The Light

The scripture shown me was Luke 11:34-36 which begins:

“The light of the body is the eye: therefore, when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.”

These were Jesus’s own words to the people. He goes on to give warning:

“Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.”

And concludes with a declaration:

“If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.”

I pondered these words for quite some time and understand them to mean that what I gaze upon does matter. Where my heart is does matter. What my eyes look upon does matter. If evil, it lets evil into my entire body. If good, it lets light into my entire being.

Then as the day went on, I saw a movie which revealed the zeal of Saul who was thinking he was doing God a favor by killing the Christians. He was in darkness and yet thought he was in light, so I thought of Jesus’s words of verse 35 which say, “Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.” Saul thought he was right! That he was in light! Yet he was so blind, he believed murdering people was what he was to be doing “for God”! Truth is, God, you had to blind him so that he could then see!

Elizabeth, think about the lights of a city giving so much light that when people look up, they are unable to see the stars. This is how it is when religious people especially think they carry the light, but it is not my light.

Let me speak now about this. Those zealous toward religion usually do not know me. They know of me. They know of my word even. Yet they gaze not upon me, the Lord. Why?

Why do they not gaze upon me? Can you answer?

My guess, Lord, is that they are gazing with intellect and desire for knowledge and knowing right answers and being right, that they don’t depend on you for what they need. They don’t come to you for forgiveness, or for guidance, or for anything that would force them to humble themselves before you, God, or man. Is this so?

Yes, and there is more Elizabeth. They “hide from me” behind this facade that they are light when they are darkness.

Lord, I think I too have had a facade, that I was walking in more light than I actually had. I would appear to have the answers when I did not. I would answer, as if I had all wisdom, when in actuality, I was just being given an answer for someone, from you.

I am sorry Lord. Please change me.

Elizabeth, my children are told in I John 1:7 the following:

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.”

You are familiar with this verse. But now look above that verse where it speaks of me.

I’m seeing it, Lord. It says:

“God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

I guess because this is true of you then the verses in Luke which say, no part dark, can be true of us, …because God is dwelling within us. Right?

Right. Now look how it continues at I John 1:6.

It says:

“If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in darkness, we lie, and do not practice the truth.”

Wow, God…that is strong language. If I “say” to others I have fellowship with you, yet am walking in darkness, I’m a liar. I’m not practicing the truth. Guess that’s called “living a lie”. I surely do not desire that for myself, or for any of my brothers and sisters in Christ either.

Verse 9 I see, gives the answer, which is to confess my sins, and you are faithful and just to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I will receive that from you now Lord. Thank you.

Elizabeth, I am revealing these truths to you so that you can become aware of the darkness around you and their need for light. Even the movie you watched today had light and dark in in…it was mixture…and so all was darkness.

“Mixture” comes from evil being let in. Allowed in, I should say. When evil is let in, then all becomes dark as far as my being able to use you and others as a candle on a lampstand for others to see your light. This is why Luke’s passage begins in verse 33, “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the Light.”

When I come into a person’s life, I am their light. And when I shine within them, then they become as a light to others, to find me.

Your song “Light of Life”, which I gave you years ago, declares: “I’m going to light the darkness out of my life, let the Holy Spirit illumine me, shine truth upon the lies received, and give me faith to see: Exposure… it should not be feared, for light removes the darkness. Sin cannot stay where truth remains, and Christ the light within me shines.”

You’ve had this message for years Elizabeth, and didn’t even know it, or practice it as you could have. But now I’m shedding light upon light. It is my way. Light can be turned up by me. It doesn’t remain constant.

I just googled “verse brighter and brighter” and it brought up Proverbs 4:18 which confirms what you have just told me Lord. The King James says:

“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day”.

And the Amplified declares:

“But the path of the just (righteous) is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until it reaches its full strength and glory in the perfect day.”

Wow God!! As you work in us, you’ll be more visible in us, and things will get brighter and brighter in us and upon our pathway! I’m so excited about that!

I see too that Job 11:18b says:

“Thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.”

Lord God, I desire this. I desire your light to shine in me.

Go there Elizabeth, to the context of that verse in your bible. Now look at Job 11 above that verse and tell me what the IFs are saying from verse 13:

It says in Verses 13-20:

“If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles, FOR THEN shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and shall not fear; because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away. And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee. But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.”

Clearly, Lord, we all have to cooperate with your Holy Spirit for the light to be manifest in us. But as we do, then we shall be at peace, without anxieties and fear of safety. Your light clearly takes away torments within the mind that come from fears and not knowing the way, etc.

