“Do you think these people were worse sinners than anyone else because they suffered this horrible fate? I tell you, ‘No’, but unless you repent, you too will all likewise perish.” - Jesus. (Luke 13:1-5)

His words, not mine.

I don’t know what that word ‘repent’ means to you, but the short and simple version means to ‘turn’; or have a change in the way you think… which will in turn change the way you walk, and talk, and live.

If you don’t, then your fate or outcome is already determined; and it is not good. And this you can be sure of: It is not the will of God for ANY…to perish…but for ALL to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). That verse there even reminds us of how patient God is, but He’s not going to force you to turn to Him.

Friends, there is a darkness on this earth today, and has been here for a long time. When I say ‘darkness’, I am referring of course, to a ‘spiritual darkness’, and anyone who would take the time to just sit down and hear what God has to say about it might start thinking differently, which would hopefully lead to them walking, talking, and living…differently. But until there is a radical ‘turning’ of one’s heart and mind, that darkness will only grow…darker. And you don’t have to look far anymore to see the footprints of the ‘prince of darkness’ that covers this earth today.

Jesus warned the people that the ‘light’ would only be here for a ‘little while longer’, and that they (we) better ‘walk while we have the light, lest the darkness overtakes you’. For all those who find a false peace and security in doctrines made up by men that suggest you can never be ‘overtaken by darkness’ once you have begun walking in the light, you might want to put more stock in what Jesus taught over what you hear men tell you. Because people who walk in darkness don’t know where they are going…or what they are doing. (John 12:35)

Jesus then followed up that somber warning by exhorting us to ‘’believe in the light (while we have it)… that you may become sons of light” (35). In other words, we would do well to stop simply ‘singing about the light’ and talking about how we ‘believe’ in the light…and focus on ‘walking in the light as He is in the light’ (1 John 1:7). “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (6)

And in case you haven’t figured this out yet, the only way we can truly walk in the light, and become ‘sons of light’…is to abide in Him (Jesus). Which means we have to ‘follow’ Him and obey His teachings. This is how God’s love is ‘perfected’ in us, and whoever says he abides in Him, ought himself also to walk just as He (Jesus) walked.’ (1 John 2:3-6) Oh, and good luck with trying to do that on your own. (John 15:1-8)

You don’t need me to remind you how easy it is to ‘love those who love us’; even Jesus pointed that out in Luke 6:32. There is no ‘reward’ in doing that. He even took the ‘bar’ of ‘loving your neighbor’…and ‘raised it’ higher. Listen to His words found in Matt. 5:43-44:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy’; but I say to you – love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…”. That…is what ‘sons of light’ do and how they conduct their lives.

And nowhere in that text do I see any indication that we are exempt from loving those folks who don’t look like us or believe differently than us either.

Maybe it’s just the algorithm in my news feeds these days, but I sure am seeing a rise in anti-Muslim sentiments spread across the country. I hear where other professing ‘believers’ want to ‘ban’ such people from taking part in their local communities, living in fear that they are eventually ‘coming after all of us’…and that we better ‘wake up’.

I would agree with the ‘waking up’ part, because if I read my Bible correctly, the church of the last days ‘gets drowsy and falls asleep’ (Matt. 25:1-5). Even Paul chimes in with a rousing ‘wake up, you who sleep’…and ‘walk as children of the light’ (Eph. 5:8-17).

Friends…were we not told to take this gospel of the kingdom into ‘all the world’ and to preach the good news? (Mark 16:15). Maybe God got tired of waiting on us to ‘go’ …and did us a favor by bringing ‘all the world’ to our doorstep so we in turn could share the love of Jesus with them? Oh, but wait…they didn’t come here ‘legally’? Oh, but wait…they practice a different religion so we need to clamp down on all that and begin passing laws to ‘ban’ them?

I know, it’s kind of hard these days being able to distinguish the difference between the ‘wheat and the tares’, but we need not worry since God already knows who is who, and has it all under control. His children will be easy to recognize, because of the ‘love’ they demonstrate (John 13:34-35). In fact, John the Baptist told us early on that some ‘axe’ was ‘already laid to the root of the trees’…and that every tree that did not bear ‘fruits worthy of repentance’…would be cut down and thrown into the fire (Matt. 3:7-12). Sounds similar to a fire Jesus talked about in that parable of the ‘wheat and the tares’ in Matt. 13:24-30,36-43. I don’t know what you think, but that has a ‘ring of perishing’ to it, does it not to you?

Again, may I remind us all…let us stop referring to a ‘darkness that is coming’…and acknowledge the darkness that is already here. The real tragedy though is found in the words of Jesus who put it plainly…’not everyone will come to the light because they love the darkness more’ (John 3:19-21)