Could you imagine what it would be like to wake up tomorrow morning to find that the sun had burned out and our days would be dark as night? Awful thought, huh? The days are short enough in the winter. How we treasure the sunshine we get to enjoy!
Sunlight is the fuel of life, providing energy for every life form.. It warms and brightens our days and our moods. It helps us to see clearly. My house looks pretty clean when it’s dimly lit. But bright lights expose the mess. I’ve learned that I now need my glasses to clean thoroughly these days!!
Recently Paul and I flew over SuperStorm Sandy on our way to a conference. It was amazing to look below us and see the ominous, dark clouds, and see the brilliant sunshine above. The people on the ground below were completely separated from the beams of sunshine and many were suffering the terrible effects that storm brought. In the same way, our sin separates us from a holy God and hides his face from us. Without Christ, we are all in spiritual darkness.
But the promise we celebrate at Christmas is that God who said, 'let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
The Christmas lights we enjoy can be a reminder of that first Christmas, when the Light dawned.. Isaiah prophesied 600 years before Christ’s birth:
"Behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.” (Is. 60:2)
It was a long, dark wait for that promise to be fulfilled. but finally the birth of Christ was announced: “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” (Mtt 4:16)
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
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This world is filled with light and darkness, physically and spiritually. The blessings can be unspeakable and so can the misery. This was not God’s original plan! He made us to enjoy a relationship with Him and one another that would be complete joy. But sin entered the scene when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, and the rest is history. Poisoned by sin and alienated from God,with broken relationships and broken hearts, the human race has wandered ever since, seeking fulfillment in everything but God.
In this dark world, God offers us light. Ps. 119 says: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”
The mystery of Christmas is revealed in the gospel of John: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
I don’t know where you are in your journey. Maybe you are suffering depression or some other sickness. Our church is filled with many health challenges, so we can relate. Perhaps you are lonely or grieving the loss of a loved one. Or maybe you’re just uncertain or fearful about your future.. Whatever darkness you may be experiencing, I pray God's light would shine into your life and give you hope, healing, and guidance. Most importantly, I pray you would receive the gift of forgiveness He offers to all who acknowledge their need. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. He made us, loves us, and is calling us to trust Him even now. He can dispel the darkness with His pure light. Our sin which is like a huge storm cloud, separating us from the light of His face, can be completely swept away by the power of His forgiveness. He guarantees a lasting hope that is not based on our circumstances or our performance, but on Christ’s life, death and resurrection.
His desire is for us to let Him into our lives. To open our hearts to the Light of His love. That may sound intimidating to you, and so it should! It’s one thing to dim the lights and hide, but to let the Lord shine His light into the closets of our lives means being willing to confess our sins and let Him in. This reminds me of an old booklet I have called, “My Heart, Christ’s Home.” Here’s a passage:
“One evening I invited Jesus Christ into my heart. What an entrance He made! It was not a spectacular,emotional thing, but very real. It was at the very center of my life. He came into the darkness of my heart and turned on the light. He built a fire in the cold hearth and banished the chill. He started music where there had been stillness, and He filled the emptiness with His own loving, wonderful fellowship. I have never regretted opening the door to Christ and I never will - not into eternity!
He has said, "Behold I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20). If you are interested in making your life an abode of the living God, let me encourage you to invite Christ into your heart and He will surely come.”
Ladies, the Savior is interested in a relationship with us more than anything else. Just like we aren’t ultimately satisfied with stuff at Christmas or any time. It’s relationships that matter. God created us for a relationship with Himself. He sent His Son on a mission to reconcile us to God! When we receive Him as our Savior, He forgives us and adopts us into His family forever. He promises to never leave or forsake us! There’s simply no greater need we have and no greater joy we can experience than this!
I was blessed to grow up knowing about Jesus from my wonderful parents and church, but it wasn’t until I became a young adult that I began to grasp the significance of God’s love for me and my need for Him. Away at college, with the innocence and security of childhood long gone, I realized just how much I needed forgiveness and guidance. One of my favorite verses meant the world to me at that time: Proverbs 3:5&6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” The light began to dawn while reading passages like this one. I had known about Jesus but hadn’t trusted him with all my heart. I began to take His promises personally.
Like this one:
“Yet to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God!”
Like a Christmas present given to us by God, He offers the perfect gift of His Son to us. To receive and believe Him is what we’re called to do.
We must become like children to grasp the wonder of Christmas. The amazing truth that God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us, and will graciously take care of us..
He is more thoughtful than we ever imagined Santa to be!! And thankfully, He doesn't count our sins against us! Childlike trust in His love and care empowers our faith. We love Him because he first loved us.
Jesus said about us: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Hiding a lamp under a basket would be like hiding our Christmas lights! Jesus has shone his light into our hearts and calls us to let His light shine through our lives. Like the moon, which has no light in and of itself, but reflects the light of the sun, we reflect God’s light as we allow Him to shine through us as we seek to be a blessing to others.
Now I must admit that one of the reasons we have this Tea is to shine the light of Christ. He is the greatest gift! Our precious Savior, the Light of the world, who came and pierced the darkness of this lost and broken world to rescue us from sin and separation from Himself. He lived the perfect life we’re incapable of and died the death we deserved in order to offer us forgiveness and the hope of eternal life. A life that starts here and continues in the new heaven and earth, where there will be no more darkness at all. No more sin and suffering!
May we remember that this life; this valley of the shadow of death, is just a part of the journey, not our final home. One day soon the heavenly city will appear. The end of this age is described in the gospel of Mark, “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven..then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory..”(Mark 13:24-26)
This world as we know it will pass away and usher in the new. The future home for all who believe is described in the last book of the Bible, Rev. 21:23-24 “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day-and there will be no night there.” May we set our hearts on the lasting hope we anticipate there!
Finally, let me close in prayer with this familiar blessing from the Bible: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
1 comment:
Ty for posting your message for the tea, I was Sry to have missed it. Hug to you, Michelle
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