Light From Darkness

When one observes the life of Jesus on earth, one quickly realizes that he was always found amongst the most unpleasant people, he was always found in unpleasant places. When one observes the life of Jesus, the light, one discovers that He was always found amongst the dirty, the rabid and the ugly. Yes, the light was always found within the darkness.

'And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.' John 1:5

All throughout the Bible, the concept of light being extracted from darkness is seen in almost every story. Christ, the light, is the one who CALLS OUT clear skin from leprosy, he CALLS OUT apostles from fishermen, he CALLS OUT liberty from slavery, he calls the light out from darkness.

'The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. ' Genesis 1:2-3

Who is this formless and void darkness from which God calls light from if not you and I? It is said that Christ, the light, was born in a manger of animals. What are these animals if not our pride, our envy, our resentment, our lust? Now we can understand why Paul said:

'For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.' II Corinthians 4:6

Why is Paul relating the rising of the light from within us to Genesis 1? Why is he likening the heart of man to the darkness from whence springs the light? Let us see what Jesus Christ said about the heart:

'For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. ' Matthew 15:19

Let us see what Jeremiah said:

'“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?' Jeremiah 17:9

As we begin, I would like to let us know in advance that the darkest places in our lives, in our hearts, are actually the places where the greatest light is concealed.

The full spectrum of light (7 rays).

Pure light is white but when it passes through a prism, such as one seen above, one sees that inside of the ONE LIGHT, exists other lights; inside of the ONE RAY, exists other rays.

Scientifically speaking, the things around us do not have color in the way we normally understand it. That is, when we say ’this shirt is red’, ‘that trouser is blue’.

Pure and complete light is white and when that white light strikes a material, that material ‘absorbs’ that white light and ‘reflects’ only a fraction of that light back to our eyes. The light it reflects back is what we call ‘color’.

For example, when we say ‘the table is brown’, the table is not really brown, but is actually absorbing all the seven colors in the white light and ‘giving away’ only the color brown. That is, inside of that table exists red, yellow, green, blue, indigo etc. but it is only ‘giving away’ the color brown, that is why we see it as brown.

When we say ‘this shirt is white’, the material is not really white but is actually reflecting back to us the complete spectrum of light. A material that looks white is a material that does not not absorb any light, it does not keep anything to itself but reflects the full spectrum of the light it is receiving.

So, for a material to reflect the color red, it means that it is absorbing all the other aspects of that light (7 colors) but giving away only the color red. We can say that the material is swallowing or ‘holding onto’ all the aspects of the light except red.

A material that ‘looks’ white is a material that does not withhold any part of the light it is receiving. It gives away everything it is receiving freely and totally. I’m sure from this scientific explanation we can now have an idea why the color white has great spiritual significance. It speaks of perfect generosity, itt speaks of withholding nothing and giving everything.

Everything receives light, everything receives Christ, some however withhold most of this light and give off only a small portion. Some receive a great amount of the father’s love but only give a small percentage of it back. Some, give nothing of it all.

To do evil, is to 'withhold' goodness; to hoard the light. To have received kindness but give cruelty, to have received forgiveness but keep people in our debt. To do evil is to keep all the light to ourselves and give none of it away.

In contrast to the color white is the the color black. For a material to ‘look’ black it means that such a material is absorbing the full spectrum of light without ‘giving away’ any thing.

The color black is ‘concealed light’, the color black is pregnant with light; a hoarder of light. Inside of the color black exists the full spectrum of light but it does not give it out.

For something to be black, to be dark, means that inside of that thing is concealed a GREAT DEGREE OF LIGHT. Inside any darkness is found a mighty potential of light.

That is why God said to Abraham concerning his offspring who were to descend into Egypt, darkness, that:

'Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.

And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. ' Genesis 15:13-14

Why did they become richer after descending into darkness (Egypt)? Why did Joseph become greater after descending into darkness (The pit)? Why did Daniel become greater after descending into darkness( Lion's Den)? Why did Jesus become greater after descending into Hades (darkness) to seize authority?

'I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord , Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.' Isaiah 45:3

What is this darkness if not the confrontation of our own carnal nature? What is this darkness if not coming face to face with the contents of our own hearts? Before God's heals a person, uplifts a person, he makes them come face to face with who they are. For inside of every darkness is hidden TROVES of light.

Just as Jesus was sent into the wilderness to be tried, God sends us into many such experiences to unearth the animals that we have inside of us. To unearth the beastly nature inside us so that we might no longer be slaves to them; slaves to our past experiences, childhood trauma, resentments against men, broken self esteem etc.

