It didn't take me very long to get stuck on a theme. And that theme is the light of the world. That light that is life. The light that Jesus is... and the light that we are! So here's my thought for today: A star doesn't try really hard to shine. A star shines... because it's a star. It's not what you do, it's who you are that defines you. Who you are in Christ. Who Christ is in you. Your identity. Your TRUE identity. I'm so sick of this idea where we have to try to be someone we're not just because we're "Christians." That, to me, is ridiculous. And impossible. Because watch this: If I'm not good enough, and I have to try really hard to be better, then I'm doomed to failure. Because I wasn't good enough to start with. It's like we used to say at one of my old jobs: That's like starting at the bottom and working your way down. Luckily, there's a "But God" coming. But God doesn't see us that way. He doesn't see as a not good enough. He looks at us and He sees Jesus. He looks at Jesus and He sees us. He sees us glorified, and sanctified, and perfected. He sees us holy and whole. He presented us to Himself as a bride without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing. In other words: The work is finished! Our part--if we want to work the work of God--is simply to believe. Because when we believe (and confession is a HUGE part of believing) He manifests. To us, and in us, and through us, and as us! What you believe is what defines your reality. You can believe the world, and walk by sight, and stumble and fall... or you can believe the Word, and walk by faith, and let Jesus hold you up! Let me give my verse for today: 1 Corinthians 7:17, "But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches." Do we get it yet? As God has distributed and called you... (as Steven Tyler would say) walk this way! Be who you are! This is so important I'm going to say it again with all caps: BE WHO YOU ARE!!!! You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God made you on purpose, by purpose, and for purpose. And He made you... YOU. He didn't make you less than and then expect you to "pull yourself up by your bootstraps." He gave you gifts, and passions, and talents, and ideas. And He put you right where He wanted you. (I'm not saying you'll stay where you're at forever, because life is a journey, and while everlasting life is by definition an everlasting journey, I'm simply saying stop trying to FINISH the journey and instead ENJOY the journey!) You can't enjoy anything if you're jumping through hoops and doing religious calethstentics trying to be some vague, impossible idea of "a good Christian." The word "Christian" means "Christ-like," right? So you either are or you aren't. You can't kind of sort of partake of the Divine Nature. You can't be a little bit full of the Holy Ghost. And the good news is... you ARE like Him. You ARE full of Him. Filled to overflowing. And the more you know what's in there, the more it (He) comes out all on His own. So just be you. Do what you do. Do it in love. You're a star--the SON, get it?--so shine on!

Here's what I think I've been trying to say in this Rant series: It-- and by "it" I mean salvation, holiness, righteousness, abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life-- doesn't come from what you do. It comes from what Jesus did on the cross. And BECAUSE of what Jesus did on the cross we are equipped and empowered to LIVE His abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life by letting HIM live it in us and through us and as us. We are holy because the holy One lives inside us. We are not righteous in the sense of self-righteousness, we are the righteousness of God in Christ. We don't save ourselves (or anybody else) through works of the flesh. We were saved 2,000 years ago (and really, since Jesus is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, we have always been saved. Our salvation simply manifested in its fulness on the cross). Let me say it like this, "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another" (John 15:15-17). The Vine and the branches. We don't PRODUCE the fruit, we simply bring it forth. We bear it, and share it with those around us. Everything flows from the source. Jesus--the light of the world--lit us up and now we--the light of the world--can shine. But we don't shine by trying really hard. Works and labor don't work. We shine by believing that the light is shining on us, and in us, and through us. Arise shine for your light HAS come. We don't MAKE the light come. God spoke and said, "Let there be light." And there was light. Now we LET the light shine. It's so important that we understand that we are not servants under the rule of a distant, angry, tempermental task master. How's that song go? I am a friend of God! Right? And more that that. We are the Son(s) of God. We are Jesus. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in YOUR flesh. Love in YOUR body. And look at what the command was. Look at HOW we bring forth fruit that remains. Look at what it's all about: Love one another. It's all about love! Everything in creation--the creation that came from the God that is love, that came out of Him and is in fact Him--is groaning for the manifestation of the Son(s) of God. The manifestation of love. The Word became flesh. Love became charity. Not an idea, but an action. Laying your life down for your friends, just as Jesus laid His life down for us (and as us)! And that's what it means that we are saved, and holy, and righteous. That's what it means to partake of the divine nature. That's what it means to live the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life that is the gift of God. It means... we are loved, so we CAN love. He lit us up, and now we can shine!

