Assassins Among Us #21: The Fire by Night

New here? Start at the beginning

Yesterday we asked: What happens when darkness falls?

The cloud provided shade by day. But the wilderness doesn’t stop being dangerous when the sun goes down. If anything, the danger increases.

WHEN DARKNESS FALLS

“And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. So it was continuously: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night.” — Numbers 9:15b-16 (ESV)

The desert gets cold at night. Predators hunt in the darkness. Enemies attack when visibility is low. The wilderness after sundown is a different world than the wilderness at noon.

So God didn’t just provide shade for the day. He provided fire for the night.

Not just light—His personal attention. Not just warmth—His dwelling among them.

The fire wasn’t a campfire Israel built. It was God’s presence, visible and burning, hovering over the place where He chose to dwell. All night. Every night. Continuously.

PROTECTION AND ILLUMINATION

The fire did two things simultaneously.

It protected. Any enemy approaching the camp at night would see the pillar of fire and know—these people are not alone. Something supernatural guards them. The Egyptians learned this the hard way at the Red Sea when God threw their army into panic through the pillar of fire and cloud (Exodus 14:24).

It illuminated. In a world without electricity, without streetlights, without flashlights, darkness was absolute. But Israel had light. God’s presence pushed back the darkness so His people could see.

This was a foretaste of eternity.

“And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be light to them.” — Revelation 22:5 (ESV)

What Israel experienced temporarily in the wilderness becomes permanent reality in the New Jerusalem. The fire by night pointed forward to the day when God’s people will need no created light at all—for the Lord Himself will be their eternal illumination.

THEN AND NOW

THEN: Fire WITH them (external, visible, protecting) NOW: Holy Spirit IN us (internal, purifying, illuminating)

The fire that hovered over the tabernacle now burns within the believer.

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ… Put on the armor of light.” — Romans 13:12-14 (ESV)

We don’t have a visible pillar of fire over our heads. But we carry something the nations can still see—if we’re walking in the Spirit.

The same fire that protected Israel from external enemies purifies us from internal corruption. The same fire that illuminated the camp illuminates our hearts to understand truth.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV)

CONTINUOUS PRESENCE

Notice the word in verse 16: continuously.

The cloud by day. The fire by night. No gaps. No breaks. No moments when Israel looked up and saw nothing.

God’s presence wasn’t intermittent. It wasn’t based on their performance. It wasn’t dependent on their feelings. Continuously.

And neither is the Spirit’s presence in the believer.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” — Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)

You may not feel Him. You may not sense Him. You may walk through seasons where His presence seems distant. But if you belong to Jesus Christ, the fire hasn’t gone out. The Spirit hasn’t left.

He’s still protecting. Still illuminating. Still burning continuously over the place where He chose to dwell—and that place, that tabernacle, is now you.

TOMORROW: THE RICHES OF HIS INHERITANCE

The cloud and fire weren’t just protection and guidance. They represented something greater—the treasure of God’s presence itself.

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

Assassins Among Us #20: The Cloud by Day

New here? Start at the beginning

Yesterday we asked: Are you living in what the blood purchased, or are you settling for something less?

The blood purchased access. The blood purchased intimacy. The blood purchased the manifest presence of God dwelling IN you.

But how does that presence actually work? What does it look like? For Israel, it looked like a cloud.

THE SEQUENCE MATTERS

“On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony.” — Numbers 9:15 (ESV)

Notice the order. First, the tabernacle was prepared—all 13 elements complete. Then, and only then, the cloud and fire appeared. The presence came after the preparation was complete.

The cloud didn’t show up during construction. It didn’t arrive while things were half-finished. God’s manifest presence descended when everything was in place.

This is the pattern for salvation too.

Before you ever came to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit was already at work—convicting you of sin, drawing you to the Father (John 6:44), opening your eyes to see your need, preparing your heart to receive the gospel.

At the moment you believed, the Holy Spirit came to dwell in you.

“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance.” — Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV)

The tabernacle had to be prepared before the presence could dwell. Your heart had to be prepared by the Spirit before salvation could occur.

For Israel: Preparation → Passover Blood → Cloud and Fire descended For Us: Spirit’s Conviction → Christ’s Blood → Holy Spirit indwells

The difference? For Israel, the presence came ON the tabernacle (external). For us, the presence comes IN the temple (internal). But the pattern is the same: Preparation, then Blood, then Presence.

NOT JUST COVERING—COMPANIONSHIP

“On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony.” — Numbers 9:15a (ESV)

The cloud wasn’t just weather. It wasn’t just shade from the desert sun. It was God’s manifest presence dwelling with His people.

Not just covering—His intimate companionship. Not just direction—His personal attention.

When you read “the cloud covered the tabernacle,” don’t picture a fog bank. Picture the Creator of the universe choosing to dwell in the midst of a camp of former slaves. Picture the God who spoke galaxies into existence hovering over a tent made of animal skins.

That’s what the cloud represented. Not just protection. Presence.

THEN AND NOW

THEN: Cloud WITH them (external, visible, covering) NOW: Holy Spirit IN us (internal, invisible to others, indwelling)

Israel could look up and see the cloud. They could point to it. They could show their children. The presence was visible, tangible, undeniable.

We can’t point to a cloud hovering over our heads. But we have something greater.

They had God WITH them. We have God IN us.

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” — 1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV)

The cloud covered the tabernacle. The Spirit indwells the believer. Same God. Same presence. Different location—and the new location is more intimate than the old.

