“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

It’s hard to sleep in the daylight. Oh, it can be done, but most people only sleep soundly in the dark hours of the night. Darkness is creeping over this world, and Christians are getting sluggish. It seems as if most who claim to be Christians have become drowsy because of the darkness of worldly ways and are ready to sleep.

Fighting the darkness is tough and seems overwhelming. Instead of looking at the world and seeing a mission field, many people just figure that somebody else can share the Gospel. Ho-hum, are you getting sleepy? Why should we care? The answer to that question is that if you’re a born-again Christian, you should have a desire to share the Gospel with friends, family, and complete strangers.

Christians hold the Light of God within us, so let your light shine! “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Live your life so others can see Jesus living in you. Jesus gave a command to His disciples. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

These words were spoken by Jesus to His disciples just before He ascended into heaven. Did the disciples think, “Ho-hum, there’s time for preaching the Gospel tomorrow,” or did they get busy shining the Light of God into the dark and wicked world?

Darkness had been in the world, but now Satan had a new target: Christians. He thought that with Jesus out of the way, he could easily silence these men and ruin God’s plan for humanity. Satan was wrong. The disciples remembered all of what Jesus taught them and took their marching orders seriously, and they got busy.

Were they afraid? Yes. Their lives were in danger because of preaching the Gospel, but they wouldn’t hide from Jesus’ command to them. They had power from the Holy Spirit. Jesus had breathed upon them and filled them with the Holy Spirit, but during Pentecost, they were set on fire for the Lord.

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

What an amazing power they had. Brothers and sisters, that same power is in us today. Every Christian is sealed with the Holy Spirit. “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

That power is in every Christian, but we’re falling asleep. The world is getting dark, and zzzz, we are sleeping.

I watch many videos on YouTube. I don’t have television reception because it seems to me that most of what passes for entertainment is simply Satan using the airwaves. I have stumbled across some wonderful channels that teach Scripture and inspire me. One is by a young organist who walks through the English countryside to find ancient country churches. He gives the history of the stone church and then finds the organ, where he plays beautiful music. As I watch, I think of the generations of people who have worshipped there through the centuries, and I’m reminded of the importance of Christianity in history.

I also watch videos of various “street preachers” and am saddened by the resistance they seem to face. Still, they preach God’s truth. One video I watched recently talked of the fact that in England, a person can be arrested for speaking of Jesus. What a contrast between the days when the stone churches were built and when faith rang out in word and song.

Today, Satanic darkness is trying to silence God’s truth; ho-hum, zzzz. Have the English fallen asleep? Have Americans or Canadians or Germans or the French?

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Romans 13:12).

Ho-hum, darkness is falling, and Christians are falling asleep. Zzzzz. Wake up! Onward Christian soldiers! Get that armor on and fearlessly take a stand for Christ. Don’t allow our voice to be silenced. Let the Light of Jesus shine through you and overpower the darkness of evil.

The darkness that’s creeping throughout the world isn’t darkness caused by a moonless night or the sun being dimmed by storm clouds. The darkness in the world is evil and comes from Satan, who only wants to destroy people. Is there any way to stop this evil?

The God of all creation is able, and He allows us to work with Him. Most Christians have a “ho hum” attitude and either ignore or join in on the sin that is permeating the world. Some have decided to just close their eyes and sleep through it all. We have Scripture to guide us, and when we read it through the Light of the Holy Spirit, God’s word will be illuminated to light our path.

“NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). 

May we be led by the Light of God and allow the Holy Spirit to give us the power to stand against the evil.

As Christians, our sins are forgiven, and when we repent of sin, we must turn away from following the darkness of Satan; we must live in the Light of Jesus. Sin matters and is defined by God. It isn’t “updated” to change with the moral (or immoral) lifestyles of modern society.

When we have a ho-hum attitude toward God’s truth, we mock Him. Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood to take our sin away. Temptation will always be there, but be strong and “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Come out of the darkness and into the Light.

The overshadowing darkness has been a slow, step-by-step process brought about by Satan. This never could have happened if Christians hadn’t let the darkness lull us to sleep. Are we ashamed of our Lord?

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

Jesus Christ died to purchase our salvation, but too many Christians hide in the darkness of the world. Every sin can be forgiven, but repentance is necessary.

The Apostle Paul wasn’t always a good guy. He was filled with anger, pride, and hate. His goal in life was to punish the Jewish people who recognized Christ as their Messiah. On his way to Damascus to arrest the Christians who had fled there to escape persecution, he met Jesus.

“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven” (Acts 9:3).

