Tag: darkness

Darkness Cannot Overcome

With so much going on in the World today with the war in the Middle East and our own wars we have in our own lives with this flesh we can begin to set our minds on those thoughts, feelings, cares, and busyness of life. Fear begins to take root. Anxiety and so forth. It feels at times like a darkness that can be felt.

Just because we are living in this world doesn’t mean that we are to live according to what the World says to do or to think. – Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world,  but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

We are to live according to the promises of God. Let’s remind ourselves of the promise that Darkness Cannot Overcome

EXODUS 10:21-23

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt. 22” So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.

(the ninth plague that God demonstrated before the Pharaoh was the plague of darkness, a darkness to be felt. (This darkness was no ordinary darkness. It had a supernatural element in which it could be felt.)

23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.”

For 3 days they (Egyptians) did not see another…But the Israelites had light in their dwelling.

  • Let’s remind the Devil that while the tomb might have been dark for a few days, on the 3rd day the stone was rolled away and there was light!

Let’s realize:

How the enemy tells us that it can’t get any better.

When you think it can’t get any darker,

When you think it cannot get any worse.

How he tells us that we are in his camp,

Revelation 1:18 “ I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and death.”

John 1:5 Darkness can not overcome the light

Any kind of darkness cannot overcome the Light of the World! And therefore cannot overcome the believer!

There is a light that will never go out on your darkest day.

Psalm 139:12 “Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

let Him roll the stone away of depression, anxiety, fear or addiction in your life today.

Where is God in All of This?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

In these trying times, it seems that darkness is overtaking light. We can look at our economy, the violence that we may hear of terrible things happening, or even the fear of getting sick. At times it seems that darkness is taking over and so we ask, where is God in all of this?

As God heard the cries of deliverance from His people in Egypt who had been in bondage for over 400 years; God responded. He found a man named Moses to free His people. A man who claims to have stuttered and not speak eloquently found a side kick to go with him, Aaron.

EXODUS 10:21-23

After many attempts to free His people, God told Moses to “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” — this ninth plague would make Pharaoh’s heart even harder.

(A darkness that had a supernatural element in which it could be felt.)

“So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.”

In all of the darkness that was there for three days, God supplied the needs of His people, He provided His light so that they would not be in darkness.

In this season that we are in, we may feel fear, discouragement, anxiety, the darkness that at times feels like its sucking the very life out of you. But remember this, that every time you ask “God, where are You in all of this?”

Remember, He is right where you are. He is still being a provider, supplying all of your needs according to His riches in Glory. He is the light, a light that darkness cannot, will not overcome.

Jesus said that He has overcome the World. He has overcome the fear, the depression, the anxiety, any darkness. Come to the light which is Jesus and find the freedom that you need!

Faith/Fear

faith or fear

 

Elijah flees from Jezebel 1 Kings 19:1-18

19 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
The Lord Speaks to Elijah
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.[a] 13 And when Elijah heard it,he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

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After Elijah killed hundreds of the Baal prophets after the account on Mount Carmel where Elijah shows the prophets of Baal that the only living god is Jehovah. With Ahab seeing the incident, he then told of the massacre to Jezebel. She then sends a messenger to Elijah, confronting and making death threats.

Jezebel claimed that she would kill Elijah. But why didn’t she send troops instead of only a messenger? Just like the enemy’s accusation. They are all false and without power. What makes us think that it is more powerful than us? Without knowing the Word, one could fall, but there is a remedy and that is the power of Jesus!

All of this happened at Elijah’s spiritual peak, whenever there is about to be victory, watch out because that’s when the enemy is going to hit you the hardest, why? Because it is of God, anything that God gives you the enemy wants to take it away, he wants your life to be miserable.

Where will faith lead you? It led Elijah into a cave. But before we start pointing fingers at Elijah. Let’s examine ourselves. When we don’t get what we want, do we pout or jump up and down? No one likes playing the waiting game, I know I don’t. What about the job offer that never came up or you are still there at that place of employment but yet the position never came open. What is it in your life that has made you been in the cave. Is it fear?

ENEMY’S THREATS ARE EMPTY

Once we start to learn his strategy of how he works against the believer, we have a better understanding how to come against him. Only with the Word, the Bible is our only line of defense; to quote and to know scripture. When Jesus was tempted, did He just walk away? Or just tell the Devil “leave me alone”? No, He used the Word. We are called to contend with the faith but yet without knowing the Word how do we stand firm in the Word of God? We won’t be able too. God has defeated the enemy, it is our duty to be firm in the resurrecting power of Jesus Christ and not fall.

This is why we must have a continued deposit of the Word of God and not lean on our own understanding. We may think we know it all but when the enemy comes are we going to ignore the temptation or the circumstance or call on God for the wisdom that we can only achieve from and that is the Word of God.

2. THE EFFECTS OF FEAR

Fear always leads one away from the Will of God
Faith always lead one toward the Will of God
Fear will hold you back
Faith will push you forward
Fear isolates
Faith motivates
Fear steals your joy
Fear condemns you
Elijah was lodged in a cave; fear isolates the believer thinking that it is impossible to get out of. It makes you think about the current situation that is at hand. Why did I do this? Or Why do I have to go through this.

When we let fear control our life instead of faith. The outcome isn’t going to be great. Trust in God.
1 John 4:18

8”There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

 

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