TOMORROW: THE FIRE BY NIGHT

The cloud provided shade by day. But what happened when darkness fell?

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

Yesterday we asked: where do you stand?

Are you unclean? Did the locusts devour your years? Are you apathetic — clean but not seeking? The blood covers all of it. But why? What was the blood actually for?

We’ve spent the last two days looking at the Passover. The blood applied in bondage. Grace for those who missed it. But now we need to ask a deeper question.

THE QUESTION EVERYONE GETS WRONG

Ask most Christians what the blood of Jesus Christ accomplished, and they’ll give you an answer that’s true but incomplete:

“It saved me from hell.” “It forgave my sins.” “It delivered me from judgment.”

All true. But all incomplete.

Because the blood didn’t just deliver you FROM something. It delivered you TO Someone.

BROUGHT TO HIMSELF

“You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” — Exodus 19:4 (ESV)

Brought you to MYSELF.

God didn’t rescue Israel from Egypt just so they could wander free in the wilderness. He didn’t break their chains just so they could do whatever they wanted. He brought them out so He could bring them TO Himself.

The destination was never just “out of Egypt.” The destination was God.

And the same is true for you.

NOT JUST FREEDOM FROM, ACCESS TO

Here’s what counterfeit Christianity misses entirely:

The greatest provision isn’t freedom from bondage. The greatest provision isn’t restoration of lost years. The greatest provision isn’t even forgiveness of sin.

Everything else leads to this: You are restored to GOD.

Not just His gifts. Not just His blessings. Not just His provision. Not just what He can do for you.

HIM.

The blood creates access to God’s presence. That’s the whole point. That’s what the Passover was always pointing to. That’s what counterfeit Christianity trades away for religious activity and self-improvement programs.

You were delivered FROM Egypt so you could be delivered TO God.

THE BLOOD MAKES THE PRESENCE POSSIBLE

This is why the cloud and fire come after the Passover in Numbers 9. The blood of the Passover Lamb makes it possible for God’s manifest presence to dwell with His people.

Remember the 13 Elements of Preparation from Session 1? Every single one pointed to this moment. The honest accounting. The arrangement around God’s presence. The separation of the unclean. The cleansing of the priests. All of it was preparation for one thing: HIS Presence.

The Tabernacle wasn’t the goal. The Tabernacle was the dwelling place. The goal was the One who would dwell there.

Without the blood, there is no access. Without the blood, there is no dwelling. Without the blood, there is no intimacy.

But WITH the blood:

“Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'” — John 14:23 (ESV)

The Father and the Son make their HOME in you. By and through the Holy Spirit. Because of the blood.

This is what the blood purchased. Not just a ticket out of judgment. A dwelling place for God Himself. This is what we’ve been building toward since the beginning of this series.

WHAT ARE YOU SETTLING FOR?

Here’s the question you need to answer: Are you living in what the blood purchased, or are you settling for something less?

Are you grateful to be “saved” but living as if God is distant? Are you thankful for forgiveness but never experiencing His presence? Are you relieved about heaven but ignoring Him in the here and now?

The blood purchased more than fire insurance. It purchased intimacy. Access. The manifest presence of God dwelling IN you through the Holy Spirit.

If you’re not experiencing that, you’re not experiencing what the blood actually bought.

TOMORROW: THE CLOUD BY DAY

The blood made the dwelling place possible. But God’s presence made it alive. Tomorrow we’ll look at how God’s visible presence WITH Israel points to His invisible presence IN the believer through the Holy Spirit.

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

Yesterday we asked a critical question: What does God do with people who missed it?

Let’s find out.

THEY MISSED IT

“And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day.” — Numbers 9:6 (ESV)

These men were unclean. They couldn’t participate in the Passover at the appointed time.

The reason didn’t matter. Unclean is unclean.

And here’s the truth we need to grasp: We are all born unclean. Sin is inherent. We didn’t choose to be born into a fallen world any more than these men chose to touch a dead body. But the result is the same—disqualified from God’s presence.

The circumstances vary. The reason you missed it might look different than the reason I missed it. Some were consumed by addiction. Some by religion without relationship. Some by rebellion. Some by circumstances that felt beyond their control.

But the diagnosis is identical: unclean. Separated. Unable to approach God on our own.

We all missed it. And the evidence of what we missed is written across our lives.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23 (ESV)

WHAT THE LOCUST ATE

Look at the wreckage. Look at what uncleanness cost you.

“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.” — Joel 2:25 (ESV)

The locusts came in waves. Each one distinct. Each one devastating in its own way.

The swarming locust — the busyness of this life. The distractions that consume your attention. The cares of the world that choke out the Word before it can take root. You’re so busy surviving that you never stop to ask what you’re surviving for.

The hopper (the young/creeping locust) — what we do in our immaturity. The subtle things we allow to enter our lives when we don’t know any better. Small compromises. Little foxes that spoil the vine. They creep in unnoticed, and by the time we see them, they’ve already been feeding.

The destroyer (the ravager) — the iniquity we refuse to address. The sin we know about but won’t confront. The bondage we’ve made peace with. It doesn’t creep—it ravages. And it will keep ravaging until we deal with it.

The cutter (the palmerworm) — it feeds on the fruit trees. This is the disobedience that devastates the fruit of our lives. Not just the leaves, not just the branches—the fruit. The very thing your life was supposed to produce.

Wave after wave. Each one taking what the previous one left behind. By the time they were done, nothing remained.

And here’s what we must not miss: God calls them “my great army, which I sent among you.”

