The Thickening Darkness

Darkness.  It was upon the face of the deep before God spoke the universe into existence (Genesis 1:2). Then God separated the light from the darkness (Genesis 1:4). Soon, darkness came to represent more than just the lack of physical light.  Darkness would now describe the lack of spiritual light and indicate a separation from God Who is the Light.  Samuel wrote: "For you are my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness. (II Samuel 22:29) God's will is that we live in the light, in righteousness (I John 1:7). But at times, the thickening darkness can envelope our spirits and smother us as a heavy blanket.

            Solomon described people "who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness "(Proverbs 2:13).  Would anyone really choose darkness over light? Are there those who "call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20)? But the truth is that each of us was once full of darkness.  We were living in the "domain of darkness." (Colossians 1:13)  But God has "called us out of darkness into His marvelous light" (I Peter 2:9).  

            You may feel encompassed by darkness. Dark thoughts or a dark past, but there is a light that overpowers the darkest of places.  Jesus Christ has "come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in [Him] may not remain in darkness." (John 12:46) The darkness in your life and the darkness that dwells in you can become bright like the sun by the power of the Son!  Jesus sent Paul to preach to the Gentiles (us) "to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' (Acts 26:18)

            Now, "The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12).  The darkness of the world and of the devil, do not win! "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57) It's time to stop being afraid of the dark and love and live in the Light!

----Darrell Powell

The Christ Life

“Arms stretched out wide, barely hanging on to life, and left to suffer on His own.”  He came to serve and save the entire world, but somehow ended up alone.  He calls us to walk a vertical life...one aimed toward Him.  Perhaps that seems a little less demanding and more deserving when we think about  the road He walked alone so that we would never have to take even one lonely step.  “Because of all the blood an tears He shed, we never have to know that kind of loneliness.” (from Never Walk Alone—Brian Free)

The “Christ life” is possible because of Jesus.  It wouldn't just be lonely, but it would be impossible to succeed without Him.

This life I’m speaking of is a beautiful and precious gift Christians enjoy.  The joy isn’t always obvious.  In fact, some days you really have to dig deep to see the real life that’s “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).  It’s in this hope that our lives truly begin.

Real life is hidden.  Real happiness isn’t usually found lying around for us to accidentally stumble upon.  It is found in Christ when we decide we “cannot keep on sinning because [we have] been born of God” (I John 3:9).  It’s found when we go the extra mile to serve others and make bold stands for Christ.

I know there are so many things that block our view of real life.  There are negative, hateful, and prejudiced people.  There are societal pressures to conform instead of transform.  Then, we stand in our own way when we decide to focus too much on any one aspect of life in Christ.  It’s easy to get so burdened with details of faith that we neglect important matters like “justice and mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23).  When I’m tempted to get tunnel vision, I need to be reminded that our lives shouldn’t just be about Christ.  Christ should BE our life! “When Christ WHO IS YOUR LIFE appears...; ...To live IS Christ…” (Colossians 3:4; Philippians 1:21 emp. Added).

Which direction is your life taking you?  Don’t let anything or anyone keep you from the life with Christ in God.  It is the only life with hope and promise.

——Darrell Powell

Stained Glass Masquerade

Is there anyone who fails? Anyone who falls short of the purpose and life God wants for us…that He asks us to live? Now, let me clarify…I’m not talking about the failures and struggles that are easy to admit. Many of us, with good intentions, readily admit that we struggle with the “socially acceptable” sins. I’ll vaguely fess up to having problems with gossip, bitterness, wrath, maybe the occasional impure thought, greed, pride, and even hatred.  But we are still understandably reluctant to confess to one another that we are in a tough fight against some really ugly temptations.

Do you ever wonder if you’re the only person who feels small/inadequate? Especially when you attend a worship assembly. Maybe you are thinking everyone else seems so strong, and that they’ll soon figure out that you are an imposter? So, in reaction to this fear/feeling, we tuck our struggles neatly away…out of sight. We put barriers around our weaknesses and we smile to hide the hurt we feel.

But wait! Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:3-4) I can’t help but feel that we are short changing one another in this area. If we are blessed when we acknowledge how spiritually poor/lost we are without Jesus…but we cover up the parts of our lives that humble us the most, how do we receive the blessing? If we are blessed when we mourn, but we hide the parts of our lives that cause us to mourn spiritually…how can the rest of the body comfort us?

That’s what we are, right?  Different parts of the same body. “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26-27) The rest of the body should mourn with us when we mourn, but they can’t if we never provide them with the opportunity by sharing our struggles with each other. “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16)

The body of Christ IS a loving body. It is a merciful, forgiving body. Jesus sent Paul to preach to the Gentiles (us) "to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith...” (Acts 26:18) And if you are tormented and concealing your imperfections with a grin, know that healing begins when we step into the light.

----Darrell Powell

(Title and some thoughts taken from the Casting Crowns song, "Stained Glass Masquerade.")

Pursue Peace

            Paul said in Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”  While Paul surely meant to convey the idea of being at peace with others, it seems that there is more to it than that.  Notice the phrase that he used: “live peaceably.”  One Psalmist said, “…seek peace and pursue it.”  (Psalm 34:14.)  Living peaceably means we are seeking peace always.  Being a peacemaker (Matthew 5:9) is more likely to happen when we are living peaceably. 

