From: "Gospel Messenger Service" Subject: Living In The Light Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2005 14:51:33 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0006_01C60C87.615B9CF0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C60C87.615B9CF0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable LIVING IN THE LIGHT By Pastor Dick Christ is the Light that shines in the inner being of everyone who = belongs to Him. How utterly ridiculous it is for us, who have the Light = of Christ shining within, to not walk in that Light, but to grope along = in another kind of light, causing us to stagger and stumble in darkness. = How foolish it is for us to walk according to the darkness of the flesh = rather than by the Light of the Spirit; to walk in the darkness of the = old man that was crucified with Christ rather than by the Light of our = new creation. Trying to see by the artificial light of man's wisdom that = shines through his religions, philosophies, traditions, etc., is like = trying to walk by the light of a flashlight during the day when the sun = is shining brightly. The Bible says to us who belong to Christ, "Ye are all the children of = the light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of = darkness" (1 Thess.5:5). But even though we are children of the Light, = while we are still here on earth we often live our lives as though we = were in spiritual darkness. When we do that, it does not mean we have = lost our salvation. When we received Jesus, God gave us eternal life; = that is His promise and He cannot lie (Heb.6:18). Even though the Light = is in us (the new creation), we can still walk (live) in the darkness of = the old nature. If we allow Satan to speak to us directly or through = some legalistic preacher to convince us that God's promise is not enough = to secure our salvation, we will certainly get sidetracked onto a road = of darkness-but we are still the children of the Light. If we believe = that lie of the devil, we will be miserable; but nothing can change the = promises of God. The Bible teaches, "If we believe not, yet He abideth = faithful: He cannot deny Himself" (2 Tim.2:13). Unbelief in the promises = of God is the worst affliction that can come upon us, and it is what = leads us into spiritual darkness. The Light is shining in that new creation within those of us who have = been born again by the power of God (Jn.1:13). Living in the new = creation is walking in that Light. Walking in the Light and not the = darkness is vital to our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. It = is not always easy to know whether we are walking as children of Light = or darkness, because sometimes the darkness has an appearance of Light. = Often what appears good to the natural understanding is a form of = darkness. If we believe something is Light when it is darkness, oh, how = great is that darkness! It is frightening to think that darkness can appear as Light, and that = we could be caught in it while thinking we are walking in the Light. = However, there is no reason for us to be caught in darkness. There is a = way for us to know exactly how we are walking. The way to walk in the Light is to have a single eye. The way to walk in = the darkness is to have an evil eye. Jesus said, "The light of the body = is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be = full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of = darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great = is that darkness!" (Matt.6:22-23).=20 The direction of our lives is determined by the kind of spiritual eye = that we have. If we have a single eye, we will walk in the Light. If we = have an evil eye, we will walk in the darkness. We need to understand = what it means to have a single eye and what it means to have an evil = eye. This is more important than having good physical eyesight. A person = can be completely blind physically and still see clearly to walk in the = Light.=20 The condition of our spiritual eyesight is totally based on how we view = God. If we have a true concept of God, we have a single (clear) eye = which causes us to walk in the Light. If we see God as other than being = totally good, we have an evil eye that causes us to walk in the = darkness. Some Christians cannot understand why they have such severe = times of depression, why their lives are so dark; they do not realize = that their eye is not single, that they have a poor concept of God. The next time you hear a preacher saying that it is your performance = that determines if you will make it to Heaven, beware, for he is trying = to control the light switch of your life. He may think he is turning on = the Light when he is switching on the darkness by causing you to have an = evil eye. This is a warning, a vital alert: Beware of the evil eye, which is = having a false concept of God! Satan is unrelenting is his efforts to = give you an evil eye. Often his attack will come upon you when you least = expect. Sometimes he will take a punch at you through a preacher whom = you love and trust; one who thinks he is helping you by placing you = under the law rather than in God's grace; one who may, unintentionally, = try to give you his or her false concept of God.