The Light of Life

The exact date of Jesus’s birth is not known, and occurred somewhere around 5 BC. It is believed that after the Roman emperor Aurelian made December 25 into a celebration of the “Invincible Sun” to mark the winter solstice (AD 274), the Church chose that date to celebrate Christ’s birthday to appropriate that festival time. Certainly the solstice would be an appropriate time to mark the arrival of the Light of the world into the darkest day of the year.

There are about 80 references to light in the New Testament. Many of those refer directly to Jesus.

“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… The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:4-5, 9).

“The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (John 3:19).

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

“The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned” (Matt. 4:16).

God’s first act in creation was to speak light into existence: “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Gen. 1:3). When Jesus died on the cross, “the sun’s light failed” (Luke 22:45). Then of the new earth to come, we are told, “The city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev. 21:23).

Scripture also refers to our responsibility to live in the light:

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).

“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).

One of the reasons we decorate with lights at Christmas is to remember the arrival of the Light of the world. Jesus came to expose our sin, redeem us from eternal death and darkness, and enable us to share His light with the world. Let there be light!

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

---

© 2023 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Waiting

Simeon,
awaiting the Savior,
the consolation of Israel,
waiting faithfully,
waiting patiently,
salvation for all,
the light for Gentiles,
and the Jews’ Messiah,
waiting righteously,
waiting devoutly,
believing God’s promises,
trusting the Spirit’s revelation.
Lord, make me more like Simeon.

Anna,
awaiting the Savior,
worshiping daily,
fasting and praying,
waiting for decades,
the redemption of Jerusalem,
giving thanks to God,
speaking to all,
waiting for the Redeemer.
Lord, make me more like Anna.

Jesus,
the Christ,
the Messiah,
Savior,
Redeemer,
Son of God,
Friend of sinners,
coming again,
awaiting the Father’s cue,
wanting none to perish,
but all to repent.
Lord, make me more like Jesus.

Help me to live
in holiness,
in godliness,
faithfully,
trusting You,
waiting for the coming day,
for the new heavens
and new earth,
where righteousness dwells.
Lord, come quickly.

“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (Rev. 22:7).

[See Luke 2:25-38 and 2 Peter 3:8-13.]

© 2023 Dawn Rutan text and photo. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Blessed Forever

As we approach Christmas, it’s likely that you’ve seen or heard some reference to Mary’s song of praise (the “Magnificat”) in Luke 1:46-55. In her book Jesus Through the Eyes of Women, Rebecca McLaughlin notes similarities between Mary’s words and Hannah’s praise in 1 Samuel 2. She notes,

“Looking at Jesus through the ancient telescope of Hannah’s and Mary’s eyes, we see the one who turns the tables on all human power, the one who lifts the humble and humbles the mighty, the one who is the Savior of his people, showing mercy even as he shows his strength.”

One thing I noted in reading through the Magnificat is how little of Mary’s praise is for her own personal blessing of being the mother of the Messiah. While it is true that Mary’s role was unique and that she was blessed in that way, it’s also true that every believer is blessed through our adoption into God’s family through Jesus’s birth, life, death, and resurrection. When Jesus began His ministry, some of His first recorded words are proclamation of blessings—the Beatitudes in Matthew 5—for the poor in spirit, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted. In fact, there are several parallels between the Magnificat and the Beatitudes. Mary quotes from many Old Testament passages in saying that God has shown mercy to the meek, scattered the proud, exalted the humble, and filled the hungry.

In Ephesians 1:3 we’re reminded that God “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” In a recent sermon from Immanuel Nashville, Barnabas Piper notes that Mary wasn’t chosen because she was spectacularly different from other people, and neither are we. God “chose us before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4), not for anything we have done but by His own grace and mercy. Our blessed status is entirely dependent on Jesus’s righteousness, not our own. “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). And Jesus’s righteousness never changes. We can trust in His promised blessings forever. We can join Mary in saying, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.”

