AUGUST 2017 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 IMAGES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS IN SCRIPTURE A devotional from TIW_August_2017_4C_ic.indd 1 5/19/17 3:19 PM TODAY WITH DR. PAUL NYQUIST President of Moody Global Ministries Light Changes Everything One of the great joys will not walk in the darkness but will of my life is being have the Light of life” (John 8:12). Like called “Grandpa” by the sun that illuminates our world, Jesus our six grandchildren, provides clarity and truth. He is the ages 1 to 6. And now source of life; through Him we grow that our own children and thrive. are fully grown, Cheryl and I have a renewed love for If you have ever gone to bed early ordinary parenting moments such as only to have someone turn on a lamp, tucking little ones into bed. you realize it is difficult to partially illuminate a room. Once a light switch is Sometimes, after we say a prayer and turned on, it cuts through darkness. In read a bedtime story, they’ll call out the same way, when we accept Christ to us because they are afraid. In the as our Savior, His light cuts through darkness, they imagine a monster the darkness of our lives. We can see lying in wait. And I get to be the hero clearly and understand spiritual things of the story, turning on the light switch previously hidden from us. to show them that no one is under the bed or in the closet. With the room fully The Bible says, “God is Light, and in illuminated, their fears are put to rest. Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). We, too, are called to be light in Light changes everything, doesn’t it? this dark world. As we reflect Christ in Is it any wonder that Jesus referred our lives, we shed His light in the world to Himself as the Light of the World? around us. Proverbs 4:18 says, “But the Trapped by sin in spiritual darkness, path of the righteous is like the light of previously blind to His truth, our path dawn, that shines brighter and brighter is now clearly illuminated by the Light until the full day.” of God. While sometimes we may be unnerved by the darkness in the world The next time you turn on a light switch around us, we can rest assured that or see the sun rising over the edge of God’s perfect light casts out fear. the horizon, remember that we serve the Light of the World, and you and I are Jesus said to His disciples, “I am the called to reflect His light to others. Light Light of the world; he who follows Me changes everything. n 800 3566639 TIW_August_2017_4C_ic.indd 2 5/19/17 3:19 PM THEOLOGY MATTERS by Dr. John Koessler God and Sin umanity has long wrestled with his offspring were guilty of and inclined the question of the origin of sin toward sin. Hand evil. As the Creator of all things, did God create evil? Are good Sin entered the world through Adam, and evil equal forces in the universe? but it did not begin with him (Rom. 5:12–14). Satan was created prior to According to Jesus, God alone is good Adam and was the first to fall into sin (Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19). Jesus meant (Luke 10:18). Like Adam, Satan was more than that God meets a standard, created with a capacity to either obey characterized as good. He meant that or disobey God’s command. Satan fell good does not exist apart from God. into sin when he aspired not merely God is perfect and is incapable of sin to be like God but to replace Him (Isa. (Matt. 5:48). Since God alone is good, 14:12–15; Matt. 4:9–10). This ambition good can only come from God. was reflected in Satan’s appeal to Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in order to Sin and evil were not part of God’s “be like God” (Gen. 3:4–5). original creation. When God initially assessed all that He had made, He Some religions (especially Eastern concluded that it was “very good” religions) explain God’s relation to sin (Gen. 1:31). Not only was this true of as an aspect of God, a counter- creation which reflected His glory, it balancing facet of His nature. Others was especially true of Adam and Eve, who refuse to make God responsible who were expressly made in God’s for evil claim that it has always been a image (Gen. 1:26). Because Adam and factor in creation, making it coexistent Eve were created good, they were with and autonomous from God. The created with the ability to obey. When Bible rejects both views. Evil began God placed Adam in the Garden, He with Satan’s rebellion and entered into commanded him not to eat of the tree human experience through Adam’s sin. of the knowledge of good and evil Evil