Letting Our Light Shine A Call to Revival: Live the Message
The importance of allowing our light to shine is so that others can see not us, but Jesus in us.
When we let our light shine--more precisely, when we allow the light of Christ to shine through us--we become a target for the enemy. Scripture says that we should not be surprised when this happens, for Satan desires to hide our light, so that others will not be drawn to the light of Christ.
There is a false light -- in reality, darkness masked as light -- that misrepresents the true light and misleads those who are easily deceived.
The lost are searching for the true light, so we must be determined to not let our light be extinguished, to not let the enemy hide our light, so that we can reflect the light of Christ into the lives of others so that they are not deceived by the enemy's counterfeit light.
We must place service and devotion to God first in our lives, for Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all of our heart, our mind, and our soul. The enemy will try to stop our serving God, and attempt to make us fail in our effort, and will try to steal our joy and instill a spirit of fear, but we must give notice to the devil that we will not give in and that we will not give up on serving the Lord, that we will not be driven away from the task that God has called us to and chosen us for. The enemy will try to steal the seed of the Gospel from being sown, but we must not let the enemy stop us from being fruitful in the Lord's work. Lives and souls are at stake; although others may be diverted by the trivial, we must remain focused on the significant matter of sharing Jesus. We must be determined to outlast the enemy.
Christ said that we must love others as we love ourselves, and that is the second greatest commandment. It is easy to care for those who are kind and loving toward us, but the true test comes when someone turns unkind and unloving. We must not fight that person, but fight the enemy who is using that person--by continuing to be kind to that person, to speak well of that person, and to pray for that person. Christ said of those who hurt Him, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." When we give someone unmerited grace and forgiveness, we are acting like Jesus. Love covers a multitude of sins.
We must not let the enemy take away those who are precious to us. Scripture says that the devil is the father of lies and a thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. The enemy will try to steal, kill, and destroy relationships, to destroy our faith in God through destroying our faith in one another. The enemy can be transformed into an angel of light in order to deceive and to sow discord. The enemy's motive is not to draw people to Christ, but away from Christ, not to the Gospel but away from the Gospel. He serves, not to please the Lord, but to gain power for himself, and he seeks to remove the righteous who proclaim the true message.
We must not let the enemy change who we are, but continue to lead a life of integrity in our words and deeds, for what is of utmost importance is our testimony, our influence for the cause of Christ, our consistency in our walk with the Lord, knowing that we honor God with our lives in doing what is right, and in being peaceful and peacemakers, that our creed and conduct may agree, and that our character will remain blameless and true. In this journey, we must encourage our fellow laborers in Christ, lifting one another up in prayer, speaking words to build up others. Scripture says to do good unto all, but especially to those of the household of faith. When we profess Christianity, we represent Christ to the world, in how we treat others. Jesus said that the world will know that we are His disciples by our love for one another. And the lost world will be drawn to the love of the light that reflects the love of Christ.
Letting Others See Jesus in Us: The Importance of Being Real
How does a lost world know that Christianity is real and that the Bible is not just an ancient book? By seeing Jesus Christ work through the lives of believers today. The world will know that Jesus is real when they see that His followers are real.
Nothing else in our lives matters more than loving God and loving others. God cares significantly about how we treat others, both the lost and our fellow believers. He cares that we treat others the way Jesus treated others. We are not expected to be perfect, but we are called to be pure, kind, and truthful, a person of integrity and worthy of trust. We are expected to be peacemakers and not sowers of strife. Our goodness is expected to be genuine at all times.
As followers of Christ, we may be the only Bible that many lost people read. If there is a difference between what we say we believe and how we actually live, then others will cry 'hypocrisy' and want nothing to do with the message we proclaim. How we treat others may have a bearing on whether or not they come to know the Lord or whether they lose faith in God because they lose faith in us. We need to not only tell people about Jesus, but show them Jesus.
We need to speak words to encourage, not discourage. Our actions need to build others up, not tear them down. Before we speak or act, we should first ask ourselves: Would Jesus say or do this? Will what I am about to say or do bring honor or dishonor to God and the message of Christianity?
We are to be a good and godly influence. We are to be not self-centered or prideful, but selfless, and have a humble, gentle spirit. We are to speak in love, not anger. We are to rule with love, not fear. We are to speak words that bring smiles, not tears. We are to act so as to bring joy to others' hearts, not pain. If we fall short, we are not to misplace blame, but take responsibility and make things right.
