The Floodlight on Christ

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:15-17, ESV). These words were spoken to comfort and encourage the disciples in the face of Jesus’ imminent death. It was a promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. There are many things that the Holy Spirit accomplishes in the world today. He convicts unbelievers of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11). He regenerates or causes us to become believers (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:5, I Peter 1:23-25; James 1:18). He indwells and baptizes the believer (I Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:9; John 14:16; I Corinthians 12:13). He seals us (Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30). He imparts gifts (I Corinthians 12:7-11). He fills the believer (Ephesians 5:15-21; Galatians 5:16). And, He causes us to bear fruit (Galatians 5:22-23), which is the characteristics of Jesus Christ. However, the Holy Spirit’s distinctive role is to fulfill what we may call a floodlight ministry in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. So far as this role was concerned, the Spirit “was not yet” while Jesus was on earth. It would be only when the Father had glorified him (John 17:1, 5) that the Spirit’s work of making men aware of Jesus’ glory could begin. In the courtyard of the last church I pastored in Texas, there is a seventy-foot tall white cross that serves both as a steeple and landmark. I was once asked why the cross was so tall. The answer seemed so evident that I hardly knew what to say. It needed to be seen by everyone, since it was the central focus of our ministry. And, yet without light, at night it would nearly be invisible. Of course we had floodlights placed so that it would continuously be lit in the dark hours of the night. The intended effect is to make it visible when otherwise it would not be seen for the darkness, and to maximize its dignity by throwing all its details into relief so that you can see it properly. It also struck me that this perfectly illustrates the Holy Spirit’s new covenant role. He is, so to speak, the hidden floodlight shining on the Savior. Or think of it this way. It is as if the Spirit stands behind us, throwing light over our shoulder on to Jesus whom stands facing us. The Spirit’s message to us is never, “Look at me; listen to me; come to me; get to know me,” but always, “Look at him, and see his glory; listen to him and hear his word; go to him and have life; get to know him and taste his gift of joy and peace.” The Spirit, we might say, is the matchmaker, the celestial marriage broker, whose role it is to bring Christ and us together and ensure that we stay together. It is so tragic that so few believers accept the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Sometime back the Associated Press carried this dispatch: “Glasgow, Ky.—Leslie Puckett, after struggling to start his car, lifted the hood and discovered that someone had stolen the motor.” Are you trying to start your “car” without your “engine”? Let Him light up your life today!

Like Father, Like God

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11, ESV). Merry Christmas! Someone has said, “Most people spend their lives avoiding God because it is a re-encounter with their own father who was nonbonding and non affirming.” One of the main reasons people hold false perceptions of God is our tendency to project onto God the unloving characteristics of the people we look up to. One psychologist found that this spiritual development of the God image is more of an emotional process than an intellectual one. She brings out the importance of family and other relationships to the development of what she calls one’s “private God.” She says that, “No child arrives at the ‘house of God’ without his pet God under his arm.” And for some of us the “pet God” we have tied on a leash to our hearts is not very nice, nor is it biblically accurate. This is because our negative images of God are often rooted in our emotional hurts and destructive patterns of relating to people that we carry with us from our past. In contrast to the negative perceptions many people have about God, let me give you several positive character qualities of a father. These are the real characteristics of God.  First, God is patient. You are the recipient of God’s time and concern. You are important to God and He is personally involved in every aspect of your life.  Second, God is kind. God acts kindly and graciously on your behalf. God helps you and intervenes on your behalf. God loves you deeply and He wants to relate to you personally.  Third, God is giving. God gives to you and supports you. God supports and encourages you. God will give you what is best for you.  Fourth, God accepts you, what you have done or will do. God doesn’t dump on you or reject you when you struggle, but understands and encourages you. Even when you blow it or don’t perform up to your potential, God accepts you.  Fifth, God protects. You can be His care and rest in His security through the grace of His Son, Jesus Christ. The first Person of the Trinity is Father. When you accept His work of grace on your behalf through faith in Jesus Christ, you are born into a new family with God as your perfect Father.

