So the question was presented tonight. King of a musing question. And yet rhetorical, too.
I mean, obviously you can't huddle in a dark corner, embracing the darkness, yet reach and grasp for the light. You can only pursue one while the other vanishes during pursuit. And you "risk" being engulfed by that which you pursue until you change your mind.
For more specific examples:
Can/Should one become a druggie to be able to reach the druggies for Christ?
Can/should one become a drunkard to be able to reach the drunkards for Christ?
Can/should one become a thief or murderer to reach thieves and murderers for Christ?
Can/should one become a liar to reach liars;
or gossipers to reach gossipers?
Obviously, not. But, can one reach a druggie having already been a druggie and released from the darkness of addiction to the light of Christ? Yes. Should one embrace the darkness to share the light of Christ?
Before you say yes, whether you thought it briefly or not, think about it.
Can you really embrace the darkness, let it be a part of your thinking, your actions, your "love" and yet maintain a grasp of the light of God to be able to show others Jesus?
Can you put on a cloak of darkness (which, by the way, doesn't simply rest on your body, but sinks into your skin and integrates into you.) onto your shoulders, bottle the light of Christ, and then once you connect to the darkness of others you pull out are bottle of light?
It doesn't work like that. Light and darkness do not coexist. Darkness is the absence of the light. So, when you are embracing the darkness, you are forsaking the light.
Sure you can theoretically say the light is just a few steps behind, and you can announce it to others that it is there, but why would they follow you to the light you don't even cherish enough to keep with you?
It is possible to carry the light into the darkness, but not when you are embracing the darkness.
Embrace the darkness, and the light disappears.
Embrace the light, and the darkness disappears.
You can't cover yourself in darkness to lure the darkness to the light.
As the sermon tonight illustrated how one can witness using his own testimony and background, being freed from the darkness and embracing the light can be used as background and testimony to those who are in the same darkness you were.
But you can't be presently in the darkness and expect others to follow you to the light that you claim to be waiting for them.
Rom 13:12-14 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof].
Gal. 6:1
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
~Written in godly love~
-Kevin
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Draw nigh to God
I know I've recently written an entry on James 1:14-15 which talks about resisting the devil and drawing nigh to God, but last night God reminded me of a truth.
When we do not submit ourselves to God, we don't resist Satan. When we don't resist Satan, we soon follow his ways. His ways are contrary to God's ways, therefore when you don't resist him, you will walk away from God.
God, in His holiness, remains "where you left him." He doesn't drift further away, it is you who drifts further away.
However, God doesn't require us to walk all the way back to Him to reunite and walk with him. Once we turn away from Satan's pathway and turn to God's pathway and take the first step to returning to God, God will take a step toward us. As we come closer to God, God will come closer to us until we are in communion with God.
And from that point God will walk with us to the point we were before backsliding, and then continue walking with us to the conformation of us into the image of His son.
If you have found yourself far from God after a time of walking away from Him, don't be discouraged thinking you have a long way to go to reach God again in your repentance. It only takes a few steps until you are in His arms again.
-Kevin
When we do not submit ourselves to God, we don't resist Satan. When we don't resist Satan, we soon follow his ways. His ways are contrary to God's ways, therefore when you don't resist him, you will walk away from God.
God, in His holiness, remains "where you left him." He doesn't drift further away, it is you who drifts further away.
However, God doesn't require us to walk all the way back to Him to reunite and walk with him. Once we turn away from Satan's pathway and turn to God's pathway and take the first step to returning to God, God will take a step toward us. As we come closer to God, God will come closer to us until we are in communion with God.
And from that point God will walk with us to the point we were before backsliding, and then continue walking with us to the conformation of us into the image of His son.
If you have found yourself far from God after a time of walking away from Him, don't be discouraged thinking you have a long way to go to reach God again in your repentance. It only takes a few steps until you are in His arms again.
-Kevin
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Friends.
Wow. This topic is one that God has been burdening me with. Not quite for me, though it is a truth I need to keep fresh in my life, but for other people. It's not out of pointing fingers, but a concern and care for them.
I was recalling an individual and his choice of a friend. I can't remember how this thought came about, but it was sometime today or yesterday. I'll share how I remember, and then add some.
We are living "trees" that eat fruit off of others. The fruit we eat are the fruits of those we hang around with. Every person bears fruit. When we consume the fruits of the "trees" around us, one of two things will happen.
1. The fruit "ingested" will create a desire to grow similar fruit.
2. The fruit will enter our trunk and plaque will build up, blocking the "xylem."
Now, to break from the symbolism, I'll be more blatant.
