SPEAKING OF LIGHT, Isaiah prophesied, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”* He spoke those words during one of the darkest periods in Israel’s history, predicting the coming of Messiah. More than seven hundred years later Jesus Christ announced, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”**
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY life, it would follow, should offer us a much enlighten age, but it ain’t necessarily so! Only last month I received a Newsletter from missionaries serving in Latin America which included the following report:
“There is a growing and popular interest, especially in Mexico, in the cult to the image of death. In some places they have even built sanctuaries to worship death. As the movement grows, its adherents rationalize their cult saying that, since death is something you cannot avoid, it is only reasonable and safe to worship it and have it on your side. While it is true that the worshiping of ‘Holy Death’ is popular primarily among people outside the law, its practice is growing among professional and business people.”
DARKNESS depicts all that is wicked, evil, and false; while light represents all that is good, holy and true. Those of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke were sinners to be sure, but it’s more than a case of bad behavior. Darkness is where they lived – it was their dwelling place. Scripture calls it the “dominion of darkness”; not referring to a territory but rather to the authority, rule or sovereign power of a king. “The people walking in darkness…”, then and now, are held captive by Satan, the King of Darkness.
ETERNAL GRATITUDE and perpetual praises with joyful thanksgiving should flow from the hearts and lips of the redeemed “to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of Light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins!”***
AMEN & AMEN, for once we all dwelt in the Kingdom of Darkness, but now by faith and the grace of God we have been transported into the Kingdom of Light!
*Isaiah 9:2
**John 8:12
***Colossians 1:12-14
***Colossians 1:12-14
Lighting Darkness
ReplyDeleteLast night’s sky was clear and the moon is full. As I stood and pondered on the beauty of the moon’s reflection, I thought about how we (the human race) are like the moon. The moon is not made of Swiss cheese, but it is dark and cold. Man by nature is the same, because we are all born with a sin (darkness) nature and a rebellious (cold) nature against God. This came by the means of Adam and Eve’s disobeying God.
Now you say, how does the moon fit in? As long as we live separate from God, we live in a cold dark world. However through the knowledge and acceptance of Jesus as our Savior we are no longer separated from a relationship with God. The more that one spends time with Him, the more His light shines from within us for others to see.
The moon is dark and gives no light, but when it’s in the sun’s direct path will it reflect the light of the sun. This is the same for us. When we walk in His path, the Light of His Son reflects from us. Thus, the more we are in His path, the more we shine, the less we are in His path the less we shine.
My friend, if you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, you are producing an artificial light (working on your own merits) and that light will diminish one day, but the Light of Jesus will shine forever more! What light do you desire? I pray you find that light by having a personal relationship with God through His Son.
Ephesians 5:8 (New King James Version) 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
Luke 11:36 (New King James Version)
36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”
1 John 1:7 (New King James Version)
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
John 8:12 (New King James Version)
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
In Him I Serve