This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

1 John 1:5-7

The verdict God brought was that men loved darkness rather than the light.  They preferred to remain hidden, covered, and in the shadows.  From the fall, man has chosen to hide from God at His approach, and to fashion inadequate coverings to hide his nakedness.

In God, there is no darkness at all.  There is no shadow of turning in Him. From the beginning, Light shone forth, the radiance of God, and called forth light, and light was.  And, from this light, all creation exists.  But, it is the continual union with the Lord that all life is.

Consider the Tabernacle of Moses.  On the outside, natural light shone.  Inside, the candlestick burned as the only light.  And, yet, in the innermost chamber, there was no light but God Himself.  The walls were pure gold, reflecting back the only true light.  There is no darkness in that innermost place, and as no sin may dwell in His presence, neither can darkness of any kind.

And, from that light, in the midst of that darkness, voices come forth, and lightning and thunders.  From the midst of the throne, sounds come forth, and judgments and Words.

No flesh may glory in that light, and no darkness is left hidden there.

As we are men, we may hide our thoughts, our emotions, and our motivations, but before Him, everything we are is laid bare before Him.

In me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing (Romans 7:18).

We are as free as we want to be in this life, for better or for worse.  Whether we reach the fullness of the Kingdom in this life has never been the issue, but whether because of hope, and love, and His Grace we endeavor with all that we are to do all that we can.  But, it does not change the fact that, the solution for our problems is faith.  And, we all as Christians have demonstrated that we have some measure of faith.  Finally, if we allow that it is only any measure of faith, a mustard-seed, then, for our breakthrough, all we need to do is to lose everything else that distracts, and live only for it, and we would have our mountain (Mark 11:23), we are struck by a strong notion.

We can have what we want in prayer, and it costs everything, and yet, in the end, only one thing is worth it, and that is Eternity, not carnality and materialism.

As we learn to live in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.  As we do this, we see that our inconsistencies, our blind spots, and our failings spring from directly the place Jesus indicated, our own heart.

If we allowed the fullness of the Gospel light to penetrate us, we would be convicted to the core of our being, that we actually deserve the condemnation and the shame and the guilt that we fear.  As pain is to a wound, this is the appropriate response to sin, and our inherent sinfulness.  Yet, in that same moment, no matter how dark we are, and we are completely dark, God says, “Light Be”, and faith comes alive in our hearts.

The best way to speak to someone who dislikes speaking of condemnation and hell and punishment is to preach it until it comes out their ears, until they are convinced of the greatness and the depth of it, and then, to bring them Jesus.  As the joy of a newborn outweighs the pain of childbirth, so the joy of a deeper salvation outweighs the pain and torment of the fear.  As conviction meets redemption, new life is formed, and as defenses are melted away into softness, new life springs forth again.  Truly, this is the path of all deep works, for nothing but faith in His work will stand.  As it was at the beginning, each step closer is the same.

Oh, that He might grant us all a clear and brilliant light to see clearly the worth of the Kingdom.  That He might give us a clear and strong faith that His Wisdom and Strength are better than all.  For, He formed all the world, and there is nothing in it that He cannot give to those who serve Him.  Only, can we fix our eyes upon Him, and see Him, in His light, in increasing light, until our eyes are brightened as with honey.  And, until we shine with His radiance.

Only the transparent soul, the one with nothing held back, and no walls to block the light, can stand at the heights of what God has always desired to release upon this planet.  Many try to enter it, but are unable to, so every effort should be made.

It always comes back to that rock beneath the sand.  If the house that you built can be shaken, it was not built upon the rock.  If the structure you are relying on depends upon anything other than Christ, there will come a day, in the course of this world, that will test it to its extreme to see if it can fall.

Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out (John 1:5).  And, before the Lord, we can hold nothing back.

But, as light enters, we are made one, and lifted up above the Earth.  We are lifted up above the frame, into Eternity itself.  From the heights of love, true power ushers forth, and the Kingdom is called forth, as light first was.

Then God said, Let there be light; and there was light.

Genesis 1:3

In the midst of light, we see light, and are made one.