The Danger with Light

A man from deep in the village got a job in a big city. 

Where he came from, like most of us with an experience of village life know, houses were small with very small windows, more like holes to improve air circulation. Even the big houses were no different in their design. The improvement may have been that they were square instead of circular with the even bigger being rectangular with two central pillars instead of one. Everything else was more or less the same.

With a good job, he did the thing that displayed his new status as the most progressive in the village. He built a huge rectangular house that could be seen from afar because the central pillars were taller than any other house in a large area. But he did not think to increase the size of the windows because he had never seen such houses in the city and he had not made enough money to even think of building the kind of houses in the city. He just built what he knew best which meant that even though he had more windows in his house, they were simply holes for ventilation.

His wife was delighted. She had overnight become the woman with the most desirable house in many villages. People came from the other villages to admire her house. Her love for her husband grew to epidemic levels. She could not have enough of him when he came from the city in the brief periods he was able to get permission to.

The man could not believe what he was seeing. His wife had been reserved. He had feared that she did not love him in the past because she never expressed her feelings. He thought that she was disappointed with the choice their parents had made to marry them. But she was a faithful, hardworking woman all the same and he did not complain. They say love grows and that is what he had been counting on over the years. How could it blossom so suddenly? Interestingly he never thought it had anything to do with the house. You see he built it over time as he was able to be released from work to go to the village and save for the same.

Then he got another idea. Houses in the village were very dark inside. The most progressive like his used a tin lamp for light. This is a tin with a hole where a cotton wick was inserted through to access the paraffin. Most of the others had to do with the fire they used to cook their supper for their light. Apart from the fact that light was not enough, the smoke in the house was unbearable for someone not used to village life. What if he made his house the most lighted around without any smoke?

He went shopping for the most appropriate light for his house. Like most of us, he described his house so that he could get the best kind of light for his house. But the sellers did not think about the village. They thought about a town house and the light requirements of the same. He also did not think transitions and therefore settled for a pressure lamp as his house was big.

His wife was exhilarated when she saw her man with a package. She knew that he was making her more and more advanced than her peers. She wanted it to be lighted immediately but her husband said that it was needed in the night, increasing her curiosity immensely.

When evening came, most of the village came to see what their hero had brought from the city and waited with anticipation for dark to come so that they could see the new wonder. Again that is how a village behaves. They are really connected to one another. Their idea of personal property is subject to their communal cohesion. Success for one is success for the whole village. And that is why in the past the whole village would educate their exceptional sons to university collectively.

Of course night came. As he had already fuelled it, he elaborately lighted it. It takes some time before a pressure lamp is fully alight and you could pierce the anticipation of the village with a pin. But even that ended when he finally released the whole light from the lamp. As those in the know are aware, a pressure lamp starts by blinding you for all the light it produces. But gradually, as your eyes adjust to the light, you are able to see what is around.

Again for those of us who have lived or seen grass thatched houses we know how that house would look like due to the soot that comes from the fire made from wood, wood that is sometimes not dry enough. Probably it is intentional that the windows are tiny. There are cobwebs all over, and they are more like strands of long black braids because of mixing with the smoke for a long time, and they are all over the roof and wall.

The villagers were amazed by the light. But they gradually started noticing other things as well. They noticed the place the lady of the house pushes the dirt after sweeping, the food she had thrown under the bed, the dirty linen she had carelessly hung on the wall, and so many other flaws.

Like with villagers, they are so free with one another that the flaws in the house quickly became discussion points.

‘You mean you don’t take the rubbish you sweep outside?’

‘I thought you were teaching us that inner clothing should be hidden from the sight of visitors. How come your dirty linen is hung on the door?’

‘Are the rats in your house so large that they carried all that food under the bed?’

‘I didn’t know your roof was as black as charcoal. Did you smear it?’

She was scandalized. What was meant to be her most glorious moment had become her most shameful one. What she meant to be her crowning moment had brought her great humiliation. You see she had invited her friends to come and share in her glory. Then this!

Eventually the visitors left after admiring the house with as much light as the sun. Each wished they could have such a light for their house, with just a few wondering whether their houses had as much hidden flaws as their hostess. But they were impressed with the light.

