Focus On Heaven - Revelation Bulletin 7 - Spiritual Light Deprivation
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What Scripture says about Light?...
Who is the Author of Light?
The Truth about a Single Focus
Natural and Spiritual Light Comparison
Summary
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Spiritual Light Deprivation

Greetings!

Introduction
 
Years ago the President of Moody Bible Institute, Joseph Stowell stated that the problem with Christianity is that we have no Christian gestures or naming conventions for how we feel or what we are going through. This statement has some truth to it. In essence he was stating that the world has a coping mechanism that allows them to express some of the needs and frustrations they have.  For instance, in recent years medical science has discovered and labeled Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which  affects as many as 20% of Americans. Because SAD is caused by being deprived of light, another name was created called Light Deprivation Disorder.  Science has also labeled and coined terms such as Bipolar Disorder where people have severe mood swings ranging anywhere from great energy to clinical depression.  The ability for the world to name their frustrations and needs unlike the Christian world is part of the implication of Luke 16:8 where Jesus states "The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more wise in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light."   I do not think Jesus was calling Christians, 'Slow-Pokes;' however, He did acknowledge an important aspect; as Christians the world does not always need to be in-front of us in acknowledging and naming the real issues and needs that we have.
This Spiritual Revelation attempts to illuminate a very real issue of the modern Christian movement that has been ignored. The issue is our ignorance of the effects of light and how we process and see light.  It illuminates the fact that many Christians suffer from Spiritual Light Deprivation, which affects their spiritual life. This bulletin is broken into the following four areas.
  • What Scripture says about light?
  • Who is the Author of Light?
  • The Truth About a Single Focus
  • Natural and Spiritual Light Comparison

What Scripture says about Light?

There are two extremely important scriptures that allow us to see the vital nature of spiritual light that comes into our body. 

 

1)  Matthew 6:22-23 states "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if your eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"  This passage allows us to understand that where we focus our vision/eyes will determine what comes into our spiritual body. In addition, it says that light comes in through the eye. Our eyes are capable of perceiving whatever you focus your eyes toward. When you are in a very bright lit room your eye is able to focus on the finer details of all the objects in the room. The retina of your eye is actually reflecting the light that is reflecting off the objects to give the clarity on these objects. In the spiritual world this same concept applies. When you have the source of Light (God) shining off the circumstances and issues of your life your eye reflects the light of God and you see things in fuller spiritual light. However, if you see spiritual darkness in most circumstances you will start seeing the darker things in life, and that darkness will reflect off your spiritual eyes.  This transitions us into the second important aspect of our spiritual light.

 

2)  Ephesians 1:18-19 states "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power." This passage encourages us to have our spiritual eyes lit up or 'Enlightened" so that we may know the calling God has on us and what our personal greatness is in God; who is light. There is no indication that this understanding comes from a 'feeling' or a sense of God's love. It comes from having our eyes open to who God is; and God is Light himself. Many people continue to live life saying "I just want to know God's will for my life; and they wait, and they wait, and they wait, and they are still waiting for approval, love, and/or sense of security/worth. This passage states that it is not a feeling; rather it is your ability to have your spiritual eyes 'enlightened by the source of Light.'  

Who is the Author of Light?

For years the modern Christian movement has high-lighted a simpler view of God than whom He really is. They have chosen to highlight God's love and God's grace. These two attributes of God are 100% accurate, but they are attributes that focus mainly on ourselves and how I feel loved or forgiven by God. This is absolutely true and it is great news. I cannot tell you the amount of times that I have relied on these true attributes when I made a mistake, was accused by others, and needed a sense of love and forgiveness.    What we have not focused our attention on is the very existence of God and who He is; and that is Light!  1 John 1:5 states His essence this way "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all."  Some translations use the Word Gospel in place of the word message. What this means is that the Gospel message is that God is Light.  Psalm 18:28 states the following because God is light! "You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness."  Psalms 27:1 also states who God is in reference to our salvation "The LORD is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid."  The modern day church has lessened the greater good of God. They have not taken full advantage of the fact that God is Light and casts out all darkness. His light was His son Jesus whom he sent into the world.  In fact John 3:19 states that Jesus was the light that came into the world.

