Friends in Christ Message for January 22, 2005

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Friends in Christ Weekly Message
January 22, 2005

     When Jesus got word that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee. He moved from his hometown, Nazareth, to the lakeside village Capernaum, nestled at the base of the Zebulun and Naphtali hills. This move completed Isaiah's sermon:
Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
     road to the sea, over Jordan,
     Galilee, crossroads for the nations.
People sitting out their lives in the dark
     saw a huge light;
Sitting in that dark, dark country of death,
     they watched the sun come up.
     This Isaiah-prophesied sermon came to life in Galilee the moment Jesus started preaching. He picked up where John left off: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here."

     From there he went all over Galilee. He used synagogues for meeting places and taught people the truth of God. God's kingdom was his theme - that beginning right now they were under God's government, a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives.
Matthew 4:12-17, 23 (Message*)

Those who were in the dark saw a huge light. This light was Jesus. This light still shines, and those who recognize and embrace it come out of their darkness into the light of Christ's love and truth.

When we see and embrace the light of Christ, our lives change. We come to know that there is something far beyond the troubles and confusion we see around us. Even though it may not be evident to many, God's kingdom is already here and we can choose to live in it. In this kingdom, we experience Christ's healing power in our lives.

Have you recognized the light of Christ, and let it shine in your life? Are you living under God's good government? Have you felt Christ's healing power in your life?

Bill Samuel