I Saw The Light!

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD shines over you.  For look, darkness covers the earth, and total darkness the peoples; but the LORD will shine over you, and His glory will appear over you"  (Isaiah 60:1-2, HCSB).  

"'This, then, is the judgment:  The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19, HCSB).

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16, NIV).

"If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin"  (1 John 1:6-7).   

Once you've seen the light, your life is transformed not just reformed.  Darkness is expelled by the presence of light, which is its enemy.  They cannot dwell together in the same space.  God is light and in Him is no darkness! He created light and separated it from the darkness. No one has an excuse: God gives light to all, for in Jesus we all can see the light if we look for it; however, He gives us only enough to see where we are to go.  There is enough to see for the willing and enough darkness for the unwilling to reject the light.  We must be willing to come to the light and hate the darkness!  In God's economy, known as the divine order of reality, enlightenment comes from Light!  

If we are to become enlightened by the Word, we ought to seek the Source, the Holy Spirit, who illuminates the eyes of our hearts. We are to be lights in a dark-infested world that is Satan's domain and turf.  We are to let our light shine in the darkness and influence it for the good.  The M.O. of finding the light and being enlightened is via the Bible and preaching of it; the day will dawn and the morning star will shine in our hearts (cf. 2 Pet. 1:19).

The problem with evil men is that they love darkness rather than light and will not come to it lest their evil deeds become exposed (cf. John 3:19)!  Only those who see the light can pass it on to others and show them the Way.  The Bible shows us the real self, for what we are in reality, not painting a pretty picture but being blunt about the portrayal.  For Proverbs 20:27 "The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost thoughts." God made our hearts and knows the diagnosis as well as the cure and prognosis!

There is just enough light for anyone to see if they are willing and the Bible equates Truth with light, for Augustine said that all truth is God's truth (cf. 1 John 1:6)!   It is a sign of evil when men walk in darkness and this type of metaphoric language should hit home for us all, for we can all identify a time in our life without direction and guidance from the Divinity.  This is in contradistinction to Satan, the prince of darkness.  The fulfillment of our faith is to see Jesus: "Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus." "But we do see Jesus" as the ultimate "Beatific Vision" completed in glory  (cf. Heb. 2:9, NIV) for He is the very personification and manifestation of the Light.

CAVEAT:  THE GOAL OF OUR LIFE IS NOT "ENLIGHTENMENT" AS IS SOUGHT IN BUDDHISM BUDDHA MEANS "ENLIGHTENED ONE"), BUT SALVATION OF THE SOUL AND RESTORATION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.   CHRISTIANITY IS A RELIGION OF SALVATION!  NB:  BUDDHA, SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA, DIDN'T BELIEVE IN GOD AND  SAID THAT IF HE DID EXIST, HE COULDN'T HELP YOU FIND ENLIGHTENMENT, YOU MUST FIND IT ON YOUR OWN!    Soli Deo Gloria!

Loving Darkness Or Light?

"I form light and create darkness..." (Isa. 45:7, ESV).
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5, ESV).
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor. 4:4, NIV).
"The unfolding of your words gives light..." (Psa. 119:130, NIV).  
"For with you is the fountain of life; in your light, we see light" (Psa. 36:9, NIV).
"Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me" (Psa. 43:3, NIV).
"I selected and sent you to bring light and my promise of hope to the nations" (Isa. 42:6, CEV).

This is the verdict:  men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil, and refused to come to the light, lest their deeds are exposed (cf. John 3:19). Woe to those who put light for darkness and darkness for light (cf. Isa. 5:20).  Coming to the light is the same as coming to Jesus and coming clean.  There is just enough light to see if one wants to and enough darkness to keep those in the dark who wish to stray there and not come to the light (cf. John 7:17).

It's true that seeing isn't believing, but believing is seeing because we believe in order to understand according to Augustine.  No one is in total darkness (cf. Acts 14:17), but there is always a light to show the way for those who might repent.  We all experience darkness on occasion because we shouldn't "... doubt in the dark what God told [us] in the light (attributed, Raymond Edman).  Jesus came to bear witness of the light and enlightened every man.  When we see the light, our lives are transformed, on a mission, and we see Jesus in action.

The reason we can't see God, who is Light, and dwells in unapproachable light (cf. 1 Tim. 6:16), is because we cannot even bear to look into the sun, one of His creations, much less see His glory.  There is no darkness with God (cf. 1 John 1:5).  It has been told of a man who lived in a dark cave and when he went outside was afraid of the light and went back into the dark cave where he felt secure and unseen.  Newsflash:  God sees in the darkness and nothing is hidden from Him (cf. Psa. 90:8). When we get saved we see the light and our spiritual eyes are opened, especially in reading the Bible.

