John Hagee - The Light In A Dark Place
Will you please stand for the reading of God's Word? Turn with me to 2 Peter 1:19. As we gather here today in this house of worship, there are two kingdoms fighting for your soul and the soul of America. This message is, "The Light in a Dark Place". The kingdom of light ruled by God Almighty, and the kingdom of darkness ruled by satan, who is the prince of darkness, and his demonic forces are engaged. Every person here and those watching by telecast are in one of those two kingdoms. The question is, which kingdom are you in? We are either servants of the Lord, Jesus Christ, or we are servants to sin and satan. Let's read the text together, 2 Peter 1. If you're there, say "Amen". "And so, we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place... Until the day Dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts". Let's pray:
Heavenly Father, we gather here today to advance the cause of the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ to America and the world. Let us hear this message and determine in our individual lives to become the light of God in our city and in our nation that is presently stumbling in darkness. In the authority of Jesus' name we pray and ask and say, amen.
You may be seated. Right now, there is a vicious war being fought for the soul of America. The war of light versus darkness rages in the public schools for the future of your children. The Bible and the Ten Commandments have been cast out of schools. God bless Texas and Oklahoma: we still have the Ten Commandments. But our children, by and large, in our schools and universities are being taught that the founding fathers of America were corrupt and greedy profiteers. Not so. They gave their lives to give us life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Your children are being brainwashed in the public schools into believing that boys can become girls, and girls can become boys.
This is a demonic point of view. This is the kingdom of darkness on parade snatching your children out of your house. God Almighty, the light of the world, created Adam and Eve as man and woman, male and female. God's plan is the perfect plan. Let's stay with that plan. When our colleges and universities are saturated with anti-semitic presidents and anti-semitic professors teaching the next generation to hate Jews, we are a nation stumbling in darkness. In the future, all anti-semites will be brought to judgement according to Matthew 25. It's the judgement of God. And he's saying, "Because you've done it unto the least of these my brethren, you've done it unto me". He's talking about the Jewish people. He's going to cast those people into an eternal hell.
That's God's Word, not mine. Your degree from Harvard or any other ivy league university will not spare you from the wrath of God. God Almighty warns, "I will bless those who bless Israel, and I will curse those who curse Israel". That's a historical fact. The source of light today in America and the world is the church. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14, "You are the light of the world". Say that with me. "You are the light of the world. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father, which is in heaven". That's a powerful verse of Scripture. It simply says, "What you do outside of the church determines what happens in the church".
They may see your good works out on the streets of this city and in the cities of America and say, "I want what they have". Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. You are that light in San Antonio. You are the hope for America's return to righteousness. Isaiah 60:1, "Arise, shine: for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you". That's God's Word to this church and every church in America. You shine the light of truth and justice, and God will back it up and restore this nation. The origin of the light did not begin with Jesus in the New Testament. It began in the Old Testament in the tabernacle.
In the Old Testament, the candlestick, which is the menorah, in the tabernacle furnished the light in the holy place. It was the only source of light in the tabernacle. In Scripture, the candlestick always typifies the church. The candlestick had seven branches. You can preach forever about the sevens in the Bible, but the seven branches, its stem had the Hebrew alphabet. When the high priest went into the tabernacle and stood before the light coming from those seven candlesticks, the light of God would go into one of those 12 precious stones he had in his attire. Brother, if you think you have a giddy up go suit to go to church, that's really one. A huge array of Jewelry.
When that light hit that it went to the stem of that menorah, and letter by letter, word by word, spelled the perfect will of God for Israel to follow. Israel didn't go into the wilderness and rub their arthritic elbows wondering what God wants to do today. They went into the tabernacle and God gave them a specific assignment to do. And when the high priest went into the tabernacle and stood before the light coming out, the light of God reflected from the Ephod and focused on the letters of the stem of the candlestick and put the exact and perfect will of God for Israel into play. It was an exact and personal Revelation from God to Israel.
Think about that. How many of you would like to receive a direct and personal Revelation of the will of God for your life? Let me see your hand. You'd like to get that. Here it is right here. This is your guiding light, all you have to do is read it. The Word of God is our light and the candlestick of Revelation, the word and the will of God are always the same. The word is the foundation of our hope. This is the lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway. It shows us immediately what to do and what to do into the future. The word is pure. The word is holy. The word is true from Genesis to Revelation. This word is eternal. It is prophetic. It is the light that shines in a dark place.