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Mary had the little Lamb, who lived before His birth; Self-existent Son of God, from Heaven He came to Earth. But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past. (Micah 5:2) Mary had the little Lamb; see Him in yonder stall— Virgin-born Son of God, to save man from the Fall. All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel – 'God is with us.' (Isaiah 7:14) Mary had the little Lamb, obedient Son of God; Everywhere the Father led, His feet were sure to trod. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want. (John 6:38) Mary had the little Lamb, crucified on the tree The rejected Son of God, He died to set men free. For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. (1 Peter 1:18) Mary had the little Lamb—men placed Him in the grave, Thinking they were done with Him; to death He was no slave! He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. (Matthew 28:6) Mary had the little Lamb, ascended now is He; All work on Earth is ended, our Advocate to be. That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. (Hebrews 4:14-16) Mary had the little Lamb—mystery to behold! From the Lamb of Calvary, a Lion will unfold. But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, "Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has conquered. He is worthy to open the scroll and break its seven seals." I looked and I saw a Lamb that had been killed but was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that are sent out into every part of the earth. (Revelation 5: 5,6) When the Day Star comes again, of this be very sure: It won’t be Lamb-like silence, but with the Lion’s roar. Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True. For he judges fairly and then goes to war. His eyes were bright like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him, and only he knew what it meant. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword, and with it he struck down the nations. He ruled them with an iron rod, and he trod the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God. On his robe and thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19:11-16)

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Recently I received the following forward concerning The Twelve Days of Christmas. “People often think of The Twelve Days of Christmas as the days preceding the festival. Actually, Christmas is a season of the Christian Year that last for days beginning December 25 and lasting until January 6 - the Day of Epiphany - when the church celebrates the revelation of Christ as the light of the world and recalls the journey of the Magi. From 1558 until 1829 people in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly. During this era someone wrote 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' as a kind of secret catechism that could be sung in public without risk of persecution. The song has two levels of interpretation: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church. Each element in the carol is a code word for a religious reality. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ. The two turtledoves are the Old and New Testaments. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love. The four calling birds are the Four Gospels. The five gold rings recall the torah (Law) the first five books of the Old Testament. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation. Seven swans a-swimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit. The eight maids a-milking are the eight beatitudes. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the spirit. The ten lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments. Eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful disciples. Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the twelve points of belief in the Apostles Creed.” Since the resurrection, Christians have been misunderstood at best and persecuted at worst. In ancient Rome, crowds by the tens of thousands would gather in the Coliseum to watch as Christians were torn apart by wild animals. Paul Rader, commenting on his visit to this famous landmark, said, “I stood uncovered to the heavens above, where He sits for whom they gladly died, and asked myself, ‘Would I, could I, die for Him tonight to get this gospel to the ends of the earth?’” Rader continued, “I prayed most fervently in that Roman arena for the spirit of a martyr, and for the working of the Holy Spirit in my heart, as He worked in Paul’s heart when He brought him on his handcuffed way to Rome.” Those early Christians “lived on the threshold of heaven, within a heartbeat of home, no possessions to hold them back.” We are not called on in America to go to such extremes, but we are called on to be examples of the grace of God to those around us. The best way to do that is through our attitudes. The overarching character of our message ought to be our love for one another. Listen to the words of Jesus: As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (John 15:9-20, ESV). While we have no special secret songs or signs, we do have a very special message of love and mercy. Especially at this time of the year, show that love to those around you.

