That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works. Psalms 26:7 KJV
Luke 11:34-35 ~ 34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. KJV
A little background first, on the book of Luke. Scholars believe that this book was written by Luke and that he also wrote the book of Acts. If they are right then Luke was responsible for writing over 28% of the New Testament, an amount greater than Paul or John. Why? Luke was responsible for recording the life of Christ in an orderly manner, NOT so much chronological but more in a theological order. He also wanted Theophilus to know the truth as he knew it, and today we get to read, study, and get the benefit of this great book of the Bible.
Luke wanted to squelch a teaching that said the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His acts on the cross were only meant for Gentiles. He wanted Theophilus to know that Jesus died for all men, Jews, Greek, Gentiles!
Luke made clear that the Christian Gospel is
not antisemitic but is rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures’ promise of salvation
to both the Jews and the Gentiles. “The Way” exposes the
spiritual promises to Israel. The reason it appears to be primarily Gentile in nature is because the Jews rejected the
message of Jesus as Messiah, and this is still true today. Nevertheless, the Jews
as a people are not rejected by God, they are HIS chosen people. Jesus is the Hope of Israel and the Light of the World. Only through Him can men be saved. We know many missionaries who have been called to reach the Jews with this very Gospel that will insure them a home in heaven, and many pray for the Jews daily!
So, what do our verses mean for us today? What can we learn? Why are they written in this context? Luke is implying that we all have a dark and a light side in us. Speaking of evil and good identifying for us the true nature of man. You probably already know about the symbolism of good and evil - the two opposing sides of life that balance each other. And you probably have heard the story of the two wolves which resonates within us because it is about the Good and Evil that lives inside us all.
Even if you know the story of the Wolf You Feed, you should re-read it and then read it over and over as it brings us new wisdom each time its read. The first time we read this story we realize the importance of not feeding the dark wolf, but that we must not neglect to feed the light
wolf. Read it
slowly, carefully out loud so that the words have time to sink in.
"An old grandfather was teaching his grandson about life:
“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One is
evil–he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt,
resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love,
hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and
faith. The same fight is going on inside you–and inside every other person,
too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his
grandfather: “Which wolf will win?”
The grandfather simply replied, “The one you feed.”
He was implying that if you feed them right, they both win and so do you. Both have good qualities. The black wolf has many qualities that we need, tenacity, courage, strong willed, and great strategic thinking. These are things the white wolf lacks. Take some time to reflect on how we can maintain the balance between the light wolf and the dark wolf so that both wolves will serve us. Who will we serve? Who will rule over our souls? Luke shares with us that even in olden days, men would always be fighting good vs. evil. There is only one way by which we can win over evil. Jesus Christ. John 8:12 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.
Christian, when we got saved, we are still in a battle. We are living in an imperfect world as imperfect people. We will never be perfect until that day the LORD calls us home. BUT we can be closer to the light than the dark. How? Attend church, gather up together with those that are like you, listen to men of God preach the Word, read, study, know that the Bible is your source of all that you are. The Bible is our roadway to Heaven and our knowledge of all that is good and evil. That day Adam and Eve fell in the garden, changed our lives completely. But God!
Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Thank you, Lord, for my salvation! Can you say you are saved? Are you sure of heaven? Has evil (dark) taken over your life and you don't know where to turn? Turn to Jesus, "THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!"
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
The Light of the World is Jesus
The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin,
The Light of the world is Jesus!
Like sunshine at noonday, His glory shone in.
The Light of the world is Jesus!
Come to the light, 'tis shining for thee;
Sweetly the light has dawned upon me.
Once I was blind, but now I can see:
The Light of the world is Jesus!
If you don't know Him, come to Him today!
Tom & Linda Milam
Missionaries to America and around the world
May we be faithful as your Missionaries.
Philippians 2:16
Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
Lord, help us to be worthy of your sacrifice, securing our souls with the Light of your life and sacrifice. May Your light shine in and through us as our reasonable service to You. Save the lost, encourage the saints please. And help us to be wise, studied up, aware, and faithful to You, giving YOU all our best with an open loving heart for the ministry and people. Help us Lord, to be wise in our home life and all that is going on with that. Thank you in advance, Lord, for working out our situation for a home in FL. Thank you to all who are praying for us. I pray for those who have given of their finances, and that You will continue to supply. We know You are our Great Provider, and we can't thank you enough. We thank You Lord for Your wonderful mercy in Tom's eyes and ask that You heal him completely or at least allow the medication to work. Lord I also bring my eyes before you and the important appointment I have tomorrow. Thank You for Dr. Gallogly, and Dr. Leitenbauer who found the problem I am experiencing in my "good eye". We ask Lord, that You would heal our dear friends and family. Bless our daughters, Nina, Jennifer, and Lita their husbands, children, grandchildren; especially with Lita's health we ask for Your healing touch in every area of her life. We love You Lord and thank You for first loving us. Amen.
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