Bible Ballistics: Vol. 9 No.06    A Spiritual Eclipse???

 

It seems that we are inundated with “star” fever. But rather than the luminaries of the sky; instead of the wonder and beauty of that which God created on the fourth day; instead of the beautiful lights that adorn the night sky, that have lead people through the wilderness, through the western frontiers of America and lands across the world; these aren’t the “stars” that people are focused on today.

“And God said,

Let there be lights

in the firmament of the heaven

to divide the day from the night;

and let them be for signs,

and for seasons,

and for days,

and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the

firmament of the heaven

to give light upon the earth:

and it was so.

16 And God made two great lights;

the greater light to rule the day,

and the lesser light to rule the night:

he made the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament

of the heaven

to give light upon the earth,

18 And to rule over the day

and over the night,

and to divide the light

from the darkness:

and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning

were the fourth day.” Genesis 1:14-19

Many today are so affixed to their television programs, media input, and movies, that they seem to have traded the beauty of creation for the artificial ‘glamor’ and ‘glitz’ of Hollywood! How sad it is to trade the spectacular beauty of God and His creation, to be spectators of the great ‘imitation’ of life; to trade “abundant life”, that only Jesus can give, for an artificial alternative that the world presents; and alternative that cannot bring life, but only death and delusion!

Even we as believers have often bought the lies of the enemy, and have allowed our “light” to be hidden under a bushel, instead of letting our “little light shine” with the truth and glory of God. We have allowed the “stars” of Hollywood to get in our eyes, instead of allowing the true “light of the world” to sustain, transform and shine HIS truth through us.

“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:4-5

Jesus came to do the work of His Father, which was to take on flesh, live a sinless life and give Himself as the perfect, sacrifice for sin, so that we might have The Life and Light of the world come to dwell within us, to redeem us (Buy us back from death), transform us into HIS image, and take us to glory with Him! Jesus wants to shine through us to bring HIS light into the darkness.

“For it is God which worketh in you

both to will

and to do

of his good pleasure.

14 Do all things

without murmurings

and disputings:

15 That ye may be blameless

and harmless,

the sons of God,

without rebuke,

in the midst of a crooked

and perverse nation,

among whom ye shine

as lights in the world;

16 Holding forth

the word of life;

that I may rejoice in the day of Christ,

that I have not run in vain,

neither laboured in vain.”     Philippians 2:13-16

We are saved to shine in the darkness—and my friends, if you haven’t noticed the darkness is crowding in around us, but the darkness cannot put out our light if we will but live and let the light of Jesus shine to our world. But how do we do that? Let’s look at some truths from scripture that will help us do just that, remembering that we “have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” We must fully trust in Him, knowing that it is “not I, but Christ liveth in me” (See Galatians 2:20)! Oh, that we can come to understand that it is the truth of the new birth, that “Christ liveth in me” and I don’t have to do it on my own—I can’t do it on my own–it is all “of God, and not of us”!

“Therefore seeing we have this ministry,

as we have received mercy,

we faint not;

2 But have renounced

the hidden things of dishonesty,

not walking in craftiness,

nor handling the word of God deceitfully;

but by manifestation of the truth

commending ourselves

to every man’s conscience

in the sight of God.

3 But if our gospel be hid,

it is hid to them that are lost:

4 In whom the god of this world

hath blinded the minds

of them which believe not,

lest the light of the glorious gospel

of Christ,

who is the image of God,

should shine unto them.

5 For we preach not ourselves,

but Christ Jesus the Lord;

and ourselves your servants

for Jesus’ sake.

6 For God,

who commanded the light to shine

out of darkness,

hath shined in our hearts,

to give the light of the knowledge

of the glory of God

in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure

in earthen vessels,

that the excellency

of the power

may be of God,

and not of us.”    2 Corinthians 4:1-7

It is ALL about Jesus! And Only Jesus!!!