For those who do not know Jesus Christ, this is judgment—the condemnation you live in day by day. The locusts devour, and there is no restoration. No way out. No hope of getting back what was taken.

But for those in Christ, the Passover blood keeps us from eternal death—but not from the death of our maturity and effectiveness in this life. We live under His discipline, not His condemnation.

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” — Hebrews 12:6 (ESV)

The locusts still come. But now they serve a different purpose. Not to destroy us eternally, but to wake us up. To show us what the flesh produces. To drive us back to Him. To keep us from becoming those who are always learning but never able to arrive at the knowledge of the truth.

“Always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” — 2 Timothy 3:7 (ESV)

The discipline hurts. The locusts devour. But for the believer, there is restoration on the other side—if we return to Him.

You look back and wonder: Where did it all go? How did I end up here? What happened to the life I was supposed to live?

The locusts ate it.

And behind every locust is a thief. This is why the Passover matters. This is why the blood was required. Because there are two missions at war over your life.

THE TWO MISSIONS

“The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” — John 10:10 (ESV)

The thief has one job: steal, kill, destroy. He doesn’t take breaks. He doesn’t show mercy. He consumes everything he can reach. He sent the locusts. He devoured your years. And if given the chance, he will devour you.

But Jesus Christ came with a different mission: life. Abundant life. Life that overflows.

This is the battlefield. This is why the Passover exists. The blood of the lamb was never just about escaping Egypt—it was about escaping the thief’s mission and entering into Jesus Christ’s mission.

Here’s what you need to understand: The unsaved have no choice. Without repentance, without being born again, you are automatically under the thief’s mission. He doesn’t need your permission. He has default access. You were born into his territory, and apart from Christ, you have no power to resist him.

But believers? Believers can give him access back.

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” — Romans 8:13 (ESV)

When a believer chooses to follow the flesh instead of the Spirit, they open the door God once closed.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” — Revelation 3:20 (ESV)

There’s always someone knocking. Jesus Christ knocks. The thief knocks. We must open the door to one or the other. When we answer Jesus Christ’s knock, God shuts the door on the thief’s access. But when a believer turns back to the flesh, they’re opening that door again—inviting the locusts back into the field. Not because they’ve lost their salvation, but because they’ve stopped walking in the power that keeps the thief out.

The Passover is available for both.

For the unsaved: the blood provides the way out from under the thief’s automatic authority.

“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.'” — John 3:3 (ESV)

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” — Matthew 3:2 (ESV)

This is the choice for the unbeliever—those outside the faith. Repent. Believe. Be born again. Enter into life.

For the believer who wandered back into the flesh: the blood still covers. The Spirit is still available. Return. Mortify the deeds of the body. Stop giving the thief access to what Jesus Christ already purchased.

Those unclean men in Numbers 9 had a choice. They could accept their disqualification and remain under death. Or they could bring their problem to Moses and ask if there was another way into life.

They chose to ask. And that’s when everything changed.

GOD MAKES A WAY

“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the LORD. In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it.” — Numbers 9:10-11 (ESV)

God made a way.

Not a lesser way. Not a second-class Passover. The same Passover—just at a different time. For those who were unclean, God provided another chance to come under the blood and escape the death the thief brings—because he comes to steal, kill, and destroy. And for those who were already under the blood but have become unclean through the flesh, God provided a way back to fellowship and fruitfulness.

This is the gospel. You missed it. You were born missing it. Sin disqualified you before you ever had a choice. The thief has been devouring your years since before you knew he existed. But God made a way back to Himself.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8 (ESV)

While we were still unclean. Still disqualified. Still being devoured. The blood was provided—not after we cleaned ourselves up, but while we were still in our mess.

God’s grace covers what we’ve missed—when we come to Him through the blood of Jesus Christ.

But this grace comes with a warning.

THE WARNING

“But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the LORD’s offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.” — Numbers 9:13 (ESV)

Notice who this warning is for. Not the unclean—God made provision for them. Not those on a journey of discovery—God has patience for the sincere seeker.

This warning is for those who are clean and not on a journey. Those who have no excuse. Those who could participate but simply choose not to.

This is apathy—the most insidious of sins.

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” — Revelation 3:15-16 (ESV)

God has grace for the unclean who come to Him. God has patience for the seeker on the journey. He does not have tolerance for apathy. At least rebellion acknowledges there’s something worth fighting against. Apathy doesn’t even care enough to resist.

The men who came to Moses recognized their need. They knew they were disqualified. They came seeking a way out from under the thief’s mission and into life. And God provided one.

But for those who simply don’t care? For those who know the blood is available and shrug? For those who see the two missions and can’t be bothered to choose?

That’s a different situation entirely.

The door is open. The blood has been applied. The way back to God has been provided. The Spirit is available to put to death the deeds of the body so you can live.

But don’t mistake God’s patience for permission to stay apathetic.

Because the blood wasn’t just meant to save you from something. It was meant to bring you to Someone. This is the relationship He seeks to have with all who will call on Him in spirit and in truth.

But you can’t call on Him in truth if you’re not being honest about where you stand. This is why we started with honest accounting. Before Israel could move forward, God required them to take an honest survey of who they were and where they stood. The same is required of you.

Are you unclean? There’s a way back. Are you on the journey, still seeking? He has patience for you. Are you apathetic, clean but unmoved? That’s the danger zone.

Where do you stand?

TOMORROW: THE REAL PURPOSE OF THE BLOOD

The blood didn’t just deliver you FROM something. It delivered you TO Someone.

