You Can’t Have the Light and Dismiss the Sun

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In a few short pages of his sweet book, “The Real Faith,” Charles S. Price mined the surface of today’s “faith movement”—prophetic because he died in 1947 after 21 years of ministry—and showed us how we often go wrong these days and why many who believe in Jesus and have faith in God do not see healing or miracles in their life. He summed it up beautifully in the words I used for my title today: You can’t have the light and dismiss the sun.

In my mind’s eye, I see a picture of Jesus knocking on the door, waiting to come in. This image comes from Revelation 3:20, where Jesus says:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

Jesus said those words to the church at Laodicea—a literal church in a literal place that would come to define an age in the life of the Church that seems to fit where we are today.

Does it seem scandalous that Jesus would have to knock on the door of our hearts to gain entry? Of course, He will never force us to receive His presence, but He has promised never to leave or forsake us, and He wants to fellowship with us.

Many folks can name the promises of God to Israel and the nations—indeed, many of the promises to Israel have been usurped or coopted by some denominations—but they cannot quite get to the part where Jesus wants to live IN us. Yet, we know each other as disciples by the love we have for one another.

We have often walked in defeat, knowing and claiming verses but struggling to maintain a mental image of what we want, as if we can supply form and visage of our needs and wants according to how strong the impression is that we summon. God does not submit to magical formulae, including “positive thinking” and “name-it-and-claim-it-ism.” He insists on being there Himself to supply all we need, including our faith.

Jesus wants to live in our hearts—the emotional place within us where we are genuine and truthful—not just in our minds where anything can hold sway depending on the things that affect us.

That’s excellent news.

We did not become Christians to make a good balance sheet. God loves us as much as He ever will from the moment we are born. We cannot bribe or coerce Him into loving us more. We cannot curry special favors from Him because He knows what we are made of, and STILL, He loves us. What a magnificent thought.

God is not our Santa Claus, waiting for our wish list and checking to see if we have been naughty or nice. He is not the bat-man, coming round to beat us for our felonies, or the Publisher’s Clearinghouse guy with chocolates, balloons, and a million-dollar check! Our Abba (Father) in Heaven is not the taxman or the lottery commissioner. He invited us into His Kingdom and sent His RSVP as His dear Son-become-Man to ensure we understood the honor He bestowed upon us.

Sadly, many name the name of Jesus but have not consummated the relationship—have not moved past their request for Jesus to come into their hearts. Not understanding what this meant, their devotion ended with Jesus agreeing to come in, but the actual fellowship was quickly replaced with the mundane requests of God that Jesus said HE already knows we need. He wanted to take us on this journey as citizens of the Kingdom of God and to show us how to LIVE in that Kingdom from day to day, knowing—not just hoping—knowing of a surety that He was telling us the truth. We can have daily, hourly, moment-by-moment fellowship with Him!

We could rewrite Price’s statement: You cannot have the Light (Jesus is the Light of the World) and dismiss the Son (of God).

Translation: You cannot just grab the perks and run! You must have Jesus to have what He offers.

Jesus did not come to help us adjust to this earthly life! He came to show us another Kingdom, an enduring place more real than our earthly eyes can perceive. Over and over again, He told us that there would be rewards for those who overcame. Our job is to press into Him, to receive His Love, and to learn how to share it with others in the form of Good News! We are to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, make the lame walk and the blind see. We are to give what He has given to us freely.

The love of Jesus—for He IS Love—constrains and compels us to open up to Him and receive ALL He wants to give us. When there is that loving relationship between Jesus and us, there is faith and the promise that He will never leave or forsake us. We can make our requests known to Him, and He will give us the desires of our hearts.

I have heard it said that this means He will place His own desires in our hearts, and if we align with His desires according to His character and nature, He will fulfill those desires for us. I think this is the truth, but to understand it, we need to fall in love with Him and ask Him to give us a clear vision and understanding. He wants our emotional love, open hearts, and tender devotion—this is the channel through which He teaches us many things.

There are many fine sermons about the Church of Laodicea, and we can certainly see more than the literal city of Laodicea in the words of Jesus—we can see ourselves in this world, in this time. If we are honest, we can see our lack and need of Him. We may feel spiritually bankrupt. We may think there are blessings from God for others but not for us, so we give up in failure and stop seeking Him for anything but the cry for day-to-day living here on earth.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Jesus is the same today as He was before He accepted His assignment to come and love us back to the Kingdom.

Satan took our dominion away, but Jesus, the Last Adam, is returning to restore everything. Jesus told us that we will see trouble, hear of wars and rumors of wars, and watch governments rise against each other, all to dominate each other. But the day will come when the kingdoms of this world will become The Kingdom of God—annexed and returned to its rightful stewards.

God’s long view is far too complex for us to comprehend. But if we have Jesus living IN us, we can rest in Him no matter what we see. He promised to lead us, to guide us, and to use us to further His Kingdom if we are willing.

Are we willing? Is the Light precious to us? Will we take the Son along with the Light?

Will you pray this prayer with me?

Dear Abba, our Heavenly Father,

I ask you for renewal. I ask for the Holy Spirit to dwell in me, lead me, commune with me, and allow rivers of Living Water to fill me until I overflow with the Life of Jesus. Let Your Kingdom rule in my heart today. Renew my vision and expand my heart to perceive and receive you anew.

We pray this in the mighty, matchless name of Jesus Christ, Yeshua Ha Moshiach, Amen.

Love to you in Jesus’s name.

Pastora Cate