During this Christmas season, rather than elevating Mary beyond measure, let’s give our praise to God, who elevates all believers beyond anything we could ever ask, imagine, or deserve. As Amy Orr-Ewing notes in an interview in Christianity Today, “It’s encouraging to know that, whatever our qualifications or status, we can have this deep theological conviction in the reality that Jesus is Lord of all.”

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy” (Psalm 103:2-4).

 

© 2023 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Looking Ahead

During the season of Advent churches often focus on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. The angels proclaimed:

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord… Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” (Luke 2:10-11, 14).

We recognize that those are not merely emotional experiences, but are rooted in the truths of Scripture—initiated with the birth of Jesus and to be finally fulfilled at His Second Coming. However, even as we affirm that truth, probably many of us are wishing for the emotional side of hope, peace, joy, and love. Life in this world is hard, and the busyness of Christmas can be a reminder of how imperfect the world is. The past couple years have added new kinds of stresses to our family, work, school, and church lives. As much as we may want to return to the “good old days,” things are forever changed. We are mentally, physically, and emotionally worn out.

If we look back to the time of Jesus’ birth, things weren’t too rosy then either. The Roman occupation had all Israel on edge. In the midst of the narrative of Jesus’ birth and early life, after the wise men leave, we read:

“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under… A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted because they are no more” (Matt. 2:16, 18).

We don’t know how many people around Bethlehem had heard about the message of “good news of great joy,” but they were probably wondering how the death of dozens of children was part of this “good news.” A tyrannical leader looked more like proof of the lack of peace and joy and hope in the world. Even after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples still didn’t fully understand His role in the world. They asked, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). They were still looking for a temporal conqueror as their source for hope and peace.

As we live in a culture that is becoming increasingly anti-Christian and uncomfortable, the temporal aspects of hope, joy, and peace are harder to grasp. I’ve often said that my hope is 99% located in eternity, because I don’t see much hope for things in this life. The same applies to peace and joy. I have no problem looking forward to the perfection of eternity. I just wish we didn’t have to go through all the difficulties of life in the meantime.

The Apostle Paul indicates that today’s hardships will make eternity even more glorious: “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17). James also points to eternity as reason to endure now: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

The author of Hebrews reminds us, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23). In the process of enduring and holding onto hope, we can look for the signs of God’s work in our lives—conforming us to the image of Christ; loving others with the love we’ve received from God; and using the gifts He has given us for His purposes of spreading the gospel and helping others to grow in their faith. When life and culture press us down, it’s not a “happy holiday” that we need, but reminders of God’s faithfulness to His promises. We don’t need to fake emotions we aren’t feeling; we need to hold fast to our hope in the eternity that we will enjoy with our heavenly Father and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

“And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Rom. 8:23-25).

© 2022 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

What Do You Know

It seems like every Christmas someone asks the question—why was Zechariah made mute for questioning the angel Gabriel, but Mary was not? If you look at the questions they asked, there is a key difference. Zechariah’s question was about his uncertainty: “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years” (Luke 1:18). He wanted proof of what Gabriel told him. I imagine Gabriel’s eyes flashing with fire as he responds (my paraphrase), “I am Gabriel! God sent me, and you dare to ask for proof of my credentials? Just for that you’re going to be silent for nine months so you can think about it!” Zechariah was probably fortunate that because of God’s mercy he didn’t receive worse consequences.

Mary, on the other hand, asks, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34). She’s not asking for proof, just puzzling over the process required for this to take place. The angel answers her question, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God” (v. 35).

There are other differences between the two encounters as well. When Zechariah saw the angel, he was troubled, “and fear fell upon him” (v. 12). Mary “was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what kind of greeting this might be” (v. 29). Zechariah’s fear wasn’t necessarily a bad thing—most people in Scripture expressed fear when they saw angels—but unfortunately his fear wasn’t enough to keep him from saying the wrong thing. Scripture doesn’t say that Mary was afraid, but troubled, agitated, or perplexed. As is said of her later, “Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (2:19). Unlike Zechariah, she was inclined to think first and talk later.