There's a light that shines inside you. That's why you were created--to shew forth the praise of God! But kind of where my focus has really been in this Rant series is the glorious truth that we DO NOT try really hard in order to shine. We light it up, so to speak, only because Jesus already lit us up! He did all of the heavy lifting. He finished the work. And now our part--our ONLY part--is to believe. How amazing is it that what's true of Jesus is true of us? That's something I really don't think we fully comprehend. As He is, so are we in this world. But that's the only reason He could describe both us and Himself as the light of the world. Because it's the same light! It's not me seeing His light and then trying to recreate it. It's His light--His life, His love--IN me coming out of me as I fill myself with the fulness of what I've already been filled with. And how do I fill myself? Let me link two verses together: "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12:3), and "The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked" (Proverbs 10:11). We draw the water of life--of light--out of the well (that we are) with joy. The well (that we are) is the mouth. When we speak--or confess, which means to agree with--life we, in effect, "make" the light shine. Or, more appropriately, we LET the light shine. What you confess is what defines your reality--either what you see with your natural eyes, or what we see with your Spiritual eyes. Because what you see is what you say. What you see is what you be. And confessing... actually speaking... is an act that proves what believe. Remember James' truth that faith without works is dead? It's easy to "believe" something. It's something else to put your money where your mouth is. Or your mouth where you belief it. I remember a time when I was reading Paul's letters to the churches and I kept seeing him use the word, "charity" instead of the word, "love." And I couldn't figure out why that would be. Then God told me that charity is love in action! It's more than just an idea. It's more than just a word. It's the Word made flesh. It's actually laying down your life for your friends. Not, "I love them because I have to because I'm supposed to love everybody," but, "I love you and there's nothing I wouldn't do for you." Jesus told us that the greatest expression of love a man can have is to lay down His life for His friends. And He said we are His friends if we obey His commandment. And He said the New Commandment is to love one another as He loves us. So... how did He love us? By laying His life down for us! And it's that kind of sacrifical love--that perfect love--that casts our fear. Fear of darkness. Fear of rejection. Fear of no one loving us. I think sometimes people don't love--or don't express their love--because they are afraid if they give what they've got, and it isn't returned, then they won't have anything. But look at what Isaiah 55:11 says about the Word (love), "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." In other words... Love never fails!

Light it up! But I thought you said Jesus already lit us up...? Exactly. Look at John 6:28-29, "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." Get it? In order to shine the light ALL we have to do is believe that it is already shining in us and through us and as us! We don't have to create any light, or force it to shine. We don't have to "fake it 'til we make it," or anything like that. All we have to do is believe. And watch this: SEEING is believing. When it--the heaven and the earth, the mind and the body, US--was dark and void and without form we couldn't see. We didn't have anything to believe in. We did the best we could with what we had, but we didn't know what we had! We were stumbling around in the dark. And then God spoke. The Word of God (Jesus, light, love) became flesh and dwelt among us. (This dwelling AMONG us was eclipsed on the cross when Jesus took up abode IN us.) Light entered the scene and we could finally see things clearly. We could see GOD clearly. Because God IS light. In Him is no darkness at all. Which means, since He's in us, there is no darkness in US at all! Which, in my opinion, changes everything. No longer do we have to work against darkness, or fight against darkness. No longer do we have to struggle to overcome, or try to take the Kingdom by force or violence. Because now we know that the work is finished, and we know what is expected of us. What shall we do? Believe on Him. Know and believe the love of Christ, and love others with that same love. Fight the good fight of faith and lay hold of eternal life. The GIFT of eternal life. You don't earn a gift. You receive it. And then, because it's way too good to keep to yourself, you release it. That's our EPIC destiny. Our Eternal Purpose In Christ. That's why we were created. Not so that God could have like some kind of ant farm and torture us with a magnifying glass. That's not a Father. But that's how we saw Him when we were stumbling around in the dark--as a cruel, distant taskmaster who was just waiting for us to mess up so He could get us. Guys... on the cross, God GOT us! But not in the way we always thought He would. He got us in the same manner as a mother hen who spreads her wings over her baby chicks in order to protect them. In the same manner as a Father who give His life for His Son. He got us when He was lifted up from the earth (on the cross) and drew us all into Himself. When He planted Himself as a new, incorruptible seed in us. He got us when He poured His Spirit out on all flesh. When He lit us up with the very same light that HE is. That's why Jesus described Himself as the light of the world... AND described US as the light of the world! It's the same light. The same life. The same love. And when we believe it is shining... that's when WE shine!

