Light

The Gospel Is Hidden

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Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;  but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:1-6

The gospel is many times rejected, because the god of this age; who is Satan; has blinded the eyes of those who are lost. Most of the time that is due to the fact of their ignorance of God, and of God’s word.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is Light in the darkness.  It shows us what is holy, righteous, just and true; and changes the lives of those who believe. The gospel is this – That Jesus Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again. To believe this and trust in this great work for our salvation, will lead you to Himself, and you will call on His name, and He will hear your cry, and He will deliver you from the darkness of death into His glorious light.

The Light of God

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And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  “Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, ‘When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.’ ”   And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.  And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.
Numbers 8:1-4

Light Has No Fellowship With Darkness

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Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?   And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?   And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said,
“I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,” saith the Lord, “and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters,” saith the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The Power of The Light

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No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.  For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.  Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
Luke 8:16-18

…Among whom you shine as lights in the world…

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Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
Philippians 2:12-16

The Light

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No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. Luke 11:33-36

Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world.” He went on to say in that same verse, “…He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”  (John 8:12).

When we live for Christ His light burns in our lives and it cannot be hidden in a secret place or put under a basket, but out for all who see us will be able to see that the light of Jesus Christ is within us. There will be a single focus on the life in which the Light of Jesus Christ dwells. That single focus will be of loving, worshiping, honoring and adoring the Lord Jesus.

In First John the apostle wrote, “This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1:5).  When we walk in the Light of Christ we are “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), which will be visible as the world passes by.

Turn to the Light of Jesus Christ who died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead. It is His light that exposes the evil of our hearts, and in the world, and sets the soul free for all who will come to Him.

The Exposition of the Light

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And He said unto them,
“Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed and not to be set on a candlestick? For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.”
And He said unto them,
“Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.”   Mark 4:21-25

Light

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“Then Jesus said unto them,
‘Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.’
These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.” John 12:35-36

Light is wonderful to have. Without light we would be stumbling around in the dark. Light shows us danger in our path, the way ahead, and even is a source of life.

Few people clean under their beds, and if you take a light and shine it under the bed you will see all kinds of dirt and dust. Light exposes the things that are hid in darkness. Jesus is the Light of the world. He has told us so in John 8:12 and John 9:5.

Because Jesus is the Light of the world many hate them because they do not want their evil hearts to be exposed, because their deeds are evil (John 3:19). I pray that your sin has been exposed and your condemnation, and that you have turned your heart away from sin to Christ Jesus.

Jesus also said to those who believe on Him, “You are the light of the world” Matthew 5:14. When we have put our faith in Him, we are His light in this dark world.

Christmas Day Ten and Seven

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What do I want for Christmas today?

I want to always drive safely, and legally, and drive with headlights on when safety requires it; like when it is near dark, when it is cloudy, when it is raining, snowing, foggy with sunlight or without it;  and at night in the dark.

When you are driving on our Highways: Please let your light [from your car or truck at least] be seen by others.  Even some law enforcement officials need to learn this.

The Light is Shining

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“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” Isaiah 9:2 (KJV)

The nation having departed from the Word of the LORD, His law, and His prophets is in darkness. A darkness covers the land. A darkness of sin, of captivity, of departing from the Living God, to dead idols, to shame, to sin, and its captivity.

The verse is one of the promised Messiah who would come as Light to this nation in darkness; and its people dwelling in the “shadow of death”.

When Jesus came into Israel, born as a man; a baby in a manger; the Light truly did shine; and there was hope for the land, the people. Jesus Christ was and is the fulfillment of this prophecy of Isaiah. This verse is given in detail in Matthew 4:15-16, and following this verse Jesus says,

“Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (v. 17)

It is time for repentance, in our day. A time for turning away from sin to Christ Jesus and life in the light. When we are in darkness the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ shines brighter. It shines brighter as those who are His will stand, and be strong in the LORD, and the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10ff).

The ultimate fulfillment of this verse will be when Jesus the Messiah will come again, and set all things right, and reign as King of all kings.

The Light of the Messiah; the Christ is shining brightly in this dark world. Paul the apostle of Christ said,

“But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound…” Romans 5:20

Because of the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Light (John 8:12; 9:5).  The Light is Shining brightly.

Light of the World

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Matthew 5:13-16 concluded…

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV).

Now we turn to the action of Light. In particular the Light of Jesus Christ. Let’s think first of all what the action of light is. Light dispels darkness. It casts shadows. It shows the way in the dark. Darkness cannot overcome light. We can also see by the above verses that light can be hid. It might even be put out or grow dim, due to lack of being tended. Look at these things from a spiritual perspective.