The lady of the house could not speak to her husband. The beaming husband did not understand what had happened to the love that had been overflowing just a few hours earlier. Any attempt at getting to know the cause was met with so much anger that he was at a loss at what he had done wrong. She even refused to prepare supper, though adequate shopping had been done.

The next day the lady of the house left before daybreak for her parents’ home even before the husband woke up. She met her friend going to fetch water and on being asked where she was going said that she was going back to her parents. She did not want to discuss further. This is the lady who told her husband.

He then picked a few friends and went to his in-laws the same day. They found them as puzzled as the lady did not want to talk at all. Any questions about any negative conduct of her husband were snubbed at. Eventually her father was exasperated and ordered her to do one of two things, go back to her husband as she had no reason for running from him or look somewhere else to go as they could not entertain such shame. And she had to leave immediately.

It was then that she revealed the reason for her actions.

‘He has to choose between me and the lamp he brought yesterday’, was the statement she gave the gathered elders and friends of her husband.

It appears a foolish thing to say. But do we realize that we are many times like that woman?

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (John 3: 19 – 21)

What happens when the word of God confronts us? Do we, like the woman, hate the light instead of dealing with our sin? You see, the problem was not the light at all. She is the one who had the problem. Had she chosen to deal with her issues, she would have enjoyed the light. The state of her house had appeared okay before the light came. But it was not so. Dirt is dirt whether there is light or not. Carelessness is not affected by the light. Cleanliness or lack of it is not affected by the light. The lack of light only makes it hard for anyone to see the mistakes.

Light only exposes.

There are preachers and writers people hate with a passion. Why are they hated? Could it be that they are shedding light on our dark recesses through God’s word? Could it be that the light they shed is making the superficial nature of the life I live clear? Is it making others accurately discern how empty my spirituality is? Are they calling me to a higher spiritual standard than I am prepared?

Look at the popular preachers of our times. How many enrage their congregations? How many offend them with the truth? How many call them to a higher spiritual standard? Why is it that most popular preachers are always speaking about earthly success and fleshy breakthroughs? Is that job or car or house equivalent to spiritual maturity and potency?

Why is it that very few (I don’t know of any) popular preachers touch on sin and sinfulness? Is it that there is no sin in their congregations? Are their churches composed of angels?

This is why as we teach on taking the King’s message to a king we have to deal with challenges, opposition, persecution and even death as some of the consequences the messenger must consider as he takes that message.

John the Baptist did not die for entertaining the king. He died for shedding the light on the pretense that was Herod’s life. In fact many messengers died for precisely the same reason. 

The other day I was reading about this very popular telepastor. His books are bestsellers; his TV programs are in almost all networks. He is what can be called the epitome of motivational ‘preachers’ from Texas. Again I won’t give his name as you can get it on the internet as you search what I read.

This preacher was rebuking Peter, Paul and John for writing something akin to hate speech in their epistles. What was the issue? They were against homosexuality and other open sins, especially by saying that homosexuals and other sinners will not get to heaven in their writings (Bible).

Though he did not rebuke Jesus, he also said John 14: 6 should not be in the Bible as Jesus cannot be the only way to heaven. He has extensively written about having a best life now and was saying that God can’t hate homosexuality as the apostles wrote. That is why he was rebuking and correcting them for being judgmental and exclusive. In fact he says that they should repent, and that on national television.

According to him people who live in open sin are good people and should not be judged.

He is not alone. In fact most of the popular preachers are like that. Though they do not openly tell people to sin, their preaching seems to state that sin is okay. In fact a few of them have even hosted homosexual functions in their churches. Their preaching seems to state that sin is a figment of the radicals’ imagination as the god they serve does not mind it in the least.

So what kind of heaven are they preparing their people to go to? Are they making their own? Do these people read the Bible? But probably the real question to ask is which Bible are they reading? You see translations are coming out very regularly and some have removed homosexuality from their text. Some have also whitewashed divorce and many other sins.

But you see that gradually people are getting fed up with all this darkness. Man was created with a desire to know God. Even non-believers instinctively know how a Christian life should be like. The reason they hate Christianity is that the Christians they see are so different from the ones they expect. In fact you may find out that most of the people seeing all these errors were people who had followed these preachers with a passion but found out that instead of them feeding their flock with food were giving them gravel or something worse.