ABOUT THIS SERIES: “Assassins Among Us” explores the Book of Numbers to expose the forces that seek to destroy authentic faith. This teaching uses the Damascus Road framework to call believers from counterfeit Christianity to authentic faith in Jesus Christ.

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

GOD COMMANDS REMEMBRANCE BEFORE MOVEMENT

Before Israel took a single step into the wilderness, God gave them a command. Not a suggestion. Not an option. A command.

Remember.

“And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, ‘Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.'” — Numbers 9:1-3 (ESV)

One year had passed since the Exodus. The blood on the doorposts. The angel of death passing over. The deliverance from four hundred years of bondage. And now, before God would move them forward, He required them to look back.

Why?

Because you cannot move forward authentically if you’ve forgotten where you came from.

THE BLOOD THAT DELIVERED YOU

The Passover wasn’t a religious tradition. It was a blood covenant. A lamb died so Israel could live. Blood on the doorposts meant the difference between life and death.

“When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” — Exodus 12:13 (ESV)

Not when I see your good intentions. Not when I see your religious effort. Not when I see your sincerity. When I see the blood.

But here’s what we must not miss: the blood was applied while Israel was still in bondage.

They didn’t clean themselves up first. They didn’t escape Egypt on their own strength and then celebrate with a lamb dinner. They were still slaves when God commanded them to kill the lamb and apply the blood. Still in chains. Still under Pharaoh’s authority. Still surrounded by the gods of Egypt.

The blood came before the deliverance, not after.

This is the pattern. This is the truth counterfeit Christianity inverts. You don’t get better and then come to God. You come to God in your bondage, and the blood delivers you.

David understood this:

“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight… Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” — Psalm 51:3-4, 7 (ESV)

Hyssop. The same instrument used to apply the blood to the doorposts in Egypt (Exodus 12:22). David wasn’t asking for a new method. He was crying out for the same blood—applied to a heart that finally recognized its need.

Before you can receive the Savior, you must recognize your slavery.

You must see your sin as David saw his—ever before you, an offense against God Himself. Not a mistake to minimize. Not a struggle to manage. Sin that requires blood.

Israel couldn’t deliver themselves from Egypt. Four hundred years of bondage proved that. And you cannot deliver yourself from sin. All your religious effort, all your self-improvement, all your good intentions—none of it breaks the chains.

Only the blood breaks the chains.

And the blood is applied through repentance. Through coming to God as you truly are—still in bondage, still enslaved, still unable to save yourself—and crying out for mercy.

For believers in Jesus Christ, this points directly to a greater Passover Lamb:

“For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” — 1 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)

THEN: The lamb’s blood on the doorpost protected Israel FROM death—while they were still slaves. NOW: The blood of Jesus Christ brings us TO God—while we are still sinners.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8 (ESV)

While we were still sinners. Still in bondage. Still enslaved to sin. The blood was provided before we cleaned ourselves up—because we never could.

The Old Covenant Passover was physical deliverance from slavery. The New Covenant Passover is spiritual deliverance from sin. But both required blood. Both required the recognition of bondage. Both required receiving what we could never earn.

WHAT THE BLOOD PURCHASED

Here’s what counterfeit Christianity misses: the blood didn’t just purchase your ticket out of judgment. It purchased your access to God’s presence.

The Tabernacle had five different names. Each one reveals something the blood purchased:

The Dwelling Place (Mishkan) — THEN: God WITH them (external). NOW: God IN us (1 Corinthians 6:19)

The Tent of Testimony (Ohel Ha-Edut) — THEN: Law on tablets as God’s testimony. NOW: Christ IS the testimony (1 John 5:11)

The Tent of Meeting (Ohel Moed) — THEN: They came TO meet God. NOW: We have direct access (Hebrews 4:16)

The Sanctuary (Miqdash) — THEN: A separated, holy place. NOW: We are sanctified in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2)

The House of the LORD — THEN: A physical building. NOW: We are God’s household (Ephesians 2:19)

The blood purchased all of this. Not just forgiveness. Access. Presence. Intimacy. Belonging.

BUT WHAT IF YOU MISSED IT?

The blood was available. The command was clear. The appointed time had come.

But not everyone was ready.

In Numbers 9, certain men came to Moses with a problem. They had been made unclean by touching a dead body. They couldn’t participate in the Passover at the appointed time. Through no fault of their own, circumstances had disqualified them.

They had missed it.

Maybe you know that feeling. Years consumed by things that weren’t supposed to be yours. Seasons lost. Opportunities passed. The appointed time came and went, and you weren’t ready.

TOMORROW: A CRITICAL QUESTION

What does God do with people who missed it?

ABOUT THIS SERIES: “Assassins Among Us” explores the Book of Numbers to expose the forces that seek to destroy authentic faith. This teaching uses the Damascus Road framework to call believers from counterfeit Christianity to authentic faith in Jesus Christ.

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

In Session 1, we walked through the Thirteen Elements of Preparation God required before Israel could move forward. We discovered that before you can face the battles ahead, you must face the reality of where you actually are.

We learned that God doesn’t move unprepared people. He doesn’t send soldiers into battle who haven’t been counted, positioned, cleansed, and consecrated. Every element mattered. Every step had purpose.

But here’s the thing about preparation: it’s not the destination. It’s the launching pad.

Now the journey begins.

In Numbers 9-10, something shifts. Israel has been counted, arranged, cleansed, blessed, and consecrated. They’ve lit the lamp, observed the Passover, and positioned themselves around God’s presence. The preparation is complete.

