Tag: light
God’s fire kept burning!
Scripture reading for January 24th: Exodus 24-27
Key Scriptures: Exodus 27:20-21 “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.”
Our God is light and has no darkness or shadow of turning! He commanded His people to set up lamps outside of the curtain shielding the Ark of the Testimony in the Tabernacle. These lamps were to be furnished with pure, clear oil from pressed olives. The lamps were to be kept burning all night and never let to go out!
Cause for rejoicing: We, in the New Covenant, are now bearers of Christ’s light and God has supplied the source: The Holy Spirit, whose anti-type is the clear oil! “You are the light of the world. . . .” “In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14, 16)
Check your heart for hatred!
Scripture reading for November 21st: 1st John 2
Key Scriptures for over-comers: 1st John 2:9-11 “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.”
The devil is always stirring up emotions in the hearts of mankind. Because of the selfishness of the human heart because of sin, hatred towards one another abounds. Every person is made in the likeness of God and hatred towards another brother or sister is part of the world of darkness. This darkness blinds people and causes them to stumble and fall. Christ’s love alone can cleanse the heart from hatred. Hatred is the precursor of murder!
Observations for over-comers: Over-comers guard their hearts against a return of the old nature and its evil desires and emotions of hatred. The live in the Light of Christ’s glory and mercy. “Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will treat you in accordance with the anger and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.” (Ezekiel 35:11)
Walk in the Light!
Scripture reading for November 18th: 1st John 1
Key Scriptures for over-comers: 1st John 1:5-7 “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by 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.”
Light and darkness cannot occupy the same space! Light always drives out darkness and over-powers it. Darkness can only exist in the absence of light! This is a truth that applies to believers and their relationship with God through Jesus Christ. If we have fellowship with Jesus Christ, darkness must leave our lives and souls. If we say we have fellowship, but continue to live in darkness, we are living in deception and under a lie! Those in true fellowship with Jesus Christ allow His blood to cleanse them from sin and darkness.
Observations for over-comers: Over-comers live and walk in the intense light of Christ’s glory and are being transformed by this glory. “I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north–an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal,” (Ezekiel 1:4)
Children of the Light!
Scripture reading for September 19th: 1st Thessalonians 5
Key Scriptures for over-comers: 1st Thessalonians 5:4-9 “But you, brothers are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Paul encouraged the Thessalonians concerning their new identity as sons of light. Those who live in the light of Christ and God’s word will not be caught off guard when events of the end time prophesy are being fulfilled. As children of the light, we belong to the day of Christ and live self-controlled lives by trusting in God’s word and His promises of salvation. We know that we have escaped the coming wrath of God because of sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and are now awaiting the new day of Christ’s millennial reign on the earth and then His eternal reign over the new heaven and new earth.
Observations for over-comers: Over-comers are awake in the Spirit and live life in the light of Christ’s coming and eternal promises to those who believe! “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you.” (Isaiah 60:1-2)
Awakened from darkness!
Scripture reading for August 30th: Ephesians 5
Key Scriptures for over-comers: Ephesians 5:8-11 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”
The contrast between light and darkness is Paul’s illustration of the difference between our new life in Christ and our former way of life under Satan, leading to death and everlasting darkness. Over-comers have awakened from the darkness of their former life and let the light of Christ shine through them in actions that are consistent with Christ. In fact, they consistently resist the ‘fruitless’ deeds of the old life and expose them as the darkness that they really represent. They are honest about living a life of goodness and truth by faith in Jesus Christ.
Observations for over-comers: Over-comers allow Christ’s love and truth from His word to expose sin and darkness in every area of their lives. They live in humble dependence on God’s grace as they shine the light of Christ’s love on a dark world. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you.” (Isaiah 60:1-2)