People who live in sin know that it is wrong. It is only that they find it hard to change. Telling them that it is okay may make them feel very nice initially because of your ‘understanding’. But they know that it is a falsehood, more like giving pain killers to someone with a treatable illness. They are instinctively searching for a way out of their depravity as they sense it must be there, somewhere. They want to see the light that will show them the way out of their prison. Ultimately they will hate you for taking advantage of their weakness as you sought their ‘seed’ by giving false hope.

Homosexuals know that their lifestyle is an abomination. No wonder it is called an unnatural act. Telling them it is fine is going against their instincts, leave alone conscience. Telling a thief that stealing is not sin will never make him find pride in it. Sin is indefensible.

Like I have said darkness does not cover filth. It only makes it hard for people to see it. I might accept the reality of that filth and make myself comfortable in it but I can never get rid of it by keeping my house dark. The fact that I can’t see it does not mean it is not there.

The gospel is the light. It shows us the state of our ‘house’ so that we can take care of it. You see we can take better care of our ‘house’ if we can see clearly. Otherwise we may be harboring a serpent in that darkness without seeing and might know the same when it is too late as we are suffering or dying from snake bite like someone who had come to me for prayer. This also applies in the spiritual realm.

I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. (Isaiah 42: 6, 7)

The key responsibility of the King’s messenger is bringing light and release to the world.

And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6)

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (Luke 4:18)

This was the assignment of the Message Himself. And it was His assignment that we are supposed to be continuing with. And it is the reason we run foul of the structures and people who are scared of the light because there are a few things they would rather were not seen by others as they are also scared to see.

Another thing we should be doing is opening the eyes of those who can’t see which to those scared of the light exposes them to even greater peril. All those gifts will disappear once the blind they have been leading have their eyes open. You see I will not need a guide if I can see for myself. I therefore will not appreciate those guides who thrived in my blindness because they could literally get anything from me for interpreting the world for me.

A pastor or prophet or any other ‘mighty’ servant who is the source of all the heavenly connections to his (there are many hers today) flock must fight to remain relevant as the only source of light to all these people as that is how he makes his living. Light to all can effectively kill him. Imagine all these blind people he leads starting to see! What for most would be a miracle would for them be death by strangulation. And that is the reason as I have been discipling and teaching discipleship over the years the people who passionately fight it are the pastors as it is in their interest that people do not connect to God at a personal level. People who can ‘see’ cannot be easily manipulated to allow the pastors to walk all over them as they get in contact with the King without pastoral or other intermediaries. That is the same reason we find Jesus being killed by the religious leaders who fed on their ‘ministries’.

For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought …(Acts 19:24 – 27)

That is what light does. It kills professions and trades as people are able to get a clear understanding of reality. Ministry to many is not much different from the trade Demetrius was involved in. They fed from the spiritual yearnings of their people and fought the light because of the threat it posed to their ‘ministry’.

People who can clearly hear from God are a treasure to the King, but in the same vein are a threat to the guides (say pastors or other ministers). If I know the direction, the leader is supposed to guide me to maximize on the journey. If I am blind, I must have the guide at all times holding my hands. If on the other hand I can see but do not know where I am supposed to be going I must be consulting the one who knows the way continually. The level of light I am exposed to will therefore dictate my relationship to my shepherd and will determine whether he is the only shepherd or the Shepherd’s undershepherd.

Many pastors love leading the blind as this kills dissension. The led are comfortable and owe it all to them. They will then be able to do anything they want with their churches, change the constitution to suit their interests and get anything they want from their churches. They will just need to say that they need to live in a palace for the whole congregation to sacrifice everything to buy them the palace even though some can barely afford food for their families. To the congregation God can only speak through the pastor and any other voice but his or hers must be silenced.

Leading people who can see but do not have the direction is not as easy. But it is not much different than leading the blind. In this the pastor dictates the spiritual nurture the congregation receives. They must approve the sermons if they are not preaching. They dictate the Bible Studies that are done, many times having to prepare them to guard against threats to their authority, of course saying that they are protecting their flock from false doctrine. This ensures that the congregation does not grow enough to connect with God directly and must need a clutch (pastor) to do so.

