Gleanings for December 19

GOD’S LIGHT

 

             First John 1: 5 – 7: New Living Bible Translation:  “This is the message He (Jesus) has given us to announce to you:  God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all.

              “So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness.  We are not living in the truth.

               “But if we are living in the light of God’s presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other and the blood of Jesus, His Son cleanses us from every sin.”         

 

     God revealed Himself to us through Jesus Christ so that we may have the Light of Life living within us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Our mission is to let that light shine from us for the Glory of God.

            As we allow God’s light (and love) to radiate from our lives it will be a good beginning for promoting unity.  It is easy to think of “spiritual darkness” as total “unbelief”; however, “strife within the body of Christ—that is within a church fellowship—could very well be called spiritual darkness.  It certainly doesn’t allow the Glory of God to shine when we allow the enemy to promote disunity.

            Jesus gave a warning in the Gospel of Luke; He said in verse one of the 17th chapter:  “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to the one through whom they do come.” 

            A Bible footnote says: “Offenses means “stumbling blocks,” literally the trigger of a trap or a snare.”  Picture a mouse trap—the trigger of the trap--baited with cheese or peanut butter—if the mouse is wise, it knows how to snap the trap without getting caught---if it misses, you know the “rest of the story” for that mouse.

             Also, the word, “offend” comes from a Greek word that looks much like “scandal” i.e. “skandalon”.  A “scandal” can be the source for offenses to erupt.  In the New Testament “to offend” often describes an entrapment by the enemy.  In essence that is happening when we allow the “juicy bait” to lure us into gossip---whether true or false---it matters not, the trap is set. 

            The Love of God is the key to freedom from this trap.  His overcoming love must be developed by each one of us.  That love can become so strong in our hearts that it will keep us from stumbling into a trap or of being the one to “set” the trap—God forbid any of us would ever be the one to “plant the bait”.  When we walk in God’s love, we are on God’s Page and that is a safe place.  

             I Corinthians 13: 4 – 8: “Love suffers long and is kind, love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not arrogant or proud. 

            “Does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not easily provoked, keeps no account of evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things; hopes all things, endures all things, 

“LOVE NEVER FAILS.”

 

THE JOY OF THE LORD---IT IS OUR STRENGTH!!!