So what happens next?

God provides.

And this is where most teaching on the wilderness wanderings gets it wrong. We treat God’s provision as separate from His preparation—as if preparation was Phase 1 and provision is Phase 2. But that’s not how God works.

God’s provision isn’t separate from His preparation—it IS His preparation.

Think about it. The cloud by day and fire by night weren’t just travel guides to help Israel find their way through unfamiliar terrain. The Passover wasn’t just a memorial meal to remember Egypt. The manna wasn’t just wilderness catering. Every single provision was preparing Israel for something greater than the immediate need it met.

The cloud and fire? Preparing them to understand God’s manifest presence.

The Passover? Preparing them to recognize the Lamb who would come.

The manna? Preparing them to hunger for the true Bread from heaven.

Every provision pointed forward.

And the same is true for you.

If you’ve walked through Session 1 and allowed the Holy Spirit to do the work of preparation in your life—the honest accounting, the repositioning around God’s presence, the cleansing, the consecration—then you’re ready for what comes next.

But if you skipped the preparation, thinking you could jump straight to the journey, you’re going to struggle with what we cover in this session. Because God’s provision requires positioning. You can’t receive what you’re not prepared to carry.

Over the next six posts, we’ll explore how God’s provision in the wilderness points directly to the ultimate provision He’s given every believer today: the Holy Spirit.

We’ll look at why God commanded Israel to remember the Passover before they moved—and what that means for believers who’ve forgotten where they came from.

We’ll examine the cloud and fire, and discover how God’s visible presence with Israel becomes His invisible presence IN the believer through the Spirit.

We’ll dig into what it actually means to be “sealed” by the Holy Spirit—what Scripture actually says, not what counterfeit Christianity has redefined it to mean.

And we’ll confront the question every person must answer: Have you truly received the provision God has made available?

Because here’s the reality most of counterfeit Christianity avoids: God has already provided everything you need for the journey ahead. The Holy Spirit isn’t a bonus feature for super-spiritual Christians. He’s the essential provision for everyone who follows Jesus Christ.

The question isn’t whether God will provide. He already has.

The question is: Have you received what He’s provided? Or are you trying to make the journey on your own strength, your own wisdom, your own religious effort?

The wilderness will expose the answer.

Let’s begin.

Tomorrow: The Passover Remembered – Never Forget Where You Came From

ABOUT THIS SERIES: “The Journey Continues” is Session 2 of The Assassins Among Us series, exploring God’s provision through Numbers 9-10. This teaching uses the Damascus Road framework to call believers from counterfeit Christianity to authentic faith in Jesus Christ.

The Prophet’s Margin exists to call believers from the edges of compromise back to the center of authentic faith. We write from the margin where prophetic truth meets cultural Christianity.

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

This is Part 15, the final post in our Session 1 series of “The Assassins Among Us.” We’ve walked through all 13 Elements of Preparation. Now it’s time to move forward.

CONCLUSION: THE BATTLE BEGINS

We’ve covered thirteen elements of preparation from Numbers 1-10. Before Israel could move toward the Promised Land, God required:

1. An Honest Survey Based on God’s Word
2. The Arrangement of the Camp – Everything Faces God
3. The Duties of the People – Know Your Role
4. Separation of the Unclean
5. Confession and Restitution – Making Things Right
6. The Testing of Commitment
7. The Consecration of Commitment – The Nazirite Vow
8. The Blessing – Carrying God’s Name
9. The Offerings of Consecration
10. The Lighting of the Lamp – Maintaining the Light
11. The Cleansing of the Priests
12. The Passover – Never Forget the Blood
13. HIS Presence – The Goal of Everything

These weren’t suggestions. They were essential foundations for anyone who wanted to survive the battles ahead.

FINAL APPLICATION: ALL 13 ELEMENTS

Before we move to Session 2, ask yourself honestly:

1. HONEST ACCOUNTING: Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to conduct an honest survey of your life according to God’s Word? Or are you resisting His conviction, quieting His voice, ignoring His teaching?
2. THE ARRANGEMENT: Is Jesus Christ—through the Holy Spirit—truly at the center of your personal tabernacle? What does your actual life arrangement reveal? Your schedule, your priorities, your decisions—what do they orbit around?
3. THE DUTIES: Do you know your role in the body of Jesus Christ? Are you fulfilling it with sober judgment? Are you operating in coordination with the one Spirit who animates all the members?
4. SEPARATION: What unclean things are you harboring? What sins are you minimizing? What compromises are you tolerating? What darkness is diminishing the light of truth in your life?
5. CONFESSION & RESTITUTION: When the Holy Spirit convicts, do you confess? When confession reveals harm done to others, do you make restitution? Are you acknowledging and assenting to the purifying work of the Holy Spirit?
6. TESTING: Do you have the different spirit—the Holy Spirit—actively working in your life? Are you a living sacrifice that stays on the altar, or do you keep climbing off when it gets uncomfortable?
7. CONSECRATION: What would complete consecration to Jesus Christ look like in your life? What foreign gods are you harboring that compete with God for your devotion? What would need to change tomorrow if you truly consecrated yourself?
8. THE BLESSING: Do you understand the weight of carrying the name of Jesus Christ? Are you living in a way that honors or dishonors that name? Is the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Christ—actively at work in you?
9. THE OFFERINGS: Are you contributing to unity or division in the body of Christ? Are your offerings given in humility and unity, or with pride, comparison, and competition?
10. THE LAMP: Are you tending your spiritual light daily, or letting it dim through neglect? Is there unconfessed sin dimming the light you carry? Are you neglecting the Word that fuels your lamp?
11. THE CLEANSING: Are you submitting to the Holy Spirit’s cleansing work, or trying to cleanse yourself through performance? Are you allowing the Word to expose what needs to be cleansed?
12. THE PASSOVER: Have you forgotten the blood? Have you drifted into thinking your religious performance matters more than it does? When the enemy accuses you, do you defend yourself—or point to the blood?
13. HIS PRESENCE: Is God’s presence your highest priority—or is it success, strategy, or religious activity? When He says wait, do you wait? When He says move, do you obey immediately?

