Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

August 9
Saturday


OPEN THE
SHUTTERS

READ:
Ephesians 5:8-14
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Walk as children
of light.
__Ephesians 5:8
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Have you heard of the 17th-century theologian Samuel Rutherford? Perhaps it's time to resurrect his faith-inspiring memory.

Rutherford, a member of the council that wrote the Westminster Confession, was imprisoned because of his beliefs. While in prison, he wrote this soul-strengthening letter expressing the joy that sustained him through his trials: "If God had told me some time ago that He was about to make me as happy as I could be in this world, and then had told me that He should begin by crippling me in all my limbs, and removing me from all usual sources of enjoyment, I should have thought it a very strange mode of accomplishing His purpose. And yet, how is His wisdom manifest even in this! For if you should see a man shut up in a closed room, idolizing a set of lamps and rejoicing in their light, and you wished to make him truly happy, you would begin by blowing out all his lamps; and then throw open the shutters to let in the light of heaven."

When the candles that light up our darkness are blown out, let's rejoice that God is throwing open shuttered windows and pouring in the sunshine of His love.

Like Samuel Rutherford, let's "walk as children of light" (Eph. 5:8). __Vernon Grounds
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```````````````````````Afflictions may test me,``````````````````
````````````````````````They cannot destroy;```````````````````
``````````````````````One glimpse of Thy love```````````````````
```````````````````Turns them all into joy. __willett```````````````
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We value the light more fully
after we've come through the darkness.

****************Today's Bible reading __ Ephesians 5:8-14**********

8 For you were once
darkness, but now you are
light in the Lord. Walk as
children of light ( (for the
fruit of the Spirit is in all
goodness, righteousness,
and truth), 10 finding out
what is acceptable to the
Lord. 11 And have no
fellowship with the
unfruitful works of
darkness, but rather expose
them. 12 For it is shameful
even to speak of those
things which are done by
them in secret. 13 But all
things that are exposed are
made manifest by the light,
for whatever makes
manifest is light.

14 Therefore He says:
"Awake, you who sleep,
arise from the dead, and
Christ will give you light."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus is rooted in communicating to
the Christians there the relationship between Christ (the head of the church) and the church (the body of Christ). In chapters 1-3, we see
the theological and spiritual realities of that amazing relationship,
but in chapters 4-6, we are reminded of the practical implications
of the relationship, including walking in the light (Eph. 5:8). This
challenge is particularly significant, given that our Head (Christ) is
referred to in John 9:5 as "the light of the world"! What a marvelous
privilege it is to walk in the presence of the One who is Himself our
light for the journey. __Bill Crowder