of people who were specialists in the areas of astrology, medicine, and natural sciences.  They had so deep a wisdom and knowledge of these things that it separated them from other men.  And as you can probably guess, the word 'magi' is the root word of our word 'magic.'

These magi were well-studied in the Scriptures, as well, which were full of prophecies foretelling the birth of the Savior, to One who would be declared to be the King of the Jews (Zechariah 9:9).  Possibly, word had reach them concerning His birth because the shepherds had repeated to others what the angels from heaven had told them.  But either way, in their inquiries to King Herod, they called the child by name, saying 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?'  Not only had their studies of the Scriptures caused them to make this trip, but also their thorough study and mapping of every movement and change in the star patterns in the night sky.  They had seen the light that would reveal the Light they had read about.  On the night that the scriptures and the star lined up with each other, a conviction so deep came upon these men causing them to know in their hearts that the long awaited Savior had surely arrived.

Out of their great excitement and expectancy, the magi hurried to go and find the One who had been born King of the Jews.  Their wisdom and knowledge on this subject was profound and given by God Himself, but this wasn't what caused them to be considered wise.  At least not by God.  They were wise in the eyes of the One who created the stars because they had arrived at the correct conclusion after their study of both the stars and the Scriptures.  They saw how the two were in agreement, and therefore, they could rightly and wisely discern that the Messiah of Israel was surely the King of the Jews that the prophets of old had prophesied.  They knew that if they sought Him now,  they would surely find this newborn King!  Their long quest to ascertain when and where He would be born had paid of, for He had been born in their lifetime.  Now there were only two things for them to do.  They had to find this infant King, and then they would sure bow their knees in worship to the long awaited King.

We live in a day where a Bible is readily available to study.  It might not even be a book that we read from, but a computer or cell phone.  We have grown up in America where the name of Jesus is completely familiar.  But we so often do not have a heart that will bow down to Him and worship Him when we clearly know who He is.  Find a quiet spot today and come to Him.  Bow before Him and worship Him.  He is worthy of our worship and adoration.  At this Christmastime, you might use your nativity scene as your focus and prompts of specific prayers, using Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and yes, the wise men to call you into account and to lead you to fervent praise and worship.  You might even contemplate these questions:  'Does God consider me wise?'  'Today, how do I  actively seek Him?'  'Do I know and follow what the Bible says?'"

Jesus, Light of the World (12-16-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the third Advent Candle, the Good News candle.)

John 8:12
For those of you who have been faithfully reading this daily blog for Christmas, please forgive my lack of a blog yesterday.  I was celebrating my birthday!  I hope you continued to let your light shine, anyway!

"It is the Light of Jesus that is the 'good news' of salvation.  Jesus is the illuminator of all things for the sake of our souls.  The saving and purification our souls  is His goal, and His Light in us, by way to the Holy Spirit, is one way that He is able to accomplish this.

Today's verse is as follows:

I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.  (John 8:12)

The ultimate darkness will be the casting of a soul into utter darkness for lack of faith, while the ultimate light will be what we experience when we set foot in heaven, our eternal life home.  How then can we ever be satisfied for anyone to enter into the utter darkness of hell, while we remain 'safe' but  just too busy to show them the Light and the Way?

Do you see why God might choose 'light' as the metaphor for spiritual truths?  Jesus, the very One who created light, designed it in such a way that the smallest amount of light in the midst of darkness will inevitably cause the darkness to cease to be dark.  A barely flickering candle, on the darkest night, chases utter darkness away.  Where there is the slightest amount of light, the dark loses its control.  It must flee.

No matter where you are in your Christian journey, some amount of the Light of Jesus is an aura around you and what you do.  As you grow closer to God through your special quiet times with Him, so the Light inside of you will begin to grow brighter.  Proverbs 4:18 says this:  'But the path of righteousness is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.'  Isn't that a glorious truth?  Our path of right living in Christ begins with the Son peeking out from the horizon of your life.  But as we journey from our beginning forward, from east to west, His Light shines brighter and brighter in us and through us until we reach the fullness of the day.  Our very brightest day is the one in which we set foot in our eternal home of heaven whee 'there shall no longer be any night; and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them.'  (Revelation 22:5)

How can we not share this wonderful Light with others?  The shepherds did, Simeon did, Anna did, and so should we!  The responsibility to share the good news of the Light that has come into the world rests squarely upon the shoulders of every believer.

