Ken Lovelace Ministries


The Burning Light by Lygia Lovelace Nero was the worst emperor of all time. Even the Romans would admit to that. He was self-centered, self-indulgent, and a coward. And Nero did NOT like Christians. Torturing and killing Christians became a sport for Nero. He took advantage of his own people's thirst for blood, and he used Christians as the playing pieces in cruel games of death…feeding God's people to lions, to wild dogs…using them for human shields and gladiator playthings… You see, these Christians claimed to love only one God. They would not bow to the emperor or pay homage to him. Nero was but a man to the Christians…one to be prayed for, one to be feared perhaps, but never to be revered. Only Christ was deserving of that. This angered Nero, so he used the Christians for his own entertainment…hoping to kill out the species. …hoping to frighten anyone from joining the Christian race. One of Nero's favorite practices was to tie Christians to the tops of long poles throughout the city. At night, he would torch them alive, one by one, lighting up the streets of Rome with these burning Christians…dying silent deaths…used as public lights, hideously illuminating the way, keeping the torch burning until the last ash of human death disintegrated into darkness. Such darkness. But the light of the soul would carry on…a light that caught the wind in its tiny flame, fanning more believers into being, generation to generation…from Jew to Greek to Roman, to slave or free, to black, brown or white, to educated or ignorant… You see, not even Nero in his evil pride can burn away the blood of Christ that has spread throughout the nations. And did you know, my friend, the deaths continue? The blood is still spilling, filling the earth with its scarlet tears…the ash of human death is still crying out with injustice to a holy and omnipotent God? Victory masks itself in a dying façade of intolerance and non-conformity. Victory only because the Father has willed it so. Victory because within the darkness, the light is spreading. Do you not see that, evil one? Your efforts are useless…fruitless…your victory but temporary. "How did you know?" I asked her quietly one day. "How did you know you needed Jesus? If you lived in the midst of so much religion, how did you know it was not the Truth?" She looked at me with big dark eyes, tears spilling over with feeling as she pondered a holy God. I don't know how I knew…I just kept looking…groping for peace…searching for Truth. I was walking in the middle of our field…I was thinking about Him…a storm came…much lightning, thunder…I was so afraid! I cried out to Him in my fear… …and there He was. I began to read the Bible. I learned the Truth. Everything inside of me knew it was Truth…like a burning longing in my soul, I reached for Him… …and there He was. He has saved me. There is now a burning Light in my heart…finally I am at peace. Oh, Christians today, where is your burning light? What would you think of your brothers and sisters, tied upon a pole, burning before the city, lighting the Way? Would you climb the pole if you were forced to choose? Would you yourself burn in this way? Where is your heavenly passion? Where is your burning desire to know Him? "Of course, I know Him…I go to church, don't I? I'm there every Sunday…" "Of course I know He's the Creator and God of all! But good grief, I can't believe the church service took so long today! Now I will have to re-arrange my plans…" "Of course God is worthy of praise…I just don't like singing all of those songs I don't know. They never sing the music I like…so I just don't sing…" Hundreds of willing, beautiful feet, black and calloused, yet blistered, beat down the path through the bush as so many African pastors long to know Him better. With barely anything to eat, and no money to speak of, they walk, worn Bibles in hand, mile upon mile, through the rough terrain to where the Bible teaching will be. Just a generation ago, in their country, there was so much bloodshed and persecution that the land still cries of the injustice…no power, no phone lines…so many orphans, so much poverty…and hunger. Hunger not just for daily food, but for the Word of God! A burning light still shines through the dark African trails as these people of God cling to the Hope that gives them life…that provides for them, day after day… Oh my American brothers and sisters, where is your Hope? Riches beyond measure surround you…plenty of food, plenty of daily needs…but no worn Bibles in hand… …no fire in your spirit… How can you sing "He is my refuge" when in reality you've never hidden in Him? How do you profess a Mighty Fortress, when you rely on your wallet and your materialism for comfort and protection? Have you ever hidden under the shadow of His wing? Or have you merely shooed Him away in your ignorance, feigning godliness, yet full of fear and hopelessness… Oh, my friend, where is your burning Light? Where is your passion to know Him? A Bulgarian pastor, not so many years ago…during our very lifetime…was ripped from his home in the night, torn from his wife, his little girl…to live in a Communist prison, year after year… …starving… …suffering… …sharing Christ's love, even with the guards, reaching out and touching even the hands that beat him, sharing Truth and Sincerity with even the most evil. And then one day, someone secretly passed him a worn page, and then another, until he possessed entire books of the Bible. He devoured them in his heart -- pondering every Word, closing his eyes to recite each page, until he knew them completely. Then, he passed them on… Late at night, year after year, he quoted these Bible books to prisoner after prisoner, filling them with the same burning Light that kept him alive, and kept him sane. Years later, after he was released, he traveled from house to house, from one underground church to another, quoting these same books of the Bible to eager believers, who were starving for the Word… Because you see, there were no Bibles. Scripture was illegal…possessing it was a death sentence without mercy! Oh, my fellow Christians…aren't you hungry? Do you not awaken each morning with pangs of longing for your Heavenly Father and His nourishment? "Yes, I know that the Bible is the Word of God…of course I believe it has the answers for life…it's just that I don't have time to read it every day. I have a hard enough time just getting everything done!" "A Bible study?! No…I just don't have time…and it would probably require extra work. I don't have time for that-and Sunday is just not a good day. It's my only day to rest, you know." "Oh, I can't memorize. I've never been good at that. Don't ask me to memorize Bible verses…" Grasp His Word, my friend. Look at it carefully! Do you see that it is a flaming sword? How can you go into battle -- fighting the day to day confrontations with the enemy, with temptation, with depression and anger, bitterness and hopelessness -- without your Weapon? Where is your fighting Spirit? Where is your burning zeal? Climb the pole. Walk the beaten paths of Africa. Linger in an evil prison, devouring Scripture to your heart's content… Then look up. Look up to see the burning Light, blazing its way from age to age, generation to generation. Do you yet have peace? Grope for it. Do you lack Truth? Search for it. Cry out to Him in your fear! He is waiting. You must join the Christian race! Step into the burning Light. Fight the fight, even to the death, if need be! Death of pride…death of apathy…death of self…even physical death is not the end! For the victory has already been won. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord… Walk as children of light… "Awake, you who sleep! Arise from the dead! Christ will give you light." See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore…do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5 Copyright © 2010. Faith Matters by Lygia Lovelace. All rights reserved. KenLovelaceMinistries.com

