“Someone turn a light on! I can’t see where I am going.”
“I keep stumbling and I can’t see what is causing me to stumble.” Ever been in a situation like that, where the light you were using became too dim to be able to see with, or even went out?
Darkness is covering this land like never before. People are walking around, not knowing where to go, and if they did know they don’t know how to get there. They are in confusion, despair, fear, and even depression because of the fake light which the devil has deceived them into following. And this light that they have been following just seems to blend in with the darkness.
People in darkness are like someone who is held captive in a dark room with no light. They are constantly searching, feeling the walls, hoping to find the door that they can open to let them out of their darkness and into the light, yet not finding it.
The devil has deceived them into choosing to light their lantern with his fake light, and they have followed this fake light so long that they have been accepted their condition, and, as a result, most have lost all hope of finding the true light. Proverbs 4:19, “The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.”
The true Light, Jesus, is needed to dispel the increasing darkness that the devil has placed on America and the world, which keeps people captive in their sin and its consequences.
This great darkness in which the world has walked in so long has actually placed them in a type of bondage. They have become prisoners of the darkness. Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1 as one of His purposes, as it states, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;”
In John 1:4&5 we find , “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it (meaning that the darkness was not powerful enough to seize, overcome, or extinguish the light, as we see in the ministry of Jesus that He overcame and destroyed all the works of the devil – I John 3:8b)
Then going to verse 9 we find, “That was the true Light (Jesus) which gives light to every man coming into the world.”
Our faith in Christ has made us lanterns
Matthew 5:14-16 our Lord Jesus tells us who we are as believers and what we are to do. It is a command, not a request or a suggestion. “You are the light of the world. (We are light because of the Holy Spirit Who lives within is, Who leads us into all truth –John 16:13). A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Just as Jesus came as the Light to the world, revealing the Father, so as disciples we are now to do the same. We once were in darkness until someone showed us the light of Christ. So we now have a responsibility to share that light with others who are in darkness. After all, if someone shared that light with you why would you not want others to enjoy that same Light? If you have been ‘lit” by the Holy Spirit Who is within you then let the Holy Spirit guide you to ‘light’ others up with Jesus.
Your Lantern has two sources of its light
God provides two things, that when we are in obedience to, allows us to become lanterns to light the way for us and the world: 1) His Word and 2) the Holy Spirit.
When you are obedient to the Word of God your lantern will shine brightly. How bright your lantern becomes and how long it burns is determined by how much of the Word of God that you allow to guide you. Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.”
How far your lantern reaches is determined by how obedient to the Holy Spirit you are. The Holy Spirit will lead you to go places beyond where the Word of God leads, into places usually of increasing faith. In John 16:13 Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit this way, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth;…”
Both the Word and the Holy Spirit will be to you as Isaiah 30:21 states, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand, or whenever you turn to the left.”
Lanterns have a dual purpose
A lantern works two ways, giving sight to the one who holds the lantern as well as sight to the one for whom the lantern is held. As children of light (Ephesians 5:8), our light should be shining bright, not only for the world to see the right pathway to follow but for ourselves as well.
Dirty globes give little light
The world sees darkness all day long, so if your globe is dirty, they will not be able to see the Christ that is within you clearly, or even at all. A dirty globe is hard to follow as its light reveals little.
So how bright is your lantern? Are you walking in the fullness of Jesus Christ, or have you let the world dirty up your lamp? If you lamp is not clear and bright then how do you think you will find your way, or even be able to lead others to Christ as their answer to finding their way?
If your light is not shining brightly it may be because you have let worldly desires, or even sin, darken your globe, which indicates that maybe you are not following the Word of God, or the Holy Spirit, or even both.
People in darkness are looking for someone who has a brightly lit lantern. It’s easy to find dirty lanterns, as they are everywhere.
Lanterns that are lit are active
We become lanterns of hope for the lost by not only what we say, but more importantly, by what we do. We have been brought out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light, so we are to walk in that light. We manifest the light that is within us by our walk.
Romans 12:9-21, the apostle Paul points out what Christian behavior is to be like. In I Peter 1:15, Peter tells believers, “as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” Then in chapter 2, verse 9 Peter says believers are “a royal priesthood, a holy nation.”
As we are led by the Holy Spirit, we will walk a holy life. The holy life is the only one in which the world will see true light.
In Ephesians 2:10 Paul states, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” We are co-laborers with God, doing those good works which reveal the Father to the lost.
It is our responsibility to do the good works, to let our light shine. Paul instructed the Philippians, in Philippians 2:12b&13, “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His great pleasure.” In other words, our faith in Jesus Christ is evidenced by the works of God which we do, being motivated by our love for others.
Walk according to the Spirit, so that the gifts of the Spirit (I Corinthians 12:4-11) operate through you as well as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25) also being evidenced in your life.
In James 2:14-18, James describes his faith as being evidenced by his works, and in verse 26 he sums up his point with these words, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
Why are works important?
“Talk is cheap!” they say.
When the apostle Paul went to Corinth to preach the gospel, in I Corinthians 2:4 he reminds them of this, “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” He wasn’t just running his mouth to be heard.
Paul was doing the works which verified his speech. Words alone were not going to convince the people to turn to Jesus, but the works that backed up what he told them would. This was the same principle that Jesus used. When He taught about the Kingdom of God He backed it up with miracles, works of God.
So people in darkness need to see the works of God that you do which back up what you say. You “walk the talk.” as they say.
If you talk the talk, then people will be watching to see if you walk the walk you talk about.
When you talk about the love of Christ for people, they cannot know that love unless you express it to them.
Love is an action word, and love does not become love until it is expressed, or given away. When people receive the love of Christ through what you do then they will know the reality of His love and will be drawn to Him.
This is a desperate hour
The world is in desperate need for true, clear light. They need the light to come into their darkness and expose the devil and reveal the Father. They need to see Jesus Christ as the doorway into the Kingdom of Light.
John 8:12, "Then Jesus spoke to them again saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'"
Will you be that light that sets some poor captive soul free from the prison of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of the light of Jesus Christ?
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