Because the modern day church strives so hard to get love, show love, and paint God as Love and grace; we have deprived people from the true source of Light; God himself! This could easily be classified as spiritual light deprivation.  If we examine 1 John 1:5 closer we see than in God there is no darkness. This is why perfect light casts out all darkness. When I rob myself of light, I allow darkness to come into my circumstances. This darkness literally begins to slow down, stunt, and hinder my spiritual calling and growth.   This same example is true of the Universe (Which God created). The closer a planet in the solar system is to the source of light (the Sun) the faster time moves and the closer that planet revolves around the Sun. This physical concept is a system of perfect order created by God/Light; is also the same spiritual concept of order created by God/Light. The closer I am to the source of Light and the more I reflect light in my body the faster I get rid of my hang-ups and travel into God's light and His spiritual realm of possibility. 

This simple concept explains why some Christians instantaneously change or get transformed, and others take years to transform. The light that is in my body must be single (clear) and focus on the source of light. The more of that Light I bring in, the faster things move for me. Light travels faster than darkness.

The Truth about a Single focus

 

If God is light, and I set my eyes, interests and affections on that source of light, I become polarized or drawn onto God.  If I continue to have my affections set on dark thoughts, ungodly interests and/or people, then the light that is in me becomes clouded with darkness. In essence we are given a choice to be polarized toward God through Christ, or become bi-polarized toward God and the world; but the Bible predicts the outcomes (Matthew 6:21-24).  This is why we see so many messed-up and disillusioned Christians! They choose to be bi-polar; tri-polar, and even quad-polarized toward numerous affections. These affections often caused great spiritual mood swings between competing or polarizing interests and passions.  

The Bible states the only way to be singularly polarized in Colossians 3:1-2:"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

The modern day church wonders why more people in the church have been divorced than those outside the church; and why so many leaders have fallen. The answer is simple; yet few want to admit the reality. Many that have fallen were polarized toward multiple affections. The world once again, being wiser in their generation than the children of light, (Luke 16:8) refer to people of multiple swings in affections or moods, Bi-Polar.  Let's get wiser then the world and develop a name(s) that best describe Christians who serve 2, 3, and 4 different interests before they serve God. The name(s) would be spiritually bi-polar, spiritually tri-polar, and spiritually quad-polar Christians. These would be people who love religion, church, people, intimacy with humanity, their marriage, their family, and money win their affection in place of God. They swing their moods between all these affections while the Light of life becomes dimmer and dimmer. This means I can change our modern day vernacular to say that there are more bi-polar, tri-polar, and quad-polar Christians getting divorced than the world. This would be more accurate, as I do not believe that singularly focused Christians who have the source of Light as their focus are getting divorced at the rate we are seeing. If they were then God's Word would be proven in-accurate. God states in Matthew 6:33 "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things (including marriage) will be given to you as well."

Let me put it in simple terms. When a pastor, clergy, minister, or perceived Christian has taken a different turn in life and pursued money, sexual intimacy, power, fame, divorce, or a litany of other directions, we say they have 'Fallen from Grace.'  We never say they have "Fallen from Light."  I believe people who seek Light, and keep close to that Light do not fall from Light. That light is so empowering, so enlightening, and so invigorating that no other direction interests them. They are not interested in affection or mood swings between polarizing interests.

The modern day church and Christians would be wise to get out of the sole attributes of God that focus only on "me" and "how I feel," and get into the Light of the World. When they focus and receive that Light it promises to cast out the darkness.  As a church, and as people who claim to love God, we cannot afford to be spiritually deprived of Light. We must cancel out Spiritual Light Deprivation Disorder.

