Lapho sibheka ngathi, we see that the world lies in darkness and death reigns as king in this world. The devil is gaining more and more territory, even in the lives of many Christians., who are supposed to be the light of this world. Wherever the light is shining the devil tries to enter and deceive, ukweba, bulala, futhi ubhubhise. Because that’s the mission of the devil, to extinguish the light of the church and make the earth without form and void again and let darkness and death reign on earth. And so the darkness extinguishes the light and what does the church do?
UNkulunkulu ungukukhanya futhi kuye abukho ubumnyama
Ku 1 UJohane 1:15 it is written that God is light and in Him is no darkness. Into yokuqala, that God created, when the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep, was the light. UNkulunkulu wathi: “Makube khona ukukhanya” and there was light.
God divided the light from the darknes and called the light day and the darkness night (Genesis 1:1-5). Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, there wasn’t only darkness, but there was a difference between the light and the darkness.
The darkness that was present and the formlessness and voidness of the earth that was caused by the devil and his demons (izingelosi eziwile), who were cast upon the earth after impi engadini. That’s what the devil had done to the earth, and that’s what the devil had done after God created the earth and all there is within perfectly, by seducing man, and that’s what the devil still does with the earth and everything that lives.
The children of the night
The devil is the god of this world and where he has established his kingdom, the darkness is present. Although Jesus is King and has taken okhiye, igunya ezulwini nasemhlabeni, Kusuka kuDeveli, the devil still has the ability to steal, bulala futhi ubhubhise.
The devil walks about as a roaring lion and seeks whom he may devour. Because his mission is to destroy every soul and steal the inheritance, which God has given in Jesus Christ to His saints. He tries to extinguish every single light that shines in the darkness of this world.
The devil tries to seduce and mislead as many people as possible with his lies. He keeps them ignorant about the truth and causes them to sleep and makes them children of the night.
That’s why the devil tries to keep the believers away from the Bible; the Word and ensure that they build their faith upon the words of men, who have mixed their own philosophies, opinions and carnal lusts and desires with God’s Word, and turned the truth of God into a lie.
Wonke umuntu, who is carnal and walks after the flesh and has the spirit of this world listens and believes what these abashumayeli of the world and the world have to say.
They belong to the world (ubumnyama), and are children of the world; children of the night.
Their spirit is dead and they don’t see what is truly happening around them. They are spiritually asleep and live in darkness and can’t stand the light. Ngakho-ke, they avoid every light that comes near.
Unless they hate their lives and are fed up with their sinful lives. Kuphela-ke kuphela, will they be drawn by the light that shines in the darkness.
Many people confess Jesus as Lord, okwamanje, they obey the devil and walk in darkness
Many people confess Jesus as Lord while they behave and live like the world and are spiritually asleep. They feed themselves with the things of this world and are influenced and led by them. And so they are being led by the wisdom and knowledge of this world (ulwazi lwezinto zemvelo), (social)abezindaba, izimo, and all kinds of earthly things, which they perceive with their senses, and build their knowledge, ukuhlakanipha, imfundiso, and faith upon them, njengomhlaba nje. (Funda futhi: Ngabe uyavuma uJesu noma uyamphika uJesu phambi kwabesilisa?).
They think they are Christians and walk by ukholo. Kepha empeleni, they don’t listen to the Word and don’t walk according to what the Word says.
They’re not led by the Word and the Spirit, but they walk after the spirit of this world and are led by what science, (social)abezindaba, and scholars (the wise people of this world) isho.
They believe and act upon what the world advises and commands them to do and go to the world for help, instead of believing and doing what Jesus commanded them to do and going to Him for help. And that’s why many people, who say they are believers, belong to the world and are children of the night.
The devil uses many lies and tactics to seduce and mislead Christians and cause them to go astray. This way he extinguish their light, so that they won’t be a threat to his kingdom anymore.
The devil uses lies and all the temptations of the world, to ensure that people keep living in sin.
He uses distractions, izinkinga, izimo, ukuzijabulisa, njalo njalo, to keep people busy and distracted and focused on themselves and their circumstances, instead of being focused on Jesus Christ and establishing His Kingdom on earth.
As long as people remain carnal and are not willing to lay down the flesh, the devil shall succeed in making sure, that they stay focused on themselves and feed themselves with the things of this world, so that they won’t be a threat to his kingdom anymore.
Because the more people feed themselves with the things of this world, the more darkness they become. They shall abide in sin; phakathi ukungalaleli uNkulunkulu nentando yakhe.
That’s why it’s important to stay in Jesus Christ; the Word and keep walking according to His will. Even if that means rejection and persecution from the world. Because the darkness will always try to extinguish every light, so that people can live in sin without resistance and condemnation, just like in the days of Noah.
The children of the day
If you believe in Jesus Christ and belong to Him through ukuvuselelwa futhi uhlale kuye, you belong to the day and be the light of the world. Jesus is the Light of the world and everyone, who belongs to Him and stays in Him has become the light of the world.
Ngakho-ke, as long as you stay in Christ and live after His will, which is also God’s will, you shall be the light on this earth.
UJesu uthi: Nina ningukukhanya kwezwe. Idolobha elisethwe egqumeni alikwazi ukufihlwa. Akekho Amadoda Ayikhanyisa Ikhandlela, bese uyibeka ngaphansi kwe-bushel, Kepha ku-Candlestick; Futhi inika ukukhanya kubo bonke abasendlini. Kanjalo makukhanye ukukhanya kwenu phambi kwabantu, ukuze babone imisebenzi yenu emihle, futhi nikhazimulise uYihlo osezulwini (Mathewu 5:14:16)
As long as you stay in the intando kaNkulunkulu and do good works, you shall exalt and glorify your Father, Ngubani osezulwini, and your light shall shine before people.
