by Jerry Guy

It is amazing, the wonder of light.  It is featured in every aspect of our lives yet, at the end of the day, if we rehearse our day, we realize we never gave it a thought.  It is just there!  Jesus said we should "walk while you have the light lest darkness come upon you." (John 12:35) And while He was here, He stated "I am come a light into the world that whosever believe on me should not abide in darkness." (John 12:46)

Stop and think for a moment.  What effect does light have on us?  Say we are walking in the woods, enjoying God's creation and the sun goes down.   As it gets darker, we turn to go back to where we came from, we turn on our flashlight to see our way.  How do we feel?  We cannot see any of the beauty we were enjoying minutes before, but we hear the noises of things around us because we cannot see it and it is easy to become frightened.  As we come out of the trees, we see the light of our cabin.  What is the effect?  What do we see?  Where do our thoughts run to?

1. Fear decreases.
2. There in warmth.
3. Security.
4. Provision.
5. comfort.

All our anxiety melts away.  That is what the light in the cabin represents.

Now, consider this.  In Matthew 5:14 - 16, Jesus said "Ye ARE (emphasis mine) the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." What does this mean for you and me?

1. The light we are to be claiming as "the light of the word" cannot be hidden when we are faithful to this calling.  People will see it.
2. As the word around us sees, as they walk in their darkness, do we shine forth 

          A. comfort?
          B. security?
          C. decreasing fear?
          D. warmth?
          E. provision?

We have not been called "light" for no reason. Jesus intended to be a calling, to be sunlight for those still in darkness.  A light that shows all, without partiality, the truth of God's love and care that is available to all.

by Brian A. Butler


​​No I’m not good enough. Yes I am good enough.
No I’m not. Yes I am.
When I compare myself to one person I am good enough.
When I compare myself to another person I’m not good enough.
One day I feel like I’ve conquered the world. The next day the world wins.
Is this the way it will always be?
It was once said by a famous man,
“I regret that I have only one life to give for my country”.
Am I that passionate about my life for Christ? Sometimes !?!?
Is that good enough?

Ephesians 1:18 ICB says “I pray that you will have greater understanding in your heart. Then you will know the hope that God has chosen to give us. I pray that you will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious.”  The other night, in my spirit, the thought came to me, “Do you not realize what’s inside of you?”  As I was mulling this over, I came to some conclusions that I want to share with you.
 
What’s inside of us is Hope.  Jesus paid a hefty price for us to have this Hope.  We are defined by Jesus and the Hope that only He could give us.  What’s inside of us is the Hope that gets us through every storm, tornado, and earthquake life throws at us.  It’s Hope that keeps us anchored down to the Foundation we have built on our relationship with Christ while the seas toss to and throw.  It’s that Hope that is with us in the middle of trenches on the battlefield, fighting our battles for us and alongside us, leaving not one person behind.  Our Hope makes us sons and daughters of the King of Kings.  Our Hope makes us peaceful and helps us keep our joy when everything is falling apart and the world is in disrepair.
 
Do you not realize?  The Hope we have in Jesus makes us fearless to face the battles of life because we are not alone.  The Hope we have in Jesus makes us praise God with one hand, while having a sword in the other because we know whatever happens, the victory is ours.  Right now, this world needs this Hope, more than ever and it’s our job to share it.  Do you not realize?