The conflict between light and darkness part 2
Posted by Edison Macusi on Sunday, September 27, 2009
Under: Word for the week
Previously, we discussed that one of the greatest barriers that is coming down is the carnal reasoning that we must only take good care ourselves and forget the others. Being our brother’s keeper is loving our neighbor as we love ourselves which is the second commandment of Love. Probably, all the great mistakes in history is rooted in self-preservation, thus Jesus forewarned “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. “For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds” (Matt. 16:25-27). Or in short, those who will be content in living for their own buts will find themselves losing every single buck of life they ever had, while those living for the true Bread and losing their own lives because of it will in the end find it.
This is a true principle in life, whenever we try to hide something, which could help our neighbors, we will also find that tomorrow it will be spoilt and perished. We all hailed from one ancestor, Adam and the last Adam too has come upon our province through the missionaries who introduced us to Jesus Christ. In fact we are blind to not see this…that we continue to practice barbaric acts of decapitating heads and killing each other and then having these things published as bad report…this is unnecessary! Crimes of passion in a small community should be easier to mitigate compared to one like Metro Manila which is by far made of about 11 million people. By that sheer number, it is understandable that there would be rape, murder, arson and many other works of darkness but in a small province that has accepted the name of Christ as its redemption and glory, we must cast away our old lives and old ways that do not fit the new life that we are in Christ! We have a new identity which is far more glorious than the old one. If we do not see this, it is because we have been blind.
True allegiance
Our allegiance to heaven’s cause must supersede that of any affiliations we have on earth whether by family, clan, tribe or nation or company. This is because as proclaimed by the Apostle Peter, we are a new nation, “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). It is a true saying that if we could not learn to dispossess ourselves of our old identity, we cannot possess God’s identity.
The most noble and greatest race of people in this world is not becoming an American, Russian or German, but simply by being raised with Christ from the depths of sin. Because we become a “chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession” by the blood of Christ. This blood is the miracle blood that was once and for all shed at calvary but seen in both spectrum of time, from the past and the future as well as the present because Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the One that cannot be bound by time so that His acts and works have the same infinite character and wisdom, timeless! Just as genes are passed to us because of our parents blood, the blood of Christ covered us when we received Him as our Savior and Lord
By virtue of the grace of God upon our lives, He has brought us to travel both near and far, and I found that there is only one ingredient for progress, honor the law of God in our hearts that is, the conscience of man, and in our minds, that is the law of the land and we will all prosper. Respect for the law is the foundation of true justice and mercy. If we lack this honor, we will be reduced to even the most despicable animal on earth!
Germany is arguably the most brilliant and cultured of all nations of the earth and in fact, they have done much good and evil in this world. Without Martin Luther, who proclaimed truth and freedom, there would have been no independence and freedom movements in history and personal faith in the belief of truth and Creator. We would all be still in the mountains hiding from the Spaniards. Yet because of his works and writings, darkness, papacy and error were brought to light so that it begun to retreat all over Europe until it reached the Americas and into our shores because of the Americans. It is true that without democracy…we will all be still under the cloak of communism, the doctrine from hell which also came from two other Germans, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Because of these admixtures, where both the fountain of life and death flowed from Germany, this nation plays a key role in the stability of this world. We do well to learn from history so that we will not repeat the same mistakes and we can use the solutions they already found and keep pressing forward.
Truth is the greatest commodity that we can buy in this world. More than all the houses of gold in this planet, truth is the deepest foundation of a life that lasts forever. In order to have eternal life, one must learn to keep eternity in his heart and daily live for it so that when one dies, he only dies to live for eternity. There will be no sting of death because one has lived for the things that last rather than those which rust and become corrupt. This is the true treasure that is worth keeping, to live for tomorrow.
