Have you been to a good conference lately? How about a great seminar? Or have you been able to read a classic book recently? Perhaps you've been able to just make it to church and hear a solid sermon from Scripture? Have you heard from God lately?
Recently my wife and I and another couple had the great opportunity to attend the Ligonier Ministries conference, "After Darkness, Light" and be a part of almost three days of good teaching, music and fellowship. It was a rich time of renewal and restoration in the soul. And it was just what I needed for the speakers communicated many realities about our culture and the unending need to know God in all his mighty attributes. Dr. R.C. Sproul presented the need for the divine Light of Scripture to permeate our hearts and minds, as this conference highlighted a main theme from the Reformation.
The twenty-first century American culture is deteriorating and even imploding spiritually at an alarming rate. And worse of all it changes the way we think. We begin to see new norms and take the degradation from God's truth as ordinary. But God doesn't change and his Word doesn't change, nor is it obsolete to the ever changing winds of the doctrines of men. This is because God's character doesn't change for he is eternal, inerrant and trustworthy, to name just a few.
If I could highlight just one talk out of the three days that may be most beneficial I would highlight "It's Just a Book" from Robert Godfrey. In this message he describes how the world considers the Bible to be just another book, in fact, it is quite outdated and of historical reference only. But, to the contrary, the Bible is a supernatural book, it has a divine life because it has a divine Author and it is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The Bible has a life of its own that can never be squelched and it brings us to life for those who accept its truth and trust it. There are many reasons why people lose their zest in the Christian life from all the brokenness and darkness of the world. But the "Light" of the world is Christ, who is the light of life, and we can only see this from Scripture. We need to drink long from his living waters in his Word. As Jesus himself said, John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
It has always been from Scripture that reformations have taken place whether individually, locally, regionally or globally. And more than one speaker referenced the divine revelation that Peter received in his confession of Christ. In Mt. 16:17 Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven." This is the "divine and supernatural light" that the church has been founded upon from the beginning. It is the Light of Christ of which we have recorded in "the good Book".
The Scriptures are truly the Word of God, they are God speaking to us. We not only need the good Book we need good teaching from dedicated Christians in Bible studies, fellowship groups, church worship services, and occasionally a great conference. We need to break away at times to be renewed by the Light of the world.
The great sixteenth century reformation slogan was, "Post Tenebras Lux"; After Darkness, Light. And this comes from the Light of the supernatural book, the Bible. It can strengthen our weary souls, it can encourage our faint hearts, it can illumine our dark minds, and it will inspire us to live for Christ. Amen.
Recently my wife and I and another couple had the great opportunity to attend the Ligonier Ministries conference, "After Darkness, Light" and be a part of almost three days of good teaching, music and fellowship. It was a rich time of renewal and restoration in the soul. And it was just what I needed for the speakers communicated many realities about our culture and the unending need to know God in all his mighty attributes. Dr. R.C. Sproul presented the need for the divine Light of Scripture to permeate our hearts and minds, as this conference highlighted a main theme from the Reformation.
The twenty-first century American culture is deteriorating and even imploding spiritually at an alarming rate. And worse of all it changes the way we think. We begin to see new norms and take the degradation from God's truth as ordinary. But God doesn't change and his Word doesn't change, nor is it obsolete to the ever changing winds of the doctrines of men. This is because God's character doesn't change for he is eternal, inerrant and trustworthy, to name just a few.
If I could highlight just one talk out of the three days that may be most beneficial I would highlight "It's Just a Book" from Robert Godfrey. In this message he describes how the world considers the Bible to be just another book, in fact, it is quite outdated and of historical reference only. But, to the contrary, the Bible is a supernatural book, it has a divine life because it has a divine Author and it is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The Bible has a life of its own that can never be squelched and it brings us to life for those who accept its truth and trust it. There are many reasons why people lose their zest in the Christian life from all the brokenness and darkness of the world. But the "Light" of the world is Christ, who is the light of life, and we can only see this from Scripture. We need to drink long from his living waters in his Word. As Jesus himself said, John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
It has always been from Scripture that reformations have taken place whether individually, locally, regionally or globally. And more than one speaker referenced the divine revelation that Peter received in his confession of Christ. In Mt. 16:17 Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven." This is the "divine and supernatural light" that the church has been founded upon from the beginning. It is the Light of Christ of which we have recorded in "the good Book".
The Scriptures are truly the Word of God, they are God speaking to us. We not only need the good Book we need good teaching from dedicated Christians in Bible studies, fellowship groups, church worship services, and occasionally a great conference. We need to break away at times to be renewed by the Light of the world.
The great sixteenth century reformation slogan was, "Post Tenebras Lux"; After Darkness, Light. And this comes from the Light of the supernatural book, the Bible. It can strengthen our weary souls, it can encourage our faint hearts, it can illumine our dark minds, and it will inspire us to live for Christ. Amen.
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