Christians are called to be lights and not to hide our light but to let it shine and change the world with it collectively.  We are the light of the world (cf. Matt 5:14).  We are to be children of light, putting off the works of darkness, and to act like it as God's ambassadors (cf. 2 Cor. 5:20), and witnesses to a dark, fallen world that doesn't see the way, doing works of light.  Our light is equated with truth (cf. John 3:21, "he that doeth truth cometh to the light"), and Amos accuses the people of "twisting the truth and stomping on justice"--the same thing is occurring today as we see Postmodern worldviews becoming predominate and people not even knowing what truth is, much less what a lie is--they seem to think that truth is what they prefer to believe or what works for them, and another person's truth has no power over them because it's all relevant.

It is unfortunate, as James Russell Lowell says:  "Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne."  There seem to be no truths anyone is willing to die for anymore. Hosea 5:6 says that when people refuse the light, it's withdrawn from them.  It is only by God's grace that we acknowledge the truth (cf. 2 Tim. 2:25) and the highest regard is to be well spoken of by the truth (cf. 3 John v. 12).  It is the truth that sets us free (cf. John 8:32), referring to knowing the Lord, for Augustine said "all truth is God's truth" and Aquinas added that "all truth meets at the top," to discover the truth is to discover the God of truth in some manner.

We are to walk in the truth, or in the light figuratively because the Word of Truth is what sanctifies us (cf. John 17:17).  God is light and in Him is no darkness, and therefore there is no fellowship between light and darkness and we are to come out from it and be separate or holy.  "Come, ... let us walk in the light of the LORD" (Isa. 2:5, NIV). When we walk and abide in the light, even as Christ is in the light, we have sweet fellowship with one another (cf. 1 John 1:7).

The fool walks in darkness though (cf. Eccl. 2:14), so we must show the way and be lights in a dark world, putting on the armor of light (cf. Rom. 13:12).  If we say we are in the light, we ought to walk in the light (1 John 2:9ff).  "The LORD is my light and my salvation..." (Psa. 27:1, NIV):  everyone needs to see the light.  

In summation, let's fulfill the Word of God in Isa. 60:1, NIV, saying, "[A]rise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has come upon you."   It's a known, undisputed fact among believers that the closer you get to the light, the more imperfections are seen.   Soli Deo Gloria!

We Are Lights In The Midst Of Darkness

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16, NIV).
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you" (Isaiah 60:1, NIV).

Christians are an open book and they seem to live in a glass house once the word is out they claim ownership of Christ publicly. We are not to be ashamed to represent our Lord and to be willing to even suffer for righteousness and the gospel's sake. We are not all called to be martyrs but we are all "living sacrifices" and that means God wants us to live for Him, know Him, and make Him known. A living sacrifice can crawl off the altar, and we must constantly renew our commitment. 

Lordship entails daily dying and renewal in the Spirit as we make constant spiritual checkups, especially as we gather together in the Lord's name. We are not to commend ourselves with ourselves, nor to compare ourselves with some standard or some ideal person, not even a so-called idol of ours (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12). Our job description is to walk in the Spirit and by faith and let God lead us in our calling. We don't all have the same special calling but we are all elected to be ambassadors or representatives of Christ on earth.

When the world sees our good works and witnessing is not the only fruit manifest, but the testimony of our life in general and showing that we make a difference in the world. They should see that we are different from the world and wonder what makes us tick. They may even taunt us but God promises that if we are not ashamed of our Lord, they will nonetheless praise our Heavenly Father. Some Christians in name only profane the name of Christ and bring it into disrepute by denying Him in their works (cf. Titus 1:16). Hypocrites are not those who fall short of their personal standards but those who make a parade of pseudo-religion and are pretenders, claiming to know God but denying Him by their life: it's like putting on a mask or play-acting. God sees through the veneer though and they will be judged, just like Jesus condemned the Pharisees.

Satan would love to see us silenced and to jeopardize our testimony by compromising with the world and there is grave danger in loving the world or in being attracted to what it has to offer--it takes away our desire for holy things which are of the kingdom of God. We ultimately have to decide where our loyalty lies and to whom we owe allegiance and who owns us.

Let everything we do be in the name of the Lord (cf. Col. 3:17, 23), bringing glory to His name and thus being lights in a dark world; we should never hide our light but be bold to see the open doors of opportunity that we have to share our testimony and do good works in His name. We are meant to be "zealous of good works" (cf. Titus 2:14) and "increasing in the knowledge of God" in so doing (cf. Col. 1:10). Some have made the fallacious conclusion that the only fruit is witnessing and that is the measure of our spirituality. This is a given and God makes us all witnesses and vessels of honor no matter what, a good tree automatically brings forth good fruit. We must make sure of our calling and know our gift to be fruitful with it and grow in grace to bear the fruit of the Spirit. The world should wonder where we get our strength! Bear in mind: opportunity knocks--seize the day!