We are to remember that we are in a spiritual battle, and that the enemy would seek to divide us. But we are also to remember that the enemy's days are numbered, and that God will one day expose him who deceives and causes division. We are to continue fighting the good fight of faith and be valiant soldiers for Christ. Our victory is in winning souls. Our defeat is in losing them.
We are all running a race--but we are running together--so we must encourage each other to win. We are to shine the light of Christ into the lives of others, and we are to shine so that others see not us, but the reflection of the Lord in us.
Do others see the compassion of Christ in your eyes? Do they hear his gentleness in your voice? Do they sense his love in your presence?
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34-35
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Matthew 5:8-9
The Power of Words
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
Death and life are in the power of the tongue..Proverbs 18:21
Words are powerful. Words are significant. Words are eternal.
God spoke words to create the world into existence.
Satan twisted God’s words, to deceive God’s creation, intending to destroy their relationship with their spiritual Father.
God uses words to express His love, mercy, and grace.
The enemy uses words to deceive, to divide, and to destroy.
When using words, people may emulate either their heavenly Father or the father of lies.
Words can be used for good or for evil.
We should choose to use them for good.
Truthful words: To emulate God, we should always speak the truth-- the whole truth and not half-truths-- and not be deceptive by twisting the truth or withholding the truth. Thomas Jefferson was quoted as saying, “He who permits himself to tell a lie once finds it much easier to do it a second and third time, till at length it becomes habitual.” And we should believe and speak only what we know to be true, because what a person thinks to be true may have no basis in fact at all. A Jewish proverb states, “What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth.” And we must be careful not to be deceived by a convincingly told lie, or sincerely retell it as truth and thereby unknowingly deceive others. As poet Margaret Bruner noted, trying to make amends after realizing one has spoken falsely is akin to having placed a feather at each door and then trying to retrieve those feathers blown away by the wind. Proverbs says that a talebearer separates close friends, and that “a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren” are an abomination unto the Lord. We should always speak the truth--about ourselves and others.
Kind words: We should speak not only words that are true but words that will uplift others and show others in a positive light. Sometimes, it may not be the actual words spoken, but the tone in which those words are spoken, that makes those words unkind. An anonymous poet wrote, “Keep anger not only out of your words - Keep it out of your voice.” The tongue can be used as a weapon; words can cut more deeply than the sharpest sword. James 1:26 says that, if a person cannot control his tongue, his religion is useless. James 3:8 says that the tongue can be “an unruly evil, full of deadly poison, set on fire of hell.” We should always be kind--genuinely kindhearted, considerate, careful, caring, compassionate, gentle, and thoughtful --for we should want our speech to reflect the goodness of the God we are representing. And we should realize that, in the day of judgment, we will give account for every word we have spoken, and our words will either justify us or condemn us (Matthew 12:36-37). Our tongue reveals the state of our heart in our closeness to the Lord.
Consistent words: James 3:9-12 asks how we can use our same tongue to bless God and then to curse our fellow man: Can a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? And we should not show partiality to whom we would be kind. We should be consistent with our words, and consistent with our kindness. The words of our mouth and the tone of our speech should not be determined by whom we are with at a particular moment. We should be consistently kind toward everyone, and we should be consistently truthful.
Encouraging words: We should encourage others, with our words and with our actions, remembering that Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love others.
We need to always have an attitude toward others that is pleasing to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for, when we take His name, we are representing Him. With our words and with our deeds, we should always let everyone see Jesus in us.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14
I Will Fear No Evil
I will fear no evil. (Psalm 23:4)
Fearing no evil is easier said than done.
Anyone who steps out and is met by a rattlesnake will most likely have fear. No matter that you have done nothing to deserve to be snakebitten. You will have fear because that rattlesnake can attack without even being provoked. It takes only one rattlesnake to destroy you, or at least instill fear that the power of his venom is able to destroy you.
Everyone has ‘rattlesnakes’ in their lives. Christians who step out on faith and are sold out to God will most likely have even more.
Your ‘rattlesnake’ might be a physical sickness or a terminal disease, the death of a friend or loved one, the loss of a job, a dire financial situation, your home destroyed by fire, another tragedy -- an enemy who attacks without being provoked.
Satan’s strategy is to use 'rattlesnakes' to instill fear in the lives of God’s children, and stop them from trusting in and serving God.
Scripture says that the devil is a thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Worse than a thief who steals money is a thief who steals lives, peace and joy, friendships, good names, unity among believers. He doesn’t just take; he gives, too. What he takes, he replaces – with death, pain, hostility, anger, envy, deceit, disunity.
