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Spiritual darkness is a reality today. We hear news of the conflict in the Middle East, of Venezuelan gangs taking over cities in our country, the number of illegal immigrants that are murderers and sex offenders and we shake our heads. But we don’t have to look outside our own homes to discover spiritual darkness. Don’t try to deny the darkness that is in your own soul. It is real. And all these things are constant reminders of the one who started and continues to revel in the darkness: Satan. We need light.

The one who first said “Let there be light” at creation said it again as He sent His light into the world again. Listen to how John describes what happened when God said again, “Let there be light!”

John 1:1-9 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

Christ is that light who not only reveals the sin that darkness tries to hide, but wants to bring into His light all who are languishing in the darkness. Jesus came for the sole purpose of overcoming the darkness for fallen mankind, and He did that with a perfect life and a substitutionary death. Everyone who trusts in Him receives the benefit of what He did and enters into the light. We have heard and believe and know and live in the light of Christ!

As those who have been enlightened and redeemed, we are meant to be lights. Granted, we are simply lower case lights, but lights nonetheless. Authentic lights cannot be concealed as Scripture makes clear.

Ephesians 5:8  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

Philippians 2:15  so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe

On a recent trip to the hill country of Texas, Cheryl and I went on a cave tour of Cascade Caverns outside of Boerne. We have been in a lot of caves over the years, but this was our first time to this one. As is typical, at one point during the tour they turn out all the lights so that you can experience total darkness. Our guide left the lights off for almost a full minute. During that time, she told us that the Nazi did a horrible experiment on the effects of people living in total darkness. They forced people to live in total darkness for long periods, providing them only with food and water. After six months living that way, they were all blind. Even after they were brought out of the darkness, they could no longer see.

It may seem to be that way for people living in the darkness of sin. We may think that they will never see the light. But the Light of Christ overpowers all darkness (John 1:5). That light had shined into your heart. And it is God’s intent that all those with a “little gospel light of mine” should shine together into every corner of the world and on every person to overcome the darkness. Let there be light!

I’m sure many of you have seen or heard this in one form or another:  How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb?

Charismatic: 1 – Their hands are already in the air.

Pentecostals: 10 – One to change the bulb, and nine to pray aloud against the spirit of darkness.

Presbyterians:  None – Lights will go on and off at predestined times.

Roman Catholics:  None – They only use candles.

Baptists: At least 15 – One to change the light bulb, and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad and fried chicken to the light changing event.

Episcopalians: 3 – One to call the electrician, one to mix the drinks and one to talk about how much better the old one was.

Methodists: Unknown – Whether your light is bright, dull, or completely out, you are loved. You can be a light bulb, turnip bulb, or tulip bulb. Bring a bulb of your choice to the Sunday lighting service and a covered dish to pass.

Nazarene: 1 – One woman to replace the bulb while five men review church lighting policy.

Amish: What’s a light bulb?

Lutheran: None – Lutherans don’t believe in change.

Wouldn’t it be great if instead of or even in spite of all our divisions we could agree to just “Let There Be Light?”

John 8:12  “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

From Genesis to Revelation light and darkness are common and recurring Biblical topics. In spite of all the advances in technology, light and darkness still divide the day. With the setting of the sun darkness dominates. We may “overcome” the darkness with  campfires or oil lamps and candles and torches, with fluorescents and LEDs and plasmas, but there is still darkness. We can’t make it go away. Darkness presents difficulty and danger.

My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.  Ps 130:6

Watchmen breathed easier when the light returned, along with everyone else. And it is still true. Darkness is a breeding ground for trouble. Why do you think we still have “night watchmen.” Police and security experts will tell you the best deterrent to crime is LIGHT. The better the light, the less crime. Darkness is an enemy, something feared, something to be overcome.

When the Bible speaks of Light and Darkness, it does so in more than just the literal sense. Darkness is used throughout Scripture to refer to sin and ignorance, while the Light is God’s Word and ultimately that Word made Flesh in Jesus Christ. By His birth and life, His death and resurrection Christ overwhelmed darkness and offered the possibility of light and the life that light brings. This offer is extended to everyone, not just a select few or just one group.

Those who are led by the Spirit to live under His redemptive brightness receive Him, follow Him and reflect His brightness to those who sit in the darkness created by sin and Satan. Their desperate cry and only hope is, “Let there be light!”

More on this tomorrow.

You have probably heard the story of Job. He had been greatly blessed by God with earthly wealth and a large family. God allowed Satan to put him to the test. He lost almost everything he had, and then was afflicted in his own body. Yet he continued to trust in the goodness of God.

Job 2:11 When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.

Most of the book, chapters 4-31, is the dialogue between these three and Job. The “comfort” these friends gave to Job was mostly telling him that he was certainly being punished for something he had done wrong. Job didn’t listen to them, but he also went too far in maintaining his innocence.

