from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2Y1ow6n
via IFTTT Darkness. There are many types of darkness. This man, this false prophet, lived in darkness. He was spiritually blind. He spent his life profiting from walking with others in this darkness. His heart and mind were dark. Feeling, direction, and understanding were clouded by this darkness. You see, without God, without Jesus, there is no light. Those who refuse Jesus as the saviour are in darkness. Though they may be educated, trained, practice, there is no light without Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world, there is no other light. All else is darkness. We often fool ourselves into thinking that we or someone else has some shade of light, some useful understanding in some areas. But without Christ, it is darkness. And darkness can not enlighten. How can it? Today we live in a strange world. So many proclaim light, but deny Christ. If Christ is the light, the only light, all else is dark. What they proclaim is not light, but death. It may look appealing, feel appealing, may even make sense, but wisdom says that what they say can not be light if they deny Christ. The path they lead others down, is dark and dreary. Examples are everywhere today. In education, in medical care, in science, in psychology, in child raising. You name it, there is a professional there who proclaims light in their field. But without Christ, yes, it is still darkness! Here this man that was dark inside, was touched by God to become physically blind in order to show himself as well as others the extent of his darkness. He was struck blind and could not find his way home. Just as he was spiritually blindd, God gave him physical blindness. He let the man and others see the extent of the blindness by bringing the blindness from the inside to the outside. Was that cruel? No! God taught this man and those around him a powerful lesson that stands to this day. If we proclaim light while denying Christ, we are truly blind. It is merciful for God to clearly show this truth while this man was alive instead of letting him live in darkness and die in darkness. God gave him a chance through a dose of reality. God showed this man great mercy. Darkness is evil, and all that is built in darkness is suspect. What does this mean for us? Be careful! Be cautious who we trust. If anyone in authority denies Christ (i.e. believes evolution instead of creation) that person is not to be trusted! They are building in darkness. One can not believe in evolution and Jesus. Since Jesus preached creation as a physical event as described in Genesis, those who deny biblical creation make Jesus to be a liar or at least mistaken. Either way, Jesus could not be the Christ. Therefore they deny Christ and are devoid of wisdom. Be careful who you trust. Wisdom starts with a healthy fear of God. Wisdom starts with the fact that God is as written in scripture. Anyone, regardless of credentials, training, education, practice, is but a fool if they deny Jesus or deny biblical creation. This is a tough truth to swallow, especially in today's world so centered on praising man's wisdom while compartmentalizing God and church. To accept this truth means a life change. It means trusting God in every aspect of life: health, finances, employment, education, politics, etc. Nothing is apart from God and scripture. Nothing. Blind Faith in any other source is... Well.. blindness. We are called to walk and live in the light. To spread the light. We can only do that once we rely on the light completely in every aspect of life. Trust God, find wisdom by standing on a firm foundation of scripture. God is faithful when we trust Him first
