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

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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.)

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."

THE RESURRECTED LIFE -- Day 37

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Day 37:  Saul and Ananias (Acts 9: 1-22)

Saul hated all Christians, and he wanted them dead.  They threatened the belief system upon which he had built his entire life.  He was more than happy to be used by his God to put an end to their destructive ways that threatened his religion.  As he traveled to Damascus, he had the support of the Jewish priests to bring all traitors of the Law back to Jerusalem.  He reveled in his thoughts while he approached Damascus, but suddenly his thoughts came to an abrupt halt.  The brightest light he had ever seen flashed around him, and being unable to withstand the power of it, he fell to the ground.  The men with him were startled as well, but it was the Voice that came from heaven that rendered them all speechless.  “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting Me?”

Who was this who knew him by name, Saul questioned with great fear in his heart.  Yet, something inside of him knew it was Jesus.  Getting up from the ground Saul quickly realized that he had been blinded, perhaps by the bright light itself.  The men that were with him led him into Damascus, and it was there that he waited for more instruction from the Lord.  Saul then chose to neither eat nor drink for the next three days.

Ananias was told by God to go to the place where Saul was staying.  Struggling with his assignment, he questioned the validity of Saul’s conversion.  He knew all too well of Saul’s brutality toward the believers in Jerusalem.  But God had clarified to him what Saul’s mission would be—he would be used to bring Jesus and salvation to the Gentiles.  God deemed Saul a “chosen instrument,” much to Ananias’ surprise.

Arriving at the house where Saul was staying, Ananias confirmed Jesus’ involvement in both of their lives.  Immediately Saul could see again, he was baptized by Ananias, and he began to prove to the Christians in Damascus that he solemnly believed that Jesus truly was the Messiah.

Do you think (like Saul might have) that your sins have been too great to be completely forgiven, let alone to be used by God for ministry?  Do you use that as an excuse to not serve Him as He desires?  Do you question the validity of the salvation of those who have greatly sinned?  Do you support those who are newly saved?  Are you a chosen vessel?