=20 The Bible cautions you to, "Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an = evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats . . . The morsel which = thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words" = (Prov.23:6,8). If anyone tells you that God is not good, and you take it = in (eat it), you will become sick in spirit and then you will throw up" = on others by telling it to them. You will become bitter within and lose = your sweet words and not be able to share the lovingkindness of the Lord = with others. Beware of letting anyone give you a black (evil) eye! The parable Jesus told about the laborers in the vineyard, in Matthew, = chapter 20, gives a clear illustration to show that an evil eye is = having a wrong concept of God. Some of the workers in the vineyard were = complaining. What bothered them was that the owner of the vineyard had = paid some other workers, who had been hired at the eleventh hour and had = only worked an hour, the same amount as them who had worked all day. = They thought they should get more, and that the owner was being unfair = and unjust because he was rewarding someone who did not deserve it. The = owner replied, "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? = Is thine eye evil, because I am good?"(Matt.20:15).To have a concept of = God that He is one who would have you earn from Him, rather than = receiving freely what He gives, is seeing evil in God and is having an = evil eye. Usually, when a child of God complains, it is a sign of walking in the = darkness because of an evil eye in the way they view their Heavenly = Father. The elder brother of the prodigal son complained that his father = was being unfair to him, even though his father told him, "All that I = have is thine" (Lu.15:31). The Bible says, ". . . the just shall live by faith" (Hab.2:4; Rom.1:17; = Gal.3:11; Heb.10:38). To walk in the Light is a walk of faith. There are = days when our feelings will try to make us stumble. There are times when = our human reasoning tries to detour us onto a dark road. But if we = believe that God is good and realize how much He loves us, we will want = to draw near to Him and walk in His Light. Some people think that God is not completely good because of all the bad = things that He allows to take place in this world. That is not the way = it was in the beginning when He created it. He did not make the mess = that is in the world. We did! What He did was give us a free will to = choose right or wrong. Should we contend with our Maker for not creating = us as robots? The Bible says, ". . . the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord" = (Ps.33:5); King David declared, "I had fainted, unless I had believed to = see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (Ps.27:13). = There are many things to convince us of the goodness and the love of = God, even though it is too much to comprehend fully. We can look at all = the wonderful things He has made and given to us; such as, food, = clothing, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. We can look at our = families and friends that He in His goodness and love has blessed us = with. We can look at our abilities and talents that come from Him along = with all of our material possessions. We can look at all the spiritual = riches from Him that are ours; such as, faith, joy, peace and = righteousness. If, after seeing all of that, we are still not convinced = that God is good and that He loves us . . . well . . . there is just one = more thing to look at: it is the cross of Calvary. There is nothing more = that God could give or do to demonstrate His unlimited love for us. He = gave us His all. If the sacrifice of His only begotten Son for the = purchase of our salvation is not enough to convince us of His goodness = and love, we have just chosen not to be convinced, for nothing can top = that! The bottom line is that to walk in the Light is to have a single eye by = seeing that God is good. The cross makes it so clear that God is good = that there is no excuse for anyone who has heard about that sacrifice to = think otherwise. The Light from that sacrifice shines upon us not only = while we are here on earth but throughout our eternal life in Heaven. = There Jesus is called "The Lamb" (Rev.22:1). Whenever we hear that = title, we are reminded of the love and goodness of the Lord by what He = did for us at Calvary. After we who belong to Jesus cross over to Heaven, we will not have to = be concerned about not walking in the Light, for there it is all Light. = There is no darkness there, for darkness cannot be in the presence of = the Light that brightens Heaven. The Bible says, "And the city had no = need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of = God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof " (Rev.21:23). = That Holy City, the New Jerusalem, that is lit up by Jesus not only = refers to Heaven but also the Bride of Christ (which we are who belong = to Jesus).=20 Jesus said, ". . . I am the light of the world: he that followeth me = shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (Jn.8:12). = The Light appeared to the children of Israel in the form of a pillar of = cloud and fire for them to follow through the wilderness on their = journey to the Promised Land. Two thousand years ago the Light came to = earth as the Son of God for us to follow on our journey while we are = here on earth and to guide us to Heaven. It is a glorious thing for us = to follow the Light, which will keep us from walking in the darkness. = But now, after the death and resurrection of Christ and the sending of = the Holy Spirit, we not only follow the Light, we walk with the Light. = And we not only walk with the Light, we actually live in the Light and = the Light lives in us. Walking in the Light is living in the new creation we became when we = received Christ as Lord and Savior. And being in that position more than = overcomes the darkness in this present world. Praise God for His = glorious Light! ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C60C87.615B9CF0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

