The Night of Nights

“And there were…shepherds…keeping watch over their flock by night.” Luke 2:8

Nighttime came, mercifully for Mary, at the end of a long day. The bony joints of the swaying donkey beneath her had ensured that she, swollen with her soon-to-be-born child, found little comfort. The rude crowds, the gritty dust and the twilight chill added to her restlessness. She was young, but she knew what was happening inside her, and she needed a place to go quickly. Near-panic set in as Joseph slumped back to the caravan with rejection written across his face.

In the end, she didn’t care that it was a stable. Even the strong smell of farm animals and the prickly straw covered with sheets were a welcome sight to her. Few on earth understood what was about to happen in the middle of this blessed night, but the heavens would soon reverberate with joy. The night, with its shadows, its cold, its darkness providing protective cover for hell’s agents met more than its match in a stable birth.

On this night of nights, an angelic choir, bathed in a cloud of glory, borrowed the blackness as a backdrop to announce the incarnation of earth’s savior. The Word became flesh to dwell among us on this night.

On this wintry night, Judean shepherds, drawing their woolen cloaks around them to ward off the cool air, trembled with fear at the figures glistening before them, believing that the worst calamity of their superstitious minds had come to pass. Finally, awestruck at the breathtaking sight, they hurried off to the stables to bow in worship.

On this dark night, the Creator of the universe directed a constellation to converge over the little town of Micah ’s prophecy, Bethlehem . Not even the encroaching darkness had the power to snuff out that brilliant light. There were wise men on their way, kings who were counting on the special star and they must not lose their way in the night.

On this holy night, the prophecies of Israel ’s most renowned patriarchs, poets and prophets found their glorious fulfillment.

• Until Shiloh come, Jacob said.
• I will raise up a Prophet, God said to Moses.
• I will set up thy seed after thee, Nathan said.
• Immanuel, said Isaiah.
• “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
• He later said, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” Isaiah 11:1
• The prophet Daniel foresaw the advent of the Messiah. “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks.” Daniel 9:25

So, the Messiah came—-at night. He chose the night, not because he feared the revelations of the day, but to issue a bold proclamation against the night of sin and hopelessness.

Nightfall has a way of changing the complexion of life. The pain we feel during the daylight hours seems to intensify at night. The cold of the night air chills the lonesome traveler to the bone. Night magnifies our fears, deepens our despair and weakens our resolve. As the sun hides its face from the earth, it seems to block out goodness as well. Something about the night emboldens evil-doers and foul spirits. Thieves, murderers, drunkards and prostitutes prowl the streets at night. Night shadows conjure up eerie scenes that play on the imagination.

Job understood the squeamishness of the night. “They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof. The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief. The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face. In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light. For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.” Job 24:13-17

David complained against the night. “I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.” Psalm 77:1-2

Jesus reviled the darkness. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19.

Darkness and night symbolize all that is evil. Satan himself is known as the Prince of Darkness. The last night of Sodom and Gomorrah mixed mercy with vile sin, both a prelude to pitiless fire and brimstone. Egypt ’s firstborn suffered the death angel’s scourge at night. The night exposed the cowardly nature of Peter warming himself by a strange fire. Nighttime enveloped the marred visage of Christ as he agonized in prayer at Gethsemane . It was under the cover of night that Judas planted his traitorous kiss on Jesus. Paul spent a long night in the cold sea, struggling for his life.

Yet, God chose the night, the very epitome of evil, the shroud of darkness, the absence of light, the celebratory time of hell’s demons to make his glorious entry into the world. He proved that the night becomes subservient to the day, the light will overcome the darkness, and pain and suffering hidden in the night will lose its power at the breaking of the day.

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

We hold night in contempt, not only in the abstract, but with a window on individual nights in scripture. Let us travel first to Jerusalem .

It was a bitter night in the house of a respectable couple in Jerusalem , when the mother gave birth to a long-awaited son. Their anticipated joy plunged into sorrow, however, when they looked into his sightless eyes. Perhaps, at first, they didn’t recognize the symptoms. They inspected his tiny nose, his crumpled ears and smoothed his shock of jet black hair. He seemed normal enough, even more handsome than other would-be messiahs born recently in the neighborhood.

