Tag Archives: Light

Day and Night – Recognizing the Difference Between the Two

24 Thursday Sep 2015

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DayNightAll of us have been blessed to have the gift of life. While not everyone will pass away at the same exact time period, the one thing we all have in common is that we each have 24 hours a day that God has given to us. In such a time period, there are at least two distinctions that we all use to determine how much time has passed. The first distinction is that of the ‘daytime.’ Daytime or daylight symbolizes light and even movement. To see the light of day is to experience illumination.

While the hour of morning generally begins at 12:00 am, daybreak is usually understood to take place when the sun begins to rise and darkness begins to recede. Thus, the end of the night is declared which means the beginning of the dawn. Then there is also of course the distinction of the ‘night time’ or ‘dusk.’ The night time period represents darkness and for many a time of rest or seclusion from the world. It is usually a time in which you are unable to see because of the darkness that surrounds you.

Spiritually speaking, there is also such a distinction between light and darkness. The Apostle Paul assists us in the illustration by using the phrases ‘children of the light’ and ‘children of the day.’ This reference can be found in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5 in verse 5 in which he says the following:

(ESV) “For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness”

In chapter 5 of 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonica. He urges Christians in that church to be watchful for the Lord’s return. Paul does so in the manner of reminding those who are in Christ that they are not in darkness, but that we in Christ are children of the light or children of the day. Why does Paul use both of those phrases concerning Christians?

To be a child of the day or a child of the light, it means that there is a sense of illumination and even a distinction. Paul continues in that verse when he says that we are not of the night or the darkness. This is a declaration to those who are in Christ that there is a separation between those in Christ and those who are in sin. Children of the day are individuals who have allowed Jesus Christ to enlighten their spiritual eyes and their heart.

What are the characteristics of a person who is a child of the day? Here are a few considerations:

Godly Love – This is not meant to refer to love as the world casually uses this phrase, but it is meant to denote a love that only comes from God. The world suggests that love is based on a feeling or that it is conditional. However, love that comes from God is unconditional and it seeks to serve others.

Restraint and abstinence from sinful living – A person who is a child of the day will adhere to a lifestyle that is not one of living in sin. Contrary to much of the false doctrine, one who is truly in Christ will shun evil as Proverbs 14:16 says. We are living in a time in which one can claim Christianity or say that they know God, but yet their lifestyle does not line up with God’s demand for self-restraint and obedience unto His commands.

A person cannot be a child of the light or of the day and allow sin to be within their life. Our world today continues to impress the idea that you can believe in God and be ‘religious’ and yet accept sinful behavior and even the sinful behavior of others.

Allegiance to God instead of to what satan desires – Humanity has now embraced secular humanism and ‘global unity.’ However, we who are children of the day must reject satan’s ploy to unify those of us who are in Christ with the wickedness of the world. Our allegiance must be to God and God alone. Anything less than such a stance is to abide by the lawlessness and sinfulness that is presented to those in the faith.

Such characteristics or dispositions as noted above are just a few of the things that separate a person who is of the day and a person who is of the night. What are the characteristics of a person who is a child of the night or in darkness?

Unrepentant sin – If you look at the world around us, many have taken God’s truth and spiritual and even moral absolutes and made it into a complete lie. It is now acceptable to do ‘what you feel’ is the right thing and to accept a myriad of sins. Those who live in unrepentant sin are doing so because they are unable to accept the things of the Holy Spirit as 1 Corinthians 2:14 says. Their eyes have not been illuminated by Jesus Christ, which means sin is natural which means they are in darkness.

Confusion about what is true and what is a lie – Our world today has become entrenched in the delivery of various mixed messages that many are confused as to what is right and what is wrong. Even many who claim to be Christians have allowed the world to dictate what God has said and what God hasn’t said. It is the person who is a child of the night that cannot understand the truth of God because they adhere to false doctrine.

Rapid decay both spiritually and physically – If you are a child of the night or in darkness then your life will begin to exhibit a decline in many different ways. Outside of Jesus Christ a person’s life cannot be full of peace or safety because there is a staunch opposition to God who gives life in abundance. Various examples can be shown of what a life looks like when it is unattached from Jesus Christ. Many who commit suicide or even those who are caught in addiction are simply mirroring the symptoms of a broken life without Christ.

Just as there is an obvious delineation between day and night, spiritually there is a divide between light and darkness. What the world promotes is a merge between the two, however, if a person is truly in Christ then such a merger cannot take place because the world will not accept the things or the people of God as they are. To a sinner who chooses to reject God, anything that resembles His light cannot and will not be accepted.

The reason for this is because, where there is light the darkness begins to fade. That is how the life of every Christian should operate. Are you a child of the day or a child of the night? If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior then you are living in darkness. Jesus came and died so that you could be a child of the day. The world is rapidly changing for the worse, but there is hope in Jesus Christ. Accept His gift of life and allow God to show you His marvelous light.

