Tag: Darkness

Posted on

Less of You?

MARCH 24

MATTHEW 5:24_first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Nothing in this life is worth the bondage of the spirits of darkness. Spiritual bondage is void of light – a place of deep darkness. It thrives on anger, bitterness, hate, and unforgiveness. Spiritual bondage weakens the soul and brings it into despair. Again, nothing in life is worth allowing your spirit, heart, and soul to be in bondage.

Be reconciled. Come in freedom, and offer your gift. God receives your gift with joy and blesses you. As you grow physically and spiritually, your gift will grow, shining in your countenance and in your life. It will cause you to gain wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Your light will bless all who cross your path – “all that are in the house.”

God possesses the greatest treasure – love. He bestows love upon you – which flows to other people. The more you love God, the more you’ll find you have the ability to love people. The more you love God, the more you’ll find self-sacrifice becomes a byproduct of your life – because you learn to love others more than yourself.

Do you want your life to be more of Jesus, and less of you?

PRAYER

God of Love, I want who You are to shine in my life. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ loves me—He wants me to love His people!

Posted on

Everyone Has It!

MARCH 2

MATTHEW 5:19_and shall teach men so…

Jesus teaches something worse than to break even the least commandment – teach others to do the same. You can directly teach someone, or you can teach by influence. The power of influence is tremendous – and everyone has it!

You can’t keep commandments and make wise decisions in your own strength. When it comes to sin there is a one-size-fits-all consequence – eternal separation from God. Romans 3:23 (KJV) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” James 2:10 (KJV) “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” God’s compassion and forgiveness make a way to fix that. You need Jesus!

A hypocrite is a professing Christian who lives contrary (including influence) to the principles and teachings of the Bible. In other words, to be a Christian who is void of salt and light. The hypocrite will not cause anyone to thirst for truth – salt contaminated by the lures of the world and lost savor. No weary traveler will find the path to freedom through the darkness of a hypocrite.

You may not believe you are accountable for your influence. If someone makes a poor decision because of your influence, it is no different from your direct teaching. Everyone is responsible for their decisions – they can’t blame anyone else. But you are accountable for your contributing influence. And this is Jesus who says there will be a consequence. Your call to be salt and light includes your influence. Contribute a salty-lit-up influence!

To really know Jesus is to know He is not about judgment and punishment. Jesus is the very embodiment of love, mercy, and grace. But it is also Jesus who warns there are consequences in life. This is why He draws attention to the importance of living in accordance with the commandments.

Just as the laws of the land, God’s laws are for your safety and protection. 

PRAYER

Precious Jesus, I want my life to be salt and light to those thirsty and in darkness. I want this to be true in whatever You call me to do in life. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ is mercy and grace—I want to live like that!

Posted on

A Two Way Street

FEBRUARY 17

MATTHEW 5:16_Let your light shine before men…

The saltier a disciple, the greater your love.

The greater your love, the more darkness you see.

The more darkness, the greater your desire to overcome it.

The greater your desire to overcome darkness, the more you want to shine your light.

The more your light shines, the more you desire a larger candle.

Waiting on God is never easy. He, alone, knows the beginning and the end. His timing is perfect. Sometimes God’s calling may seem impossible. But that’s exactly who He is – The God of the Impossible. You will never know the impossibilities God can conquer if you’ve never faced any.

As you wait, focus on the job at hand – let your light so shine before men. Your job is to shine for the people God has placed around you … at home, school, work, church, organizations, and community.

Shining your light is a two way street. All those people mentioned need your light and you need theirs. There is no happenstance as to who the people are in your life – God put you together for a purpose.

When God lights your candle – let it shine!

   PRAYER

Dear God, Thank you for all the people You designed for my life. Help me grow from the light they give and help me give them light. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                    

Christ lights me from others—He lights them from me!

Posted on

The Larger Candle

FEBRUARY 16

MATTHEW 5:15_and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Jesus’ teaching on light is a high point of God’s plan. Your light is not lit just to dispel your own darkness, but possesses the power to give light to all that are in the house! God determines how far reaching the house (where you will serve God) is. Your light is set on the candlestick to achieve a God-designed purpose.

Life is like candles. A small candle works well in a small room. When you move to a larger room you need to place a larger candle on a larger candlestick. With your small candle in hand you enter the larger room, the flame of the small candle lights the wick of the larger candle. This procession continues throughout life.

The more your light is used to give love to the loveless, hope to the hopeless, and burn the cords of bondage, the larger a candle you will need. Just as you grow physically from an infant to an adult, so you grow spiritually.

It can never be overemphasized that the time tables of life belong to God. He determines when to light the larger candle.

  PRAYER

Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving me the house You want me to light. Help me find it and light it for Your glory. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                              

Christ sees my flame—He will light a larger candle!

Posted on

A Call in Your Heart

 FEBRUARY 15

MATTHEW 5:15_ but on a candlestick…

The proper place for the candle to do its job is on the candlestick. One more time – the purpose of light is to dispel and overcome darkness. 

The one who lit the candle did it because there was darkness – light was needed. The one who lit the candle sets it on a candlestick. It is Jesus who says, “Ye are the light of the world.“ It is Jesus who lights your candle. The Holy Spirit has placed a call in your heart. You either accept the call to be Jesus’ light, or run from it. You’re either shining or hiding. You have the freedom to choose. 

You may believe you light your own candle by  good works, or regular church attendance. Those should be the results of your shining light. If you concentrate more on being good than being in relationship with Jesus, you may shine the wrong light – for your glory.

Like light, you have a purpose. Your purpose is God’s amazing plan for your life. He created a plan for you before you were born. You were born to achieve that plan. Jesus gives you what you need to achieve your plan. Jesus calls you to fulfill it.

It is Jesus who lights your candle. It is Jesus who sets your candle on the candlestick. It is Jesus who brings the two together. 

PRAYER

Jesus Messiah, Praise You for giving me a purpose in life! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.              

Christ is a candlestick—He wants my light on it!