Darkness That Can Be Felt

Exodus 10 21 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt—darkness that can be felt."

I believe that we've all had darkness in our lives...and I've never read this before or heard it talked about in this story.....but there are some days/seasons in our lives where we encounter darkness that can be felt. IN that darkness God deals with us....like I'm sure he was dealing with the Egyptians and Pharaoh and his officials. theres was a physical darkness, yet what is more profound is a spiritual darkness, where you question your very foundations, the things you hold dear and put your faith and trust in. I was talking to one of the guys last night....who is just in a darkness, and he is finding it hard to experience joy. The darkness, he senses isnt even his own, yet he is fighting to remain a light.

God used my darkest days to form me, to transform my mind and conform my will to HIS.

Luke 7
I want you to see the difference between how Jesus views and the Pharisees view sinners
Jesus saw: a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town
Pharisees saw: what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner

The woman had come to the home of the Pharisee who had invited Jesus, she wasnt in the act of sinning....nor do we know how long it had been since she had lived this lifestyle.....Jesus saw the worship and faith of one who had sinned.....the Pharisees were repulsed by a woman who they felt wasn't on the same plane as them.....that by some action they had or hadnt taken, they were somehow worthy of higher honor than this woman. Yet Jesus corrected them (yet I dont believe they received it) and he told her that her FAITH had saved her.

This is KEY to ANC right now. AS we start to grow and welcome folks into our fellowship and homes....we should be mindful, that no matter what their faith journey has looked like in the past, that we are all equal at the foot of the Master. We need to see sinners (of which I am one) as those purchased by the same blood that redeems us. And even if they arent believers yet...that Jesus' blood is available to them as well.