THE KEY TRUTH

“Your salvation requires nothing from you. Your sanctification does.”

Let that sink in.

Salvation is freely given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It’s finished. You cannot add to it. You cannot earn it. It’s a gift.

Sanctification is the lifelong process of becoming who you already are in Jesus Christ. It requires your active participation through the Holy Spirit’s supernatural power working in you. You must lay aside the weight and sin. You must put on the armor of light. You must position yourself around His presence.

THE BOTTOM LINE

There are battles coming. Real spiritual warfare. Compromised Christianity will not survive it. Surface religion will collapse. Only authentic faith in Jesus Christ—lived out by the power of the Holy Spirit—will endure.

The question is: Are you positioned for the battle ahead?

God demanded an honest accounting of Israel before they could move forward. He demands the same of us today.

Stop faking it till you make it. Stop pretending everything is fine when it’s not. Stop offering unauthorized fire and expecting God’s blessing.

Submit to the Holy Spirit’s work in you: Let Him conduct the honest inventory. Position Jesus Christ at the center where the Holy Spirit can lead you. Put the unclean out of the camp of your heart. Make restitution where needed. Consecrate yourself wholly to the One who has given you His Spirit.

Then—and only then—His presence will manifest to lead you through the battles ahead.

THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK

The thirteen elements aren’t a checklist you complete in your own strength. They’re a preparation process the Holy Spirit accomplishes in you as you submit to His conviction, His leading, His cleansing, His empowerment.

Preparing yourself for the battles ahead is impossible in your own strength. But the Holy Spirit can—and will—if you surrender to His work.

Are you ready to submit to His preparation? The battles are coming. His presence is the only way through.

WHAT’S NEXT

Session 1 covered the preparation required before battle. Session 2 will reveal what happens when God’s people start moving—and the assassins that emerge to destroy His fullness among us.

The journey from Egypt to the Promised Land wasn’t just geography. It was spiritual warfare. And the same assassins that attacked Israel are attacking believers today.

Stay tuned for Session 2: “God’s Provision on the Journey.”

We’ll expose the first assassin: Complaining that reveals a heart still in Egypt.

THANK YOU FOR WALKING THROUGH SESSION 1

If this series has challenged you to examine your spiritual preparation, share it with someone who needs to hear it. The Prophet’s Margin exists to bring marginalized truth back to the center—and we need believers who aren’t afraid to face reality.

Watch the full Session 1 teaching videos at www.onetrulight.org or search “Assassins Among Us” on YouTube/Rumble.

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Calling believers to authentic faith Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

This is Part 13 of our 15-part series walking through Session 1 of “The Assassins Among Us.” Check out the blog for previous posts.

ELEMENT 12: THE PASSOVER – NEVER FORGET THE BLOOD

Numbers 9:1-5 records God’s command to observe Passover:

“And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, ‘Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.’ So Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover. And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did.”

Never forget where you came from. Never forget the blood that delivered you.

God commanded Israel to observe Passover before they moved forward toward the Promised Land. Why? Because remembering the blood of the lamb keeps you grounded in reality. You were saved by blood, not by your goodness.

WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD

Exodus 12:12-13 explains the original Passover:

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”

“When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Not when I see your good works. Not when I see your religious performance. Not when I see your sincerity. When I see the blood.

This is the foundation of everything. Without the blood, there is no deliverance. Without the blood, there is no salvation. Without the blood, God’s judgment falls.

THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

For believers in Jesus Christ, the blood is even more significant.

Hebrews 9:11-14 contrasts the old sacrifices with Jesus Christ’s sacrifice:

“But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

The blood of Jesus Christ secured eternal redemption. Not temporary covering. Not annual renewal. Eternal redemption.

1 Peter 1:18-19 reminds us of the cost:

“Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

“The precious blood of Christ.” This is what purchased your redemption. Not your effort. Not your religious devotion. Not your good intentions. The blood of Jesus Christ.

WHY REMEMBERING THE BLOOD MATTERS

1. It keeps you humble

When you remember that you were saved by blood—not by your goodness—you cannot become prideful. You cannot look down on others. You cannot think you’ve earned God’s favor.

Ephesians 2:8-9 declares:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

You boast in the blood, not in yourself. You glory in what Jesus Christ did, not in what you’ve accomplished.

2. It protects you from self-righteousness

The moment you forget the blood, you start thinking your religious performance matters more than it does. You begin measuring yourself against others rather than against the cross.

Romans 3:23-25 puts everyone on level ground:

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”

All have sinned. The only difference between you and anyone else is the blood of Jesus Christ applied by faith. That’s it.

3. It anchors you in reality during spiritual warfare

When the enemy accuses you—and he will—you don’t defend yourself by listing your good works. You point to the blood.

Revelation 12:10-11 shows how believers overcome:

“And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.'”