The BYKOTA Class

There are many moments in a pastor’s life that are memorable. Some of them come at the expense of their ego. Just one of those in my life centered on my first introduction to the “BYKOTA” Sunday School class in one of my first pastorates. Being very young and very inexperienced, I simply had no idea what the word bykota meant. Though I took great pride in being well versed in both Hebrew and Greek, I could not discover the meaning or root of this word. The older ladies of this class seemed to take great pride in it, and, yet I had no clue where it might have come from! Finally, weeks later, I asked. One of the ladies looked at me with surprise and said, “Why, pastor, it means ‘Be ye kind one to another’!” Christmas is a time of focus on the kindness of God. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: “As God's partners, we beg you not to reject this marvelous message of God's great kindness. For God says, ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2). That kindness shown to us ought to provide an example in the manner in which we relate to others. In fact, all of us ought to consider ourselves members of the “BYKOTA” class. Paul went a little further with the church in Ephesus: And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:30-32, ESV). Alexander Maclaren said, “Kindness makes a person attractive. If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.” Rev. William Stidger tells a story about a tombstone cutter who was busily engaged in his shop when his friend dropped in for a visit. The friend, while looking about the shop, noticed a headstone, which had been there for several years. The inscription had been cut on it, but the words were useless, for the stone had been in storage all that time. Curious, the friend asked why. "The people who ordered it were not able to pay for it," came the laconic reply. "And it stays here until they bring the money." "But what good is it doing you here?" the friend asked. "No good! No good at all!" replied the cutter with some anger. "Well, then," continued his friend, "if those folks haven't been able to pay for it yet -- it must be years -- your chances of collecting are pretty slim. Did it ever occur to you that you might place that stone where it belongs? At least it will be doing some good. It just takes up valuable room here." "That's poor business!" was the curt comment of the stonecutter. "It's never poor business to be kind to people and to go out of your way to help people who are in trouble." Having said this, the friend walked out of the shop and was on his way. A month passed before he returned to that shop. He looked around the room. The stone was gone. "Well, I see you got rid of that stone," he commented. "Did they pay you for it?" "No!" replied the stonecutter. "But I placed the stone where it belongs anyhow." "That's poor business!" reminded his friend, mockingly. "I know it is," replied the stonecutter. "But after your last visit here, my conscience started to torment me about it. I got to putting myself in that family's place, for I know that they haven't had the money to pay for it. Every time I came into this shop, that white stone haunted me like a ghost until finally I took it out and put it where it really belongs. Then, afterwards, when I found out how happy it made the family, I lost my head completely." "How?" "Well, yesterday when they came in here to pay me for the stone, do you know what I did? I refused the money. That's how foolish I'm getting to be." "Foolish? I wonder?" replied his friend. How “foolish” will you be in response to the kindness God has shown you today? Come join me as a member of the BYKOTA class!

The Gifts of Christmas

Although the only person a man usually shops for is his wife, the whole experience is a stressful one. Many a man has felt extreme frigid temperatures for a long period based on a poor present decision. As a veteran of these wars, I’m still not sure what to buy my wife, but I’ll pass on what not to buy her: 1. Don’t buy anything that plugs in. Anything that requires electricity is seen as utilitarian. 2. Don’t buy clothing that involves sizes. The chances are one in seven thousand that you will get her size right, and your wife will be offended the other 6,999 times. “Do I look like a size 12?” she’ll say. Too small a size doesn’t cut it either: “I haven’t worn a size 8 in 20 years!” 3. Avoid all things useful. The new silver polish advertised to save hundreds of hours is not going to win you any brownie points. 4. Don’t buy anything that involves weight loss or self-improvement. She’ll perceive a six-month membership to a diet center as a suggestion that’s she’s overweight. 5. Don’t buy jewelry. The jewelry your wife wants, you can’t afford. And the jewelry you can afford, she doesn’t want. 6. And, do not fall into the traditional trap of buying her frilly underwear. Your idea of the kind your wife should wear and what she actually wears are light years apart. 7. Finally, don’t spend too much. “How do you think we’re going to afford that?” she’ll ask. But don’t spend too little. She won’t say anything, but she’ll think, “Is that all I’m worth?” Christmas is a time of gift giving. And, while my humorous beginning this morning is not entirely the truth, there is a great lesson to be learned from the greatest gift anyone could possibly imagine. That gift is that of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. Thomas A. Kempis said, “A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver.” Read the words of John concerning this great gift of God: And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:4-10, ESV). While you scurry about looking for that “perfect” gift for those who you love, remember that God has already sent us the perfect gift in His only Son. He offers us life through the gift of His own life on our behalf. Receive life today!

Fear Not!

