Ecclesia Global Missions

In the last message, I asked you what you thought it meant to be a Christian. I hope you have prayed about this and sought the Lord.

In our search to learn what it means to be a Christian, we discussed how we must know Jesus. Not just know Who He is or what He did, but we have to know Him, to be familiar with Him, to be inseparable from Jesus. 

This week, as we continue to learn more about Jesus and what some of His characteristics or attributes are, I want to pick up where we left off last week. 

We talked about how in God there is no darkness, and since Jesus is part of God, there is no darkness in Him. 

1 John 1:5

Amplified Bible

God Is Light

5 This is the message [of God’s promised revelation] which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection].

Jesus actually reveals to us that He is the light of the world, as stated in John

John 8:12

Amplified Bible

Jesus Is the Light of the World

12 Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

These are things that we know; we know what Isaiah 9 says as well, especially this time of year: 

Isaiah 9:2

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light; those who dwelt in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death, upon them has the Light shined.

But do you really feel that He is your Light? Is He where your hope comes from?

Have you ever felt like you were in a pit of despair or in such a deep darkness that you had lost all hope of coming out of it? Have you ever felt hopeless in a situation you were in, or are in, that is darkness? Have you ever felt frustrated and lost? Have you ever felt condemned? Feeling condemned because you returned to a particular sin, or condemned for continuing to walk according to your flesh in a specific area? Have you ever felt so alone that there was no reason to feel hope? Have you felt hopeless for your country, your family, or your community?

Have you heard of the saying “There is light at the end of the tunnel”? The light represents hope; it represents a way out of the darkness, and there is a way out, and you can see it. That you are no longer so deep in the tunnel that there is no way out.

Jesus, is that light! He is that hope that we have in the darkness that surrounds us. He is the way out of that darkness! Where He is, darkness cannot be. 

When we allow the darkness to overtake us, for whatever reason we have, we lose sight of the light, we lose sight of Jesus, and Who He is! I say allow because we do have free will. We can choose to give up, to let go of hope, to allow our emotions to overtake us, the frustration, sadness, fear, feeling overwhelmed, angry, anxious, etc, or we can choose to persevere. Persevering takes work; it does not bring change overnight, but in the end, you can see where Jesus was in it and where He helped you if you ask Him to, if you allowed Him in, if you sought Him as your light, and held on to Him.

What about times when things seemed awful in the nighttime hours, when things seemed way worse than they were? Have you ever felt these things? Had these nighttime anxieties or worries? Maybe it was about finances, children, family, friends, health, or illness. All these thoughts that come at night can make our situation and our worries feel amplified. Then, when morning came, it wasn’t as bad as you thought it was in the middle of the night. The daylight can bring clarity or peace to things. I don’t know about you, but I have had these feelings as well.  Yes, Satan is trying to get in on all of that, to keep you feeling hopeless and to keep you from God, to keep you bound in the darkness.

Have you ever noticed in God’s Word the darkness that surrounded the people at Jesus’s birth? I don’t mean just the sin or the oppression that was going on. But the literal and actual darkness? When Jesus was revealed to the shepherds and the wise men, it was in the night, and a great light had indeed shone!

Luke 2:6-15

Amplified Bible

6 While they were there [in Bethlehem], the time came for her to give birth, 7 and she gave birth to her Son, her firstborn; and she wrapped Him in [swaddling] cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no [private] room for them in the inn.

8 In the same region there were shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. 11 For this day in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (the Messiah). 12 And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find a Baby wrapped in [swaddling] cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host (angelic army) praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest [heaven],

And on earth peace among men with whom He is well-pleased.”

15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying one to another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem, and see this [wonderful] thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

It says the glory of the Lord flashed and shone around them! Can you imagine the light of Jesus doing that to you? Seeing His light so bright in the darkness that it brings shock, fear, and trembling? Does His light do this to you? Do you see it this way? That is the glory of the Lord, that it has power, it has might, it is amazing and bright!

Hebrews 1:3

Amplified Bible

3 The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’s Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence, and upholding and maintaining and propelling all things [the entire physical and spiritual universe] by His powerful word [carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal]. When He [Himself and no other] had [by offering Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sin] accomplished purification from sins and established our freedom from guilt, He sat down [revealing His completed work] at the right hand of the Majesty on high [revealing His Divine authority],

Do you see Jesus in this light, pun intended? Do you see Him as powerful and mighty? Do you see Jesus as amazing and wonderful? Have you seen or felt His light? Have you experienced Jesus in your life? This helps us to recognize, know, and be inseparable from Him.

