Jesus The Light Of Life

Jesus The Light Of Life

The Bible opens with this beautiful account of the creation:

 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light." ~ (Genesis 1:1-3)

The soul apart from Christ is very much like that place at the dawn of creation when the "earth was without form and void and darkness hovered over the face of the deep."  

For without Christ "the light of the world" we walk in darkness. The bible says that Jesus was  "the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." (John 1:9)

The Gospel of John opens much like the book of Genesis:

John 1:1,3-5

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in *darkness; and the darkness *comprehended it not.

Jesus Christ is not only our Creator, He is the Light that moves upon our spirit that brings the Eternal Day into our hearts when we receive Him as our Savior.

When Jesus Christ comes into our hearts, His light shines into the formless darkness of our souls, and His grace turns our chaos into order, our confusion into peace.

When Jesus comes into our hearts, His light not only illuminates our darkness but His word promises that all the forces of darkness shall not be able to overcome His light within us as we abide in Him.

Scripture says that the darkness cannot comprehend Christ's light.

The word comprehend as defined by the Strong's Bible Dictionary can be interpreted in several ways:

The darkness does not eagerly receive Christ or the things of God.

The darkness cannot possess Christ or those who have His light abiding in their hearts.

The darkness cannot perceive, comprehend, or understand Christ or the things of God.

The darkness cannot ever overcome Christ, His Church, and all those who are abiding in Christ's light.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, bring the light of Christ to all who are in darkness today. If any are experiencing confusion, fill them with Thy peace for Thy word says that "God is not the author of confusion but of peace..." (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Thy word promises that "...the Lord blesses His people with peace." ~ (Psalm 29:11)

Lord, thank You for Being our Light, our Salvation, and our Peace, in Jesus' name, amen.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV) 

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."

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DEFINITIONS

*comprehended  (Strong's Bible Dictionary )

καταλαμβάνω kat-al-am-ban'-o

Definition: to take eagerly, i.e. seize, possess, etc. (literally or figuratively)

Usage: :--apprehend, attain, come upon, comprehend, find, obtain, perceive, (over-)take.

*Darkness: (Thayer Bible Dictionary)

skotia (transliteration)

Definition: Metaphorically used of ignorance of divine things, and its associated wickedness, and the resultant misery in hell.

Unto The Least of These "Jesus Light of Life" © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved. Scripture Quotations King James Version Bible, New International Version Bible, New American Standard Version Bible: Definitions: Strong's Bible Dictionary, Thayer Bible Dictionary: Scripture Pictures Created via You Version Bible App

Our Brief Sojourn

Recently, a friend told me the sad news that she'd had a death in her family. Yesterday my son called to ask for prayer and told me that his precious wife, our daughter-in-law, had been hit head on by another vehicle as she was pulling out of their garage on her way to work. 

Miraculously, she sustained only minor injuries, but her car was totaled and she could have been killed.

I praise our merciful God for sparing her life!

Our sojourn on this earth is so brief. Moses wrote in Psalm 90:10, 12: 

"Our days may come to seventy years,or eighty, if our strength endures;

Lord, Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Life is also so random. Anything can happen at any time any day. But when you know and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ you have full assurance of your eternal dwelling place. You know that His word promises He will never forsake those who have put their hope in Him. All those who have committed their lives to Christ are sealed with the living Spirit of Christ. They are eternally inseperable.

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Charles Haddon Spurgeon is one of my favorite Bible teachers. A reformed Baptist preacher, he lived and preached in England during the 19th century. He wrote many sermons, devotionals and inspirational books. 

The following excerpt is from his devotional "Morning and Evening." May it bless and comfort you as much as it did me.

Morning, June 29

"Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."

1 Thessalonians 4:14

Let us not imagine that the soul sleeps in insensibility. 

"Today shalt thou be with me in paradise," is the whisper of Christ to every dying

saint. 

They "sleep in Jesus," but their souls are before the throne of God, 

praising him day and night in his temple, singing hallelujahs to him

who washed them from their sins in his blood.

The body sleeps in its lonely bed of earth, beneath the coverlet of grass. 

But what is this sleep? The idea connected with sleep is "rest,"

and that is the thought which the Spirit of God would convey to us. 

Sleep makes each night a Sabbath for the day. 

Sleep shuts fast the door of the soul, and bids all intruders tarry for a while, 

that the life within may enter its summer garden of ease. 

The toil-worn believer quietly sleeps, as does the weary child 

when it slumbers on its mother's breast. 

Oh! happy they who die in the Lord; they rest from their labours, 

and their works do follow them. Their quiet repose shall never be broken…”

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PRAYER

Heavenly Father, please bless and encourage all those who have suffered the loss of loved ones or friends this week, or who will soon face such grief. Thy word says You are close to the brokenhearted and that You bind up their wounds. Fill their souls with rivers of Thy love, grace, peace and hope; give them faith to know that their loved ones are safe with You. Thank You, Lord, in Jesus' name, amen. 

Excerpt From: Charles H. Spurgeon. “Morning and Evening: Daily Bible Readings for Every Day of the Year.”

Unto The Least Of These © 2015 Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.

Faith is the Two A's

Faith is The Two A's

The following devotional "Faith is The Two A's" was written by  Reverend Donald Peters, the Pastor of our church. 
He'd preached a wonderful sermon on Faith and then included this excellent devotional from it in our bulletin last Sunday. He graciously gave me permission to share it on my blog.

Faith is the two A's: 
Accepting what God says and Acting upon it.
His Word is the Fact, and on that we Act.

Four Ways to grow our FAITH:

1. FOCUS primarily on God, rather than circumstances.
   When Peter focused on Jesus, he was able to walk on water. 

"You were raised from death with Christ. So live for what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. 

 Think only about what is up there, not what is here on earth."~Colossians 3:1-2 (ERV)

"We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne."
 Hebrews 12:2 (ERV)

2. Read the Bible thoughtfully and unhurriedly, allowing it to sink into your soul.
Romans 10: 17 reminds us, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (KJV)

Psalm 1:1-3 (KJV) "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." 

3. Pray to the Lord from the heart, because the Christian has a personal relationship with Him.

Psalm 62:8 (KJV) "Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us."

Romans 8:26 (KJV) "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

4. Act on what the Lord reveals to you through the Word and prayer, for faith is incomplete until we do.


James 1:22 (ERV) ^"Do what God’s teaching says; don’t just listen and do nothing. When you only sit and listen, you are fooling yourselves."

James 1:25 (NASB) "But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."


“But My righteous one will live by faith." ~ Hebrews 10:38 (NIV)

Heavenly Father, Thy Son Jesus Christ said that if we had faith even as small as a mustard seed we could move a mountain. We ask You to give us more faith. Fill our hearts with faith, hope and rivers of peace; may we always remember that You are in control and have engraved each one of us on the palms of Your almighty hands. May You meet the needs of everyone praying this prayer, In Jesus' name we ask, we love You, Lord, amen.

"Faith is the Two A's" ©  2015 Rev. Donald Peters All Rights Reserved.  Photo Credits via Pinterest Scripture Quotations: Easy To Read Version Bible (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by World Bible Translation Center,
New American Standard Version Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960,
New International Version, NIV® Copyright ©1973,
King James Version (KJV) (Public Domain)
Prayer: S.D. Harden Unto The Least Of These © 2015 All Rights Reserved.