Tis the season and the only time
of the year when Candy Canes are a staple item in every home. In fact they now come in every flavor
imaginable. Recently three of our GK’s
(grandkids) spent the night. It did not
take them long to discover Papa had filled the Candy Cane house with several
flavors of candy canes. They had helped
themselves to several of these delicious treats throughout their stay. When it came time to deliver the GK’s to
their rightful owners we told them they could take a candy cane home but they
could not eat it until they were home.
About halfway into the trip home our granddaughter says; “Nana can you
take the wrapper off my candy cane”? My
reply was; “no, we said you could not eat it until you get home”. “But Nana, Tyler is eating his candy cane”! Tyler says; “no I’m not, I am licking it”. Now how could I possibly get mad when
admiring the wit of my grandson?
I was reflecting on this scene
when an analogy began to transpire in my mind.
Are we just like little kids trying to find a way to justify what we
want to do even if we know it is wrong (sin)?
So easily we are deceived into thinking wrong choices or decisions are
okay. Just a little won’t hurt (licking
the candy cane is not eating it). What is so wrong about taking a little
taste?
We learn in Genesis 4:6-7(NKJV); So
the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance
fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if
you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for
you, but you should rule over it.”
Eventually sin will have its ugly way with us;
Ephesians 4:17-31(NLT)
With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
Ephesians 4:17-31(NLT)
With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
The Bible warns us about sin and what will transpire if we
choose to walk down that road instead of staying on the straight narrow
pathway; Matthew 7:13-14(NLT) “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell
is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult,
and only a few ever find it.
The Word of God will show us the way, if we will only read
it and put into practice what we have read.
Psalms 119:105(NKJV) Your word is a
lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Another year is coming to a close and the dawning of a new
year will soon begin. I challenge all of
us to reflect back on 2012. Where have
we fallen short in our Christian walk?
What did we overcome? Did we fall
into to compromise and “lick the candy”?
Where did we shine and release; 2 Corinthians 2:15(NLT) Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this
fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those
who are perishing.
Candy Cane History
and Legends:
Legend
has it that in 1670, the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany handed
out sugar sticks among his young singers to keep them quiet during the long
Living Creche ceremony. In honor of the occasion, he had the candies bent into
shepherds' crooks.
In 1847, a
German-Swedish immigrant named August Imgard of Wooster, Ohio, decorated a
small blue spruce with paper ornaments and candy
canes. It wasn't until
the turn of the century that the red and white stripes and peppermint flavors
became the norm.
In Indiana, a
candy maker wanted to make a candy that could be a reminder of Jesus Christ, so
he made the Christmas candy
cane. He started off
with a stick of pure white hard candy. The white color symbolized the virgin
birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and the hard candy symbolized the solid
rock which was the foundation of the church, and firmness of the promises of
God. The candy maker made the candy in the form of a J, which represented the
name of Jesus and the staff of the Good Shepherds. He then stained it with
three stripes which showed the scourging Jesus received, and symbolized the
blood shed by Christ on the cross. When you break the cane, it reminds us that
Jesus' body was broken for us.[i]
I have not been able to blog this last quarter of the year. It has been a whirlwind...hopefully the New Year will bring new energy and I will be able to share our story of: BLIND FAITH