It’s ironic that Zechariah, a priest serving in the temple, didn’t fully believe what Gabriel had to say to him, while the teenage Mary appears to have taken everything in stride. Mary was somehow different from average, since she was chosen to bear God’s Son, but she was fully human. I’m sure she had a lot of questions throughout Jesus’s life, but she trusted that God was in control of the details. Perhaps she and Elizabeth compared notes when they visited before John was born. Maybe Zechariah observed her faithful acceptance of God’s will and realized where he needed to trust God more. Certainly his prophecy in verses 68-79 sounds like he truly has come to believe that his son would be a messenger of the Lord, just as Gabriel had told him (vv. 13-17).

As I consider their stories, I wonder how I would respond in similar situations. I’ve never seen an angel, but I’d like to think that if one did appear my first question would not be “How can I know you’re telling me the truth?” I hope I would respond like Mary, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (v. 38). But I also know my own doubts and fears. How many times have I asked God why He is doing certain things, or not doing what I want Him to do? How often do I wonder “Did God really say that?” even though Scripture is clear? I don’t always live out what I say I believe. I know what the Bible says about who God is and all He has promised for those who follow Him, but I can tend to live as though none of that is really true.

Christmas is a good time to remind ourselves and one another that faith really does matter, and it can change our lives completely if we’ll live what we say we believe.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’  has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

© 2021 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

For Sure

The first Sunday of Advent typically focuses on the theme of hope. This is not some kind of wishful thinking about the future, but a steadfast certainty that God is who He says He is, that Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and ascended into heaven, and that one day He will return to gather His people. The human authors of Scripture pointed repeatedly to this unshakeable hope.

“It seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you… that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:3-4).

“So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which is it impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone… This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant… Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 6:17-20a, 7:22, 25).

“I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father” (1 John 2:13).

When we know God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we have confident hope in His care for us.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39).

“And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6)

In a world where it seems like the only certain things are death and taxes, we need reminders that God is greater than all this. There is nothing that happens apart from His knowledge and permission (Job 1-2). I’ve been reminded of this in multiple ways recently in areas where I have tried to control the uncontrollable. I can’t do it, but I can trust and hope in the One who is in control of all things.

“Let Your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in You” (Psalm 33:22).

© 2021 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Light in the Darkness

We’re living in dark times. The world is broken by sin, filled with suffering, conflict, and difficulty. Life is exhausting, particularly in a year of constant uncertainties. Everything requires extra mental energy because nothing is routine right now. It feels like we’ve all been going full tilt for about ten months straight.

Darkness is nothing new. It’s been part of the world since Genesis 3. But even in the judgment of the first sin, there was a promise of light to come through the Messiah: “He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Gen. 3:15). The many Messianic promises of the Old Testament were fulfilled when Jesus was born. The Apostle John wrote of Jesus, “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… The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:4-5, 9).

The light continues to shine in the darkness. The darkness will eventually be vanquished, but right now it seems all too prominent. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Everyone who knows Him has the light. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

Now we as the Body of Christ are reflectors of His light to the world. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matt. 5:14). May we all walk in the light each day so that we “may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15).

“The Lord is God, and He has made His light to shine upon us” (Psalm 118:27a).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Fighting for Peace

Advent and Christmas are often associated with peace, specifically the coming Prince of Peace. Though the angels proclaimed “peace among those with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14b ESV), I think we can all agree that there is a real lack of peace on earth.

I was forcefully reminded that our peace is not in temporal things when my house was broken into for the second time in twelve months. I witnessed it from across the street where I do my running around the church parking lot. In many ways, I think that made it worse this time, because of the overwhelming powerlessness of waiting for the police to arrive and hoping they would get there before the men left (which of course they didn’t). I’ll be looking for that car, and I’ll long have the image in my mind of one guy kicking my front door. At least there was nothing left worth stealing this year.

My peace and comfort have been disturbed. I’m doing what I can to improve the security of my house, but in reality, earthly security is an illusion. We can’t control the actions of people or of much of nature (as attested by the fallen trees in my yard after this week’s ice and wind). We build our lives around the things we can control. Any situation that removes the element of control makes us uncomfortable and disturbs our peace.

