Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.
John 15:4, HCSB
God created a home for us, yet He wants to be with us and to have us want to be with Him. Life is only truly found in Him.
Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.
Hebrews 13:16, HCSB
God created a home for us and called us to love as He loves, so let us find ways to love others well, sacrificially and compassionately, just like Christ.
Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.
Daniel 12:3, NLT
People may know we’re Christians, but they won’t understand our choices and lifestyle. We are called to seek God’s wisdom, and this gives hope for eternity in glory, removing fear of death and anxiety in life.
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43:18-19, ESV
The Light of world came to us to establish a new covenant, sacrificing Himself for our salvation and rising again for our hope. Now He dwells in and through us to shine His goodness in this dark and crazy world.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV
The Light of the world moves in and through us to the rest of the world. May we then gather as His Church to encourage each other to grow in love and good works, to shine brightly in the hope of eternity and Christ’s return.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26, ESV
God wants to bless us, and this is done through Christ. To have the Lord smile on you, seek and obey Christ.
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, ESV
People will know we have the love of God when we do good things for others without expectation of reward, only to bless others and give glory to the One who saved us.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
Isaiah 9:2, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
We live in a dark world.
Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve broke the one command of God that should have been the easiest: “Don’t eat this fruit.”
Yes, sin means missing the mark, falling short, turning away from God.
Sin is ultimately separation. We are born separated from God because of our super-great grandparents, yet we also choose to remain separated by our own choices.
We live behind a veil that blocks His light, and that veil is too heavy to remove ourselves.
It is as if we blocked out the sun to stop it’s heat, and then we climbed into a steep cave, falling to the bottom, unable to climb back out let alone remove the barrier between us and God.
Yet God came to us, the sun itself removing the barrier and lifting us up. God Himself lifted the veil to be with us.
Yes, we still live in a darkened world full of sin and separation, but God has lifted the veil over us. As we go into this world, the people will see the light streaming through us from above.
May we seek to be that light as we take Him into this dark world.
Do we truly love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? Maybe I can help with the mind part, at least! This is Daniel M. Klem, apparent poet, reluctant yet passionate Disciple (Peter?), and foolish man attempting to understand theology!
a simple man of God 