| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net The single biggest section at any book store is the “self help” section. This is fascinating to me. We look for wisdom, the Bible says God is wisdom. We look for peace - He is our peace. We want life - He is The Life. We want power in the face of hard times - He is power. We want joy - He is our joy. (I could go on, but I won’t). I see a pattern developing. Why then do we look to psychology, self improvement (there’s an oxymoron), philosophy, and any other “life coach” we can find, when Colo. 2:10 tells us: “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.” 2:3 = “In whom are hid all treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Let’s turn the Spiritual Switch. Jesus made seven profound “I Am” statements in John. One of which is found in chapter 8, verse 12 - “I Am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Is this just a cool statement or something more? If light is significant, what then is darkness? Those who have trusted Christ as Savior and Lord have been delivered from “the power of darkness” Col. 1:13. The lost are ultimately going to be cast into “outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matt. 8:12. Satan and his ilk are called the “rulers of the darkness of this world,” in Eph. 6:12. Why are a Christians world views so different from the balance of the world? Eph. 4:18 answers this way: “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:” Contrast this with: “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” 1st John 1:5. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Jerusalem had just finished the week long celebration of the Tabernacles, in which the children of Israel thanked God for His provision in the wilderness wanderings. They thanked Him for water, manna, and then His presence manifested in ---- Light. The pillars of fire? The glowing cloud that followed, and lead them on their way? When Solomon dedicated the Temple, God descended in the form of a bright cloud such that the Priests could not occupy it. When Mosses had been in the presence of God, the people begged him to cover his face due to the glow. The last night of the celebration brought what was called “the Illumination of the Temple” in which Huge Torches which had been assembled (high as the walls themselves) and drenched in hundreds of gallons of oil, were simultaneously lit to commemorate the presence of God. Every Hebrew knew the significance of this. It is said historically, that the light could be seen in every house in Jerusalem. It is here that Jesus stands up and declares: “I Am the light of the world:”. Nugget: His blood is sufficient for the whole world, but only efficient for those who place their complete trust in Him by grace alone, through faith alone, in Him alone. What about you? Have you seen The Light? |
 |