Loving the Light!

On a run to the hospital last night, I drove through residential areas and the child in me started to take note of the houses that were decorated with lights.  Some, like mine, included a polite nod to the Season. I have white lights on a two trees in front my home. That’s it!  Others were works of art, displays of color and craftsmanship that required hours of work. Some were tasteful, others – well, not so much. As I write this morning, at the periphery of my vision is a little tree in the bay window of my kitchen, sparkling with a couple of dozen multi-colored lights.  

About 300 years ago the Christmas tree and candles were matched in the celebration of Christmas but too often with disastrous results.  Imagine a pine tree that is drying out that has real candles attached to its branches. Who decided that was a good idea?

Near the end of the 19^th century, as Edison was perfecting his light bulb, he looked for ways to promote his new invention. Lights strung on a Christmas tree in place of dangerous candles was a perfect thing and the first ones dazzled those who saw it, though it was a treat reserved for the very rich.  Around 1900 a single string of lights cost about $300 in today’s dollars!  But as electricity and light bulbs became part of our American lives, so did the brightly lit Christmas tree and decorations that are universal in 2016.

Those lights remind me of the Light! 

As you read John’s words ask the Spirit to make them radiant with joyful hope for you. "The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created,  … to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. …  the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son." (John 1:4-14, NLT)

Jesus came to Light up the darkness, to bring the radiance of God to us who were captives of sin, living in the dark. What a story!  Just gaze on Him. Where hate, bleak and miserable, divides us, He radiates love, beautiful and warm,  to unite us. Where addictions to Self, sex, and substance drag us into dark dungeons of slavery, He brings the light of freedom to lead us to pleasant places of fulfillment and joy. Yes, He is the Light.

Choose to live in the light, Christian.  Don’t hide from Him. Don’t let the fear of exposure cause you to scurry back to some dark place. Take the life that comes with the Light. Like moon that hangs in the night sky, invite the Light to shine brightly on you and reflect that radiance into the places where your orbit in life carries you. 

When you are driving past those displays let each one be a reminder that the true Light has come who give light to everyone.  And, rejoice!

Here is a word from the Word. Lord shine on us and make us to know the radiance of the Father. "For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6, NIV) Amen.

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Here I Am To Worship

Light of the world

You stepped down into darkness

Opened my eyes let me see

Beauty that made

This heart adore You

Hope of a life spent with You

So here I am to worship

Here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that You're my God

And You're altogether lovely

Altogether worthy

Altogether wonderful to me

King of all days

Oh so highly exalted

Glorious in heaven above

Humbly You came

To the earth You created

All for love's sake became poor

Tim Hughes

© 2000 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

Don't get mud on your face

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have built a partnership that has made the Patriots a great football team. Belichick is a coach of amazing insights. Brady, a record holding quarterback. Yet both have ‘mud on their face.’  A few years ago the coach made a stupid choice to cheat that brought dishonor to himself.  Brady sat out the first four games of this season after the NFL concluded that footballs were tampered with for some small advantage.  Why would men of such abilities make choices like that?  Because they are just men, subject to the same failures as the rest of us. These blots will be part of their legendary records. Let’s be careful as we consider this.

Making dumb choices, choosing to do the wrong thing, is not such a rare thing that we should be surprised. 
Remember Bill Clinton, the President? He was an amazing leader whose name is forever linking with predatory sexual behavior. 
Remember Jimmy Swaggart? The evangelist was touched millions when it was revealed that he had real issues with lust.
How about Alex Rodriguez, the Yankee who marred an amazing career by using performance enhancing drugs?

Those people deal with having their sin in headlines. But, let’s not forget – temptation is common to us all!   Decades of stellar work can be eclipsed by a single choice to cut corners, bend the rules, indulge the Self.  These people who have found their failures in headlines should remind you and me that we are all quite human. 

