Walking in Darkness

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of Him who hath called you
out of darkness into his marvellous light.
I Peter 2:9

Several years ago when our Jennie was just under a year old, our family made a trip to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Jennie was riding on her dad's back in a child's back pack. We took a conducted tour of the cave and even had the treat of eating in their underground dining area. Halfway through the tour and I guess as close to the bottom of the cave as the tour went, the tour guide instructed our small group to stop where we were and cluster together as closely as we could. He wanted us at least in close touching distance from each other. His reason for this was that he was going to flip a switch that would turn out the lights in that area of the cave. He cautioned that we would find ourselves in a darkness we had never
experienced before and when the light went out, we shouldn't move at all.

He counted down from three as I recall and the lights went out. From most in the group, there came a quiet,verbal gasp. The shock of the darkness was huge. It was a darkness that was suffocating. Within a few seconds, the tour guide lit a match. You can't imagine the light that came from that small match in that total darkness. I have never been in a physical darkness like I was that day. The guide mentioned that if anyone were to become lost in that darkness, they could go insane in a matter of days. I will never forget the effect we all felt when that one little match was struck. We could feel ourselves as individuals feeling physically drawn, almost leaning in to that little light. I was reminded that in a very dark place, even my little flicker of a flame of witness can have more of an impact than I can realize.

During a recent visit with our daughter Jennie, we went to all sorts of places. We did some hiking in familiar areas, some car touring through beautiful scenery and visited other places of note. One place we enjoyed was Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg. That is a fascinating place for children and adults as well. One thing I noticed while there was the lighting in most of the aquarium...it was pretty dark, especially in the long clear tunnel that featured several types of marine life that seemed to swim above and to the sides of individuals passing through. Many other areas were very dimly lit in order to feature different sized displays of varied fish and sea life. I understood that need of lighting and still do.

In the beginning of our wanderings, it wasn't so bad as the entrance area and a little beyond was well lit, but as we proceeded through the aquarium, the light became dimmer. From there, the various display areas became darker to the point that I personally felt somewhat off balance physically. The unguided tour was wonderful, don't get me wrong, but I was very glad toward the end of a main tunnel, to see the gift shop in the distance, where, of course, there was plenty of light. I didn't buy anything there, but was glad to walk through it to the exit door where, outside, there was a great abundance of light...no feeling of being off balance or off kilter. Darkness can affect us in various ways.

Scripture speaks in several areas about darkness, mostly a spiritual darkness that we can become exposed to or even find ourselves in the very middle of. We live in a country of moral and spiritual darkness. It's a darkness that God hates, but that a good majority of Americans are choosing.

Woe unto them that call evil good, and
good evil; that put darkness for light, and
light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet,
and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20

This verse speaks where many in our country are right now with regard to morals and standards...good is no longer just good and evil is coming to be seen in more of a good and positive light. What used to be wrong behavior/lifestyles are now being rationalized and accepted by many. Things anymore aren't just black and white, but morals and standards are viewed as being more gray where people can decide for themselves what is good or evil. When this mentality sets in, in reality, a person has come into the realm of darkness and has fled the light God intends for each of us. As Christians, we are meant to be people of light and discernment. The encouraging part of that verse is: “Woe unto them...” The “woes” of Scripture are never positive when God pronounces them. He takes care of things in His time.

As I write, just this week, our country has suffered another tragedy in the killing of nine Christians, while sitting in their church during a Bible study. A visitor to the group stood, shot nine of those in attendance that ushered them right into Heaven. All of the “why” questions began to pour in to various media outlets. It's interesting to see commentators and experts scramble for answers as to how this and similar events can happen. I have the answer...the darkness of evil. Some say it's guns...no, it's evil. Others say it's mental illness...no, it's evil. There are thousands who struggle with mental illness who never kill anyone or even think of it. Some experts say it's a lack of jobs or education, and then, of course, there is the confederate flag that is just another excuse added to the list. We know all have sinned and come short of God's glory. Sin is at the root of it all. As individuals and thus as a country, nothing can be cured unless the problem is diagnosed. The diagnosis is sin/evil and the answer is Jesus. Sound too simple? Well, it is simple. Jesus never made salvation difficult for anyone, other than for Himself.

