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I am the light of the world: Jesus’ seven “I AM” statements – 2

Loring Schultz

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12 ESV

Photo by Bruno van der Kraan on Unsplash

Have you ever been kept in the dark about something, unaware of certain situations until they came to light? Once they were revealed to you, the darkness that clouded your thinking was removed and you began to see the situation clearly.

Spiritual darkness works much the same way. The world is blinded by Satan and kept in the dark of Jesus’ message of Salvation. The Bible tells us that “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Cor.11:14 esv) In this deception, Satan tries to convince us that all is well. He appears in many of the false religions of the world and even influences the false prophets portraying themselves as Christian ministers. The last thing Satan wants is for people to come to know the truth about Jesus, and to know of His Salvation plan. Satan’s plan is to keep them in the dark, claiming himself to be light.

Jesus’s second “I am” statement in the gospel of John is “I am the light of the world.” Jesus proclaims those who follow Him will not walk in darkness, confirming there is darkness in the world, spiritual darkness. The apostle John begins his gospel with identifying Jesus as God who made all things and “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (Jn.1:4-5 esv) Becoming aware that Jesus is the light and accepting Him as Savoir instantly dispels the darkness in your life. The dark cloud in your life will be lifted by Jesus, God the Son, the light of the world. May you allow His light this Sunday to penetrate the darkness of your soul and see the situation clearly, Jesus’ love for you.

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The Hand of the Lord     

Loring Schultz

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NLT

This morning, I glanced up on the shelf above my desk and saw my plush ‘Mr. Bill’ figure standing straight up without a care in the world. Mr. Bill was a clay cartoon character in the early days of the late-night show, Saturday Night Live. He was an innocent happy-go-lucky young gent having a fun time as the skit begins but as it began to unfold disaster always found Mr. Bill. Mr. Bill’s misfortunes always came from Mr. Hands who would enter the scene putting together other clay figures to hurt Mr. Bill. As danger was approaching Mr. Bill would yell, ‘Oh Nooooo!’ Mr. Hands may have created Mr. Bill, but those same hands created his enemies as well.

The hand of the Lord is mentioned many times in the Bible. God’s hand is a guiding hand to help and strengthen us in our lives. It is a hand to hold us up and pick us up when we fall. God’s hand is powerful and protective. His hand will never do us harm. God’s hand will not hurt us. But the Lord’s hand is also a hand of discipline. It is a hand of divine judgement for the evil in the world. The book of Hebrews says, “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (10:31 nlt) The same hands will protect and help us but also discipline us when we are not in step with God.

Mr. Hands created Mr. Bill but he was not his protector. Mr. Bill was not being disciplined when disaster struck because he did nothing wrong that we know of. It may seem a strange analogy from a Saturday Night Live skit, but we can praise God that His powerful hand is always moving towards our good for protection or for discipline if needed.

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Geocaching          

Loring Schultz

Read: Jeremiah 29:10-14 NLT – This is what the LORD says: “You will – Bible Gateway

“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:13 NLT

Photo by Du01b0u01a1ng Nhu00e2n on Pexels.com

A few of my family members are into the outdoor recreational activity of ‘geocaching.’ I have not gotten the bug yet. In reality it is an outdoor treasure hunt game, not that there are valuable treasures to be found, but the value is in the hunt. Developed twenty-five years ago, hunters search for items using their GPS devises hidden in the most remote places. These items called ‘geocaches’ are containers with a logbook to sign proving you found it along with little trinkets of some kind to share, you then place in your little surprise. At last reporting in 2023, geocaching is taking place in 191 countries around the world with over 3 million active caches. That’s a lot of trinkets.

This may indeed be more of than game. Perhaps, most games are. In geocaching the primary focus is the search and the reward of finding the cache. This reveals a deep truth about human nature. Deep down all of us are searching for something whether we realize it or not. Games such as geocaching and other activities quench that desire for the moment, but there is always that need to go back. Nothing totally fulfills that empty desire. We need to be constantly engaged in filling that void in our lives through what we find enjoyable and it is the search that keeps us going.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote the Lord’s words to the Jewish exiles in Babylon who were now searching for meaning in their lives. The Lord God said to them, “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” (Jer.29:13 nlt) The Lord promised them a future, He would restore them once again and told them to look for Him. God will hear their prayers and they will find Him right where they are.

If you haven’t accepted Christ as your savior and are still searching, it’s time to end the search. Jesus will meet where you are. Place your trust in Him by finding the cache with the only logbook that matters. (the Lamb’s Book of Life-Rev.21:27) You will receive a true treasure of total fulfillment in Christ’s salvation and eternal life.

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One God One Salvation 

Loring Schultz

Read: Isaiah 43:7-13 NLT – Bring all who claim me as their God, – Bible Gateway

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” John 10:28-30 NLT

Believe it or not, there are approximately 4,000 religions in the world. Common sense tells us they all can’t be right. Although there are many religions there are five that are the most prominent. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism share roughly 80% of the world’s total religions. Again, they all can’t be right. Adhering to anyone of these in total faith and commitment cancels out all the others. You cannot be accepting to all these for the same reason. It doesn’t work. You may think it is inclusion and right for this world, but what about the next one when this life is over. You may be familiar with the ‘coexist’ image. ‘Coexist’ is meant to bring people together through the major religions that we may live in peace in this world. We all know it is not working. ‘Coexist’ is not the way to peace and salvation in this world and certainly not in eternity.

The Hebrew God said in Isaiah, ‘“But you are my witnesses, O Israel!’ says the LORD. ‘You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God—there never has been, and there never will be.’” (Is.43:10 nlt) This same Hebrew God sent His Son Jesus Christ as the Messiah to be the savior of the world both to the Jews and to all who accept Christ in repentance for their sins. Jesus Himself said, “The Father and I are one.” (Jn.10:30 nlt) God the Father says, “I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no other Savior.” (Is.43:11 nlt) Coexist does not exist, it’s One God, One Savior.