COME TO THE LIGHT

Come to the Light As Karen and I were driving to Fort Payne, AL to visit Dan, Sarah, and our wonderful grand kids (Abigail, John, and Hannah) I was feasting on the third Chapter of John. I have been sharing the Book of John at Bible Study twice a month with some great folks at Stonebridge Assisted Living facility. I really look forward to going and seeing the older ladies and gentlemen who come and enjoy the singing led by Carolyn Everett and then the Bible Study, it is a really great time. We have had two people give their hearts to the LORD. But as I was driving I was thinking of my review of Chapter three and especially these verses, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:18-21) Wow what powerful verses! Did you get that? "Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." I thought why does man love darkness over the light? Well that is because their deeds are evil. They (men and women) come not to the light because they love their evil deeds. Often it s not a matter of accepting Christ as our personal savior, but it is a matter of us giving up our enjoyment of our evil deeds. I remembered on Saturday nights when we lived (I was a teenager then) in Fayetteville, NC and about four or five of us (good Christian young men) would go downtown on the 500 Block (where all of the strip bars and the like were) to see what we could see. Oh we never went inside and sat down (we were never that bold) we thought we were being brave and would stick our heads through the door smell the beer, see the black lights, and look around to see if we could see the naked ladies dancing on stage. After an eye full we would step out of the doorway and laugh, but then go right back to see what we could see bar after bar. You see we really loved the darkness more than the light we said we were of the next day at church. Men (and women) loves to hide in the shadows and recesses of the darkness of their mind and in the physical world to have their carnal nature satisfied. They like the feeling of their flesh being gratified and smoothed over as they are pleasured by this world and all of the things not of God in this world. They endure the pain and heartache of spiritual loss and disappointment of God to feel the worldly pleasures of self satisfaction and selfishness . They do not want to come out of the shadows and be exposed for who they are. Oh they may say they want to, but in reality they are very content (like we young men were downtown) living in their evil deeds. There are many other reasons why we like to live in the darkness and not come to the light. Other people (who are not so depraved) do not come to the light because they do not want to put up with the hassle, maybe hardship, or even separation from their family it would take to come to the light. I have seen this time and time again all around the world. Many know the truth, but peace within the family is more important to them. Coming to the light will cost disruption, upheaval, and maybe being kicked out of the will. But peace to keep the peace (while staying in the darkness) is ungodly unless it is founded on the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ and not religion, denominations, or traditions of men. We can speak of this personally as we have been ostracized from our family because we stand for the light contained in the word of God. In 2 Corinthians Paul writes to the Church at Corinth, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14). Now most Christians mistakenly believe Paul is talking about not being married to an ungodly person if you are a Christians, but that is not what Paul is saying. Paul was saying we must take heed and not be "yoked" or join into a relationship (martial, business, whatsoever) with non believers, because "what communion hath light with darkness?" Be friendly, be kind to all, but take heed to who we give our hearts to and who we partake of in their lives. Are they righteousness or unrighteousness? Well how can we tell? By their fruits you will know them. Are they walking in the ways of God or the world? You judge my friend and if unrighteous then take heed to yourself and all you do with them. Jesus said it even harder in Matthew, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:34-37) Did you get that too? Jesus had not come to bring peace, but a sword and He wants to use that sword to cut out of our heart our love for the world and the things in it, even our family members. Now these are strong words by Jesus here, but this is the depth of love we must have for Jesus and if our love for anything else is found in our heart greater than that for Jesus, "than we are not worthy of Him." I did not say that, but Jesus. God will cut you out of this world one way or the other. He allows things into our lives to measure our love for Him make no mistake my friend. Now that does not mean we have to turn our backs on our earthly family and if we do not we would not be a believer, but it does mean our love for the truth and our love for the light must rise above all of our earthly love for our family and all of these distractions and trappings in this life. So too this is the same reason why people do not want to go to a place to hear the word of God ministered and a place to worship God. I will not say "church" because we are the church. They do not want to hear the word of God, because the real work of the word of God is to reprove us, it is kill our flesh, and draw us out of the shadows of darkness and into the glorious light of Christ. Sadly, they do not want the word of God to reprove them of their sins and short comings so shun the word of God and those who believe in God gathering with those who love what they love darkness. We can see John 3:20 aggress with Paul when He writes in Ephesians 5, "(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light." (Ephesians 5:9-13) The work of the Spirit and of the word of God is to reprove us (reprimand or censure someone) so that we can see our need to come out of the darkness into the light. So we see without reproof there can never be a movement away from the darkness into the light. Now take heed to yourself my friend if you bring reproof to someone. This is what happened to Stephen when he reproved the Jewish folks gathered, as he said, "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth." (Acts 7:52-54), "Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul." (Acts 7:57-58) Remember they killed Jesus and Steven for speaking the truth and if you speak the truth they will kill you too. The death could be physically as it happens daily around the world or a separation from family or friends, but the price must be unflinchingly pay to help people come out of the darkness into the light. Written by David Stahl