ADVENT #11 ~ The UNCONQUERED LIGHT+ of The World

And the light shineth in darkness;

and the darkness comprehended it not.  John 1:5

The Literal rendition of this verse: 

And The LIGHT in the darkness SHINES

and the darkness did not overpower it.

WHERE was this darkness ?

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It could not have been the darkness found in the physical world. Since earthly time began, the sun,  moon, and stars have shined in their appointed places in the Heavens, giving off or reflecting  their light upon earth.

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Thus saith The LORD,

which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; 

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The LORD of hosts is HIS Name:

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If those ordinances depart from before ME, saith The LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before ME forever.

Jeremiah 31:35-36

This awful darkness of John 1:5 is NOT PHYSICAL, EARTHLY, darkness.

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It is the DARKNESS

which resides in the HEART of man.

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Mankind was darkened when he ate the fruit of disobedience in the Garden of Eden. At that point, his heart knew evil. He became disoriented. Mankind began to grope in darkness; he was lost.

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The SAME THING HAPPENS WITH EVERY DISOBEDIENCE we embrace, with every disobedience we practice, with every disobedient THOUGHT to which we agree .  

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It happens when we embrace the world’s values in any area of our lives.  Darkness enters in when we discard the WORD+ of GOD and replace CHRIST’S way with our own thinking, with our own traditions, or the traditions of men.

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Moving along in this inner darkness makes all men to be  INSECURE and inner anxiety settles in.

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That inner anxiety DIRECTS mankind to seek relief in places which have no light, in things which are dead, in THINGS SUBSTITUTING FOR THE REAL LIGHT+ OF LIFE only found in JESUS CHRIST. 

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Hence , we see people drowning in alcohol, drugs, entertainment, and yes, sports. Even careers.

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Mankind becomes man-UN-kind as he moves his focus away from GOD, as he ignores The ELOHIM his creator, and as he relies upon his own fallen nature.

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Darkness engulfs him, 

overwhelms him.

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The devil loves to draw man into that confusion, into that frightening insecurity, for he operates in darkness. 

The devil will ALWAYS suggest one of his own snares as a way to “relieve” man’s insecurity, anxiety, and darkness.

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The LIGHT+ of GOD reveals the devil’s cunning, his hatred for GOD and intense hatred of mankind, so satan is NOT going to let his victim approach that LIGHT+ if he can possible lure him into his trap.

He does this with LIES to make us sin . . . if  you do this, go there, join that group . . . then you will be HAPPY !

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WHAT OVER-POWERS THAT DARKNESS ?

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The Divine, over-powering LIGHT given in The LORD JESUS CHRIST simply SHINES.  His+ LIFE shines. It glows. It radiates. It does NOT stop when it meets darkness, nor does it run away. 

Darkness cannot overpower His+ LIGHT.

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That GLOWING LIFE is given to us, to be the LIGHT of man. His+ LIFE shines forth when HE+ lives inside the heart of man. His+ LIFE radiates LIGHT in all directions: both inwardly and outwardly to others.

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His+ Divine Light also glows upwardly to the Heavens and downwardly, to the realm of darkness. When it shines, it shines in ALL directions, like all light does.

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The LORD JESUS said there is NO STOPPING IT !

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His+ LIGHT glowing in His+ people is like a city set on a hill; it cannot be hidden.

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The LORD JESUS said: 

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Ye are the light of the world.

A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

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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.

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Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,

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and glorify your FATHER WHO is in Heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

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Are we LIGHT glowing in this darkened and deceived world ? Or, do we placate evil, tolerate it, refusing to “make waves” so we can stay within our comfort zone ?

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LET US PRAY: 

O Holy FATHER, I come to YOU to exchange my darkness for the LIGHT+ of Your SON+ JESUS CHRIST. I acknowledge that in my flesh dwells no good thing, no, not one good thing.

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I am the chief of sinners. I do things hidden in the dark caves of my mind which I ought not to do. Sometimes they surface; most often, they do not. But they are still there, bringing death to my soul.

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How can I emanate real LIGHT if my words about YOU are hollow, if I do not live them myself to the fullest ? How then can I share Your+ Light with others if I have limited Your+ LIGHT ruling in my own heart,  O LORD?

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 At times, my light is canned, plastic, a fraction of what it SHOULD be if I were FILLED TO THE BRIM with LIFE from Your SON+ JESUS.

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My hands are full of temporal matters of this earthly life. I am overpowered by the temporary, the passing. I do not overpower the temporal with the LIGHT from Your Beloved SON+.

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HE+ is my Beloved too, but I am failing to put HIM+ first in all I do, both in the public, on my job, at home, and in my heart. I put me first and that brings that foggy darkness of deadness, which I hate.

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Work in me a passion for LIGHT+ and a hatred of all darkness in my life.

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COME, LORD JESUS.  Bring the LIGHT of Your LIFE+ into my life. Help me not walk around in grayness, in twilight, in fog and smog.

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Bring Your+ clearness to me.  I yield my dark spots unto YOU+, O LORD.

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And when I have done that, TO STAND.

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O LIGHT+ of the WORLD, help me to reflect Your LIGHT+ to others!

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This I pray in the Name of the Beloved SON+ of GOD, JESUS CHRIST, the UNCONQUERED LIGHT+ of the world. Amen.