Are You a Light in the World?

     We have just returned from a wonderful vacation with our family where we enjoyed seven days of sunshine and the rich joy of fellowship.  It is amazing what rest and sunshine can do for the soul!
     During that time as I was reading the Bible, I looked at Genesis 1:1-18 where the Lord God was creating all things.  The verses that stuck out the most were verses 3-4:  "Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light.  And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness."  This act of creation by God adds an entirely new dimension to the world He has made.  With light, we are able to see more clearly objects around us.
     My husband is an eye doctor and sees many patients who have varying degrees of eyesight and vision.  There is nothing more sad than someone who is beginning to lose their sight due to glaucoma or some other eye disease.  At times, some people lose their vision as a result of poor care refusing to use medication which treats glaucoma for example.  This is a choice on their part with serious consequences.
     Our spiritual lives are very much like that in many ways.  If we neglect to care for our spiritual health by reading the Word and finding time to be with our Lord each day, we risk spiritual blindness.  The "light" of God's Word is lost to us and we stumble in the darkness when we could walk in His light.
     God said that "Light" was good....He created it to dispel the darkness over the earth He has
made.  Jesus went further and told us to be "the light of the world" and not to hide our light under a bushel.  How can we, then, neglect the study of the Word, the fellowship of other believers and time alone with God just talking with Him?  We certainly cannot be a light in this dark world if we do that.  Therefore, let us consider that God made us "light bearers" to His glory and let us resolve to reflect to the world the light of Jesus Christ.  We must take time to fill our lamps with the oil of His presence daily in Bible study and prayer that we may be a lamp of radiance in this dark, lost world!  Selah!

I welcome your thoughts.  Feel free to leave them and may God bless you!
   

Is It Any Wonder?

     Opening our local newspaper today, I came upon a cartoon in the commentary section.  The message in the picture could not be more clear.  There was a computer screen with the large word PORN on it, a collection of alcohol bottles and drugs, a movie theater marquee with the title "Chainsaw Sadists III Rape Rampage", a newspaper with a headline stating "Dropout Rate" and "Cyber Bullying", a gun with bullets laying next to it and a video game player with a screen that reads "Grand Theft Carnage".  A dotted line runs by each of these pictures which is the path that two young children have just taken on their way home.  The boy says to the little girl, "Why do our parents worry so much about us?"  The message is very clear.  Our society has done little to protect children from an all out assault of the profane, vulgar, immoral, murderous mindset portrayed in video games, T.V. shows, and the movies.  Is it any wonder then that we can pick up a newspaper and read about a man who was babysitting his six week old baby and when the baby cried too much the man put the baby in the freezer, and went to take a nap for an hour.  Fortunately, the mother came home in time to discover the baby and get it medical attention.  Reports are that the child will live.  Shocking?  Yes, but it is it any surprise when our world promotes the idea that "if it feels good, just do it?"  Even Christians can become ensnared by the vile things we put before our eyes.
     Listening to the podcast of Alistair Begg this morning, he taught on "The Parable of the Sower and the Seeds" (Mark 4:1-20).  As he discussed why some seeds do not put down deep roots, he mentioned an example of someone who came from a  Christian home but who lost his way during his short life.  Robert Louis Stevenson born in Edinburgh, Scotland was instructed by his nanny in the Bible and the writings of John Bunyan.  His grandfather was a minister in the Church of Scotland, but Robert rejected the faith and turned, in later years, to a Bohemian lifestyle visiting cheap pubs and brothels.  In fact, his own father came across the constitution of the Liberty, Justice and Reverence Club which stated:  "Disregard everything our parents have taught us."  Both Stevenson and his cousin Bob belonged to this organization.  What corrupted his thinking that once listened to the Bible and the works of John Bunyan?  He became enamored with the current artists, writers and philosophers of the day which more and more drew him away from the foundations he had at home.  Even at this time in history, the devil was more than happy to offer alternatives to reading the Bible and serving the Lord.  A sad note to his short life of 44 years was that while his parents were practicing Christians they did not teach young Robert the Bible

