How to:

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it."
Amelia Earhart

Light of the World

"I am the light of the world." Jesus Christ

It's not a great new insight; I've heard it many times. The moon generates no light nor energy, yet it is the light in the darkness of the night. The sun is pure light and energy. The moon is dust and stone. During the day, when the moon is next to the sun, it is barely visible, but during the night it is seen clearly and as a full moon it is a strong bright light providing visibility and mobility for all.

We are not the SON of God, but we are His sons, and we are to reflect the light of His glory here on earth. In middle of the darkness, we are to be the light of the world. Just as the moon is the light of the night, we are to be light in the darkness so the blind can see, the deaf can hear and the dead can be raised to eternal life and light in Christ Jesus.

"You are the light of the world." Jesus Christ

John 8:12; Matthew 5:14

What Happened to Hope

Faith, hope and love these remain permanent and the most important is love. Faith - conviction and trust; hope - confidence and expectation; love - sacrifice and service. The greatest is to live our life in service for the benefit of others, love.

We constantly speak of love. God is love. The great commandment is love. Faith operates by love. Jesus was love personified and it is clear, the greatest of all spiritual attributes is LOVE.

Faith. We live with God, by faith. His grace is ours, by faith. Faith gives substance and is evidence of the dreams in our lives. Your faith heals. By faith the mountain of difficulty is removed and situations are changed. The god-like-man lives by faith.

What about hope? If we have no hope, we can have no faith. Faith needs an object to give substance to and that object is our hope. Our hope is not a capricious dream. It is a promise from God. It is His life active in us. It is Jesus, the hope of glory, revealed and active in every area of our life.

There are works realized by our faith, deeds motivated by our love and consistency sustained by the hope placed in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thes. 1:3) Hope sustains us while faith makes the promised future reality. Hope provides consistency as we serve in love. Hope provides a sustained and patient perseverance as faith works and love serves and Jesus is manifest in the circumstances of our daily lives. This three legged stool looses stability with just faith and love. We must include joyful and confident expectation, hope, in our lives.

These THREE remain effective faith, continuous love and patient hope (Geneva Bible Translation Notes). Let hope have it's place in our lives. Without it we are hopeless.

Consciousness

One of my favorite moments of the day is the time between awake and asleep, between asleep and awake. In those minutes I am aware of God and His world. I sing, I pray, I worship, I listen, I look, I feel. I come and go between consciousness and sleep and dreams and thought and streams of intimacy with Him. I lay there still. He speaks and I listen. Eyes closed, I see. Asleep, I perceive. Quiet, we talk together in the cool of the day, morning or night, as close to Eden as is earthly possible, today.

I sing for joy on my bed; He takes pleasure in His servant (Psalm 139:5, 4). God and man, one (John 17:20, 21).

"Even the Darkness Is Not Dark" Psalm 139:12

The understanding is that I cannot hide from you, God, not even in the darkest place. If I cannot hide in the darkness, then in my most difficult situation I can be confident you see and know my circumstances and tribulation. A Spanish translation, Lenguaje Actual, says - for You there is no difference in dark and light - that is, You see all there is, at all times and in every situation, even in the darkest hour.

In that darkest hour, with confidence, I can declare, "You, Lord, will fulfill Your purpose for me. In You I place my faith and trust; in You I have hope of a future that exceeds my expectations. (Psalm 138:8 ESV; Jer. 29:11)