A younger man named Elihu had been listening to all of this.

Job 32:2–3  But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.

He was rightly upset with all of them for looking inside themselves for answers rather than listening to God’s Word.  Even though he was younger than them all, he was bold to speak. Why?

Job 32:8 But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.

What we all need to hear is not pious opinions, not man-made theories or thoughts, but the truth of God’s Word. And that is what everyone you meet each day needs to hear as well.

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We need to keep on sharing the Good News of Jesus that we have taken to heart. When Elihu was speaking God’s Word to Job and his friends, he said this:

Job 36:2 “Bear with me a little longer and I will show you that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.”

We are God’s ambassadors, speaking on His behalf, pointing to the truth that Jesus died to save all men. May we joyfully continue to share this message.

Have you ever heard someone say, “Luther said to sin boldly!” and use that as an excuse for doing something that is clearly outside of God’s will? Did Luther really say that? And is that what he meant?

The quote comes from a letter that Martin Luther wrote to a fellow reformer, Philip Melanchthon, in 1521.  This was just a few months after his “trial” at the Diet of Worms when he made his famous “here I stand” declaration. He was in hiding at Wartburg Castle because many sought to end his life.

Meanwhile, back at Wittenberg, the other reformers were in a bit of confusion about things such as celibacy, fasting, receiving only the bread in communion and other catholic practices. Melanchthon wrote Luther asking for guidance.

We only have a portion of Luther’s response today. But near the end of that letter, he wrote this.

If you are a preacher of mercy, do not preach an imaginary but the true mercy. If the mercy is true, you must therefore bear the true, not an imaginary sin. God does not save those who are only imaginary sinners. Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong [or sin boldly], but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says Peter (2 Peter 3:13), are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where justice will reign. It suffices that through God’s glory we have recognized the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day. Do you think such an exalted Lamb paid merely a small price with a meager sacrifice for our sins? Pray hard for you are quite a sinner.

We have all heard “Sound Bites” taken out of context to make it sound like the person said the opposite of what they intended to say. That is how this “sin boldly” quote is often used. But read in the context of Luther’s letter, he is telling Philip (and all of us) to own up to your sin. Acknowledge it. Admit that you are a poor, miserable sinner. And then cling to the cross. It was the same message he had defended at Worms. The Law shows us our sin and our inability to contribute anything to justification. That is all God’s doing. We need to acknowledge our utter and complete sinfulness so that we can appreciate the magnitude of what God has done for us in Christ.

“Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger.”

Our sins are real. They do matter. Don’t think you are pretty good, because on your own you are all sinner and zero saint. You need to understand your sin to be real so that you understand that God’s Grace is real. And don’t forget the second part of Luther’s quote:  “but let your trust in Christ be stronger.”

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.” (Romans 7:15–17)

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

We should never imply that sin is acceptable and endorsed by God. “Sin boldly” is not freedom to sin, but the encouragement to depend wholly on Christ because of our sin. The boldness of sin takes us to the cross. It is a boldness to admit that we totally need Jesus.

The longer I live, the more bad news I hear. Everyone has their list of distressing things they would just as soon not have ever heard.

• You find out a trusted friend has betrayed you.
• You discover a family member has been unfaithful to his or her marriage vows.
• A friend dies in an accident.
• A loved one dies at an early age from cancer or a drug overdose.
• A friend has been falsely accused of a horrible crime and his life is turned upside down because of it.

The good news that we have trumps all the bad news this world will throw at us. We don’t always remember that. But read these words carefully: Your forgiveness and life and salvation that you have for Jesus’ sake cannot be taken away. Add these words to each of the bad news sentences above and read them again.

John 10:27–29 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

We sometimes refer to someone having a “death grip” on something, meaning they will not let it go. This passage tells us that our heavenly Father has a death defying grip on His children, and He will never let you go. That is my comfort and assurance in the face of any bad news I hear.

Acts 7:59–8:1 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

The Apostle Paul had been an enemy of the church. He was an accomplice when Stephen was murdered by a mob. He was so convinced that Christians had to be stopped that he made it his business to persecute believers and drag them to prison in chains. He did everything in his power to put an end to Christianity.

But what happened on the road to Damascus changed things. The one who had been an enemy of Christ and a persecutor of God’s people was called by God and dedicated himself to proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior. He then faced obstacles and hardships, including the same kind of persecution he used to dish out. He was attacked by mobs, beaten, shipwrecked and imprisoned. He endured emotional stress, criticism, and opposition. How was he able to continue in the face of all this?

Paul had lived a life of hatred, murder and evil. How he must have shuddered when he remembered watching the stoning of Stephen, one of God’s dearly loved children. Think of the guilt that must have weighed on him when he recalled how he had treated Christians.

