Living in the Light

Meteorologists tell us the darkest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere is December 21, the winter solstice. In my hometown we experience 14 hours and 56 minutes of darkness on that day. However, I do not consider December 21 the darkest day of the year. I consider January 2 to be the darkest day of the year. We experience 14 more minutes of sunlight on January 2 than on December 21, but darkness reigns on that day. Christmas is over, and Christmas lights have grown dark. I have always found Ohio winters to be hard, not because of the cold, but because of the darkness. I much prefer living in the light. I am not alone. That takes us to our scripture reading, Genesis 1:1-5.

Tradition tells us Moses wrote the Book of Genesis, along with Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Together, they are called the Pentateuch. They were written approximately 1,400 years before the birth of Christ. Genesis means “birth,” “genealogy,” or “history of origin.” It is the perfect title for the book because it summarizes the theme of the entire book. Our reading tells us how it all began. They are the opening words to the creation story.

According to the Bible, God created the world in six days, resting on the seventh. God is the main character in the Bible. In the Bible, God’s existence is never questioned, he always existed. In our reading, the original language, Hebrew, exposes Jesus was part of the creation because Jesus is divine. The first verse says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In verse two we learn darkness reigned until God acted. In other words, only chaos, disorder, danger and the unknown existed. In verse three, God introduces light. It is the opposite of darkness. Light brings order, safety and knowledge. In verses four and five, we are told God was pleased with the light, so he separated the dark and the light. The darkness was called “night” and the light “day.” I find it interesting everything began when light was brought into the story. This is certainly not the last time light is mentioned in the Bible.

The word light is used 272 times in the Bible. Sometimes, light means something that glows, like a campfire, firefly or a flashlight. Sometimes, it means more. In the Bible, light symbolizes God’s presence, purity, truth and spiritual illumination. In 1 John 1:5, God is described as light. In John 8:12, Jesus described himself as the “light of the world.” That verse says, “Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” I have been walking in that light for over fifty years. I feel sorry for people who are groping in the dark because life is hard for everyone.

When you live in the light of Christ, you are forgiven. Ephesians 1:7 says, “in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” Forgiveness in the Christian faith runs contrary to our world. According to the Bible, we are forgiven by God when we forgive others. That is the point of the parable of the unmerciful servant, Matthew 18:21-35. True peace with God is only possible when we forgive others. Who do you need to forgive?

When you live in the light, you have hope. Roman 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. According to a recent Harvard Youth Poll, 51% of young Americans feel hopeless. That is a sad figure because they live in a wonderful country. America is still the land of opportunity. However, with that opportunity comes responsibility. It was a wonderful day when I discovered it all didn’t depend on me. God has been taking care of me from the very beginning. Living in the light means I am not alone. God is with me, and God is with everyone who is living in the light. Those who chose to live in the darkness only see loneliness. Matthew 19:26 says, “With God all things are possible.”

When you live in the light of Christ, you have a purpose for living. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Discovering your divine purpose is vital. I am fortunate that my vocation and my purpose were one. For many they are not. God created you for a purpose. You were not born to be a consumer. You were not born to amass wealth. You were born to glorify God and work in his kingdom. What are you doing to glorify God?

When you live in the light, you have salvation. John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” This is the unpleasant reality – no one gets out of the world alive. We are all terminal from birth. However, that is not the end. For those who live in the light there is more. One of the great promises in the Christian faith is salvation. When I leave this world, I will go home. In other words, I will be in heaven with fellow believers. Are you still questioning your salvation?

Years ago, I was visiting someone in the hospital. They were in the intensive care unit. On my way out of the ICU, I stuck my head into the family waiting room. You never know who you will find. On that day, I found a woman I knew. She was surrounded by her family. She gave me a hug and introduced me to her family. Everyone greeted me warmly, except one brother. He was having a hard time. They told me their other brother was a patient, and things weren’t going well. I asked them if I could pray with them. They all said, “Yes!” except for the struggling brother. He looked at me and said, “No! What the hell has your God done for me?” The family apologized for his harsh words, but I wasn’t upset. I felt sorry for the hurting man. He was struggling because he was living in the dark. He only saw chaos, disorder, danger and the unknown.

How many people do you know are living in spiritual darkness? I prefer living in the light because life is more tolerable. C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) once said, “I believe in Christ like I believe in the sun – not because I can see it, but because by it I can see everything else.”

