It is that time of the year when we see the lights filling the dark sky. From Christmas tree lots, to shopping malls, to houses strewn with beautiful lights, it is a reminder that Christmas is near. For the past seven years, it has been a tradition to drive through Candy Cane Lane in Moorpark. I know most of you are familiar with this neighborhood, but for those who are not, it is a sight to be seen. So majestic and beautiful it is to see the lights shining through the night sky! Indeed, Christmas is a season of light, a season of hope, a season that points to the eternal light of our Savior Jesus Christ!

“I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Ever since the fall, the darkness of sin and death had come into the world. And therefore, walking in darkness should have been our eternal demise. Without Christ there is no escaping such sentence. And though the world will tout its own ability to overcome such darkness with human reason and strength, Luther writes,

“There are many doctrines in the world. The most exalted among them, when properly taught, is Moses’ Law, the Ten Commandments. Yet these do not lead man from darkness into light. The Law does not inform man how to live eternally and how to be saved. There we are told what we must do, for the Ten Commandments preach about our works; but we cannot keep them. This message by itself does not lead us to the light. It does teach good works, but man cannot perform these if he has only the Law. Man needs another doctrine, namely, that of the Gospel, which declares: I, Christ, am the Light. Without this you cannot be saved…” LW AE 23:324

Indeed, without the Light of Christ, all would be left despairingly in eternal darkness. Some may claim that they are able to merit their way to God but the law cannot lead us to the light nor save us but rather, the law convicts and shows us our sin. In our sorrow and godly grief, we very well know what we deserve. Yet, in faith we repent and rest upon the Light of Christ and the light of life that our Savior delivers through His death and resurrection. Thanks be to God for this life-saving gift for without The Light, where would we be?

So rejoice and be glad because the Light is yours. Through the Gospel and the Sacraments, our gracious God has given you the light-filled gift of eternal life, forgiveness and salvation! Have a wonderful Advent and Christmas as you rejoice in Christ who is The Light for you.

Have a blessed December!

✝️ Pastor Jeong

The full newsletter can be found here:
https://www.faithmoorpark.com/files/pdf/2024/2024-12-Newsletter.pdf

“Then he said, I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again…” Genesis 46:3-4

Though he would leave Canaan [the land to which the Lord had promised in Gen12], Jacob departs for Egypt with the Word. Not just any word but the word of God. In the same way, we too proceed in the Word as Jesus says, “And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age” [Mt28:20]. However, though God gives us His promises, we still face the spiritual struggles of the world, the flesh and the devil that attempt to bury us in fear. “Do not be afraid”, the Lord said to Jacob because God is with him. Of course, we can all agree how comforting this promise is yet when we encounter suffering [physically and spiritually], we soon find ourselves frightfully fleeing our frail flesh rather than the Word.

Luther writes, “But we are taught by this example that nothing should be undertaken and attempted contrary to or without the Word of God. Therefore we should arrange our life in such a way that we are sure of walking according to the rule of the Word, whether we are awake or asleep. Finally, we should know that everything we do is of God, who commands, calls, and blesses. For human life is most wretched and is subject to the devil, death, and countless trials, full of the most burdensome troubles and hardships. Therefore it is necessary for the godly to be fortified by the Word of God against Satan, sins, and dangers” Luther’s Works Vol 8:82

At a recent pastor installation that I attended, I heard the preached word based on Acts 20:28, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood”. Though this biblical text refers to pastors and overseers, in a broader scope, all the faithful ought to be spiritual aware of the battles that are before them. And therefore, we must ask ourselves, “Am I arranged by the Word?”

Being arranged by the Word is the most important arrangement in your life. Though we see eating, drinking, working, sleeping as essential arrangements, the Word is vastly more important than these. Do you believe this? Of course, the world, the flesh and the evil foe will offer you arrangements that are not of the Word, that even seem palatable for you. But then again, we must ask ourselves, “Am I arranged by the Word?” or, “Am I arranged by the flesh, the world and the sinful flesh?”.

This is the spiritual battle that we face. At times, we are so caught in ourselves that we fail to see the idols that are arranging us. And soon enough the busyness, the priorities, the schedules, the covetous flesh [the list goes on and on] become the arrangement rather than God and His Word.

Friends, I encourage you to always be in the Word. For this Word, from the Law to the Gospel, is not dead but living. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the Word convicts [2 nd use of the law] but also comforts you in the righteousness of Christ: the forgiveness of all you sins. So continue to be in the Word, attend the Divine Service every Sunday, join us for bible study, read the scriptures daily and pray, pray and pray even more. For by His Word you are arranged.

Have a blessed November

✝️ Pastor Jeong

The full newsletter can be found here:
https://www.faithmoorpark.com/files/pdf/2024/2024-11-Newsletter.pdf