If we want to avoid wearing mud on our face, we need to kneel humbly before our God, ask the Holy Spirit to guide, and rise to make the choice for integrity every day! Before the temptation presents itself, before the pressure to 'win again' makes itself known, before the opportunity to enrich ourselves with 'just a little thing that no one will ever know about' comes knocking at the door - it is important to admit our humanity and accept the guidance of God’s Spirit. The defeat of the world, the flesh, and the Devil demands a daily infusion of Divine strength. We cannot simply resolve to overcome temptation with our own will. We need the Spirit of God to live in us, to keep our hearts true, and our minds clear.

The writer of the hymn puts it well -
"Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter,
bind my wand'ring heart to Thee.
Prone to wander; Lord, I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love.
Here's my heart; O take and seal it.
Seal it for Thine courts above."

Jeremiah takes quite a dim view of human nature, accurately reflecting the state of the person who lives without the Light of God, without the powerful Presence of the Spirit. He says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJV) It is true! But there is hope. We are not victims of our depravity because there is a Savior, a Deliverer, who stepped in. 
Part of what we celebrate in this season of Advent is the arrival of the Warrior whose love purchased our salvation.  We join another spectacular sinner in a humble prayer that depends on the mercy and grace of our Father - "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin … Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:1-2,10, NIV)

The same writer of the hymn says in the next verse -
"I know Thy hand will bring me,
safely home by Thy good grace.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God.
He to rescue me from danger,
interposed His precious blood." - Come, Thou Fount

Got mud on your face? God washes us, makes us clean, and gives new hearts for old.
Don't walk in fear of your sinful nature! Instead, remember that 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.' So, fear God, not man.

Walk in grace, not guilt. Live wholly and holy and when the game is over, you will wear the victor's reward.

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Joy to the world the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King 
Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing 
And heaven and nature sing 
And heaven and heaven and nature sing

No more let sins and sorrows grow 
Nor thorns infest the ground
 He comes to make His blessings flow 
Far as the curse is found
 Far as the curse is found 
Far as far as the curse is found

 He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders wonders of His love

Isaac Watts

The treasures in your heart

Talk to me over dinner and I’ll tell you about the work of ministry which is my passion, my adult children that I love.  Pictures of my grandchildren will appear on my phone in the course of the evening.  And,  the Lord Jesus will be there in the words, too.  I’ll most likely talk about grief a bit, even though I try to keep that to myself. However, since I shared 41 years with her, we probably will end up talking about my late wife at some point.  Engage in a conversation with a person and, as they lower their guard, you will discover what they love, what they believe, who they are.

Jesus said “out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” What is stored away in your heart? What kind of memories have you cataloged and organized that shape who you are and what you say today?  James reminds us that fresh water does not flow from a salt spring!  That is one reason to choose wisely what you decide to keep, what kind of information you accumulate, where you feed your mind. The songs on your playlist are forming your thoughts.  The TV shows that you watch in the evening are more than entertainment. The books you read are more than words on a page. All of that ‘input’ gets stored away and begins to purify or pollute the well that is our heart.

One of the blessings of coming to know Christ is the promise of a transformed life that flows out of a new heart.  When we receive Him as Savior, when we take our failures, our faults, our sins to Him with confession, He forgives and makes us clean and new! The Word says "Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other." (2 Corinthians 5:17-18, The Message)  A dark heart, full of hate, bitterness, lust, and pride is flooded with light when Christ enters and change begins.  Yes, there is a process that continues. Old habits and patterns don’t just evaporate in a moment. However, as we continue in the Christian life, the treasure store is emptied of the trinkets and filled up with eternal riches.

The Word encourages us to “let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:3 NLT)  How does that change occur?  It is a cooperative effort. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit Who comes to live in us.  And, there is our part – the daily practice of the spiritual disciplines; meditation, prayer, Scripture intake, worship, service, confession, that allow Him to replace our trinkets with treasures.

Take this line from Mary’s experience as the word from the Word today.  As she lived through the amazing night of Jesus’ birth and heard the words of shepherds about angelic announcements she made an important choice that would become a foundation for her life as the mother of the Messiah. "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19, NIV)

Create a heart full of the treasures of heaven’s wisdom!
Take time to ponder what God is saying!

Live well!

________________

Hark The Herald Angels Sing

Hark, the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King.”

Peace on earth and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled.

