Let Your Light Shine

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.” Matt. 5:16 






Many of us read that verse and zero in on “good works.” We want to see “good works” from them (the holier than thou people) but a studious breakdown of the verse reveals much more.

A Christian’s Perspective on Christmas

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is GIVEN (John 3:16); and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

And Micah 5:2 says, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.”

Water for the Thirsty

In my morning email of devotions, I received this from out of the Spurgeon Library...
"I will pour water upon him that is thirsty." Isaiah 44:3

The rule of establishing “context” compels me to read surrounding text, passages, and/or the entire chapter (at least). This is what verses 1-6 say...

G O D

The WHOLE Bible is about GOD! Many, many Christians, down through time, have become “Jesus” worshippers to the exclusion of God the Father, especially during and after the “hippie” era. I lived through it. Some would say, “Yes, but they generated interest in Jesus.” Yes they did... some good, but a lot bad. Bad because it was from a wrong perspective and motive. The “Jesus” movement took away from God. But that’s another sermon.

How Many Gospels?

"Strong objection is offered by Covenant theologians to a distinction between the gospel of the kingdom as preached by John the Baptist, Christ, and the other disciples and the gospel of the grace of God. One of them states that to make such a distinction is “unfortunate” and “dangerous.” He with others contends that the kingdom gospel is identical with the gospel of divine grace. Here nevertheless will arise an absurdity which does not deter this type of theologian, namely, that men could preach the grace gospel based as it is on the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ when they did not believe Christ would die or be raised again (cf. Luke 18:31-34)." ~Lewis Sperry Chafer, founder and first president of Dallas Theological Seminary 

Crucify Him

John 19... Jesus has been arrested by the Pharisees and chief priests and is brought before Pilate, who interrogates Him. He, Pilate goes out to the crowd to tell them that he finds no fault in Jesus for anything, but he says in 18:39, “you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 But they all cried out, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Barabbas was a notorious insurrectionist and murderer no doubt awaiting death himself. So reluctantly, Pilate releases Barabbas and brings Jesus back inside, and had the soldiers scourge Him, and punch Him, and mock Him with the crown of thorns.

Humility and Love

Lamentations 3:22-23 says, The steadfast love of the LORD (Jehovah) never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

In the four Gospels we read the accounts of the life and death of Jesus (Jehovah incarnate). There is an infinite volume of truth about Jesus’ life, His birth, His death, His purpose(s), His words, His miracles, His righteousness, His divinity, His judgments, His sorrows, His joy, etc., which we will not fully comprehend in this life.

THE SALVATION OF THE LORD

"Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord."-Exodus 14:13

Most all of us know the story of Moses and the Israelites at the Red Sea. 

With the whole army of pharaoh pursuing them, and their backs to the Red Sea, God parted the waters so that they crossed on DRY land. But later, when all the Israelites were SAFE across, the waters came back and utterly destroyed pharaoh’s army.

“So the Lord SAVED Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw THE GREAT WORK which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.” -Exodus 14:30-31

UN-BELIEF AND FALSE BELIEFS

There is a sin of unbelief.
Paul, speaking to the Jews in Heb. 3:12 said, "Take heed, brethren (Jews), lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God". It is indeed an evil heart which refuses the Truth and Promises of God.