So, our part? We must prepare our hearts and remove iniquity and wickedness by confessing and turning from those things that you expose with your light.

I see Jesus’ words too, in Luke 12:35-36, which says:

“Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.”

To Gird means to make oneself “readied” for action, as when fastening or securing one’s belt to hold clothing and sword in place to go out to perform one’s tasks.

I see a cross-reference in Ephesians 6:14 that says we Christians are “to gird about our loins with truth”. I take this to mean that letting the light dispel lies within us is how we gird ourselves with truth… enabling us to take in even more light.

Thoughts come, Lord, that some people don’t know the darkness they are in.

Elizabeth, this is so true, but as my people allow my light to come in, and they put their lights on a candlestick, then the light to those in the world will get brighter, so that their true condition can be realized by them. The light of unity is the brightest! This is why big churches sometimes grow faster than small churches, daughter. The many produce more light to the community. Their lights may not be as bright as some folks in small churches, but “combined” their light as a whole is brighter!

I am seen. The world wants to check me out! …and to check that church out!

What does Matthew 5:14-15 say?

Jesus, you tell us:

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.”

Yes, Lord, it seems that this for sure confirms your words to me. I realize that our lights coming together in unity, no matter each individual’s brightness, just the sheer number of those lights combined can bring more light than a single person burning bright can. So, unity is so important, isn’t it…

Elizabeth, tis so, yet I look at the individual too, and so does the world. Imagine if all my people’s light, in themselves, intensified? And they also were in unity?

Let’s look at Matthew 5:16 now…

“Let YOUR light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Clearly, I speak to you. Any “individual”. Your good works ARE your light shining. The “they” is the world looking on to your life…your co-workers, friends, family, fellow church-goers, etc.

They then will do what? They will glorify your Father which is in heaven!

You want to glorify me? Then let your light shine! Let your good works be visible, not hidden! BE mine.

Suddenly I have a question, Lord.

So much of your words tell us to do our good deeds in private, such as praying and giving, and yet you say to be visible with good works. What is the difference that you would say both things because I know you do not contradict yourself?

Elizabeth, praying is “toward me”, is it not?

Yes, Lord.

And giving is “toward me”, is it not?

Yes, Lord.

Elizabeth, these things, which are toward me are between me and the individual. It is “our business” so to speak, such as is the intimate conversations of a husband and wife.

But good works, that are visible, are those things that you do toward others. Things like kindness, controlling temper, yielding preference, sharing something that is yours alone, hospitality, helping the poor, visiting the sick, writing to prisoners, giving testimony, etc. These things SHOW the world that you are doing these things In My Name, because you love me, and therefore you are loving them. Do you understand now?

Oh yes, Lord. Thank you so much for the clarification. Light is seen through our good works…not our wanting praise from man for something between ourselves and you. I imagine therefore that pride is a light stealer…and that the desire for praise even creates darkness?

Can you give me scripture on this perception?

Let me speak of this to you for a moment…reasoning together. Proud people have a hard time with correction, do they not? And a difficult time admitting they are in the wrong?

Yes, for sure, Lord.

So, if letting light “in” to my children requires them repenting of exposed sin, what is the biggest deterrent, do you suppose?

Oh yeah, pride, for sure, Lord. A proud person won’t accept the light, will he.

So yes, your perception is correct. Proud people are also after appearances…caring more of their own “appearance” than mine into any situation. They don’t want to draw attention to me but to themselves. This is gross darkness and one that is taking over with social media. Self-Love is ever growing in those who live in darkness, making it a deeper darkness. As there are degrees of light intensity, there are also degrees of darkness…pits harder to climb out of…more dark layers for me to illumine and remove with my light.

Pride also affects my light in people because they are “too proud” to actually DO good works. They can’t see themselves stooping so low as to associate with those of low degree, which is who good works are done for usually.

You can ponder this more, but pride does take away light from within you, and prevents your light from being seen by others as it needs to be.

Remember our verse that started this whole discussion was Luke 11:34 which concludes, “When thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.”

Lord, I somehow didn’t equate pride with those verses when I originally pondered it. When I saw the word evil, I thought of the world’s evil, not your children’s evil, I guess. Pride is definitely a part of me, that you reveal regularly. It has manifested in my desire to “be right”, to be “spiritual” in the sight of others, or to have my “works” known by others for my own glory. Wow. Your light is penetrating me right now. Never mind whomever else you will speak to through what I’m typing, Change me, Lord. Put your light upon those areas that I act in pride about, that they can be removed. I don’t want my own light to be as darkness as your word warns in Luke 11:35. I want “no part dark” as you desire (Luke 11:36).

