Statement two... part 1...

The first Statement was amazing, and clearly directed us to the Truth that Christ is the ONLY sustainer of eternal life.  Nothing else, no matter what it is, can do that.  Therefore, your attendance record at church, your good works, your giving of time and/or money, your kindness and polite attitude... none of them mean squat without Christ in your life.  It's almost as though you'd be wandering around in darkness...

"Then Jesus spoke to them again: 'I am the light of the world.  Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.'"

John 8:12, HCSB

Isn't that an interesting thought?  We have had our needs for hunger and thirst spoken to, and spoken to quite well.  And now we are being comforted from another very primal fear, as we are children in His eyes... the fear of the dark.  Do you remember that time when you were afraid of the dark?  Having small children, I still have to go and make certain rooms are "safe" without lights on, so this one is vibrantly alive for me.

Expanding on that, our kids and we ourselves have fear of the dark and of the things that may be in the dark.  It boils down to a fear of the unknown.  When you cannot see the things around you, they are not known.  In that place, a shadow from an innocent toy can be exaggerated into that of a monster lurking in the room.  That image is the one I need you to hold onto for a moment, because it will clarify all things.

The thing we "see" when we are fearful is often not really there, and something our own mind creates.  Light switches help to convince us that our mind is "playing tricks on us," but I believe the truth of it is deeper than that.  You see, born into a sinful nature, the natural part of us is in darkness already, and it needs a lamp.  Therefore, from our own fear and desperation, we concoct an image that is befitting of what we know at the time.  That image is of darkness, in darkness, and it is frightening.

Jesus Christ is the light we need.  He shines ever-brighter, regardless of circumstance, and nothing can ever quell His radiance.  Further, His light, as a part of a saved Christian, illuminates from the inside out, and allows us to look upon things differently.  Shadows really are just shadows, and understanding becomes a companion as we see things for what they actually are, instead of what our own darkness tells us they are.  That light is powerful, and unstoppable, and intense.  Darkness, after all, is merely an absence of light... therefore our own darkness, human nature, is just a natural absence of The Light.

Give thanks that He is lighting your way, from the deepest recesses of your heart to the whole universe and beyond.  It's so personal, so directly pointed at each of us, that we should develop a natural and powerful passion for the illumination of others!

God bless you all!!!