            Many times I’ve read Romans 12:18 and concentrated on the first half of the verse – “If it is possible, as much as depends on you.”  It's true some folks won't let you live in peace, but that does not free us from the responsibility of seeking peace.  This means, I should avoid speaking evil against those who make peace illusive. (I Peter 3:10)  We should never cause disputes or quarrels, but this still does not mean that we will not be the objects of persecution. 

            “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”  (II Timothy 3:12.)  It is a certainty that the righteous will be afflicted, yet we must still pursue peace.  Jesus said, “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.”  (Matthew 5:39-40.)  Maintaining peace can be downright hard, and God knows exactly how much we are capable of doing to achieve it. Could you be doing more?

            The prophet, Zechariah, said, “Love the truth and peace.”  (Zechariah 8:19.)  To keep peace, a person has to love peace.  Jesus would certainly have acknowledged that there are some who do not even like peace.  But as Christians, we should show the world our love for God’s peace.  Do you promote peace among your classmates, your co-workers, and your family?  Do you strive to keep peace in the body of Christ?  “And if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably.”  “Though it be but barely possible, labour after it.”  (Adam Clarke’s Commentary.)

----Darrell Powell

Movies Without Language or Scenes

       Growing up, my big brother and I had funny ways of describing the content of movies.  If we wanted to watch a particular film, we would appeal to our good parents by saying, "I don't think this movie has any language in it!"  And my brother might add, "And it doesn't have any scenes in it either!"  Wow, a movie without any language or scenes in it...sounds great.  Of course, we were claiming it had no foul language or inappropriate scenes.  It's a good thing for children to be concerned about the content of TV and movies, especially in a world where said content is dominated by immorality.  On a positive note, I want to tell you about an option for those who desire more control over the content of the movies they watch.

            ClearPlay is a company that provides families with a couple ways to completely remove unwanted parts of movies watched at home.  Their services allow you to filter out foul language (including vain references to God), nudity, sexual content, vulgarity, violence, and more.  It is also customizable, with settings that adjust from no filter up to a high filter that should block out all of any given category.  For instance, in watching a movie like Saving Private Ryan, one could set the filter to edit out all profanity, but leave a level of violence since the film is a depiction of war.

            By visiting www.clearplay.com, you can choose from two options, depending on your preferred movie watching format.  The ClearPlay Player lets you view Blu-Ray disks and DVD's.  For $299.00 you can get the player and 12 months of their filtering service.  Then, for those who prefer streaming their movies, for $79.99 per year, you have access to the ClearPlay filters on all movies you rent or purchase from Google Play (though the company is working on partnerships with other venues like Netflix and Amazon).

            Many of us learned as children the Proverb, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23)  Not everything we watch may corrupt our hearts, but with options like ClearPlay out there, why wouldn't every Christian want to take advantage of the extra protection. 

----Darrell Powell

If I Could Put Time in a Bottle

"Trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble. For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

God created time. Though it sometimes seems as if our calendars, mobile devices, and alarm clocks do, it is actually God who controls time. All those tools can do is measure the time as it passes.

God created time and he uses it to direct and guide us into walking with Him. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). While we tend to think in terms of days or  weeks, God wants us to get our eyes on eternity.

Speaking of time, where does God want us to be in 10 years? We won't be able to name a city, state, and country, but there are things we can be sure of.  He wants us to be further from the devil and nearer to Him in 10 years than we are today (James 4:7-8). What should our priorities be if we want to get to where God wants us to go? Getting there is about making the "small" right choices that get us closer by the day. The road to heaven isn't paved with big events or programs, but with humility and service to our loving God.

Time is just a temporary tool God is using to bring us into eternity. What if you only have ten years to live? Would you set your priorities differently? But here's the tough question: What stops you from setting them like that now?

Time moves faster than we think. When I married my Jamie almost 13 years ago, I thought, “Wow, how am i already old enough to get married? Where does the time go?” And now, in what seems like only a passing moment, we have a 6 and a 3 year old.

So, what will you do with the rest of the time that God gives you with your family?

What about the time He is giving you to serve Him?

----Darrell Powell

Before the Sun Sets

We don't enjoy thinking about physical death.  And we all deal with things in our own ways.  Some use humor, while others refuse to address the topic at all.  I guess one of the best parts of being a Christian the hope that death isn't the end...in fact, it's the beginning of something better.  Like Paul wrote, “to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21).  And if we are walking in the light, then “to die is gain.”  The most beautiful sunset isn't just one that is pleasing to the eyes.  A sunset that marks the end of a day spent giving your all, now that's something to celebrate.  What will you do before the sun sets for the last time on your life? 

            Moses said it right, “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away” (Psalms 90:10).  Time is precious, partly because none of us knows how much we have left.  But we were never meant to live here eternally.  “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”  So, we ought to live our lives with the attitude that, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:13-15). 

            One sure thing about life is that it will end, so, why place hope and trust in anything in this world?  Where are you storing up your treasures? “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt 6:19-20). 

            Hope.  Do you have it?  Christians can take comfort in these words: “…Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on…that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!" (Revelation 14:13). 

----Darrell Powell