Night is Coming by Henry T. Blackaby
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We live in a world of artificial light in so many ways. If we go to a ballgame and nighttime is approaching, we watch as the stadium lights come on in the transition, and we are led to believe that daytime still exists. In essence, we are deceived about the night because of the “artificial light.”
We may function well with artificial light in the physical world but this certainly is not true in the Kingdom of God. Jesus said to His disciples, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:4-5).
We, in our day, tend to believe that we can ignore the real “night that is coming” by turning on our artificial lights to make us think and act as if nothing is wrong. We can spend time in the “artificial light” of Hollywood with its make-believe world of reality. And, of course, the world of sports offers a constant stream of escapism to the real world as well. We literally have hundreds of media channels in which to get lost. And in so doing, we can live carelessly in our unreal world and ignore the real world. This also can apply to the relationships we have in our marriages and families. We can fail to see “the night is coming on,” and it may become too late to work on these precious relationships.
Too many of us today see the darkness approaching in our nation and in our world but convince ourselves it’s not as bad as it truly is. We simply throw on the switch of artificial light so we will not be overtaken by the darkness. And as we do we go on in reckless and fatal abandon.
Jesus gave us a clear warning of this moment. We must face the real time in which we live just as He did and work the works of Him who sent us. Are there “good works” which He ordained that we should work and not postpone (Ephesians 2:10)?
Be encouraged: “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light” (John 12:36a). Look carefully around you:
-- for what you see “while it is day.”
-- for the approaching “night.”
-- for the deception of the world’s artificial light.
-- for opportunities to let Christ’s light shine in you and through you.
3 comments:
Pastor Jason,
Good morning, I hope this finds you well... My name is Travis Coates and I was reading through the outline I received during service and noticed this blog...
My in-laws are members of your church and I when my family and I come to visit, we always come to service with them...
Anyhow, I wanted to tell you that I enjoyed your message on living a Christ-centered counter cultural life... I thought this particular message would be relevant for any church anywhere in our nation today... In saying that, I am a born again believer, who has had a real encounter with Christ, he changed me sir, like night and day, I've also rcvd the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and I wanted to know what you thought about BHS?
Just a little food for thought...
I think in order for our nation to have a chance we will have to come together very soon... The Christian is the minority and I think in order to reach a nation and our world, we will need resources from the SBC community and the Pentecostal Power coming together. The writing is on the wall way before Acts, "The day of Pentecost is an essential part of Jesus' work in the establishment of the new covenant"(Renea Braithwaite)... Numbers 11:29; Exodus 31:1-11, 35:30-35, 1Samuel 10:1-10; Judges 6:34; Ezekeil 36:27, 37:14; Jeremiah 31, Joel 2:28-29...
Could you imagine one of the largest Christian groups in our nation (16 million according to the site) being filled with the Holy Spirit for a purpose with power!!! The miracles alone would be awesome...!
Take care sir and God Bless you!
J. Travis Coates
Travis,
Thank you for the encouragement. I am glad you were and are able from time to time to be with us at Living Hope. It is a special church where God is at work in a wonderful way.
To answer your question, I believe that when a person accepts Christ as savior and leader of their life by admitting their sin, believing on Christ as their atoning sacrifice, and confessing Him as savior and Lord that the Spirit of God fills them and seals them until the day we receive our inheritance (Eph 1:13-14).
As far as a denominational union of strength, I think local bodies of believes need to come together as autonomous bodies under the Lordship of Jesus and in physical weakness and spiritual power in Christ and simply love Jesus, each other, and the lost people in their lives. I think our nation and the world would never be the same. That is what I understand happened in Acts. It was not a massive movement of people under a human made structure. It was a massive movement of Spirit-filled believers living in community in autonomous churches changing the world one life at a time.
Yes sir, I see what you mean and agree, but is that experience different, I think we try to separate them to often? Personally for me it was, but does it have to be thought of that way…? The following info came from a bible study done in my class at my home church, Glad Tidings of Norfolk, we dug a little deeper…
From the perspective of the narrative, the events of the day of Pentecost form a pattern for Spirit-experience. What is the pattern? (See Acts 2, 4, 8, 10, 9, 19)
Themes: Power in Jesus Name, Boldness, and believers filled after laying on of hands, Boldness, Transformation, Boldness for preaching, Equipped by the Spirit, Spirit Encouraged…
1. There is an experience in God for the believer that is logically, though not necessarily chronologically subsequent to salvation. Acts 1:8, 2:4, 10:44
2. This experience is separable, but not entirely distinct from salvation. Acts 2:38, 10:46
3. This experience is available to all believers. Acts 2:39
4. Tongues is a significant corollary to the experience. Acts 2:4, 10:44, 19:6
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