Jesus spoke to him from that light, and Paul’s life was changed. The darkness of evil that had controlled him was outshone by the Light of the Lord. Paul was often arrested for spreading the Gospel, and in his testimony before Agrippa, he spoke of his conversion on the road to Damascus.

“And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou has seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee: Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:15-18).

This was the purpose for Paul’s life, and because he obeyed his marching orders, just as the original disciples had obeyed their marching orders, Paul spread the Gospel to the Gentiles; his letters were written through the Holy Spirit and stand through the ages as God’s truth.

God’s word never changes. Each of us has a calling from God. Not all of us have orders to go into foreign lands and spread the Gospel, but we all have orders from Jesus to wake up and spread His light to a darkening world. Too many preachers compromise God’s truth in order to not upset the congregation. After all, if anyone is offended by their sin being condemned, they won’t put money in the offering. Ho hum, does it really matter?

People like to take the forgiveness Jesus has to offer, but have no intention of changing their lifestyle to honor Christ. Ho hum, who cares? Our children are taught lies in school while prayer is forbidden; sin is raging, and people are dying with no hope of eternal life. Zzzz, just let me sleep.

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

Wake up! It does matter.

Remember the way the world was prior to the flood of Noah? There was only one way to be saved, and that was through leaving sin behind and entering the Ark. Jesus is our Ark today, but people choose the darkness of sin.

“But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:23).

Remember the fire and brimstone which fell on Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness and the sin of homosexuality? God gave Lot and his family a way of salvation, but they had to leave the sin behind and not look back. Lot’s wife chose to look back at the sin rather than fully accepting God’s grace.

“But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26).

This was an important lesson used by Jesus when speaking of the end times. “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). 

God’s judgment is coming, and during the final seven years, the darkness will be thick. Christians will have been taken Home, and the Holy Spirit will no longer indwell people. He will still be working in the world but won’t indwell people. Today is the day to wake up to God’s light and the power of the Holy Spirit. Come away from the darkness of sin and follow 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).

You can’t follow Him if you’ve fallen asleep, and you’ll fall asleep if you just don’t care.

First, you just don’t care, ho-hum, then you fall asleep, zzzz, and Satan takes another step to silence God. Time is short, and this isn’t the time to have a ho-hum attitude or fall asleep. We have our marching orders, and all of us need to be wide awake to fight in this war.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

It’s happened again. A madman opened fire on a school and children were killed, injured, and traumatized. This type of thing happens way too often, and must stop. If you listen to the news media, it sounds as if the gun walked into a school and began shooting. Never mind that a person held the gun and pulled the trigger. I’m not trying to make light of this, but the gun isn’t the problem. Throughout history, ways have been found to murder people even before the invention of gunpowder. Murder is never acceptable, nor is it excusable.

According to Collins dictionary, murder is “The deliberate and illegal killing of a person.” It’s God who says that murder is a sin. “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). The word “kill” is from the Hebrew word “rasah,” which means “murder.”

Jesus put it into stronger language than just taking the life of another. “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:21-22).

Words and actions come from thoughts, and we need to conform our thoughts, words, and actions to God’s ways.

What was the first murder committed? The Sunday school answer is “Cain killed his brother.” Yes, he did, but that wasn’t the first murder. All evil has its beginning with Satan. God specifically told Adam, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17).

That seems very clear. God gave the command to Adam who was to be sure the commandment was kept. Then, God brought Eve into being. Adam should have obeyed God, but it seems he was more willing to please Eve than to obey God. Eve decided to have a conversation with Satan who manifested in the form of a serpent.

The lies began, and God’s truth was twisted. It started innocent enough, but that just covered up the evil that was to come. The question was whether God said it was good to eat from every tree in the garden. You see how subtle that is? God said “every tree except the tree of knowledge of good and evil,” but Satan took God’s words out of context. Eve spoke up and said all except the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but then she expanded on God’s words and said they weren’t even to touch it. Little changes can cause big trouble. God did say that eating the fruit would bring death, but Satan kept planting doubt. He told Eve that they wouldn’t die, but would be like gods. Eve believed the liar and ate the fruit, then gave it to Adam and he ate.

Murder had taken place. The weapon? Not a gun, but words, lies, and twisting God’s truth. Adam and Eve found out that God’s truth is real and only He can be trusted, while Satan’s lies only bring death. What about today? Can words kill? Let’s look at a few of Satan’s lies that bring death to people.

“It isn’t a baby it’s just a few cells. It’s your body and your choice.” Really? The choice comes before you take part in an activity that creates a baby. I know, I know, rape happens, but most abortions happen because the baby is inconvenient. Words can also be used to convince a young woman she’s too fat and should diet. When anorexia takes over her body, death may soon follow. What about the gang that convinces a young man that he must prove his manhood by killing? That killing might be done with a gun, but words motivated it. Remember that all sin is forgivable if repentance is from the heart. There is no sin so great that God’s love won’t forgive. Jesus died to save us from our sin, and He is our only hope.