Today, as we figuratively light the pink Good News candle, we must reflect on Christ's sacrifice.  But we must also remember that His sacrifice, and what it accomplished for us, is the greatest news that we can ever share with another.  Are you doing the very most you can to bring the light to others so that their dark paths may be illuminated?  Is your faith even visible to them in their darkness?  Or have you been hiding our precious Light from them?  Are you lacking in the good works toward them that would help them see your Light?  Have you been spending both quality and quantity of time with God in reading the Word and praying so that your testimony might bear the fruit of your relationship with Him?  As the celebration of the birth of Christ approaches, consider what you might give up in order to be a more effective light in this ever darkening world.  The Light of Jesus is the greatest gift you can share!"

Jesus, Light of the World (12-14-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the third Advent Candle, the Good News candle.)

Ephesians 5: 3-10

The greatest detriment to 'good works' is a life that doesn't reflect the Light of Jesus Christ.  The lost world recoils from us when our actions are different than our words.  Christians who are living a life of sin will likely never have their good works received by unbelievers.  In their eyes we are nothing more than hypocrites if they see that we are not doing what say.  How can we avoid blowing our witness before those who are walking in darkness?  Our Scripture reading today will hit us right between the eyes with on possible answer to this question.

We are called to deal with our weaknesses and sins through a daily time of fellowship with the Lord.  It is in our time of studying the Word and praying to God that we can recognize those things that still need to change in our hearts (inner thoughts) and lives (actions).  Consistently leaving God out of the equation by trying to 'will' ourselves into better behavior will only end in failure.  Have you ever made a New Year's resolution?  Have you ever kept one?  Our fleshly 'willpower' is faulty.  It will never lead us to eternal victories over the daily sins we commit.  Only the Spirit of God in us can do that, but He must be released to work in us by our surrender and submission to Him.  We must stop trying to clean up our lives in our own strength if we desire to bear the fruit of good works that leads others to salvation.  God says that when we claim to make broad-sweeping changes in our lives, they are nothing but empty words, they reveal that we are 'sons of disobedience,' and therefore we are walking in darkness.  Is it any wonder then that we are unable to reach those in darkness themselves.  They can see our darkness just as easily as we can see theirs.  The world looks for the Light, but they can't see it because we are still living so much of the time in the darkness of our own sin because we have never surrendered it to God.

Look closely at verses 7-10 again.  God is clearly telling us that if we want to change our sinful habits, then we will have to stop walking like those who are in darkness.  God does not desire our empty words.  He knows that we formerly, when we were still lost, tried to make all kinds of changes through our own power and strength.  But now that we are the light, He wants us to walk like children of the Light.  The way that we do that, in part, is to begin to discover what it is that truly pleases the Lord.  And just how do we do that?  By reading the only Book that will reveal His heart to us!  When we read and pray about what He discloses to us, then He will begin to make the changes necessary in us by His Spirit.  There is no magic fairy dust that can be sprinkled on us that will simply change us because God wants us transformed.  He requires our surrender first, then our obedience to all He says.  That is the recipe for His Light to shine out of us. 

When we become involved with God at that level, the fruit of out relationship with Him will become evident to all.  In verse 9 God clearly states what the 'fruit of the light' is.  It is all goodness, all righteousness, and all truth.  When we walk in God's light by our deep fellowship with Him, the fruit of good works will quite naturally spring up in us and out of us.  You won't have to look for ways to share your faith.  You won't have to muster up the courage to share.  It will simply be the by-product of your loving, intimate, relationship with THE Light!  His light will be reflected  in your good works that He has called you to.  Then those in the darkness who witness your good works will see a reflection of Jesus, the Light of the world.  Then, given a chance,  the Holy Spirit will move in their lives. And with the Spirit, there is always an opportunity for them to meet Jesus personally!  And isn't that the point?  Jesus the Light desires and calls us to be the light to the world for the sole purpose of pointing others to the Light!  That is preaching the gospel!

