Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
I have always been interested in astronomy. In fact, I think it was the only class in high school that I got straight A’s. One thing we learned about was the Winter solstice, which is the shortest day of the year. This happens because the Earth is tilted on its axis at a 23.5° angle, and as it orbits around the Sun it causes one hemisphere to lean towards the Sun while the other leans away. In winter, the Northern hemisphere is further away from the Sun and it results in fewer daylight hours. Because of the tilt of the Earth, the sunlight will hit us at an angle, and make it appear lower in the sky, resulting in less sunlight, and much colder temperatures! The further away from the equator that you live, the more extreme it can become. For example, in Northern parts of Alaska, they will have 24 hours of darkness in the winter, but then in the summer there are days when they will have 24 hours of sunlight. The shortest day of the year up here in Minnesota usually occurs on December 21st, which is about 8 hours and 50 minutes long, but during June, the daylight hours will practically double to approximately 15 and ½ hours! So beginning around the last week of December, we will begin gaining another minute of daylight every day, which will eventually thaw out the frozen Minnesota landscape, as we begin heading back to the Sun.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
The further away that we are from the Sun, the colder the Earth will become. But even though we are permeated by such cold weather in the Northern states, the Earth will eventually begin heading back to the light. Our lives are no different, because the further we get away from the Son of God, the colder our hearts will become. But through repentance and a contrite and penitent heart, God can warm us back up again. It’s simply a process of turning from darkness to light, and beginning our journey, back to the Son.
1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
It’s clear from the teachings of scripture that all of us have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Actually, all of us have inherited sin due to the repercussions of what happened in the garden of Eden. Each of us has a sin issue, and in order to obtain eternal life we must be forgiven by God. This is why the Heavenly Father sent Jesus into this world, to die on the cross as a propitiation for our sins. Like sheep who have wandered away from the Shepherd, we must return to the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings, turning away from our own foolishness and walking in the light of His Truth.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
I’ve always said that in order to become a Christian the first thing that you must do is accept the truth that you are a sinner. You must understand that you don’t have what it takes to get to heaven on your own. That’s at least being honest with yourself. None of us can justify ourselves in God’s sight because we have all failed miserably at one time or the other. Nobody kept the Old testament law, and it was created by God to make people understand that the only way they would ever enter heaven was through our repentance, and by His good Graces. The Apostle Paul referred to himself as the chief of sinners, yet he wrote much of the New testament that we have today. This teaches us that God can do a lot with a sinner, who finally accepts the truth of his own shortcomings.
Romans 3:9-20 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
The story of the prodigal son is an illustration that teaches us about our relationship with the Heavenly Father. All of us are sinners, and there is none righteous, no not one, and each of us are like sheep who have gone astray. But when the son finally made the decision to repent of his sins and return back home, he found mercy and reconciliation waiting for him. He took that journey from darkness back to the light, and in the process, found complete remission for his sins.
Luke 15:11-32 And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
So during the last few weeks of December, I usually take notice of how short the days are, and how cold it has become. As sinners, each of us are the same way, hardened by the coldness of sin, and lost in the dark. But God can certainly warm us up again, when we turn from our sins and do what is pleasing in His sight. Like sheep returning to the shepherd, we can find mercy in His sight, when we finally turn around, and begin…
…….Heading back to the Sun
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️
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