The Burning Light
by Lygia Lovelace

Nero was the worst emperor of all time. Even the Romans would admit to that. He was self-centered, self-indulgent, and a coward.

And Nero did NOT like Christians.

Torturing and killing Christians became a sport for Nero. He took advantage of his own people's thirst for blood, and he used Christians as the playing pieces in cruel games of death…feeding God's people to lions, to wild dogs…using them for human shields and gladiator playthings…

You see, these Christians claimed to love only one God. They would not bow to the emperor or pay homage to him. Nero was but a man to the Christians…one to be prayed for, one to be feared perhaps, but never to be revered.

Only Christ was deserving of that.

This angered Nero, so he used the Christians for his own entertainment…hoping to kill out the species.

…hoping to frighten anyone from joining the Christian race.

One of Nero's favorite practices was to tie Christians to the tops of long poles throughout the city. At night, he would torch them alive, one by one, lighting up the streets of Rome with these burning Christians…dying silent deaths…used as public lights, hideously illuminating the way, keeping the torch burning until the last ash of human death disintegrated into darkness.

Such darkness.

But the light of the soul would carry on…a light that caught the wind in its tiny flame, fanning more believers into being, generation to generation…from Jew to Greek to Roman, to slave or free, to black, brown or white, to educated or ignorant…

You see, not even Nero in his evil pride can burn away the blood of Christ that has spread throughout the nations.

And did you know, my friend, the deaths continue? The blood is still spilling, filling the earth with its scarlet tears…the ash of human death is still crying out with injustice to a holy and omnipotent God?

Victory masks itself in a dying façade of intolerance and non-conformity.

Victory only because the Father has willed it so. Victory because within the darkness, the light is spreading.

Do you not see that, evil one? Your efforts are useless…fruitless…your victory but temporary.

"How did you know?" I asked her quietly one day. "How did you know you needed Jesus? If you lived in the midst of so much religion, how did you know it was not the Truth?"

She looked at me with big dark eyes, tears spilling over with feeling as she pondered a holy God.

I don't know how I knew…I just kept looking…groping for peace…searching for Truth. I was walking in the middle of our field…I was thinking about Him…a storm came…much lightning, thunder…I was so afraid! I cried out to Him in my fear…

…and there He was.