A Change of Heart – From Darkness into the Light of Christ

24 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Spiritual

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Surgical procedures have been a part of human and medical history for quite some time. The purpose of performing surgery is to either remove an infected or non-working body part or to replace it with a fully functioning part that enhances one’s life while increasing longevity. Such procedures include the amputation of limbs, removing cancerous cells and tumors, and even knee replacement. There is also such a surgery called a ‘heart transplant.’

The very first heart transplant took place on December 3rd, 1963, in Cape Town South Africa. A man by the name of Lewis Washkansky who was 53 years old received a new heart from a 25-year-old woman by the name of Denise Darvall. At the time, it was a revolutionary surgery which paved the way for future heart transplants worldwide. Such a medical advancement has led to those with chronic heart ailments suddenly finding a 2nd chance at life even if it means living an extra 5-7 years.

The concept of a heart transplant is to exchange a heart that is in poor condition for a heart that is considerably healthier. Spiritually speaking, all of us have an opportunity to experience a change within our heart because of God through Jesus Christ. In the book of Ezekiel Chapter 11, Ezekiel who was one of the many prophets that God used is seen recounting a vision that God had given to him. This vision encompassed Ezekiel seeing the leaders of Israel being judged for their allowance of sin.

In verses 1-12 of this chapter, Ezekiel speaks to Jaazaniah and Pelatiah who are the leaders of Israel. God gives Ezekiel the command to tell them what the Word of God would be towards the leadership and the nation of Israel for their sinfulness and disobedience unto God. In verses 5-12, Ezekiel prophesies the punishment that would occur to the leaders and those who would remain in disobedience.

In verse 13, Pelatiah is then struck dead which leaves Ezekiel wondering what would befall the rest who were in Israel. Here is what God says to Ezekiel in verses 14-16:

(NLV) “Then the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, your brothers, your family, those who were driven out of the land, and all the people of Israel are those of whom the people of Jerusalem have said, ‘They have gone far away from the Lord. This land has been given to us for our own.’ So tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “I sent them far away among the nations. I divided them among the countries. But still I was a holy place for them a little while in the countries where they had gone.”’

Verse 17:

(NLV) “So tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “I will gather you from the nations. I will gather you together out of the countries where you have been divided. And I will give you the land of Israel.””

At that particular time, there was a group of people who were taken into captivity into the land of Babylon. They had left the land of Jerusalem, however, those who were still in Jerusalem were obstinate and believed that the land belonged to them instead. However, God promised to restore those who were exiled, into their rightful place in addition to the fact that God had been their their place of sanctity. Here is what God had also promised in verses 18-21:

(NLV) “When they return to it, they will take away all its hated and sinful things. I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will walk in My Laws and keep them, and obey them. They will be My people, and I will be their God.”

Verse 21:

(NLV) “But as for those whose hearts go after their hated and sinful things, I will bring their actions upon their own heads,” says the Lord God.”

There are a couple of key points that can be extracted from verses 18-21:

  1. God can transform the heart of every human being – All of us are born into sin when we enter into this world. This means that our heart is automatically filled with sinfulness and darkness because of the sin of Adam & Eve. However, the remedy for a transformation of the heart is through Jesus Christ. God sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross and He rose again from the dead so that we would be redeemed. However, if you and I have not accepted this gift of life then our heart is still unchanged.

    Jeremiah 17:9 says, (ESV) “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

    Sin is what resides within our heart because of our sinful nature, but we need God through Jesus Christ to renew our heart and to make it pure. Just as a person who has a heart transplant does so to remove a bad or failing heart in exchange for a new one, all of us are in need of a spiritual conversion. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that our heart can be changed, but we must surrender our lives unto Christ.

  2. The person who remains in their sin will suffer the consequences – In verse 21 of Ezekiel chapter 11, God declares to Ezekiel that those whose hearts are seeking after sinful things will eventually meet their demise based on what they have chosen to do. The fact is that a person whose heart is steeped within sinfulness is a person who will ultimately come to destruction both physically and spiritually. Since wickedness is within our heart from the very beginning, then it is the same wickedness that will lead us down a path that is destructive. The evidence can be seen throughout our world. Crime, political corruption, and various types of self-abuse and even abuse towards others are symptoms of the wickedness that reside within the heart of those without Christ.

    The remedy to such darkness is to be enlightened through Jesus Christ. God wants each of us to experience His fullness and to have our eyes illuminated to who He is and to the world around us. However, all of us must come to a point of surrender which means that we must confess our sins unto Jesus Christ. Without a remission of sin and an acceptance of Jesus Christ, then darkness will continue.

Are you in need of a change of heart? Do you suffer from a heart that is cold and callous and in need of the breath of life? Only Jesus Christ can provide the answer to your cold heart. The world offers many ‘solutions’, but the fact is that none of what is offered works. Jesus Christ is the only solution to a world that writhes in pain at the destruction caused by humanity’s sinfulness. Accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and experience the newness of life.

