elevate update November 31

.This week at elevates we took a look at two very similar passages found in the book of Luke.
Luke chapter 8:16-18 Luke chapter 11:33-36.

Both passages start out the idea that a lamp is designed to be placed on a lampstand and not to be hidden. By being placed where it's supposed to be is a benefit to everyone that walks into the house/room. By combining both passages we understand that the house/room is our life. In chapter 11 the light that we are to shine out specifically comes from our body. The word "body" is our physical being.

The light comes from God's teaching/voice. His voice can be heard in a variety of ways. By listening to his voice pure light enters through our eyes and shines forth through our bodies. This light grows based on our willingness to listen to God's voice.The Passages make it clear that the more you stay open to Gods voice the more understanding you will receive and the more light your body will produce.

An interesting twist in both passages is this. There is an evil light that looks like the pure light but the differences are pretty clear. The evil light does not push away the shadows in the corners of your house. The evil light hides itself and is not a benefit to everyone that enters into the room. The evil light does not bring about more understanding, or clarify the voice of God.

You can tell the difference in your own life based on the results of what you see and hear. If what you see and hear of God whether through his Word, dreams, prayers that are spoken over you, or the spirits encouragement within you make your life more radiant then you are working with a pure light.
If you are reading God's Word and you are able to keep portions of your life separated from the effects of God's Word, or you are only a benefit to those that you deem worthy of your biblical knowledge, or your body does not radiate God's light then the light you're working with is evil.

An added aspect of working with the evil light is this. In the chapter 8 portion of our study we see that not only will God not give you more light/understanding, but He will actually take away the light you think you have.

In my personal life I could see how my biblical knowledge had stopped radiating God's light and had become a source of ungodly characteristics. I become prideful about my "light". I'd become argumentative, defensive, inpatient, and divisive. All of these things were tied into my knowledge of God's "light". I know that I had stopped seeing new things and gaining new understandings from God's Word.I convinced myself that by creatively and enthusiastically regurgitating the same knowledge over and over again I was filled with God's light. I was not encouraging people to grow in knowledge of God's Word, I was encouraging people to become more committed to building walls in defense of our traditions. Those walls became the bushels in which our light was hidden, those walls became the barrier to keep more understanding and light coming in. I stopped hearing God's voice and had become useless in a dark room.


In the last four years I have gained an understanding. Life and light have been added to my knowledge of God's Word. And in the last year and a half God's voice has become clear both within my spirit, and in my dreams.

I love the promise in these passages that if we walk in God's light more understanding/more light will be given.