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Lord, Give Us the Light

by Pastor Thomas Schaller
May 20, 2009
Unedited

...It's encouraging to hear about the light God imparts to our minds,
then what happens in our life? This light is Jesus Christ.

In 1900, in N. Africa, the Christians numbered 9 million...9% of the

whole population. In 1980, there were 200 million Christians. It went
up from 9 to 200 million in 80 years. Now, its estimated there are 390
million...as of 2000...that's 48 % of the population. An Islamic man
confirmed that Muslims are turning to Jesus in large numbers. Every
hour 667 Muslims convert to Christianity. Every year 6 million
convert...Stunned, an interviewer said...Al Katanni (? name) said, 6
million Muslims are converting every year? Yes!

I ask this question: How could a person, an unbeliever, far away, a

person of another religion, an unbeliever, programmed and taught not
to believe in Jesus; how could they become a believer?

Another story here: An Islamic Terrorist...Tas Sada...was a Palestinian

sniper...who became friends with Yasser Arafat...raised in Saudi
Arabia...in a violent nationalism. He was a caldron of seething
hatred...and served as a sniper for Arafat...After marrying and
American in 1993, and moving to the US, this violent radical was
radically transformed by the HS...and became a man of peace and
compassion. An evangelical friend encouraged him to read the NT...As
a Muslim, he was raised to not believe the Bible...was God's word. The
story goes on...it struck a deep chord into my being. Before I knew it,
I was on my knees. I didn't consciously decide to kneel...A talking light
came into my room...the light said to me, I am the way, the truth, and
life....Suddenly, Sada said, the triune God, father, son, and HS
existed. He knew this God loved him. Sobbing with shame at his sin,
and thankfulness for mercy, cried out, O Jesus...come into my
heart...and be my savior. A sense of peace and joy rushed into my
heart....He wrote a book: Once an Arafat Man. He explains what
happened in his life. He shares the gospel. He was in Israel. He said to
the Jews at a hospital, I love Jews. They said, What are you talking
about? He said, Jesus came into my heart. The doctor said, you
worked for the PLO...He said, God changed my heart...These Israeli's
had never seen anything like it...few people have.
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Now, the thought I have for tonight, in our msg. is: You and I, as
believers in time, it happens to us, we need fresh, light, fresh und'g,
and mind transformation. We also know that the unbeliever, who is far
away, blind, the Jews are blind when reading the Bible, Gentiles are
blind by the god of this world, and believers are sometimes blind. In
the gospels, Jesus would do something, and the disciples were on a
diff. wave length. When A man cried out, Son of David, Son of David,
they said, be quiet. When they multiplied bread, and later realized
they didn't have enough for themselves, Jesus said, Don't you und?

There was a time when the children came and the disciples didn't want
to be disturbed. Jesus said, let them come to me. For such is the KOG.
From that study, or those thoughts, there are times and we all realize
this; we walk with God and there seems to be light of the most imp.
kind. A Spiritual light. This world can't give it. It doesn't come from
inside of you, your own personality, your own smartness, or discipline
or talent. An eye is an eye, but it doesn't do anything unless light
comes. An eye is an organ, but its useless without light.

A Christian is a Christian, but its not enough unless God gives light to
the believer. In John 9:5, Jesus is the light.

Now, one thing, this is simple: We adopt a lifestyle, and live a certain
way, by words and behavior, in our Christianity. It is beautiful and
commendable. There is no need for introspection. But, also, a believer
is called to a sense of responsibility in his faith.

Pv. 3:5 - trust the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own
und'g. When we lean, its really a verb and means something. We lean
on our own und'g. Walking in the light of my own sparks, Isa 50:11.
Sparks are light, but they are lousy light. They are little embers that
fly and burn quickly and burn out. That is lousy light. But, that's the
kind of light that people make in their own soul. When they lean on
their own und'g, they lie down in sorrow.

When Christ came...this was an entirely diff. kind of light. It takes one
in an atmosphere, in education, in depression, in an orientation,
Islamic, Buddhist, Jewish… whatever. When that light comes, when He
comes into the mind and heart of a person, that is strange to the
world. The world doesn't have that light. The world doesn't know. Why
do you believe, they say? You are strange in our eyes. Why do you
believe as you believe? Don't you know this isn't true...and don't you
know? This is our calling. We have, not only believed, and its
happened in our hearts, but we continue in the light. This is entirely
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different. People think this is bec. of our lack of education. We say,

you have no idea. There are many reasons why we believe: the tomb
is empty, Bible prophecy...this is all evidence of something great. God
is light. In Him is no darkness.

