For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).
As Daylight Savings Time reverted back to Central Standard Time, darkness falls one hour earlier. Coupled with overcast skies and stormy weather the hours of light are retreating. So it is for this sin sick world.
Tuesday afternoon the present darkness turned deeper. Illinois became the fifteenth state to legalize same-sex marriage. People celebrated. The media rejoiced. The clear Word of God was ignored. Listen to the Holy Spirit as you read the following.
"So God created them in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Genesis 1:27-28). So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while He slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man He made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:22-24).
Jesus confirmed this Biblical truth. He added a comment regarding the dissolution of marriage. “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:26).
The holy apostle writes under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”
“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, Amen.”
“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those contrary to nature, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in them the due penalty for their error.”
“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know and God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them, but give approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:18-32).
The darkness deepens. Can it overcome the light?
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’”
“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ, crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to the Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weariness of God is stronger than men.”
“For consider your calling brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world , even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of Him your are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:18-30).
The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.
“…all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 3:12-4:5).
Even as the darkness deepens in the twilight of this world, Christians look forward to the dawning of the eternal day when Christ appears in radiant glory.
Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, the light no darkness can overcome.
Thank you Pastor Scharr for these timely words. How powerful they are! Of course they are though, they are God's very own Word.
ReplyDeleteI feel like we are being smothered by this present darkness. It grows darker by the day. Thank you for the reminder that the Light of the World cannot be snuffed out. Devil, your time is growing short. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.