At some point, though, a suspicious mother kept returning her gaze to the infant’s eyes. Something about them looked abnormal. With her thumb and forefinger, she pushed back the puffy eyelids and examined the unresponsive eyes. Afraid to verbalize it, nevertheless, she could not expel the thought from her head.

“Is he…? No, it can’t be. Maybe it’s too early to tell. Maybe he needs to develop a little more. Maybe I’m just worrying too much. But it looks like…”

She stole a glance at her husbands face, and saw a look of concern. He held his finger up before the little red face and moved it back and forth.

“What are you doing?”

“I don’t know…it’s just that his eyes don’t look right.”

The sick feeling hit her in the pit of her stomach. She gathered up the baby, held him tightly against her breast and rocked him gently. Looking through the window into the blackness of night, she knew that her newborn son would never see the light of day. He was destined to have a perpetual night shrouding his eyes.

The scene changes to Gadara . It must have been night when the truth came out. His once mild personality had changed, and he started behaving in strange, even shameful ways. She slept little at night, wondering what to do.

First came his guttural voice, his rage, his wild look. Then, his body contorted, he staggered around the room and fell.

“Stop! You’re scaring me.” He stared at her with hate-filled eyes, then screamed and ran into the dusty street. Pieces of his clothing littered the path, torn haphazardly from his body and flung into the wind. On he ran until he collapsed in the tombs, and there he began his dreadful habitation

A legion of demonic spirits invaded his body and brain. He shrieked, laughed and moaned. Authorities bound him with chains, but he broke loose each time with non-human bursts of strength. He was possessed.

Travelers, especially as night fell, could hear the wails of the demoniac of Gadara .

Nazareth portrays another night scene.

During the day, she could force herself to the market. At home, she clung to her cane and managed to fix her meals and keep her house. More than once she woke up on the floor, having passed out from weakness and pain.

But, nighttime was the worst. She lay there in misery on her bed, feeling the hemorrhaging condition draining her body of life. Doctors from Dan to Beersheba took her money, but offered her no cure. Once fiercely independent and able to take care of herself, she saw her modest treasure dwindle to nothing. She knew she was in trouble.

Finally, we go up to Capernaum , on Galilee.

Nighttime descended like an avalanche on the entire family when he broke his silence. “I went to the priest today,” he began.

“Whatever for?” She asked.

He sighed. “You know that spot on my hand that I’ve been wondering about?”

His wife’s hand went to her mouth, stifling a cry of horror. He hung his head and slowly backed away, knowing he could never again tenderly embrace his wife. Cruel leprosy denied fond farewells and long goodbyes. She gathered the children around her skirts, and broke the news to them.

“Your father is a leper.”

The one they loved now became a curse to them. Affection became revulsion. They all knew what leprosy was and what it did. He now had to shout to his own family, “Unclean!” And he disappeared into the night.

Jesus came into a nighttime world.

Satan promised that it would be different. He implied that sin was enlightenment, that disobedience to the will of God would be an entrance into a brighter day than either of them had ever known.

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5

Instead of a creating a brighter day, the sin of Adam and Eve plunged the world into gross darkness. The light that burned in their souls became darkness.

Never let it be said that someone is better off without Christ.
He is the Day Star.
He is the Light of the World.
He is the Consuming Fire.
He is the Sun of Righteousness.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” John 1:1-9

Why this night of nights?

Jesus came in the night, with all of its menace and horror, to address the stronghold of Satan. The blackness of sin, the darkness of false doctrine, the desperate grip that Satan had on the world, had to be answered. The victorious savior afforded Satan no safe haven. Evil could not wrap itself in darkness and escape the invasive power of God’s grace. The light, sent from heaven, penetrated the night with the smallest, most vulnerable manifestation God could create—-a baby. Thus, the Prince of Peace served notice on the Prince of Darkness that redemptive power of Christ would go to any length and smash any obstacle in order to proclaim, “Peace on earth, good will to men.”

Bethlehem gave the devil a taste of what was in store for him. Just as Jesus broke through the veil of darkness on that night of nights, he would repeat the performance at the close of his completed mission on earth.

“Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?” Ephesians 4:9

“And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Revelation 1:17-18

Jesus came in the night to lead us out of the night. Remember the mother who rocked her sightless infant son that night in Jerusalem ?

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.” John 9:1-7

Jesus came in the night to destroy the works of the devil and break the chains of darkness. Remember that night in Gadara ?

“And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.” Mark 5:1-15

Jesus came in the night to heal and restore. Remember that night in Nazareth ?

“And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.” Matthew 9:20-22

Jesus came in the night to conquer disease and death. Remember that night in Capernaum ?

“And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.” Mark 1:40-42

Because of that night of nights, no night is too black, too fearful, too powerful to prevent the light from breaking through. But those other nights of long ago have their counterparts today.

Divorce court will be held tomorrow. Just days before Christmas, the gavel will descend on someone’s marriage. It will be a dark, bleak night in that household.
People will stumble around in crack houses tonight.
Surgical suites will be busy tonight.
Funeral parlors will get calls tonight.
Tonight, a gambler will lose everything.
Tonight, some criminal will break into a house.
Tonight, cold and pitiless depression will suffocate someone.
Tonight, despair will pull a trigger or open a bottle of sleeping pills.
Tonight, reckless lust will seize a man and a woman, violating their sanctity.
Tonight, a little boy will feel brutal rage of a fist against his face.
Tonight, a selfish mother’s live-in boyfriend will rape a little girl.
Tonight, some naïve teenage girl will lose her virginity.
Tonight, a drunken teenage boy will wrap his car around a tree, and lose his life.

But tonight, because of that holy night of long ago:

Miracles will happen.
Someone will be healed.
Someone will be delivered.
Someone will be spared from death.
Someone will break free from depression.
Someone will stop short of suicide.
Someone’s marriage will be saved.
Some little girl will be safe and secure.
Some little boy will be hugged instead of abused.
Some young girl will receive moral courage.
Some young man will walk away from the drugs and alcohol.

There is coming a day when the victory will be complete, and the very thing God did in the first place will come to fruition. He separated the darkness from the light.

And there will be no more night.

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 22:1-5.

Animals, Stars and Shepherds

Have you ever wondered what happened at Bethlehem on that sacred, prophetic night in which God made His entrance into the world? Did you ever ask yourself why God allowed this momentous event to come and go with so little fanfare? Did the participants in the story know the magnitude of the things they were witnessing? We are given a few clues in the scriptural narrative, but we all know that there is a latent story that begs to be told.

The animals. Let’s quietly slip up to the stable and peer through the window. You may have to stifle a sneeze because of the dust from the freshly stirred straw. If you’re not used to the aromatic fragrance of barnyards, you may have to pinch your nose a bit. There, just below your chin, two little lambs crowd up against their mother. The three of them stand still, except for the woolly skin twitching nervously. Opposite them a donkey slowly swings his head down to a pile of hay, then up again, quietly chewing and gazing at the occupant of what normally serves as his feeding trough. Just behind him a big brown cow lies on the straw, having just yielded a pail of milk to her master, and now trying to get settled for the night. Her eyes smile approvingly at the baby. Sticking his nose out from under a bale of straw, a little dog is transfixed at what he sees. He whines and yips, until Joseph looks sternly at him. He backs up and, reverently, lies down, although he never manages to keep his tail still.

No one has thought to introduce Jesus to the animals, but it doesn’t matter. They know who he is. The moment he was brought forth in this makeshift delivery room, they recognized him. The first cry from his mouth, infantile though it may have been, sounded an awesome note in their minds. They couldn’t read the scripture, but they instinctively knew what was written. Genesis 1:24-25 says. “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”

To the stable animals, Christmas marked the entry into the world of the one that gave them life in the first place. They sensed the authority of the Child that cried and cooed in their presence. They knew the voice of the one who said, “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.” Psalm 50:10-11. Their owner was on the premises.

Furthermore, the cow knew that God wasn’t a cow, or even a golden calf. The sheep knew that God wasn’t a big sheep in the sky. The donkey knew that God wasn’t a long-eared donkey that lived up in some magic mountain. The little dog never did think that God was that big St. Bernard that lived up on the hill.