What will the world, those still lost in darkness of their sin, see in you this Christmas season?  Will they see that you are just as greedy, impatient, irritated, short-fused, grouchy, and self-centered as they are?  Or will they see something different, a light coming out of you that is loving and compassionate, a light surely not of this world?

Jesus, Light of the World (12-13-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the third Advent Candle, the Good News candle.)

Matthew 5:16

Continuing from yesterday's text we read today about God's further emphasis on the Light within us.  'Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.'  Her e is the answer as to how we can let our light, the light of Jesus in us, shine so that others can see Him and come to a saving knowledge of who He is.

We must always be careful when we talk about 'good works.'  It is important to remember that it is never our good works that will cover over our sinfulness or help us into heaven.  It is only our faith, our belief in Jesus as the Son o God, and our dependence on Him to cleanse us of the guilty stains of all the sins we have committed or will ever commit, that saves us.  But to look at good works without looking at faith, or vise versa, would be incomplete teaching.  In James 2: 26 we are told that 'faith without works is dead.'  Likewise, good works without faith is equally dead.

You see, it is not enough that you believe that Jesus is the Son of God alone.  When you accept Him as your personal Savior, and He washes your sins away, the Spirit enters you, and Jesus begins to live His life through you.  When that happens, you will begin to do more of the kind of things that Jesus would do.  These actions, done through the Spirit inside of you, are your good works.  Where real faith is, you will always find good works.

On the other hand, there are many people in this world who are kind, caring,  and compassionate, having done a great many good things for others.  But if they have no faith in Jesus, then their good works have no eternal value.  Works with our faith is dead.

There is only one way for men to 'see your good works and glorify the Father.'  The phrase, 'in such a way,' refers to your belief in Jesus as your Savior and it is coupled with the 'good works' that flow out of you as a result.  If we want to let the light shine out of us, there must first be Light inside of us.  Once we  have our salvation nailed down, then our good works will follow, men will see them, and God will use them to be glorified when others observe them.

Be we must zero in even more.  God is interested in His children spreading His light in dark places.  It is easy to share our light with our brothers and sisters in the faith.  We jump at chances to show love, kindness, mercy, and compassion to other believers.  But since they are already 'of the Light,' there is no need for salvation to come through those loving acts.  But what about those who do not yet know Jesus intimately?

As we continue to display our love to those in Christ, it is increasingly important that we begin to do good works for those outside of the faith.  These are the ones to whom we must carry the Light.  Look for ways to lovingly touch the lost this Christmas season.

Jesus, Light of the World

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the third Advent Candle, the Good News candle.)

Matthew 5:14-15
"Jesus, the babe in the stable's manger in Bethlehem, was the greatest light to ever enter this world.  God meant for His light to be seen by the people of that generation and every generation to follow.  The light of His Son brought an end to our attempts to do enough 'right things' to get us into His heavenly kingdom.  All of our 'trying' to keep the Law ended when the Light of the world hung on a cross.  For every believer, the price of our own sin has been paid in full.  This Child became our Savior and removed from us the individual punishment that we so rightly deserved.   Now, as His children, the Spirit has been given to us, and He dwells in us.  The work of our salvation continues through the Spirit, the life of Christ inside of us. Now we no longer live, but instead, Christ lives within us.   How incredible that God would find a way to transfer the Light of His Son into the souls of His children!  Now that He has made us like His Son, He wants us to share the Light of Christ that is within us with others.  How do we know that?  Take a look at today's Bible verses.

At the beginning of the fifth chapter of Matthew, Jesus looked out at the multitude of people that were following Him, drawn to the Light of His presence.  When He saw them, He went up onto a mountain and sat down to teach them.  It is here that we hear Jesus tell this gathering who it is that is blessed in His eyes.  Blessed are those who realize their need for God; those who mourn; those who are gentle; those who have a deep hunger and thirst to do what is right; those who are merciful; those who are pure in heart; those who are peacemakers; and those who are persecuted and insulted for their faith.  Have you ever wondered what these nice sayings mean?  By looking at the verses that follow the 'blesseds' we can more clearly see the context of the first twelve verses of chapter five.  These character traits are what make us good candidates to share the gospel, the good news of Jesus, with others.  In verse 13 Jesus reminds the people that they are the 'salt of the earth,' and challenges them to not lose their 'saltiness,' for then they will be of little use to Him.

