🌥️Light That Shines🌤️

Darkness only leaves when the light is turned on.

I am a flashlight person. I carry one with me at all times. Over the years flashlights have gotten smaller and brighter. I have one now that is my favorite. It was given to me as a gift from my grandson and his fiancèe. It is a square one with magnets and it also has a red light if I need infrared. Now here is the coolest thing. Not only is it bright but just the other day I found out that if I hold the switch down it will become super bright and hold its brightness for maybe a minute. Is that not cool! When I can’t see what I would like too, I whip out my flashlight and put some light on the subject. Just the other day I was reading Genesis chapter one which I have read many times. Well I had missed or not been paying attention to what I was reading when the Lord showed me something of great importance. In verse one we read in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Then in verse two we read that the earth was without form and void and there was darkness. Then comes the flashlight of verse three.  

Genesis 1:3 (KJV) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. This is the first Mention of light

Light  is what Jesus said He was.

John 8:12 (KJV) Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

In order to see one needs light. One afternoon I opened the door to our sanctuary and it was dark. To get the lights on I would have to go to another place. I was just making myself a short cut to get to another hallway. I then had this thought, it seemed good at the time. I told myself you don’t need any light you have been in this room 100”s of times you know the way so go for it. I did, door shuts, darkness covers the room and I’m on my way; the smart thing to have done would have used  my flashlight. All was fine until I stumbled over something and almost failed flat on my face. Someone was getting ready for something and had a pile of whatever in my pathway. It never should have been there in the first place or should it? You see I blamed the problem on someone else for my near fall. Was that the real problem? NO! The real problem was me. I should have turned on the lights or used my flashlight which would have prevented my near killer fall. That is what God was telling us in Genesis one verse three: let's turn on the lights so we can see. Just like I did many are doing today, they are running here and there doing this and that stumbling over this and that never stopping to think about turning on Jesus the light of this world. 

John 9:5 (KJV) As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Oh no there is the problem, we are too busy turning off the lights when we should be turning them on.  

In the book of Matthew Chapter 4 verse 16 we read the word light for the first time in the NT.

Matthew 4:16 (KJV) The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

Notice where the people were seating”in darkness” what did they need “great light” How are the people going to see a great light? 

By Preaching:

Matthew 4:17 (KJV) From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

1 Corinthians 1:21 (KJV) For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Who needs this Preaching?

People In Darkness:

“The people which sat in darkness ”

Then in Matthew 4:18 Jesus started calling men to Preach and Teach the Gospel. Men who knew nothing about PREACHING! Isn't  it great that Jesus sees things in us that we don’t see in ourselves.

Jesus didn’t leave it up to them:

Matthew 4:19 (KJV) And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Not Men, not Schools, not Colleges but Jesus said I will Make you, not you make you. When Peter and Andrew understood and believed they followed Matthew 4:20 (KJV) And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

 Matthew 5:2 (KJV) And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

He taught them never to forget:

Matthew 5:13 (KJV) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

But they weren’t just salt they were to be light.

Matthew 5:14 (KJV) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Ye are to be Light that shines out not hid.

Matthew 5:15 (KJV) 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. So are we today to be lights that are seen and not hidden because no one can see that which is hidden. If mine and your life are to have an affect on others then it is a must that we let our light shine for Jesus.