LIVING IN THE LIGHT Book 3
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LIVING IN THE LIGHT!
By
Nancy Lee Shrader
What does it mean to live in the light? To live in the light is to have a personal relationship with God. The kind of relationship that causes the love of God to spill out of you and fall upon those around you. When there is that kind of love in your heart for one another there is a peace that passes all understanding. For when you find that relationship with the Lord, you have a friend that will never let you down. When you are in need, He is there. When everything is wonderful in your life, He is there. When troubled times come upon you, He is there. A God, a Father, a Brother, a Comforter, a Friend, a Partner for life. God is all these when you find that personal relationship with your Creator. Living in the Light of God is when you know God’s love, know what God expects of His children.
The Light of Christ bathes us in God’s Grace. Grace is the gift given us from God. Faith is what brings that gift of His Grace. When you have the Grace of God, you have everything that God has stored up for you. A place in His Eternal Kingdom. How does Faith figure into God’s Grace? Faith in something you have never seen, heard, or touched. You didn’t see Jesus, yet you believe! You never heard Jesus preach, yet you believe! You never touched the nail scars in His hands, feet or the spear wound in his side, yet you believe!
When I made my decision to ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior, I needed to discover what a child of God is and what are my Father’s rules for living in the Light of His only Son. I must say that this has been a work in progress for some time now. You see, once Jesus takes up residence within a heart, changes begin to take place. For some it is like a burst of faith that fills to overflowing. For others that change comes so slowly that you yourself don’t even notice the change until one day you realize that you have become that new creature spoken of in the scriptures. You find yourself questioning yourself. Is this what God would want? What would Jesus do? Yes definitely your lifestyle will change. Others will notice the subtle differences between the person you were prior to becoming a believer in Jesus Christ.
Well the first lightning bolt that hit me was how could I spread the Word of God? I get tongue-tied when I try to speak out in Sunday school class. I sound like a jabbering child in the process of learning to talk. However, when I sat down at my computer, my thoughts and beliefs seemed to roll out faster than my fingers could type. I believe that this is the job Jesus has sent me to do. If only one person becomes a new creature in Christ by reading this, then I am fulfilling my Father’s will.
Jesus said, when He was asked the question as to which commandment was greater. His answer was to first is to love God with all your heart and soul, and put none before Him. The second is to love your neighbor as ourselves. If these two commandments are followed then the others will be kept. If we love others as you love yourself, no harm or wrong doing will come to anyone.
Why do sinners need Jesus? If you ask an unbelieving sinner, he will most likely tell you he doesn’t need anyone but himself. Most sinners have no use for God or the rules that must be followed to be a child of God. On the surface these unbelieving sinners appear to be on the top of their game. Then why is it when you really look close you don’t see the spark for life in their eyes? Why is it that these sinners seem to always look on edge about one thing or another? When I say sinners, don’t get me wrong we are all sinners. The difference between the sinners who believe in Christ and those who don’t is peace. We are all sinners, but believers have an advocate with the Father through Jesus Christ who is sinless. Sure we all sin but for the Christian we are forgiven our sins. They are washed away in the blood of Jesus. Another big difference is a Christian works hard not to sin but when he does he repents of those sins, which brings him back into communion with God.
John 3 V. 16 Jesus tells us in my favorite verse in the Bible of God’s great love for mankind. God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son and allowed satan to have his way with Him. The prince of darkness must have been in his glory watching the Son of God suffering on the Cross. I’m sure that devil tortured Jesus mocking him for dying for a sinful world. We may have not been worthy of His sacrifice but through Jesus we are made worthy. We are washed in His blood and made clean. For me if all the pages of the Bible were to disappear and leave only this passage. Just these Glorious Words of Jesus are enough to bring all to the Glory of God. In my opinion, this is the greatest verse in the Bible. God loved us enough to Send His only Son to die on the Cross for our many sins and not for mine only but the sins of the whole world.
Who loves us?
GOD DOES!
And because of that love, the Light of Christ Shines In Us All.
LIVE IN THE LIGHT AND BE CHANGED!
INTO A NEW CREATURE!
IN JESUS CHRIST!
PART ONE
GOD’S LOVE FOR MAN
In the Holy Bible there are scriptures that tell of God’s love for the human race. God made man in His own image. So that tells us something about ourselves. God made us in His image but there is only One God. We are like God but we are not gods. God is all powerful, God is longsuffering, God is sinless. God can’t abide sin in His presence. Now our loving God is faced with a problem. The creatures He created in His own image are unable through sin to stand in His Glorious presence. God so loved us that He sent His Only Son to make us clean and sinless bringing us back into a relationship with God.
