Have You Seen the Light?

Dear Weekly Readers!

May the Peace of God be with you, and may you and yours truly see the light that lightens the world even today!   Please enjoy the article below!

May God Bless your week!  John R.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. Luk2:29-32

THUS SPOKE THE DEVOUT AND RIGHTEOUS Simeon when his eyes beheld the Christ-child to whose coming he had earnestly looked forward, for God had revealed to him that he would not see death before he saw the salvation which God had prepared for all people. This man believed the Word of God which had been spoken by His prophets of old, and he looked for the coming of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, he alone with the prophetess Anna, of that great multitude of people in Jerusalem, knew Jesus as the Christ whom God had prepared as the Savior of the world. The multitude, although seeing Him, did not know Him, for they did not believe or understand the Word of God.

So it has been throughout all the ages, even unto our day, that the salvation of God has been in the midst of the people but because of their unbelief they did not see or understand. Only the humble brother Simeon and sister Anna, whose eyes had been opened by faith and whose understandings had been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, were able to see and know Him when He appeared in their midst, for God had taught them to look for His coming, not with pomp and glory, but in a humble and lowly manner.

Thus He has always been found among the humble and lowly, among the despised and rejected of men, even as was He Himself. They too, like Simeon and Anna, have taken Him to themselves and blessed God for His salvation, goodness and grace toward sinful men; and the desire has come to them also that they might depart in peace from this vale of sorrow and sin for that glorious home that they have seen with the eyes of faith.

Surely, this light has enlightened the Gentiles and is to the glory of His people Israel.  Compared with the multitudes of even the people, few have seen the light and received the Lord. Dear reader, are you among those few? If not, why? Have you been looking for Him where He is not found? Have your eyes been uplifted? Are you searching the vaulted skies? Cast your eyes down, for lo, He descended from His glory on high and has come to His own, the lowly, humble and despised of the world who have received Him. He has given them power to become the sons of God, for they have believed on His name.

He is here, beloved, though you cannot see Him with your natural eyes like Simeon and Anna beheld Him but He Himself said, “Blessed is he that seeth not but nevertheless believeth.” Just as assuredly as you believe that Christ was born in Bethlehem 1929 years ago and you are celebrating this Christmas Day in commemoration of that eventful day, just so assuredly is He here in our midst, yea, and still is with His own unto whom He came. They are those who are ontinuing the work that He began, preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus Christ and because of His shed blood. Do not allow Him to go unnoticed by you this Christmas Day but receive Him to yourself by letting Him make your heart His abiding place.

Therefore, despise not the lowly children of God, for in so doing, you despise Him. He said, “He that despiseth you, despiseth Me, and He that receiveth you, receiveth Me and Him that sent Me,” for “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

Receive Him, oh contrite and sinsick souls, by receiving His children and His blessing that is proclaimed by them, namely, the forgiveness of all your sins, and you shall receive the true Christmas Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit that brings with it joy and peace and rejoicing over the salvation that God has prepared before the face of all people. This will then be the happiest Christmas you have ever known, and your heart shall join the angelic choir in singing: Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace and good will to men.

Wishing all the beloved children of God a joyous Christmas in the Lord and a prosperous new year rich in the grace of God.

(The late) Rev. Andrew Mickelsen