I began to read the Bible. I learned the Truth. Everything inside of me knew it was Truth…like a burning longing in my soul, I reached for Him…

…and there He was.

He has saved me.

There is now a burning Light in my heart…finally I am at peace.

Oh, Christians today, where is your burning light? What would you think of your brothers and sisters, tied upon a pole, burning before the city, lighting the Way?

Would you climb the pole if you were forced to choose? Would you yourself burn in this way? Where is your heavenly passion?

Where is your burning desire to know Him?

"Of course, I know Him…I go to church, don't I? I'm there every Sunday…"

"Of course I know He's the Creator and God of all! But good grief, I can't believe the church service took so long today! Now I will have to re-arrange my plans…"

"Of course God is worthy of praise…I just don't like singing all of those songs I don't know. They never sing the music I like…so I just don't sing…"

Hundreds of willing, beautiful feet, black and calloused, yet blistered, beat down the path through the bush as so many African pastors long to know Him better. With barely anything to eat, and no money to speak of, they walk, worn Bibles in hand, mile upon mile, through the rough terrain to where the Bible teaching will be.

Just a generation ago, in their country, there was so much bloodshed and persecution that the land still cries of the injustice…no power, no phone lines…so many orphans, so much poverty…and hunger.

Hunger not just for daily food, but for the Word of God! A burning light still shines through the dark African trails as these people of God cling to the Hope that gives them life…that provides for them, day after day…

Oh my American brothers and sisters, where is your Hope? Riches beyond measure surround you…plenty of food, plenty of daily needs…but no worn Bibles in hand…

…no fire in your spirit…

How can you sing "He is my refuge" when in reality you've never hidden in Him?

How do you profess a Mighty Fortress, when you rely on your wallet and your materialism for comfort and protection?

Have you ever hidden under the shadow of His wing?

Or have you merely shooed Him away in your ignorance, feigning godliness, yet full of fear and hopelessness…

Oh, my friend, where is your burning Light?

Where is your passion to know Him?

A Bulgarian pastor, not so many years ago…during our very lifetime…was ripped from his home in the night, torn from his wife, his little girl…to live in a Communist prison, year after year…

…starving…

…suffering…

…sharing Christ's love, even with the guards, reaching out and touching even the hands that beat him, sharing Truth and Sincerity with even the most evil.

And then one day, someone secretly passed him a worn page, and then another, until he possessed entire books of the Bible. He devoured them in his heart -- pondering every Word, closing his eyes to recite each page, until he knew them completely.

Then, he passed them on…

Late at night, year after year, he quoted these Bible books to prisoner after prisoner, filling them with the same burning Light that kept him alive, and kept him sane.

Years later, after he was released, he traveled from house to house, from one underground church to another, quoting these same books of the Bible to eager believers, who were starving for the Word…

Because you see, there were no Bibles. Scripture was illegal…possessing it was a death sentence without mercy!

Oh, my fellow Christians…aren't you hungry?

Do you not awaken each morning with pangs of longing for your Heavenly Father and His nourishment?

"Yes, I know that the Bible is the Word of God…of course I believe it has the answers for life…it's just that I don't have time to read it every day. I have a hard enough time just getting everything done!"

"A Bible study?! No…I just don't have time…and it would probably require extra work. I don't have time for that-and Sunday is just not a good day. It's my only day to rest, you know."

"Oh, I can't memorize. I've never been good at that. Don't ask me to memorize Bible verses…"

Grasp His Word, my friend. Look at it carefully! Do you see that it is a flaming sword? How can you go into battle -- fighting the day to day confrontations with the enemy, with temptation, with depression and anger, bitterness and hopelessness -- without your Weapon? Where is your fighting Spirit? Where is your burning zeal?

Climb the pole.

Walk the beaten paths of Africa.

Linger in an evil prison, devouring Scripture to your heart's content…

Then look up. Look up to see the burning Light, blazing its way from age to age, generation to generation.

Do you yet have peace? Grope for it.

Do you lack Truth? Search for it.

Cry out to Him in your fear! He is waiting. You must join the Christian race!

Step into the burning Light. Fight the fight, even to the death, if need be!

Death of pride…death of apathy…death of self…even physical death is not the end!

For the victory has already been won.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord…

Walk as children of light…

"Awake, you who sleep! Arise from the dead!

Christ will give you light."

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Therefore…do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5

Copyright © 2010. Faith Matters by Lygia Lovelace. All rights reserved. KenLovelaceMinistries.com