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 (12-21-12)

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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 (12-16-12)

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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 (12-10-12)

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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

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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."

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 (12-1-12)

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Isaiah 60: 19-20

"God has done an incredible thing by introducing us to the Light!  We will never be able to fully comprehend His great love for us, nor how that love and that Light are everlasting.  EVERLASTING!  Our finite minds simply cannot begin to understand the concept of forever.  If we have a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep one night, we tend to say that the night lasted 'forever'.  We typically say that about anything that is, for the moment, unpleasant.  Our concept of 'forever' is, at least in part, limited to the negative.

Yet we see today in the Scripture reading that Jesus has been given to us as an everlasting Light.  There is nothing negative at all that can be attached to that!  For every single circumstance that God allows into our lives, for every decision we must make, for every question to which we need an answer, for every problem we have, Jesus is our Light.  He illumines our pathway if our eyes are intending to see His light.  And He will light the way for us forever!

When we take that thought to its most basic level, we can come to no other conclusion but this:  Jesus is the ONLY light we will ever need, both now and forever!  We know that this is true, so why do we seek so many other means of 'light' when life becomes complicated and difficult?  Why do we rely on our own wisdom when pressing decisions must be made?  When we need answers to our questions, why do we hesitate to pray and seek the Word?  By looking to ourselves, or anything other than God, we are telling Him, 'I know You are all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present, but I just don't trust You with this particular issue.'  Whether we like it or not, this is unbelief.  The fact that we so often rely on everything but God might be the very reason verse 20b in today's reading references 'your days of mourning'.

We walk out of the light of Jesus and back into darkness when we blow out His Light that is at work within us.  We snuff out His Light by taking matters into our own hands, trusting our lives, our decisions, and the answers to our our own understanding.  When we do this, our peace is disturbed, and it begins to erode very quickly.  The light in our life diminishes and becomes dark and fearful as 'the sun goes down' in those moments of self-reliance and self-sufficiency.

Are you beginning to see why it is so critical that the Light of our life also be the LORD of our life?  God will continue to work throughout our lives for the purpose of bringing us to a place where He is the LORD of everything, and who can and will continually and forever light the pathway for our journey.  Every time we choose to walk in the light of our own making, instead of the the Light of His Son, His light dims and our world darkens.

God is working to bring us to the place of recognizing that we have no need for any other light but His!  Eternal light is not merely reserved for Heaven where there will be no more day or night, no need for sun or moon, because it will be illuminated by the Son.  Eternal Light is also for the here and now, as well.

The prophets of old foretold the coming Light of Messiah, and His Light resides inside of us in ways they could have never understood.  How many more days shall we walk in the light of our own self rule, which is no light at all?  Jesus is the Light of the world!  Having believed in Him, shall we now continue to intentionally snuff the Light out?

Where, in your life, are you currently experiencing darkness?  Surrender the self-will, the self-reliance, or the self-sufficiency as is personally necessary.  Ask the Light to return to that area (or those areas) where you have allowed darkness to take over.  Then keep in mind these words:  "Arise!  Shine!  For your Light has come!  And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!"  (Isaiah 60:1)  You will experience the darkness becoming as the noon!

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?