Solomon said:

'I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” ' Ecclesiastes 3:18

Until one sees just how lustful they can be; just how unforgiving they can be; just how prideful they can be; just how greedy they can be; just how wicked they can be; until one confronts and subdues their own darkness, one cannot experience the depths of light contained within them. The more of Christ we experience is the more of our own darkness we confront and subdue by his strength.

There is no going up without first going down. The purpose of descending, of coming face to face with our own selves, is for us to gain dominion over our own selves. That is what it means for the mouths of the lions to be shut.

It is now good to say that darkness is nothing but light in potential, light is nothing but darkness that has actualized its potential. There is no darkness, no blackness, that does not have light trapped within it. Notice in Genesis chapter 1, the light that God called GOOD was still intermingled with darkness before he separated it:

'Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. ' Genesis 1:3-4

Even though Joseph was being slandered by Potiphar's wife, even though he was thrown in the dungeon, forced to confront his fears (darkness), his pride (darkness), his anger (darkness), God saw that it was GOOD. Why? Because if one remembers God, seeks God, in the darkest period of their lives, in the darkest regions of their hearts, there they will find him.

DOMINION

It is certain that a true ADAM, that is, a man in the image of God, is characterised by "dominion" over creation as God has dominion over creation:

'Then God said, “Let Us make ADAM (mankind) in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ' Genesis 1:26

It is true that Man, instead of exercising this dominion, due to his ignorance, fell under the dominion of one of the animals in HIS GARDEN.

In doing so, he not only became less than an ADAM, but he became like the very animal who deceived him. He became like the serpent because he performed the will of the serpent; his flesh; his 'me, myself & I'.

It is at this moment good to say that who we we obey, who we mirror after, is who we are LIKE. It is based on this that Jesus said to the pharisees "you are of your father the devil".

This is because only "those who are led by the spirit of God are the sons of God". This is because a son is known by his resemblance to his father, a son must look like the father.

A lion cannot give birth to a fowl, neither an ox a kitten. A son of God is "known" by his expressing of his Father's nature and will, this is why Jesus said "by their fruits you shall know them".

It must be said that this does not mean that God ceases to be the father of all humanity, it means that humanity lives unconscious to that reality and suffers the consequences of disharmony with their source.

'“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? ' Luke 6:46.

Jesus is only Lord to the one who lives in harmony with his will. Who we obey is who we have declared to be our Lord. The Lordship of Jesus is not a mouth claim but the reality of our heart and actions.

Every moment we obey our anger, pride, lust, envy, is a moment we are declaring who our Lord is; it is a moment we are declaring who we live in service to. Let us remember what Paul said:

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:15-16‬ ‬‬

It is at this point necessary to say that the ancient Hebrew mind, being - spiritual, mystical or supernatural in nature, understood perfectly that life is both external and internal simultaneously.

As such, even though their books are filled with external stories, it is only but a veil to conceal the hidden wisdom of the Jews. It is a veil used to communicate the realities of things that happen INSIDE OF US.

Every single story in the Bible, even though it alludes to some historical account, actually speaks of things that transpire on the inside of every human being.

The Garden

Let us read:

"'For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s vineyard (garden, farm, planting), you are God’s building. ' I Corinthians 3:9.

Paul understood very well that the Garden of Eden story wasn’t just speaking about ‘where’ Adam was but WHO Adam was. Adam was not just in the Garden, Adam was the garden.

The environment is always a reflection of a people and the people a reflection of the environment. The people are the environment and the environment is the people. We are not just in planet earth, WE ARE planet earth. If something happens to the planet, something happens to us and vice versa.

Adam wasn't just in a garden, Adam WAS the garden itself. Adam himself was the Lord’s planting. Everything that was happening in the garden was happening within him. Adam didn't "fall" from space to earth, he fell from the heavens within himself to the base animal nature ‘within himself’.

The garden of Eden story is filled with untapped marvels, in God's time we shall visit it properly and see what God has in store for us there. For now, let us say that the external is a mirror of the internal; the small, a picture of the large; the micro, a picture of the macro.

Every element in external nature has its similitude within us. For those who can see it, the cell of a man is a solar system in miniature. On a microscopic level, the human body is a universe in miniature. Every character in the bible has its similitude within us and when we begin to see ourselves within the texts, the book takes on a whole level of meaning.

We are a PART of the story.