Pastor Clifford S. Stewart of Louisville, Kentucky, sent his parents a microwave oven one Christmas. Here’s how he recalls the experience: “They were excited that now they, too, could be a part of the instant generation. When Dad unpacked the microwave and plugged it in, literally within seconds, the microwave transformed two smiles into frown! Even after reading the directions, they couldn’t make it work. Two days later, my mother was playing bridge with a friend and confessed her inability to get that microwave oven even to boil water. ‘To get this darn thing to work,’ she exclaimed, ‘I really don’t need better directions; I just needed my son to come along with the gift!’” When God gave the gift of salvation, he didn’t send a booklet of complicated instructions for us to figure out; he sent his Son. Someone has said: • If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; • If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; • If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; • If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; • But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior. At least one of the things that Christ has accomplished for us as our Savior is the means of conquering of fear in our lives. In the Christmas narratives, there are several “fear not’s.” We may look at each of these through the following Scripture: 1. The “fear not” of salvation: “…but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:10,11). Almost every thinking individual fears death and the uncertainty of that which we have no measurable evidence. Faith in Jesus Christ brings courage in the face of this uncertainty. We no longer need fear death. Jesus has shown us the way to conquer it! 2. The “fear not” of the humanly impossible: "Don't be frightened, Mary," the angel told her, "for God has decided to bless you! The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:30,35,37). All of us have reached points in our lives where we simply could not do something. The message of Christ is that all things are possible with Him. 3. The “fear not” of unanswered prayer: “But the angel said, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah! For God has heard your prayer, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son! And you are to name him John.” (Luke 1:13). How often have you felt as if your prayers went unheard and unanswered? The birth of Christ offers us proof that our prayers are heard and answered. It really isn’t as complicated as often thought. God sent His Son to simplify life through His example and leadership. When Thomas wanted to know the way, Jesus said, “I am the way!” That invitation to follow Him still stands today. Trust Him today and let your fears melt away in His grace.

Silent Night - Part 3

Imagine what a heavy schedule of appointments President Abraham Lincoln had to keep day after day. Yet when an elderly woman with no official business in mind asked to see him, he graciously consented. As she entered Lincoln’s office, he rose to greet her and asked how he might be of service. She replied that she had not come to ask a favor. She had heard that the President liked a certain kind of cookie, so she had baked some for him and brought them to his office. With tears in his eyes, Lincoln responded, “You are the very first person who has ever come into my office asking not, expecting not, but rather bringing me a gift. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Thanksgiving and praise are just two of the wonderful ways we may express ourselves to our heavenly Father. How it must delight Him when we do praise Him! Joseph Mohr knew that and wrote of it in his Christmas carol, Silent Night: Silent Night! Holy Night! Wondrous Star lend thy light With the angels let us sing Alleluia to our King Christ, the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born. Just one of the Greek words in the New Testament translated “praise” is uJmnevw. It literally means, “to sing the praise of.” And, we have so much to sing praise about Him! Read the following from the Apostle Paul: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:3-10 ESV). “But how? How do I praise God?” These are the questions I am often asked. Let me make a few practical suggestions for you to use in praising Him. 1. First, be specific. I remember when our boys were very little and prayed before our meals. They would often just look around the room and begin thanking God for each item they could see. Start there. Look around your world and begin to praise Him for the things you can actually see. 2. Second, worship. Christmas is such a marvelous time of the year to worship God. Remember, though, worship is not just attendance at a scheduled service. It is genuine participation in the singing, the praying, and the focus on God and His glorious message of Good News. 3. Third, give a gift in His honor. It doesn’t need to be extravagant, but sincere. Find someone, or something that you may give a gift of your resources of money, time, or talent. And, do it as a gift to Him.