I have picked a few passages from the King James Version of the Holy Bible that tell us of God’s longsuffering Love for mankind. Read and see if you feel the love in the written Word of God.
WHO LOVES US?
GOD DOES!
Genesis C. 2 V. 7 to 9 and 15 to 17
7. And the LORD GOD formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
8. And the LORD GOD planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man who he had formed.
9. And out of the ground made the LORD GOD to grown every three that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
15. And the LORD GOD commanded the man saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it for: for in that day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surly die.
In the very beginning of creation God was showing love for man. He created man and breathed into him the breath of life from his own nostrils. God could have just made man an animated being with no soul, but no. God breathed into this first man, God’s own breath.Then what did God do for this brand new creature? God planted him agarden for his comfort. This first man would have food without putting forth any effort. God made a paradise for His beloved creation. God only asked one thing of Adam and that was obedience. God’s commandants were made very plain. Do not do this. If you do, you will die. Much like a parent of today makes rules for his child. Don’t do this. If you do, you will be punished. However, in God’s case, the punishment for sin is death.
Man is placed in the garden with God’s very simple rules to live by. Within this garden was two very important trees. The first was the Tree of Life and the second was the Tree of knowledge of good and evil. Did God forbade man to eat from the Tree of Life? No God only forbade that man not eat from the second tree, the knowledge of right and wrong. God knew that although man was made in His image that knowledge could be a dangerous thing. As long as we did not understand the meaning of the word sin, we were like newborn babes, sinless. This first man was granted Eternal Life by the image he was formed in but when he broke God’s commandment the first sin was committed. Now man isn’t worthy to stand in the Glorious Light of Almighty God.
I believe that if Adam and Eve had done as God had ask, they would have had eternal life. However, God knew on the day of creation that man would be disobedient but still he created man. God already knew that he would send Jesus His Son to bear the sins of His beloved creation. The gift of God’s Son is given to a sinful world.
What great love God had for His creation. To send His most precious and only Son to suffer and die a horrible death, so His creation might live forever in communion with God.WHO LOVES US?
GOD DOES!
Genesis C. 2 V. 18-21-22 -
18. And the LORD GOD said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help mate for him.
21. And the LORD GOD caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took on of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof:
22. And the rib, which the LORD GOD had taken from man made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
God wanted his creation to be happy and contented. God must have watched Adam sitting alone in the beautiful garden and had compassion on him. Sure God had created all sorts of animals. These animals were male and female. There was none among these other creations that could fulfill Adam’s needs of loneliness. Now Adam would have someone to share his hopes and dreams with. God showed his love for man by not allowing him to live out his life alone. Still God showed his creation a greater love. God sent His Son.
Could you who are parents do that for someone you know? Could you allow your child to die for someone else? I know that is something I could never do. God loves us that much!
WHO LOVES US?
GOD DOES!
The Bright Morning Star
In our darkest hours
we find peace within.
A way out of heartache,
a way out of sin.
Sin's dark blemish
will not overcome us today.
Jesus our Lord and Savior's Light
is here to stay.
His Light puts a lock
on the portals of hell.
Although many times through this life,
we have stumbled and fell.
We have all fallen short of the glory of God,
down our pathway of life.
Living in the Light of Christ,
we will not suffer the stife.
Satan's dark pull,
will be much lesser by far.
When our eyes are fixed on Jesus,
the Bright Morning Star.
I wake up each morning,
ready to meet the day.
To stay far away from sin,
walking with Christ all the way.
An opening prayer,
leads my feet on the right path.
Though satan is there,
spreading his deceiving wrath.
He's no change at all,
when I hold tight to the Light.
Darkness of Sin can't exist,
because of His glorious might.
Jesus washed my sins,
as white as the snow.
All my many sins,
I can now let go.
Satan's dark pull,
is now lesser by far.
My eyes will hold tight,
to the Bright Morning Star.
I called out His the name,
in the darkness of night.
I looked and I saw,
His face gleaming with light.
No more will I feel,
sadness, pain and fears
My Lord and Savior,
has wiped away all tears.
I walk with my Lord,
holding tight to His hand.
Before God the Father,
blameless I stand.
God looks right at me,
but what does He see.
The heart of His Son,
who lives in me.
Yes satan's dark pull,
has gone away far.
I'm holding the hand,
of the Bright Morning Star.
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