Let Your Light Shine

Main Text:  Matthew 5:14-16

Additional Scripture verses: Ephesians 5:15-17, Romans 12:2, Proverbs 20:7, Matthew 6:33, John 15:19

By Kemi O.

           All believers are meant to be the light of the world as Jesus has stated in Matthew 5:14.   No matter where we may find ourselves and no matter what our status in life may be, we are called to make the best use of our time for Jesus using the skills, talents, resources and spiritual gifts given to us.  We are to use them to impact the world for Christ and it begins from the community we live in, in fact, it starts from our homes, our inner circles. 

Beloved, are we letting our light shine?
Are people seeing Christ in us and thanking God for us?

If yes, praise God for you and I will encourage you to keep on shining for Him, if unsure or you believe that you are, but still require more commitment and sincerity in the things of God like me,  praise God as well, because it means that you are ready to allow the Lord to make you a vessel fit for His use in these last days.  I personally want to be an effective vessel, a useful instrument in God's hands in these end times and if you are still reading this message, I believe you want to be as well.

            Wherever the children of God are, the light of God must shine in their midst.  We are to shine in the midst of the darkness around us.  We must live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.  The bible tells us in Ephesians 5:15-17 to be careful how we live, we are not living for ourselves but living for Christ, allowing Him to manifest in our lives through our actions and words.    Verse 16 admonishes us to make the most of the time given to us, why? Because the days are evil and it’s going to continue to worsen until the Lord Jesus returns for His church.  We live in a world that persecutes believers daily, a world that does not honor and reverence the Almighty God, a world that is ready to bring follows of Jesus Christ down to their knees, causing us to compromise who we are .  The god of this world, satan is being revered and honored more than ever before in the times we live in, we see it everwhere where we go.  The society we live in has little concern for moral or ethical integrity.  They will do anything to satisfy the lusts of the flesh, their sinful desires and it’s unfortunate that many believers have fallen prey to satan's schemes every day.

            In order for our light to shine for Christ, we must be ready to face opposition, persecution from the world as we strive to maintain our moral standards, our Christian beliefs and integrity.  Jesus reminds us in John 15:18 that the world will hate us because of Him.   We are to stand firm in Christ in the midst of opposition and never compromise who we are.   Many no longer shine for Christ because they have allowed themselves to conform to the things of this ungodly world.  Definitely, this Christian journey can be quite challenging if we want to be sincere with ourselves, but one of the main things that personally keeps me going  is  my testimony ; when I reflect on what the Lord has done in   my life over the years and how He has kept and sustained me through the ups and downs, I am always strengthened and encouraged to keep running the race. 

            Beloved, we must also understand what our purpose on this earth is.  Why am I here at this moment in time, in this generation?  I know I am not here just to occupy space.  What does God want me to do for Him?  These are questions we must ask ourselves.   Getting married,  having children, obtaining a career,  getting an education, having the fine things of life are all good but after you have achieved  them all,  then WHAT?  The Lord couldn’t have created you just to acquire all these, this cannot be the reason you exist.  There is a higher calling and that calling is do the work of the MASTER. whatever it may be. It must be our highest priority in life.  Many people in the world have achieved success, wealth etc. but at the end of the day, they feel empty, no joy, no peace.  They have no peace, because they do not have the PRINCE OF PEACE who should have been at the center of their lives.  No matter the little or much we may have, the joy of the Lord should always be our strength and we should also experience His peace in our lives, even in the midst of the storms we might face.  Sisters, friends,  we have to ensure that our priorities are in order.  The Bible even reminds us in Matthew 6:33 that we should seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all these things shall be added unto us.

             Earlier I stated that in order for our light to shine for Christ, we must be ready to face opposition.  Also  probably stand alone because when you are a genuine child of God who listens only to the voice of the MASTER,  and not ready to compromise your beliefs, even those  who call themselves your brother or sister (believers) will forsake you.  There are a handful of great men and women of faith, godly people both in scripture and in our generation who have served the Lord faithfully and stood their ground in the face of opposition, temptation etc.  A few in scripture include Daniel, Joseph, Apostle Paul, Stephen, Modecai, in the case of Haman etc.  They did not compromise their beliefs and moral standards.  They were men and women of integrity.  You have some preachers today that have compromised their beliefs and standards for fame, power, money, church membership.  So sad!

            Beloved, our light must shine by maintaining the high standards that every Christian, be it man or woman has been called to uphold by God.   We serve a God of integrity.

   Anyone (believer or unbeliever) can do good works and receive praises and admiration from men; but what separates our works from that of the world is our high standards, our sincerity, our genuine interest in what we are doing, our motives.  Are we doing these wonderful things to please ourselves, others or are we doing it to please our God?  Our goods works must please and glorify the Lord.  Our standards as Christian women, godly women should be much higher than the world, because even the world holds us to a different standard.  They expect us as Christians to exhibit a godly character always.  Why do you think immediately a believer does something bad or sinful, he or she is quickly judged and shamed publicly?   We see it all the time in the media whenever a famed preacher, televangelist commits an atrocity.  We forget that our lives impact people either by drawing them to Christ or away from Him.