Light and darkness cannot co-exist; they cannot be together in the same place – light always overcomes the darkness. Jesus is the Light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). In the Gospel of John it is written, “The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not” – “Comprehend” means overcome or conquered, thus the light shining. Darkness is merely the absence of light. It is basically nothing. Jesus cast out the nothingness of our lives by the shining of His light into our hearts. In our hearts before Jesus came is the absence of light – His Light. Shadows are the result of light not passing through an object which stands in its way. Is there anything in our lives which cast a solid shadow of obstinance, disobedience, which will be where those who watch us will be standing. Because of this shadow they will not see the Light. Light shows us the way in the dark.

There is an amazing thing about light. You can see light from miles and miles away, and still be in the dark. Light will do you no good until you get into its illuminating power; within its area of lighting. If you are out at night and the only light you have is a flashlight you can use that to find your way. With that flashlight there is no darkness where you walk. Every obstacle in your path, every hole before each step can be seen with that light. With the light that is far away you may; by tripping and stumbling; make your way toward it while you are in the dark. You will stumble, even fall at times, and if you keep walking toward that light – if you do not fall into a hole, over a cliff, or something else happens – you might eventually get to the luminance of that light. When you get into the graces of that light you will most likely find scratches, bruises, tears in your clothing, and your eyes will take a little time to adjust to the glow, but now you can see. If you have been walking the hills out in the country of the Ozarks that would be especially true. You will probably even find burrs, and ticks on you. When you get into this light you will see what you look like. When we get into the Light of Jesus we will see what we are, and what we look like. We will see that we need some cleaning up, and He can do that.

When we are the light of Christ we will work the same way that Jesus works. We do not cover the Light in order to be unthreatening to the people in darkness. We let that Light shine, letting them see clearly who we are, and most of all who Jesus is. We can hide the light, and it can go out or grow dim due to our being ashamed of it, or due to allowing sin to dominate our lives.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”. It just seems to me that we hide that light when we put ourselves on the level of the bars, bunny mansions, and rock shows. It looks to me like we hide the Light when we have it covered with the garb and gear that is worn by the world. Let your light shine. Let the world see Jesus in you.

The Light’s Preaching, Teaching and Power

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“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan” Matthew 4:23-25 (KJV).

THE LIGHT OF JESUS SHINES AS EVIDENCE OF HIS PREACHING, TEACHING, AND POWER. These are the credentials of the Divine King – the Son of God. In His teaching He taught as one having a superior authority (7:29). He taught by speaking words and living by them. In His preaching; He announced the kingdom of heaven. In His healing; this was certainly divine verification of the truth of who He was and is. It continued through His earthly life as verification and until the end of the apostolic era.

The greatest healing Jesus came to do was in the giving of Light to the darkness of human hearts. Someone has said, “The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart”. The heart of all mankind is darkness until the light of Jesus shines in and the darkness flees, and then there is healing from sins condemnation, sicknesses and disease. The only real reason for sickness and disease and problems in the world is sin. Jesus came to pay the debt of sin. That debt is paid, and one day the King of all Kings will reign, and there will be no more sin, no more sickness, no more disease, and no more problems. Jesus is the LIGHT.

These multitudes followed Him because of the mighty deeds which He did. They would later deny Him. Some of them would even be the ones in the crowd crying, “Crucify Him; crucify Him”. Are you following Him because of what He can do, or just because of who He is? It does make a difference.

The Light of the Heart

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Matthew 4:12-25 continuing…

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” Matthew 4:18-22 (KJV).

THE LIGHT OF JESUS SHINES IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM. Jesus, walking on the shores of Galilee sees Peter and Andrew – brothers fishing. These are “Net” fishermen. They have no idea what fish are going to come up in their net, yet they toss the net into the water each time. Sometimes they have a catch large or small, and sometimes they come up empty. The net is no respecter of persons; maybe I should say fish; and neither is the Lord of all things. The fish does not go into the net without divine guidance. It is not by mere happen stance.

Peter and Andrew are fishing, and Jesus came along, and though they evidently had never met Him before – at least as far as we know – and He says, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”, and they drop their nets, and followed Him. It was an immediate action. In the King James it says, “Straightway”, and that can mean, “directly”, “soon”, “at once”, or “immediately”. At any rate they realized something special about Jesus and they followed Him. John’s Gospel gives a bit different account, and it is complementary; there is no harm done to either story (John 1:35-42).

With Peter and Andrew following along Jesus continues along the shores of Galilee seeking the men who would follow Him. The Sea of Galilee from which they make their living. The Sea which could represent the doomed, despairing, drowning, dying, realm of men in the world. Jesus comes to two more brothers James Zebedee, and John his brother. These had been fishing with their father Zebedee, but now were mending the nets. Maybe after a few times of catching the fish they would have tears, making holes in the net, thus, becoming less effective with each casting of the net. In all forms of labor; whether fishing, farming, policing, merchandising , etc. there will always be need for repairs. It can be a time of reflection, vision building, and growth; as well as improvement of the net. In this episode of Jesus’s life He now has four disciples – Peter, Andrew, James and John. He extended the invitation, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”.

That invitation, to this very day is still given to all who will hear His message. Jesus says, “Come, follow Me”.