I Hold the Light

This will be a short one because it is Christmas, so go have Christmas! 

The Light has come into the world. The Light came to us in the form of a baby. He grew to be a man so that he could reach out to his creation. He humbled himself to become like his creatures though he himself is God. This is the miracle of Christmas. Now he has returned to the Father but he left us behind to shine in his place. Do you hold his light?

Similar to a lightsaber we can wield it or not. We can use it or not. We can hide it or not. The new Starwars was so good I had to have another entry mention it. 

We shine but does it illumine? They want to call our light darkness. We live in an age that calls darkness light. The Light came into the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. The darkness does not overcome it. So the darkness tries to redefine it.

John 3:19-21
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.

Jesus says he is the light that shines in the darkness he shines and those who follow will not walk in darkness. 

The darkness is not however overwhelming. 

As Jesus commands in Mathew Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. He tells us that we are a city on  hill that guides the people home. 
 
Psalm 18:28 
For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.

Jesus teaches that he is the light of the world and that the world is consumed in darkness. But he has passed the baton to us. We hold the light. We shine. What a huge privilege and responsibility. We reflect his radiance, at least we are supposed to. There is another option. We can hide it under a basket. Or perhaps we can attempt to let the light shine but while is it turned to dim. 

I want to shine. I want to shine as light is meant to, with abandon. This is light unfiltered, unobstructed, unrestricted, uncovered. 

Light extinguishes darkness. Darkness does not stand in the light. The light is not the issue, but the bearer is. The challenge of being a light beaer is that our world wants to call the darkness light. They want to call our light as the darkness. But that is easy to counter because light will always extinguish darkness. Truth will always win out, even while the shadow grows. But as we move forward sometime we are tempted to reconsider our light. Maybe we have been told that our light is not loving or not helpful. This is why we return to the source of the light so that he can recharge and inform us. Jesus says in John 8:12 That those that follow him will not walk in darkness. He can give testimony that what he says is true. Man's faithlessness does not cause him to be unfaithful. As Paul writes "Let God be true and every man a liar." Our failure to be light and the world's failure to recognize the light does not in any way undermine the light. 

As Jesus taught our good deeds put to shame the foolishness of men. The truest way for good deeds to be shone is in doing it for our brother or neighbor. The good Samaritan's good deeds could not be denied by the haters. His conduct pointed to a more excellent way, his light shined and the darkness could not stand before it. In first John we are reminded that if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and his love cleanses us from out sins. 

My good deeds in isolation do not speak much. It is as they find testimony in others. Others can look on and say that God is good. This is why the New Testament tells us to love and serve and do good deeds especially to the brotherhood. To the fellow believers. They can testify to the goodness of God where as someone else can write it off as charity. This doesn't ignore others absolutely not, but the light shines, and we overcome by our testimony. This is why Peter tells us we are a royal priesthood, a holy nation so we will display praises to God who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. 

The time of Christmas is reflective of this truth. God led the wise men by the light of a star to find the true king. We see that God in his mercy has reached out to us as well. He provides grace, he gave of himself for the purpose of others. This is why we at Christmas time do so as well. We give because we were given to. We love because he first loved us and gave himself as a ransom for many. As Luke writes in Acts 13:47 it is true for us well. "I have placed you as light for the gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth."

So your lightsaber, is it out?

We give gifts after our Father in heaven so go and do likewise. Arise shine for the light has come and the glory of the Lord will rise upon you. Merry Christmas.

thanks

to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/From-Darkness-To-Light#sthash.3XTUhLiF.dpuf

for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/From-Darkness-To-Light#sthash.3XTUhLiF.dpuf

for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/From-Darkness-To-Light#sthash.3XTUhLiF.dpuf

for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light - See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/From-Darkness-To-Light#sthash.3XTUhLiF.dpuf

Do not harden your hearts as in the Rebellion

With Christmas almost here and the big movie Star Wars coming out on Friday I thought I would role out this gem. As in Star Wars, the Rebel Alliance fights against the Empire and their rule over the Galaxy. They raise up X-wings Y-wings to battle the Tie fighters. War is at hand. Jedi are needed. But what's everybody so upset about?

15 As it is said,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

I have always pictured Darth Vader saying this line to the rebel alliance, calling them to return to the Galactic Empire, but alas it was not so. The author of Hebrews is of course talking about the Israelites who grumbled and complained about life on the road. But God was saying you don't have to live like a refugee.

The Israeli rebellion was all about losing their way. It was about looking at the accommodations on the journey and musing if it was better in first class. The rebellion was about people grumbling. Isn't that where it always starts, with discontentment?

I have had to start asking myself this question. What causes you to complain? What causes you to complain to God? Does being a Christian mean that our lives should reflect the American dream? What comforts are essential to you and yours?