Contrast that with man himself. Some men think God is a cow, a sheep, a dog or a donkey. Romans 1:21-25 says, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”

Worse yet, modern man believes that God is a man, or that man is God. Secular humanism deifies man and humanizes God. But if man really is God, then god may be a donkey after all!

The star. What was that first Christmas to the star that shone down on the scene, flooding Bethlehem with a light so magnificent and powerful that it drew wise men from afar? I know that stars can’t talk and all stars are millions of light years away, but this particular heavenly body was especially created for this historic purpose. Surely we can discover something about this star.

We don’t have to look far. The star paid homage to his creator as well. Colossians 1:15-19 says, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

No, the star didn’t owe his existence to a big bang. He wasn’t the chance result of a meaningless, random act. He knew, if he knows anything, that the meticulous hand of an exacting God charted his course from the beginning.

The star knew that his creative God wasn’t another star, breaking apart and giving birth to a celestial offspring. If that were the case, then the Word of God would have it wrong. But the Bible says in Genesis 1:16 , “And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.” Also, we read that man is not to make any graven image in Deuteronomy. Why? Because in Deuteronomy 4:19 it says, “And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.”

The shepherds. What was the first Christmas to the shepherds? Luke 2:8-18 tells us, “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 it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.”

Who were they? They were common people, minding their own business, out trying to make a living. They were men of simple faith, with no official connections to the religious structure. They had no money to bring, no power to use, no influence to wield, yet they were the only invited guests on God’s list. No mayors, no governors, no kings or priests were found in the stable that night. Evidently, God wanted the shepherds there!

I believe He wanted the shepherds there because they represent the poor, the weak, the powerless, and the common man who must utterly rely on God for everything in life. The Psalmist said in Psalm 69:29-33, “But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.”

The shepherds were there to worship. They knew they had no hope without Christ.  They were willing to make Jesus the light of their lives, their reason for living.  The shepherds represent you and me.  We have nothing to give but worship and faith.

Mary and Joseph. We know why Mary and Joseph were there. They were there in Bethlehem to pay their taxes, and they were in the stable because there was no room in the inn. Mary had to give birth to Jesus somewhere, and the stable was all that was available. Right? No. They were there because the hand of God guided them according to Bible prophecy. They went to Bethlehem as prophesied in Micah 5:2 “But thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, 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.” Mary was chosen because of the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” The lineage of Christ was predetermined according to Numbers 24:17 “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel …”

The mighty wheel of prophecy was turning.  Nothing could stop it.  Augustus Caesar couldn’t stop it.  Herod couldn’t stop it.  The innkeeper couldn’t stop it.  The entire Satanic host couldn’t stop the anointed Word from its march to fulfillment.  Mary, Joseph and the humanity of Jesus were vital parts of the plan of redemption that the Almighty God set in motion the day Adam sinned. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” Galatians 4:4-5

God himself. Finally, I want you to see that the greatest presence at the first Christmas was the Almighty God.

Isaiah 9:6-7 says “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

If Jesus is not God, He can be no savior.  If Jesus is not God, He wrongfully accepted worship.  If Jesus is not God, He was a curious sideshow.  If Jesus is not God, He was the greatest imposter of all time.  But, lying in the manger that blessed night was the focal point of all history, the Mt. Everest of redemption’s story, the incarnate God. Jesus is …

• Advocate
• Anointed Prophet
• Arm of the Lord
• Branch of David
• Bread of Life
• Burden-Bearer
• Captain of our Salvation
• Conqueror of Death
• Chief Cornerstone
• Creator
• Daysman
• Deliverer
• Divine Teacher
• Eternal Spirit
• Everlasting Father
• Firstborn From the Dead
• Forgiver of Sins
• Good Shepherd
• High Priest
• Immanuel
• King of Kings
• Kinsman-Redeemer
• Lamb of God
• Lily of the Valley
• Living Water
• Lion of Judah
• Lord of Lords
• Master
• Messiah
• Morning Star
• Prince of Peace
• Prophet of God
• Resurrection
• Rock of Ages
• Rose of Sharon
• Shiloh
• Sinner’s Friend
• Son of God
• Son of Man
• Zion ’s Lamb

And so, what did God see in Bethlehem than night? After all, it is His opinion that means more than all the others put together. John says it best:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not..