So, Adam and Eve were evicted from Eden. They didn’t drop dead immediately after eating the fruit, but death hung over them. In Eden, they were immortal, but their choice brought death to them and the generations that have followed. They could only watch helplessly as their children, grandchildren, and following generations disobeyed God and brought evil upon themselves. God set the example of blood sacrifice when He killed an animal to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness. They left the Garden, and then their children were born.

The firstborn was Cain, then his brother Abel was born. They were taught about sacrifices and what God had done to cover sin. Cain and Abel grew, and Cain became a farmer while Abel was a shepherd. One day, both Cain and Abel brought offerings to God. Cain brought fruit which he had grown, while Abel brought the first born from his flock. Cain brought the works of his hands, while Abel brought an offering that was acceptable to God.

Not everything people do in the name of God is acceptable to God. Cain gave an offering that was easy for him but was his own works instead of what God required; he became angry because his offering wasn’t acceptable. Cain thought about the situation, and his anger grew. “And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him” (Genesis 4:8). Was the murder done with a rock or did Cain strangle Abel? Maybe he used a sharpened blade of some kind. Whatever he used, it certainly wasn’t a gun.

Murder is evil, but I’m trying to point out that banning guns won’t solve the problem. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

Our only hope is Jesus, but Christians have become woke and think that God’s truth should be “updated.” God is banned from schools and government, but Satan is welcomed in with his lies and deception. Instead of speaking out against ungodly laws, we have failed to stand firm upon God’s truth. Demons are real, and drugs can open the way for demon possession. A normal person doesn’t murder. The enemy isn’t people, but the enemy is the same one who lied to Eve and who entered into Judas, causing him to betray Jesus.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). 

We must understand who the enemy is and know that Satan has no rights to those of us who belong to Christ. Satan is powerless when confronted by the power of the Holy Spirit that resides in every Christian. Why is it that Christians seem to hide that power under a bushel rather than letting it shine for all to see?

Jesus is our example. He loved people but would not put up with anyone who mocked God. One day, He had a confrontation with the religious leaders who refused to understand the truth. They called Him names, and Jesus clearly explained the truth to them.

“Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:42-44).

Demons are real, but Christians refuse to acknowledge them. Satan is their leader, and he is the father of lies.

If you study the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, it will answer many of the questions about the sin that is engulfing our world today. If you pay attention, you can see that violence, hatred, and sin are increasing. That, of course, is prophetic. Everything is falling into place, and Christians need to hold fast to the promises of Jesus. We need Jesus. This fallen world needs Him, and Christians need to share the Gospel. Parents, take control of your children.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). 

Don’t allow the schools to twist truth in the same way that Satan twisted God’s truth to Eve. Set boundaries as to the video games your children play. I’ve seen advertisements for games that are so violent they shouldn’t be allowed. No Christian should even consider playing these games. It’s hard to understand how children who grew up watching Mr. Rogers, Barney (I love you, you love me…), Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, and other shows designed to teach children to read and be kind to others, can so easily murder innocent people. Maybe demonic evil is behind it. Instead of banning Jesus, stand upon His truth.

Jesus spoke of “signs” that would happen at the end of time, and all of those signs are manifesting and getting stronger. His first warning was against deception. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4).

If He warned the men who had followed Him closely, shouldn’t we take His warning seriously? Are you filled with pride, thinking you cannot be deceived? Just because Hollywood puts out a movie or television show that looks as if it is Biblical, don’t be deceived. Have they twisted God’s words? What about your 6-year-old who is taught by teachers that evolution, not God, created everything, and she/he can choose to be he/she? Again, I say, study Romans chapter 1. The Ten Commandments are banned from schools, while explicit books are in the library with instructions about deviant sexual practices. It seems only God is banned in schools.

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12). Iniquity is disregard for the law, and that’s what this violence is all about. Crime is out of control in many cities, but when police step in to stop it, there’s public outcry. It seems as if people are demanding the right to kill each other. The love of many is icy cold. Jesus is our only hope.

Brothers and sisters, we must stop allowing Satan to continue his rampage. He was defeated at the cross. Instead of sitting quietly watching friends and family die in their sin, Christians need to share the Gospel; we need to explain to them why sinners need Jesus for salvation.

“For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The death spoken of here is eternal damnation; eternal life comes only through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Trust Him and confess your sin to Him. Earnestly ask Him to forgive you, and He will. Jesus is our only hope.

God bless you all

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).