But Paul also knew God’s great love for him. That is why he could write in Romans:

Romans 7:24-25 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Paul had personally experienced the love and compassion of God in his life. He knew Jesus paid his debt, rescued him from his sin, and delivered him from death. That was the confidence that enabled him to move forward and share the love and compassion he received with others who needed it. He shared the message of how Jesus earned our forgiveness, life and salvation. Because Christ died for all, this message is for all and should go out to all. That is what drove Paul in his ministry,

It is the love of Christ that makes it all possible. It enabled and empowered Paul in his mission. And that same love of God in Christ makes it possible for you to continue in faithfulness and share Jesus with those you encounter every day.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15  For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

God’s love for fallen mankind was profound enough for Him to give what has to be termed as the ultimate sacrifice, His only Son. God the Father was willing to do this to secure you a spot with Him for eternity, a fellowship with God that begins now and continues forever.

And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves.

Isn’t that a neat little summary of what is wrong with most of the world? …that those who live should no longer live for themselves. Most of the people in this world are concerned with nothing other than living for themselves. And that includes those who are followers of Jesus Christ. We get so wrapped up in schedules, appointments, finances, relationships and hobbies that we forget to keep the main thing the main thing. We have a difficult time putting the needs of others ahead of our own. They call that being egocentric, which means I put myself at the center of my universe. The world revolves around me. I put the satisfaction of my needs at the center of my life. It is played out on the personal level, to be sure, but this goes beyond that – the neighborhood, the community, the state, the political party, the nation. Wars are waged as parties seek to defend their own interests. And it all has as its root the same thing: SIN, the desire to live only for self, with self at the center. It is interesting to note that one of the first words children speak with utter conviction is “MINE.” Our world caters to this kind of thinking. Advertising is geared toward it: do more for yourself, you deserve the best, indulge yourself more.

 Don’t misunderstand what I am saying. We need to be concerned about ourselves and taking care of our needs. That is not the problem. The problem comes in the way we let that self-concern become supreme, overriding our concern for our neighbor, the good of others, and even the will of God. That is when jealousy, dishonesty and greed slip in and show themselves in harmful behavior. In fact, if you were to examine all the sinfulness and violence and hatred in the world, it would all boil down to this: love for self above love for God and our neighbor.

Thanks be to God that His love is not like that. His love is beyond self-love. His love is so profound that He provided the means for us to overcome the sin so deeply rooted in us. He sent Jesus to take care of it for us. We are convinced that one died for all. All are in the same boat we are, spiritually dead and in need of help. And that is what God gave us in Jesus. He lived a perfect life for ALL. There is no sin so great that His death did not take care of it. We sometimes have a hard time believing that God would still love us and forgive us, especially when a particular sin is bothering us. But He died for all. His salvation gives us the means to get beyond selfishness when by faith His death becomes our death for sin and His resurrection becomes our resurrection.

You and I need to know and feel God’s love the same way that Paul did. When Paul felt that love, he was able to live not for himself, but for Christ. He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Why are you here? Most people ponder that question at times. So many never find an answer, they see life as meaningless. Problems discourage and disorient them. Nothing seems to make sense. And sometimes life happens in such a way that it cannot be explained. But you can be confident that God has your lives in His hands, even if you cannot explain what is happening. You have this confidence because of the love He has shown you through a cross and an empty tomb. That love becomes a compelling force, giving meaning and direction and purpose to your life. That love leads you to live in service to God and uour neighbor, which is what your life should be about.

Just a few days ago I spent some time sitting next to a watering hole in West Texas with a good friend of mine. We were dove hunting. Eight years ago I had a detached retina in one eye and a torn retina in the other, requiring seven surgeries in a year’s time. My right eye was damaged significantly, but – praise God – my left eye was repaired to the point where I can still live a fairly normal life. I tell you this because I have always shot right-handed. I have only tried dove hunting a couple of times since all that happened with very little success. My right eye just doesn’t work well enough. So I made the decision to try to hunt left-handed.

My friend knew this was something new for me, so he sat right next to me, which is not what you usually do when hunting doves. Normally you spread out to cover more area, but we sat next to each other that day. He wanted to help me figure out how to shoot left-handed. He gave me pointers and encouraged me. And we also had the chance to visit and catch up on each other’s lives.

We talked about our families, our children and our grandchildren. We talked about some of our previous hunting trips, which included by father-in-law who is now in heaven. We talked about him and shared memories and spoke about how much we both miss him. We enjoyed the time we were able to spend together.

Friends are important. We should cherish them and never take them for granted. Especially not our best friend.

John 15:13–15 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

Our best friend has given us what we need more than anything else: the guarantee of life forever because He paid for our sins. And He showed us how to be a friend as well.

Cherish your friends and be sure to take time to be with them.

P.S. I only shot at nine doves that day, and I got four of them.