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-14

Thorns to Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day, the crown jewel of November, makes us think about gratitude, if only by default. Our national psyche has undergone a 180-degree change on the attitude of thankfulness. A spirit of self-praise and entitlement now typifies the average American. Spirit-filled people must resist the prevalent view which trash thanksgiving and exalt the self. Do the following attitudes describe the way you feel?

I deserve the good things I get. If the truth were known, few of us can really claim credit for anything. Our parents gave us all our genes, our backgrounds, our training and the opportunities we enjoy. Health, soundness of mind, strength and life itself come straight from the hand of God. If we got what we deserved, we would all be dead or lost.

I have a right to blessing and prosperity. This humanistic attitude springs from pride. In the strictest sense of the word, we have a right to nothing. The farmer who doesn’t sow has no right to a harvest. The lazy worker who calls in sick or hides to get out of work has no right to full benefits. You can only expect to get out of something when you put something into it. Even those who work hard in a failing company have no universal right to remuneration. Prosperity will always be worthy of thanksgiving because it is something that none of us can ultimately control.

If I don’t get what I want, I’ll sue. Frivolous lawsuits, embittered litigants and outrageous claims burden our justice system. Many courtroom battles are little more than adult tantrums. If we think we have a right to everything we want, it follows that we will go after those things regardless of the cost. It is a system based on bullying, threatening, and selfish aggrandizement. There is no room for thankfulness here.

I only recognize greatness in myself. The modern sports cult is one of many indications that we have turned into a nation of prima-donnas. Athletes, rock musicians and celebrities strut themselves before the world in self-adulation. Gone is a sense of modesty, deference and humility. In its place, boasting rules. Those who stumble into the limelight do not say, “Thank you for making me what I am.” Instead, they growl, “Thank me for allowing you to be in my presence!”

God? Who’s he? Just about everybody believes in God these days. Trouble is, few people in the world pay much attention to Him. They are theoretical believers but practical atheists. Only as we maintain a constant awareness of the presence of God in our lives will we live in a state of thanksgiving.

Nobody helped me get where I am. Surly, angry, and sulking, many people carry around a chip on their shoulder. They view life as a huge contest of “me against them.” They pride themselves in not needing anyone else. What they mistake for self-reliance is more like mistrust and belligerence. They honestly do not believe that anyone has helped them in life. Unfortunately, they eventually wound or destroy the people that mean the most to them. Thanksgiving can save such people from a world of hurt.

Thanksgiving is weakness. To the contrary, thanksgiving is the highest and best illustration of strength. Only those who have the right perspective on time and eternity, rights and responsibilities, self and others, and humanity and deity can truly understand the power of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving says to others, “I recognize that you are very important to what I am today.” When we say “Thank you,” to God, we are saying, “Without you, Lord, I am nothing.” To God be all the glory!

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5

Fathers' Day: Laughing Through the Tears

Luke 6:21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

Ps 126:1 When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion , we were like them that dream. 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. 3 The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. 4 Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

It’s never been tougher to be a Dad. The ideal Father’s Day puts Dad at the head of the table, slicing into a sirloin steak, opening cards and presents, trading hugs and kisses from happy kids. The real Father’s Day for a lot of dads is a little bit different. He checked the mail Saturday for a card that didn’t come. Maybe Monday, he thinks. He sees the little red light flashing on the voice mail and finds out it’s a sales call.

Those pictures on the dresser hurt so much that he lays on their faces so he doesn’t have to look at them. He feels a sob starting down in the pit of his stomach, but he chokes it off, grabs his keys and heads out the door to drive to no place in particular. He thinks about divorce proceedings, custody battles, attorney’s fees and pick-up points. Anger builds and subsides, questions swirl around his brain, guilt feelings torment him. He fights off memories of better times, brushes away the tears with the back of his hand and goes on. Later in the day, he seeks out friends. Small talk gets his mind off his problems. His friends help him to laugh. But he knows he’s laughing through the tears.

In the 126^th Psalm, the writer remembers the extreme sadness of an exiled Israel. Their captors ransacked their homes, ravaged their possessions and carted them off to Babylon. But it wasn’t enough to kidnap, torture and steal from them. They took perverse delight in abusing them emotionally and psychologically. They forced them to act happy. They demanded that they sing and play like they were back in their homeland.

