Rogue Ones Return

Christmas Day

This is the last day of our Advent Calendar. The reading is the one so often read at this time of year, the opening of John’s Gospel (NIV and The Message, as before)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is the one I spoke about when I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”’) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

1-2 The Word was first,
the Word present to God,
    God present to the Word.
The Word was God,
    in readiness for God from day one.

3-5 Everything was created through him;
    nothing—not one thing!—
    came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
    and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
    the darkness couldn’t put it out.

6-8 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.

9-13 The Life-Light was the real thing:
    Every person entering Life
    he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
    the world was there through him,
    and yet the world didn’t even notice.
He came to his own people,
    but they didn’t want him.
But whoever did want him,
    who believed he was who he claimed
    and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
    their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
    not blood-begotten,
    not flesh-begotten,
    not sex-begotten.

14 The Word became flesh and blood,
    and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
    the one-of-a-kind glory,
    like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
    true from start to finish.

15 John pointed him out and called, “This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word.”

16-18 We all live off his generous bounty,
        gift after gift after gift.
    We got the basics from Moses,
        and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
    This endless knowing and understanding—
        all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
    No one has ever seen God,
        not so much as a glimpse.
    This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
        who exists at the very heart of the Father,
        has made him plain as day.

Finally: I wanted a Merry Christmas video to end with. Several options were considered, it was a hard thing to pick. But the Twyford Tech Team helped me to Pick ‘Ard, and here it is:

Christmas Eve

As we pray today, remember those who will spend Christmas alone. Pray that somehow they will be aware of God’s Light shining on them.

Pray for those who have to work hard at Christmas: those in hospitals, emergency services, hotels and restaurants, and whoever is cooking for you if it is not yourself.

Pray that people will become aware of Jesus in a fresh way this Christmas, that some might even stumble into a midnight service tonight having thought it might be good idea, and see the Light for the first time.

Pray for those who once said they followed Jesus, but who don’t do so any more, that they might once again catch sight of the Light over this Christmas period.

Day 27…

Day 26…

“Exposing the words of darkness” isn’t about going around and pointing out people’s faults and making them embarrassed.

When you expose a film, what happens is that the light shines on it and alters it. Full light will simply wipe the negative clean, nothing will be left showing on it at all.

As we bring people into the Light of Jesus, so His grace shines on them and their sin is seen no more. They are transformed from darkness to light.

So make a point of no longer pointing out other people’s wrongdoings and faults. Instead, just show them Jesus. When they see the Light, they will change.

The more Light you see, the more you will change too!

Day 25…

Why are Christmas trees so fond of the past? Because the present’s beneath them.

Why was the ornament addicted to Christmas? He was hooked on trees his whole life.

Day 24…

Day 23…

Jesus is the Light of the world, but He says you are the Light of the world. You, the people who have seen His light and chosen to follow Him. You placed your candle by His so you are now alight too. To carry the Light He has given you into this world.

Of course, you can hide it. Your choice. But He says “Don’t do that, people need to see the light”. They might not go looking for Him, so the only way they will get to see any light is if the people who carry the Light are not afraid to show it.

It’s not about ‘making your light shine’, it’s about ‘making His light available through you’.

Part of that is to no longer live as if you are still in the dark, instead to choose to live the way Jesus did. That will mean a change of lifestyle, and that might be costly.But it gets very uncomfortable if you try to carry the Light, hidden, whilst you do things that you should avoid doing.

As Light carriers we are looking for the full light of Day, it is coming for He is coming. Our job is to reveal what Light is like to those around us so that they can prepare for Day too.

Day 22…

Several readings for this week (again, NIV and The Message):

Matthew chapter 5:

14 ‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Ephesians chapter 5:

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible – and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:

‘Wake up, sleeper,
    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.’

You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.

Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

Wake up from your sleep,
Climb out of your coffins;
Christ will show you the light!

1 Thessalonians chapter 5:

4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation. God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.

Day 21…

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.

Think about the people who are still walking in darkness. Try to think of at least one person in each of the following groups (if there is more than one, concentrate on just one from each group for today). Write down their name and then pray that God will help them to see the great light.

• Your family
• Friends at school/university or colleagues at work
• Someone who lives near you
• A world leader
• Someone else from the news this week (it might be a group of people rather than an individual)

Ask God if there is something you might be able to do to help them to see the light. Is there a way you can bring God’s word to them? If not, pray for the believers who are around them that God will help them to.