Page 14 - REVEALED MAGAZINE WINTER 2023

We will never hear light associated with evil, bad, or trouble because light is right. Colorful lights decorating homes, landscaping,
and driveways are a fun indicator of a joyous time of year when it's Christmas. When a baby is born, he exits through his mother's
birth canal and enters a room with bright light where many have been anticipating his arrival with happiness. Traffic lights demand
our attention telling us when to go, proceed with caution, and when to stop and allow other drivers to pass instead. A mother
plugs in a night-light in a child's room to help ease their fear of darkness when it's bedtime. Light is helpful, good, and it's right.
Jesus is the light of the world leading others to everlasting life but family, we are too!

Before Christ ascended to Heaven, He gave the great commission, otherwise known as instructions, to His disciples regarding what
they were to do in the land in His absence. Jesus said, "I have been given all authority in Heaven and on Earth. Therefore, go and
make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. He said we (as disciples)
should teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to
the end of the age."- Matthew 28:20(NLT) Clear, encouraging, but weighted directions nonetheless! Jesus let His disciples know
that He had been given authority by His Father in all places and therefore, He had permission to instruct others to make disciples.
A disciple is one who not only accepts the doctrines of their teacher but assists in spreading that same doctrine that they have
studied…a light, and we are right for the world. All the commandments given by our Savior aren't a list of things to do or not do
because surely the law was fulfilled when Jesus stepped on the scene!

Jesus Christ became a light in a dark place when many were losing hope that the law could be fulfilled by work done by man. God
looked down from Heaven and saw that His children were failing miserably at following laws and living in love. They were
becoming hypocritical when they whispered at how David danced in praise to our Lord (2 Samuel 6:14). These people were
struggling to honor both religion (faithful devotion to God) and relationship with Him. Just like now the world was full of evil with
their minds set on worthless things. The Word tells us that living this way, we are excluded from a God approved life and our minds
are in darkness (Ephesians 4:17-18). People participate in activities that aren't any good for them like smoking, doing drugs,
drunkenness, violence, and greed. Women have sex with women, men become hateful, and darkness steps in. People do things
like smoking marijuana, popping pills, or doing drugs like Molly because they are lost or because they think that it will make them
feel good, but it won't. It simply leads them down a darker path to destruction and death…but as believers we can be the right
light that the world needs.

Jesus as Truth demonstrates that it is possible to have and be both, and proof that light is both good and necessary. "Then Elohim
said, 'Let there be light!' so there was light."-Genesis 1:3 (GWT) As He created lights in the sky to separate day from night to shine
on the Earth, He looked over and saw that they were good (Genesis 1: 14-18). Jesus was there in the beginning, so ultimately when
He looked over all His work, He declared that all He created was good and right. "Elohim is truly good to Israel, to those whose
lives are pure"-Psalm 73:1 God cannot be anything except good and calls us to always walk in goodness and mercy. As we become
the exuberant light that God called us to be, others will see us, be filled with hope and follow. Let's make sure we are leading them
to Jesus Christ!

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