I have since thought that in this dark world, we make our way through it the best we can with very limited spiritual light. God will give us all we want of His light, but even that light here can't compare to that light we will one day know. We wander through this dark world, but we see light ahead that the unsaved world doesn't see at all. We born again ones find hope in the light ahead of us and one day will realize the fulness of the light of His presence. Gone will be the darkness and shadows we have known in a sin-fallen world. Heaven's light will come from Jesus, THE Light, and we will bask in that Light for eternity.

In “light” of what has been written, I feel the necessity to revisit at least the last part of the opening verse:

... that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you
out of darkness into his marvellous light.
I Peter 2:9b

Thank You, Lord Jesus for being my light in a very dark world. Help me to share Your light to those around me who need Your light in their lives as much as I do. In Your precious name.

AMEN

Not Left Defenseless

Finally, my brethren, be strong
in the Lord, and in the power
of His might.
Ephesians 6:10

I recently watched a series of films on the History Channel dealing with the anniversary of the battles that took place at Normandy during World War II. How we had as many of our soldiers survive during the charge up those beaches, one can only guess. One of the things I hadn't realized was because of various barriers the Germans had put along the shoreline, landing boats carrying the troops could not come close to the shore. Many soldiers disembarking hoping to get safely to shore, often stumbled and fell into the water near the shoreline and were easy targets for German soldiers in their hidden bunkers. What had caused such a problem? Most soldiers were carrying backpacks that weighed from 60 to 90 pounds each. I can't imagine trying to charge the shore with all of that weight on soldiers' backs.

Far be it for me to question all of that. The soldiers were well equipped. In those days though, nothing was manufactured in light weight form like it is done today. It was also noticeable that each soldier I viewed was well equipped as far as their weapons, helmets, sturdy footwear, etc. To go into that kind of battle, soldiers had to be armed, equipped and dressed for the war of their lives.

In the spiritual realm, I'm wondering what makes us think we can do battle with Satan on a daily basis, barely equipped to do battle, except with self effort. Haven't we learned yet that we go to battle with Satan from the moment we open our eyes in the morning until closing them at night when we go to bed. It may not feel during the day that anything at all is going on in the way of sin or temptation, but it is. Most often Satan wants to engage us in small skirmishes that we hardly notice, but they can grow to full-blown battles. I sometimes feel that I may be so calloused toward sin that at times, I hardly recognize it. After all, many sins seem to be very small and insignificant. No matter the size, we must do battle at every place or we will become calloused and the battle for good and God won't seem all that important.

God loves us and wants us to walk in victory. Victory only comes after a contest or battle. God would never leave you and me defenseless, unable to do battle. He's given us His armor with which to defeat evil and the Evil One. The armor the Roman soldier wore was tremendously heavy and burdensome. I'm surprised they could be effective as loaded down as they were. Fortunately, God's armor isn't physically heavy.

I'm referring, of course, to Paul's description of the armor of God he wrote of in Ephesians 6:10-18. I will only make note of them. A very important statement Paul made in the beginning was: PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD. You see, in this battle of ours with that wonderful spiritual armor God has provided, Paul knew that no one would come to us each morning and dress us in the armor. It is something we must feel the need of and apply it if it is going to be of any use at all. Every piece of this armor is necessary to be worn regularly. Not one piece of it can be left behind. Satan will always look at the most vulnerable places in our lives and will strike there. Why do we even need the armor? Paul tells us in verse 11: “...that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Whether a wife, grandmother, stay at home mom, businessman, caregiver, etc., we all face Satan's tricks and temptations. If we don't care, then we don't need to bother with the armor. If, however, we want spiritual victory and strengthening, the armor will be important to us.

