Be the Light
It seems that we are in some dark days, but the Light is never far away.
Faithfulness seems to have been lost to comfort and convenience for us in many areas of life. For example, we limit the number of children we have for convenience, we don’t go out and serve for fear of an illness, we do not tithe for fear of financial troubles. In short, we do not trust God to be true to His Word.
Recently crossing my path there have been several “testimonies” of women who have aborted a child or are planning to abort. I read these in absolute amazement at the disregard for life or for the acknowledgment that our emotions have a purpose.
There are 2 commonalities that jump out at me. The first is a complaint that the fathers of their babies will not be good providers or husbands. In other words, they are having sex with men that they have no respect for, no less are not married to. But, they would rather keep the man than the baby.
What have we been teaching women that would allow them to see this as right?
The second glaring issue is that they will say in writing that they are feeling guilty and ashamed to kill the child but will do so for the sake of convenience and keeping these men who they do not trust or respect.
What are they learning (and from whom) that this is at all acceptable for them or anyone else? Where is the family? Where are those feminists who have been preaching at women for several decades? Obviously we have lost – not gained -respect for ourselves as women.
One of the major failures of our day, in and outside of the Church of Jesus Christ, is that too many people “do not know the scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).
It seems obvious that we are under judgment as a nation. 1Peter 4:17 says, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”
The Church seems to lack faith in the Word of God. Many professing Christians are not trembling at what God has said. We say that having a big family is too expensive and too hard. We do not trust God to provide all we need to do what He calls us to do.
In a conversation with a woman about how her busy schedule kept her from going to church on Sundays, she said she was sure God would understood that she needed Sunday mornings to see her friends rather than attend Church.
God does understand. He understands whenever we put anything above Him. He sees the heart (that is deceitful and desperately sick, Jeremiah 17:9).
There are so many examples of how we have turned from God’s Word. The sin among us is great and the judgment is upon us. It feels like a dark time in our history.
But, 1 John 1:5-10
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
I fear that the younger people in the Church have not seen good examples of boldness, courage, Truth spoken in love, or adults trembling at the Word of God. The voices of the world have been louder than the few screams from the people of God.
Older Christian women are to teach the younger women. Are we? Who is in your sphere of influence who needs to hear the truth? How can you shed some light into the dark places – even those in the Church?