The world is looking for the real thing, the real McCoy and we must realize the mission that God has commissioned us with and fulfill our ministry, being a witness to all our neighbors and those in our inner circles and influence. Jesus didn't say, "Please be lights," but that we are lights and we shall witness or let it shine on--as vessels God works through us and glorifies Himself by our testimony and works. All in all, never pretend to be what you are not, and be true to yourself and God, which entails knowing yourself as well as knowing God--twin goals from ancient Greek philosophy which are still valid.

We give the gospel credibility by our consistent testimony and our labor of love in showing compassion has demonstrated the nature of Christ to the world. It has always been Christian relief agencies and believers who come to the aid of those in distant lands where Christ is not named, like during the "killing fields" where Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge killed thousands and devastated the land, but Christians, who didn't believe they deserved it because of their karma, stepped in and showed the love of God and the infinite compassion of Christ in action via relief organizations.

As Mother Teresa said, "It's not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters." She would say, "Get with the program!" Paul says also in Gal. 4:6, NIV, that "the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." The message of James is "the faith you have is the faith you show." He said he'd show us his faith by his works, and Paul would show us his works by his faith; indeed, they are correlated and can be distinguished but not separated.

What does light do but expose darkness because they cannot coexist? The world hates the light because their deeds are evil (cf. John 3:19) and we cannot love the world and God, but must choose whom we will choose (cf. 1 John 2:15; Josh. 24:15). We are not to be mere do-gooders nor goody-two-shoes, but doing the work of the Lord willingly with a smile. Christ refused to turn stones into bread and we are to be representatives of Him first and meeting their needs second. Our do-goodery or do-goodism contrasts with the world's best efforts as goody-goodies; believers aren't against good works, just those done in the flesh.

Remember, the Christian life, it's been said, is not hard--it's impossible (you must be filled with the Spirit!). Caveat: we are in the world, but not of it, so illuminate it! (cf. John 15:19). Even our lives are an open letter of the gospel, and even may speak in our death, as Abel's blood cried out to God. On the flipside cloistered virtue is no virtue--we're not hermits in seclusion nor spiritual Lone Rangers. Soli Deo Gloria!

Blinded By The Light

God is light and those who deny Him live in darkness or chaos without His guidance.  The Word exhorts us to "walk in the light, even as He is in the light."  The Word itself is a "light to our path and a lamp to our feet." Isaiah 9 talks of those who dwell in darkness seeing a great light (Matt. 4:16a, ESV).  The blind man testified: "This one thing I know, I was blind, but now I see."


You may not recall the precise moment your eyes were opened, but cannot deny that they are opened now and that you see: "Unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God."  If you reject the light you have you will suffer darkness, not more light.  If you are responsive to the light given you will be given more light--this is God's economy.  Saying, "I see the light" is a great testimony.

People have wondered why they can't see God, who is invisible but dwells in great light that we cannot behold.  Try looking into the sun;  if you say it would blind you, then realize that you would be destroyed by looking into the source of all light, God Himself is light and no darkness dwells with Him--neither does He cast a shadow.  Do you see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ?  We are to be lights in the world and let our lights shine so that men will see them and give glory to God: "Let your light so shine before men..." (cf. Matt. 5:16). Jesus said in Matt. 5:14 that we are the light of the world--don't put your light under a basket where no one can behold its glory!

Isaiah 60:1 (ESV) says: "Arise, shine, for your light has come...."  God saves us to be a blessing (cf. Zech. 8:13) and to bring Him glory by reflecting Jesus or being the icons of God (cf. Isaiah 43:7). We are created for God's glory according to The Westminster Shorter Catechism:  "The chief end of man  is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."  We must be faithful to the light we have and bring forth fruit worthy of our calling to enjoy more light--when you pass along insights from God, you are given more insight.  Jesus came to open the eyes of the blind so they can see the light (he's not necessarily talking about healing blind men), but the one in the worst state is he who thinks he sees the light but is blind.  The song "Blinded By The Light" is relevant because we cannot behold God until we are in a glorified and holy state and if we saw Him now we would be rendered blind--to close for comfort!

God said in the beginning, "Let there be light" and the light and darkness were severed permanently. God is the source of light and created it so we can see and it was good;  we are to do likewise and shed light on the subject so others can see the light through our works that speak for themselves and bear witness of the light.  Soli Deo Gloria!