Thursday May 23, 2019
High Schooler Bible Study at Paris Coffee 6:30-7:30am
We had been talking about the attributes and characteristics of God. This week we talked about how God is light, utilizing 1 John 1:5-9
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. ~1 John 1:5-9
I brought and used my iPhone for a light source, a mini (a toy my son enjoys and carries around), and a little bag of fabric scraps I recently received at the local quilt show from a vendor (I might order some of this rayon for some nice breathable shirts for the summer).
I set up the iPhone leaned against my chai tea cup facing me, so as not to blind and distract the high schoolers. I then placed the mini down halfway between me and the light.
We talked about how God is a light source. No darkness can be found in Him. Then we examined the little man; he can have his face facing the light source, behind him is this long shadow.
Before him, while facing the light, there is no shadow, no darkness.
Behind him is a path of darkness, made from himself. Which will only ever lead him directly away from God, the light.
We have a choice as people, we can pursue Him, and walk toward Him, into the light, or we can follow our own self created path of darkness. Those are really the two choices.
Walking into the light is a little hard to see what the next steps are. We can see a little ways before us, right down at our feet, and as we push on, we have to take steps of faith, because we can not see it all, but slowly it is revealed to us.
Unfortunately, we all still have that sin in our life, that darkness behind us, at our back. That fallen nature is always about us, because of the nature of these bodies. (I wish I had been so succinct in the mornings)
Then I took the little baggy of fabric and a business card; this is like our spiritual body. It is full of all sorts of things, hurts, pain, suffering, regret, just baggage from our life.
The first thing we need to remove, which is what happens upon giving our lives to Christ, at our salvation, and being baptized with the Holy Spirit, we remove the business card. It blocks the light from filtering through us. Although there are still things in us that God’s light doesn’t penetrate us, because we keep Him out of those areas; we have yet to give them up to Him. But that solid card, that wall, we have to take our unbelief out of our soul, and lay it at His feet.
As you see from this picture, when we take that first step and lay out unbelief at his feet, it suddenly doesn’t block the light any more, it disappears at His feet and no longer is blocking those things inside us from His cleansing light. Then we begin to get cleansed.
Each scrap of fabric represents those bastions, those towers we keep the Lord out of. It keeps the light from penetrating and permitting us, but slowly, as we are cleansed with His truths, we read His word, we pray and meditate, we can finally give those things up to Him.
We lay each piece at his feet. I promise you, what pain you thought was so big, that you couldn’t bear it, or a sin too big to be forgiven, laid at the foot of the cross, it all disappears, and allows more light into our life.
Ideally until there isn’t anything we are keeping him out of in our heart. That’s true freedom, to have taken out all the sins and lies from the enemy, examined them in the light, they have no more power over us.
Then I took the mini and placed it behind the bag, so he could look through the baggie at the light.
Here’s the thing about getting all the junk out of our lives, all the lies, all the sins, all the regrets, all shame, guilt and fears. Once we give it up to Him, are forgiven our sins, others can more easily see the light of Christ through us.
And it’s progressive, each scrap we remove, more people around us can see His light through our life.
Most people not in tune with the Holy Spirit won’t know why we are different, they will see us, know something’s up, but can’t put their finger on it.
I even once had someone say they look up to me, and I try to explain it to them, that it’s not me they are looking up to. That part they admire, that which they respect, it’s not me, it’s me seen through the light of Him. I try to explain to them how wretched of a sinner I was, and am, but I don’t know how well that works, to put His redemptive, grace giving into perspective. Maybe it’ll sink in one day.
Finally for all you that think non-binary, that think you can stand still, or even try to move sideways, half in the light, half in the dark. We talked about that too, cause we get all sorts of great questions at studies.
Being a Boy Scout for many years, I have a lot of experience with fires in the middle of darkness. I can tell you from experience, it’s not a great place to be, walking with the light on one side of you kills your night vision. You’ll raise your hand to block the light to help you better see where you are going and will tend to drift away from the light of the fire. It’s way easier to walk by the light of the moon, or toward a fire, than to try to exist in both areas. You do more stumbling than you do walking.
Don’t be luke warm. Walk confidently forward, fully in His light. He is a good God that you can trust on the path that He leads you on.
Not every path toward the light is a straight path. We don’t all walk the same exact path. We are different and come from all walks of life. My path will look different than yours and that’s ok.
Also if you get lost on the way and can’t seem to find the light around you look then for someone that you can see the light though because they are heading toward it. Even if you can’t see it, might help to follow them a little while, ask them about it, let them guide and direct you a little and to help you find your way back where you stepped off the path.
Furoshiki Family 