2014: The Light ... The Need

Good Morning! 

Praying you all had a wonderful week. I set my mind to thoroughly enjoy this last week of winter break. And, alas – after a full month off, school starts back Monday. I am excited though … this semester will be much more manageable than the last. I had a great coffee night with my best friend yesterday and I am ready to hit the ground running. With that in mind, here is the second of our 2014: The Light posts. 

And the focus for today? The Need …

‘… the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.’ John 3:19

Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil –

One of the things I love about the Bible is its unchanging relevance. No matter the culture, despite socio-economic status, regardless of race or gender and transcending boundaries of time and space – the Bible is every bit as applicable today as it was the day it was written.

‘The entirety of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.’ Psalm 119:160

The whole of His Word is true and accurate –

We need only look at some of the topics that generated headlines for the first two weeks of this year to realize the desperate conditions of our generation: legalization of marijuana, child endangerment, random violence, murder, government scandal, sexual assaults, data-integrity breaches, persecution and martyrdom - just to name a few.

There is a true need for light in this world

However, we do not have to look to the headlines to identify this need

We need simply to examine our own lives

Luke 6:42 asks a pointed question and offers unfiltered commentary and rebuke: ‘Or how can you say to your brother, Brother, allow me to take out the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do not see the beam that is in your own eye? You actor (pretender, hypocrite)! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.’

You see, the first step in being able to shine a light –

Is combating the darkness in our own lives

‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ Rom. 3:23

Further –

‘the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.' Galatians 5:19-21

Of course, there are some who will look at that list and self-righteously declare: ‘I do not engage in any of those practices!’

Yet, as we discussed last week, II Timothy 3:1-5 tells us, ‘in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.” [Italics and bold print, my emphasis]

This word is for everyone - those inside the church and those outside; saved and unsaved. Therefore we must all take the time to honestly evaluate our lives, our hearts, our intentions.

What do we pray for?

Who do we pray for?

Do we forgive … and how long does it take?

Do we think of others, at all?

Do we possess the same giving nature that God has?

Why do we do what we do?

What is our standard in life?

Do we read His Word … to examine ourselves?

‘God’s word is alive and working and is sharper than a double-edged sword. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined, to the center of our joints and bones. And it judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts. Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. Everything is clear and lies open before Him, and to Him we must explain the way we have lived.' Hebrews 4:12-13 NCV

Do we truly think about our own actions?

And, are we determined to become more and more like Him?

Take some time this week to pray and truly reflect on … you

Ask God to show you, through His Word, who you are … and who you need to become

We cannot shine an outward light if the inward light is not constantly attended to and blazing bright

Next week, we will be looking at some ways to focus on the light: individually, in your home and in your local church.

Praying you have an abundantly blessed week!

Who is in your passenger seat?

Last week I heard one of the most unimaginable and troubling stories I have heard in a while.

The words of the news reporter were something like this, ‘Today at noon, we’ll tell you about a woman who drove around for ten months with a dead body in her passenger seat.’

Now, my first thought was that they were sensationalizing the news again and trying to hook viewership. However, when I watched the news later, it was an actual segment. Apparently police officers came upon an automobile which was illegally parked and were shocked when they realized there was a corpse in the passenger seat.

The woman had supposedly been driving around with this body for approximately ten months. Allegedly, she had befriended a homeless person who she would let sleep in her car and went out one day to realize her friend was dead. Then, afraid to contact the authorities, the woman continued to drive around with and even dress the corpse for several months.

Now, when I heard this news, the first thing I thought after, ‘that is so sad’ was, ‘how could she deal with the stench?’

As I sat thinking about it, a couple of questions arose:
If the spirit man is alive and the flesh is dead, why are so many still driving around with the corpse? And, how do we as believers deal with the stench?

In Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT, Paul admonishes the believers, ‘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.’

Colossians 3:3,5 says, ‘For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.’

What is he saying?
The message is that we should not be socializing with our flesh man. In fact, we are the ones who are to put our flesh man to death.

Understand that there is no amount of air freshener that can combat the stench of decaying flesh. And we should not cater to the desires of our flesh as if it were a living thing. No, we are called to die daily and we live with the understanding that ‘Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal. 5:24).’

In Colossians 3:1 Paul says, ‘If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.’

Who, or what, is in your passenger seat?

Do not allow lifeless and decaying thoughts, attitudes, behaviors or people to occupy your life. Don’t be afraid to call upon the authority of God’s Word to have those dead things removed from your presence. They must come to new life in Christ Jesus or they must leave your life and find their way to the place where dead things go.

Certainly they cannot travel through life with you in your passenger seat.