“ARISE SHINE, YOUR LIGHT HAS COME!
As we spend Advent anticipating the light coming to the
darkness, we are reminded
that we become a reflection of that light. Our
responsibility does not end at
witnessing the birth of the light; we absorb that light and
become lights ourselves.
As Jesus enters us, his light shines through us into the
world.
The church has a terrible reputation of engaging in deceit
and wickedness in the
shadows of our steeples. We hide our light, either to commit
sin in secret or to hide
our sin in shame. If we are called to be light, and not to
hide that light under a
“bushel basket”, then maybe we need to repent from cozying
up to the darkness and
shine that light into our own lives.
Once we remove our own darkness, we can turn the light
outward; shining into the
rest of the world. What might it look like for us to live as
beacons of light for a
shadowed world? How might we be a refuge, our light drawing
people afraid and
alone in the darkness?
I had a conversation with someone recently and she
mentioned that the world is getting so dark with evil. And I shared with her
that yes, the days seem dark spiritually, evil abounds, but our Lord promises
that His light shines on and on, and someday that light will cover the earth.
But for us who are believers, His light has come shines on and on.
“Arise, shine; for
your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold,
the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD
will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall
come to your light, and the kings to the brightness of your coming” Isaiah
60:1-3.
The Prophet reminds us to arise, to get up and
shine, for the Light of the World has come. And as we walk by faith in this
dark world, we have the glory of the Lord shining upon us, and the world around
us will see that light and that light will bring peace no matter how dark the
world seems to be.
“Therefore,
preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on
the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” I
Peter 1:13. He calls us in this time to set our hope fully on the grace
that will be brought to us on the day we see Jesus face to face, to keep our
minds fully on Him and not on the darkness around us.
Yes, as believers we have the light of the Lord Jesus
Christ upon us, even though darkness seems to be covering the earth and its
people. Hear the word of the Lord from Jesus Himself: “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men
who are waiting for their master” Luke 35,36.
We are to keep our armor intact, standing, always in
prayer, (Ephesians 6), and to keep that light He has given us always shining in
this dark world, and always to be waiting for our Master, looking up, but
reaching out to others in the darkness of sin.
As we continue to share the season of Advent, this season
of light we have lit candle of Hope, Love and Joy and now we have lit our fourth
candle, the Candle of Peace. In this world we sometimes wonder “where is our
peace?” Problems come into our lives
that will shake us to the very core of our being. And sometimes it is just a
phone call away. We think everything is
going well. We are looking forward to
Christmas and the New Year, and then we hear news that a Radiologist has found
something suspicious and we are scheduled for more tests.
But no matter what the test results may be, we as
followers of our Lord Jesus know where our peace lies. We can run right into His
arms with our problem and isn’t it wonderful to know that He is right there and
is aware of the whole situation and whatever the future may hold and His light
begins to shine again in our lives, we can bring that light and peace into this
world of darkness, to those around us fearing who are fearing the darkness that
is coming into their lives and this world.
As I was thinking about this, and what song the Lord
would have me share, I was looking at our wonderful Christmas carols, and
thinking of a song that would speak of the peace that He brings to us in these
difficult times. Let me share with you the story of “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”.
“Although he was a Unitarian minister, Edmund Sears
believed in the deity of Christ. He also
believed in the angels’ message of “peace on earth.”
This hymn, written in Massachusetts in 1849, focuses on
the angels’ song of “peace on earth.” Like many other hymns written in America
during the mid-1800’s, it might be called a “horizontal hymn.” Such hymns
called people to live well, to be at peace, and to honor God. It seeks to encourage people who are bent
“beneath life’s crushing load,” as the third stanza says, to stop and hear the
message of Christmas sung by the angels.
Peace was a timely topic when Sears penned these
words. Tensions were rising in America,
leading toward the Civil War. But the
peace promised by the angels is not only national; it is personal as well.” (Hymns by Petersen).
IT CAME UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR
“It came upon the
midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold: “Peace on the earth, goodwill to men, from
heav’ns all-gracious King!” The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the
angels sing.
Still through the
cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled, and still their heav’nly
music floats o’er all the weary world: above its sad and lowly plains they bend
on hov’ring wing, and ever o’er its babel sounds the blessed angels sing.