Jesus says in Luke 14:33, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.” I would suggest that includes our illusions of control. Anything that we believe we have control over is in danger of usurping God’s sovereignty over all things. I believe that is one of the lessons of the book of Job. When his good life disappeared, Job had to deal with the fact that all that he thought was in his domain was really transient, and he wanted to blame someone. In the end, God reminded him Who was really in control. If our treasures are on earth, they will eventually be destroyed (Matthew 6:19-21).

I’ve had many wakeful hours at night with my mind spinning with thoughts of “what if” and “I wish.” One of the Scriptures that often comes to mind is Psalm 121.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.

When the world is full of dangers and strife, God doesn’t promise freedom from the effects of evil, but He does promise to keep watch over our eternal security. He won’t allow anything to happen to us that will separate us from Him (Romans 8:35-39). We can choose to dwell on the dangers and discomforts of this world and live in fear, or we can dwell on God’s goodness and faithfulness and rest in Him.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things… and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:6-9).

I find that to be a daily, sometimes hourly, battle to think upon the things that will calm my mind and enable me live in peace. God knows every detail of this broken world and He is still in control. He is at peace, so that should give us peace if we remember that and truly believe it. He is our Mighty Fortress in a world at war.

“And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us… Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever.”

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

© 2018 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Peace with God

My favorite Christmas song is Casting Crowns’ rendition of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote additional verses that are not usually sung. You can read the story behind the song here. It was written during the Civil War, so it was evident to Longfellow that “There is no peace on earth… For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good-will to men.” Though we are not in the midst of a national war in America now, peace is still lacking in many places and many ways. Peace on earth often seems like a distant dream.

Unfortunately, some Bible translations (KJV in particular) have fostered an erroneous idea. The angels did not proclaim peace to everyone on earth. The ESV more accurately translates Luke 2:14b, “on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.” It is not a universal peace that is promised, but peace for those who are reconciled with God through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. It is conditional upon our relationship with the Father, which makes us “those with whom He is pleased.”

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). That is the peace we have access to today, which gives us reason to endure the hostility, pain, and difficulty of life in this broken world. However, Longfellow is correct that:

“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail,
The right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

One day soon, after the Second Coming, we will be able to enjoy universal peace, but not until then. We can look forward to that time of eternal peace, but in the meantime we can celebrate and enjoy the peace that we have with God because we have been reconciled to Him.

We can also experience God’s peace as we entrust all our cares and anxieties to Him. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Even when there are wars and conflicts, death and disease, God is still sovereign over this earth. He know all that will happen and His love never fails. So we can trust Him and rest in the One who is peace.

If you’re lacking peace this Christmas, trust Jesus Christ as Savior, submit to Him as Lord, and wait upon Him as the soon-returning Prince of Peace.

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Joy in Abiding

The third week of Advent is typically associated with the theme of joy. Of the four themes, love, joy, and peace are all listed in the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, and Romans 15:13 ties together hope, joy, and peace: “May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (ESV). The truth is that we cannot manufacture hope, love, joy, or peace out of our own efforts. We are dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit within us.

The world tries and fails to mimic these traits, especially at Christmas. We are told it’s the “most wonderful time of the year,” and yet it is often filled with stress, anxiety, discord, and sorrow. We can wish for and look forward to changes in the New Year, but that is not the same as the hope that is firmly rooted in Christ. We can make an extra effort to be kind to others, but as Paul wrote, “If I give away all I have… but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3). We can pursue activities that make us happy, but true joy is found only because of our relationship with Christ. We can try to create soothing circumstances and relationships, but true peace is out of our control.

• “According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3b). “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
• “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins… We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:10, 19).
• “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way” (2 Thessalonians 3:16a). “For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14).
• “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

If this fruit grows out of our relationship with God, we won’t produce it by trying harder but by growing closer to Him. As we spend time in the Word and in prayer, we will be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2), and we will be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). As we abide in the vine, in relationship with Christ, then the Fruit of the Spirit will become evident in our lives. “As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4b).