truths to live by.  This was left up to the nanny.
     David's Psalm concerning the walk of integrity (Psalm 101) says in verses 3-4:  I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.  I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.  A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil."  While David did not live up to all his statements, he desired to live in a manner that was worthy before the Lord.  He sought out holiness, but found that neither he nor anyone else could do that without the help of God.  Our flesh is weak even if our spirit is willing.  However, why set any temptation before our eyes?
     Today's Christian home has access to many electronic gadgets and tools which can serve a good purpose or be used in the wrong way.  Carefully limiting and pre-screening shows that children may watch on T.V. is vital.  Watching movies that are filled with illicit sex and violence also can numb the conscience along with violent video games that portray life as a cheap object to be blown to bits.  If we think this does not impact the way in which we live, we are very wrong.  It sets a wrong example for our children and infects our mind with sinful thoughts.
     God has told us to put on the breastplate of righteousness so that we may guard our hearts.  He has also told us to put on the helmet of salvation that we may guard our minds.  The Lord knows the fierceness of the enemy and his crafty way of entangling us with a worldly mindset.  Therefore, we need to be careful in choosing  the things we set before our eyes.  We need to ask ourselves if we would be comfortable with the Lord Jesus Christ sitting next to us as we go about doing a particular activity.
     Paul wrote that we are to be "transformed by the renewal of our minds" (Romans 12:2).  Being careful, therefore, in what we watch is key to growing in the Lord.  It also sets a great example for our children and grandchildren.  With this in mind, let us be careful what we introduce into our own thinking, our own homes and into our relationships.  Just as we would never drink a glass of water with a touch of arsenic in it, we should not introduce things in to our homes that would cause us to stray.  May God give us the strength and ability to walk in integrity and holiness all the days of our lives.  Selah!

Resident Evil

     Fellow blogger and pastor, Chris Brauns had a great link posted at his blog "A Brick in the Valley". The link was from writer, editorialist and speaker Cal Thomas.  We had heard him speak at a recent Ligonier Conference, and he is well known for his direct style and Christian commitment.  The article was entitled "Is the Decline Speeding Up?".  Read the entire post here.  Cal was not only pointing out the general decline in moral standards, but also pointing to the fact that it may not be long before our Lord returns.
     Later in the day, I entered into a discussion on Facebook with another friend in England who had been watching the 60th anniversary ceremony of Queen Elizabeth's coronation.  She remarked how all the government officials had prayed heartily for the Queen and asked God's continued blessings on her while later that same day the parliament was seeking to pass laws to overturn God's revealed Word to the people.  Ironic isn't it?  Yet, the same is true in many countries around the world including our own.
On one hand, leaders call upon God to bless them and on the other hand, they pass legislation which undermines the moral principles which God has established.  However this should not be a surprise.  As Solomon wisely wrote:  "there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9c).
     During the days of Isaiah the Prophet, the people of God had once again left their worship of the Lord.  The Reformation Study Bible puts it this way:  "God's people had become like the nations in their pride, sarcasm, and selfishness.  They had lost the vision of God's kingdom of righteousness, love and peace and had tried to establish their own kingdom" (pg. 949).  These were God's chosen people who had turned away from all the God had revealed to them.  Their day is not much different from our day.  Isaiah writes:  "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and shrewd in their own sight!  Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!" (Isaiah 5:20-23).  Quite a description not only of the people in Isaiah's day (740 BC to roughly 701 BC and after) but also of today's worldly outlook.
     In all, if we read the entire chapter, we will see that Isaiah pronounces a total of six woes.  The first woe condemns greed (vs. 8-9) and self indulgence.  Verses 11-12 deal with the matter of drunkenness.  The third woe deals with those who mock God with falsehood (vs. 18-19).  Then, in verse 20 Isaiah pronounces the woe of moral corruption followed by the woe of pride and self-righteousness seen in verse 21.  Finally, the sixth woe comes in verse 22 when the prophet condemns those who pervert justice.  I think we can all see how not much has changed from age to age.
     Of course, the root of the problem is in the resident evil that lies within the soul of fallen man.  Isaiah says it well in chapter 53:6:  "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - everyone - to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."  Not one of us came into this world with a pure heart.  We each inherited the fallen nature of Adam and only when the Holy Spirit regenerates us and opens our eyes can we come to Jesus Christ in repentance.  Even after that great awakening and transformation, we still can stumble and fall.  However, unlike the man who has never come to Christ, we have the ability to repent, be forgiven and restored to a right relationship to God.  This is where we see the great divide.  With our eyes now opened by the grace of God and the blood of Christ, we can see good and evil in clear distinction.  I believe this is why we are horrified over some of the decisions made by government leaders concerning abortion, homosexuality, and the free expression of our faith as versus political correctness.  Nevertheless, we should not be surprised at what we see around us.
     I do believe the decline we are seeing around the world is speeding up.  We do not know when the Lord will sound the trumpet and return to this earth.  Yet our hope is in Him and His promises for us.  One day there will be no more tears, no more grief, no more injustice and no more death.  For now, we must encourage one another and all the more as we see the day of our Lord approaching.  Likewise, we must be busy about the Father's work of telling others the Good News and demonstrating it by our lives.  No one said it would be an easy path to walk, but it is the ONLY way to salvation.  The best part of the news is that Jesus Christ has already won the victory for us.  No matter what this world or its leaders do, the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the church of Jesus Christ.  On that we can depend.  We must remember the words of King David in Psalm 37:1-5:  "Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!  For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.  Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.  Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as noonday."  If we read the entire Psalm, we will find comfort as we dwell in a world system filled with those who call good evil and evil good.  Let us live each day as though He will arrive tomorrow!  Selah!

I always welcome your thoughts and insights.  Feel free to leave a comment.