Christians on fire to serve God and to live a Christ-like life are a target for the enemy. Because the enemy's mission is to stop God's work, he will attack God's workers. The devil does not want the lost saved. When Christians try to show others the way to salvation and live by example a life of purity and truth, they are 'making trouble' for the devil, and so the devil will try to make trouble for them.
The master deceiver, he proclaims that good is evil and that evil is good. As the serpent was in the Garden of Eden, the enemy is the master of twisting the intended meaning of words and actions, to deceive and to cast doubt on what is true and good.
He is a dangerous foe, who seeks to deceive, dominate, and intimidate God's children.
The enemy's attacks are sometimes direct and other times subtle. The enemy can strike suddenly, but, like a slithering snake hiding in the grass, he also can lie patiently in wait for the right opportunity to attack.
Christians should remember that facing the devil means that we are headed in the opposite directions from the enemy - and that should be the Christian's goal, to walk a life in direct contrast to the enemy. Children of God need to remember, too, that verse in Psalm 23 that says, "I will fear no evil", and also the words that come afterward in that same verse: "for thou art with me."
'Thou' means the Lord. God is with His children whenever the enemy attacks. The enemy wants to destroy the Christian's life with fear. Children of God need to learn to not be intimidated by the enemy, to not fear evil, but trust in an all-knowing God to fight the good fight of faith, to burn more brightly the eternal light of truth and faith that the enemy is trying to extinguish, to continue living a pure life devoted to God, and to walk arm in arm in unity with fellow believers.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14
In a sermon, a well-known Pastor and respected Christian leader stressed that the need for revival in our nation’s spiritual drought is of even greater significance than the need for rain in our physical drought. “My computer is full of e-mails,” he told his congregation. “'Pray for rain. Pray for rain.' Nobody asked me to pray for revival. Nobody sent me the name of a lost person. Not one! Nobody said, ‘Pray for a friend.’ Not one! No, we need God to meet our physical needs, because we could perish without water. I wonder if He meant it, ‘Seek ye first the kingdom (of God).’ Our community is lost. The world is perishing without Jesus Christ. If we haven’t gotten it by now, I’m not sure we’re going to get it—unless God sends revival. I pray that God would make me as desperate for Him as this city and state are for rain.”
God did not say that, if the lost were to get right, then He would heal the land. He said that, if the saved (“my people which are called by my name”) were to get right (“humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways”), then He would listen to the prayers of His people (“then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land”).
The lost need to be evangelized, but sometimes the saved need to be revived.
God's people need to be desperate for Him, and desperate for lost and hurting souls. As desperate as we are for rain to cleanse and refresh a parched earth, we need to be desperate for a cleansing of our souls to refresh our own hearts and lives.
We need to pray for those who do not see their need for revival; who do not want to be held accountable for actions, words, and attitudes that do not reflect the message of Christ; who create a false light in which to cast others, in order to conceal their own sin. God's people need to pray that He will bring a spirit of repentance to the unrepentant, and that He will change attitudes and motives, actions and speech to better reflect the truth and the light, the love and the message of Christ.
We need to be grieved by sin that grieves a holy God, for it was sin that nailed Jesus to the cross. The song Feel the Nails reminds us that sin hurts not only ourselves and others, but Christ, as well. Does He still feel the nails, every time I fail? Does He hear the crowd cry ‘Crucify’ again? Am I causing Him pain? Then I know I’ve got to change. I just can’t bear the thought of hurting Him.
The key word is ‘change’. Before forgiveness comes repentance. True repentance means more than regretting, but changing direction -- turning from wrong attitudes and wrong behavior, and being sorrowful over sin. But the first step in turning from sin is recognizing that sin. The first step in changing is recognizing the need to change. The first step in repentance is recognizing the need to ask for forgiveness.
God’s people need to reach the lost, because time is fleeting.
We need to seek first the kingdom of God.
We need to humble ourselves before trying to bring others into the
No one can reach perfection, but we are to strive toward the goal of holiness by the example set by Jesus Christ. In our journey with the Lord, we are to grow more and more Christ-like -- in our attitudes, in our speech, and in our actions.
When falling short, a person needs to change direction, ask and accept forgiveness from God and our fellow man, then continue serving the Lord and serving others.
But the first step is recognizing one's own sin, being repentant over that sin, and recognizing the need for revival in one’s own heart.
God's people need to make our priority not only going to heaven, but taking as many people as we can to heaven with us -- and being a shining light, not a stumblingblock, in the path of others.