Joyful, all ye nations rise,

Join the triumph of the skies.

With th'angelic hosts proclaim,

“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark, the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King.”

Come, Desire of nations, come;

Fix in us Thy humble home.

Rise the woman's conqu’ring seed,

Bruise in us the serpent's head.

Adam’s likeness now efface,

Stamp Thine image in its place.

Second Adam, from above,

Reinstate us in Thy love.

Hark, the herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King!”

Charles Wesley © Words: Public Domain

O Come Let Us Adore

Christmas carols played softly on the car radio as I drove in the darkness. I find my time driving an excellent time for reflection and prayer, especially at night! No one but God can hear me. My conversation with Him is a combination of praise and petition. My heart, on that drive last night, was tender, open, waiting. Words of love and worship spilled over between petitions. It was a sweet time of connection and renewal after a long and stressful day.

Do you adore Him? Yes, we revere our Lord. We may worship Him in formal liturgy, but do you love and adore Him?  The word comes from two root words that mean “to open the mouth.”  Yes, we can learn a sweet, tender love language with our Lord for He loves us.  Private and personal, those words flow out of my heart.  In many ways, my love for the Lord is like the love I feel for family- strong, enduring, life-defining, and in need of daily nurture!  I speak often with Him.  I give worth (worship) to Him with words and actions. Do I always sense that kind of focus?  Of course not! There are the pressures of temptation and demands that would dilute my passion for God if I did not take time to turn my mind and heart to HIM! 

Those who know me are acquainted with my affection for my late wife. Even nearly a year after her death, she slips into my conversations many times each day.  She remains a presence in me. Do we love Jesus in a way so that He appears in our words and is a presence in our thoughts?  If we profess to adore Christ Jesus, that love will be evident to all. IF we never speak of Him or seldom speak to Him can we really claim to adore Him? I think not.

We may be fond of Jesus without speaking of Him. We may trust Him as Savior without speaking of Him, but we cannot claim to adore Him and remain silent about Him.   The Psalmist sings of his affection for the living God.  “Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it! I'm forever telling everyone how faithful you are. I'll never quit telling the story of your love— how you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it. Your love has always been our lives' foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world." (Psalm 89)

In forty years of marriage, I learned early that love needed care and intention.  All kinds of things tried to intrude on the love Bev and I shared.  That is why we made choices like always having dinner together, making sure that we kept conversations fresh, and keeping our hearts open with no secrets between us our priorities.  

Loving the Lord is much the same. Other loves will try intrude!  In the book of the Revelation, Jesus laments the state of the church in Ephesus which had abandoned their love. They were dutifully religious, but without adoration! "You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first." (Revelation 2:3-5, NIV)

This Advent Season when you hear that carol, "O Come, All Ye Faithful," played, I hope it will stir you to a renewed adoration!

Open your mouth and give Him praise. 
Sing and speak of His goodness.

A word of caution is in order here. IF you don't adore Him, then don't try to convince yourself or someone else that you do with empty words or borrowed words!

Your insincerity will quickly become apparent to others, if not to yourself!  YOU can adore Him. If your love of Christ has gone cold, there is but one reason: increase of sin and disobedience.  The cure for sin sickness is not to talk more or sing louder.  Jesus says we find our way home to Him by turning around (repent) and focusing our hearts on Him as we did in the first experiences of His grace.

Love is first and foremost a choice; secondarily an emotion. Jesus warned that  "Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold."  (Matthew 24:12) If that's describing you, turn back to God.  Find a place alone with Him and tell Him you've fallen for another lover, then renew your commitment to Him.  Go to those you've wronged and ask them for forgiveness. Then, accept the wonderful love of the Savior whose "unfailing love never ends!

Here is the word from the Word. Lord, captivate us. Let us hear your song of love and adore You. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NLT)

"Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:7-8, NLT)

_________________

O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him, born the King of angels.

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Sing choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
O sing all ye bright hosts of heav'n above.

Glory to God, All glory in the highest.

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
born this happy morning;
Jesus to Thee be all glory giv'n.

Word of the Father now in flesh appearing.

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord!

John Wade © Public Domain