Tag: true light

46.g. “Wilderness” – 10.m. “A lamp shining in a dark place”

 

Num 8:1  Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.” And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses. And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

 Psalms 119:105   Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

 Psalms 119:130    The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.

 Matthew 5:14    “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

 John 1:9    The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

 2 Peter 1:19    And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

The lamps burned a specially made olive oil and needed to be continually filled with oil to provide constant light. “A candlestick or lamp without oil is of no use; oil not burning is of no use. So a Church or society of religious people without the influence of the Holy Ghost are dead while they have a name to live.” (Clarke)

Revelation 1:20 presents lampstands as a picture of the church, the new covenant community of God’s people. By this illustration, we see the principle that the church itself does not light the world, but it does provide a “platform” for the light of Jesus to be seen. (Guzik)

How bright does your light shine the honor and glory given to God? Does it only burn bright in the light of day but show no flicker of light during the night? It is easy to show light in the presence of light or at least it seems as though our light is shining too. In the presence of other believers, our light might be full but it is in the presence of the dark that our true light shines. Does it shine so that Jesus Christ is honored and glorified?

14.l. I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

John 1:9   The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Isaiah 49:6   he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

1 John 5:20     And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

1 Corinthians 1:21     For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

Acts 7:51-52    “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

Imagine at the end of the day when you are very tired.  It is dark outside and you find yourself nicely settling into a much-desired sleep.  30 Minutes into this sound sleep  someone turns on a bright light and with squinting blinking eyes you plead or demand that the light be turned off. On the other hand, there are those who wake when the bright light is turned on and with squinting eyes seem to ask, with anticipation, what?  They aren’t pleading for the light to be shut off.  They want to know why the light is on. The human soul reacts to the bright light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the same two ways.  The soul will either want to know about the light of the Gospel or plead/demand that the light of the Gospel be shut off.  I sometimes wonder what causes the heart and soul to reject the light of the Gospel.  The message of the Gospel is grace, mercy, love, peace, hope, joy, strength, power, forgiveness, refuge, and eternal life.  There is nothing within the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is offensive but still, people will hate, reject, detest, resent, oppose, and become bitter and hostile.  When the Gospel is rejected there is harm to the heart and soul.  When the Gospel is accepted there is life.  But there is more.   Rejection will end in torment, destruction, and eternity in hell.  Acceptance will end in life, blessings, and eternal life in heaven.

173. It is not light thing

2 Kings 3:4  Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he had to deliver to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. So King Jehoram marched out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. And he went and sent word to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to battle against Moab?” And he said, “I will go. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” Then he said, “By which way shall we march?” Jehoram answered, “By the way of the wilderness of Edom.”

So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. And when they had made a circuitous march of seven days, there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them. Then the king of Israel said, “Alas! The Lord has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?” Then one of the king of Israel’s servants answered, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.” And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

And Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and to the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No; it is the Lord who has called these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.” And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you. But now bring me a musician.” And when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon him. And he said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘I will make this dry streambed full of pools.’ For thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not see wind or rain, but that streambed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your livestock, and your animals.’ This is a light thing in the sight of the Lord. He will also give the Moabites into your hand, and you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree and stop up all springs of water and ruin every good piece of land with stones.” The next morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came from the direction of Edom, till the country was filled with water.

Isaiah 49:6     he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Isaiah 42:6     “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,

Isaiah 60:3   And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Luke 2:32   a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

John 1:4-9    In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.  He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.  The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

Acts 26:18    to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

The miracles of God which seem hard are not for God.  They are a light thing.  Think about it. God created all there was from the voice of His mouth.  Universes, galaxies, light, every living thing, and mankind.  God creator, our Heavenly Father, our Redeemer Jesus Christ, and our helper the Holy Spirit, are all of God.  It is a light thing for Him to do what we think impossible.  It is not something we should think a light thing for us to honor Him, worship Him, glorify Him, follow Him, obey Him, rely on Him, and trust in Him.  This is our purpose in life.  What is not light for God should not be thought of light by us.  Forgiveness, repentance, and humble service to Jesus Christ require us to see this as a BIG THING from God to us.  Pray that God will open your heart and mind to the depth and width of His love demonstrated in and through Jesus Christ.

Light of the world

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

“ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”

“for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light”

Psalms 107:10  Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons,  for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High.  So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help.  Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.  He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.  Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!   For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.

 Luke 1:79     to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

 Isaiah 42:7     to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

 Isaiah 60:1-3    Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.  For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.  And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Exodus 2:23-24     During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.  And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

 Job 36:8-9     And if they are bound in chains and caught in the cords of affliction,  then he declares to them their work and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.

 Romans 6:20-21     For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.  But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

 Acts 26:18  to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5     But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.  For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

I wonder if we get confused with what is light and what is darkness.  For sure we know the physical difference between night and day, light and dark. However when it comes to sin darkness, do we see it? do we own it? do we understand it? do we know the author of darkness?  When it comes to sin darkness, sometimes, it binds us in chains, blinds our eyes, and makes our senses unable to see or feel the love and light of Christ.  We grope around trying to find a path forward.  Sometimes we end up in darkness be cause we neglect the light.  Other times we just plan fail to run to the light, choosing rather to remain in the darkness.  What are we to do when we see someone in darkness?  Show them the light.  Encourage them with the light.  Proclaim the light.  And at other times allow the light of Christ flow through you.  We all have found ourselves in darkness.  Allow God to use you as a light to others and always pointing to Him alone.

I send My messenger

John 1:6  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.  He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

John 3:28    You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’

Isaiah 40:3-5    A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Malachi 3:1     “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.

Matthew 3:1-11    In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”  Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.  Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him,  and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.  And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.  Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Mark 1:1  And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 13:24     Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

John came to prepare the way before Christ and preached repentance and baptism.  He bore witness to Christ.   John’s purpose was to prepare the way for Christ (the anointed one).  It is important to note that there were those who were cut to the heart by what they heard.  Some, who were so moved, confessed their sin, repented and were baptized.  Others who were also so moved did not. They chose to deny the conviction in their heart and became stiff necked and hard hearted to the hope being offered.   Not much has changed with mankind.  Their are still those who believe and those who do not.  We were given a great command – go into all the world telling them the Good News (gospel) making disciples.  We are to be a reflection of the light of Christ – A reflection of the hope, love, grace, mercy, joy, peace, power, strength, and might of God.  Each day we have opportunity to read His word and reflect this light.  Each day we have opportunity to speak of these.  Look for this opportunity today.