May it lead you to have the place of hope, to discover peace, to know joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. May it take you from victory to victory. May it lead this church and America to victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil. Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered. Can I hear an amen in this house? The lamp without fire. Think of it. There it is. The menorah without flame is useless. Back to the lamp in the tabernacle. When the light of the Holy Spirit that has the oil and the lamp catches on fire, it reveals the perfect will of God.
In Scripture, oil is the type of the Holy Spirit. The symbolism of the candlestick tells us that the church can only give light when it is filled with the Holy Spirit and set on fire by God. Remember the words of John the Baptist? He said, "He will baptize you". Speaking of Jesus, "With the Holy Spirit and fire". And fire. Listen, this is not rocket science. Oil and fire produce light. Oil without fire, you're still in the dark. Oil plus fire brings light. The oil demands fire. The church without the fire of the Holy Spirit is nothing but a pile of bricks.
God in heaven, send the cleansing fire of the Holy Spirit to awaken the church of Jesus Christ in America. Let the fire of God drive the darkness and demon forces out of our nation, out of our government, out of our colleges and universities, out of our churches. Send the fire. Consider the light and the table of showbread. Just call that bread. The whole purpose of the candlestick in the tabernacle was to do one thing, to illuminate the table that had the bread on it. Jesus is the bread of life. We are here on earth with one purpose, to cast light on Jesus Christ, who is the bread of life.
Christ is the answer for your life. Christ is the answer to your joyless marriage. Christ is the answer to your fractured family. Christ is the answer for the trial you're going through. Christ is the answer for America. He is the light that can crush the darkness of sin and satan. You are the light of truth. You are the light that can receive hope and love and righteousness in your family, in your church, in your synagogue. Let the light of God shine from you. You shine right where you are. America is in darkness. Looking at the candlestick in the tabernacle flaming with the Holy Spirit anointed with oil, we have a remarkable picture of the church.
Without the candlestick, there is no source of light in the holy place. Apart from the church, there is no light in America and there are people who want to snuff out that light. But Jesus said, "You are the light. You are the light". Just as the candlestick can give light only when it is filled with oil and set on fire, the church can give light only when it is filled with the Holy Spirit and set on fire. I repeat, the candlestick had only one object, which was to cast light on the bread. Our mission as a church is to cast light on Jesus Christ, who is the bread of life. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the light. He's our blessed hope. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. His precious blood will never lose its power. He's the lion of the tribe of Judah that breaks every chain.
Demons tremble at the mention of Jesus' glorious name. He is the great physician that heals sick bodies. He is the Prince of Peace that can conquer the storm you're going through. With peace be still, your troubles are behind you. He conquers fear and doubt. Seek the Lord while he may be found. Turn on the light. The Bible says Israel is a light to the gentiles. Think about that. Most Christians have that turned around. They think Christians brought the light to the Jewish people. That's a mistake. The Bible has Israel as the light to the gentiles.
Isaiah 42:6 reads, God is speaking to Israel and the Jewish people saying, "I, the Lord, have called you, I will keep you as a light to the gentiles". Here are some Bible ways Israel is portrayed as a light to the gentiles, as a chosen people. God chose Israel to be his people to live by his laws and values. The special relationship is meant to serve as a model for Christians that would follow them, that we are to follow the Word of God and to obey the Lord. Are we doing that as a nation? Absolutely not. David said, "Thy word have I hidden in my heart," that means he memorized it. "Thy word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against God".
Consider how America would be transformed from the moral insanity we are presently having if we obey just the Ten Commandments, there would be no murders. There would be no rapists. There would be no liars. Dear God, the halls of congress would be virtually empty. There would be no stealing. There would be no abortions. There would be no sex trafficking. The work ethic would be restored. Six days you shall work. The only God recognized in America would be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Consider Israel's prophetic light forecasting the future. The prophets of Israel foretold the world what was going to happen in the world in the future from that moment until Messiah comes.