Ps 137:1-4  By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. 2 There on the poplars we hung our harps, 3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion !” 4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? NIV

They may have been laughing, but they were laughing through their tears. They may have been singing, but they were singing with a heavy heart.

Like the Toby Keith song:

I‘m So Happy I Can‘t Stop Crying

Seven weeks have passed now since she left me
She shows her face to ask me how I am
She says the kids are fine and that they miss me
Maybe I could come and baby-sit sometime

She says, “are you o.k I was worried about you
Can you forgive me I hope that you‘ll be happy”
I said, “I‘m so happy that I can‘t stop crying
I‘m so happy I‘m laughing through my tears” …

Saw my lawyer, Mr. good news he got me
Joint custody and legal separation
So I‘m so happy that I can‘t stop crying

I took a walk alone last night
I looked up at the stars
To try to find an answer in my life

The park is full of Sunday fathers and melted ice cream
We try to do the best within the given time
A kid should be with his mother everybody knows that
What can a father do but baby-sit sometimes

I saw that friend of mine, he said, “you look different somehow”
I said, “everybody‘s got to leave the darkness sometime”
I said, “I‘m so happy that I can‘t stop crying
I‘m laughing through my tears

Sometimes we wonder if the sorrow ever ends. Like the rising tide, sadness seems to follow us everywhere: marriage, kids, homes, jobs. Everything we do turns out wrong. I know there are some here this morning who think you are a target of hell and forgotten by God. Your family is tired of you and your friends are scared of you. You laugh on the outside, but on the inside you’re in shambles. And, just so you know, I realize that much of our sadness is self-inflicted. In fact, the people that feel the worst may be the ones who deserve it the most. But the sorrow is the same. When you laugh, you’re just laughing through your tears.

But today, I want you to look at your situation in a different light. It’s time to quit putting all the emphasis on the tears. It’s time to understand that there is another part to the equation. 

The Psalmist said, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”

Have you ever seen a little child burst out in tears because he didn’t get the ice cream cone he wanted? Then, all of a sudden someone puts that ice cream in front of his face and he starts laughing…the tears of a few seconds ago get squeezed out of his eyes and run down his cheeks as he giggles at his turn of events. The tears are real…but the joy is just as real. 

I’m not going to tell you to stop crying. If you could, you would have stopped a long time ago. I’m not telling you to just act happy or to start laughing. I am telling you today that there is a joy way beyond the sorrow. There is a joy that outshines, outlives and outlasts the tears in your eyes.

Ps 30:5 Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

To everyone who may be holding back tears, stifling groans, covering up sadness with a smile today…not just dads, but all of us. You may be dealing with divorce or separation

…tragedy or sickness
…pain or disease
…death of a loved one
…your home is in an uproar
…rejection, bitterness, anger, recrimination, fear

To all who are weeping today, it is time to understand that the turn-around is not what you think it is…It’s not just reconciliation, attention, acceptance, restitution. It’s not going back to the way things were… Your tears will not be wiped away by a change in fortune or circumstances. If you’re looking for that, you will only be disappointed over and over. The laughing through your tears does not have to be fake laughter.

God wants to turn it into genuine joy. He wants you to change your focus from your solution to his solution. He has a secret source of joy that does phenomenal things. It makes you walk through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil. It makes you look up from the den of lions and say, “O King, live forever!” It makes you sing praises at midnight in the middle of a prison. God is saying to you today, “Make me your chief joy and you can really laugh through your tears!

Psalms 16:7  I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. 8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

There are some of you who are arguing with me in your minds…I know.
Today, you say, Pastor, how can I do this? I’ve tried. I can’t get there from here.
I ask you: Why does joy come in the morning? Is there something magical about the time of day?
No. It’s the morning. It’s light.
When the light comes on, when the day dawns over the horizon, you can see everything.
At night, you see a little with flashlights and candlelight. But when you walk away, the darkness comes back and the night swallows up every victory and every revelation.

When God becomes your light, he lets you see everything in the right perspective.
You can laugh through your tears when Jesus is the source of your joy.
You can get there from here because Jesus shows you the way.

