The Light of the World ...is Jesus!
Some time ago two friends toured an old gold mine in Victoria. They were told that the amount of gold taken from there was so significant that the town prospered, and the inhabitants' lifestyle improved. The mine had been dug into the side of a hill, with access to the gold reef being via a series of interlocking horizontal shafts which were lit by candles attached to the walls at regular intervals.
They were taken deep into the mine before returning to the entrance and into the light of day again. Theirs being the last tour of the day, they wondered how those candles could be blown out. They imagined two ways it could be done: one wise and the other foolish. When they asked the guide about this, he told them of a group of young schoolgirls that were on the previous tour. The girls had asked if they could blow the candles out, so he gave permission.
Unfortunately the girls, in their enthusiasm, chose the unwise method. Beginning with the candles near the entrance they ran further into the tunnel, blowing out all the candles as they went. One can imagine what happened next: the last candle was extinguished, and the girls shrieked as they realised their predicament. They were now in complete darkness, hopelessly lost, unable to find their way back. The guide allowed them a little more time to fully experience their panic, after which he quietly but confidently felt his way towards them in the darkness. Their cries continued, unaware that he was nearing them. Finally, reaching their position, he waited for a silent moment between their squeals before saying “Do you need any help?”
At the sound of his voice, they yelled even more loudly until he switched on his torch. Relieved by his presence, they were happy to follow him back along the tunnels until safely outside again. Hopefully, they learned an important life lesson that day.
The candles in the mine are a metaphor for the illuminating light of God’s truths. These are revealed by God in the Bible, with one of the passages in the Psalms 'highlighting' this perfectly: “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). Whenever one of His truths is rejected, a God-given light is extinguished. We allow spiritual darkness to permeate our lives.
As individuals, we encounter spiritual darkness every time we disobey or are unaware of God-given truths and principles. Ignoring God's teachings will result in disappointments and unhappiness in our lives. Our relationship with Jesus is the most important light we need to have. In the Gospel of John chapter 12 verse 46 He tells us that He has come as a light into the world, and that whosoever believes on Him should not abide in darkness.
Though it may feel like you are surrounded by darkness, God will be with you and will lead you to the path to salvation if you walk with Him. The world is looking for answers to this present darkness. Be one who dispels the darkness of this world by allowing the light of God’s truths to shine forth in your life. You will then be better able to lead others to Christ – the Light of the world.
Heaven's unfathomable riches
When we, as sinners, come to the Lord in humble prayer to confess our sins, believe in our heart that He died on the cross to pay the price for our sins – a price that we could never pay ourselves – and believe that He rose from the dead to ascend to heaven and to sit at the right hand of God the Father, we are 'born again' and become part of a family the Lord put together centuries ago. It is a spiritual family relationship rather than biological; one that's even more meaningful than if we could have been relatives in an earthly, biological sense. Then, as Christians, we can look forward to a magnificent eternal life and joy that’s beyond comprehension. We can know this because of the following promise from God’s Holy Word: “But as it is written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Jesus said that in heaven we are neither married nor given in marriage. Some might find that to be something that is discouraging, but it needn't be because of the above promise. We are promised so many more wonderful things when we reach that eternal state of peace and joy than we are capable of imagining. This means that the intimacy of our relationships – whether they be earthly friendships, family relationships or marriage partnerships – will be so much more wonderful than any relationship we’ve had while in this earth-bound body.
This highlights the scriptural promise that it's not just when we reach that heavenly home that we can have peace of mind. While still in our mortal bodies we are assured that . . . “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17).
Can you grasp what this is truly saying? Everything that God has He has given to Jesus, His Blessed Son. God the Father has told us through the Apostle Paul that we – already, in this life – are possessors of all His riches in exact measure as is His Son! That is something to really look forward to! God is telling us that we are joint heirs with the Creator of all that there is! Jesus was given both power and authority from the Father to make all that there is! “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17).
The phrase “by him all things consist” has always given believers a sense of the awesome power of our Lord. We are told that He created the very substance of all matter. He holds together the atoms and even the elements that make up the atom! If He didn’t control elements of Creation, all that is in existence would disintegrate. For those of us who learned basic physics during our school years we learned that the atom consists of a nucleus and a number of electrons that whirl around it at incredible speeds. The protons in the nucleus have a positive charge and the electrons a negative charge so in theory they should attract one another, but they don't. An invisible force keeps the electrons in their orbits in a defined order. As Professor Julius Sumner-Miller would have said, “Why is it so?” The answer is that all of nature – even the very elements – obeys our Lord and recognises Him for Who He is!
When we are in heaven with our wonderful Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ we won’t just be unrecognised figures in a heaven full of angels and billions of souls. We will be people in immortal bodies, like Jesus’ Body. We will know each other individually and intimately, as God, our omniscient Father, knows each one of us – even the number of hairs on our head, which all men among us will again have in abundance!
So why is the above so important? Didn't Jesus tell His disciples shortly before His death that there would be wars and rumours of wars, nations rising against nations, famines, pestilences (diseases) and earthquakes in diverse places? Didn't some who didn't believe that Jesus would come again in the last days – when mankind had become truly depraved – say that things continue as they have since the beginning of creation? Yes, but He also told us, through the Apostle Paul, that in the last days . . . “perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers ... trucebreakers, false accusers … lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-4). Isn't this what humankind has become today, even more so than ever? Friend, the time is fast approaching when the only thing that will matter is whether or not we have believed that Jesus is who He says He is, or that we have come to Him in repentance to ask His forgiveness for our sins and for Him to be our Lord and Saviour.