The Light Shines In The Darkness And The Darkness Has Not Overcome It

 

I found this acoustic version of O Come, O Come Emmanuel and it is wonderful.  They sing many verses that most people don't usually sing.  Really good, and appropriate for this year especially. 

The world has seen dark times before.  I think the enemy of our souls has blinded our eyes to the deep darkness that has been here since the garden.  At times, people have been closer to God and in relationship with him than at other times.  These days, as people have moved farther away from God, the darkness has become bold, and not afraid to show itself.

We are in an unprecedented time in history, both of our nation and the world.  People are waking up to the complete overtaking of freedoms, by an elite ruling class who don't even hide that there are "rules for thee, but not for me."  Examples are everywhere.

They've been ruling this year through fear.  Now there is a supposed new strain in the UK. But did you know they've never isolated the first "strain?"  With people waking up and resisting around the world, they need to ramp up the fear - thus a "new strain."  The evil of human trafficking, and child s*x trafficking is horrific.

So much darkness.

John 1:1-14 says, 

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 8:12 says, 

 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The darkness of evil and sin is why Jesus came - to shine the light of God and bring forgiveness to a dark and hopeless world.