“They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb.” Not by their perfection. Not by their spiritual maturity. Not by their religious credentials. By the blood.

When Satan accuses you of sin, you don’t deny it—you point to the blood that cleanses it. When Satan questions your standing before God, you don’t list your achievements—you declare the blood that justified you. When Satan tries to disqualify you from service, you don’t defend your worthiness—you proclaim the blood that purchased your redemption.

4. It reminds you that salvation is finished

Jesus Christ’s last words on the cross were: “It is finished” (John 19:30).

The work of redemption is complete. The blood was shed once for all. You cannot add to it. You cannot improve on it. You cannot supplement it with your works.

Hebrews 10:10-14 declares:

“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

“By a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” The sacrifice is complete. Jesus Christ sat down because the work is finished.

THE BLOOD THAT BOUGHT YOU

The same blood that saves you also sanctifies you. The blood didn’t just cover your past sins—it cleanses you ongoing as you confess (1 John 1:7, 9).

The same blood that justified you also empowers you. You don’t just remember the blood as a past event—you walk in the power of what that blood accomplished.

The same blood that redeemed you also bought you. You’re not your own. You were purchased with blood. Your life belongs to the One who bled for you.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 declares:

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

“You were bought with a price.” The price was blood. Jesus Christ’s blood. You don’t belong to yourself anymore.

APPLICATION

1. Have you forgotten the blood? Have you drifted into thinking your religious performance matters more than it does?
2. Are you measuring yourself by your achievements rather than by the cross?
3. When the enemy accuses you, do you defend yourself—or point to the blood?
4. Do you remember daily that you were bought with a price?
5. Are you glorifying God with a body that doesn’t belong to you anymore?

Never forget the blood. It’s the foundation of everything. Your salvation. Your sanctification. Your authority in battle. Your defense against accusation. Your humility before God and others.

The battles ahead will test whether you truly understand the blood—or whether you’ve drifted into self-reliance and religious performance.

Remember the blood. Walk in its power. Stand on its finished work.

TOMORROW: Element 13: HIS Presence – The Goal of Everything

We’ll discover the ultimate purpose of all preparation: positioning ourselves for God’s presence to lead us.

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Calling believers to authentic faith Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

This is Part 12 of our 15-part series walking through Session 1 of “The Assassins Among Us.” Check out the blog for previous posts.

ELEMENT 11: THE CLEANSING OF THE PRIESTS

Numbers 8:5-7 records God’s command for cleansing the Levites:

“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves.'”

Those who serve in God’s presence must be cleansed by God’s process, not by human methods.

But here’s the critical distinction: The cleansing wasn’t something the Levites did to themselves. Moses sprinkled the water of purification upon them. God prescribed the process. They submitted to it.

WE ARE ALL PRIESTS

As believers today, we are all priests.

1 Peter 2:9 reminds us:

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

We are a priesthood. Not just the pastors. Not just the leaders. Every believer in Jesus Christ is called to priestly service. And priests must be clean.

But you cannot cleanse yourself.

WHO DOES THE CLEANSING

Titus 3:4-7 reveals who does the cleansing work:

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

“The washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” God does the cleansing work. Through Jesus Christ. By the Holy Spirit. According to His mercy, not your efforts.

This is the same principle we saw in Element 5 (Confession and Restitution). You confess. He cleanses. You submit to the process. He does the purifying work.

CLEANSED BY THE BLOOD AND THE WORD

Hebrews 10:19-22 describes our access as cleansed priests:

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

“Our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.” This fulfills what the water of purification foreshadowed for the Levites. Jesus Christ’s blood cleanses our conscience. The Holy Spirit washes us with the water of the Word.

Ephesians 5:25-27 shows how Jesus Christ cleanses His church:

“Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”

THE PROCESS OF PRIESTLY CLEANSING

Here’s the process of priestly cleansing for those who follow Jesus Christ:

1. Initial cleansing at salvation—Titus 3:5 calls it “the washing of regeneration.” When you’re born again, the Holy Spirit regenerates you, cleanses you, makes you new. This is not something you did—it’s something God did to you.
2. Ongoing cleansing through sanctification—As we covered in Element 5, the Holy Spirit continues the cleansing work as you confess sin and submit to His conviction. 1 John 1:9 promises: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
3. Daily cleansing through the Word—As we established in Element 10, the Holy Spirit uses the Word to reveal Jesus Christ and expose what needs to be cleansed. John 15:3 says: “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.”
4. Final cleansing at glorification—When Jesus Christ returns, the cleansing process will be completed. We will be presented “without spot or wrinkle”—fully cleansed, fully holy, fully conformed to His image.

WHERE MODERN CHRISTIANITY FAILS

Here’s where modern Christianity fails:

We try to cleanse ourselves through religious performance. We think if we just work harder, serve more, give more, attend more, we’ll somehow become clean enough for God’s service.

But Numbers 8 shows us: The Levites didn’t cleanse themselves. Moses (representing God’s authority) performed the cleansing according to God’s prescribed method. The Levites submitted to it.

Only the Holy Spirit cleanses—your part is submission to His work through the blood of Jesus Christ and the water of the Word, not manufacturing your own purity.

DAVID’S PRAYER

Psalm 51:2, 7, 10 records David’s prayer after his sin with Bathsheba:

“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!… Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow… Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Notice David’s words: “Wash me… cleanse me… purge me… create in me.” He’s asking God to do what David cannot do for himself. He needs God’s cleansing work, not his own religious effort.

This is the posture of a priest who understands the cleansing process.