Halloween’s Dark Side

His name is Kolya. He is a student at Moscow State University now, but he was raised in the Renewal Orphanage in Dmitrov, Russia, which is the home of severly physically handicapped children. He was born with obvious physical limitations. He has no legs and only one functional arm. Yet, those limitations do not define him. He is an amazing young man. Today, he is thriving in the Russian capital.

Years ago, Kolya came to the Youngstown, Ohio area for help. Thanks to my wife’s non-prophet, Project Orphanage Outreach, he received it. I cannot overemphasize the next line. Koyla’s story was truly a miracle. He came to my home in a wheelchair, but he left walking on his new prosthetic legs. That did not happen in an instant. It took time. We spent many days waiting for the next doctor’s appointment. It was a challenge to find things for him to do. One of the things he did was visit American schools in the area. Local teachers were open to his visits.

One of the schools he visited was celebrating Halloween. He showed up just in time for the party. Both students and teachers were dressed in costume. There was a mummy and a ghost. There was a vampire and a zombie. There was a monster and a boy covered in fake blood holding a plastic ax. The teacher was dressed like a witch. We thought Kolya would love it, but we were wrong. It was one of those cultural differences. Americans love Halloween, but that is not true of the Orthodox world, including Russia. Did you know only 3% of Russians observe Halloween? His non-verbal cues told us he was unhappy and confused. That evening we tried to answer the question: what is Halloween? That is not an easy question to answer. Consider these three sides of Halloween.

Halloween is a holiday! The history of Halloween can be traced back 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts believed the dead could walk among the living one day annually – October 31. They would wear ghoulish masks so the unwanted visitors could not distinguish between the living and the dead. In North America, where there was a surplus of pumpkins, they carved them with scary faces to ward off spirits. Others offered sweets to appease the spirits. Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, and zombies have long been associated with the evil world. Halloween is a holiday.

Halloween is a big holiday in America. Did you know, according to the National Retail Federation, 73% of all Americans plan on celebrating Halloween? The average American will spend $108.45 on Halloween. As a country we will spend $3.6 billion on costumes, $3.1 billion on candy, $3.4 billion on decorations and $.6 billion on greeting cards. 18% of all Americans are planning on visiting a haunted house and 46% of all Americans will carve a pumpkin. It is safe to say, in America, Halloween is not just a holiday. Halloween is a big holiday. Do you know anyone who doesn’t pass out candy? Halloween is a holiday.What is Halloween?

Halloween is sinister! Halloween is not all fun and games. There is a very dark side to Halloween. Halloween is the most sacred day on the Satanic calendar. Satanism has been part of our world for centuries. However, the source of modern-day Satanism can be traced back to one man, Anton LaVey (1930-1997). He authored several books to promote his dark world, The Satanic Bible, The Satanic Rituals, The Satanic Witch, The Devil’s Notebook and Satan Speaks! I checked several years ago and at that time, those books can be found in my local county library.Those books were vital in the creation of his new church, The Church of Satan.

The best way to explain The Church of Satan is that it runs contrary to the church of Jesus Christ. It is like a parallel universe where everything is opposite. Our congregations are called churches; their congregations are called covens. In churches, we strive to know and accept everyone. In covens, fellow members are unknown because their identity is hidden. In churches, we worship in public. In covens, they worship in private. Churches worship during the day. In covens, they worship in the middle of the night. In church, we talk about our eternal reward. In covens, they talk about temporary gain. In church, we sacrifice for strangers. In covens, they sacrifice and misuse strangers and those who are weak. In church, we encourage and love. In covens, they intimidate and hate. In church, we worship Jesus Christ. In covens, they worship Satan. Satanism is a sinister parallel universe. If you get nothing else out of this blog, then accept this fact: Satanism is real and countless people are regularly being victimized. On Halloween, the holiest day on the Satanic calendar, Satan desires a human sacrifice. I believe that is where some of those missing children have gone. There is a sinister side to Halloween. That dark fact upsets many. What is Halloween? That takes us to our Gospel reading for today.

We find ourselves in the seventh chapter of Mark, verses twenty-four through thirty. Jesus is in the vicinity of Tyre. That community is in present day Lebanon, north of Galilee. That fact is important for one reason – Jesus was extremely popular in Galilee, not so in other places. The smaller crowds gave Jesus an opportunity to teach the disciples. Demographically, the population seemed to be less Jewish and more Gentile. That is the case with the woman in the story. The author tells us she was Greek, born in Syria Phoenicia. She had heard of Jesus’s miraculous powers and knew this was an opportunity to save her daughter. Verse 25 says she was possessed by an evil spirit. She locates Jesus and begs the Master to save her daughter. In other words, she begs Jesus for an exorcism. At first, Jesus refuses to heal the daughter because the woman is a Gentile. In the end, Jesus exorcises the demon because of her great faith. Do you believe in demon possession?