The foundation of light
Light overcomes darkness, and the greatest foundation of light is true education. Because education is rooted in the renewal of the mind, it is utterly necessary that it be used for good otherwise evil will fill our minds. This is also the main reason why we are called to “…not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind…” (Romans 12:2). Thus, teachers are well positioned to not only teach their daily subjects but to actually teach truth to their children so that these young ones can decide for themselves to find the true path. Education therefore is one way of solving ignorance that is often the root of misguided idealism, quarrels, conflicts and wars.
James again speaks to us that the root of this evil, is because of selfish ambition and conceit, “you lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:2-3). The root of quarrels and conflicts can be summed up in one word, covetousness or greed. Whenever we allow greed to dwell in us, lust and envy will overtake us and the only way to overcome it is to submit to God and humble ourselves so that we will find His grace in time of need (see James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). It was only when nations had allowed covetous individuals to rule them that these mean spirited men led their own nations into war and destruction. What started the second and currently the most destructive war was because Hitler fanned the flames of hatred and unforgiveness upon the German populace poisoning their minds that they were superior to other people and therefore can be above them and could simply take all the lands that they could. This misguided thought kept Germany busy in the next six years arming and conquering lands starting with the take over of Poland in September 1939.
Selfishness destroys
Whenever we allow greed to gain the upper hand in our nations, we become the very cause of the problem. Because the Germans did not resist Hitler en mass, they suffered the consequences of having to become the land where both the Word of God came as well as the anti-Christ reigned. Germany came out of the coagulation of the separate states of the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, they professed Christianity but were quick to abandon its creeds for the sake of their ruler. They justified the reign of Hitler as one who has become the savior of Germany because of saving them from the bankruptcy as heaped upon by the victors of World War I under the treaty of Versailles. Having said that, it could have been easier that Germany simply remained silent, but this nation whose destiny is to produce leaders with world wide influence could choose leaders that bring either life or death in this world.
This is her destiny. Once it walks in the path of righteousness, God blesses this nation and opens up the heavens for the outpouring of revival and teachings. But when it swerves to dangerous paths, it can also be used by the devil to bring much destruction. The Pietists and Renewal movements that believes in the personal conversion of the sinner also has its roots in this land, including the mystics such as Thomas a Kempis and who can forget Martin Luther and the other reformers in Geneva, in Zurich such as Calvin and Zwingli? Think about the missions again and you can recall that the Moravians who are called Unitas Fratrum also hailed from the Zinzendorf estates within Germany. Such high level of lights found in this country has set its ultimate destiny to either walk in the greatest leadership of the church or to walk as a tool of the devil to wreck much havoc.
Workers of light
Because Germany was one of the first countries that were set free from darkness and translated to light during the reformation, it is not a coincidence that from her also flowed the “rivers of education” or transformation. We owe most of what we enjoy from the pioneering works of a few luminaries that continue to enlighten us. Even our tier classed educational system introduced by the Americans came from the Prussian system of mass schooling. In addition, the Apostle and father of modern education, Jan Amos Comenius can be said to have been a disciple of German teachers such as Wolfgang Ratke who wrote “Reformation of schools” and John Henry Alsted who also wrote “Encyclopedia Scientiarium Omnium.” Both these forerunners of Comenius saw the need for an encompassing education that could teach all children the ways of God and brotherhood so that they will be a joy to the Creator.
Some however had other ideas and forgot to apply that whenever man tried to focus on himself rather than on helping others succeed, he becomes an end to himself, stagnant and repugnant at the same time. Full of pride that he thought he alone can survive in this world without his other brothers and sisters in Christ. When this lack of interchange happens, that person, movement or fellowship begins to die because life moves and flows. Whenever we stop, we begin the process of dying. Life has to flow and move in order to be gainfully employed and functioning.
Comenius also birthed many concepts of pedagogy, pansophy, and critically choosing the native tongue to teach language courses, grammar, even the first audiovisuals and international learning centers where all men could come to study together regardless of race, sex and background. Such prophetic vision was rooted in dispelling the works of darkness and ignorance so that mankind will learn to fear God and follow the light. Though he is dead, yet he continues to speak to us through his life. Even just touching the hem of the robe of his learning can carry us far to become harbingers of truth and light for our generation.
