Coming Out Of Darkness

"The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." Matthew 4:16 Many people who come to the Lord later in life can tell you the difference it has made in their lives before and after. It is wonderful to listen to testimonies of such, they just SO glorify the Lord and leave one in awe. Many will describe to you the picture of what they were, and then go on to tell you the impact the born-again experience had upon their lives. Alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, homosexuals, adulterers, liars - healed and set free. The born-again experience changes things - in a big way. Every believer has a testimony, the story of what God did in their lives when they surrendered their lives to him. And for anyone who does not have a story, I would suspect that they may not have truly been born again, because the very essence of the born-again experience is the change it makes in a person, because the Gospel is the Gospel of the POWER of God, delivering one from darkness and birthing him into light. "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the POWER of God to salvation for everyone who believes…" Romans 1:16 We are born into a fallen human nature, into a fallen world, to fallen parents, educated by fallen teachers, and we have grown up with all the effects that the fallen world has had upon us. We are born sinners, every last one of us. As it is written: "There is not one righteous, no not one." Romans 3:10 When a person is born again, he is taken out of the darkness of the world and transferred into the Kingdom of God. His spirit which was dead because of the fall of mankind, is suddenly infused with light and life. It changes everything. He begins to notice that he no longer thinks the way he thought before, and there is a change in what interests him. He receives a totally new worldview because now he recognizes the darkness as darkness, and he can never again look at things from that perspective. The greatest change, though, is the power that the Word of God has upon him as he picks up the Bible and begins to read it daily. A person who is not born again cannot "see." “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he CANNOT SEE the kingdom of God.” Jesus -John 3:3 A person who is not born again may read the Word of God as literature or as history. He might even quote passages from the Bible as he might have quoted from any other book. But he remains in darkness, unable to "see." Some say they don't read the Bible because they don't understand it - and that proves this point. You will find that this is the way it is in many churches today. That's why people in that kind of church can call evil good and good evil. For example, they call perversion "love," but that kind of love is only soulish, it has nothing to do with the Spirit of God, it is flesh. And it's corrupt. But they are not able to "see" that. With the born-again experience on the other hand, the Word of God becomes life to him, changing him, guiding him, and affecting every area of his life. The Word of God will change the way a person thinks, the way a person perceives. It changes everything. It's not something a person conjures up. It's not that he makes the changes himself. No, it is the Spirit of God changing him. Many are truly shocked when they realize the changes that have been made inside them. How can you tell whether a person is born again? It will be obvious in that person's view of the Word of God, because the Word of God becomes life to one who is born again. The Spirit of God now dwelling in that person "convicts" him of the deception he lived in and shows him the truth. He will lose the old way of looking at things which was in conformity with the world's views, and will realize he was wrong as he sees everything in a totally new light. If you have not been born again, or worse - if you're religious but suspect you have not been born again, then pray with me: Father, I have thought all along that I have believed in you, but I realize that I see everything from the world's point of view. My mind, my soul, has not been changed. I've agreed with those who justify their sin even using your Word to justify it. What I'm asking you Lord, is that if I've been deceived and have not truly been born again, please come into my life and change me through this life-giving experience. I realize it will change everything for me and that scares me, but it's too important, how can anything be more important? I'm willing to give up and surrender my life to you. Please become my Savior, and yes, please become my Lord. I relinquish to you all my old way of thinking, all my wrong attitudes, every deception I have fallen for, all religious practices that I do and have trusted in, and ask to see everything in the light of the truth. I surrender all Lord, please take me and make me yours. "All to Jesus, I surrender, all to thee I freely give; I will ever love and trust you, in your presence daily live. I surrender all, I surrender all, all to thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all." More: What did Jesus mean when he said, "You MUST be born again?"

Why Do People Resist God?

“Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, ‘You will not require an account.'” Psalm 10:13 When you think about it, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Everyone has been to a funeral. Everyone is reminded that his day will come also. So it follows, wouldn't one start thinking about his own destiny when he sees death? How can it be that confronted with death, a person comes away with nary a thought of his own fate?Why does he not seek answers in the Word of God, the very one who brought him into the world? Well, there are several reasons. Jesus spoke of the condition of the heart, and presented four scenarios played out when people hear the Word of God. The first scenario: "When anyone hears the Word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart." Matthew 13:19 Some think the Bible is too hard to understand, so they ignore it. They have a wall built up and whenever they hear the Word they pay no attention, so Satan easily snatches that Word, leading them to think on something else. So having heard it, it was of no avail to them. The second scenario: vs 20-21: "...he who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately he stumbles." Some have enough reverence for God that they gladly hear his Word - UNTIL - they are overtaken by some kind of trouble; then they can't stand because they only heard it superficially, and that's not enough to support them when troubles come. The third scenario: vs 22: "he who hears the Word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful." People are too busy. Their minds and hearts are busy looking after the cares in their world, consumed with how to increase in wealth and acquire yet more. When they hear the Word they only give it a nod, because their hearts are focused on their daily concerns and that's where all their interest lies. But the fourth scenario: vs 23: "he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces; some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:19 This is the person who sets his heart FIRST on the Word of God. His heart is filled with the desire to know God, and to follow his Word no matter what trials or difficulties may come. He knows they surely WILL come, but he has a depth of faith in him that points his heart to the Word of God in all and every situation he encounters in life. The wicked are not so. The evil man cares only about one thing: himself. His heart is totally given over to how he can promote himself, achieve his desires, and gain honor in the eyes of man. He knows deep inside that there is a cost to following the Lord and he has absolutely no interest in paying any such cost. He pays attention to the troubles of this world and is determined to avoid them and overcome them himself. He feels that as long as he is in control, he can succeed in whatsoever is in his heart to accomplish. He doesn't need God. And he wants to hear nothing about him. Oh that a man would realize that our time on this earth is so short. On a yardstick, 1/16th of an inch is lived here, and the rest of it is in eternity. Seeing death should drive that understanding into him, but he simply refuses to let it do so. He insists on his way, period. Many of them do achieve their goals - and enjoy them - for the 1/16th inch of their lives. Oh that all men would realize that you can't live for yourself and for the devil, and then expect to go with Jesus when you die.

How Can You Be Protected From Deception

"...for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ." Acts 18:28 Could you do that? There is nothing as important in life as the Word of God. You will not survive spiritually if you don't feed yourself the Word of God daily. Some say they don't read the Bible because they don't understand it. But see it this way: when you eat a meal you don't worry how the nutrients, vitamins, and proteins are going to nourish you, you just eat. It's the same with the Bible. It is what nourishes your soul. You don't have to worry HOW it's going to nourish you, you just take it in every day and it will. If you don't, the effect will be the same as it would be if you did not nourish your body - you'll be spiritually weak and unhealthy. "...sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you..." 1 Peter 3:15 Could you do that? If someone asked you, could you give a defense for your faith from the Scriptures? "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2nd Timothy 2:15 Put some effort into it, it's the most important thing in your life. Study God's Word. We are in "the last days," and Jesus said that that time would be characterized by deception and sure enough, deception is RAMPANT. Even people who would call themselves believers are falling for all sorts of deception. How will you not fall if you do not intimately know the Word of God? Satan is clever - do not underestimate him; spiritual con-men twist Scripture to deceive people. When they see Scripture being spouted they're convinced, and fall they do - by the multitudes - because they trust anyone who quotes Scripture. This is the day of the mega-churches which draw people by telling them what they want to hear. They use, actually mis-use, Scripture to preach the false gospel of prosperity, how to be successful, how to build your "self esteem," but they don't preach on sin or hell or picking up your cross daily to follow Jesus Christ. Other sects teach “religious” things one can do like walking the labyrinth, lighting candles, purposeful imaginations, “Christian” yoga (there’s no such thing), "religious" practices that satisfy the soulish desire to be "religious" - but that simply aren't true. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." 2 Timothy 4:3-4 Then there is the push toward the coming one-world religion under the banner of "ecumenism" which will be the joining of religions for the sake of "unity," but it will be the false last-days global religion. Already the current pope has had Muslims in the Vatican reciting the Koran in his effort to bring mutual "tolerance" and mutual acceptance between all religions, creating a "unity" that is no more than Satanic heresy. You are NOT to join together with religions that worship false gods. "DO NOT be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?" 2nd Corinthians 6:14 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." Ephesians 5:11 If you don't know the Word of God you are spiritually blind and you will easily fall for any of these. When asked what would be the signs of his coming, the very first sign Jesus gave was "deception." "And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you.'' Matthew 24:4 He put this before all the other signs, the wars, rumors of war, earthquakes, famines and pestilence. As terrible as those things are, he put the danger of deception first. The ONLY way to not be trapped in deception is to know the Word of God so that you can spot heresy when someone twists Scripture to make it say what it doesn't say. If you don't know the Word of God, you just might be given over to delusion. "And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned WHO DID NOT BELIEVE THE TRUTH but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thessalonians 2:11 When you stand before the Lord, you will be judged on your response to the Word of God which he gave to us, the Holy Scriptures which alone are able to nourish your spirit. Begin now. Start nourishing your spirit with the nourishment God has provided for man - the Bible, the Scriptures, the Word of God - provided to nourish and guide mankind. And each time you take up that Bible, before you begin, pray for understanding, ask God to REVEAL his Word to you. And he will.