In our main text today, Jesus admonishes us to shine our light for all to see so that our Father in Heaven is glorified.  Sisters, our lives are not ours to be lived thoughtlessly and selfishly as it cautions us in Ephesians 5, we are to effectively manage it wisely because at the end of our lives, we are going to give account of how we use the time and life He gave us.  If you want people to see Christ in you, find something you love to do and do it well to the glory of God e.g. serving others in the area of hospitality, teaching the word of God to others, evangelism,  praying for others, singing and dancing, visiting the sick in the hospital, those in prison, utilize the spiritual gifts and resources you have been given to shine for Christ effectively.  Be women of God whom others can trust with keeping your discussions confidential, be a godly woman who encourages, intercedes for others, keeps her word, never intentionally breaking her promises,  be a godly woman, who operates with the fruit of the Spirit, a woman who sees the good in others, who does not use her mouth to destroy others (gossip, backbiting, false accusation etc.) like we see often in the church, be a godly woman whom God can boasts of as He did about Abraham,  Job and a few others and then say to you at the end of the day Well done! good and faithful servant.  Matthew 25:21.

In conclusion, I just want to encourage us today to let our light shine brightly for Christ wherever we go and in whatever we do.  Let our good deeds advertise us for the Lord; let our actions and words draw people to Christ.  Let the world be able to identify  us as  women of God, true believers , daughters of the KING without second guessing if we are genuine or not.  Let us strive to live by Christ's standard, be women of integrity and virtue Proverb 20:7.  Only then can Christ be truly manifested in and through us.

Prayer: May the Lord empower and enable us in these evil times to be the light He has called us to be, shining for Him, utilizing all that He has given us and may the name of the Lord be honored, praised and glorified in everything we do in Jesus name.  Amen.

Doing The Will of The Father

 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness........ Matthew 7:21-27 ESV

Beloved, are you doing the will of the Father in your life today? In addition to listening to the word, are you also a doer? Do you believe you are fulfilling God's plan for your life? If you have answered "Yes" to all these questions, Praise the Lord! Heaven awaits you! But if you have responded to "No" or you are not too sure about your stand with God at this moment in your life, then I will say to you, It is not too late to start right now to make amends by first of all confessing your sins before God and seeking His will for your life and how to serve Him.

It will be a disaster for anyone called by His name, sons, and daughters of the highest God, to be found wanting on that day. It will be a catastrophe if, on judgment day, we stand before the Father, and the book of life is opened, and guess what? Our names are nowhere to be found. God forbid!!! It shall not be our portion in Jesus' name.

We serve a God who not only delights in the praises of His people but also delights in our total obedience to Him. When we obey the Lord God, we show how much we honor and love Him and the incredible benefits that come with it. Many of us think we are operating in God's will, but sisters, do not be surprised that you are "NOT" because just because you are a church pastor or the Choir leader does not mean that you are in the will of God. We do things often without seeking God's will, and we also try to justify what we do, especially if it is church or ministry-related. Suppose you are sensitive to the voice of the Spirit. In that case, you will hear the Lord telling you what to do, how to go about it, and His will and purpose for you at that moment in time or season. It could be to feed the poor and homeless on the streets of Atlanta, Chicago, etc., for the next year, or go back to school to become a teacher, or sweeping the church for the next 30 days, or probably lead a bible study group in your community, etc., etc. We must be spiritually alert at all times to know God's will for our life for a particular time or season; when we do that, we will not make mistakes. Scripture tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6 that "Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. "   

True disciples follow the orders and direction of their Lord and Master, they are not just hearers of the word or instruction, but they are doers as well. We must follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ, and if you are not sure what God wants you to do or not sure if you are operating in His will, ask Him through prayer. His words tell us we should ask and receive what we ask for. Another way to know if you are walking and working in God's will is to look at the life of Jesus while He was here on earth. Study the word of God carefully and see what Jesus did. He lived a life of purpose, and He never did anything without permission and leadership from the Father. He did and said things at the right time. He did not do something when He felt like it, but according to the leading of the Father, He operated. Beloved, we are called "Christians" for a reason. In our attitudes, speech, and ways, we must be "Christ-like."  

I encourage you today to ask the Lord for wisdom; our main text states in verse 24," Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock." The wisdom from the Lord guides our steps and directs our path, not our own understanding. To bolster this, James 1:5 also states," any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. The Lord knows how crucial godly wisdom is in the life of a believer. We need it to live a satisfying and acceptable life in His sight, a life of obedience. This kind of wisdom keeps us on the right path, leading to everlasting life.

Sisters, as we approach the end of the year and look forward to a new year, 2017, let us take a moment to reflect on our spiritual life and our walk with the Lord. Are we truly walking in the will of God? It is not about engaging in every church activity, being on the board of a Christian organization, drawing crowds at conferences or crusades, speaking in diverse tongues, etc. It is about your personal relationship with the Lord, His purpose and will for your life; It is about whether you are doing what He has called you to do and how you live your life for Him. It is about being confident that if you die today, you are sure that heaven awaits you. Are you serving Him the way you should? Are you living a life that is holy and pleasing before Him? Let us use this time ( myself included) to examine ourselves and seek the Lord, and as we do this, may the Lord reveal areas in our lives where we are lacking. As He does that, may we open our hearts and surrender all to Him so He can perform the necessary healing, deliverance, and transformation we need.

Beloved, instead of the Lord saying, "Depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I do not know you, He will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into my rest."

 Merry Christmas and A Glorious New Year to you all!!!!