Luke 11:35-36

Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

Elizabeth, as the world grows darker, my children need to be alert to the fact that without me they have no light in themselves. The only light within my children is ME, and my light illumines them to others. Just as the moon has no light in itself, and its only light is what the sun casts upon it, so too, my children only have my light. This is why I must control your eyes.

Explain Lord.

“The eyes of your heart, Elizabeth.”

“Remember you spoke of Paul, saying he was blinded so he could then see?”

Yes, Lord.

Well, it was so! So much so, that in Ephesians 1:18 Paul himself prays for Believers to have the eyes of their understanding be enlightened!

He asked me…for their eyes to bring in light! Did he not?

Yes, Lord.

As my children, open their eyes…their hearts…their minds…their understanding, they will receive Light. I am the Light.

I want you now to go to Ezekial 36:23. Yes, the Old Testament…for it is important to know my heart.

I speak,

“And I WILL sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I AM The Lord, saith the Lord God, WHEN I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.”

As this verse declares, Light coming into the world, and seen by the heathen, will occur when I am sanctified in my people.

Light sanctifies as Ezekial 36:31 reveals: “Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good” and vs 32 goes on to say, “Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways.”

God, I see clearly that you are after “good press” and “visibility” so that the world can know You are God. My prayer is that we each will let your light in, allowing you to sanctify us. To sanctify meaning, to set us apart and declare us holy, to purify us and make us free of sin. Then we will BE Light.

Elizabeth, those who are In Christ are light already, but the light within them will be brighter. Look at Acts 26:18 wherein Paul shares his testimony of what I spoke to him on the road to Damascus:

“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

Conversion happens when someone accepts me, Christ Jesus, as Savior and Lord. I being the Light am now within that person and the work of the Holy Spirit begins. This work is the “process” of sanctification within you. My light is within you right then to begin your transformation. You are already light, but that light will turn up as you let me work within you and round about you.

II Corinthians 4:6 says,

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

I Peter 2:9 identifies believers as “a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light!” Amen!

Philippians 2:15-16 says to live clean, innocent lives as children of God, “shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people” and to hold firmly to the word of life.

The Holy Spirit is the light of God and Christ within you. He takes their communication and communicates it to your spirit, bringing light. How you respond is up to you! Will you allow the light to transform you? Their communication can be found in the written word of God, or from the Spirit speaking within to your spirit as He is doing in the writing of this book. It is every believer’s responsibility to “Let Light In”.

One thing for believers to be alert to, if single, is to marry someone who is of like faith. And be careful of joining in business with unbelievers too. Why? Because II Corinthians 6:14-15 instructs believers not to be yoked together with unbelievers because “what fellowship can light have with darkness”? Now, do you get it? Darkness hates light. John 3:19-21 says, “everyone who does evil hates the light for fear that their deeds be exposed”. Whereas believers have a light in them that “will expose”. Yikes. Not comfortable, to say the least!

The Christians love the light and live in it, but an unbeliever loves darkness and lives in it. How can they possibly get on the same page?

Ephesians 5:13-14 says, “everything exposed by the light becomes visible – and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”

Think of that for a while. That’s why we can’t have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them (Ephesians 5:11).

Believers in Christ, are told in Ephesians 5:8-9 that:

 “Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.”

Do you think someone walking in darkness wants that?

N – O! No!

Those who are already married to an unbeliever, or in business with one, you remain the light, but it will be difficult, for you can’t have true fellowship unless you either grow dark, or they become light.

Some men or woman believe they can go against this initial command (for they usually know it in advance), yet they marry, believing they can make a difference. This is dangerous territory considering what the scripture says. John 12:35 says “he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth”. Now what person would want a spouse leading them somewhere where they don’t know where they are going…or business partners leading a business when they don’t know where they are going? Your light should help you see this trap. Don’t ignore the light within you. If you’re “in love”, wait until that person is saved and has light too, or deny thyself and choose another that has light in them. God’s choice will give more “fellowship” (i.e., a better relationship, be it personal or business) than your own choice.

Jesus said in John 12:46:

“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should NOT abide in darkness.” His intent is that His light remains in you and me. We need to guard our hearts and enable that light to stay shining within us and even to brighten.