I can think of nothing that will create greater joy, peace, hope, and love than drawing close to the One who created me, redeemed me, and chose me to be part of His family for eternity.

“Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (1 Peter 1:8).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Love Came First

Love is one of the traditional themes of Advent, thinking particularly of God’s love made incarnate in Jesus Christ. I happen to be reading through the book of Numbers right now, and came across this verse:

“Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of Your steadfast love, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now” (Numbers 14:19 ESV).

It struck me that Moses pleaded for forgiveness for the Israelites based solely on God’s steadfast love. It wasn’t based on their repentance—they were still grumbling. It wasn’t based on their promises to do better—they hadn’t yet learned their lesson. It wasn’t based on God’s foreknowledge of some vastly more obedient future—they were still disobedient centuries later. God’s forgiveness was sought because He was and is loving, gracious, and merciful. And as we live after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, this is even more clearly true for us. God provided the means of forgiveness long before we were born, not just when we realized our need. His steadfast love predated our repentance.

Psalm 107 presents a quick summary of the Israel’s afflictions and judgment, referring probably to Exodus but possibly other exiles as well. We may find ourselves somewhere in these verses—wandering, hungry, in darkness, suffering for our own sin, fearful, oppressed. But the recurring refrain for Israel and for us is “Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man!” (vv. 8, 15, 21, 31). Wherever we may be, His love has not changed, and His love seeks us out and provides more than we could ever need.

In Luke 1 Zechariah prophesied that God “has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of salvation” and that John was “to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God” (68-69, 77-78a). I think it is significant that Zechariah doesn’t speak of this as something that is about to happen, but has already happened (Greek aorist tense). It reinforces the fact that God’s steadfast love was at work from the beginning of time (Ephesians 3:9-12). The incarnation wasn’t “Plan B” when God realized we needed help. In love, even as He created the world He planned to make it possible for sinners to be united with Him through the blood of Christ.

It begins to boggle the mind as you think through these things. We may never fully understand the lengths God went to for us. It should indeed lead us to “thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man!”

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued My faithfulness to you” (Jeremiah 31:1b).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Hopes and Fears

“The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight” (Phillips Brooks).

The first Sunday of Advent is often linked with the theme of hope, and I’ve been thinking a lot about this line from “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” Brooks wrote the song a few years after the Civil War, so I expect he knew a bit about hopes and fears. When life is easy and free from anxiety, who needs hope? But hope is a lifeline when fears are overwhelming.

I have often been guilty of thinking of Christian hope as something rooted in the future. The hope for a perfected world for eternity is a good hope and one worth hanging onto. But that’s not the only hope. As Brooks correctly identified, our fears are addressed by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus two millennia ago. Our hope is grounded in the past, not just in the future. Christ meets us in our fears.

• When we fear that God doesn’t hear— “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard... O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage” (Daniel 10:12, 19 ESV).
• When we feel alone and weak— “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand... For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you” (Isaiah 41:10, 13).
• When shame hangs over us— “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more” (Isaiah 54:4).
• When we fear death— “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:17b-18).
• When we are suffering— “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:20).
• When persecution comes— “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested… Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

I’ve found that hope is a choice. It is choosing to believe the promises of God over the lies of the world. It isn’t always easy to believe that God is good and that He is in control. There are times when hope feels too risky. There are times when admonitions to hope simply fall on deaf ears. But even when we don’t hear it, feel it, or understand it, God is still faithful.

Edward Welch wrote in Shame Interrupted,

“Hope was once a curse to you. It was just another occasion for disappointment and grief… Some days the truth sounds like mere words… When you believe what God has said rather than lies, you are doing valuable work. When you choose hope over despair, your choice has lasting significance. When you get out of bed and persevere in ordinary obedience because you are representing the King, your labor is noticed even by heavenly beings (Ephesians 3:10)” (317, 320, 324).

May this Christmas season bring renewed hope to all who seek Him.

