Tag: seeing the light

16.z. “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

John 10:22   At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

2 Corinthians 4:3-4   And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Matthew 17:5    He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

Acts 3:23   And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’

1 John 2:19   They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

Revelation 3:20    Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

The religious leaders wanted Jesus to speak plainly, and here He spoke more plainly than they probably wanted. Jesus previously told them they were not true shepherds. Here Jesus told them they were not even true sheep, because the Messiah’s sheep believe and hear His voice. They are not only untrustworthy shepherds of God’s people but are showing that they ought no longer to be classed among the sheep that pay attention to His voice. People have a choice to hear and follow Jesus Christ.  It is not that you were not chosen, but rather you rejected being chosen.  When there is a knock at your hearts’ door there is a choice.  When you hear the knock will you eagerly open it? It is our choice of what and who we open the door of our heart to.  Sadly, things of this world are welcomed in and the Word of God, Jesus Christ, salvation, redemption, forgiveness, and eternal life are denied entry.  Those that choose this will perish from this life to eternal hell.  Those that choose to open the door do so with a desire to know and be known by Jesus Christ.  Turn your ears away from the noise of this world that is knocking and shouting at the door to your heart.  Reject opening that door to them and listen for the knock and voice of Jesus Christ.  If you listen to it, it is knocking right now.

Whoever follows me

Genesis 1:26  Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Psalms 100:3    Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Ecclesiastes 7:29    See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

2 Corinthians 4:4    In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Isaiah 6:10     Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Ephesians 2:2     in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

1 John 5:19     We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

John 14:23     Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

John 8:12    Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

We are created by God with a choice to follow Him or not.  He has given us scripture to know of Him and His holiness, justice, love, grace , mercy and power.

In scripture He warns us of the god of this world, the evil one, the tempter, the liar, the prince of darkness, the devourer, the deceiver, the divider, the enticer, the author of false hope.   Our sinful nature is inclined toward things not of God.  We are inclined to lust, greed, pride, and self.  “SIN”

“The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.“

Yet God, in His love for His creation, and knowing the corruption of the soul of man which separates them from Him sent His only Son, Jesus to redeem mankind.   Our Creator has reached out to mankind with His arms wide open through Christ.   

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Knowing God is not the same as knowing of Him

Psalms 119:73  Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

Psalms 139:14-16    I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Psalms 138:8    The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Psalms 92:4-5     For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.  How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!

Isaiah 64:8     But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Psalms 100:3     Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Psalms 111:2    Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.

Ecclesiastes 7:29     See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

2 Corinthians 4:4     In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

“The workings of the human body are stunning in their design and execution. We know far more than David ever did about how we are made, and it should make us full of more awe and praise than David ever had.”

“If we are marvelously wrought upon even before we are born, what shall we say of the Lord’s dealings with us after we quit his secret workshop, and he directs our pathway through the pilgrimage of life? What shall we not say of that new birth which is even more mysterious than the first, and exhibits even more the love and wisdom of the Lord.” (Spurgeon)

Knowing of God and knowing God is very different.  Knowing of Him gives no personal relationship.  It gives no understanding of His steadfast mercy, grace and love.  It gives no secure place of refuge, hope, peace, joy, or rest.  It keeps God at arms distance.  It falsely allows us to form our own thoughts on what is right, wrong, good, bad, and possibly thinking we can do something to earn His favor. Knowing of God keeps a void filled with uncertainty and no fulfilling meaning or purpose in life .

Knowing of God keeps a void.Know God gives hope, peace, holy desire, joy, refuge, healing, forgiveness, love, kindness, gentleness, strength, encouragement, power, patience, growing faith, desire to know and understand Him and His plans and purposes in life, and desire to hear His quiet whispers of leading.  Knowing God fills the void with absolute assurance and, through faith, a much deeper and fulfilling purpose in life.

He has given us His word so that by it and through it we gain a basic understanding of how awesome, glorious, majestic, merciful, gracious, loving, and all knowing His is.  It gives us wisdom into the work of His hands.

Choose to know Him.  Desire and seek to know Him.  Commit to know Him.  He stands at the door of our heart, mind, and soul wanting for us to open it and ask Him in.  Your life will never be the same.

How long will you Limp

“And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.”

“how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,”

John 10:24  So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me,  but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Acts 2:22     “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—

2 Corinthians 4:3     And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

John 12:37     Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,  so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”  Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,  “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”

In the scriptures today we see those who have set their heart and mind not to believe no matter what, those who go between whatever is popular at the time, and those who believe and are fully committed.  Do you wonder what keeps people grouped like this?  What is it that blinds the non-believers to Christ? What is it that keeps the wafflers from committing to fully?  What is it that keeps the believers committed?  Are the non-believers that way because of pride and condition of a hardened heart/closed mind?  Are the wafflers that way because they want to have what seems like the best of both worlds or are they afraid of what others might think?  Are the believers that way because God opened their heart and mind and drew them to Himself?  Hardened hearts and minds, waffling are always possible even to those who believe.  If we are complacent and neglect His word and lose desire to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey we can harden and we can waffle.  Paul said we should guard ourselves.  We need to take every thought captive.  We cannot prevent the first thought that comes to mind but we can certainly get a proper thought put into place.  Paul said to put on the full amour of God.  There is so much more to being a follower than salvation.  It would seem like this – we want a warm bed to sleep in but want nothing to do with the household or maintaining the house.  Our walk to to be so much more than believing and salvation.  We are to reflect the light of Christ, proclaim the good news, be able to give reason for why we believe, able to encourage, able to disciple, able to correct,  and have a daily walk that is filled with joy, peace, hope, kindness, gentleness, and love.  Spend time in His word and grow in knowledge and understanding of Him.  Hear His whispers of guidance and humbly obey Him.

Urgent command

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

John 1:14  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Isaiah 40:5    And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Isaiah 53:2    For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

Isaiah 60:1    Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.  For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.

2 Corinthians 4:4   In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1:3     He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” It is clear there are those who have been blinded by the god of this world.  They are unable to see the grace of God and good news of Jesus Christ.  When you stop and think about it, we too were in this same state of mind and unbelief until God opened our heart and mind to see His grace, mercy, and love through the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross.   We never know when or to whom God will use us to draw a lost soul to Him.  Aren’t you glad that someone in the past spoke the gospel (good news) into your life?  Aren’t you thankful God opened your heart and mind to see it?  Telling others of the gospel of Jesus Christ is not request but rather an urgent command.  If you saw a person heading down a path with a hidden cliff that would certainly lead to that persons death, would you not get their attention, say stop, warn them of the danger, and tell them of the correct path to follow for safety?