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Darkness

Last night I was driving back to our powerless dark home last night, I pulled off the interstate onto the road leading to our home, and wow, what an erie feeling.  Alll the street lights were out, several of the business’s lights were off, the traffic lights were off, and the road was in complete darkness minus the headlamps of the vehicles.  You expect that on a country lane, but it was very suprising on a city street.  It was so dark that is was extremely difficult to see the traffic lights where four way stops are now the order of the day.

And then we go home, opened up the garage door by hand and moved into the house in the dark, feeling our way to the flashlights and firing up the candles to see what we could see.

It’s pretty amazing how much different life is without light!

So, you can guess where this is going.  Living light in the darkness is not good.  There is so much power in the light. Make sure you are being light in all the darkness that is around you!

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6, New International Version, ©2011)

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As You Once Were

Yesterday one of my liberal minded, utopia seeking college student friends, whom I dearly love,  posted on Facebook about some political things going on in Nashville.  Without going into all the gory details, I have to say that I spend a better part of the day thinking about how to tactfully post a response to his somewhat condemning post.

My thoughts quickly traveled to Ephesians however, for it is here that the writer of this letter lays out some very profound and yet simple ideas for those who wish to follow the Christ.

You see, my friend was calling out the way sin has been categorized to a point that some is acceptable and some is not. However, the letter the the Ephesians clearly calls out all sorts of dark behaviors and groups them in the same pot.  Then there’s the real kicker.  It’s not a condemnation for having had these sins in your life, but an impetus to move past them:

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord Ephesians 5:8 (NIV)

All of us have sinned. All of us continue to make mistakes.  All of us are so dependent on the grace the oozes from our Lord.  However, we are still admonished to move toward the light and to leave the other things in darkness.  The Message version of this brings home the point in a very contemporary way:

8-10You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it. Ephesians 5:8-10  The Message (MSG)

So, we need to leave the darkness behind, and move towards the light – transformed by the grace and love of Christ. As you battle the darkness in your life remember this admonishment. And as you deal with others steeped in the battle with darkness please remember that “you were once darkness” but now “you are the light”.  Approach them with the grace and love bestowed upon you.

Oh, and isn’t this just another reason to live a life of joy?

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Plenty of Power

Let me start by apologizing for yesterday. We awoke to a a tremendous storm that was blowing stuff all over the place, and knocked out our electrical power. This made it a fun morning getting reading in the dark, but made it a difficult morning for constructing a blog entry. I then had to proceed off to a day full of activities that also made it difficult to construct a blog entry.
So my post yesterday said that I had no power. That was only partially correct. Yes, its correct that I did my home did not have any electrical power, but actually I shown the real power that I am able to tap into.  I was reminded of the song that we were singing just on Sunday, a hymn called Every Time by Philip Organ,  in which there is this verse:

Everytime I watch a storm I know the awesome power of my Lord

but then it goes on to say

I don’t know why so many things seem to get in the way of seeing my God’s glory
But I try everyday to see and thank Him for all the things He’s given me

Yep, it was a frantic and frustrating morning yesterday at the ol’ homestead, but what we missed in that was that God laid his glory and power right out in front of us.  After some time considering the morning, I see how wrong my post’s title from yesterday was.  I sure do have power – plenty of power!

 11 One thing God has spoken,
       two things have I heard:
       that you, O God, are strong,

 12 and that you, O Lord, are loving.
       Surely you will reward each person
       according to what he has done. Psalm 62:11-12 NIV

Now, we can choose to live our lives in the dark, like we were yesterday, fumbling and bumbling around, or we can plug into the spiritual power that exists and live in a way that is supercharged!  Be strengthened by the power of God. Step out of the darkness and into its light.  It’s enough to keep you going in the right direction!  It’s all you need to keep focused.

10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:10-14 (New International Version)