Every animal in that garden has its similitude on the inside of us. Every animal in that garden ought to be named and dominated by us. Every animal in that garden is supposed to be our subject, while we subject ourselves to our Lord the Christ.

A true king is one who has complete rulership over every element within himself. It is only an ADAM, who has achieved governance over his internal universe, that can truly govern the external universe that God has made.

Jesus had full dominion over the external elements of nature, because he had full dominion over the elements of nature within himself. Jesus was a true Adam, a man in God's image and likeness. This is why he kept referring to himself as "The son of Man (Adam)", he wanted the world to know what a true man looks like.

A king of God is first king over himself before anything else. A king of God has dominion over all the animals in his garden. Solomon said:

'Whoever has no rule over his own self Is like a city broken down, without walls.' Proverbs 25:28

What are these animals? They are pride, greed, envy, lust, anger, laziness. They are the carnal nature. "Carnal" is from the latin word "caro" which means 'flesh'. It speaks of that which is not of a heavenly nature, that which has an appetite for only things temporary; that which has no desire for things spirit nor eternal.

These animals make up the "darkness" of the heart from which light must come forth. They make up the heart of Cain, of Esau; they make up the "me, myself & I".

It is not possible to ascend to the highest heights without descending to the lowest depths to release the light trapped in the beastly nature.

This is the mystery of Jesus descending into Hades to seize authority from death and release the patriarchs of old.

'and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.' Matthew 27:52-53

Every single one of us must descend into our own inner and particular Hades to seize authority from the beasts of vengeance, unforgiveness, malice and pride that lurk within.

These are not qualities of a true human, a true Adam, these are qualities of the beasts within. We are on a journey to releasing the patriarchs of love trapped in hate; the patriarchs of temperance trapped in anger; the patriarchs of humility trapped in pride.

Now is the time to say that Pharaoh has his similitude within every single one of us and the children of Israel, which are chastity, charity and compassion are trapped in slavery to lust, greed and envy. They are crying out for liberation.

Inside of every darkness is light concealed. The darkest places of our lives, of our emotions, of our memories, are the place where the GREATEST light is concealed; hidden. we have to be prepared to confront and dominate the deepest and most buried aspects of our hearts and God knows exactly how to bring it out.

Some of us believed we were so chaste until that man or woman appeared and we forgot about Jesus. Some of us believed we were so disciplined until we became broke and found ourselves doing things we never believed we would. Some of us believed we were so loving until that person disappointed us and bitterness was the only thing that came from us.

These are the animals that must be named (identified) and dominated! These are the lions whose mouths must be shut. This is the descent into Egypt to collect our riches from Pharaoh, from darkness.

'I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord , Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.' Isaiah 45:3

The only way to dominate the animals is to eat the daily bread, the instruction of God, Christ, who proceeds out of the mouth of the Father. Only by seeking and performing the Father's will do we crush the head of the serpent.

'For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ' Romans 8:13

Those who truly seek the will of the Father will always find it, those who find it will be given the power to perform it. This power however, is only discovered by those who take a step in faith. It is not discovered by waiting to discover it, it is discovered by action; rooted in faith.

Every time Jesus spoke about a person having great or little faith, it was based on an "action" they took. Peter did not walk on water by sitting in the boat. Zaccheus did not climb the tree by sitting by the trunk. Faith and action are an inseparable couple. Love can only grow by upright action, rooted in faith, towards others; so does patience.

The will of God, the daily bread, will always be bitter to the animals. As long as we have our consciousness trapped within the animals, the will of God will always appear bitter to us. The delectable wine of his counsel will be as acid in our belly, his bread of wisdom like caked sand in our mouths.

'Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ' II Corinthians 4:16-17

A person who lives, moves and has their being in pride, will feel like they are being killed when their pride is being bruised. God never seeks to destroy man, but to liberate man from what is destroying him. What destroys man is the beastly nature, the animal instinct, the "me, myself & I".

I certainly have felt executed more times than I can count. The suffering from such an experience is not because of God, or whoever is inflicting the pain, but because of my attachment to pride; because of my oneness with pride.

Pride is black, inside of it is hidden a lot of light. This is why God will always create circumstances where we come face to face with this darkness; this blackness. It could happen in our marriage, in our workplace, amongst our friends. God does this in order to help us, so that we can liberate the light from inside that darkness.

As Solomon said: “God tests them that they themselves might see that they are like beasts”. Have we looked at ourselves in the mirror when we are overcome by lust and nothing will satiate us until we have fulfilled it? Have we looked at ourselves in the mirror when our pride is bruised and we will say or do anything to anyone to pacify it?