THE CLEANSING ISN’T COMFORTABLE

Numbers 8 required the Levites to:

Have water sprinkled on them Shave their entire body Wash their clothes

This was thorough, invasive, complete cleansing. Nothing hidden. Nothing left uncleansed.

The Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work is the same. He doesn’t just clean the surface. He goes deep. He exposes what you’ve hidden. He cleanses what you’ve ignored. He sanctifies what you’ve compromised.

And you cannot rush it or skip steps. God’s cleansing happens on His timeline, according to His process. Your job is to submit to it, not to manage or control it.

APPLICATION

1. Are you submitting to the Holy Spirit’s cleansing work, or trying to cleanse yourself through performance?
2. Are you allowing the Word to expose what needs to be cleansed?
3. Are you confessing sin as the Holy Spirit reveals it, or hiding and justifying?
4. Do you understand that only God can cleanse—your part is submission?

God requires clean priests. Not perfect priests—cleansed priests. Not self-righteous priests—sanctified priests. Not performance-driven priests—Spirit-empowered priests who have submitted to His cleansing process.

Submit to the cleansing. It’s uncomfortable. It’s thorough. It’s invasive. But it’s essential.

Because only cleansed priests can stand in His presence and minister effectively in the warfare to come.

TOMORROW: Element 12: The Passover – Never Forget the Blood

We’ll discover why remembering the blood that delivered you is essential preparation for every battle ahead.

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Calling believers to authentic faith Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org

This is Part 11 of our 15-part series walking through Session 1 of “The Assassins Among Us.” Check out the blog for previous posts.

ELEMENT 10: THE LIGHTING OF THE LAMP – MAINTAINING THE LIGHT

Numbers 8:1-4 gives God’s command about the lamps:

“Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.’ And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses. And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.”

Exodus 27:20-21 specifies the requirement:

“You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.”

The priests kept the lamps burning continually. Light must be maintained. This wasn’t a one-time lighting. It was daily, ongoing responsibility.

LIGHT DOESN’T MAINTAIN ITSELF

Here’s what this reveals about spiritual reality: Light doesn’t maintain itself. It must be tended, fueled, and protected.

In the New Covenant, we are the light.

Matthew 5:14-16 declares Jesus Christ’s words:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Notice: “You ARE the light of the world.” Not “you should try to be.” Not “you might become.” You ARE. If you belong to Jesus Christ, you carry His light.

THE SOURCE OF LIGHT

John 1:4-5, 9 reveals the source of this light:

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

Jesus Christ is the true light. You don’t generate light—you reflect His light. You don’t create illumination—you carry His illumination. But you must maintain what you’ve been given.

WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT

Ephesians 5:8-14 commands us to walk as light:

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'”

Notice the progression:

You WERE darkness (past tense—before Christ) Now you ARE light in the Lord (present reality—in Christ) WALK as children of light (ongoing responsibility—maintain it) Expose the unfruitful works of darkness (active function—use it) Awake from sleep (warning—don’t let it go out)

This is the lamp-tending principle. You have the light. Now maintain it. Walk in it. Let it expose darkness. Don’t let it go out through neglect or compromise.

WHAT DIMS THE LIGHT

1. Unconfessed sin—Sin harbored in your life dims the light of God’s presence. The darkness you tolerate diminishes the light you carry.
2. Neglecting the Word—The lamp oil was pure beaten olive oil. In Scripture, oil often represents the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God is repeatedly called light (Psalm 119:105). When you neglect God’s Word, you’re not refueling the lamp.

Psalm 119:105, 130 declares:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path… The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.”

3. Compromise with darkness—Ephesians 5:11 commands: “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness.” When you participate in what belongs to darkness, you dim the light you’re called to carry.
4. Hiding your faith—The basket and the bed Jesus Christ mentioned. When you hide your faith out of fear, convenience, or desire for acceptance, you’re covering the light you’re meant to display.
5. Spiritual laziness—The priests had to tend the lamps daily. It wasn’t automatic. Maintaining your spiritual light requires intentional, daily effort empowered by the Holy Spirit.

THE KEY TO MAINTAINING LIGHT

The written Word (Scripture) becomes the spoken Word (as the Holy Spirit illuminates it to your heart) which becomes the revealed Word (truth applied and lived out in your life).

This is the process of tending the light—the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You don’t just read Scripture as information. You encounter the living Word through the written Word by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that revelation transforms how you walk.

1 Corinthians 12:3 declares an absolute truth:

“Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says ‘Jesus is accursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.”

“No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.” To truly confess Jesus Christ as Lord—to recognize who He is, to submit to His authority, to comprehend His deity—this is only possible through the Holy Spirit’s revelation.

APPLICATION

1. Are you tending your spiritual light daily, or letting it dim through neglect?
2. Is there unconfessed sin dimming the light you carry?
3. Are you neglecting the Word that fuels your lamp?
4. Are you compromising with darkness while claiming to carry light?
5. Are you hiding your faith under a basket or letting it shine?

The light must be maintained. It requires daily attention, daily fuel from the Word, daily walking in obedience. The battles ahead require bright, well-tended lamps—not flickering, neglected ones.

TOMORROW: Element 11: The Cleansing of the Priests

We’ll discover why those who serve must be cleansed by God’s process, not human methods.

Most ministries stay in the safe middle. We bring marginalized truth back to the center.

THE PROPHET’S MARGIN Truth From the Narrow Place

ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES Calling believers to authentic faith Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE. www.onetrulight.org