When Sudden Light Comes to Darkness

I want to speak this evening about when sudden light comes to darkness, when sudden light comes to darkness, from Isaiah chapter 60 verses 1, 2, and 3, where God says to his people Israel, now this is a day that is coming, this is a day that has not come yet, it's come in measure obviously, when Christ came into this world, but there's a day spoken of in the last times that we're now entering into, for his people Israel, he says 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 original King James says gross darkness will cover the people, in other words this world will turn back to almost the place it was before God spoke and said let there be light, where the scripture says in Genesis it was without form and it was void and darkness was on the face of the deep, and God spoke light into this world and God sent light into this world through his son, but this world in its rebellion against God will end up turning back almost to its original condition. Darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the people, but the Lord will arise over you and his glory will be seen upon you, and the Gentiles shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising.

God is saying to his people Israel of that time, don't think I've forsaken you, maybe some Jewish people are listening tonight on this, God has not forsaken you, he's not forsaken the Jewish people, he's not forsaken the nation of Israel, yes hardship has in great measure visited the people of Israel, but there's a day coming when God says your light is coming back to you and the glory of the Lord is going to rise upon you in a season where darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the people, the presence of God will arise over you and his glory will be seen upon you, his glory upon you will be so bright and so brilliant, his presence among you will be so great that Gentiles and even kings will come to the brightness of your rising. The scripture speaks of a time in the last days when darkness seems to have won the day one more time, perhaps a time when hopelessness for the future seems to have invaded the hearts of many just as it was in the days of the coming of the son of God, it will be a season where so many people just feel like it's just so hopeless, my life is so hopeless and I've amounted to so much less than I thought my life was supposed to be, and I'm supposed to be a demonstration of the presence of God in the earth and yet here I am captivated by power that's greater than me and I'm just being driven from place to place, I don't seem to even be in charge of my own destiny, but as in the beginning in Genesis chapter 1 verses 1 to 4 the scripture says the earth seemed purposeless, empty and dark until God spoke and said let there be light and it divided the light from the darkness, Genesis 1 verse 1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without form and void or empty and darkness was on the face of the deep, do you remember that day in your own life, those that are here in the sanctuary today and those that are listening online this evening, do you remember that day when there was a void, there was an emptiness inside and we heard it today darkness was on your face, you didn't see a reason for life, you didn't know why you had been created, yet you were, God created the heavens and the earth but the earth was without form, it had no real purpose, it was existing but without a purpose at that time, that's the best way I can say it, and darkness was upon its face and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters, do you remember the day when the spirit of God began to hover over you, do you remember the day as we heard in the testimony earlier this evening of the young man who just said I'm laying on the floor and I suddenly feel the presence of God come into the room, well that's the spirit of God doing what God always does, he comes into the darkened places in our lives, the darkened places in our hearts, the darkened discouragements that want to get a hold of us and he just hovers over us one more time and then as the spirit of God moved, God spoke, God always moves in unison with his word, the spirit of God moved upon this darkness and God said let there be light and there was light, don't you just love that, God speaks and says let there be light, when God speaks the darkness must give way to light, when God speaks emptiness must give way to purpose, when God speaks the void that's in our heart is suddenly filled with an understanding of why we were created, who created us and what we were at least initially and essentially created for and God saw the light that it was good and he divided the light from the darkness, when the Lord comes into a life and he begins to speak, when suddenly light comes into darkness, there's a division between all the confusion has dissipated and suddenly we begin to understand what is of God and what is not of God, what is good and what is really evil, what has a divine purpose and what has no purpose at all but to discourage and destroy the people that are partakers of it and once again I believe when the earth was somewhere perhaps in midlife, I can't say that for sure but many, many years ahead into the future, God spoke again and sent light, thank God for what he did, John chapter 1 verse 1, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God, he was in the beginning with God and all things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made, so he was there in Genesis chapter 1 verse 1, he was there in the beginning with God, all things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made, in him was life and the life was the light of man and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. Verse 9 says, that was the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

And elsewhere in verse 12, Scripture says, but as many as received him, he gave them the right to become the children of God to those who believe in his name. Once again, God spoke, light came into the darkness. Once again, empty places, places of confusion and difficulty had to give way to the light of God.

And for the students that are here this evening, aren't you thankful that God spoke into your life and gave you a reason to live? Aren't you thankful that you have a divine purpose now? We didn't do it by ourselves. We didn't get to where we are by the studying. Studying of God's word is great and I thank God for studying his word and we should learn his word.

But that's not how we got there. We got to where we are today by the mercy of God. We got to where we are because the spirit of God hovered over us one more time and God said let there be light.

We got to where we are not because we found Jesus, but because Jesus found us. He wasn't lost, we were. He revealed himself to us and he spoke into our lives and suddenly the reason for which we were created came into the fore.

