Behold the Lamb of God

Andrew Peterson is my friend.

Following The Light

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." – John 8:12


At Christmas time I love to look at Christmas displays of various sorts. I especially enjoy, I admit, light displays, whether simple or extravagant, around homes and businesses in the community. The sight of abundant light illuminations on bitter cold nights on my way home from a long day at work just warms my heart. I do like to look at lights.

And Jesus is the light of the world, so I look at him. But here is the sharper truth; Jesus is not a light to just look at. Jesus says he is The Light to be followed. There is a huge difference between looking at, and following, a light. We are called to follow Him, not just gaze at him.

It seems that most of the world allows for looking at Jesus; the friction comes when those who trust in Him insist on following in the light and in the steps that He directs. These steps command that we love one another; that we speak the truth in love; and, that we go to the ends of the world to proclaim His name, unapologetically. This would be following Him, not just looking at him.

So, this Christmas and in the future, will we be just looking, or really following The Light?


I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. – John 12:46

Born to Die

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. – Hebrews 2:9


As we stop to celebrate the historical birth of Jesus, let’s take our celebration a step further to consider the reason why he came. Why did He come? To present God? To teach truth? To fulfill law? To offer His kingdom? To teach those who did not understand about God? To reveal love? To bring peace? To heal the sick? Yes to all of those. Yet as important as those aspects are, they are not the MAIN reason Jesus came to earth. The primary reason that Jesus came was to suffer and die, for you and for me, to pay the price of our sin, and that we may have real everlasting fellowship with God. Those tiny baby hands that we see in the manger, that were fashioned by the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb, were made in order that one day nails might be driven through them.


Who are you, precious little babe nestled in the hay?
God I am, come to earth this day.
Why did you come, sweet little babe nestled in the hay?
To die, I came, the price of sin to pay.
Who's sin, tender little babe nestled in the hay?
Yours it was that brought me down today.
-Author Unknown


For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit – 1 Peter 3:18

Madeline is Home

Jean and I are so happy to have our oldest daughter, Madeline, home for a month for the holidays. She just finished her first semester of college.

Weekly Devotional for 12-13-08 - Spiritual Temperature

Spiritual Temperature
******************************
"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
– Revelation 3:v14-16

The church of Laodicea was the most distasteful church of all, in the eyes of our Lord. His greatest condemnation was reserved for the lukewarm and casual.

G.A. Studdart Kennedy (1883 -1929) was a British writer who penned many beautiful poems about Jesus Christ. In one, he writes…

**********************************************************************************

"When Jesus came to Golgotha they hanged Him on a tree,
They drove great nails through hands and feet and made a Calvary.

They crowned Him with a crown of thorns; red were His wounds and deep,
For those were crude and cruel days and human flesh was cheap.

When Jesus came to Birmingham, they simply passed Him by,
They never hurt a hair of Him they only let Him die.

For men have grown more tender they wouldn't give Him pain,
They only just passed down the street and leave Him in the rain.

Still Jesus cried, “Forgive them for they know not what they do”
And still it rained the winter rain that drenched Him through and through.

The crowds went home and left the streets with­ out a soul to see
And Jesus crouched against a wall and cried for Cal­vary.”

***********************************************************************************

Kennedy was saying that Jesus would rather have the hatred than suffer from the indifference.

This Christmas season, consider your fervency for following the Lord. It is so easy to be distracted with the pressures and priorities that others and we all tend to put on ourselves. Focus, really focus, your full attention directly on the Savior, on His remarkable incarnation, and on His gift to all those who receive Him. If you sense a lukewarm spirit in yourself, this will fire you up.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. – Luke 2:11

Who is Jesus?

During Christmas, I believe that there are many people who reflect, either consciously or not, on who exactly Jesus is. Christians need to be prepared to answer without pressure, without panic, but in truth and love. This teaching from Alistair Begg has helped me temendously, and I hope that you can be helped by it as well.

Weather Pattern That My Wife Likes

My wife Jean loves to be "snowed in". We live in north central Indiana, and lake effect snow is what my wife craves.

And, I hope this pic helps put you in the Christmas mood.

Weekly Devotional for 12-6-08

Old School “Passing It Forward”
***************************

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. – James 1:27

Sometimes I wonder if what the modern church is attempting to be is in line with what the early church was attempting to be.

The following commentary is helpful; it was written by a philosopher of an earlier time, about early Christians…

"They are remarkable people. They walk in humility and kindness and falsehood is not found among them and they love one another. They despise not the widow and they grieve not the orphan. He that hath distributed liberally to him that hath not. If they see a stranger they bring him under their roof and they rejoice over him as if he were their brother. For they call themselves brethren not after the flesh, but after the Spirit and in God. But when one of their poor passes away from the world and any of them seem him, then he provides for his burial according to his ability. And if they hear that any of their number is imprisoned or oppressed for the name of their Messiah, all of them provide for his needs. And if it's possible that he may be delivered, they deliver him. And if there is among them a man that is poor and needy and they have not an abundance of necessity, they will fast two or three days that they may supply the needy with his necessary food.”
-- Aristides, A.D. 125

Father in Heaven, I want to share your love for the poor and the needy and the oppressed. I thank you that you've given me a pattern in Jesus who was rich but became poor. Help me to be faithful. May it be so that Your spirit convicts each believer’s heart in a specific way to give generously and without reservation. In Christ's name I pray, Amen.


"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' – Matthew 25:40

Bible 101

This file is what I have used in some Sunday school classes to teach a "Bible 101" class. It is a Powerpoint guide on how to get motivated and how to study the scriptures. Use it at your church if you feel it would be helpful.