Silent Night - Part 2

Silent Night! Holy Night! Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at thy birth Jesus, Lord at thy birth. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. (John 15:9-17 ESV). It is reported that Howard Hughes, when worth approximately 4 billion dollars, said, “I’d give it all for one good friend.” Friends are people with whom you dare to be yourself. Your soul can be naked with them. They ask you to put on nothing, only to be what you are. They do not want you to be better or worse. When you are with them, you feel as a prisoner feels who has been declared innocent. You do not have to be on your guard. You can say what you think, as long as it is genuinely you. Friends understand those contradictions in your nature that lead others to misjudge you. With them you breathe freely. You can avow your little vanities and envies and hates and vicious sparks, your meannesses and absurdities, and in opening them up to friends, they are lost, dissolved on the white ocean of their loyalty. They understand. You do not have to be careful. You can abuse them, neglect them, tolerate them. Best of all, you can keep still with them. It makes no matter. They like you. They are like fire that purges to the bone. They understand. You can weep with them, sing with them, laugh with them, pray with them. Through it all—and underneath—they see, know, and love you. A friend? What is a friend? Just one, I repeat, with whom you dare to be yourself. During his days as president, Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions were traveling across the country on horseback. They came to a river which had left its banks because of a recent downpour. The swollen river had washed the bridge away. Each rider was forced to ford the river on horseback, fighting for his life against the rapid currents. The very real possibility of death threatened each rider, which caused a traveler who was not part of their group to step aside and watch. After several had plunged in and made it to the other side, the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would ferry him across the river. The president agreed without hesitation. The man climbed on, and shortly thereafter the two of them made it safely to the other side. As the stranger slid off the back of the saddle onto dry ground, one in the group asked him, “Tell me, why did you select the president to ask this favor of?” The man was shocked, admitting he had no idea it was the president who had helped him. “All I know,” he said, “Is that on some of your faces was written the answer ‘No,’ and on some of them was the answer ‘yes.’ His was a ‘Yes’ face.” Are you such a friend? Jesus is. Learn from him!

Silent Night - Part 1

"Silent Night" has become an anchor for Christmas celebrations throughout the world. Its lullaby-like melody and simple message of heavenly peace can be heard from small town street corners in mid-America to magnificent cathedrals in Europe and from outdoor candlelight concerts in Australia to palm thatched huts in northern Peru. Yet, we know very little about it’s true origin. We do know that during his service in the Alpine village of Arnsdorf, Joseph Mohr wrote a poem, "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" Due to poor health, he was sent to Salzburg for hospitalization and when he recovered, was assigned to St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf (1817). It was there that the assistant pastor met and became friends with the Arnsdorf schoolmaster and church musician, Franz Gruber. On December 24, 1818, Mohr handed over the poem to Gruber with the request to compose a suitable melody for two solo voices with choir and the accompaniment of one guitar. He did so quickly and this beloved carol was born. It has so many wonderful thoughts written into it, we’ll take a few days to look at the verses separately. Following is verse one as translated in 1863 by John Young: Silent Night! Holy Night! All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin, mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. In the second stanza of this verse Mohr wrote of the light in the midst of this calm, “all is bright.” It is a wonderful part of the character and nature of Christ. I heard a cute little story about a poor little boy who once heard his Sunday School teacher say Jesus was the light of the world. He took her remark quite literally. After class, the boy said to his teacher, "If Jesus really is the light of the world, I wish He'd come hang out in my alley. It's awful dark where I live." I’m afraid all of us at one time or another have had “alley” experiences. It may be that you have done something you think so horrible that there can never be forgiveness and restoration. Or perhaps you have been so hurt that you feel completely forgotten and abandoned in life. Either of these or a dozen others may have brought you to a place where the darkness seems overwhelming. There is good news for you today! In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 1:1-5; 8:12 ESV). Instead of trusting Christ, many people today insist on using human wisdom alone for answers to eternal questions. The tragedy of this situation was graphically illustrated in a humorous skit performed by Karl Vallentin, a Munich comedian. Walking on a stage where everything was dark except for a small area under a street lamp, he began to look for something on the ground. He told the policeman who came on the scene that he was trying to find a key, whereupon the two continued the search. Finally the officer asked, "Are you sure you lost it here?" "Oh, no," said Vallentin as he pointed to a corner, "It was over there, but here is where the light is!" If you want the key to life today, you will find it only in Christ. That’s where the real light shines and the darkness can never overcome it!