We are the light of the world. Not because we try really hard to shine... but because even though in the beginning we were dark and void and without form, God spoke and said, "Let there be light!" He lit us up. In Him is life and that life is the light of men. Let me say it another way by quoting one of my favorite (and it took me a whole 2 days before I said a passage of Scripture was my favorite...) passages, "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the flory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee" (Isaiah 60:1-2). Notice this--we don't arise and shine in order to MAKE the light come. We arise and shine BECAUSE our light is come! It was dark, but the LORD rose upon us! HE is the light that shines on us and in us and through us and as us. He is the vine and we are the branches. We don't produce the fruit, we simply bear it, or carry it, to those who are hungry. We don't make the light shine, we LET it shine. Remember the song? This little light of mine, I'm gonna LET it shine. As always, all of the emphasis is on God. Not on what we do, but on what He did on the cross. He poured out His Spirit on all flesh and He lit us up with the light that is life. The life that is light. And now watch this: The more light you have, the more life you have. The more life you have, the more light you have. Now I'm not saying we're missing anything, or need anything. We have everything we need. We have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness. We have been blessed wtih all Spiritual blessings. We have it all. What I'm saying is that as we fill ourselves with the fulness of what we've been filled with... that's when it comes out naturally. Filled to OVERFLOWING. What's in us coming out of us as we receive it and release it. As we receive it BY releasing it. And here's the best part: "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). See, we know that wherever the light shines... darkness flees. But at the same time we spend colossal amounts of energy trying to FIGHT the dark. Let me say it as clearly as I can: If it's true about Jesus it's true about you. We ARE Jesus. God in the flesh. Love in a body. That's our true identity. So if there's no darkness in Him at all... THEN THERE'S NO DARKNESS IN YOU AT ALL. Even when it seems like there is. Even when it feels like there is. Even when you mess up. Messing up doesn't make you fall from grace. Messing up simply means you're the righteousness of God in Christ... who happened to mess up. Your actions don't define you. Your identity defines you. And what's your identity? Someone who shines the light? No exactly. You ARE the light of the world. You DO shine it, but only because you ARE it. You shine the light just by being yourself. Just by loving with the love you are loved with. Not by works and labor, but by a natural flow from a posture of rest. HE lit us up, and now we can't help but shine!

I love the theme of light in the Bible. God IS light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. So that's where I wanted to start year four of Ranting. And I want to start this series with John 1:4, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men." I don't think we've really even scratched the surface of this glorious truth. But that's all I want to do today. I want to scratch the surface. Maybe go a little deeper than usual and try to help us see things differently. I guess you could say I'm weird because I always seem to see things differently. But I guess if you're reading my Rant you're either ok with that, or you want to argue. (I'm not going to argue with you... just so you know.) Ok. In Jesus is life. Think about that. Life. True life. Real life. Abundant, eternal, everlasting, Resurrection Life. All these ideas we have about what happens after we die, and MAN do we like to focus on that, and we seem to miss the point that IN Him IS life. Everlasting life doesn't start when you die. It HAS no beginning and no end. It always was and always will be. If we went back a few verses in the book of John we would see that, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). There has never been a time when God wasn't there. I know that sometimes it feels like it... because the book of Genesis tells us that in the beginning the heaven and the earth (us, the mind and the body) was dark and void and without form. But then God spoke. He said, "Let there be light." In the beginning was the Word. Light. Life. Love. Jesus. God was always there, even when we couldn't see Him. Even when we were hiding from Him, or running from Him. He never left us and He never forsook us. Even when Adam and Eve were cast out (for lack of a better term) of the garden of Eden... God went with them. It wasn't, "You're over here and I'm over here and we're separate." There is no separation, and there has never been any separation. Jesus IS life. And His life is the light of men. Because we don't just let Him shine ON us, we let Him shine IN us and THROUGH us and AS us! We don't try to live His life or shine His light. Nobody can live Jesus' life except Jesus. The glorious part is that He lives His life in us! He dwells in us. Which means light dwells in us. We are the light of the world, and we shine wherever we go. We don't PRODUCE the light--by trying really hard to be like Jesus, or anything like that--we simply let the light that IS Jesus shine forth out of us! Another way to say it is "This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise" (Isaiah 43:21). Andother way to say it is that He is the vine and we are the branches. We don't PRODUCE the fruit, we just bear it--or carry it--to those who are hungry. So, to stay on my theme for today, we don't shine by trying really hard to shine. We simply believe that Jesus--the light of the world--is shining in us. He lit us up and now we can't do anything else BUT shine!

