Thursday, February 21, 2013

Give contemporary examples of "darkness" and its remedies.BIB 547-2 - 20-4

“A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.” Joel 2:2 (KJV) Now that’s real darkness, however, we have the promise of the light of Jesus.

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12 (KJV)

The closest I ever came to total physical darkness was on a country road after an argument and stating that I would walk home. It was a dark moonless and starless night and I was quickly in total darkness. After stumbling a few hundred feet I swallowed my pride and got back in the car. It wasn't just fear of the total darkness; it was the helplessness of knowing that I was several miles from home and had no idea how to find my way.

To me my experience on that dark road would be a fraction of the fear and the pain of being in darkness without Jesus. So what is the “Lake of fire” and eternal damnation? To me hell would be the darkness and burning of the soul due to being removed from the presence of God for eternity.

CM referred to several occurrences of darkness in history including:

"May 19, 1780, New England, "The Dark Day", was somewhat explained as follows: The primary cause of the event is believed to have been a combination of smoke from forest fires, a thick fog, and cloud cover. The darkness was so complete that candles were required from noon on. It did not disperse until the middle of the next night."

Mar 19, 1886, Central Wisconsin, 10 minutes of darkness: “No one can explain the wave of darkness that swept over Oshkosh, ….."

I couldn't agree more with CM’s comment about Spiritual darkness; in a cultural war, truth is the first casualty was attested to by:

Evolution
Palestinian occupation misrepresentation
Church Legalism rather then grace
Nanny state Government rather than personal responsibility
Psychology
Islam is a peaceful religion, you think?
Far left Media
Schools corrupting the minds of our children

As for a remedy for darkness, keeping our minds centered on God and His Word. My favorite hymn is “It Is Well With My Soul” by Horatio Gates Spafford. Mr. Stafford had experienced great personal tragedy and could still write:
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!”

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