And ye, beneath
life’s crushing load, whose forms are bending low, who toil along the climbing
way with painful steps and slow, look now! For glad and golden hours come
swiftly on the wing: o rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing.
For lo, the days
are hast’ning on, by prophets seen of old, when with the ever-circling years
shall come the time foretold, when the new heav’n and earth shall own the
Prince of Peace their King, and the whole world send back the song which now
the angels sing. (Edmund Hamilton Sears)
The world during the time of Christ’s birth was a sad and
weary world and a dark world. The people
were bowed down with the weight of Roman rule. There had been no prophetic word
for 400 years, and they waited anxiously for their Messiah to come. And He came
that night, The Prince of Peace, born in a lowly stable. The shepherds out in
the fields of Bethlehem saw a wondrous event in the skies that night. The skies lit up with His glorious light. The
angels bending low announcing that He was here at last, our Gracious King. And the world of the shepherds stopped for a
moment in time in the stillness of that night to hear the glorious song of the
angels. The Light of the World had come! “Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” Luke 2:14.
And today we live in a weary world with its turmoil and
pain. And our Precious Lord calls us to stop in the rushing world of Christmas,
the noise of traffic, the crowded stores, the business of the season and listen
with our hearts to the song of the angels as they proclaim peace to our hearts.
But it takes our willingness to just put aside all the noise of the season and
hear the music of the skies. He calls us
to come away with Him, just sit in His presence and let the world go by. Can we
do that? The babe of Bethlehem speaks of peace and joy to come. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to
you; not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” John
14:27.
And this wonderful old Christmas carol calls us to praise
Him! The angels proclaimed His birth and proclaimed peace to all men. We praise
Him because, He as God, came to dwell among men, to bring peace in the midst of
our cold, stormy, foggy days. And we
praise Our God for sending Jesus, and we praise Him for His great love, and we
praise Him for our salvation and for the hope of eternal life.
There in the manger was God in the flesh reaching out to
all mankind. So sing your praises, sing
the wonderful carols and rejoice in God your King! Let Him bring great joy into
your heart this season no matter what the days ahead may hold! And we can
rejoice in the promise of His Second Advent, His soon return as “Prince of
Peace.”
And we think of the wonderful “Gift” that was given. And
into our hearts He places the hope of Heaven and all its joys. And when we seek
Him with humble and repentant hearts, He enters in. My dear friends, the door of salvation is
still open, let Him enter and be your Lord and Savior. “For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you. And in the day
of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the day of salvation” 2
Corinthians 6:2
If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior,
please don’t put it off. You don’t know what tomorrow holds, or even the next
hour. Please don’t miss the call of the Savior. Let this Christmas be the time
when you accept Him into your heart and be ready for whatever the days ahead
may hold and be prepared to spend eternity with “The Prince of Peace.” And, Oh
what Hope, Love, Joy and Peace He will bring into your life. So we make a call,
“Come, Lord Jesus, forgive us our sins, abide with us!” He is Emmanuel, God with us! And He comes,
bringing the wonderful peace that only He can bring. In the midst of our
trials, we can sing: Peace, Peace,
wonderful peace, coming down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit
forever, I pray, in fathomless billows of love.
(Warren D. Cornell).
Are you bending under a heavy load right now? Are your steps slow and painful? Listen to the music of the angels, listen to
the lovely carols, each and every verse We walk a weary road sometimes and He
calls us to rest and listen with our hearts and minds tuned on Him, the Savior
of the world. The One who came as that precious baby and remember that before
Him was the shadow of a cross!
And yes, the days are hastening on quickly. The
prophecies are being fulfilled, and the signs of that wonderful day coming are
upon us. And our cry is as the prophet, as He proclaimed: “Oh that you would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the
mountains might shake at Your presence” Isaiah 64:1
We look up, keeping our eyes on the heavens and someday
those heavens will open and Jesus will come! This time He will not come lowly
and meek, as He came the first time, but this time He comes as the Conquering
King of kings! And we all look forward
to that day when at last there will be continuing and forever “Peace on earth,
goodwill toward men.” And we will join in joyful chorus around the Throne that
joyful song of the angels! And we will walk in His light forever shining in His
glory.
In Jesus' Name,
Pastor Sharon
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