Even In The Darkness

The world we live in continues to become darker and darker each day. Ever since June 22nd, the nights become shorter as we continue to lose daylight until next spring.

And we, as a society, seem to be OK with it as long as it doesn't infringe upon our activities and we are able to turn on some lights in order that we can see what we are doing.

I sit in my favorite coffee shop trying to write this as conversation at the table next to me wafts over into my ears. Sitting at the table are five people who are each in their late sixties or early seventies.

As best as I can hear, the conversation stems from two main characters who talk of seminary and church policy and discuss as those who are in authority have squashed them by saying "no" to their very liberal theology. I get the distinct impression that one of them has had their credentials removed for their theology.

 

The conversation is loud and aggressive and filled with passion from hurt by individuals who have areas of hypocrisy in their own lives.

Quickly others around the table quip that times have changed and the church needs to speed up with the times as they try to console the two people with (in my opinion) some very bad arguments that are mostly based upon subjective feelings; not actually study and research.

Unfortunately these people have been hurt by those above them who have tried to shove theology down their throats as they ignore their very real hurts. They all appear to want to follow the Lord as they try to justify their interpretation of what is truth. They all appear to be sweet people made in the image and likeness of the One who made them.

But, I must add, even though we live in a country in which we vote as we attempt to legislate morality, that has no bearing on what the Lord says is truth.

The world we live in continues to become darker and darker each day. Just when we hear about some crime that seems inconceivable, another even more heinous crime is reported. Just when we think that we will eventually not allow activities, we continue to legislate as we move (once again) the boundaries of what we deem as acceptable in our society.

We, as a society, seem to be OK with it as long as others don't infringe upon "our rights" or preferences or activities and others can't see what we are doing. Or as long as we can create some sort of artificial light to create the illusion that the darkness is actually light.

Darkness seems to continue to crowd out the light as we have become a society in which those who call darkness wrong are seen as the odd and intolerant ones. Society has become a place where the only intolerance that isn't accepted is when someone is intolerant regarding your beliefs.

Society calls evil good, and good evil; puts darkness for light, and light for darkness; puts bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

And yet, the good news is that even in the darkness, the Lord reigns!

"Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You." (Psalm 139:12)

Even in the darkness His mercy and grace are calling out for all of us to turn back to what He calls good and right and true; away from our own distorted truth and interpretation of His rules.

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined." (Isaiah 9:2)

"I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them." (Isaiah 42:16)

"The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:16)

Even in the darkness His Holy Spirit is calling out to each of us to come out to be what He has created us to be:

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Even in the darkness He is calling out to us, reminding us that we are to live differently in this world:

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” (Ephesians 5:8-14)

Even in the darkness He is calling us to be salt and light:

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16)

 

Even in the darkness He calls out for His followers to make a difference as the darkness tries to hide His truth. He is calling for each of us:

"Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." (Isaiah 60:1-3)

Even in the darkness He is still in control

New King James Version (NKJV)

All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Cost to Clear Your Cache

As you browse the Internet, everything you view is saved to the cache on your computer. Using cache helps everything load faster because data comes from your hard drive instead of a server in a different part of the world. To conserve hard drive space or keep your browsing private, you can clear or delete the history (cache).

 

When you visit any sites they are stored in a temp file in the cache. History is just really a bookmarking system for your own reference, kind of like favorites but for sites you have visited.

 

Your searches and browsing activity are saved in your Web & App Activity when it's turned on. Thus you are in control of what's saved, and you can delete it or turn the setting off whenever you like.

 

But, if a friend asks to borrow your Smartphone to search for something on the web, you probably don’t want any of your private search queries displaying in the auto-complete area when they start typing in their search terms. The same is also true if you have a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer.

 

It is really easy to remove search items from your web browser's cache and search history. When the “Remove from search history” dialog box displays, you simply touch the “OK.” button. In a click of a mouse button, all searches are wiped away! All is cleared and cleaned up again; pretty simple.

 

But what you may fail to realize is that behind that simple action; there is someone who paid a tremendous price to make that happen. Countless hours of designing and thinking and writing went into creating that simple action. A countless amount of time was spent away from family and friends as the computer programmer “gave his life” so to speak to make this simple action work.

 

When we sin, we too have a “cache” or “history” that stores everything. All your activities are saved in your whole life’s activities and the Bible tells us that we have to give an account for it:

 

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

 

“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13)

 

But the good news is that you do have some control of what's saved, and you can delete it or turn the setting off whenever you like. You simply need to confess your sin and ask for forgiveness

 

 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

 

In fact, God calls us to talk to Him about cleaning up our history/cache:

 

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

 

But what you may fail to realize is that behind that simple action; there is someone who paid a tremendous price to make that happen. A countless hours of designing and thinking and writing went into creating that simple action. Countless amount of time was spent away from family (who misunderstood and rejected Him) and friends as the greatest “programmer” who ever lived literally gave His life to make this “simple” action work. And His name is Jesus.

 

 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9)

 

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18)

 

This “programmer”, Jesus paid the ultimate price by His death, burial, and resurrection so that we can confess our sin and have it erased from the cache and the history is gone! Jesus wiped it out by nailing it to the cross:

 

“Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:11-16)

 

So, how do we clear our cache?

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

 

“For the Lord is our Judge,
The Lord is our Lawgiver,
The Lord is our King;
He will save us” (Isaiah 33:22)

 

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21)

 

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.