The Light of Jesus Christ in a Dark World

03 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by in Bible, Christian, Christianity, Faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, Love, Spiritual

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ID-10028643Have you ever experienced a power outage in your home or place of employment? If you have, you would have realized that the darkness and the lack of electricity was the result of the power outage. So, it is natural that one’s first instinct is to find a source of light. Whether it be a flashlight or a candle, the goal is to eliminate the darkness so that you can see in the midst of the circumstances. Having a source of light allows you to maintain some sense of normalcy and the ability to move freely without stumbling.

In this world that we live in, there are plenty of examples that we can point to which show the darkness that surrounds us daily. Various forms of sin have now become acceptable and practiced openly. World leaders also exhibit levels of corruption and a lack of restraint which causes their citizenry to shrink back in fear over governmental oppression and poor leadership. Violence and tragedies seem to be an unfortunate part of our world culture.  If one were solely focused on the daily and nightly news reports, then it would seem that darkness reigns over humanity.

However, darkness has an enemy, and that is anything that emits or radiates light. In John 8:12, Jesus says the following:

(NIV) “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 

At the beginning of John Chapter 8, we see Jesus being challenged by Pharisees. In verses 1-11 of this chapter, a woman who committed adultery was brought to Jesus by the Pharisees.  The Pharisees attempted to use the Mosaic law (The law established during the time of Moses) to condemn the woman to death by stoning.  However, Jesus instead does not condemn this woman, but tells her to go on her way, and not to sin again.  This, of course, infuriated the Pharisees, but Jesus responded with what He said in verse 12, which is that He is the light of the world. What did Jesus mean by that statement?

If you look at Jesus Christ, He is the son of the living God.  He is also God in the flesh according to Colossians 2:9 which says, (NLT) “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.” So, this means that because Jesus is indeed God in the flesh, He also contains the very power and majesty that God does.  This can be translated to mean that God’s ability to enlighten all men unto His truth is in the very essence of Jesus Christ. So, when Jesus says that He is the light of the world, He is saying that He is the pathway out of darkness and that He gives direction.

In that same verse, Jesus says that whoever follows Him, will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.  The great thing about God is, that He always gives humanity an opportunity to be free from sin and the darkness that we are surrounded by. It is because of humanity’s sinfulness and disobedience, that darkness looms over the world.  However, when we are in Christ and we follow Him, we are no longer blind or in darkness.  Instead, we are able to see through the darkness so that we have an uninhibited pathway.

So this means, that because Jesus is the light of the world, then we ourselves are also to carry His light into a dark and dying world. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus says, (NIV) “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” If we choose to accept Christ’s sacrifice and to follow Him, then we are automatically agents of light in any dark place. That is because, upon salvation and spiritual development through prayer, worship and the reading of God’s word, we begin to gain the attributes of Christ.

It is important to also examine the terms, “darkness” and “light”.  Why does Christ use these two terms?  What do they represent? Starting with the term, “light”, it symbolizes the very deity and holiness of God which also includes Jesus Christ.  John 1 says the following:

(NIV) John 1: 1-5:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Who is “the Word”?  The Word is actually Jesus Christ.  This scripture says that in Him or in God, was life and that life was the light of all mankind.  What the Apostle John is saying here, is that in Christ, there is life because the life that is in Jesus Christ, is also in God Himself since Jesus is God in the flesh.  So, the term light is meant to show forth life, and an illumination of God’s glory which one would not otherwise see in darkness or in sin. As this scripture also says, it is the light that shines in the darkness which means the glory of God that pierces anything that is considered to be “darkness”.

In addition to understanding the term, “light” we must understand what the term “darkness” means.  What is “darkness”? In Ephesians 5:8 it says, (NIV) “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” In this chapter, the Apostle Paul is writing to the church of Ephesus. He mentions in verses 3-5, various sins that Christians should not find themselves engaging in.  Paul’s mission is to give admonishment to those in Ephesus to walk in love but to also walk in the ways of God.

Essentially, darkness means two things:

1. Sinfulness – To walk in darkness is to walk in sin. The sins that Paul encourages us not to participate in are, obscene talking, sexual immorality, any kind of impurity, greed, or coarse joking.  Walking in darkness is to walk in an opposed view of what God expects of His people, which is that of holiness and separation.

2. Ignorance or blindness – Think of this as spiritual blindness.  When one is in their sin, they are not aware of the damage that it does, nor do they understand the eternal implications.  So, to be in darkness is the same as being in a position of unawareness.

The whole point of God sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins, was so that humanity could be enlightened and changed.  The reason why there are so many instances of darkness and examples of bad behavior in our world, is because those who are in their sin have not accepted Christ. Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, you have an opportunity to be shown the pathway unto life.  If you are in darkness, you are open to the consequences of your sin.  However, Jesus came to shed a light to your dark path.

The thing about light and darkness is, they cannot co-exist.  Jesus Christ shines the light for you and I, so that we can see the way that we ought to live. All of us who are Christians, we are to be the light of Christ to a dark and dying world. This is so others can see the beauty of God, and receive salvation. The light of the world is Jesus Christ. Take the time to accept His gift of salvation.