And now we have, as our brother said in the testimony just recently, now I have a smile on my face that's inexplicable apart from the indwelling presence of God. I have a smile when the sun's out. I have a smile when the clouds are out.

I have a smile when it's nice and mild and I have a smile in December in Pennsylvania when it's snowing and blowing and cold. There's nothing of this world can take that smile off of my face because it's not dependent on what's outside of me. I have light now inside of me.

God has commanded his light to shine in my darkness and I am now a new creation in Christ Jesus. As many as believed on him, the scripture says he gave them the right to become the children of God. He gave us the open door.

He gave us the ability to believe him. He gave us the promise that we would be new creations in Christ Jesus. That's the reason I can rejoice at Christmas time.

For me, it's not about the stores. It's not about the gifts. It's not about all of these other things and these trappings are wonderful and we do these things just to share with one another and to celebrate the goodness of God with one another.

No, I celebrate because there was a gift given to me that is bigger than anything I've ever received in my life. I was given by God the gift of eternal life. I was given by God abilities to do things I could never naturally do.

I was given by God a reason to live and a purpose. God spoke and said, let there be light. Oh God, thank you for the light that you bring into the lives of those who choose to place their trust in you.

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus Christ coming into the synagogue at the age of 30, he stood up in the pulpit that was there at that time and now he described or defined the purpose of his life and the light that was in him. He said, the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. In other words, I have come to those who have no strength or no resource to get out of where they are and into where they need to be.

I've come to those who know that they can't get out of where they are apart from the strength and the goodness of God. He sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free or liberty those who are oppressed and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Then he closed the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down and the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on him.

And he began to say to them, today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. Today, I love the fact that the light of God seems to have a sudden coming at times. The earth didn't expect the light.

When the light first came, when God first spoke to the earth in its empty and purposeless form, there was nothing in the earth that was expecting him to speak, but suddenly God did in his divine purpose and his divine reasoning. There was nothing in Bethlehem that led the people to believe that the Messiah hasn't abandoned us until light suddenly came and cried out with the voice of a child, the voice of God through his son, giving us the ability to believe and come out of where we were into where God was destining us to be. And one more time, he says, let there be light.

Let there be light. I firmly believe that we are living in a generation where God's speaking this one more time. Let there be light.

In the midst of a confused generation, in the midst of an indoctrinated generation, in the midst of a generation so dark and so godless in some cases that we don't know what's right. We don't know what's wrong. We don't even know what's male or female anymore in society.

In the midst of all of this confusion, in the midst of the breakdown of the family, in the midst of huge despair in people's lives, even in the minds of people who profess to know God, one more time, one more time, just as with his people Israel, God says, arise, shine, for your light has come. Arise, shine. Now, when God speaks this, about a day he's going to do this for the nation of Israel, it's not because Israel deserves it.

It's not because Israel is suddenly turning back to God. I believe the nation is doing what the nation has been doing for many, many years. People are going on about their days.

Some are concerned about God, some are not. Some are indoctrinated in powerless religion, others couldn't care less about it. I think the people are just fighting to survive at this particular moment that God through Isaiah speaks about.

And suddenly, God comes. Suddenly light comes. Suddenly light comes into darkness.

And God speaks to his people Israel as he speaks to you and I today, and he says, arise, shine, for your light has come. In other words, this is now your time. Everything I've ever promised to you is now yours.

This is your time to rise. This is your time to have a living relationship with God. Let me speak to those online this evening.

This is your time, not tomorrow, not next month, not next year. If you can hear it this day, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. This is your time to arise.

This is your time to come into a living relationship with the son of God. This is your time. Arise, shine, he says, for your light has come.

The truth of Jesus Christ is being made known to you tonight. That's why you are on line with us and you are part of this meeting, because your light has come. Your captivity is about to be broken.

Your darkness is about to be spoken into and light is going to take over the darkness in your mind. Your prison doors are going to open. Your wounded heart is going to be healed.

And I don't care how poverty stricken you think you are. God is going to give you the strength to get up and get out of where you are and get into what God has for your life. Arise, shine, for your light has come.

And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. The word glory implies that which God alone is able to do and that which brings the name of God himself alone to reputation. The glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

Not by might, not by strength, not by anything I possess, but by the Spirit of Almighty God He has spoken to me through his word and now his presence is going to sit upon my life in a way that is going to set me free and my life will become indisputable evidence of the reality of God. Darkness will cover the earth, deep darkness will cover the people, but the Lord will arise over you and his glory will be seen upon you. And God's promise to his nation of Israel is I will do something so powerful in you that even common men and kings will have to acknowledge my presence in you.

And this promise is not just for Israel, this promise is for the body of Jesus Christ as well. In the last days, God is going to send his Holy Spirit on all flesh, young and old, rich and poor, suddenly the light of God comes. And you say to me tonight, well, what is my part? Arise, that's your part.