rejected the only One who is the (Gen. 2:16–17). Prior to his sin, Adam true source of good. n had the capacity both to obey and to disobey. What Adam did not yet have FOR FURTHER STUDY was a proclivity for sin. This changed To learn more about God and the origin after Adam disobeyed. When Adam fell, of evil, read Genesis 1-11: Creation, his nature changed so that he and all Sin, and the Nature of God by John MacArthur (Thomas Nelson). TODAYINTHEWORD.COM TIW_August_2017_4C_ic.indd 3 6/2/17 7:15 AM TODAY AT MOODY Graduates from Moody School of the Bible in Ghana This August, we celebrate the first For this program, Theovision staff group of African pastors and church members traveled to the Akan- or leaders to graduate from the Moody Twi-speaking areas looking for pastors School of the Bible program in Ghana. or church leaders in rural communities Dr. Paul Nyquist, president of Moody who had little or no Bible education. Global Ministries, traveled to Ghana to From these applicants, 250 people congratulate the graduates. were selected to participate. The project required transcribing the With the assistance of Theovision, Moody Radio audio programs and Moody Radio translated and recorded then translating them into Akan, the classes of Moody’s long-running local language. The resulting programs program Radio School of the Bible on were recorded on solar-powered audio solar-powered audio players, providing devices, designed for use in rural areas pastors and church leaders in rural with limited access to electricity. villages with access to theological and biblical education. One participant, Joshua Afari, said, “This device, with Bible courses in Theodore Asare, founder of Theovision, our language, is going to be helpful agrees. “Moody Radio School of the to everyone, especially to those who Bible in the Akan language is one of cannot read, and in rural villages where the best things that has happened in there is no electricity. Through this our ministry of reaching Africa’s oral oral School of the Bible, Christianity cultures with God’s Word,” he says. will see a lot of progress in our part of “This training is the first of its kind that the world.” I know of in Ghana. Already, other language groups are asking for such The program addresses an urgent need training to be done in their language.” for biblical and theological training in Africa. “Many people have a passion Moody Radio School of the Bible began to teach God’s Word, but they lack in 1926, the first correspondence Bible training,” says Stephen Asare, son study program offered by radio in the of Theovision founder and Moody United States. Today those programs graduate. “This is helpful as they dive are being repurposed for global use to more into God’s Word. It has a lot of equip Christian leaders who will impact meat to it.” n their communities for Christ. 800 3566639 TIW_August_2017_4C_ic.indd 4 6/2/17 7:13 AM VOLUME 30 • ISSUE 8 EXECUTIVE EDITOR Bruce Everhart MANAGING EDITOR Heather Mott SENIOR EDITOR Elena Mafter Images of Light and Darkness CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jamie Janosz in Scripture John Koessler WRITER Light and its reflections help create timeless Brad Baurain masterworks of architecture. In the 20th century, ART DIRECTOR Lynn Gabalec American architect Louis I. Kahn transformed GRAPHIC DESIGNERS architecture and continues to inspire architects Larry Bohlin, Rachel Hutcheson today with his use of light to define the building, BUSINESS MANAGER Paul B. Currie elevating it from functional to extraordinary. MARKETING MANAGER Claire Kniowski This month in Today in the Word, as we study MOODY GLOBAL MINISTRIES images of light in the Bible, we’ll see that Christ is PRESIDENT J. Paul Nyquist the ultimate Light for the nations, transforming lives PROVOST and calling us to His truth. We’ll note that His Word Junias Venugopal gives light, guides, and protects. It elevates the EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Steven Mogck worth of a life. The Bible also warns us that sinners SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT rebel against the light and call it darkness, but we Greg R. Thornton can rejoice that Christ rescued us from the darkness CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Ken Heulitt of our sin and brought us into His glorious light. CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER God turns darkness into light! Samuel Choy VICE PRESIDENTS Tim Arens Thank you for staying with us on our journey Larry Davidhizar through the Bible with Today in the Word.