The world struggles with this story and all other Biblical stories which deal with demon possession. The reason is we try to read the Bible like a science book, but it is a book of faith. How do you translate demon possession in our modern world? Some say demon possession in the Bible is untreated seizures. Some say demon possession in the Bible is untreated anxiety. Some say demon possession in the Bible is untreated depression. Some say demon possession in the Bible is some other untreated mental illness. Some say demon possession is just that, demon possession. I believe demon possession does exist. Sometimes, there is no other explanation. How do you understand demon possession in our modern world? However, demon possession in the Bible is more. Demon possession in the Bible is a reminder that our world is filled with sad people who look to Jesus for help. Our world has a dark side where Satan is alive and well. What is Halloween? Halloween is a reminder! I have told this story many times in various venues through the years.

When I lived in the Cleveland area, I tried to help a young woman by the name of Pat. There is no other way to say it, she was a victim. As a child she would go to Canada for the annual family vacation. Her parents, both alcoholics, were drunk the entire trip. They entrusted her to an uncle. He wasn’t an alcoholic, but he was a Satan worshipper. He exposed Pat to the worst things this world had to offer. She was raped countless times by a variety of unknown men. She was photographed and was subject of child pornography. Years later, he would have those photographs sent to her in the mail, just to intimidate her. One night, she was even buried alive in a casket, with a small oxygen tube to keep her breathing. She told me on one occasion she saw Satan himself. The outcome was predictable. Pat fractured in every possible way. She had six or seven different personalities. She came to me by way of her psychologist, who asked me to help her straighten out her Christian theology. Through the years, I met with Pat regularly and went through the confirmation material with each personality. At the end of each course, I offered each one communion. Looking back, my time with Pat was the most rewarding experience I had in the ministry.

It has been thirty years since I met Pat, but I still find myself praying for her. It was Pat who taught me about the dark side of Halloween. I double up my prayers for Pat on Halloween because Halloween is the holiest day on the Satanic calendar. On that day, they look for a human sacrifice and Pat didn’t want to be the victim. Every Halloween she would hide in the Cleveland Mero Park system, alone in the woods.

I close this blog with a challenge to not just pray for Pat, but for all the victims in our society who are suffering silently, due to Satanism. It is a secret world that seldom gets exposed. It is a secret world, but it exists. A woman came to Jesus and begged for help. Her daughter was demon possessed and without Jesus there was no help. Some things don’t change. Countless victims are living in the dark world of Satanism. Without Jesus, they will remain in the dark. With Jesus, there is hope. 1 John 1:5 says, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”

Let There Be Light!

We find ourselves in the the spiritual gospel, John. It was written about the year AD 60 by the apostle that carries its name. John’s purpose for writing this gospel was to introduce the Christian message to the Greek thinking world. The other three gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, were written to the Hebrew world. For that reason, this gospel stands alone. The Greek world clearly understood our Gospel lesson. They understood that the light of which John spoke was God. In other words, God, literally, came into the world to illuminate her dark places. That is the Good News of Christmas!

This is no shortage of darkness in our world. There seems to be a surplus of darkness in our world. I do not remember a time in my life when there seems to be so many complex problems. Maybe the reason is I am a pastor and I talk about other people’s problems regularly or maybe the reason is our world has drifted off course. Our country seems to be groping in the dark when it comes to the Coronavirus. Approximately 19 million have gotten the Coronavirus. Approximately 322,000 have died from the virus. Our country is groping in the dark racially. After all the talk of unity, we are still a divided people. Our country is groping in the dark sexually. Everyone has a firm opinion. It appears the United Methodist Church will divide over his topic in the next few months. Our country is groping in the dark economically. On the one hand, Wall Street is near an all-time high. On the other hand, many are struggling to obtain the basics. Did you know the unemployment rate in Ohio is 5.2%? Did you know the unemployment rate in Mahoning County and Trumbull County is 6.6%? has an unemployment rate of 6.6%? That figure is the highest in the state of Ohio. Help from Washington has stalled. Did you know our national debt is $27.5 trillion? Our country is groping in the dark when it comes to dealing with our national health care crisis. I do not know anyone who does not want everyone to have hospitalization. The problems are what will it cost and what will be covered? Our country seems to be groping in the dark internationally. Does anyone trust Iran or North Korea? I could go on, but I will not. It is all so depressing. We are groping in the dark at so many levels. Are you tired of all the darkness in our world?

