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!"

Thanksgiving Every Day

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Thanksgiving 2012 is now past, and just like every other once a year event, the next day brings the start of another 365 days until the holiday is celebrated again.  But with Thanksgiving we shouldn't wait until next year to be thankful.  Giving thanks is something we  should be doing countless times every day.  Many are the moments in a day for which we ought to be thankful to God, no matter what our current circumstances are.  But we typically are not a thankful people.  I know for a fact  that the area of 'thankfulness' is one chamber of my heart that the Lord trying to enter into as He is teaching me about living in His presence and His peace.  You see, without an actively thankful lifestyle, we can never truly experience the peace we all long for.

It is interesting to me that in America we celebrate Thanksgiving, the season of thankfulness,  just prior to Christmas, the season of peace and joy.  This particular order seems to perfectly align itself with precept that thankful hearts lead to peaceful and joy-filled hearts.  But in America we have 'traditional-ized' the day that follows Thanksgiving as Black Friday, the day in which we are no longer thankful for that with which we have been blessed.  Instead, beginning in the mid-evening of Thanksgiving Day, we jump in our cars and drive very quickly to every store that is offering us its big sales.  On Thanksgiving Day we are often caught talking out of both sides of our mouths, saying on the one hand, "We are so thankful for and blessed by everything we have," while on the other side of our mouths we can be seen by others, loudly proclaiming by our actions, "MORE!!!  MORE!!!  We must have MORE!"

On this day after Thanksgiving 2012, in my personal walk with the Lord (as I read through Jesus Calling by Sarah Young), I am challenged, not by prospect of gaining for my loved ones the perfect gifts to give them for Christmas, purchased at the Black Friday price; I am challenged by my Lord to see the beautiful flowers that He has placed along my path this very day, flowers that reveal His love, provision, protection, mercy, and grace.  The goal of this day, this day that I personally refuse to refer to as Black Friday, is to recognize the red roses of love that the Lord has planted for me today, to pick those roses, one by one, and to gather them into a beautiful bouquet that I can present to the Lord at the end of this day. This is the life of a thankful-hearted person who is grateful for the Lord, for all He is and all He has done.  This is Thanksgiving every day.

The world's Black Friday, the pushing and shoving, the needing to be victorious in our Christmas purchasing, the selfish attitudes, and the "me" mentality is like a 4-D sonogram picture of the heart of our nation.  As my family proceeds to the Holy Celebration of the Birth of Christ, we are choosing to do without, to share more with others to make their Christmas brighter, and not buy into the trappings of the newest, must-have rages this year.  We are choosing simplicity.  I personally am choosing to make several "thankful posts" a day on God's Heart-wall for God alone to see.  I want to give HIM the greatest gift this year, my grateful heart that will bless Him.  And I desire to do that everyday so that Thanksgiving 2013 will simply be the culmination of a year of thankfulness.

Will you join me in this rage?  Will you storm the doors of heaven this year by blessing God over and over for His blessings to you?

THE RESURRECTED LIFE -- Day 15

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 Day 15:  The Immoral Woman (Luke 7: 36-50)

He was coming to her town—the Man who forgave sins.  Surely there was no one who needed that more than her.  Her immorality was well-known by all.  She felt dirty, unclean, and unworthy of His forgiveness.  Yet, something inside of her was prompting her to go and find Him.

Asking a woman on the street where she might find Him, she returned her look of judgment and condemnation with a downward glance to the ground.  She was thankful that the woman had told her where Jesus could be found, but her shame made her feel like running home instead.

Pushing her feelings aside, she continued on her way, holding very carefully the alabaster vial of perfume in her hands.  Arriving at Simon the Pharisee’s home, she quietly slipped in the side door undetected.  There He was, reclining at the table.  Lowering her eyes, it became quite obvious that the well-known tradition of foot washing had not been offered to Jesus.  His feet were as dirty as her own heart.  Had He been treated with disrespect, she wondered?  She knew exactly what that felt like?

Overcome with her identification with Him, she slowly moved so that she was standing right behind His feet.  Her tears flowed freely and unceasingly, making rivers over the dirt and dung caked on His feet from His travels.  The tears made clean paths on the way to the floor underneath.  Bending down, she took her hair and began to wipe His feet completely clean.  Over and over she wet them and wiped them as years of shame, guilt and regret poured from her heart to His feet.  Then she took the vial of perfume, broke it, and poured it out on them, kissing them as she worshiped the One who might forgive her guilty stain.  Love for Him welled up in a heart once hardened by her own wrong choices.  Moved by this ‘love in action,’ Jesus turned to her and said, “Your sins have been forgiven.  Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace.”  Never had her heart felt so clean.  In peace she left her old life behind.

What are you willing to do to worship Jesus?  What if it humbles you?  Do your feelings ever dictate whether or not you will obey your inner voice? Do you bring to Jesus a clean or dirty heart?  Do you have peace?