Jesus has declared us to be the light of the world.  Isn't that strange?  We have been learning for a couple of weeks now that He is the Light of the world.  But because He makes His home in us, we have now become light to the world, even as He is.  Knowing that the very light of Jesus is in us, in the form of the Holy Spirit, how can we continue to hide that Light from those who are walking in darkness?  We are the brightly lit city that He has placed on top of the mountain for the entire world to see!  It is His plan for others to see His light in us!  So, isn't it about time that we stop hiding His light?  If we decorated our living room, and bought a very costly and exquisite lamp to light the room, which one of us would keep the light in its original packaging?  Would we set that lamp in a hidden area and keep it turned off?  Would we set it on the floor and cover it with a blanket so that no one could see or use the light?  Of course not!  We would proudly display it and turn it on to light our surroundings!  Why then do we try to fade into the woodwork when the Light of the world dwells inside of us?  Have we lost our saltiness already?  Do we really want to be used of God to spread the good news?  Or are we perfectly content being an lamp with no switch, looking beautiful on the outside, but of completely no value when it come to spreading Light around?

In this season of cheerful lighting all around us, are people in your neck of the woods seeing the real Light in you?  If not, it's time to flip the switch and chase away the darkness!"

Jesus, Light of the World (12-11-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the third Advent Candle, the Good News candle.)

Luke 2: 36-38
"Today we will look at one more example, of a woman who shared the good news of the gospel of Christ with others.  Her name is Anna, and there is much we can learn from her in these three short verses.

Anna was the female counterpart of the prophets of her day.  There were future spiritual events that she knew in her spirit because of her gift of prophecy, which came from God.  The prophetic messages that God had given her always pointed to just one major event:  the redemption of her city, Jerusalem.

Her life had not been an easy one.  She had found the one true love of her life and married him, but she became a widow just seven years into her marriage.  Now she was a much older woman, eighty-four to be exact, and she had never remarried.  She was committed to the Lord her God alone, and she never stopped offering prayers and fasts over the things her God had told her.  Night and day she prayed.  Often she fasted as she waited on God.  Her eyes were not only fixed on God, her hope was in the good news that had been most assuredly promised to her people.  She waited and prayed and fasted for the Redemption of Jerusalem.

On this particular day she was where she had been every day since her husband had died.  She was in the temple offering her prayers again, that the Redemption might come to Jerusalem.  All of a sudden she heard the familiar voice of her kindred spirit, Simeon, praying aloud.  Anna looked up and saw him speaking to a woman she did not recognize.  The beautiful young woman was holding a tiny infant in her arms, but her eyes were locked on Simeon.

'Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise (resurrection) of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed, and a sword will pierce even your own soul, to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.'

Anna's spirit leapt within her, and she jumped up from her bowed position of prayer and ran up to Simeon and the woman with the Baby.  Through her tears, she began to give thanks to her God for showing her the Light, the Redemption of Israel.  Out of her mouth spilled the prophecies that had been her hope for so many years.  A crowd gathered quickly to hear the words of this faithful woman, for they too had been waiting and watching, wondering when and if the Redemption of Jerusalem might come.

Like Anna, we have experienced the presence of the Redeemer in our own lives and hearts.  Jesus, our Light, is our hope, the One in whom we trust.  There are those around us as well who are looking for the Redeemer.  They have no hope.  They have no one that they can fully trust and rely upon.  God is calling us all to bring the good news to the lost by speaking more about Him to those who are in our midst.  Will you be found to be faithful in sharing your Hope with this lost and dying world this Christmas?  If we would be bow ourselves to the Lord each morning, asking Him to put one hopeless person in our pathway, He will be faithful to do that according to His perfect plan.  If we prepare our hearts to minister, and God prepares a heart to receive the good news, then we can trust Him to accomplish all that He said He would.  Let's open our hearts to Him, through waiting, praying, and even fasting in His presence, so that He will open our eyes to see the need of Christ in the people we come in contact with.  They are all around us."

Jesus, Light of the World (12-10-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the third Advent Candle, the Good News candle.)