This is the problem. God do not launch a program designed for international reform on Christmas. God seems to be more interested in eternity, than our temporary problems. God decided to reform the world one soul at a time. How reformed are you? How has Jesus, the light of the world, reformed you. American televangelist John Hagee (Born 1940) once said, “The fundamental principle of Christianity is to be what God is, and he is light.” It happened in three different ways.

Jesus came to illuminate our dark past. Without Jesus there is no forgiveness. One of the great misdemeanors in America today is that you can earn your salvation. That is why volunteerism and caring for your community has become the rage. I have nothing against volunteerism or community spirit, but they will not get you into heaven. We are saved by grace and by grace alone. Never belittle the death of Jesus on the cross. His blood washed away your sins. His death made it possible for you to live. Forgiveness is a beautiful thing. When you forgive others, you are telling God you are thankful that you are forgiven.

In October 2006, the country was shocked by another school shooting. This time the shooting was extremely cruel. It happened in Nickels Mines, Pennsylvania, in a one room old order Amish schoolhouse. The shooter was a man by the name of Charles Roberts. Before taking his own life, he shot eight of the ten girls, killing five. The only light in this dark story was the reaction of the Amish community. Within hours of the shootings, the Amish showed up at the door of Robert’s widow. They did not show up demanding revenge. They showed up to offer her comfort and support. How can you question the faith of these people? Can anyone question your faith? How easy is it for you to forgive, as you have been forgiven? Jesus came to illuminate our dark past.

Jesus came to illuminate our dark present. In other words, Jesus told us how to live. The world tells the key to a happy life is making yourself the star of your life. You do that by accumulating possessions and getting a surplus of attention. There is a certain amount of logic to that philosophy. The only problem is it does not work. Michael Jackson, Elvis Pressley, Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain had more money and fame then they could handle. Do you consider their lives to be happy lives? Jesus said the key to living a happy life is making someone else the star in your life. I know we need a certain amount of money to survive and I know we all need a certain amount of attention. I know that Jesus’ key to a happy life does not make logical sense, but it is true. Research tells us that people who serve others live longer happier lives.

Years ago, the Salvation Army was holding their international convention. They wanted their founder, Gen. William Booth (1829-1912), to be their keynote speaker. The problem was Booth was old and weak. He could not speak because he could not go. So, he wired the convention his speech. It was one word! The one word: “OTHERS.” Do you wish you could hear a one-word sermon? Jesus came to illuminate our dark past. Jesus came to illuminate our dark present.

Jesus came to illuminate our dark future. Without Jesus there is no hope of heaven. During this calendar year, I have officiated at 34 funerals. They have all been different, but they end the same way. I ended each one of those services with these words. Perhaps, you remember them from your sad day. Jesus was born in the normal way, but he lived an extraordinary life. He never committed a single sin, which made him the prefect sacrifice. He was executed Roman style and his body was placed in a tomb. His loved ones grieved for him. That all happened on a Friday. No one knew what would happen later that weekend. Jesus returned from the dead. That resurrection changed everything. Without the resurrection of Jesus, there is no hope of eternal life. However, with the resurrection of Jesus we have hope of eternal life. Who is the first person you want to see when you get to heaven? Jesus came to illuminate our dark past. Jesus came to illuminate our dark present. Jesus came to illuminate your dark future.

For 51 years, Bob Edens was blind. That is a long to be living in the dark, trying to experience our world with just sounds and smells. Then it happened. A skilled surgeon performed a complicated operation, and, for the first time, Bob Edens had sight. Can you imagine? He was overwhelmed. He said, “I never would have dreamed that yellow is so…yellow. Red is so red. Purple is so purple.” he exclaimed. “I can see the shape of the moon and the vapor trail of a jet.” He said, “At night, I love to look at the light of the stars.” How many people do you know are blind?

How many people do you know are spiritually blind? Optometrists tell us that light is required to see. Your eyes can work perfectly, but without light you cannot see a thing! The brightest light that has ever shined is Jesus, God incarnate. How bright is Christ’s light? It is bright enough to illuminate your dark past. There is forgiveness in Christ. It is bright enough to illuminate your dark present. The key to a happier more content life is serving others. It is bright enough to illuminate your dark future. Someday all of us of faith are going to heaven. Do you remember the quote from John Hagee? He once said, “The fundamental principle of Christianity is to be what God is, and he is light.”