Heb 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Not only does Jesus show you the way, Jesus is the way. If you are thinking about your tears, start thinking about Jesus. If you are obsessing on your troubles and sadness, turn your eyes upon Jesus…

2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.

(Have fathers come up and pray for them.)

A Mother’s Heart

1 Kings 3:23-28 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. 24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. 25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. 26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. 27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

Introduction: A heart-breaking story. Tragedy turned into treachery. Before DNA.

The real mother wanted to preserve her child’s life at any cost.

It has been said that this is a culture of death.

Legalized abortion, stem-cell research, euthanasia, right to suicide beliefs and other passionately debated issues dominate the cultural dialogue today.

The creation of life exists within the province of God’s hand alone.

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

TO CREATE bara’ OT:1254, “to create, make.” This verb is of profound theological significance, since it has only God as its subject. Only God can “create” in the sense implied by bara’. The verb expresses creation out of nothing, an idea seen clearly in passages having to do with creation on a cosmic scale: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” Gen 1:1; cf. Gen 2:3; Isa 40:26; 42:5. All other verbs for “creating” allow a much broader range of meaning; they have both divine and human subjects, and are used in contexts where bringing something or someone into existence is not the issue. (from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

If God alone created life, then God alone determines when that life should end.

Buffalo firefighter who apparently suffered brain damage in a 1995 burning roof collapse and has since been virtually silent and nearly blind had a sudden unexplained recovery on Saturday, animatedly speaking to family and friends and trying to recover a lost decade. “How long have I been gone?” the puzzled firefighter, Donald Herbert, 44, asked in a 14-hour marathon of hugs, kisses, reunions and conversations with his wife, four sons, other relatives and old firefighter comrades. “We told him almost 10 years, and he said ‘Holy cow!’ ” Simon A. Manka, his uncle, recalled yesterday. “He thought it had been three months.” NYT 5-3-05

This mother essentially said, “Even if this life that was formed in my womb is taken out of my arms and placed in the control of another; even if I have to spend the rest of my life knowing that he’s mine but I can’t have him; even if he never knows that I am his real mother, KEEP HIM ALIVE!

The false mother valued fairness above life.

She herself was the victim of a tragic accident. I can’t imagine the anguish and guilt she felt for killing her own child.

She used the circumstances that caused the problem, however, to excuse her wrong actions to resolve the problem.

In her mind, the all-important goal was fairness. Divide the baby in two and give half to each of us.

Brother Robert Trapani often says, “Life’s not fair, but God is good.” Here is a man who has seen an abundance of tragedy in his own life. He lost a son to drowning some years ago. Ten months later, he lost another son due to a brain aneurism. Today, he is in the fourth stage of lymphoma. At our district conference this past week, he came and joked about saving money on razor blades and hair gel. Others have not had to go through the same horrific tragedies as he has, but he refuses to become bitter or revengeful.

This false mother first wanted that which was not rightfully hers. Then, she was willing to destroy a life in the interests of fairness. “If I can’t have everything I want, I don’t want you to have everything you want; if I am going to be miserable, I want you to be miserable; it’s fair if both our babies die.”

She subjected life to her own personal interests.

The wise man Solomon wanted truth more than anything else.

This was a huge dilemma. How could he possibly know which was the true mother. He knew that the true mother’s heart would lead him there. The truth was not in his sword, but in the mother’s heart. The true mother was willing to put up with loss, disappointment and pain if only the child would live. She must have believed that the day would come when her son would be restored to her. As long as he had life, hope for restoration existed. There are a lot of mother’s who pray this way today. “God, keep my son or my daughter alive long enough to bring them back to me!”

The church is the mother of us all.

Gal 4:22-28 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

It is vitally important today, on this Mother’s Day, that you understand how the church is praying for you. False mothers are out there trying to steal your body, mind and soul. The world doesn’t want you because it loves you. The world wants you because you are a pawn in the vast scheme of things. You represent a victory in Satan’s win column, that’s all. He wins whether you live or die.

Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

The church, your mother, is praying for you to live.

The church spreads the table for you to eat; the church provides shelter for your protection; the church comforts you during your trials and tribulations; the church offers instruction so you can know truth; in the midst of resistance, rebellion or lost condition, the church never stops loving you.