They Saw the Light - Abraham Part 1

Come into my heart

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

God's promises continue to be new every day.  Light your first two candles.  Lighting the first reminds us of what God has accomplished in us.  The second, as we light it for the first time, reminds us that God is bringing forth fresh light upon us today

But out of the multitude, God would choose a single man through whom the promise would continue.  A man, nine decades old, and his wife, ten years younger, would be chosen to parent the promise.  Abram and Sarai were called out of Ur and promised three things—they would receive a land set apart for holy use; they would be blessing with offspring beyond count; and finally the Word declared:

“And all peoples on the earth will be blessed through you.” 

God made an irrevocable covenant with this man and his offspring.  Deliverance would come forth from his bloodline. Through the offspring of Abraham, the light would come.  In the midst of darkness, Abraham saw the light.*




*Copyright 1990 "They Saw the Light" Prince of Peace Press

They Saw the Light - Adam and Even Part 5

Come into my heart

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

Centuries passed by.  The hope of light was still burning.  The hope of salvation has endured years of sin and darkness at its worse.  The offspring of Adam and Eve had also been tarnished—one was dead and the other banished by God.  The earth and its inhabitants reeled in hopelessness and dread.  Sin had become an horrendous monster.  The world was headed for disaster.  It would be covered by the judgment of flooding waters.  Its second set of citizens, seeking power and unity, would be scattered by many languages.*

 "Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
         And He saved them out of their distresses.
 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
         And broke their chains in pieces.
 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
         And for His wonderful works to the children of men" (Psalm 107:13-15)!

When things look worse, God brings forth light, salvation, hope.  This will be the last day to light your first candle on your advent wreath.  Tomorrow we move on with the lighting of two candles.  God is bringing forth His light as well.

*Copyright 1990 "They Saw the Light" Prince of Peace Press 

They Saw the Light - Adam and Eve Part 4

Come into my heart

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

"You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we're in— first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death. That sin disturbed relations with God in everything and everyone, but the extent of the disturbance was not clear until God spelled it out in detail to Moses. So death, this huge abyss separating us from God, dominated the landscape from Adam to Moses. Even those who didn't sin precisely as Adam did by disobeying a specific command of God still had to experience this termination of life, this separation from God. But Adam, who got us into this, also points ahead to the One who will get us out of it" (Romans 5:12-14 The Message)

I was meditating on the Genesis story of the fall of Adam and Eve.  I've read it so many times.  But my heart was stirred when the Lord directed me to read ahead to Genesis 4:1 - "Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain..."  Immediately the Lord revealed to me that Cain had neither seen nor experienced the glorious and intimate presence of God that Adam and Eve had known in the garden. The first born of Adam and Eve had to be taught!  It has been said, "There are no grandchildren in the kingdom."  Each person and each generation must be told of the wondrous news of God's presence, salvation and light.  The other evening we had our daughter, her husband and their two children over for supper.  We lit the Advent candles and prayed together.  Three generations watched that candle burn.  Three generations know His light.  You've seen the light - pass it on!

They Saw The Light - Adam and Eve Part 3

Come into my heart

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

Are you lighting your candle?  It reminds us that the promise made to Adam and Eve was fulfilled through the tremendous love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The greatest of sin is nothing compared to the richness of God's mercy.  As we confess our sin before Him, He washes us perfectly clean. Take a moment tonight in silence to present yourself before the Lord.  He is standing before you with outstretched arms.  His love for you is deep. His plans for you are marvelous.  His grace will abound in your life.

"Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:18-21).

Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.

Israel's strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art:
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver,
born a child, and yet a king,
born to reign in us for ever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thine own eternal Spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all-sufficient merit
raise us to thy glorious throne.

Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788), 1744

CCLI #299683

They Saw the Light - Adam and Eve - Part 2

Come into my heart

Come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus

Come into today

Come in to stay

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

"Clothed in the skins of divinely sacrificed animals, the two (Adam and Eve) walked away from the Author of Life and His intimate presence into the darkness of a world that had now been introduced to sin.  They saw no hope.  The voice of their Master, Creator and Friend was hidden by their own inner voices of confusion.

As they exited the garden which was their home, they remembered once more the words which had been uttered when their disobedience was uncovered.  It was a word spoken to one who had tempted and deceived them.  It was a curse spoken by the Creator; but in it was a PROMISE—the only word which now gave them hope." *

“So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel"(Genesis 3:14-15). 

Adam and Eve were given a promise.  A day would come when this tempter would be destroyed by a divinely anointed deliverer.  In the midst of their darkness they saw light.


*Copyright 1990 "They Saw the Light" Prince of Peace Press 

They Saw the Light - Adam and Eve

Come into my heart
Come into my heart
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus
Come into today
Come in to stay
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

"Darkness was shrouding the countryside and the earth was trembling.  It was as though a blanket had been laid over everything—leaving one with an ominous feeling of death and foreboding.  It was the type of darkness that made a person feel an inner turmoil and fear.  And there was turmoil. The peace and tranquility had been shattered.  The spirit of rebellion was in the air.  The Prince of Darkness was laughing a hideous laugh of victory.  The crown of creation had become tarnished and spoiled.  It no longer reflected the glory of the Maker.

The earth quaked.  The animals scattered in fear.  A man and woman stood alone.  Filled with shame and guilt—they for the first time in their short lives felt the presence of fear, pain, shame, nakedness, envy, hatred and death.  The brilliant light of a sword blinded their eyes as the angelic guardian escorted them from paradise."*

A hopeless scenario filled with death!  BUT GOD.  

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.



O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan's tyranny

From depths of Hell Thy people save

And give them victory o'er the grave

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.




*Copyright 1990 "They Saw the Light" Prince of Peace Press

They Saw the Light

Yesterday during Sunday worship we lit the first of four Advent Candles.  Advent (from the Latin word adventus meaning "coming") is a season observed as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas. Although there is plenty of evidence that Jesus was not born on December 25th (it is more likely that he was born during the time of Rosh Hashanah on the Hebrew calendar), Christmas is still a great time to celebrate the greatest gift to humankind - the coming of our Savior.

The Latin adventus is the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used in reference to the Second Coming of Christ. Therefore, for Christians, the season of Advent serves as a reminder both of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting of Christians for Christ's return.

That's me on the right

I have early memories of celebrating Advent. It has been a vital part of our family's devotional life.  It was time devoted to the singing of hymns and carols, reading the Scriptures, and the lighting of candles. At the end of each Advent devotion we sang:

Come into my heart
Come into my heart
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus
Come into today
Come in to stay
Come into my heart Lord Jesus.

My grandson Timothy

During this season of Advent, I would invite you to join our family in centering your hearts on the coming King!  Create an advent experience.  Use five candles. Four candles will be red, blue, or purple in color.  The fifth is white. You can purchase an Advent stand or wreath at a Christian bookstore or supply house.  You might want to create your own using a log or metal/glass stands for pillar candles.  You will light and relight the first candle during the first week of Advent.  You will light two candles the second week, three candles the third and four candles on the fourth week.  The white candle is lit on Christmas Eve.

During the Advent season of 1990, I wrote a devotional to be used as a candlelight worship.  I entitled it: "They Saw the Light."  Over the next several days and weeks I would like to walk with you through that devotional.  I again invite you to prepare your candles but more importantly to prepare your hearts as we set our hope and faith on the coming of our King - our Lord Jesus!  Advent has begun! Light your first candle.  Sing songs of praise!  Ask the Lord to come anew into your heart today!