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10b-11).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

A Brief Thought for Advent

The four traditional emphases of the Advent wreath are hope, peace, joy, and love. As I was looking at some Scriptures on those themes, I noticed a few things in the ESV:

• There is one verse that refers to the God of hope (Romans 15:13), one reference to the God of love (2 Cor. 13:11), several verses that refer to the God of peace, but none refer to the God of joy.
• There are several verses that refer to the love of God, one reference to the peace of God (Phil. 4:7), but no references to the hope of God or joy of God.

“God is love” (1 John 4:8), but God is not hope or peace or joy. He is the source of all good things, but He is not defined by those things in the same way that He is defined by love. God has no real need for hope or peace as we understand them, because He is omnipotent and in control of all things. We who are limited, created beings need to find our hope and peace in something and Someone greater than ourselves. God has joy, but it is not dependent on any circumstances. He is never surprised by a good outcome of events or a newly converted sinner. His joy is in the fellowship of the Trinity and in arranging the detailed lives of billions of people in His divine plan.

But God is love. All that He does for us, in us, and through us is because of love. His character is revealed through His love in action, and His love is multiplied through the members of His Body. Because God is love, therefore we can have hope and peace and joy. As we trust in His character we can have hope, knowing that He will work all things together for our good. If we believe in His love for us, we can have peace because He is present with us in all circumstances. And because He is love, we can experience joy as we grow in spiritual maturity and as others are brought to faith in Him.

The commercialization of Christmas has led people to believe that we can find hope, peace, joy, and love through material gifts, well-planned social events, and nostalgic traditions. In reality, they are only found in seeking God. Hope, peace, and joy aren’t found by seeking them for their own sake, but by seeking the God of love.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13 ESV).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

Mystery Incarnate

In preparation for Christmas I’ve been reading the first few chapters of Luke, and I noticed something I hadn’t seen before. When the angel appears to Zechariah announcing his coming son, Zechariah asks, “How shall I know this?” (I imagine the angel saying “How many angelic messages does it take to convince you?!”) Then after John is born and Zechariah can speak again, part of his prophetic praise includes, “You will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins” (vv. 76-77 ESV). It seems that he learned something about knowing and trusting God during that nine months of silence.

There are plenty of things about God that we’ll never understand in this lifetime, and perhaps not even in eternity. As many have said, if we fully understood God He would not be God. Paul wrote, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!” (Romans 11:33). He often mentioned the mysteries of God. And in Ephesians 3:18-19 he prays that we “may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” I take that to mean that we can simply grasp the fact that it’s far beyond our human knowledge and experience, and we accept that by faith.

The mysteries of God are not things that we can logically conclude if we just have enough evidence. It’s not a matter of further research that will reveal the key that unlocks it all. God is so far beyond our realm of understanding that we cannot hope to unravel the mysteries. As C.S. Lewis said, it’s like trying to explain the three dimensions to a two dimensional object. Recently I was imagining how one would try to explain darkness to an atom residing in the center of the sun. (Yes, I have a strange imagination.) While that might be possible, assuming you can find an intelligent atom, God is infinitely further from explanation.

Paul summarizes some of the mystery in 1 Timothy 3:16:

“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”

As we celebrate the historical event of Jesus’ birth, we shouldn’t forget that the incarnation is a great mystery. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

While a baby in a manger is something we can wrap our minds around, God becoming flesh and then dying for our sins is beyond our full comprehension. Perhaps the most incomprehensible part is that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Why God would love a bunch of sinners enough to send His Son to die for them is beyond me.

Let’s hold onto that mystery this Christmas and throughout the year. May the wonder of it all lead us into true worship!

Let There Be Light

Last night I was reading Psalm 4 and noticed verse 6b: “Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” (ESV). That led me to think of Isaiah 9:2: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” From there I jumped to John 1:5: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” And then on to John 8:12: “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.’”

