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 (12-4-12)

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Luke 2:7

(Second Advent Candle :  The Bethlehem Candle)

Can you imagine having traveled the treacherous and dusty roads from Nazareth to Jerusalem on the back off a donkey, and being nine months pregnant at the same time?  How relieved you would be to finally reach your destination, to climb down from the donkey, and find a place to rest your weary body while you prepared to give birth!  Now imagine hearing these words when you finally did arrive:

"'No rooms are available in my inn, and the rest of the town seems to be filled up as well.  It is late.  If only you had arrived a bit earlier,' the innkeeper told them.  'I am sorry,' he said, hanging his head because he sensed their great need, seeing that the woman was clearly in labor and about to give birth to a child.

Fear and anxiety surely flooded Mary's soul.  'How could this be?  No rooms?  No room for the mother of the Messiah who would be born soon?'  The questions seemed to flood Mary's thoughts as she considered this part of the plans of the God who had brought about so great a miracle as her immaculate conception.  But Mary's thoughts were quickly interrupted by the voice of the owner of the inn, and her heart was at once put to rest.  At least she would not be without some shelter.

'Sir, you must be exhausted from your journey, and your wife looks to be suffering greatly with labor.  I know it is not much, but it is the only thing I have left to offer you.  In the back of my inn there is a humble stable, and it is empty right now.  I know how filthy it is, and I do not wish to insult you.  I know it is not a suitable place for the birth of a baby, but there is fresh hay there, and water nearby.  It will at least be very private.  Please, use it if you would like.'  With no other options the nervous Joseph accepted the kind offer.

The only light in the darkness of the dirty stable came from a lantern hanging in the corner.  As Mary labored to bring her baby into the world, Joseph stood close by, feeling helpless at times, and fetching a cool cloth for her forehead as she needed it.  Their prayers for help and safety reached their God, and in the fullness of time, Jesus, the Light of the world, entered the very world He had been sent to by the Father.

If one would have been allowed to watch those world changing events, one thing would have surely been noticed.  Only one thing would have surely been noticeably different in that rickety old stable.  Yes, the dim light of the lantern would still be flickering in the night, but something new has come.  A panoramic view would reveal the change that had come.  It is that tiny infant that Mary laid in the fresh straw in the feeding trough.  It is Jesus and the heavenly and spiritual light that is emanating from Him!

That is what happens to one who is touched by the love of Jesus.  Our Savior looks down from His heavenly throne into the dark hearts of mankind.  When He sees a heart that is looking for Him, He comes into that sin-darkened heart, and the Light of His presence resides there and begins to emanate out of the new believer.  Once our eyes are opened as the scales of sin begin to fall away,  Jesus becomes the Light we need for our journey through this dark world.  He is our Light!

Why did God choose for Jesus to born in a humble, dirty, dark stable?  Because He wanted to show us a picture of Jesus' great desire to enter our dirty, sin-stained lives and bring us to the light of His glory.  God shows us, through the particular circumstances of the first Christmas, to what great lengths He will go to rescue us from our very own dirty, dark 'stables' of sin and darkness.

Take time today to thank Jesus for His humility and love for you.  Thank Him that He is your Light on your journey.  And it might be wise to consider the offering of the innkeeper.  The stable was the very last space he had left to give.  What we daily give to Jesus should not be the leftovers of the day, the last little bit before we fall asleep.  Don't do everything that you have to do today, and then offer Him the very last place of priority.  Begin to get into the practice of giving Him the best part, the first part, not your leftover 'stables' after all  your busy-ness has been carried out.  After all, the Christmas celebration is in His honor.  Don't forget to invite the Guest of Honor to the party!"

Jesus, Light of the World (12-3-12)

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Luke 2: 4-5

This week we will be preparing our hearts for the lighting of the second Advent Candle this coming Sunday.  The second purple candle of the Advent Wreath traditionally represents Bethlehem.  Our first candle, if you remember, pointed us back to the prophets who foretold the coming of Jesus, the Light of the world.  It seems quite appropriate that the second candle would encourage us next to remember the very place where Jesus was born.  Pondering Bethlehem this week, take time to consider where you are spiritually at currently, how Jesus can use someone as insignificant as we are, and even where Jesus found you when He drew you to His Light.  Take a look at today's Scripture.  Then travel back with me for a moment to ancient Bethlehem.