Safe and secure in the loving arms, the unconditional embrace, of our heavenly Father. That's what gets me through the day. Let me say it like this, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD" (Isaiah 54:17). I'm telling you, when you know that Jesus ALREADY overcame--both for us and as you--on the cross... then you don't have to worry about what things look like. You can stop judging according to appearance, and you can judge righteous judgment. You don't have to try to overcome when you know (and believe) that Jesus already overcame. That, in fact, is what Revelation 12:10-11 says, "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Something to notice: Isaiah speaks of no weapon prospering and every tongue that rises against us in judgment--or accuses us--being condemned. Then in Revelation we see the culmination of this: Jesus won the war to end all wars on the cross and then we OVERCAME (past tense) through the blood, that was shed on the cross, and our testimony. OUR testimony, which is actually HIS testimony. My testimony goes like this: I was crucified with Christ. What's true about Him is true about me. That's why I have boldness in the day of judgment (which is A. In our past, and B. Every day) not to judge things, but to EXECUTE the judgment that was handed down. Jesus spoiled principalities and powers so now I don't even have to mess with them. I'm safe in the Rock. I don't care what kind of storm seems to be--SEEMS TO BE--raging, because I can rest in the back of the boat. I know that my Daddy already took care of it. He defeated all of my enemies, and now I don't have to fight. Now, really, I don't HAVE anyone to fight. I'm safe. I'm secure. I have an unction from the Holy Spirit and I know all things. I know and believe the love of Christ... and as the Holy Spirit leads and guides me into all truth... as God reveals Himself--His love--in me and through me and as me... then I begin to UNDERSTAND everything I know. I begin to experience the Kingdom in a real way. In a sense we can always run to Daddy, because His arms are open wide to receive us. But in an even greater sense, where ever we go, there He is. Because He lives in us! And He lives THROUGH us as we fill ourselves to overflowing with what we have already been filled with. When we receive it and release it. When we receive it BY releasing it. Listen, when you're safe and sound, when you're secure in Daddy's love, then you won't be afraid TO love. Perfect love casts our fear. And that's what it's all about. It's all about love. We love Him because He first loved us. We love God and we love people. We love God BY loving people. Then not only are WE secure... but then they are too!

Philippians 4:7 tells us that, "...the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." That kind of peace--TRUE peace, a peace that passes understanding--doesn't come from an absence of a storm. It comes from calm IN the storm. It comes from the ability to CALM the storm. That's why it passes understanding! It doesn't seem to make sense. The storm comes and everyone else is running around like chickens with their heads cut off, banging their heads against the wall (wow... is that a mixed metaphor or what?), and you're sleeping in the back of the boat? That doesn't make sense. That's hard to understand. But when you know that you're safe and secure in Daddy's warm, loving embrace... then even when you have to go through things, things don't go through you. That peace of being planted on the Rock--planted IN the Rock, because the Rock is planted in you--keeps our hearts and minds. Remember when we were talking about keeping your affection on things above and not on the earth? Well that's an easy thing to do when you realize Jesus already did all of the heavy lifting. It's not like, "All of my circumstances aren't real and I can just stick my head in the sand and ignore them." It's, "I'm not looking at my current circumstances as 'good' or 'evil.' I know all things work together for the good, I know Daddy's got a plan, and I know I'm going to be ok no matter what." Jesus said it like this, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). And catch this: The peace that Jesus had--that He gave to us--came from winning the war to end all wars. So even though I said earlier it's not about an absence of a storm... it really IS about an absence of a storm. Even when it LOOKS like the storm is raging. King Solomon didn't have to fight any wars because his father, King David, had already defeated all of his enemies. Concerning us and our Father... same deal! We don't have to struggle to be overcomers when we begin to understand that Jesus already overcame everything there was to overcome! He made the Way for us. He made the valley come up and the mountain go down. He made the crooked straight. The highway of holiness that we walk on has nothing to do with us following in His foot steps, and everything to do with HIM walking it in our feet. And if HE'S the one walking--in us and through us and as us--then we really don't have to be afraid of stumbling or falling. He is the one who keeps us from falling! Our hearts can be not troubled and not afraid because He is the one keeping our hearts and minds! Keeping us focused on Him by being so good that we don't need to look at anything else. Not ignoring "life" but simply letting abundant, eternal, everlasting, Resurrection Life flow out of us. His "super" on our "natural" giving us a supernatural experience! Him in us and us in Him keeping us safe, and sound, and secure!

