Jesus is the Light of the world, light to the world, bringing Truth, and understanding, Wisdom, as The Word of God - more and more we are corrupting and rejecting the Word of God, both in The Name of God, and apart from the Name of God, without the church, and within, night has been coming upon us little by little ever since God's Light first shone upon us, night, I believe, simply indicates the degree to which the world, and in particular the Christian church, have turned away from God's Truth, even in the Name of God. "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not what I tell you."
Night time indicates the degree of Satan's success in corrupting us yet again. Not being able to work, to me, reveals people's intolerance of, and rejection of God's Word, His Truth, His Word of Command - i:e - "You must." We do not care to know any more, we rely upon our claim of having "faith," not upon our faithful actions, acts of obedience, many do not even know what it is they must obey, and do, or indeed why, and yet it is a simple message we were brought, of repentance, baptisms (two), and a life of continued loving obedience.
People's ears are either dulled, or else they itch for another message, but God's Truth seems unwanted by many, not sought and desired, but rejected, even fought against, and that by the church also - yes, night is coming, is here, and reveals the degree of Satan's success to date. God puts an end to this time, lest no man be saved, another indication of the nature of that time, the spiritual darkness of it.
We see it all around us today, with the changing nature of society, a darkness, a night time, within our own hearts and minds, a desire for that which God condemns.
sincerely. David.
Hello, Lesley, I will try my best give some clarity to what I have so far said, though time is an issue, as I work long hours in the construction industry, so I will do so bit by bit if I may, as I am able to - please feel free to add any Scriptural references or texts where I mention what Scripture has said, but do not reference it myself, I was expelled from a fellowship some twenty years ago now, for confronting, with love I might add, cruel behaviour within the pastor's family, that was causing great harm to other members of his family, hid daughter in particular; I have also made a stand against the 'Toronto Blessing,' though I was once involved with it, and deceived by it, and also the false 'Binding and Loosing' claims with which Satan ensnares Christians with great fear, so I have become very much cast out for my actions, and my telling people that we must be baptized in both water, and with The Person of The Holy Spirit, by Whom, and by Which we are born again as children of God, to become Christians - Anointed ones - has also found me being rejected and accused. I have therefore, not attended any fellowship for twenty plus years, but studied alone, with God by my side, by way of His Word, and His Own indwelling Spirit, and it has been a blessing, and a wilderness, a time of much joy, and much distress.
We have been told that we are not expected to give that which is Holy to the dogs, or cast pearls before swine, lest they trample them under foot, and turn and tear you to pieces. The swine and the dogs indicate the character of people, people who reject God, His Word and His Spirit, even though they may claim to have faith in some cases, a great many 'Christians' reject God's Word (Jesus), and Spirit, and this number of people who reject God, regardless of what they may say, is growing, as countless denominations, and new gospels have come in to existence since Jesus came to bring us His good news, the simple Truth of The Gospel - repentance, baptisms, and continued loving obedience.
Darkness, night, comes, as we increasingly reject God's Light, the darkness is not a lack of daylight, but a lack of spiritual light - I was blind, but now I see - "I did not know I was coveting, until I knew The Law said 'Do not covet'" but increasingly today it seems that people do not care - "The fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom, but we do not seem to have that respectful and loving fear of God as we accept Who He is, His Kingship, and Majesty, His Lordship as our Father God and Creator. We have been taught to fear the minister, or the ministry, fearful of contending for The Faith, defending God's Word, instead tolerating or accepting even welcoming a new gospel, but we seem not to fear God and His Righteous judgment, His weighing of our lives, our desires and intentions.
No man can believe unless he has first heard, and no-one can hear unless someone is sent to preach (preaching, telling people God's Word, is the real act of "Binding," - you shall/must not, and "Loosing," - you shall/must).
The increasing darkness in mankind's heart, the rejection of God's Word, the mocking of His Name, even by Christians, makes our work of telling out, preaching, teaching God's Word - our work - harder and harder, until it becomes almost if not entirely impossible, then no man can work.
Our work, our telling out The Gospel, should bring increase, but instead Jesus asks "Will there be faith," when He returns, and says if those days (of darkness) were not cut short, no man would survive, of course, death does not destroy our lives, no, but sin does, unrighteousness that separates us from God.
Many will say to Jesus, "Lord, Lord," and yet, He will say to them, I never knew you - "If we do not love, we do not know - KNOW - God, for God is Love," so what is Love - Love is the very Spirit and Nature of God, His Character, but what is Love - we are told to hate the sin, but love the sinner, that requires discipline - love and discipline are lacking, "If you bite and devour one-another, be careful lest you destroy one-another."
The fellowship I once attended, and loved dearly, destroyed each other, because of a lack of love and discipline, yet boasted in themselves, and signs and wonders, letting strange new doctrines deceive them as their own pride blinded them to God's Word.
A time is coming when men will not receive/welcome sound doctrine, but will choose those who will tell them what their itching ears wish to hear - that time is here, and has been for quite some time.
A powerful deception to cause those who do not love The Truth to believe that which is false - that is here also, and has been for many years now, and has deceived many within the Church, it was allowed, to test the Church, not the world, the Church, the true Church, the baptized with The Holy Spirit, born-again Church, the only Church, those people that have Satan's full attention, upon whom he concentrates his efforts, the children of God, born-again children of God - as He was, so are we in this world.
Night time, darkness, is here.
Also, take a look at the book of Joel, chapter two is it, bit by bit see what is taken away.