 

Natural and Spiritual Light Comparison

 

The medical field has proven some basic facts about light. They have proven that people who live in darker areas with above average overcast clouds and longer nights during seasonal changes are the people who suffer the most from light or seasonal disorders which often turn into depression. The exact finding is "Most affected are those living in northern latitudes and in frequently overcast areas, especially during the shortened fall and winter days."

I, like you, have met numerous family members, church leaders, and friends who function normally for numerous months of the year and then suddenly something changes including affections, attitudes, and patterns of behaviors. Many a friendship have turned south by this mode of operation (mood swing) that few people have been capable of identifying.  Much of this has to do with the combination of physical and spiritual light deprivation. Medical science has tested the affects of light derivation and found that the functionality of the brain begins to deteriorate after just a few hours of extended darkness. When light patterns change for extended periods of time our mind is altered.

An acquaintance of mine moved from northern New York to Phoenix, Arizona and stated that within a few months the thought patterns, attitudes, and behaviors of his family changed because of the amount of light they started getting on a regular basis. In fact, he made a great observation that few people have noticed. He said that he realized that the tree cover in the northern states actually reduce the amount of sunlight in the morning and evening hours. He estimated that on a daily basis without trees blocking the Sun light on the eastern and western horizon they received hours of extra light every week.

As we started this revelation bulletin we mentioned that the light of the body is the eye and if your eyes are singularly polarized (single) on God, your whole body will be full of light. However, that same spiritual light may be like the tree cover described above. The church, false leaders, ill relationships, insecurity, past mistakes, spousal issues, work issues, and family concerns have become the trees that are covering the revelation or showing the source of Light. This blockage has caused you to have spiritual light deprivation, and has brought more darkness than light into your circumstance. Let me encourage you that the Light of life can quickly cast out that darkness, but you first must stop any and all multi-polar affections that are getting your attention and causing your swings in affections.

In recent years the medical field now realizes that the very lack of light (Light deprivation) is a leading cause of depression; putting people into a slumber, trance, or mode of complete torment. This same principle applies in the spiritual realm of light. The more I count on other sources of light, the less likely I will get the singular focus on the Light of Life, which will lead me to the spiritual depression.

Summary
 

The modern day church is now forced to start addressing the issues they face and hopefully will call by name the very things that have taken their attention off the Light of Life. All of God's love, grace, and mercy that focus only on what I receive, must be received with the truth that God is Light, and that Light is what casts out my darkness. His grace forgives my sin, His love makes me feel loved, but it is His very nature of Light that keeps the darkness out.  The very reason many people suffer and continue to wrestle with the enemy on a regular basis is that the Light has not penetrated into their circumstance. The Light that I serve, promises that He will cast out all darkness; and darkness cannot exist in His pure light.

The church as we know it must understand that theworld is shifting because of God's plan to redeem humanity, and that the whole world including our earth's foundation is being shaken to see who really looked to the Light of Life (Hebrews 12:25-29). This modern day shifting has caused many people to turn away from the Light and be affectionate toward other interests, fears, and worries.  The lack of focus has produced bi-polar, tri-polar, and quad-polar Christians who are more confused than the world is confused, and will end up with worse circumstances than the world. This was God's caution in Revelation 3:14-17 when He stated that you cannot be luke warm, and that He would rather have you pick one affection, even if it is a wolrdly affection. 

 

We believe that both the physical and spiritual worlds are God's, and He is light and also created physical light. This means I want as much physical and spiritual light as possible.

In closing, we say ... World eat your heart out ... This generation of light is now naming our own words for our time of frustration and needs, such as:  Shift Happens, Spiritual Light Deprivation, Spiritual bi-polar, tri-polar, and quad-polar Christianity.

 
 
In Christ's Love,
 
Mike and Pam Mathews
 
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http://www.focusonheaven.com
 My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.  Psalm 45:1 (NKJV)

For the time will come when all the earth will be filled, as the waters fill the sea, with an awareness of the glory of the LORD. Habakkuk 2:14