12-29-2019 - The LIGHT of HOPE

In Order to Have HOPE - I Need God’s Illumination

In a certain mountain village in Europe several centuries ago, a nobleman wondered what legacy he should leave to his townspeople. At last he decided to build them a church.

No one saw the complete plans for the church until it was finished. When the people gathered, they marveled at its beauty and completeness. Then someone asked, "But where are the lamps? How will it be lighted?"

The nobleman pointed to some brackets in the walls. Then he gave to each family a lamp which they were to bring with them each time they came to worship.

"Each time you are here the area where you are seated will be lighted, - a reflection of the light of Christ that is in you..." the nobleman said. "Each time you are not here, that area will be dark. This is to remind you that whenever you fail to come to church, some part of God's house will be dark - and may cause someone to doubt or even despair..."

Exodus 13:20–21 NLT

20 The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21 The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night.

I Need My WRONG-DOING Illuminated So I do Not Give Way to Self-Centered or False Hope...

John 3:20 NLT

20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.

Ephesians 5:8–13 ESV

8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,

I Need the WAY Illuminated So That I do not Despair and Lose Hope

Psalm 119:105 NLT

105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

A man was driving through a mining region one Sunday when he noticed a large number of mules in an open field. When he inquired about this unusual sight, he was told that the work animals had been brought up from the dark passages below to preserve their eyesight. Unless they were regularly exposed to the sunlight, they would eventually go blind and lose their way and come to serve no purpose.

The Christian needs similar experiences to keep us from losing our spiritual vision and thus lose our way in life....

The Holy Scriptures, Prayer and even the Lord's Day has been given to aid us in keeping his eyes focused clearly on the TRUE LIGHT!

I Need My WORSHIP Illuminated So the Reflection of Christ’s Light May Give Hope to Others

Worship Gone Terribly Wrong...

The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention printed a most compelling testimony concerning the urgency of missions.  A missionary in Southern Asia encountered a village chief while presenting the gospel to those he governed.  The chief told of his sorrow in not hearing of Christ earlier because of what he had done. 

In seeking to gain spiritual & temporal favor for his family, he consulted a sorcerer who counseled him to sacrifice three small children before the next full moon.  He was told if he accomplished that, prosperity would never leave his home.  The chief then kidnapped two five-year-old boys from a neighboring village and sacrificed them to the gods.  He failed repeatedly to kidnap a third child so in desperation he sacrificed his own seven-year-old son. 

The chief said, "If you had told me about this Jesus earlier, then I would have never killed those innocent children.  Why did you come so late?"

1 John 1:7 NLT

7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

I Need the Light God Provides to Illustrate - That is to Make What is Hidden Clear - So I learn to Hope again!!!

Note: Think of How Jesus took matters and truths that were dim and dark to those who heard them and then used the parables to shed light upon those spiritual matters. Though few understood at that time, the purpose was to turn on a light that they might see God’s Truth through the power of illustration…

The Scriptures Are a Light of Illustration of God’s Plan for Holiness

Psalm 119:130 ESV

130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.

Proverbs 6:23 ESV

23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,

As the Scriptures Bring Hope into our Lives through Illumination of the Truth, We are to Be a Light of Illustration of the Hope of God in us

Ephesians 5:8 NLT

8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

CHRISTMAS CANDLE

Pastor Laszlo Tokes [Turkay] became too successful in the eyes of his Romanian government. He preached the gospel boldly and within two years saw his small church grow to 5,000. The authorities confiscated his ration book so he couldn't buy fuel or food. Then in December 1989, they decided to exile him.

When the police arrived they were stopped by an unmovable crowd of people. Members of other churches and denominations stood shoulder to shoulder in protest. All day, the police tried to disperse the crowd but they wouldn't budge. Just after midnight a 19 year old Baptist student named Daniel Garva, pulled out a packet of candles. He lit one and passed it to his neighbor. One by one the burning candles were passed through the crowd. The crowd stayed all through that night and the next.

The police finally broke through and knocked in the church door. They bloodied Pastor Tokes' face then paraded both him and his wife through the crowd. An outcry from the people led them to their city square of Timisoara [Timeeshwara] where they began a full-scale demonstration against the Communist government. Once again, Daniel Gavra passed out his candles. Troops were brought in and ordered to shoot the crowd. Hundreds were shot and Daniel had his leg blown off. Their brave example inspired the entire population of Romania and within days the bloody dictator Ceausescu [Chawsescu] was dead.

For the first time in half a century, Romania celebrated Christmas in freedom. In a world of hostile darkness, God has called us to light a candle of love. Although the presentation of His Light may not be favorably received, such faithfulness will yield results beyond our grandest dreams. When the Light of Bethlehem shone in the darkness of Romania, people saw the Morning Star.