Luke 2: 15-18
"Let's return today to the Christmas story as it is found in the second chapter of Luke.  After the angels returned to Heaven, the shepherds were once again in the darkness of night.  But somehow the darkness was not nearly as dark as it had been.  Their hearts and minds had been illuminated by the truth of Christ, their saving Light.  They murmured, one with another, over what they had just seen and heard.  Their fear had been replaced with excitement as they considered these words of the angel.

'Today in the city of David  there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you:  you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger.'

'A sign for us?  Did the angel intend for us lowly shepherds to go find this baby?' they must have thought.  How excited they were to know that the God the Universe allowed them to be the recipients of this heavenly message, but how much more excited to realize that God was drawing them to Jesus! 

'Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made know to us!'  They delayed no longer and took off in great haste toward the little town of Bethlehem to see if they could find the babe as the angel had described to them.

When at last they found the crude stable where Mary and Joseph and the baby were staying, the shepherds could contain the words of the angelic host no longer.  With great exuberance they must have shared every detail of their unbelievable night.  And in awe and amazement, the proud parents took it all in, gazing with such love at this little One who was the very fulfillment of the proclamations made to the shepherds by the angels.  The small crowd that was beginning to gather in the crude stable wondered at the things that the shepherds were sharing.

These nameless shepherds began the process of evangelizing the world.  They did not keep this good news to themselves, but shared it with those around them, and likely with all who would listen to their incredible story.  As the shepherds must have surely had to drag themselves away from the Child, they returned to their sheep on the hillside with hearts that were overflowing with praise and adoring worship to God for allowing them to be eyewitnesses to the One who would be the Shepherd of their people.  This kind of news would be surely treasured in their hearts forever, but it was not the kind that they would be able to keep to themselves.   They had to share it!  How could anyone contain so great a revelation?

Today, the shepherds are an example for us, not only to consider, but to emulate.  How often we revel in our own salvation, yet feel that sharing the good news with others is just too far our of our comfort zones.  Ask God to restore in you the good news of great joy that once filled your heart, so that you might follow in the footsteps of the shepherds, doing as they did.  Today, challenge yourself to 'go tell' someone of the Child in the manger who became your Savior!

Jesus, Light of the World (12-9-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the third  Advent Candle, the Good News candle.)

2 Samuel 22: 28-29

“As we prepare this week for the lighting of the third Advent Candle, we will focus on its meaning.  It is called the Good News candle, and it is the only one that is pink, reminding us of the awful price Christ paid for our sins.  Its color symbolizes the blood that He shed, not only for us, but in place of us.  It points us to the good news of salvation that can is found in Christ alone, for He is the only way.   He is our Light and salvation (Psalm 27: 1).  We begin today by looking at two verses that tie our affliction (darkness) to the Light of Jesus for the very purpose of salvation, the good news for us all.

Last week we studied in depth how the Light comes into our darkness in many specific ways.  We saw our own spiritual affliction as darkness.  We have come to understand how the light of Jesus affects the darkness of our souls, pushing it out of us and away from us.  Jesus Himself is our lamp, and He illuminates the darkness that can be found in the depths and crevasses of our hearts.

Consider now the darkness of a room on an evening in mid-winter, when an ice storm has downed nearby power lines and left you without electricity.  You move quickly to find a flashlight or some candles and a lighter or matches, don’t you?  You do this because it is difficult to function in the dark.  But what happens as soon as the ‘lamp’ is lit?  It illuminates the darkness, and while the bit of light may not make everything quite clear, what you can see is certainly better lit than what you could see in the dark.  Even the smallest candle with a tiny flicker can help you to see where your furniture is so that you don’t trip and fall over it!

Jesus is your lamp.  He is the very light that illuminates your darkened heart.  Your darkness and sin are what afflict you.  They are what keep you from an intimate and deeply personal relationship with the Light.  God would never be satisfied with His children remaining in the darkness of their own sin and flesh.  So He had to meet that need.  Simply stated, He sent Jesus, the Light of the world.  But Jesus was not sent merely to show you that you have things in your life that He considers darkness; He came to save you from what those very sins and what the enemy uses to afflict you.  What better ‘good news’ could there ever be?  The God who loved us in the midst of our darkness always had a plan to save us from that very darkness!