Are you missing this aspect of Jesus in your life? Missing that He is not only the Light of the world but the Light of your world? That His light reflects the glory of God? Do you see and feel His brilliant light that is truly pure and divine? Or is your sin, your responsibilities in life, or your burdens dimming that light? Are they bringing a shadow to it because they have become your focus, rather than Jesus? Have you walked with God so long that you have lost sight of His light? That it has just been there, so now you take it for granted and don’t really notice it all?

If we are not intentional about recognizing things, we tend to take them for granted when they have been in our lives for so long. I take electricity for granted, and it isn’t until I no longer have access to it that I realize this.

Are we doing the same thing with Jesus? We just automatically assume He will be there, we just automatically react and speak in ways that sound biblical, that seem right, but something is missing? Have we lost the reverential awe of Who Jesus is? It can be the other way too. Just as many of our conversations have been about balance, we can doubt that Jesus is there and that His light is shining for so many different reasons.

Many of these have been mentioned previously, such as frustration, feeling overwhelmed, and giving up. Maybe a prayer was not answered as you had expected or hoped. Maybe there was a delay, and you felt as though Jesus was not there, so now there is more doubt than anything.  If you are feeling convicted by any of these questions or comments, please seek the Lord. Ask Him for His help, ask Him to help you see Him in that light, to see His light. Ask Him to soften your heart towards Him. Ask Him to help you to see Him as He is, to see Him in your life, to see Him in the past, to see what He has done or how He has revealed Himself to you.

2 Corinthians 4:6

Amplified Bible

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give us the Light of the knowledge of the glory and majesty of God [clearly revealed] in the face of Christ.

Ask Him to help you see where He has shone His light in your life, as it shone before the Shepherds in the fields on the night of His birth!

Take note of what the Shepherds did!

They immediately went to see Jesus! They wanted to see the incredible thing that had been revealed to them. They were excited about it! They couldn’t wait to go see Him.

Luke 2:16-20

Amplified Bible

16 So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the Baby as He lay in the manger. 17 And when they had seen this, they made known what had been told them about this Child, 18 and all who heard it were astounded and wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

They shared this fantastic news with those around them. Then, what did they do next? They glorified and praised God for the revelation they had received and for the opportunity to see Jesus! To see this magnificent thing that had happened!

Are you doing this? Are you praising God for what Jesus has done? Are you praising God for the Light of Jesus, the Light that has brought hope in your darkness? Are you praising God (even in the darkness) for Jesus? Because of Him, you don’t have to remain in the darkness or the night, because that daylight does come!

As we talk about Jesus being the light and glory of God, He is also known as the Lord of glory.

1 Corinthians 2:8

Amplified Bible

8 None of the rulers of this age recognized and understood this wisdom; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;

James 2:1

King James Version

2 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

James 2:1

Amplified Bible

The Sin of Partiality

2 My fellow believers, do not practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of partiality [toward people—show no favoritism, no prejudice, no snobbery].

What exactly does this mean?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines glory as: 

• praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent: renown
• worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving
• something that secures praise or renown
• a distinguished quality or asset
• a state of great gratification or exaltation
• a height of prosperity or achievement
• ancient Rome in its glory
• great beauty and splendor: magnificence
• something marked by beauty or resplendence
• the splendor and beatific happiness of heaven

And because I like this dictionary for biblical definitions as well,

1828 Webster’s dictionary defines glory as: 

• bright, shining. glory then, is brightness, splendor.
• Brightness; luster; splendor.
• Splendor; magnificence.
• The circle of rays surrounding the head of a figure in painting.
• Praise ascribed in adoration; honor.
• Honor; praise; fame; renown; celebrity.
• The divine perfections or excellence.
• Honorable representation of God.
• Distinguished honor or ornament
• To exult with joy; to rejoice.

Jesus is the Lord of Glory; there is only perfection, magnificence, and beauty in Him. He is very much worthy to receive praise, to receive honor, and to receive worship and adoration.

Revelation 4:11

Amplified Bible

11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they exist, and were created and brought into being.”

Do you feel this way about Jesus? Do you feel that He is worthy of these things? That He is magnificent, amazing, excellent, and perfect? What are your feelings towards Jesus? This may not be an easy-to-receive answer. It may take prayer, seeking the Lord, and asking Him to show you how you feel about Jesus and what you think about Him.

2 Peter 1:16-17

Amplified Bible

Eyewitnesses

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories or myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty [His grandeur, His authority, His sovereignty]. 17 For when He was invested with honor and [the radiance of the Shekinah] glory from God the Father, such a voice as this came to Him from the [splendid] Majestic Glory [in the bright cloud that overshadowed Him, saying], “This is My Son, My Beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased and delighted”—

Peter explains how easily they were able to remain true to the Lord because they were eyewitnesses to His workings, His teachings, and, yes, even His Glory. 