This is a true principle in life, whenever we try to hide something, which could help our neighbors, we will also find that tomorrow it will be spoilt and perished. We all hailed from one ancestor, Adam and the last Adam too has come upon our province through the missionaries who introduced us to Jesus Christ. In fact we are blind to not see this…that we continue to practice barbaric acts of decapitating heads and killing each other and then having these things published as bad report…this is unnecessary! Crimes of passion in a small community should be easier to mitigate compared to one like Metro Manila which is by far made of about 11 million people. By that sheer number, it is understandable that there would be rape, murder, arson and many other works of darkness but in a small province that has accepted the name of Christ as its redemption and glory, we must cast away our old lives and old ways that do not fit the new life that we are in Christ! We have a new identity which is far more glorious than the old one. If we do not see this, it is because we have been blind.
True allegiance
Our allegiance to heaven’s cause must supersede that of any affiliations we have on earth whether by family, clan, tribe or nation or company. This is because as proclaimed by the Apostle Peter, we are a new nation, “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). It is a true saying that if we could not learn to dispossess ourselves of our old identity, we cannot possess God’s identity.
The most noble and greatest race of people in this world is not becoming an American, Russian or German, but simply by being raised with Christ from the depths of sin. Because we become a “chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession” by the blood of Christ. This blood is the miracle blood that was once and for all shed at calvary but seen in both spectrum of time, from the past and the future as well as the present because Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the One that cannot be bound by time so that His acts and works have the same infinite character and wisdom, timeless! Just as genes are passed to us because of our parents blood, the blood of Christ covered us when we received Him as our Savior and Lord
By virtue of the grace of God upon our lives, He has brought us to travel both near and far, and I found that there is only one ingredient for progress, honor the law of God in our hearts that is, the conscience of man, and in our minds, that is the law of the land and we will all prosper. Respect for the law is the foundation of true justice and mercy. If we lack this honor, we will be reduced to even the most despicable animal on earth!
Germany is arguably the most brilliant and cultured of all nations of the earth and in fact, they have done much good and evil in this world. Without Martin Luther, who proclaimed truth and freedom, there would have been no independence and freedom movements in history and personal faith in the belief of truth and Creator. We would all be still in the mountains hiding from the Spaniards. Yet because of his works and writings, darkness, papacy and error were brought to light so that it begun to retreat all over Europe until it reached the Americas and into our shores because of the Americans. It is true that without democracy…we will all be still under the cloak of communism, the doctrine from hell which also came from two other Germans, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Because of these admixtures, where both the fountain of life and death flowed from Germany, this nation plays a key role in the stability of this world. We do well to learn from history so that we will not repeat the same mistakes and we can use the solutions they already found and keep pressing forward.
Truth is the greatest commodity that we can buy in this world. More than all the houses of gold in this planet, truth is the deepest foundation of a life that lasts forever. In order to have eternal life, one must learn to keep eternity in his heart and daily live for it so that when one dies, he only dies to live for eternity. There will be no sting of death because one has lived for the things that last rather than those which rust and become corrupt. This is the true treasure that is worth keeping, to live for tomorrow.
The foundation of light
Light overcomes darkness, and the greatest foundation of light is true education. Because education is rooted in the renewal of the mind, it is utterly necessary that it be used for good otherwise evil will fill our minds. This is also the main reason why we are called to “…not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind…” (Romans 12:2). Thus, teachers are well positioned to not only teach their daily subjects but to actually teach truth to their children so that these young ones can decide for themselves to find the true path. Education therefore is one way of solving ignorance that is often the root of misguided idealism, quarrels, conflicts and wars.