We often hear about Jesus being the Light of the world as these verses describe. But the next verse that came to mind surprised me. In Matthew 5:14 Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” I had never thought of this verse in conjunction with His statement in John. He is the Light of the world, but He calls us to carry the same light ourselves. We are not unlike candle holders, bearing His light for others to see. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes of this verse:

“So not only have we received light, we have been made light. We become transmitters of light. In other words, it is this extraordinary teaching of the mystical union between the believer and his Lord. His nature enters into us so that we become, in a sense, what He Himself is. It is essential that we bear in mind both aspects of this matter. As those who believe the gospel we have received light and knowledge and instruction. But, in addition, it has become part of us. It has become our life, so that we thus become reflectors of it. The remarkable thing, therefore, of which we are reminded here is our intimate relationship with Him. The Christian is a man who has received and has become a partaker of the divine nature.”

Light reveals reality: by it we can see what is around us in this dark world we live in. Light exposes the dirt and sin in our lives and in the lives of others that needs to be cleaned up. It also shows the cleanness of lives that have been made as white as snow. Light illumines the path ahead, so we are not stumbling around like those living in darkness.

I wonder how well we are carrying the light sometimes. Are we living in the light of confession and repentance, or are we trying to keep some parts of our lives hidden from view? Are we helping others to see their need for the light of truth, or are we overlooking them for the sake of niceness? Are we revealing the path to the One who is Light, or are we helping them remain in darkness? Are we letting our light shine in the darkness, or are we hoping someone else will do the job for us?

As we have celebrated the coming of the Light into the world this Christmas, may we allow that light to shine into our lives and reveal any darkness we need to deal with. And as we move into the New Year, may we let God’s light shine in us and through us to a world walking in darkness.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Waiting for Joy

In this third week of Advent the theme is joy. Joy is one of those terms that is hard to define very well. We’ve been told that it is supposed to be different from happiness, which is based in circumstances (related to Old English happenstance, hap, luck). It should be more deeply rooted and therefore more enduring than happiness. The first definition listed on Dictionary.com is “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.” That clears things up, right? If we can’t clearly define what we mean by joy, how do we know if we have it?

Bible translations differ, and where some translations use the word “happy” others substitute “blessed.” This is one reason that happiness is often tied to having favorable circumstances. However, the Greek and Hebrew words for “joy” are used fairly consistently across translations.

I find it interesting that the Bible never seems to indicate that joy is unchangeable. Paul wrote that he was “overflowing with joy” (2 Corinthians 7:4), and longing to “be filled with joy” (2 Timothy 1:4). David prayed “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation” (Psalm 51:12). James warned “Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom” (James 4:9). Solomon stated, “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief” (Proverbs 14:13).

To be honest, I find it a bit of a relief to know that a lack of joy does not necessarily indicate a lack of faith. Yes, joy is part of the Fruit of the Spirit and hopefully will increase over time. But that also means it is up to the Holy Spirit to produce joy, not me. We can do things to nurture joy, but we can’t make it grow. I came across this verse a few days ago, and I have great appreciation for Paul’s prayer here: “May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:11). Sometimes we have to wait for the joy to come, and faith is our lifeline while we wait.

May we learn to wait, to trust, and to bow to the One who is in control.

(Check out Bow the Knee, words and music by Christopher Machen & Michael Harland)

Peace in Confidence

I spent Sunday afternoon watching the perennial favorite The Sound of Music. It occurred to me as I watched that Maria had more problems with becoming a nun than just falling in love Captain Von Trapp. She also had some significant theology problems. When she first is ordered to leave the convent, what is the song she sings on her way? “I have confidence in confidence alone; besides which, you see, I have confidence in me!” Don’t you think a novitiate should be stating her confidence in God alone?

Then after the Captain affirms his love for Maria, she sings, “For here you are, standing there, loving me, whether or not you should. So somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good. Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could. So somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.” So apparently her belief is that you eventually get what you deserve. Even though she could only remember her “wicked childhood,” she is certain that she must have done something to earn this love she now received.

What amazes me is that in the 30 or 40 times I’ve seen this movie I’ve never once considered the heresy that it is propagating! We probably all have times when we get caught up in the drama or the tradition that we don’t really think about the fallacies we’re taking in. (Television is a great anesthetic to the brain.)