Leading those who can not only see but know the direction they are going is hard but fulfilling. These are the ones who hold you accountable for your teaching and spiritual growth. These can tell when you have not prepared a sermon, when you have not prayed, when you are guiding them without being led by God and when self interest dominates your pastoral leadership. Some might be having an even closer relationship with God and will help in your leadership as you walk with them. But they don’t question your leadership; they only hold it to account before the King. You can’t therefore be careless with your spiritual or other responsibilities as your flock know the general direction they are going and can see when you are making a detour.

Most pastors start with people who can help them see the direction God is leading. They are his partners in all ways and the pastor knows that he can’t do much without them. He also knows that they could easily do what he does and many times will be the ones in charge of growth beyond their small confines by replicating what they have done with their church. They are more or less equal partners, the only difference being that they have given him the position of pastor, a position he knows they can also effectively run.

But the church grows and his stature also grows. Many of the people joining it are those who can see but need direction. They therefore elevate the pastor to a guide which feels very nice to the pastor. All of a sudden nobody seems to notice whether he has prayed or not. No one seems to notice or care whether he has prepared the sermon or not. Nobody can sense when he sins as his crowd really values him. Gradually his initial partners are pushed to the periphery and eventually removed from the leadership, even the church for making the pastor look unspiritual by asking uncomfortable questions. You see a guide is paid better than a team leader as he is more indispensable. He becomes the undisputed leader of the structure with the congregation at his feet.

This is what I have seen as the progress many churches grow to. It is the very spiritually alert pastor who can be able to see and check that progression. It marks one as very successful though he may be spiritually dead and buried because as they say who can argue with numbers? And there are two numbers at play here; people and mammon. The crowds that are excited when you do not grow as you will not challenge them to also grow and the money they are ready to pay you to remain so.

But is that what we are called to?

But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. (Acts 9:15, 16)

To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18)

For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. (Acts 13:47)

Paul knew his commission. Yet see what he had to go through? He was stoned to death, imprisoned for opening the ‘eyes’ of a city, and so on. Look at this check list to appreciate what the commission cost him.

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. (2Corinthians 11:23 – 28)

These are some of the things we should expect if we are to take the King’s light to the world.

But we should also know that opening eyes and shedding light to people has its own fulfillment. Though I said I won’t talk about rewards of being such ministers, I need to give some of the rewards of doing such a ministry.  But these are different from what most would call rewards as they are using different standards.

The first is freedom. This is what a parent experiences after their child becomes a responsible adult. The harvest you get from leading blind people can never compare with the release you get from seeing them charting their destiny as a result of your ministry. The neededness your ministry evoked is incomparable with the release you get when you see them leading others as you led them.

You can go to sleep without wondering which new fire you will be woken to put out, which crisis you will be called upon to deal with. You can go for a long journey without fearing that another pastor will sway their loyalty from you as you had already directed it to the King. You can easily take a sabbatical, even a five year break as you are confident that your flock’s loyalty is safe with the King you directed it to. You know that your position is as safe as your relationship with the King. You therefore do not need to manipulate the leadership of impose leaders as you only owe you position to the King.

The other is security. You will continue depending on God for your sustenance as it was when He called you. Many pastors transition towards leading the blind because leading people who know the King’s direction requires you to be connected to Him. Any diversion on your side will result in the flock deserting you for a more worthy shepherd, meaning your support is subject to the whims of people who can hear the King, and the King can order them to stop supporting you. They can also hear when the King issues another order that is not agreeable to you. That is the reason they would rather lead the blind or those without a sense of direction.

Leading people who are also connected to the King gives me the freedom to grow as much as the King wants because I know that His greatest calling is growing His Kingdom by having as many people as possible having a vibrant relationship with Him. The King desires all His subjects to be not only connected to Him but also coherently spreading His agenda. Keeping them in the dark is therefore a disservice to the King. Feeding on the blindness or lack of direction of the subjects is a crime. And this is why we read

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21 – 23)

Should we say that these ministers led from too far in front for those they led to get an idea of the direction? Could they have been the only ones who could see and didn’t care to have anyone else with the gift of sight? Could they have been the only ones with the key to the miraculous? May they have been the only ones who could hear the voice of the King? Were they the only window that the King could pass His Light through to the world?