Jesus left the light of Heaven to enter into our world and become your light.  He came so that you might believe that He is the Light and the only One who could save you from your darkness and sin.  He came for you!  He is the only light that you need!  Have you allowed Him to continue to shine His light into the dark corners of your heart?  Ask Him to search you and show you today’s darkness.  Confess to Him what His light reveals to you.  Then rejoice in His light!  Staying in His light will keep you from stumbling over the sin in your life!”

Jesus, Light of the World (12-8-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the second Advent Candle, the Bethlehem candle.)

Acts 26:1-18
"The apostle Paul finds himself standing before King Agrippa fighting for his very life.  His own people, the Jews, have turned on him because of his faith in Jesus, the Messiah, whom they don't believe has come yet.  They want Paul dead!  but his battle is truly not with his flesh and blood brothers.  His battle is with the enemy of Jesus, Satan.  The enemy has heard that Paul is being sent out to the Gentile race.  For the first time, the enemy is battling God's plan for all mankind, not just His plan for His chosen people.

Paul is his own defense lawyer and pleads his case to the king.  He tells the king his entire testimony, from being a devout Jew, to persecuting the followers of Jesus, to his personal, life-changing encounter with a 'light from heaven.'  And he told him that opt of that very light cam a voice, the voice of Jesus, the true light.

Paul relates to King Agrippa his call to ministry, to minister to the Gentiles.  What was it the Jesus had said to him on the fateful day?  The Light said,

'Arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the tings in which I will appear to you; delivering you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'

Jesus, the Light of the world, calls us to open our eyes and turn to Him in all things.  By turning to the Light, we are turning away from the darkness.  No longer can Satan, the enemy of our walk with the Light, have rule and dominion over us when our eyes are focused and fixed on Jesus, and we are obeying His commands.

We initially set our focus on Jesus when we came to Him in faith, believing the He is the Son of God and our Savior from sin and death.  But we are not to leave our focused gaze behind once we have come to Jesus.  Our focus should remain the same.  With our eyes opened wide and fixed on Him, we can remain in His light.  That light will then begin to reveal to us moment to moment those places in our lives where we are walking in our own flesh and desires, our own understanding and in our own strength.  Once they are revealed in the light of Christ, our daily sin issues can be immediately confessed and surrendered to Christ, our Savior.

Thank God today for your Christian heritage that can be traced back to Paul, God's devoted servant to our race.  Thank God that His plan of salvation included us!  Thank Him for appearing to Paul 'as a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around.'  Confess your sins to Jesus, turning from the 'darkness of Bethlehem,' and standing instead in the light of His glorious Presence!"

Jesus, Light of the World

Pin It Originally: How To Add a Pinterest (Pin it) Button to your Blog/Website http://cs-doon.blogspot.com/#ixzz1ryXJUBEC

(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the second Advent Candle, the Bethlehem candle.)

Luke 2: 21-32
"As if this whole event had not been difficult enough for Mary and Joseph, on the eighth day after the birth of God's Son, they knew they must fulfill the commandment of the Law of God.  It was not merely a custom and tradition that they were seeking to fulfill, but a requirement.  On the back of a donkey, cradling her eight-day old newborn in her arms, and with Joseph carefully and cautiously leading the trek, they made a trip to God's temple in Jerusalem to officially name their baby boy, to have Him circumcised, to present Him to the Lord as their first-born Son, and to offer a sacrifice of two turtledoves or young pigeons.  They were obedient to God in every single detail of the Law, and God was pleased!  Mary and Joseph were acting upon their faith in God and upon the Law He had given them to follow, His first Covenant.

Yet, Jesus was born to usher in a new Covenant.  His body and His blood would be required of Him.  By His death on a cross, Jesus would become for us the 'once and for all' sacrifice that God would need in order to offer to all men the opportunity of salvation and new life in Him.  By this, the entire Old Covenant would be fulfilled in Christ Jesus.  Jesus' birth would begin the earthly events that would accomplish God's greatest purpose for all mankind.

Looking now to the details of today's Scripture, we are introduced to a man named Simeon.  Now, this man was an extremely devout Jewish man.  In all that he did, he was considered righteous by God, even before the atoning sacrifice of Christ.  In his latter years, Simeon had been impressed by the Spirit of God to look for the 'consolation of Israel.'  You might be asking yourself, 'Just what exactly was he looking for?'  Simeon was looking for the Savior, the One who would set his people, Israel, free.  The Spirit had already told him that he would not see death until he had seen this 'Consolation' with his own elderly eyes.

