VIDEO A Veteran’s Day Tribute

You Are the Light

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

When hikers are lost in a vast wilderness, completely turned around with no sense of direction, they look for one thing at night: light! If they can climb a tree or get to the top of a mountain, they look far into the distance to search for a glimpse of light—any kind of light. Light means electricity; electricity means people; people means help; help means survival.

Our world today has become a vast, trackless wilderness enveloped in darkness. People are lost; people are wandering through life without a sense of direction and without hope of being found. It is no surprise how frequently the Bible uses “light” as a symbol for spiritual awakening and salvation. Jesus said He was “the light of the world” (John 8:12); and when He left earth, He designated His followers to be that light: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). The purpose of the light is to draw mankind out of the wilderness to a place where they can be rescued and saved.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are the light of the world! Let your life be a source of light—what Jesus called “your good works”—so the lost will be drawn to Christ in you.

The gospel is light but only the Spirit can give sight. A. W. Tozer

Carry the Light

John 1:1-9

In the Bible, light is equated with good. For instance, Jesus called Himself light—He said, “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness” (John 12:46).

In contrast, the world we live in is dark (John 3:19). However, once we trust Jesus as our Savior, He lives within us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Therefore, when we’re saved, we have the light with us (John 8:12).

Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He instructed His followers to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19-20). This charge, known as the Great Commission, still applies. In other words, Christians must carry the light to a dark world. But how do we do this? Here are three ways.

• God will send some of us abroad to share the truth of Jesus Christ. There are people in other countries who have never heard how to receive salvation, and we can go as missionaries to tell them.

• The Father also calls Christians to spread the good news of the gospel right where they are—in their neighborhoods, families, and workplaces.

• The Lord asks His followers to give of the resources He’s provided—whether money, talents, or gifts—so His message of salvation can be shared with the world.

Are you willing to tell others about Jesus in whatever way the Lord has in mind? Ask God how He would like you to shine His light into the world. Then be available and obedient to carry out His plan.

Why God Allows Choice

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16)

It is absolutely clear that God is love (John 3:16; 1 John 4:19) Therefore, many have suggested that such a unilateral love as is cited in the above texts would require that God eliminate any judgment for disobedience to His commands, or that He create such a condition that all humanity would naturally love God as part of their basic personality.

The apparent conflict is often repeated in the false logic “If God loves the world and is all powerful, why would He allow evil?” Simply put, the answer is this: God is love; God loves mankind; love requires that a choice be made; choice allows for the possible rejection of God’s unilateral love. God, therefore, created humanity with the ability to positively respond to His love—or to consciously reject His offer of love.

The simple truth of the Scriptures is inescapable.

God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:5-10)

God allows for the possibility of evil so that human love may exist. HMM III

Have You Been Saved to Worship?

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. —1 Peter 2:9

I believe a local church exists to do corporately what each Christian believer should be doing individually—and that is to worship God. It is to show forth the excellencies of Him who has “called [us] out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). It is to reflect the glories of Christ ever shining upon us through the ministries of the Holy Spirit.

I am going to say something to you which will sound strange. It even sounds strange to me as I say it, because we are not used to hearing it within our Christian fellowships. We are saved to worship God. All that Christ has done for us in the past and all that He is doing now leads to this one end….

If we are willing to confess that we have been called out of darkness to show forth the glory of Him who called us, we should also be willing to take whatever steps are necessary to fulfill our high design and calling as the New Testament Church.

Lord, I acknowledge today that my highest calling and my purpose for existence is to worship You. May I and my church glorify You through our worship. Amen.

What Is Your Moral Determination?

He was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. (Acts 11:23)

Though we do not have much of it in this age of spineless religion, there is nevertheless much in the Bible about the place of moral determination in the service of the Lord.

The Old Testament tells us that “Jacob vowed a vow,” and Daniel “purposed in his heart.” Paul determined “not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” Above all, we have the example of the Lord Jesus “setting His face like a flint” and walking straight toward the Cross. These and many others have left us a record of spiritual greatness born out of a will firmly set to do the will of God!

They did not try to float to heaven on a perfumed cloud, but cheerfully accepted the fact that “with purpose of heart they must cleave to the Lord.”

We must surrender—and in that terrible, wonderful moment we may feel that our will has been forever broken, but such is not the case. In His conquest of the soul, God purges the will and brings it into union with His own, but He never breaks it!

The believer commits his soul to the hand of his God

The believer commits his soul to the hand of his God; it came from Him, it is His own, He has
aforetime sustained it, He is able to keep it, and it is most fit that He should receive it. All things are safe in Jehovah’s hands; what we entrust to the Lord will be secure, both now and in that day of days towards which we are hastening. It is peaceful living and glorious dying to repose in the care of Heaven. At all times we should commit our all to Jesus’ faithful hand; then, though life m?.y hang on a thread, and adversities may multiply as the sands of the sea, our soul shall dwell at ease, and delight itself in quiet resting places.