T HE UNCREATED L IGHT IS B ORN Christmas message 2012

T HE T HIEF  There was a man who had worked at a factory for twenty years. Every night when he left the plant, he would push a wheelbarrow full of straw to the guard at the gate  The guard would look through the straw, and find nothing and pass the man through  On the day of his retirement the man came to the guard as usual bit without wheelbarrow  Having become friends over the years, the guard asked him “ Charlie, I have seen you walk out of here every night for twenty years. I know you have been stealing something. Now that you are retired, tell me what it is. It’s driving me crazy.”  Charlie simply smiles and replied “Okay, Wheelbarrows”

L IFE L IGHT W ATER  Matt.: 12 times  Mark : 7 times  Luke : 13times  32  John : 38 times  11 times  1 time  10 times  21  16 times  7 times  4 times  7 times  18  20 times

1. T HE S ON IS OUR SOURCE OF LIGHT  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men Jn 1:4 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. Acts 2:24

S T A THANASIUS ON THE INCARNATION C H. 17  Just as the sun is not defiled by the contact of its rays with earthly objects, but rather enlightens and purifies them, so He who made the sun is not defiled by being made known in a body, but rather the body is cleansed and quickened by His indwelling, “who did no sin, neither was guile was found in his mouth”

2. S UPERIOR OVER D ARKNESS  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it Jn 1:5

3. S EEN AND SPOKEN BY J OHN  6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. Jn 1:6-8

4. S HINING FOR EVERYONE  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. Jn 1:9

5. S HUNNED BY MOST  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. Jn 1:10,11

W HY ?  18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” Jn 3:18-21

T HE TWO T RIANGLES Addiction Sexual immorality Atheism Obedience Love Holiness

S T A THANASIUS ON THE INCARNATION C H. 48  These things which we have said are no mere words: they are attested by actual experience. Anyone who likes may see the proof of glory in the virgins of Christ, and in the young men who practice chastity as part of their religion, and in the assurance of immortality in so great and glad a company of martyrs

H E IS THE SAME C REATOR  For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor 4:6