SONS OF LIGHT
People don't smile anymore when you say, "The End is near!" for they know that this world's days are numbered. But most people think of the End of the world as a Day of Darkness. They think of nuclear war followed by silence and ashes, or they think of pollution killing off all life.
Even believers who see the End as the return of the Messiah often think of it as something happening at night. And it's true - the coming of the Messiah will be preceded by darkness - gross darkness.
The sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.
But when the Messiah comes darkness will end.
It won't be like watching a third-rate religious movie from your bedroom window at midnight. It won't be like seeing Santa Claus and his reindeer sailing across the winter sky.
When Jesus returns to this planet, no matter where you are, suddenly everything will be bathed in light.
If you're in a cave two miles beneath the surface of the earth hiding under fifteen blankets, suddenly those blankets and the rocks above you will hide nothing. That cave will fill with light. There will be no escape from this light. It will be like standing in a room lined with closets. The light will burn the doors right off those closets, and there, surrounding you will be your life, exactly as it was - exactly as God sees it.
For nothing is covered that shall not be revealed. Neither hid that shall not be known. Whatever you have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light. That which you have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
Now, if your sins aren't washed away in the blood of the Lamb,
if you aren't clothed in the robe of His righteousness, that light will visit you with terror –
there will be pain, like a knife going through your heart.
When this light has finished searching every crevice of your life and found you wanting,
- you will then experience a floating sensation,
- you will sink away from that light into what Scripture calls Outer Darkness and you will experience light no more.
The only ones who will be acclimated to that Light when it breaks in upon this world on the Day of the Messiah's return will he those who are already sons and daughters of light. Instead of terror, they will have peace.
They won't run and hide - their sins are gone.
They won't feel naked and exposed - they are clothed in a robe of light that matches and blends with the Daylight of God.
They will lift up their hands to the heavens and praise the King with joy.
For them, this Day of the Lord is but the fulfillment of Light they were walking in ever since the day they started to follow Jesus.
- All through those dark years.
- All through those shadowy valleys.
- While the world was reveling in darkness, these blessed ones were carrying within them the light of God. They carried lamps - kept them trimmed and burning.
They carried oil so that those lamps would never go out. They avoided the ways of darkness - gave up the habits of the night and lived as children of the Day. So when the Day came, they were ready.
When the Spirit says to you as He is saying to you now,
"Are you ready?" He means are you ready for the day when nothing will remain covered? ... for the hour when there will be no secrets?
You are ready only if you now have this light within you. If it's dark within you - you're not ready.
God wants to put His light in you now so that you won't have to stumble any more - so that when His Day dawns you will be ready.
JESUS IS THAT LIGHT
In Him was life and that life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
I have come as light into the world that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
Too many people say they have Jesus, but inside it's darkness. You look into their eyes and it's like looking into a bottomless pit. Their words convey the chill of death. If Jesus lives in you, friend,
- you reflect his light!
- you have light burning within!
To have Jesus living inside, to have that light burning and shining within you day and night, there are some things that you have to do.
l. To have Light within, you have to turn from darkness.
If you're heading toward the darkness,
If your mind dwells on the things of darkness, how can
you have anything in you but darkness?
"Repent!" says Jesus, "Turn".
The time is fulfilled, the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel.
And Jesus doesn't just say that to sinners out there in the world. He says it to believers who have allowed their hearts to drift.
"You have abandoned your first love. Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.''
Some of you reading this right now -
- your faces are set toward the darkness, you're going the wrong way and you know it. Turn toward the light that shines from the face of the Son of God - and do it now!
2. To have light within you, you have to have a single eye.
The light of the body is the eye; therefore, when thine eye is single thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
Sometimes our face is turned toward the Light but our eye is double.
It's trying to look at Jesus, and the things that deny Jesus, at the same time.
It wants the Kingdom - but it also wants the world.
It wants to spread the gospel - but it wants to make money doing it.
You tell yourself you're concerned about that girl's soul while your eye is lusting after her body.
Get your eye on the King and keep it there, and see everything else through His eye.
- Look at the world through His eye.
- Look at your enemy through His eye.
- Even your loved ones through His eye --- and you will have Light.
3. To have light within you have to live a transparent life.
Stop covering things! Stop sneaking around! Unlock those closet doors! Be open with God and man!
There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed.
If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
When they brought Jesus before the High Priest - listen to his answer -
"I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the Temple where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing secretly."
4. To have light within you have to have a heart that listens.
The entrance of thy word giveth light.
God doesn't drive His Word into your hearts with a sledgehammer.
He who has ears to hear let him hear!
If you're too busy telling everyone else what God is saying to them to listen to what God is saying to you, and if you're too stubborn and proud and hard to take it in, it can only be darkness inside.
The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life.
But how often those words that Jesus speaks to us are blocked by the noise of our own anger and pride and self-importance. Listen! If you want that midnight in your soul to give way to dawn - listen!
5. To have light within you have to have feet that follow.
Whoever follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
In this world Jesus in never standing still. He's moving. And if we want His light within us, we have to move with Him. The minute you stand still, your light starts going out. You may have had a brilliant light shining within you last year, but what about now? Are you following on into that new territory with Jesus today?
The minute you go off on a side-road of your own, your light starts going out. There are people who are moving all right, but it's their own private road. Make sure that road you're moving on has the marks of those bleeding feet. Make sure you can see Jesus and His cross.
He's out there seeking the lost - are you with Him?
He's pouring out his soul in intercession - are you with Him?
He's sitting in the lowest room in the house - are you there?
He's laying down his life for the brethren - are you following in His steps?
6. To have light within you have to stay in constant prayer.
While He was praying, Heaven opened.
While He was praying, the appearance of His countenance was altered, and His raiment became dazzling white.
As Jesus prayed, Jesus the Son of the Most High God, His Father renewed Him with the Light of Heaven.
You wonder why your light is flickering, your prayers have become tired, half-baked, your heart isn't in them - you're not thinking.
If you want light, pray!
Even if you don't feel like praying.
Even if you think you have no faith.
Even if the enemy has crushed you with ten tons of condemnation.
Pray! Pray! don't faint,
don't give up. Lift up your heart to God and pray and soon you will have light within.
7. To have light within put on the garment of praise.
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
Every believer ought to be wearing that garment of praise - ought to be lifted into the fellowship of the angels ceaselessly praising God.
You don't praise God because things are going well with you - something wonderful has happened. You praise God because He is God. He is infinitely more wonderful than the most wonderful thing that ever happened. Even when things are going badly, God is still wonderful! Still to be praised!
Paul and Silas are in prison covered with bruises and cuts from being beaten. Their feet are in stocks so they can hardly move. What are they doing? Moaning, groaning? They're praying and singing hymns to God! No wonder there was an earthquake! There was light shining in that prison that never shone in it before, and that light dwells in the very bodies of these two men.
We don't wait for the last Day to see the light of God. We see it now, shining in the face of Jesus. God help us to walk in that light. God help us to live by it. God help us to carry that light within us so faithfully that as the years pass it grows brighter, not dimmer. That when this night of darkness ends and the Day of God dawns, we may be filled not with terror but with joy.
For the Spirit of the Lord is saying to Zion this day,
Arise, shine, for thy light has come.
And the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.
But the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.
And Gentiles shall come to thy light, and Kings to the brightness of thy rising.