On the same day that Mary and Joseph were required to be at the temple, performing every commandment of the Law, Simeon was prompted by the Spirit to also go to the temple.  Supernaturally, Simeon knew in an instant that the infant that was brought in was the One for which he had been looking.  In a moment of pure ecstasy and joy Simeon swept this newborn Baby up into his arms.  How tightly he must have hugged Him to his breast!  And we can surely imagine him murmuring these soft and loving words as he held the Him close, 'At last, at last!  You, my Savior, are finally here!  How long I have waited for this day, when God would fulfill all He had spoken to my heart!'

Blessings to God flowed from the old man's mouth, glorifying his God of the Law and his God of Consolation.  Surely tears spilled from his eyes and onto the precious head of Jesus.  Whispering again, and with great peace in his heart, Simeon spoke to God, saying, 'Lord, You can let me die now, for with my own eyes I have seen Your Salvation. Now I can go in peace according to all that you have spoken to me.  Thank you, oh thank you, for Your faithfulness to your humble servant.'  Then Simeon declared something quite incredible,

'. . . 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.'

Before Jesus Himself proclaimed that He was the Light of the world (John 8:12), Simeon's spirit bore witness of that fact.  The Light of Jesus was for the whole world.  His Light would be for God's people, Israel, His glorious Light being further revealed to them in even greater measure.  But His Light would also be available to the Gentiles, every other human being on earth.  Jesus' arrival in Bethlehem was the first time that God revealed Himself to those outside of the Jewish race!

Take time today to thank God for loving us and for sending Jesus to light our souls, displacing what was once our spiritual darkness.  If you can declare to the world, even as Simeon did, that you have 'seen the Light,' then your appropriate response today is to thank Him for the personal revelation you have received by the Spirit!  As you get up from the position of thankfulness and praise, open yourself to the Light today, and walk in His illumination and favor.  And let His Light flow out of you, that it may begin to be revealed to others who still walk in their own spiritual darkness."

Jesus, Light of the World (12-6-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World" in preparation for lighting the Bethlehem candle) 

Luke 2: 8-14

"In the continuation of the Christmas story as found in Luke 2 we see another picture of God bringing light into the midst darkness.  On a hillside somewhere outside of Bethlehem, with only the campfires of the shepherds lighting the night sky, a most unusual event occurred on the night that Jesus was born.  While the shepherds were watching their flocks of sheep, looking for predators that might break into the fold, the entire area was suddenly lit up by an angel of God who was standing in their very midst.  It was nothing other than the glory of God Himself that shone around them.  The angel was not sent to kings or governors, nor was he sent to anyone else of high class.  The angel was sent straight to the hillside where some lowly shepherds were performing their menial tasks.  The glory of God came not only to light the physical darkness; it cam to light the darkness of a particular class of people.  The light came to the ordinary.  I came to the least likely to be favored.  It came to men like you and me.

Just like us, the shepherds' collective response to this angel of light was one of ear, and not just any fear, but a 'shaking in your boots' kind of fear!  Can you imagine the scene? They were greatly startled by this highly unusual occurrence.  They had never seen an angel before,  and they certainly would not have been expecting such a thing.  Their fear, like our fears, would likely have created an even greater sense of darkness around them as they contemplated both this heavenly being and felt the conviction of their own unworthiness and sinfulness.

Immediately the angel addressed their fears and spoke directly of the purpose of his visitation.  'Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people.'  It is possible that God sent this angel to a class of people who were not esteemed, for the message to be completely clear.  The good news is for everyone, no matter what family you were born into, no matter how much money you have, no matter what your social standing.  Because this message was for all, we have no reason to remain in any 'status-induced' darkness.  If God would send this news to shepherds, by-passing completely the rich and famous, it is surely for all of as well.  And where were these poor shepherds told that they could find Jesus?  Ina a palace?  No!  He would be found by  them in  the obscure village in a dirty stable, lying in an animals feeding trough!  The would surely be able to relate to such a Savior, their Savior, Christ the Lord, who had come to earth like them, as a baby.