That's all you have to do. What could Lazarus do but get up and walk out of the tomb? What else could he do? He couldn't even see, his eyes were wrapped, he couldn't sing a hymn, there's nothing the man could do but listen to the voice that was calling him and get up out of his place of death and start moving towards that voice. Arise, that is your whole part tonight.

Arise, arise from your depression, arise from your sense of personal loathing, arise from your personal poverty, arise from the sense of hope, stand up wherever you are, in your car, I know you can't stand up in your car but you can get out and stand up. Stand up from your couch that you're on tonight, stand up from the bench that you're on, get up out of the bed you're in tonight, arise and let God speak to your heart. Let God speak to your life.

Let the presence of God begin to give you strength one more time because sudden light has come to darkness and there will be a spiritual awakening in the last days before Christ comes deeper, richer, fuller than anything this world has ever known. God's mercy is going to be known throughout the earth. There's going to be a shout of glory and then there's going to be a shout from God himself as he sends the angel to come and get his church, oh praise God.

What a day that's going to be. But I don't know about you but I'm not going to be sitting down on that day. I'm not going to sit down in a place of discouragement or depression or self-loathing or whatever wants to get a hold of this generation.

I'm going to get up and I'm going to say, Lord here I am. Just like Isaiah in chapter 6 when the Lord said, who will go and who shall we send? And Isaiah says, here am I, send me. He was the least of the least in that whole scene but yet he said, I'm not going to be left out.

I'm hearing the voice of God and I'm hearing the call of God. Arise and shine. Arise and let the light of God invade your darkness.

You say to me tonight, well how do I do that? It's not difficult. Admit that you can't save yourself and most everybody listening tonight could say, I've got that part down real good. I know I can't save myself.

I can't get out of this way of thinking. I can't get away from these habits in my life. I can't revive what has died all around me.

I know I can't save myself. Once you get to that point, then God says, now I want you to believe that I came to get you. I want you to believe that when that baby cried in that manger on what we celebrate to be the first Christmas, that was the first cry from the Son of God and the last cry was on a cross 33 years later when he said it is finished.

In other words, I came to get you and I did what I had to do so that the darkness in your life could be destroyed and life and light could take over what tried to govern your life. And just simply confess, Jesus Christ, you are the Lord of my life. You are the one who died for me.

You are the one who saved me. You are the one who will give me a reason to live. You are the one who will give me a promise that when the day I die, heaven will be my eternal home.

God, I open my heart to you and I ask you to be my Lord and Savior. Give yourself the best Christmas gift you ever could in this Christmas season by opening your heart to the Son of God. And the Bible says when you receive Christ as your Savior, the Spirit of God will actually come and indwell your physical human body and you will be changed from the inside out.

The Bible says if anyone is in Christ, he or she becomes a new creation. The old things in you lose their power, they pass away, and all things become new. The Bible calls that being born again by the Spirit of God.

Give yourself the gift of eternal life tonight. God's willing to give it to you, you simply receive it. You open your heart and you say, I know I'm not worthy, I know I don't deserve it, but God, you died to give me this.

You came to give me this and you died to give me this. And you're not giving it to me at a time when I feel like I'm the best and the brightest on this earth. As a matter of fact, I feel like I'm dull and dark.

Jesus said these words, I didn't come to call those who have it all together. I came to call sinners to repentance. I came to call people who need God, those that know they can't do this without God.

I came to call you and I came to get you. So I want you to pray these words with me right now, would you? Online and here in the sanctuary, we'll pray with you for your sake tonight. Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for loving me.

Thank you for coming to get me when my life was so dark and I'm so confused. But still you love me. And one more time, you're willing to speak life and bring light into a darkened heart.

Jesus Christ, son of God, I invite you into my life to be my Lord, my God, and my savior. I believe that you are the son of God. I believe that you came to get me and pay the price for my wrong.

Because you love me. In this very night, just as the earth didn't resist the voice of God, I don't resist you tonight, Lord. If you say you love me.

If you say you want me. Then I open my heart to you. And I receive you as my savior.

Thank you for coming for me. Thank you for loving me. And thank you for dying for me.

I am forever a child of God. In Jesus name. Now, Father, I ask you, Lord, that you would so seal that decision in somebody's heart tonight.

Somebody who has just prayed that prayer and they prayed it sincerely. Seal it now. Seal it now.

Let the darkness give way to the light and life of Jesus Christ. Let a new plan unfold in that heart, that mind, and that life. Let a new smile come on a face that has known nothing but sorrow.

Father, thank you, God. Thank you, God, for what you will do. I give you praise and give you glory.

In Jesus name. Now, if you prayed that prayer tonight, I'd like you to text the word decided to 51,000. Just go to 51,000, text the word decided.

And you'll be taken into a place, a room, a chat room, where somebody will be there to pray with you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, God.