Monday, December 05, 2016

December 5, 2016 ... Lights of Christmas

Berry Patch Devotions in 2016 - Day 340

Devotional Song:  … GO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from Matt Redman singing … Light of the World … poignantly singing of King Jesus as the light of the world, Who came into the world as flesh to shine our way out of the darkness of sin to live in/with our Lord forever.


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Highlight Verse: Jonn 8:12 [NKJV] … 
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again [the Pharisees and His followers], saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” 
… Jesus declares clearly His witness to all who were to follow His light.
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Highlight Passage [context]: John 8:12-20 … USE THIS LINK
… Jesus declares clearly that He is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD!!
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 Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : ... Luke 2:8-9 … 
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 
… God, with His own light show announces the coming of King Jesus!!!

Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : ... Philippians 2:5-11 … USE THIS LINK
… My favorite Scripture passage at Christmas, declaring how Jesus came so humbly to mankind as our King and Savior.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, C.P. Hia, from Singapore, writes how his country lights up at Christmas [see photo], declaring Christ as the light of the world. He writes: Each year for several weeks around Christmas, Singapore’s tourist belt, Orchard Road, is transformed into a wonderland of lights and colors. This light-up is designed to attract tourists to spend their money at the many stores along the street during this “golden month of business.” Shoppers come to enjoy the festivities, listen to choirs sing familiar Christmas carols, and watch performers entertain.

Personally, I love the lights of Christmas, even tho I know that they are to promote the sale of holiday products. To me, all the traditional lights and Christmas carols create an atmosphere which honors what the advent season is all about; … and that is the humble, yet glorious, coming of the One Who would declare Himself to be the “light of the world.” [See the highlight passage above].

Yet, when King Jesus was born into the world, even though God’s light show and His angels announced His coming, it was not with a showy display of light for all to see. His initial light show was humbly displayed to small group of shepherds, considered by others to be the lowliest of all in those days (see Luke 2). But as the Apostle Paul would later write (in Philippians 2:5-11), Jesus may have set aside His glory and majesty, coming as a man, to live and die for the sins of mankind; … but nonetheless, our Christmas lights should reinforce the truth that He came as Matt Redman sings, as the “Light of the World,” to show our way to the glory of salvation.

So, when we see the lights of Christmas, may we all see God’s glory, the One Who came to shepherds and kings - and to us - a Babe in a manger - to become our LORD and Savior, … King Jesus! And as the Light of the world, He is the One who will come again to light the way for all, who come to Him in faith, to experience eternal glory.

My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, You sent the Light of world to save me. O glory, in this Advent season, … forevermore!! ... Amen

Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.

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