You see we do not see the King having issues with their prophecy or miracles. Yet they are sent to hell. Christ had no problem with what they did. It appears that the problem was with how they did it and the spirit they did it in. They may have done the King’s duty but lost touch with the King’s way of doing things which was no different to the King that disobeying Him.

Chances are that they started well as it is not easy to reach that state of spiritual power accidentally or by trying hard enough. Remember the sons of Sceva in Acts 19?

What went wrong then? I believe they lost the direction of their ministry. They focused their ministry inward. Their agenda became more important than the King’s agenda. They therefore became a liability to the Kingdom however much they pressed in doing the Kingdom’s activities. It reminds me of the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2.

I believe it is impossible to get in the King’s wrong books if all we focused on is shedding His light to the world and especially leading all who come to us to connecting to that light. That is what we call The Great Commission.

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18 – 20)

This makes our responsibility as believers as leading others to becoming as we are through discipleship. We are not to be content to just lead people to connect to the Kingdom, we should be more engaged in making them worthy subjects in the same.

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (2Timothy 2:2)

Reproduction is the agenda of the Kingdom. The superstar spirit is the spirit of the antichrist. Christ is the only star in the Kingdom. Any other is the creation of the opposing kingdom. And that is the surest way for a minister to become a liability to the Kingdom.

Then spake Jesus again unto 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. (John 8:12)

That light is not for a select few but for all who choose to follow Christ. But we must contend with the one who hates that light and seeks to shield as many as possible from it.

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2Corinthians 4: 4 - 6)

It is therefore instructive that we realize that it is in the interests of Satan that we become indispensable leaders in the King’s army. He is the one who wants us to be the only guides in the ministries the King gives us by empowering us to emasculate anyone else who may be posing any threat to our leadership. Do you remember Pharaoh and Herod killing sons to remove any threat to their leadership? That is what he wants me to be actively involved in instead of getting as many as possible exposed to the Light as exposure to that light will quicken the reproduction of the Kingdom.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. (Mark 16:15 – 20)

Here we see all who believed having signs following, not only their leaders. It is the same thing we see in Acts. Though there were responsibilities for the leaders, miracles were not restricted to them. And this is the goal of the Kingdom.

Light was not restricted to the apostles, though they were the ones who had been with The Light for a long time. He spread to many others through the people He released Himself to. No wonder the first Christians were called disciples. You did not join the church just by believing in Christ. You became one by getting involved in the apostles’ doctrine and all it involved. Ananias and Sapphira died in the process of acting like disciples when they were not.

Again we need to emphasize that miracles were the result of that discipleship. Remember it is the normal church that prayed Peter out of prison (Acts 12). Why do I say so? They doubted when their prayer was answered.

In summary let me say this.

·         Light only exposes. We should not blame it for doing its work. We should instead use it to shape our lives to be consistent with what the light is showing us. Preachers who use the scriptures to confront sin are supposed to be the most favorite because they are taking us to the level God will approve.

·         Christ is the Light of the world. As the creator He is best placed to show us how best we should live. He is therefore the light we should be shedding to others.

·         God desires that His light is shed abroad the whole world. Shielding it so that it appears as if I am the source is a crime in the Kingdom we are subjects.

·         The greatest responsibility to us as ministers is to raise as many light carriers as we can. Again this is the King’s desire. Discipleship is the route.

·         Bearing the light has its responsibilities and rewards. But it also has its sacrifices and consequences because there is one whose main goal is to restrict, contain and if possible block that light from spreading. He moves between pampering me to contain mine to killing me for refusing to be contained.

·         The world hates the light and will do anything to kill it and anyone who insists on spreading it. Worldly members of churches may go as far as rebuking a preacher who sheds light on their sinful and worldly lifestyles. Many pastors have been sacked for the same. Many of them have the money to follow such agendas through.

Finally

Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. (James 5:20)

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)

There is an eternal reward for those who consciously decide to be involved in increasing the reach of the light in them.

God bless you