Pv. 4:18 - we grow in light. Ps. 36:9 - we that walk in light shall see
light. There is something happening in our life. It doesn't stop. When
in Chile...we saw the shining faces of people. They go 48 hours by
bus...long...long bus ride. We know how that is, when you know what
is happened in your life hasn't been the result of your own persuasion.
Its the result of the HS bringing light into your mind.

John 9. As Jesus passed by...he saw a man blind from birth. This has
an application for us all. We are blind from birth spiritually. His
disciples asked him, who sinned that he was born blind? What caused
his blindness?

By the way, when a prostitute had gonorrhea, that would blind her
baby. Was it the sin of his mother that caused his blindness. We look
for reasons for pain? and suffering? the disadvantage, the problem?
Jesus said, Neither...but that the works of God may be manifest in
him.

There are many things we don't know about in our lives. We ask God
questions every day...(cut off)...

Job said, my ears heard, but not my eyes see you. Now I see you.
Seeing = a big word in John. Nicodemas...unless a man is born again,
He won't see the kingdom of God. WE are blind. We see and have this
birth...we rejoice in it...and in our sin, in our unbelief, our depression,
our disappointments, we find ourselves, very possibly, questioning
God, and not having light. WE remember it!

When you see, you remember it. You don't forget it. We have this. So,
now, what do we do? We must make the effort, realize that we can't
trust in ourselves. We’ll say many things contrary. Like, the kids are
coming, and we say, go away. Why is she talking with a women? Lord
we perish in this storm. Jesus says, How long must I be with you?
don't you believe a person far away, in a flash, in an exp. in a walk of
faith, realize and und. this is God's light. This is God who came into
our life. We walk in that light. We are corrected in that light.

In our lesson: many believers, awesome people, they have shifted to

depend on their own und'g. They raise their kids with their own und'g.
They go to church life with their own und'g. They treat business,
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family, with their own und'g. They make decisions based on their
mood, emotions, preference, opinions, orientation, and make their
own decisions. But, we go from faith to faith. We live in the light.
There is und'g in it.

Jesus said, vs 6, he anointed the eyes of the man...and said, go wash

in the pool of Siloam. This man stumbled along with spit and mud on
his face. Principle: Things get worse before they get better. Jesus
says, how bad do you want this. What are you looking for. This man
came back seeing, but didn't know who Jesus was. His neighbors said,
isn't this the man that sat and begged. Some said, this is like him, but
its not him...they said, how were your eyes opened? The man said, A
man called Jesus...

This is it. Its Jesus. There is no one...but him here. There is nothing
without him, but blindness. With Jesus, everything changes.

He told me to go to the pool and wash...I went and now I see...

vs 9-17 - this is the story of our life. If we are tired, irritated, weary,
empty, lonely, vanity of life, and in our mind, depravity of our soul,
there is no need to worry. We only need to wait upon God.

Isa. 50:10,11 - sparks of alcohol...they make sparks...but on the other

hand, if we are those who wait on and trust in God, then the light of
the HS will enlighten our mind and encourage our faith and we have
diff. perspective in three areas:

1. The children are fine here; 2. The woman at the well; 3. Bartemaus
cries out, lets see what Jesus will do...when darkness comes, your life
changes much. When we open our eyes and light hits the retina, our
whole life is changed. This is what's happening in our lives personally.
This is of great value. Its our testimony in a dark world. Would you
pray with me please.

Prayer - you are here tonight, you'd like the light of life, the reality of
God, the living Christ, the savior of the world, the reality of God's mind
to come into your heart and mind. If you would walk by faith in him,
He'll give you the light of life. You are not made as an accident...you
are made for eternal life. You are made to live forever in heaven or
hell. Another blindness of the human heart is denial of
reality...guilt...preference of my own life excluding God. But, if you
could say today, I'll build on another foundation. Not me! but
Him...put all your trust in him. He'll answer you. You'll have his light in
your heart. Say this prayer...Lord Jesus, I put my trust in you. Save
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me by your grace. Be so personal to me. Give light into my

heart...where no man can go. Put your light into my soul and enlighten
my spirit and make me alive. I pray in Jesus name...Raise your hand if
you are praying this prayer...anyone...Yes Lord, Father, thank you
God. Thank you Jesus. Thank you Lord. Yes Lord. When we have that
light, it changes our prayers lives. Light is glorious and beautiful. It
changes our sin. We don't enjoy it. Light is such a joy. When we have
self interest, we'd rather have light, by losing our life, and waiting
upon God. Everything in our life can be taken care of by God's light, by
the light of Jesus Christ. Anywhere, and everywhere, in every
situation. Daniel, Jacob, Paul, David, the Disciples, the church, we
have it. O God! Thank you for it. Lead us in it. In Jesus name, Amen!
Amen!