Right after watching the movie, I picked up a book I’ve been rereading, Shame Interrupted, by Edward Welch. In writing about the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), he quotes Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the first beatitude: “It means the complete absence of pride, a complete absence of self-assurance and self-reliance. It means the consciousness that we are nothing in the presence of God. It is nothing, then, that we can produce; it is nothing that we can do in ourselves. It is just this tremendous awareness of our utter nothingness as we come face to face with God. That is to be poor in spirit” (p. 142).

Jumping ahead to the sixth beatitude, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” Welch comments, “One good message from this beatitude is that pure is possible for the poor in spirit. How can that be? When you assemble the pieces you have so far, you know that pure is possible because you are purified by Jesus. Pure is something that is done to you. You receive it by faith through the gentle yet powerful touch of Jesus” (p. 149).

Among the many great lessons of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus points out two keys here: 1) We have no confidence, ability, or righteousness in and of ourselves. 2) All that we have comes from God through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Based on those two realities, we can cling to the other promises in that sermon-- “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious...” (Matthew 6:33-34). “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you... how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (7:7,11).

I’ve needed these reminders lately when the promises of Scripture have seemed to apply to either the past or the future, not the present. So Friday evening I started compiling for myself a list of scriptural “Promises for Today” and the beatitudes were one of the first places I stopped. I also spent considerable time in the psalms, and Psalm 27:1 has come to mind several times in the past few days: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Here are just a few of the other promises I pulled out:

·         Psalm 37:5-6- “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.”

·         Psalm 57:2- “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.”

·         John 15:5- “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

·         James 5:11- “Behold, we consider those blessed who remain steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”

·         Isaiah 30:15- “In returning [repentance] and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”

In this second week of Advent the Peace candle is lit. Peace is built on the foundation of hope. Peace becomes a reality when we fully believe and have confidence in the God who keeps all His promises. Jesus Himself was the fulfillment of many Old Testament promises, and He continues to fulfill promises today and every day. We can depend on Him while we await the fulfillment of the final promise of eternal life in the kingdom in His presence.

“It is impossible for God to lie. We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:18-19).

© 2013 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Expectancy

It hadn't occurred to me till this week that a synonym for hope is expectant. Doesn't "expectant mother" sound more hopeful than "pregnant"? (Personally, I like the term used in the Opus cartoons years ago- "infanticipating.") 

Since we're nearing Advent, I've been thinking about the hope that Mary must have had after learning that she was to be the mother of the Messiah. The announcement from an angel must have started hope growing. Then her visit to Elizabeth strengthened her hope. The shepherds' arrival reinforced her hope even more. She had the expectation of not only raising a child, but a child unlike any other. 

Jesus would literally be the Hope of the world. Mary had no way of knowing how that hope would be fulfilled, though the words of Simeon in Luke 2 told Mary it would not be easy for her to witness-- "A sword will pierce your own soul as well." The ultimate hope for the world would come through the pain of a sacrificial death. The expectation of eternal life came through the apparent hopelessness of death. 

For this first Sunday of Advent, I wonder what hopes we are cherishing right now? If hope is based on expectation, what are we truly expecting, not just wishing for? Christmas tends to become a time of wishing, rather than hopeful expectation.

-Wishing for a particular gift, or wishing for the money to buy the "perfect" gift.

-Wishing for a change of circumstances, or wishing things wouldn't keep changing. 

-Wishing for the holiday season to last, or wishing for it to be over. 

But hopeful expectancy is found in Christ. We can expect that He will always love His children (2 Thessalonians 2:16). We can expect that He is always at work in our lives, making even the hard times work for His purposes (Romans 8:28). We can expect that He will cause spiritual fruit to grow in our lives as we trust in Him (Galatians 5:22-23). And one day we can expect to see Him face to face when He comes in glory (2 Thessalonians 1:10).

-In Christ, we already have the perfect gift, and we are encouraged to share it with others so that it might be multiplied. 

-In Christ, we know that we are loved, accepted, and forgiven, regardless of our circumstances. 

-In Christ, every day is a holy day, set apart for us to serve Him and glorify Him by using the gifts He has given us. 

May this Christmas be one of growing hopefulness as we expect God to fulfill His scriptural promises in our lives!