When the shepherds thought that they had surely witnessed the brightest light their eyes had ever seen, more angels from God arrived before them.  This army of angelic beings glorified God and brought to the lowly and frightened shepherds a message of peace.  If you want to experience the peace that the angels spoke of, you must find time in your busy holiday schedule to listen to the message that God  is speaking to you today.  Spending time in the Word, reading and meditating on it, and praying, will please God and bring peace to your harried hearts and souls.  Don't leave Christ out of your Christmas activities.  He has come to you; now it it your turn to come to Him!"

Jesus, Light of the World (12-5-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World" in preparation for lighting the Bethlehem candle)




Isaiah 58:10

"Yesterday's devotional pointed us to the fact that God used Mary and Joseph to literally bring Light to the dark little village of Bethlehem, and ultimately to the entire world.  Today, He wants to use us, His children, to bring that very same Light to the darkness that surrounds us in our world, as well.  Our 'assignment' to reach out is not just to make us feel good; it is the very heartbeat of God!

Read again the words of the Scripture for today:  'And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness.'  Literally that means that if we will furnish the Light we have inside of us to those who are spiritually (or physically) hungry for what we have, and feed the souls of those who are afflicted by their spiritual darkness, then our Light, Jesus in us, will rise up and reveal Himself in the midst of their darkness.  By obeying God's command to 'go into all the world and preach the gospel,' any gloom that we might be feeling this holiday season will also soon fade away.  It will 'become like midday' in our hearts.  There is no brighter time of day than a sunny day at noon!  But this promise can only be fulfilled in us if we are fulfilling the command that Jesus gave to us to take the gospel to the world.   Consider who you might bring the Light to . . . the stressed cashier at Wal-mart, the cold Salvation Army bell ringer, the frustrated customer service representative at the store or on the phone, the exhausted waitress, your child's teacher, the one who wants to tell you their long story as you are trying to hurry to the next thing . . . ?  Whoever God leads you to, He calls you to share your Light.

Throughout Scripture God has chosen to light the darkest, most remote, and least expected places and people.  Picture your own darkness at the moment that the Light came into you.  Where were you?  What were you doing?  What did your life look like?  Quite likely you were in a very dark place, and even if you thought your sins weren't as bad as others, you still were in complete spiritual darkness.  We all once had an two insatiable hungers inside of us:  to sin and to be loved.  And our souls could find no rest until the Light of Christ was gloriously poured into us.  Where would you be if no one had shared the gospel with you?  You would be in the exact same place that your 'picture' captured, or worse.

Now that the Light dwells inside you, He will not be content to stay there.  The life of Jesus in us in the form of the Holy Spirit desires greatly to be released  out of us.  His greatest plan for us has little to do with what job we will get or what spouse God will choose for us.  His perfect will for us does not lie in the 'particulars' of our lies as much as it lies in our obedience to do what He has already told us to do!  We are to go into the entire world and be a reflection of His Light.  By obeying that command, we are in living in His will, and He will work through us to complete His desire to see all come to the Light.  His desire for us is that we would be yielded and surrendered to Him so that He can use us to bring those who are still in darkness to the Light of His Son.

Too often we are perfectly content to 'have' the Light, and quite uncomfortable with the thought of 'sharing' our Light with others.  But can we really go on in such selfishness, when so many of our family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers are still walking in utter darkness?  Can we continue to ignore their 'God-sized hole of hunger,' having had our own so wonderfully satiated?  Will you choose to obey God's command and walk in His will this Christmas?  'Advent' means 'the coming.'  What better way to celebrate the coming of Jesus to the world than to share Him with someone who needs Him.  Who knows, maybe by your willingness to share, someone will be able to say that because of your kind love to them, that Jesus has come to them!

What part will you play in this Advent Season?  Will you share your Light? 

Oh Lord Jesus, send us out!  Send us into the darkness so that we might bring the Light of Your presence.  Give us each our 'Bethlehem,' and may the lives of many find faith, hope, and love in You!  Holy Spirit, be our Commander!  Give us our marching orders and be our strength and courage to come out of our comfort zones to bring comfort and joy to others this Christmas season.  In the name of Jesus, the Light,

Amen!"