"Can you imagine the scene?  Bethlehem, the 'too little' city (Micah 5:2), teeming with more people than it could hold, animals running wildly in the dirty streets, more noise than the native could possibly stand, and of course, an astronomical increase in commerce!  Caesar Augustus surely had only given them a certain amount of time to get themselves registered under his census.  This description of Bethlehem sounds a little like our malls at Christmas, doesn't it?  It seems that there are just too many people, too much commotion, too many kids who are whining and crying as they stand in line to see Santa.  And every year, starting the day after Halloween, we feel the pressure of the short amount of time we have left to get everything bought, prepared,  and sent.  The 'countdown' to Christmas creates its own kind of frenzy, as we 'buy' into the pressures of Christmas, the pressures that we have created for ourselves.

But the spiritual scene of Bethlehem was far bleaker than the physical chaos of the day.  You see, for all who lived in or traveled to Bethlehem, whether Jew or Gentile, whether under the Law given by Moses or under Roman Law, this one thing was sure:  those who were gathering in Bethlehem were without a Savior.  The Messiah had not yet come, and spiritual darkness was the rule of the day.  The same could be said of most people today.

For the Jews, the only way that they could escape from sin was through their yearly atonement for their sins, a day called Yom Kippur.  Each year they would come and offer a sacrifice at the temple to remove God's penalty that they should receive for the sins that they had committed that year.  That is what they were required to do.  But that Law could never set them free from sinning again.   Returning to the temple and repeating this process, over and over again, for their entire lives, only left them in the exact same spiritual place.  They would continue to live in utter darkness because the Light had yet to shine into their personal darkness.

If we are believers in Christ, we have already experienced the freedom for sin that can only be found in Him.  But generally speaking, we still live in a very dark world.  Many, if not most, of our family members, our co-workers, the shoppers, the sales people, and the cashiers, and even our fellow football enthusiasts are still trapped in their sin and darkness, with no way of escape as long as they are continue to refuse the forgiveness of Christ.  There might even be some with whom we worship every Sunday who have not truly given themselves to the Christ Child.  The Light is not in them, and just like the Jews, and the Gentiles who were not yet grafted into God's family, people are lost and are living in the exact same total darkness.

Our reading for today tells of a man and woman who have made a very difficult journey to Bethlehem.  They were obedient to the one who was their earthly ruler, even though the trip would be quite uncomfortable, having been required of them at what appeared to be an ill-timed moment.  However, as the Lord would have it, Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem just in time for Mary to give birth to Jesus, the Light of the world.  That very night the Light would shine brightly in dark and sinful Bethlehem.  And with the passing of time, that Light has now spread to the entire world.

The time has come for you to step out in faith and bring the Light to someone you know who doesn't yet have the joy and the Light of Bethlehem.  Be obedient to the call of the One you claim is the Ruler of your life and preach the good news!  You might feel uncomfortable, even as Mary did as she traveled for days on a donkey in rough terrain being nine months pregnant, but it will be worth it!  Watch this week, and throughout the season, for someone with whom you can share your precious Light."

Jesus, Light of the World (12-2-2012)

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Isaiah 9: 6-7

"Today, in the Word, we see that Jesus is to be our burden bearer.  All too often we are walking under the heavy burden that is called 'self rule.'  We wrongly operate under the impression that we are to rule our lives.  But Jesus is the King and the Governor, or at least He is supposed to be.  We tend to wear heavy yokes as we try to walk out holiness, and we all too frequently collapse under the weight of it.  You see, the 'government' of our entire lives, yes EVERYTHING, is a yoke that is not fitted for our shoulders, but for the shoulders of Christ.  It is a yoke perfectly designed for Christ.

And the government (the rule of my life and yours) shall be upon His shoulders (not mine or yours) . . .

In order for us to experience an increase in peace, we must first lay our heavy and burdensome yokes down, in humble submission to His rule and authority in our lives.  With Jesus, there is no end to the governments (yokes) that He can wear and bear, for on Him is the government of every believer who chooses to take his yoke off.  Jesus is the only one who has no problem carrying the rule our lives.