Some people shall be drawn by the light and when you witness, they shall believe in Jesus Christ and be reconciled through Christ with the Father. And some people shall hate the light and reject you and not want to have anything to do with you because you testify about their evil works.
If the latter one happens, then don’t be sad, but rejoice. Ngoba iBhayibheli lithi, that because of the Name of Jesus, you shall suffer reproach and shall be persecuted and rejected by the world. (Funda futhi: Ukuhlupheka ngenxa yeGama leNkosi).
And since the spirit of this world is present in many churches, you may also be persecuted by the church and maybe even denied access. This happened with Jesus, so this shall surely happen with Abalandeli bakhe, who represent Him.
What does the Bible say about Jesus’ Buyisela emuva?
The Bible says that Jesus’ return shall come as a Thief in the night. Ngakho-ke, when Jesus returns, it shall be during the night. There shall be (ngokomoya) darkness upon the earth. (i.e.: Isaya 13:9-10; 24:23, Kwabase-Efesu 32:7-8, UJoweli 2:10,11,31; 3:15, uZakariya 14:6-7, Mathewu 24:29, IzEnzo 2:20)
Ebusuku, when no one expects it, Jesus shall return. Only the children of the day, who belong to the Light and who are spiritually awake, shall see the signs of His coming and be ready to meet Jesus.
But of the times and the seasons, bazalwane, ye have no need that I write unto you. Ngoba niyazi kahle ukuthi usuku lweNkosi luyeza njengesela ebusuku. Ngoba lapho bethi, Ukuthula nokuphepha; Ngemuva kwalokho ukubhujiswa okungazelelwe kuyeza phezu kwabo, njengosizi kowesifazane onengane; futhi ngeke baphunyuke. Kodwa wena, bazalwane, awekho ebumnyameni, that day should overtake you as a thief. Ninazonke nina bantwana bokukhanya, kanye nezingane zosuku: Asisekho ubusuku, noma ubumnyama. Ngakho-ke ake silale, njengabanye; Kepha ake sibuke futhi sibe nesizotha. For they that sleep in the night; Futhi labo abadakwa badakwa ebusuku. Kepha ake, Obani usuku, Yiba nesisindo, Ukubeka isivikelo sesifuba sokholo nothando; kanye nesigqoko sokuzivikela, ithemba lensindiso. Ngokuba uNkulunkulu akasimiselanga ulaka, kodwa ukuthola insindiso ngeNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, Owasifela, lokho, noma sivuka noma silele, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
1 Thesalonika 5:1-11
The Saviour of the world
The earth decays and the filthiness and darkness increase. Sonke Asizungezile, we see a blurring of moral standards and values. The laws, which are largely based on the Bible (IZwi LikaNkulunkulu), are adjusted to the spirit of this world; Umoya Womphikukristu, who reigns in the children of disobedience; the children of the darkness, who belong to the night.
This also happens in many churches, where the wisdom of God and His Word are defiled and mixed with the wisdom, ulwazi, and opinion of carnal men and the world, that carries the spirit of the antichrist.
It is one big chaos, and no one seems to have a solution. Hhayi ngisho umphikukristu, who shall arise, when all hope is gone and when there seems to be no way out.
The Antichrist shall arise from the people and shall pretend that he is able to find a way out of the mess. The world shall consider the antichrist as the savior of the world. Kepha empeleni, this person shall be inspired and led by the devil and the kingdom of darkness and shall only make things worse.
The only Saviour, who is able to make a change, is Jesus Christ. In the lives of people, where Jesus Christ is being received, the darkness will flee and the life, light, and peace will be restored.
The only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ. He is the only Way, iqiniso, Impilo, kanye nokuKhanya.
Every soul, who is being drawn out of the darkness and reconciled with the Father through Jesus Christ, shall belong to the Life and the Light instead of death and the darkness and shall be a child of the day instead of a child of the night.
Ngoba kwesinye isikhathi ubumnyama, Kepha manje niyakhanya eNkosini: uhambe njengezingane zokukhanya: (Ukuze izithelo zoMoya zikubuhle bonke nokulunga neqiniso;) Ukufakazela ukuthi yini eyamukelekayo eNkosini. (Kwabase-Efesu 5:8-10)
But you are a chosen generation, ubupristi bobukhosi, isizwe esingcwele, abantu abangajwayelekile; that you should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 UPetru 2:9-10)
Don’t let the darkness extinguishes the light, but keep your light shining
Yingakho ke, it’s so important to stay and abide in Him, be awake and watch and ukumelana nezilingo of the devil and have no fellowship with the works of darkness.
Don’t try to become a friend of the world, nor adapt and apply the wisdom, ulwazi, and theories of the world in your life, because that’s not your assignment. Uma wenza lokhu, then you are already fallen into the trap of the devil and are seduced and misled by his lies. Ngoba uNkulunkulu uthi, that the wisdom and knowledge of this world is foolishness to Him.
Don’t be focused upon yourself and your own kingdom, but stay focused on Jesus Christ and the things of the Kingdom of God.
Hlala kuYe, so that you will do good works through Him. Stay the light of this world, so that you win many souls for Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. Tthat you draw many souls out of the lies of the devil and the power of darkness.
Where the light shines, darkness must flee. Ngakho-ke, make sure that your light keeps shining in this dark world, and don’t let the darkness extinguish your light.
‘Yibani usawoti womhlaba’