How does God fit into the picture? When I spoke in Tucson at my vetting I was discussing this very issue. I realized that even though I escaped the name it and claim it theology of my youth I still had expectations of God that put stress on our relationship. I expected him to fulfill certain needs, wants, and desires in my life. I expected his grace to look a certain way. When after long enough, it didn't, or they went unmet, I started to to wonder at some other promises from God. It started to affect my relationship with God. 

You know like a relationship with a friend or family member who you feel cheated you or let you down and it still affects the way you think about them. In person you are cordial enough but you always come back to the wrong or the disappointment. In the end the relationship becomes of toleration, or perhaps you depart it.

I realized I expected certain comforts especially since I was pursuing ministry. Since I was pursuing God. A certain amount of wealth, health, protection and provision? What expectations of God do you have? 

As I have gone on in my Christian I keep coming back to the Exodus story and the wilderness journey. The longer I live my life I have become convinced that the Torah is a picture of our lives. The first five books of the Bible I believe represent our faith walk. Just like in the Exodus, for us Jesus raises himself up and delivers us from the bondage of sin. He does miraculous works and so why wouldn't we follow him? But as we travel together and we start to learn some of his truth and his ways we can get a little overwhelmed. We continue to walk and we start to realize that this journey is actually hard. We walk and start to think that life perhaps was a bit easier when I wan't out in this wilderness but safe back in the city as they did. 

We are warned in scripture that those who desire to live a righteous life will suffer persecution. We are reminded that we will have trouble in this world. Jesus warns that we will hated as he was. This doesn't mean all is bad of course but it does mean the accommodations may not always make us feel like we are in that 5 star place of rest. Perhaps sometimes we get to stay in the stable. There will be times of challenge but what do we do? Do we grumble at the pillar of fire or drag our feet at the leading cloud?

I think the Exodus is a picture our lives with God. God wants us to continue on to the promised land, but some fall in the desert or give up, or harden their hearts and rebel, as this verse was referring to. Some raise up for themselves new leaders who will tell them what they want to hear. They look for leaders who will lead them how they want to be led, and feed them how they want to be fed. So does Jesus like Darth Vader find your lack of faith disturbing? Are we grumblers or are we committed to the walk, the journey, to the destination? That classic question are you a Caleb or a "nay-sayer"?

This is what happened with Korah's rebellion as well. They were tired of Moses' lead, one that dragged on through the desert. They grew tired of him saying that he spoke for God and brought to them the words of God. The grew tired of the mana. They wanted their own leaders who would be nicer to them. They wanted their own representative, their own relationship with God. Their own meals. But God was Kingdom building and was not interested in an insurrection.

I feel the pull of not only a society that wants a specific kind of freedom but a growing sect of churches who want a certain kind of savior. A kind of savior that only possess one attribute. Unadulterated acceptance. We can continue to say the words of God after him. Or we can grumble depart and raise up teachers who teach a form of religion that pays service to God and Jesus but denies his harder side. His side that cares about conduct. His side that calls to repentance. His side that says if you desire to live a righteous life you will be persecuted. His side that says you will hated as I was hated because I call people's deeds evil. His side that makes whips. I don't say this because I prefer Jesus when we said those harsher things and not when he communicated grace, but to honestly follow him I have to come to terms with everything he taught. He is interested in my obedience as well as my love. Jesus is more complex than he simply loved people and accepted them. His message also said go and sin no more. His love looked like sacrifice because our lives of sin are repulsive. His love looks like taking sin very seriously. He taught his disciples this as well and they continued to write about it the rest of the New Testament . 

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 

God is concerned about his Kingdom not yours and what you want to bring into it. 

So do we grumble and attempt to follow new leaders back to Egypt? Back where we were still on good terms with the Egyptians? We wouldn't want to upset  anybody. We wouldn't want to make the Egyptians feel bad about worshiping false gods. We wouldn't want the Egyptians to feel bad about their sin so perhaps we should go back and join them? This is that wide road that many go, the highway to hell that doesn't upset the status quo. That road that is paved with smiling leaders that say "peace, peace" when there is no peace, only capitulation. As the writer of Hebrews again reminds.

Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.

We have walked through history and we are starting to feel the squeeze of what persecution feels like, of what being uncomfortable for our beliefs is.

This is my squeeze because I know as Jesus said that holding to his truth would not make friends. Jesus even says woe to you when people speak good of you. Our message is so upsetting that Jesus encourages us to check our walks when   people are liking the things we have to say.  Because the kinds of things we are supposed to say sound like death, death to ourselves, death to our vices, death to our idols and life to the King.

I am not tempted to grumble against God so much. But I see my temptation of one feeling sad that the Gospel is no longer good news to our culture. I feel the squeeze of trying to say God's words after him while others are raising up new gospels that itch ears. People raise up rebellions and we who want to be disciples of Jesus are made to look like bigots and fundys and the worse charge yet? Unloving. Well all I can say is I love God and I love his people and so we continue through the wilderness at his leading. Some may grumble and some may rebel but we must continue onto the promise land. So please rebels but down your pitchforks and blaster rifles, soften your hearts and come back to mountain of God.

thanks