There are two types of fruits we can bear in life. The fruits of the Spirit, and the fruits of the flesh.
The concept of eating the fruit of others remains "symbolic." Everyone bears fruit. And when we hang around with people, we "eat of their fruit." And when we eat the fruit of our friends, we will either ingest rotten fruit that will block the life-water of Jesus Christ that enables our spiritual growth; or we will ingest ripe fruit that will create in us a desire to continue letting the life-water of Jesus to flow into us, enabling our growth.
That's the thought that has been filling my mind this whole day. We will eat the fruit of the people we hang around; the fruit of our friends.
If our friends bear the fruit of the flesh--rotten fruit--then our abidance in Christ will be hindered. The power that would otherwise flow through our lives to grow and produce good fruit will be blocked by the plaque of the fruit of the flesh.
On the other hand, if our friends bear the fruit of the Spirit, then a desire will sprout in our hearts to have similar fruits of the Spirit and to grow.
Please meditate on this truth. Please don't let your spiritual condition go down the drain because of friends. Please take a look at your friends. Don't necessarily gage what they have caused you recently to sin, or compromise spiritually, or things like that. Take a look at their fruits--the fruits you are eating. Inspect them. Are they love, kindness, gentleness--or are they hatred, idolatry, wrath?
Now, take another thought. What fruits are your friends ingesting because of you? Are you blocking their lives of the life-water of Jesus Christ? Or are you causing a desire in their hearts to grow, to bear the same fruits you bear?
If you are the former, please repent.
If you are the latter, then please continue. And if you have a friend that hinders your spirituality, then confront that friend. Explain that God is more important to them than they are(assuming that is true). Explain that you don't want to ingest rotten fruit, blocking your growth.
Understand that it is easier for someone to bring you down into the life of not growing in Christ than for you to bring someone up into the life of growth in Christ.
Please take a look at the following verses.
(Prov. 27:17) Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friends.
(Gal. 5:19-23) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
(John 15:4-5)
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
I was recalling an individual and his choice of a friend. I can't remember how this thought came about, but it was sometime today or yesterday. I'll share how I remember, and then add some.
We are living "trees" that eat fruit off of others. The fruit we eat are the fruits of those we hang around with. Every person bears fruit. When we consume the fruits of the "trees" around us, one of two things will happen.
1. The fruit "ingested" will create a desire to grow similar fruit.
2. The fruit will enter our trunk and plaque will build up, blocking the "xylem."
Now, to break from the symbolism, I'll be more blatant.
There are two types of fruits we can bear in life. The fruits of the Spirit, and the fruits of the flesh.
The concept of eating the fruit of others remains "symbolic." Everyone bears fruit. And when we hang around with people, we "eat of their fruit." And when we eat the fruit of our friends, we will either ingest rotten fruit that will block the life-water of Jesus Christ that enables our spiritual growth; or we will ingest ripe fruit that will create in us a desire to continue letting the life-water of Jesus to flow into us, enabling our growth.
That's the thought that has been filling my mind this whole day. We will eat the fruit of the people we hang around; the fruit of our friends.
If our friends bear the fruit of the flesh--rotten fruit--then our abidance in Christ will be hindered. The power that would otherwise flow through our lives to grow and produce good fruit will be blocked by the plaque of the fruit of the flesh.
On the other hand, if our friends bear the fruit of the Spirit, then a desire will sprout in our hearts to have similar fruits of the Spirit and to grow.
Please meditate on this truth. Please don't let your spiritual condition go down the drain because of friends. Please take a look at your friends. Don't necessarily gage what they have caused you recently to sin, or compromise spiritually, or things like that. Take a look at their fruits--the fruits you are eating. Inspect them. Are they love, kindness, gentleness--or are they hatred, idolatry, wrath?
Now, take another thought. What fruits are your friends ingesting because of you? Are you blocking their lives of the life-water of Jesus Christ? Or are you causing a desire in their hearts to grow, to bear the same fruits you bear?
If you are the former, please repent.
If you are the latter, then please continue. And if you have a friend that hinders your spirituality, then confront that friend. Explain that God is more important to them than they are(assuming that is true). Explain that you don't want to ingest rotten fruit, blocking your growth.
Understand that it is easier for someone to bring you down into the life of not growing in Christ than for you to bring someone up into the life of growth in Christ.
Please take a look at the following verses.
(Prov. 27:17) Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friends.
(Gal. 5:19-23) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
(John 15:4-5)
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)