Tag: Jesus is the light

The Power of Truth

The days are dark. The battle looks insurmountable. The visual that comes to my mind is from the movie The Two Towers. The creators of this film catch the essence of this so beautifully and so clearly. Galdalf appears shining and white then leads an army down the hill to the rescue.

We can get so embroiled in the battle before us that we forget to keep our eyes on the light.

The forces of evil hide in lies. They cloak their deception in perceived virtue. But the truth cuts through this blackness and cannot be denied. Don’t get mesmerized by the evil or fascinated by the lies, keep your eyes on the light.

Mark 4: 21 – 23 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed?
Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”

Hope in the darkness

I​t can be surprising that in places that seem the most oppressive, with the worst governments, Christianity grows. Some modern examples are China and Iran.

I​t would be natural to assume that Christianity grows the best in free and open societies, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Throughout history Christianity has grown in the darkness created by men.

W​hen all else fails Christ can give hope to the hopeless. He offers abundance and life to those with nothing. Like a small slit of light, Christ shows what is possible beyond the veil. He is the Light.

John 12: 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes
in me should stay in darkness.

(​It is ‘bring your kid to work’ day, so Mari helped me write this.)

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Over the last few years I have occasionally had a frustrating and threatening dream. It is always different but the theme is the same. I find myself in a dark unknown place trying to find my way. Usually I have one or all the kids with me, and I am trying to stumble through the dark and find safety.

It isn’t a dream that leaves me wondering. I know exactly what I am worried about when I wake. The world is so frightening and so out of control that I feel the weight of leading our family through the darkness. My dream is an outcropping of worries that often don’t even reach my conscious mind.

As I review this dream and think over my concerns, I remember that I am not responsible to be the one finding my way. I just have to keep my eye on the shepherd. I just have to feel His presence. I don’t have to know where I am going or where He leads. I do not need to fear. I must rely on Him.

John 8: 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The light of the world

The sky showing the first signs of the rising sun in the east. The glowing red and orange merging with the dark of the night sky. The first blush of light. The large erect towers of the city aglow in a the gentle orange reflection. Their own internal lights masked and conquered by the vibrant glow of the sun. All this before the sun has even crested the horizon.

The great light of the sun more powerful than any light man can create. In a dark space even a candle will cast a light, like a soft reminder of the great light. But in the middle of the day with the sun blazing in the room the candle goes unnoticed. It’s use simply a waste of materials and energy.

Every morning the light returns. The sun rises. Let this give you courage to face whatever trouble or fear that lays in your way.

Psalm 27: 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?