LIVING IN THE = LIGHT

By Pastor Dick

Christ is the Light that shines = in the=20 inner being of everyone who belongs to Him. How utterly ridiculous it is = for us,=20 who have the Light of Christ shining within, to not walk in that Light, = but to=20 grope along in another kind of light, causing us to stagger and stumble = in=20 darkness. How foolish it is for us to walk according to the darkness of = the=20 flesh rather than by the Light of the Spirit; to walk in the darkness of = the old=20 man that was crucified with Christ rather than by the Light of our new = creation.=20 Trying to see by the artificial light of man=92s wisdom that shines = through his=20 religions, philosophies, traditions, etc., is like trying to walk by the = light=20 of a flashlight during the day when the sun is shining brightly.

The Bible says to us who belong to Christ, "Ye are = all the=20 children of the light, and the children of the day: we are not of the = night, nor=20 of darkness" (1 Thess.5:5). But even though we are children of the = Light,=20 while we are still here on earth we often live our lives as though we = were in=20 spiritual darkness. When we do that, it does not mean we have lost our=20 salvation. When we received Jesus, God gave us eternal life; that is His = promise=20 and He cannot lie (Heb.6:18). Even though the Light is in us (the new = creation),=20 we can still walk (live) in the darkness of the old nature. If we allow = Satan to=20 speak to us directly or through some legalistic preacher to convince us = that=20 God=92s promise is not enough to secure our salvation, we will certainly = get=20 sidetracked onto a road of darkness=97but we are still the children of = the Light. If=20 we believe that lie of the devil, we will be miserable; but nothing can = change=20 the promises of God. The Bible teaches, "If we believe not, yet He = abideth=20 faithful: He cannot deny Himself" (2 Tim.2:13). Unbelief in the = promises of=20 God is the worst affliction that can come upon us, and it is what leads = us into=20 spiritual darkness.

The Light is shining in that new creation within = those of us=20 who have been born again by the power of God (Jn.1:13). Living in the = new=20 creation is walking in that Light. Walking in the Light and not the = darkness is=20 vital to our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. It is not always = easy to=20 know whether we are walking as children of Light or darkness, because = sometimes=20 the darkness has an appearance of Light. Often what appears good to the = natural=20 understanding is a form of darkness. If we believe something is Light = when it is=20 darkness, oh, how great is that darkness!

It is frightening to think that darkness can appear = as Light,=20 and that we could be caught in it while thinking we are walking in the = Light.=20 However, there is no reason for us to be caught in darkness. There is a = way for=20 us to know exactly how we are walking.

The way to walk in the Light is to have a single eye. = The way=20 to walk in the darkness is to have an evil eye. Jesus said, "The = light of the=20 body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall = be full=20 of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of = darkness. If=20 therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that=20 darkness!" (Matt.6:22-23).

The direction of our lives is determined by the kind = of=20 spiritual eye that we have. If we have a single eye, we will walk in the = Light.=20 If we have an evil eye, we will walk in the darkness. We need to = understand what=20 it means to have a single eye and what it means to have an evil eye. = This is=20 more important than having good physical eyesight. A person can be = completely=20 blind physically and still see clearly to walk in the Light.

The condition of our spiritual eyesight is totally = based on=20 how we view God. If we have a true concept of God, we have a single = (clear)=20 eye which causes us to walk in the Light. If we see God as other than = being=20 totally good, we have an evil eye that causes us to walk in the = darkness. Some=20 Christians cannot understand why they have such severe times of = depression, why=20 their lives are so dark; they do not realize that their eye is not = single, that=20 they have a poor concept of God.

The next time you hear a preacher saying that it is = your=20 performance that determines if you will make it to Heaven, beware, for = he is=20 trying to control the light switch of your life. He may think he is = turning on=20 the Light when he is switching on the darkness by causing you to have an = evil=20 eye.

This is a warning, a vital alert: Beware of the = evil eye,=20 which is having a false concept of God! Satan is unrelenting is his = efforts=20 to give you an evil eye. Often his attack will come upon you when you = least=20 expect. Sometimes he will take a punch at you through a preacher whom = you love=20 and trust; one who thinks he is helping you by placing you under the law = rather=20 than in God=92s grace; one who may, unintentionally, try to give you his = or her=20 false concept of God.

The Bible cautions you to, "Eat thou not the bread = of him=20 that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats . . . The = morsel=20 which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words" = (Prov.23:6,8). If anyone tells you that God is not good, and you take it = in (eat=20 it), you will become sick in spirit and then you will throw up" on = others by=20 telling it to them. You will become bitter within and lose your sweet = words and=20 not be able to share the lovingkindness of the Lord with others. Beware = of=20 letting anyone give you a black (evil) eye!