“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”    Romans 11:35

It makes me sad to see people I love chasing after the glitz and glamor of the world, because it isn’t real. It will fail them in the end, and the little lives that are following their example will be misled as well. Why will we teach our children to imitate the world, and not the Savior? Why do we dress our daughters like the immoral “stars” of the music and movie world. What are we teaching them? We don’t have time to teach them truth, or take them to church, or teach them modesty or purity, then we seem to be amazed that they act like the very people we have helped them to “admire”? Many push their sons to be the athletic “star” while neglecting the spiritual lessons that will establish their character first. There is nothing wrong with the pursuit of excellence, but how often do we lead our children and other adults around us to pursue the excellence of the world rather than excellence in spiritual things. Do we point them to the Bible as much as the ‘playbook’? Do we enjoy godly music and movies before our loved ones, or do we thrive on the music and movies that promote the very things that God hates? When we belong to Jesus shouldn’t we love what He loves, and hate what He hates (and yes there are things that God hates.)!

“These six things doth the Lord hate:

yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

17 A proud look,

a lying tongue,

and hands that shed innocent blood,

18 An heart that deviseth wicked

imaginations,

feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19 A false witness that speaketh lies,

and he that soweth discord among brethren.

20 My son, keep thy father’s commandment,

and forsake not the law of thy mother:

21 Bind them continually upon thine heart,

and tie them about thy neck.

22 When thou goest,

it shall lead thee;

when thou sleepest,

it shall keep thee;

and when thou awakest,

it shall talk with thee.

23 For the commandment is a lamp;

and the law is light;

and reproofs of instruction

are the way of life:”  Proverbs 6:16-23

If God hates these things, shouldn’t we (And if you’ll notice these are the things that permeate and pervade the entertainment industry?) Yet we so often spend our time, effort and money to embrace these very lies of the Devil that they promote. We are called to “Be ye holy; for I am holy” and we can’t do that while clinging to the world. James sums it up rather succinctly.

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2 Ye lust,

and have not:

ye kill,

and desire to have,

and cannot obtain:

ye fight

and war,

yet ye have not,

because ye ask not.

3 Ye ask,

and receive not,

because ye ask amiss,

that ye may consume

it upon your lusts.

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses,

know ye not that the friendship of the world

is enmity with God?

whosoever therefore will be a friend

of the world

is the enemy of God.

5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain,

The spirit that dwelleth in us

lusteth to envy?

6 But he giveth more grace.

Wherefore he saith,

God resisteth the proud,

but giveth grace unto the humble.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.

Resist the devil,

and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God,

and he will draw nigh to you.

Cleanse your hands, ye sinners;

and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

9 Be afflicted,

and mourn,

and weep:

let your laughter be turned to mourning,

and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,

and he shall lift you up.”  James 4:1-10

Will we humble ourselves before God, or let pride lead us in the other direction? So what does any of this have to do with an ‘eclipse’? Let me tell you. We all know that an eclipse is a darkening/covering of the moon, the earth or the sun to cast a shadow that creates a darkening/covering. God put this on my heart several years ago, and I’d like to share it with you in relation to all that we have discussed today. God The Father and Jesus the Son are the “Sun”, we are the “moon”, and the world is ‘the world’. The ‘light’ originates from The Son who has shined forth in our hearts:

“….who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

When the light of the sun is shining onto the moon, it reflects light to the world, and dissipates the darkness. But when the earth comes between the sun and the moon there is no light reflected and darkness pervades the earth. We as the children of God, through faith in the blood that Jesus shed for our sin, are to reflect the light that God has “shined in our hearts” and then we can “give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God” to a lost and dying world. We are the reflection of the “light of the world”, Jesus, yet when we allow the world to come between our Lord and us we tarnish our reflection of HIS light into the darkness. But when we stay clearly and single-mindedly focused on Jesus, His Spirit and His Word, we will shine forth that very “light of the knowledge of the glory of God”! And my dear friends, that is the only hope that our world has. And we who have the truth, and know the Lord Jesus Christ, must, I repeat, we MUST, get our eyes off of the world and it’s glamor and “fix our eyes on Jesus”. I invite you to join me in praying that God will help us commit ourselves to seek a renewal in our devotion to God and His truth and a hatred for the things that God hates (And God doesn’t hate people, just the sin that mars His beloved creation, and I can say beloved because “God so loved the world….”, John 3:16, check it out!!!)!!! Let’s be diligently about the work that Jesus calls and equips us to do! (See John 4:34)

“Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”   Matthew 5:15-16

Do NOT let the world eclipse your light—JESUS!!!  Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!!!