Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. Darkness cannot exist apart from
Him who made it according to the good pleasure of His will.
He has formed it in order to display the glory of His light,
which is both contrasted with and transcendent before it. In
the beginning, before which we have no knowledge, God did set
forth that creation which we now see. Darkness was upon the
face of the deep. God then declared, let there
be light, and there was light. John speaks to us of this light.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not
anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life
was the light of men. It is ever a wonder to me that
light existed on the first day and was separated from the darkness.
Yet the sun was not created until the fourth day, which belies
the scientific explanation that light emanates from the sun.
The sun receives its illumination from him who is the light of
the world. So we understand that darkness
was created by Him to bring glory to His name, as He shines His
light, for in Him is no darkness at all. He would manifest the
sons of God in the earth by separating them from the darkness to which
the reprobate have been appointed to inhabit. Then spake Jesus
again to 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.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has
shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. As the sons
of God are appointed to dwell in the light, which no man can
by his own power or understanding ever approach unto, so too are
the reprobate appointed to dwell in that darkness which they delight
in. And this is the condemnation,
that light has come into the world, and men love darkness
rather than light, because their deeds were evil. They have loved
the wages of unrighteousness. These are wells without water,
clouds that are carried with the tempest, to whom the mist
of darkness is reserved forever, raging waves of the sea foaming
out their own shame, wandering stars to whom is reserved the
blackness of darkness forever. There is indeed a great contrast
between those who are the sons of God and those who are not,
as God is pleased to manifest His work in those whom He has
loved with an everlasting love. For there is no difference between
the elect and the non-elect by nature. We are all born naturally
into darkness and would continue to delight ourselves therein,
apart from the grace of God, who makes us to differ from another.
And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins,
wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. among
whom also we had our conversation in times past, in the lust of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Peter
describes that contrast with these words, unto you therefore
which believe he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient,
the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made
the head of the corner. and a stone of stumbling and
a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being
disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people,
that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness and into his marvelous light, which in
time past were not a people, but are now the people of God,
which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
The Lord told the Pharisees that their hour had now come. That
purpose for which they were created was fast approaching, and they
would act according to the power of darkness, which they could
not escape, for they were both snared in it and embracing it
according to their own desire. This is that hour which Peter
declared, him being delivered by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have
crucified and slain. According to his good pleasure
he sent forth his Son into the world, and made the darkness
for this hour. that He might manifest His eternal
purpose in redeeming those whom He loved from the beginning,
giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath
delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated
us into the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption
through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Are you of the light
or of the darkness? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.