The parable Jesus told about the laborers in the = vineyard, in=20 Matthew, chapter 20, gives a clear illustration to show that an evil eye = is=20 having a wrong concept of God. Some of the workers in the vineyard were=20 complaining. What bothered them was that the owner of the vineyard had = paid some=20 other workers, who had been hired at the eleventh hour and had only = worked an=20 hour, the same amount as them who had worked all day. They thought they = should=20 get more, and that the owner was being unfair and unjust because he was=20 rewarding someone who did not deserve it. The owner replied, "Is it = not=20 lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, = because=20 I am good?"(Matt.20:15).To have a concept of God that He = is one=20 who would have you earn from Him, rather than receiving freely what He = gives, is=20 seeing evil in God and is having an evil eye.

Usually, when a child of God complains, it is a sign = of walking=20 in the darkness because of an evil eye in the way they view their = Heavenly=20 Father. The elder brother of the prodigal son complained that his father = was=20 being unfair to him, even though his father told him, "All that I = have is=20 thine" (Lu.15:31).

The Bible says, ". . . the just shall live by = faith"=20 (Hab.2:4; Rom.1:17; Gal.3:11; Heb.10:38). To walk in the Light is a walk = of=20 faith. There are days when our feelings will try to make us stumble. = There are=20 times when our human reasoning tries to detour us onto a dark road. But = if we=20 believe that God is good and realize how much He loves us, we will want = to draw=20 near to Him and walk in His Light.

Some people think that God is not completely good = because of=20 all the bad things that He allows to take place in this world. That is = not the=20 way it was in the beginning when He created it. He did not make the mess = that is=20 in the world. We did! What He did was give us a free will to choose = right or=20 wrong. Should we contend with our Maker for not creating us as = robots?

The Bible says, ". . . the earth is full of the = goodness of=20 the Lord" (Ps.33:5); King David declared, "I had fainted, unless = I had=20 believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living"=20 (Ps.27:13). There are many things to convince us of the goodness and the = love of=20 God, even though it is too much to comprehend fully. We can look at all = the=20 wonderful things He has made and given to us; such as, food, clothing, = the water=20 we drink, and the air we breathe. We can look at our families and = friends that=20 He in His goodness and love has blessed us with. We can look at our = abilities=20 and talents that come from Him along with all of our material = possessions. We=20 can look at all the spiritual riches from Him that are ours; such as, = faith,=20 joy, peace and righteousness. If, after seeing all of that, we are still = not=20 convinced that God is good and that He loves us . . . well . . . there = is just=20 one more thing to look at: it is the cross of Calvary. There is nothing = more=20 that God could give or do to demonstrate His unlimited love for us. He = gave us=20 His all. If the sacrifice of His only begotten Son for the purchase of = our=20 salvation is not enough to convince us of His goodness and love, we have = just=20 chosen not to be convinced, for nothing can top that!

The bottom line is that to walk in the Light is to = have a=20 single eye by seeing that God is good. The cross makes it so clear that = God is=20 good that there is no excuse for anyone who has heard about that = sacrifice to=20 think otherwise. The Light from that sacrifice shines upon us not only = while we=20 are here on earth but throughout our eternal life in Heaven. There Jesus = is=20 called "The Lamb" (Rev.22:1). Whenever we hear that title, we are = reminded of the love and goodness of the Lord by what He did for us at=20 Calvary.

After we who belong to Jesus cross over to Heaven, we = will not=20 have to be concerned about not walking in the Light, for there it is all = Light.=20 There is no darkness there, for darkness cannot be in the presence of = the Light=20 that brightens Heaven. The Bible says, "And the city had no need of = the sun,=20 neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten = it, and=20 the Lamb is the light thereof " (Rev.21:23). That Holy City, the New = Jerusalem, that is lit up by Jesus not only refers to Heaven but also = the Bride=20 of Christ (which we are who belong to Jesus).

Jesus said, ". . . I am the light of the world: he = that=20 followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of = life"=20 (Jn.8:12). The Light appeared to the children of Israel in the form of a = pillar=20 of cloud and fire for them to follow through the wilderness on their = journey to=20 the Promised Land. Two thousand years ago the Light came to earth as the = Son of=20 God for us to follow on our journey while we are here on earth and to = guide us=20 to Heaven. It is a glorious thing for us to follow the Light, which will = keep us=20 from walking in the darkness. But now, after the death and resurrection = of=20 Christ and the sending of the Holy Spirit, we not only follow the Light, = we walk=20 with the Light. And we not only walk with the Light, we actually live in = the=20 Light and the Light lives in us.

Walking in the Light is living in the new = creation=20 we became when we received Christ as Lord and Savior. And being in = that=20 position more than overcomes the darkness in this present world. Praise = God for=20 His glorious Light!

 

 

 

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