Gentiles, like me can open this Bible and tell you to the last day what is going to happen on planet earth in the future. I can tell you what is going to happen. I just can't tell you when it's going to happen. And people who are writing books telling you when it's going to happen, don't buy the book. The prophets of Israel foretold a time when Israel under the leadership of Messiah, will bring peace and knowledge of God to the entire world. That's in the future, not far into the future, but when Isaiah said that in chapter two, it was a long way off.
A thousand years of perfect peace is coming. Jerusalem is going to be the epicenter. Jerusalem is the shoreline of eternity. Jerusalem is a city where Isaiah and Jeremiah penned the principles of righteousness upon which the foundations of morality were established for western civilization. The Messiah will rule the world with the Ten Commandments. He's going to return to earth as a Jewish rabbi. Think about that. Israel's light to the world demanded we believe that there is one God. One God. That God is Almighty God. That God is the Creator of heaven and earth.
How did the world get here? College professors like to look over their glasses at you like they know the answer. The answer is God created it. What's the next point? That God is God Almighty. He's the Creator of heaven and earth. He created the sun, the moon, and the stars. He holds the seven seas in the palms of his hand. He weighs the mountains in the scale and the hills in the balance. There is no other God but Jehovah God. He created the nation of Israel and recorded the boundaries of that precious state in the sacred soil of the Bible. Who owns Israel? Dear God, we've been fighting wars over that for years.
Hello, Harvard. The Jewish people own the land of Israel today, tomorrow, and forever. The prophetic word is a light in a dark place. A dark place is where you can't see the future. A place of moral and political corruption. Look at America. A recent poll taken by the associated press said 82% of Americans believe religious extremism was a problem in the nation today, and then defined extremism with these five things. Listen, reading the Bible in public, sharing your faith with others, attending church on a regular basis, volunteering your time at the church, and giving financial support to the church. How many extremists do I have here today? Yeah.
Matthew 5:10, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". In 1981, when we started having nights to honor Israel, instantly we started getting death threats at the church. They shot out the windows of my car sitting in my driveway. You know you're doing something good when the forces of evil hate you. Why should we study Bible prophecy? Because one fourth of the Bible was prophetic at the time it was written. St. Peter states, "Bible prophecy is a more sure light than an eyewitness account. It is a light in a dark place". The prophetic light gives the sign of Christ coming, preaching the gospel around the world. We called this ministry years ago, global evangelism.
Now, you wanna think about futuristic faith thinking. We weren't even on the radio, and we started a corporation called global evangelism, preaching the gospel of Jesus around the world. Jesus said to his disciples in his last prophetic presentation, Matthew 24 is the greatest spine of prophecy in the Word of God. He said, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to all of the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come". Not you're approaching the end, but then the end will come.
Just a few weeks ago, my son, pastor Matt, on our Sunday morning telecast told me and our national television audience that we had over 105 nations watching our telecast live that day. And he said, "Dad, virtually all of the world is listening". Think about that. And then, the end shall come. In closing, in 1988, president George Bush, that's the father, launched his "Thousand points of light" campaign asking Americans to contribute their time and resources to helping one another. Get that phrase, their time and resources to helping one another.
2,000 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth launched his campaign for points of light, telling those who followed him to be a light unto the world. "You are the light of the world. Let your light so shine before men and that they may see your good works," hear that? "And glorify your Father, which is in heaven". My beloved church members, it's what we do outside the walls of this church that will bring revival and righteousness to America. You and you, and you, and you, and you, and you are the light of San Antonio.
This week, you're going to meet someone that needs your help. Don't shrug your shoulders and walk off. You're the light of the world. If they say they're sick, take their hands and start praying for them. Don't ask them, "Would you like to pray with me"? They'll say, "No". Just take their hands and start praying for them. When they get well, they'll come back to you. Turn on the light. My question to each of you in this audience and those of you watching by television, are you willing to be a light? Are you willing to extend hope and love and joy and peace to the people that you know? Encouragement to someone that God will bring to you? If you are willing to be a light, God will give you the opportunity to shine for his glory. Can we stand?
Heavenly Father, let the Holy Spirit anoint this congregation this coming week to be points of light to people that they meet, to be a source of hope, to be a source of joy, to be a source of peace, because that's what Jesus Christ is all about. Let us supernaturally accomplish those things and let that fire spread from church to church until this nation has a reGenesis of spiritual awakening and love of Christ, love of his word. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.