Lights in the Darkness

Friday, December 21, 2018

by Dr. Paul Chappell

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Luke 2:8-10

In November of 2014, the Gay family of Lagrangeville, New York, received official certification from Guinness World Records for “Most Lights on a Residential Property.” They began putting up outside lights when their first child was born. That year they put up 600 lights. In 2014, they filled their two-acre property with 601,736 lights. The glow of so many lights was visible from miles away. It took almost two months to set up the massive display which was choreographed to music visitors could listen to in their cars as they drove through the light show. It was so large it was impossible to miss.

It is hard for us in the modern electrified world to grasp how dark it is at night without any illumination beyond whatever is provided by the moon and stars. But long before electricity came, as shepherds watched over their sheep in the dark night hours, the entire sky was filled with the bright and shining glory of God Himself. What had brought this amazing change? The announcement of the birth of the Messiah.

The impact on the shepherds was immediate. Having seen the angels and the bright light, they rushed to Bethlehem, leaving their sheep behind. After seeing Jesus lying in a manger, just as they had been told, they immediately began spreading the word. They were reflecting the light they had seen to others. This is the same task that God has given us—to take the Good News of the Saviour to the world.

Today's Growth Principle
Share the light and love behind the Christmas story with everyone you can, just as the shepherds did.

Old Testament Reading

Micah 4-5

CHAPTER 4

¹ But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. ² And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. ³ And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. ⁴ But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. ⁵ For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. ⁶ In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; ⁷ And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.

⁸ And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. ⁹ Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. ¹⁰ Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies. ¹¹ Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. ¹² But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. ¹³ Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.

CHAPTER 5

¹ Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. ² But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. ³ Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. ⁴ And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. ⁵ And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. ⁶ And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

⁷ And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. ⁸ And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. ⁹ Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. ¹⁰ And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: ¹¹ And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: ¹² And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: ¹³ Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. ¹⁴ And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. ¹⁵ And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.

New Testament Reading

Revelation 12

CHAPTER 12

¹ And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: ² And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. ³ And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. ⁴ And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. ⁵ And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. ⁶ And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. ⁷ And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, ⁸ And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. ⁹ And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. ¹⁰ And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. ¹¹ And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

¹² Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. ¹³ And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. ¹⁴ And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. ¹⁵ And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. ¹⁶ And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. ¹⁷ And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 21

¹ The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. ² Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. ³ To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. ⁴ An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin. ⁵ The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want. ⁶ The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death. ⁷ The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment. ⁸ The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right. ⁹ It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house. ¹⁰ The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes. ¹¹ When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge. ¹² The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness. ¹³ Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. ¹⁴ A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath. ¹⁵ It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. ¹⁶ The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. ¹⁷ He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. ¹⁸ The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright. ¹⁹ It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman. ²⁰ There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up. ²¹ He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. ²² A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof. ²³ Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. ²⁴ Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath. ²⁵ The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. ²⁶ He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not. ²⁷ The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? ²⁸ A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly. ²⁹ A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way. ³⁰ There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD. ³¹ The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.