Tag: 2 Corinthians

The Light of Life p2: MT e54

One event, which I may have shared already, that was very rememberable was when, as a youth, my father and mother took me to Mammoth Cave in western KY.

We took a multi-hour tour of these caves and it was nothing short of amazing.  There was one moment where the tour guide gave everyone ample warning that he was going to turn out the lights and even let us know how long it was going to last and when everyone was ready, the lights went out.

It was the thickest, most blackest darkness I have ever experienced.  It was a darkness you could feel.  I literally could put my hand in front of my face, centimeters away, and if that hand was not attached to me, I would have no idea it was there.

Monday we were in John as it was talking about Jesus, the Word and that he was the light of men and that this light was shining into darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.

What was the first thing created at creation?  Genesis 1, The earth was without form and void and darkness was over the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

The same Spirit of God who created light in the darkness of the Creation, is the same Spirit of God who created light in the darkness of the new creation.  (repeat) Every believer is a new creation.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

I like to think of that experience I had as a young boy in Mammoth Cave in seeing that thick darkness like Jesus.  The LIGHT. A light that could not be overcome with darkness but rather aggressively chased darkness away.

S.D.G.

Treasures: MT e51

Throughout my office and studio I have a LOT of things that have been given to me.  They are little treasures.

Here is one, it is a little ceramic heart that my daughter Madison made for me.  On the bottom is her name and month and. Year she made it.  Inside of it is more treasure.  I have coin from the Holy Lands that my mother and father gave me.  It is called a mite.  Also inside of this is a very tiny shell that my daughter Hannah gave me on one of our trips to the Ocean.

This little heart is just the beginning of all kinds of stuff.  In fact, I have one shelf that has a big collection of all this stuff given to me through the years.  I see most of them every day of the year.

What makes these valuable?  For everyone else, at best, these items are nice to look at but in reality they are pieces of junk, nothing to be valued.  Why are they valuable to me?

They are tied to something, someone or some place that I love.  They bring back memories.  The treasure is NOT the item but what the item represents.

2 Corinthians 4:7 it says, “We have these treasures in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

What is the treasure here?  What does jars of clay mean?

The jars of clay are the believers.  That is what we are.  Just simple jars of clay.  Out of the dust we were formed and to the dust we will return. 

The treasure is Christ!  In the sight of our Lord we are valuable when Christ is in us. 

In the same way that the value of the various items in my office are only valuable because of what is tied to them, we are valuable because of Christ in us.  He is the one in whom God is well pleased. 

Your worth in God is connected to the worth of Christ.  As He is worthy, so are you, if you are in Him. 

As always, S.D.G.

New Light, New Life: MT episode 29

When I was 14 years old, my mother, father and I went to Mammoth Caves in Cave City, KY. 

These caves were old underground rivers, and they were so large that in many places it would fit a semi-truck. It was an amazing experience. 

As we walked, we had descended about a half mile below the surface of the earth and there were plenty of lights so we could see.  But, in a very wide-open area, the tour leader wanted the group to see how dark it is in a cave.  With much warning, he assured us of what he was about to do. Then he turned off the lights for thirty seconds.

When the lights went out, it was a darkness I had never experienced before.  It was a dark you could feel.  It was a complete, 100%, absence of light. There was much more amazement than fright. 

When God created the world.  The very first thing God does in Genesis is says, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 

What was the very first thing God did in the New Creation? What is the new creation? “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

And the first thing done by God in this creation is creating light.

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)

For believers, there is a darkness from which our Lord delivered us.  It is a darkness that cannot see any good in Christ.  The darkness will cause a few even to deny his existence.  It is a darkness that will cause others to recognize that Jesus was a good teacher or a good man. 

But this darkness is blinding just like the cave. 

However, just as God spoke light into the world, the passage states that for those who believe, God has created light in our hearts to love Christ.  To find beauty in Him.  Because of the word of God, we are a new creation. 

The first act in the creation of the world was light shining out of darkness.  The first act in the new creation is light shining out of darkness.

S.D.G.