I think, really, the biggest battle we fight is with ourselves. With our own thoughts. Which is why LETTING the mind of Christ that's already in you BE in you is so important. I think so often we make mountains out of molehills because we're so focused on the problem. We feel like we have to solve the problem. Fix the problem. Finishe the work. When in fact the opposite is true. Jesus finished the work. HE fixed the problem. And all we have to do is believe. Colossians 3:2 says it like this, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." That's where our focus needs to be. Not on the problem. Not on trying to find a solution. Our focus needs to be ON the solution. On Jesus. On things above. You can't pray, "in earth as it is in heaven" unless you know how it is in heaven! You can't stop stressing out about the problem until you see the solution. Again, not "figure out the solution and then do the solution." SEE the solution. Seeing is believing. So if the work of God is to believe, then He had to first show us something to believe in. And that's what the cross was. God showed us His love by laying His life down for us. By giving His life for us and giving His life to us. God never expects something unless He first provides it. Even all the way back to Abraham and Isaac. God provided HIMSELF a ram. HE was the sacrifice that was required. And that's how we know that we're safe and secure on (IN!) the Rock. That's how we know that Daddy's got our back. Because He proved it to us. He told us what love is--no greater love can a man have than to lay down His life for His friends--and then He went to the cross and did just that. We can trust God because He has proven Himself trustworthy. We don't praise Him in order to bribe Him into giving us anything. We praise Him because He has shown Himself to be praiseworthy. We don't love Him so that He'll love us. We love Him because He FIRST loved us! It all flows from the source. And since we're talking about love... and God IS love... He is the source. I've heard it said like this, "Don't tell God how big your problems are, tell your problems how big God is!" Keep your focus in the right place. What you magnify is what will manifest. So if all you can do is focus on, and talk about, and bang your head against your problems... where's the room for God to operate? And by "operate" I DON'T mean God will swoop in and "fix" everything. I mean He will SHOW you how He already fixed everything. God did everything He was going to do on the cross. Everything He needed to do. We don't need a "move of God." We need a revelation of Jesus. We need to understand THAT we are safe in His loving arms and we need to understand WHY we are safe in His loving arms. And that's what He shows us every chance He gets. And that's what we SEE every time we look for it. When we stop Spiritually working and start Spiritually resting... when we stop stressing out and trust in Him... that's when we CAN truly rest. We can sleep easy. We know all things work together for the good!

Sometimes I wonder about the things we take for granted. For example, we seem to think that "meekness" and "weakness" are the same thing. We seem to think that we are supposed to be out there fighting any and everything. I've said this many times: the ONLY fight we're supposed to fight is the good fight of faith. Laying hold of eternal life. Receiving what we've been given and then releasing it so that those around us can also experience it. We're supposed to be kings and priests not warriors. Let me say it this way, "The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" (Exodus 14:14). And link that up with Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." At the risk of being called a hippie, I might say it like this: Make love, not war. So I guess my point is that since Jesus already fought for us--on the cross He won the war to end all wars--we don't need to fight anymore. Even when it LOOKS like, or SEEMS like, we're surrounded by "enemies." I think Abraham Lincoln said it best when he said he destroyed his enemies by making them his friends. I think that's what happens when we heap hot coals--remember that love is a fire--on our enemy's head. We kill them with kindness, so to speak. 2 Samuel 22:3-4 tells us MY method of operation, "The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies." Basically... stop trying to finish the finished work. Stop trying to do what only Jesus could do--and what He DID do on the cross--and simply believe that He did it. Simply take refuge in the Rock. I don't care how many enemies you think you have, they ain't getting through the Rock. That's literally the safest place you can be. And do you want to know the best part? You're in the Rock... because the Rock's in you! We think of, like, running to Him when we get in trouble. Breaking glass in case of emergency. But the truth is, wherever you go there you are. And wherever you go... there HE is! So if we can get rid of some of these "universal truths" that we take for granted, and if we can begin to really just trust in Him--THE truth, and the life, and the way--then we can stop struggling. Stop fighting. We can start... resting. Then everything we do flows from the inside out instead of trying to force things from the outside in. Then we can stop trying to earn what the Father has freely given us. We can stop fighting with everything and everybody. We can experience the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life that is the gift of God--that is the Father/Son relationship of unconditional love! We don't have to take what the world throws at us, when we're safe and secure in our Daddy's arms. When we're standing on the Rock (IN the Rock!) we will not be shaken!