Jesus is the Light

John 8:12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” 13 The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me. 15 You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. 16 And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. 17 Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. 18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.”19 “Where is your father?” they asked.Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” 20 Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come.

Jesus said it. I am the light of the world!! In the midst of great darkness there is a light to lead us home. Home being heaven. Jesus said, "If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness. It is our choice and our mistake if we don't respond to the light. Why bump around in the dark when Jesus is offering His light to freedom, hope, and heaven? A

thinking person would look at this and weigh the difference, and then go "Yeah, I need to follow that light and quiet, trying to make my way on my own." A THINKING PERSON!

I see a lot of dumbness going on in our world, and I am wondering, "Where does all this dumb reasoning come from?" Well, it is not from Jesus. So, the opposite of light giving direction would be darkness, and darkness is satan. This could be why our country and our world are so messed up now. Could be? IT IS!! Paul wrote this to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 4:17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.

It is time to walk into the light, and that means submitting to Jesus. I hear so many "Christians" giving excuses for not following God's Word, and it is easy to see that the influences of our world are taking over and the results are not going to be good. And they are not good. When I mention what God's Word says about a particular subject, and it is written clearly in the Word "what to do," and I hear believers who have followed Jesus for years trying to explain what should be done, then it makes me doubt if they are even following Jesus. Our opinions and our desires should always line up with the light. To ignore the Word of God is to walk into darkness even more. I was discussing a subject with a fellow believer, and when I brought up a certain scripture for guidance, "They turned on me" and began to judge my life as an excuse for not changing. I am not the standard, but I do know the one who is, and it is Jesus and His Word. Don't use me as an excuse to not follow the Word completely because that excuse is weak. Just follow the Word!!!

In verse 18 Jesus said the following 18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.” They didn't want to hear what the light was saying to them so they tried to confuse the point by saying what they said in verse 19 19 “Where is your father?” they asked. But Jesus knew what they were doing, and Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” They couldn't get the point because they didn't know the Father. Could that be you? If you are making every excuse imaginable to fight what God's Word is saying, you may not know the Father like you think you do. Are you trying to reason with God to control the narrative with Him? NOT GOOD. Time to submit and follow Him in faith. Having faith also allows Him to control you, not you control Him, because He is the light and we are in darkness in our reasoning. Let Jesus take the wheel and quit trying to tell Him how to drive the car and just sit back and follow Him.

You could tell the Pharisee's hearts were hardened because they received Jesus' words with dark attitudes and rejected the light, so they continued to walk in darkness in their understanding. DANGEROUS. Here is how it should go for those who call Jesus Lord, and here is the result. Proverbs 4:18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,

which shines ever brighter until the full light of day 19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over. Do you know what is causing you to stumble? Follow God's Word and it will light the way if you truly want to give control to the one who is the light, and that is Jesus. Time to give up control and trust. The light will lead you on a much better path that produces more love, hope, peace, and smarts. Our world is failing in it's ways of going here and there without direction in the dark, so don't follow the world. Follow Jesus and follow God's Word by deepening your study of it. You won't regret it!! Remember what got Eve in trouble in the garden? She argued with the devil, and he won her over. Jesus didn't argue with the devil in the wilderness; He let scripture be His guide, and the devil left Him. Time to give up and give in to Jesus, or you have lost already. Jesus is the Light!!

Today's Message,

David Warren