September 12, 2025, 5:00 PM
Greetings in Christ!
It has been a difficult week in the United States.
We have witnessed evil rear its ugly head. Like many others, I noticed a couple of things that reminded us we live in a dark and sin-infested world.
On Monday, September 8th, a video was released of an unprovoked murder of a Ukrainian woman on a light rail system in Charlotte, NC, late last month. The young woman was a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was fatally stabbed while taking a commuter train.
On Wednesday, September 10th, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at a university in Utah. The 31-year-old was a popular podcaster, campus speaker, and an outspoken Christian. He leaves behind a wife and two young children.
We look at all the mess around us and can't help but wonder, is there any hope?
One of the things I enjoy most about the Bible is seeing the same theme repeated throughout the entire book.
It all points to God sending an answer for the sin of mankind. It came in the form of His son.
The story/theme of both the Old and New Testaments is Jesus! I preached a series of sermons this summer looking at this very thing.
In John's Gospel (Chapter 5), Jesus tells the Jewish religious leaders of the day that they knew the scriptures but failed to see the "bigger picture." They were not too happy to say the least!
Listen to what Jesus said in John 5:39-40, "You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."
The religious leaders knew the Old Testament scriptures, but failed to see that it was Jesus who was fulfilling the prophecy found in them.
For example, the prophet Isaiah spoke of a light that would come into the world. Isaiah 9:2 says this:
"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
On those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned."
God would bring light to a people in darkness as Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy. Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12), and no one who trusts Jesus for salvation has to walk in the darkness of unforgiven sin ever again.
Let us not be like the religious leaders of Jesus' day. Let us see Jesus for who He is -- God in flesh and Savior of the world!
For us to properly see, however, we need light. Thank you, Jesus, for bringing light into my life and changing the way I see everything. Please make your light shine through me so others may see it. We desperately need your light, Jesus, in this dark world we inhabit.
I pray we'll see you again soon.
This coming Sunday (09.14.25), I will continue the sermon series in the book of Jude.
I look forward to it and, hopefully, to seeing you there!
Until then, let the Light of Jesus Shine!
In Him,
Greg H.