We have been somewhat programmed to picture our spiritual armor to look like the armor of a Roman soldier. I wish we could get that picture out of our minds because although the pieces of it may be appropriate in the comparison, that's where the similarities stop. Could we just for a moment, get the gist of what God intends each of those pieces to be in our lives? Could we begin to think of what those pieces represent and those qualities and strengths God wants to build in us? Please pay more attention to the quality, not the item.

Truth – (Loins girt)

Righteousness – (Breastplate)

Gospel of peace – (Feet shod)

Faith – (Shield)

Salvation – (Helmet)

Word of God – (Sword of the Spirit)

You see, as we have read the entire portion of Scripture, we have concentrated on a picture and pieces of the armor instead of the significance of each spiritual item. There is one that is prime above the others and that is SALVATION. If we don't know God's sweet salvation in our lives, there is no point in the others. Oh, there are unsaved people who are people of truth, who live good lives, are peaceful people. I've seen those things in some unsaved folks more than in some saved folks, which is a sad commentary on we Christians. Without salvation and the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit, those other things will never come to any kind of fruition as God intends. Those things together make up a mighty arsenal, not too heavy to carry physically, but heavy in spiritual power and might.

Paul wraps things up in verse 18 by saying:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication
in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with
all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

Our armor is to be all wrapped up in prayer. That is an area where most of us are lacking and yet it is the connector. Our praying in the Spirit energizes all of those other pieces of our spiritual armor. It should be our prayer that we will allow the Spirit to activate each of those attributes into our lives, readying us for any spiritual confrontation we will face.

Father, I know I have no strength on my own, except in and through You. I try to take too much on myself and end up discouraged and defeated. Forgive my lack of faith and reliance on You. Help me stay armed for any battle Satan wages against me. I love You...in Jesus' name...Amen

What a Mess-II

Let your speech be always with grace,
seasoned with salt, that ye may know
how ye ought to answer every man.
Colossians 4:6

With my last blog, I made every attempt to express my concern over the mess I grieve over when I look at the slippery slope our country is descending into. It would seem than few people are speaking up for right in our day. Those who do, especially of any name recognition, are severely criticized. The world with it's theories shouts their thinking in our faces everyday, but Christians, according to those same people, are to keep their opinions to themselves.

Last week, I wrote of the struggle I think many of we Christians are dealing with, that I believe begins in the mind. Such doesn't mean that as we deal with our own personal mind sets, we walk around with sealed lips. If Christians don't stand for the things of God, who is going to? We find ourselves in the mess we are in today primarily for two reasons (among many) that have brought us to this point:

...Christians for too long have been giving in to the things of the world. It's a gradual happening. Fifty years ago, most churches in our country stood strong and firm regarding moral issues which believe it or not, stemmed the tide of sin. Sin has always been among us and will continue, but there at least was a hesitancy when Christians and the church took strong stands. As we gave in to the world, ever so gradually, pulpits in our country toned down their messages. Christians began to compromise and testimonies were diluted. With those things happening, one of the biggest resulting disasters for our country was that many compromising Christians jumped on the bandwagon to elect people into high offices they shouldn't even have been put in. I'm speaking of people of all political leanings. That leadership in the highest of offices, have sold out the integrity and morals of our country. It's the worse conglomeration of ingrates I've seen in my lifetime. People have also continued their avid support of Hollywood and thus, it's influence. We Christians have to take some of the responsibility for our contribution in this process. For change to come, it will have to be God's doing through His people.

...Not only have Christians given in to the world, but those left with any spiritual integrity have stood by with mouths shut. I grow weary, as I'm sure many of you do, at those on soap boxes spouting their personal opinions about world conditions who say very little. By getting my mind set where I think God wants it regarding an opinion on any subject at all, doesn't mean that I'm never to speak up or to take stands. However, what I speak should be true to those things of God whether the world wants to hear it or not. Gays in our country are such a tiny number, but we are made to think that probably half the folks in our country are gay. How have they gained such power? It has come with the winking and blinking of good people who never felt a moral threat in it all. Now all sorts of famous people are getting on the bandwagon that they are gay or transgender. It's becoming a fad because in the circles of the rich and famous, such “come outs” make big bucks for them and their agents.