James again speaks to us that the root of this evil, is because of selfish ambition and conceit, “you lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:2-3). The root of quarrels and conflicts can be summed up in one word, covetousness or greed. Whenever we allow greed to dwell in us, lust and envy will overtake us and the only way to overcome it is to submit to God and humble ourselves so that we will find His grace in time of need (see James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). It was only when nations had allowed covetous individuals to rule them that these mean spirited men led their own nations into war and destruction. What started the second and currently the most destructive war was because Hitler fanned the flames of hatred and unforgiveness upon the German populace poisoning their minds that they were superior to other people and therefore can be above them and could simply take all the lands that they could. This misguided thought kept Germany busy in the next six years arming and conquering lands starting with the take over of Poland in September 1939.
Selfishness destroys
Whenever we allow greed to gain the upper hand in our nations, we become the very cause of the problem. Because the Germans did not resist Hitler en mass, they suffered the consequences of having to become the land where both the Word of God came as well as the anti-Christ reigned. Germany came out of the coagulation of the separate states of the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, they professed Christianity but were quick to abandon its creeds for the sake of their ruler. They justified the reign of Hitler as one who has become the savior of Germany because of saving them from the bankruptcy as heaped upon by the victors of World War I under the treaty of Versailles. Having said that, it could have been easier that Germany simply remained silent, but this nation whose destiny is to produce leaders with world wide influence could choose leaders that bring either life or death in this world.
This is her destiny. Once it walks in the path of righteousness, God blesses this nation and opens up the heavens for the outpouring of revival and teachings. But when it swerves to dangerous paths, it can also be used by the devil to bring much destruction. The Pietists and Renewal movements that believes in the personal conversion of the sinner also has its roots in this land, including the mystics such as Thomas a Kempis and who can forget Martin Luther and the other reformers in Geneva, in Zurich such as Calvin and Zwingli? Think about the missions again and you can recall that the Moravians who are called Unitas Fratrum also hailed from the Zinzendorf estates within Germany. Such high level of lights found in this country has set its ultimate destiny to either walk in the greatest leadership of the church or to walk as a tool of the devil to wreck much havoc.
Workers of light
Because Germany was one of the first countries that were set free from darkness and translated to light during the reformation, it is not a coincidence that from her also flowed the “rivers of education” or transformation. We owe most of what we enjoy from the pioneering works of a few luminaries that continue to enlighten us. Even our tier classed educational system introduced by the Americans came from the Prussian system of mass schooling. In addition, the Apostle and father of modern education, Jan Amos Comenius can be said to have been a disciple of German teachers such as Wolfgang Ratke who wrote “Reformation of schools” and John Henry Alsted who also wrote “Encyclopedia Scientiarium Omnium.” Both these forerunners of Comenius saw the need for an encompassing education that could teach all children the ways of God and brotherhood so that they will be a joy to the Creator.
Some however had other ideas and forgot to apply that whenever man tried to focus on himself rather than on helping others succeed, he becomes an end to himself, stagnant and repugnant at the same time. Full of pride that he thought he alone can survive in this world without his other brothers and sisters in Christ. When this lack of interchange happens, that person, movement or fellowship begins to die because life moves and flows. Whenever we stop, we begin the process of dying. Life has to flow and move in order to be gainfully employed and functioning.
Comenius also birthed many concepts of pedagogy, pansophy, and critically choosing the native tongue to teach language courses, grammar, even the first audiovisuals and international learning centers where all men could come to study together regardless of race, sex and background. Such prophetic vision was rooted in dispelling the works of darkness and ignorance so that mankind will learn to fear God and follow the light. Though he is dead, yet he continues to speak to us through his life. Even just touching the hem of the robe of his learning can carry us far to become harbingers of truth and light for our generation.
In : Word for the week
Tags: conflict between light and darkness part2 true allegiance foundation of light selfishness destroys workers of light
Our heartbeat is to disciple the youth of this generation and be a prophetic voice that declares the power of God to change men's heart, even the most evil to become the foremost saints of the Lord and take the land for His honor and glory and hasten the appearance of His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Our main purpose is to publish articles, books and preachings that will not only stir the hearts of men to seek the Lord but to equip them so that they will become firebrands of revival and healing wherever they move and set their feet upon. The promise is sure, to them who will give their lives for His utmost purposes, He is able to fill them with His Spirit without measure!
