Tony's blog: "RANDOM THOUGHTS"

Bright Lights in a Dark World “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) As you reflect on the Scripture above, consider three words: who, what, and how. Who: Jesus was speaking to ordinary people … local villagers, the disci­ples … some fishermen, and a crowd of just ordinary folks. Yet Christ said to them, “You are the light of the world.” That's an amazing thing, since the Galileans were seen as the "hillbillies" of their day. The people must have stood there thinking, “Us? We're the light of the world?” He really meant it! You are the light of the world. And that's how God intends to get his work done on earth today: through you! It's not just pastors and missionaries who are the light; it's everybody who loves the Lord. You see, the world doesn't understand. The world looks at Christians and thinks, "They don't count." God takes an ordinary person and uses them to share His mes­sage to people who needed Him. When we share our faith, we spread His light. What: The second thing to consider in Christ's statement is His description of what we are. We are the light of the world, not the light of the church. That means we have to get beyond the church walls and take the light out to where it is dark. When you got saved, you were saved to shine. Don't hide your testi­mony. Don't be ashamed to take your Bible to work. Don't be afraid to pray over your lunch at school. If you do these things, you'll be smothering your light. Let others know that you love the Lord Jesus. There are so many in darkness, and God can use you as you courageously shine your light for everyone to see. Wherever you are, there is someone who needs the light of God. Jesus also talked of the strength of collective light. Each house in a city with its lights on cast a glow across the sky. The church is like that lighted city. As Christians come together, there is a glow for the Lord that we cannot create individually. We shine bright­est when we shine together. How: How can we shine for God? Jesus says that we are to let our lights shine before men in such a way that they will see our good works and glorify God. That's how we do it. We live for God. I believe that means we have to surrender our lives to Him completely. Christ says we are to “let” our lights shine. In other words, when you get right with God, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, He will simply shine through you. You can't help it; light just pours forth. God shining through you will be automatic, and people will be naturally attracted to the light, just as a man in darkness is drawn to a candle. Of course, there is no shining without burning. When the Lord sent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, He rested on every man's head like a flame of fire. Fire describes the man or woman completely consumed by God. Are you willing to burn for the Lord? A boy once asked his daddy, "How tall am I?" His father thought he was about four‑and‑one‑half feet. "And how tall was Jesus?" the boy asked. His father thought the Lord had probably been over five feet or possibly six feet tall. "Wow!" the boy shouted. "Then if Jesus is in me, He'll stick out!" That's exactly the truth. Jesus should be sticking out of all of us.