Has Jesus worked in your life in a way that you knew without a doubt it was Him? Hold that close to your chest, keep it close, and as you spend time with Him, ask Him to help you see more of Him, to help you be open to seeing more of Him, and to see Him just as Moses asked to see God!

Exodus 33:18-23

Amplified Bible

18 Then Moses said, “Please, show me Your glory!” 19 And God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion (lovingkindness) on whom I will show compassion.” 20 But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me and live!” 21 Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place beside Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; 22 and while My glory is passing by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and protectively cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

Beseech Jesus in the same way that Moses beseeched God. Ask to see His glory, ask to see His magnificence. 

For many, such as myself, knowing Jesus while I was growing up was not that important to me. I kind of knew what He did, and I knew the miracles He performed, sort of. But I did not see Jesus in the way that He deserves to be noticed, and the way that He deserves to be revered. If you, too, are realizing this and have yet to repent, do so now. Repent, ask for forgiveness for not seeing Him this way, for placing less importance on Him than on other things. Ask for help to see Him the way He should be seen, and a way He is worthy of.

Mark 8:38

Amplified Bible

38 For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Luke 9:26

Amplified Bible

26 For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the [heavenly] Father and of the holy angels.

Cry out and seek God for help in this area. Ask Him to open your mind, your heart, your eyes, and your ears. 

Everything about Jesus ties in together, and as such, there will be repetition. Last week, we talked about Jesus being the Word; at that time, we focused on how He was also the image of God, that He was part of the Godhead.

John 1:1

Amplified Bible

The Deity of Jesus Christ

1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.

John 1:14

Amplified Bible

The Word Made Flesh

14 And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception).

When darkness is around us, we must have the Word of God imprinted on our hearts. We need it the most at these times!

As Jesus is the Word of God, He must be imprinted upon our hearts as well! So is Jesus imprinted upon your heart? Is His name, His divinity in your heart? Or is it head knowledge? Is it something you are having a hard time fully grasping and placing within your heart?

Psalm 40:8

Amplified Bible

8 “I delight to do Your will, O my God;

Your law is within my heart.”

Psalm 19:14

Amplified Bible

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,

O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.

There are things we know we are supposed to do as Christians. There are things we know that we are supposed to know as Christians. But being a Christian is much more than this. If our hearts are not involved, are we walking a Christlike walk? We can perform all of the actions, we can even think we feel, or sense the presence of God. But if He is not in your heart, is it a superficial feeling, or shallow knowledge, understanding, one in which there is no depth?

Jesus’ disciples had a difficult time understanding all that He was revealing to them. They got to witness everything and see everything firsthand, and still had a difficult time with it. According to John, once Jesus was glorified and exalted, they were able to remember what had been written and what had been done.

John 12:16

Amplified Bible

16 His disciples did not understand [the meaning of] these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified and exalted, they remembered that these things had been written about Him and had been done to Him.

The good news is we have the Holy Spirit to help us with this!

John 14:26

Amplified Bible

26 But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.

John 15:26

Amplified Bible

26 “But when the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He will testify and bear witness about Me.

Have you opened your heart to Jesus? Are you intentional about seeking Him and asking the Holy Spirit for help to remember what was written about Him, what Jesus taught, and what the Word of God says? Are you intentional about reading His Word? And about asking for insight, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding?

Remember that God’s Word is divine, one that comes from Him! It is more significant than reading a nonfiction book about something. Give His Word the honor that it is due. Remember, too, that it is a living Word, and God speaks to you through it. He reveals Himself, His wisdom, and His knowledge through His Word.

Hebrews 4:12

Amplified Bible

12 For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.

It is easiest to spend time with God, to spend time getting to know Jesus, and to spend time in His Word when we are already in the light, His light. When things are going well, do not discard and set aside your Bibles; do not disregard the time you are to spend with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Use this time to build up His Word, both the written word before you in scripture and the Word He shares and reveals to you in your prayer closet. And in these times, rejoice that we have a glorious God, who sent His only begotten Son to earth as man. Let us draw closer to Him, let us be His bride, His people, and be set apart for Him. If we are not able or willing to see the glory of God in Jesus, if we are not able to see His light, even in our daylight, it is impossible to draw close to Him. Praise His life-giving light! There is so much more to His light that it might be beyond our comprehension. That in itself is something to keep us humble and continuously seeking Him! Be intentional about seeing and seeking His light, about imprinting Him upon your heart. Make it a way of life, not just something that is done every now and again, or only when things are tough. 

I encourage you to seek the Lord about His light and ask Him to reveal to you even more than you know about it. I am learning that God’s Word has so much more to reveal to us than we might think at first glance. I think we could have many meetings about His light alone! Seek Him!

Revelation 21:23

Amplified Bible

23 And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to give light to it, for the glory (splendor, radiance) of God has illumined it, and the Lamb is its lamp and light.