Some verses of Scripture have re-emerged for me in the last few days that might arm us for the spiritual battle we face in these days. When it comes to what I allow into my mind, I am reminded of Philippians 2:5 (and the three verses after it):

Let this mind be in you, which was
also in Christ Jesus.

If we look at the three verses after this, we get an idea of where Jesus' mind was. We read that He wasn't interested in being a person of great reputation and was a very humble man. He was interested in being a servant...the very Son of God from the splendor of Heaven came to serve. He touched sick, dirty and dead people. He washed dirty feet. He fed thousands of people. On the mind of Jesus, was to walk in total obedience even unto death. How often are you and I convicted by something preached or that we read in our Bibles and ignore God's call to obedience? In every battle we fight in our day, it is most important that we have the right mind set.

Caution:

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth;
keep the door of my lips.
Psalm 141:3

I am not saying that you and I should be mute regarding the evil we face in our world. However, my words need to be measured words that meet with God's approval. How often do we pray a prayer like this verse before we speak or communicate, especially if found in contentious settings. I understand that even if I speak in love, those of opposite opinion will consider my speech to be hateful simply because it doesn't meet with their opinion. We can still speak out of love and concern even though there will rarely be agreement with those on the “other team.” We don't need to go looking for a fight. If we are right with God, perhaps even one on one, the fight will come to us. May we be faithful to God in our words, speaking with caution and yes, love.

Be prepared:

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be
ready always to give an answer to every man that
asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with
meekness (gentleness) and fear (respect).
I Peter 3:15

I'm not sure we understand what oddities we are in a sin fallen world. Somehow, we always wonder why people disagree with the stands people of God take. There may be some around us as we are in general conversation, who just might wonder about the how's and why's of who we are. Notice our verse suggests that we be ready to speak WHEN someone asks us the reason for our hope. This indicates such a person will have seen something in us that creates a curiosity regarding our hope. Our answer can be simple: “I have hope because of Jesus Christ in my life.” Here's where being prepared comes in. If someone pursues in asking what is meant by that statement, can we give an informative reply that would benefit that person, perhaps leading them to a personal pursuit of that same Hope we have come to know? Bottom line is that no matter the mess, Jesus is the answer. There is nothing going on that is greater than He is, or greater than He can handle. He sees the evil of our day beyond what you and I see in our own circles of life. He is far more grieved than we can ever be regarding this sin-fallen world.

These are mere days of practice for us as we take our stands for right and for the Lord. It's not going to get any easier. I see a day when any sharing of Jesus can be ruled as being politically incorrect and even illegal. Conditions for Christians are certainly not looking good at the present time, but we shouldn't be surprised. Scripture speaks of what the “last days” will be like, and those indicators are evident even now. We need to be praying earnestly for the mind of Christ in us. We should prayerfully speak when opportunities present themselves, but at the same time, have the wisdom in knowing what to say or what not to say.

Lastly, may you and I be convinced of the wonderful HOPE we have in Christ and be ready to sincerely share that HOPE with others who are seekers. Many folks who have fallen into various sins and lifestyles are basically seeking HOPE. However, they are looking in all the wrong places, so we should lovingly and respectfully be willing to share that HOPE with others when we have opportunity. We may be ridiculed in return, but that wonderful HOPE will have been presented.

Dear Jesus, I want Your mind in all I do. I know I won't have Your perfection but I want to be as much like You as I can be. Help me to be a light in this dark world and to be an influence and witness for You in ways that would please You. Thank You for Your guidance and direction in my life. I love You with all my heart. In Your precious name....Amen