When we give up the authority and 'right' to run our own lives, Jesus come and sets up His kingdom in us, and He becomes our King and Ruler.  Then He is responsible to uphold this new kingdom.  Righteousness becomes our way of life because of His rule in our lives.  And He will rule it forevermore.  For all eternity!  When Jesus bears our yoke, we need do nothing more than follow His lead.

When we come to this crossroads in our walk in His Light, we are blessed to experience the nature of Christ, the Light, in many new ways.  He becomes our Wonderful Counselor who gives us clear direction in our lives.  We see Him more often as the Mighty God, the One who can accomplish the impossible.  We know our God-family through Him as we sense the all-consuming love of our Everlasting Father, both now and with foreknowledge of the love we will enjoy in Heaven forever.  Can we continue another day, taking control of the life that was meant to be left in the hands of God?

Yes, Jesus is the Light, the Light of all men.  The prophets told us who He was and that He was coming.  Jesus, Himself, said that He was the Light of the world.  Who, then, are we to think we should be the god of our own lives, in light of who He is?  The question still remains:  Will we take a step deep with the One we call the Light?  If we do, we will find real peace this Christmastime.  But remember, peace is not a feeling inside us.  Peace is a Person, the Prince of Peace!  Seek Him, not it!"

Jesus, Light of the World (11-30-12)

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~For the next 26 days I will be sharing some Christmas thoughts with you from a devotional I wrote for our church 9 years ago.  It is based on the Advent Candles that we use each year in our church to prepare our hearts for Christmas.  I pray that you will be blessed by them in such a way that you will be able to experience the Christmas season with joy in your heart.  May the Light of Jesus shine brightly on your world, and out of you as well, so that the world might see Him.~

Isaiah 60: 1-3
This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent.  Traditionally, the Prophecy Candle is the first candle lit in the Advent Wreath.  There are so many prophecies in the Old Testament that foretold the birth of Christ and all who He would be to us that I will only choose a couple to share with you these two days leading up to the first Sunday of Advent.  The verses I have chosen should help us understand more clearly how much our hearts are in need of preparation, as we typically tend to fly into and through Christmas, only to be completely worn out as the sun sets on Christmas night. Begin to open your hearts now to the messages of the prophets, and the Holy Spirit will surely come to speak to you.

In today's reading God, through Isaiah, prophetically tells us of the coming Messiah.  Did you catch the references to light?  "Arise, shine, for your LIGHT has come . . ."  Jesus is the Light of the world.  When He came to earth, God's glory appeared upon Him.  Why would God want His glory to appear on Jesus?  That was the very way that God would draw the nations to Himself.  You see, if humans could just see  what the nature of God looked like, then the Spirit could draw them to Him.  What an awesome plan!  But when Isaiah penned these words in the spirit of God, did he know that it was Messiah that he was writing about?  And did he also know that he was writing about us, believers in Christ the Messiah?

We stand in an interesting place in history.  In Isaiah's day the coming of Messiah was a future event.  In the days of Jesus, it was a current event.  But today it is a past event.  The Messiah, our LIGHT, has already come, and those of us who know Him intimately have that very blessing of the glory of God both in us and coming out of us!  That promised blessing of the glory of the Lord rising on us is His glory, His beautiful Light, in the form of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us!

God's incredible and outrageous plan is that Christ, the Light of the world, lives in every believer!  It is through His light in us that He will draw others to salvation and to a life of walking in the Light.  How amazing that the One who created both physical and spiritual light would choose you and me to be a part of His plan, to be the very vessels He uses to light up the darkness!  He wants us to "carry the Light" to the whole world, but more importantly, to those around us who need a Savior.  The ones who live in darkness must have the Light brought to them.

Have you looked in the spiritual mirror lately?  God ahead.  Take a look.  What do you see?   Is the Light of Jesus shining out from you?  Is there anything coming out of you (like the fruit of the Spirit) that God can use to draw people to Himself?  The Light inside of you is not just for other believers.  It is for the lost as well.  Remember, what you saw when you looked in the mirror might be the only Light some of the lost may ever get the chance to see.  Do they see Jesus, the Light of the world?  All other light sources will fail them.  Who will experience your Light today?