Is there anything humanly about that? Is there anything Godly about that? Certainly not. These things are the beastly nature and like Daniel, we must descend into the pit of lions to face and dominate them with Christ. The animals MUST be put under dominion.

Sometimes these animals could be our need to be respected, it could be our desire to have people look up to us, it could be our desire to have control over others, it could be so many things.

When God wishes to develop patience in us, he sends people who will do nothing but get on our last nerve. Why? Unless our impatience is brought to the surface and destroyed, patience can never be born. The darkness must be revealed, it must be confronted, it must be destroyed before light can be liberated.

All power belongs to God, we know this. The life that the darkness of anger uses to sustain itself is the light of temperance. If the animal of anger does not die, temperance can never be born.

This is why when God wants to build us, he sends thorns to our flesh in the forms of circumstances, friends, spouses, siblings, bosses and coworkers. Those very people and circumstances that we want God to deliver us from are really the key to our transformation.

This is why Jesus said we should love our enemies. Our enemies bring out THE WORST in us and that is the best thing that can happen. Unless the worst is unearthed, how can we be pure? How can we be holy? We need our enemies to show us who we are, to bring out the beastly nature. We need our enemies to help us confront our own selves.

Most of us have been raised to think that all we need to do is read this or that book and say a few words and we will be transformed automatically but does life really work that away? Is anything achieved without action?

Did anyone in the Bible escape process? Did Jesus, who learnt obedience through what he suffered, escape process? Was he an overnight success? I think not.

Friends, only through consistent action is our mind renewed day by day; consistent action led by the Holy Spirit, by the voice of our Father within us.

Renewal is a process; it can be unto darkness or unto light. Every choice we make is a step towards the light or the darkness. Every action we take is either in submission to Christ or to the serpent. God makes us powerful by sending opposition to us, by sending an adversary, by sending Satan. Jesus could not begin his ministry until he overcame his adversary.

When God wishes to develop love in us, he sends people who will dig out our hatred. Why? Because every hatred in us is potential love, which God will have liberated. Of what value is it if we are only able to love people who love us? Of what value is our love if it only functions in comfort?

True love is constant, no matter how the circumstances may change. God resurrects love in us by destroying hatred inside of us. God calls forth the light out of darkness inside of us. Inside of the darkness of hatred is trapped the light of love.

Let those who aspire to truth and perfect union with the Christ understand that our degree of unity with him, is directly proportionate to our degree of disunity with everything that is against him.

Yes, it is truly impossible for man to be separated from the love of God, however, it is truly possible for man to live ignorant of that love and like the prodigal son, dine with pigs of greed, lust, vanity and pride.

To live conscious in this love can only happen by seeking the daily bread and eating it. To eat the daily bread is to perform the will of the Father and dominate the will of self. This is what it means to pick up the cross, this is the passion of the Christ. We are renewed when it happens inside of us everyday.

A person who lives consciously in the love of God does not eat with animals because she sees pride clearly for what it is, she sees lust clearly for what it is. She is no longer deceived by the diabolical flamboyance of anger, she remembers her Father's house and the spirit of temperance; she dwells in it and makes it her abode.

Consciousness in Christ is a reality that unfolds as we die daily, as we resurrect daily. The light must be extracted from the darkness. Anger needs to die if temperance is to resurrect, greed needs to die if generosity is to resurrect. Generosity is not just a nature of Christ, generosity IS Christ!

Consciousness in Christ is not a mouth claim, it does not happen in an instant; it does not happen in a flash. Love is beyond a feeling but it really is a living thing. It really is a being inside of us that is fed, nourished and grows. Love is CHRIST! When it becomes mature, it explodes like a supernova and shares its life with all around it.

When it becomes mature it becomes WHITE, a life giver. It becomes generous, it becomes a blessing to all those around.

This is the heart of compassion; Jesus was OVERFLOWING with it. We cannot love like Christ in one day anymore than we can build Rome in one day. If however, we put one brick of love atop another, daily, we will certainly build that city someday and love like Christ.

Family, we are on a journey to absolute and perfect unity with the Christ. Perfect unity with Christ means perfect disunity with everything that isn't Christ. This does not happen in a day but it happens if we 'continue' in the will of God.

Consistently growing and transfiguring, dying and resurrecting, descending and ascending. Be patient with someone today, love someone today, forgive someone today, be generous to someone today. It is time to call light forth from darkness.