Praise & Pray

Revelation 21:23 - The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

This verse provides a wonderful description of the relationship between the Lord and His Son. While on earth, Jesus put God on display, consistently doing and saying things that reminded people of the Lord's greatness in an intimate way. He was the lamp that shone the light of God into the darkness of the world.

All the prophets before Him had done much of the same. Remember how Elijah healed Naaman of leprosy? The Syrian war commander was humbled and healed of his pride and stubbornness. He was so changed by God's healing mercy that he committed his life to God on the spot. He'd seen the light of the Lord.

The apostles and other servants who spread the gospel also did the same thing. They went about preaching and displaying God's power in places that had never experienced Him that way. When Philip proclaimed the gospel in Samaria, the people believed in Jesus, including Simon the Sorcerer, a man who'd controlled the populace with sorcery (Acts 8:9-13).

Similarly, the proconsul of Paphos, a Roman, came to believe in God and Jesus after watching Paul temporarily blind another sorcerer known as Bar Jesus or Elymas (Acts 13:6-12). Through the name of Jesus, Paul shone the light of God brightly, and many turned to the Lord.

This is the pattern believers in Christ are to follow. We, too, are to act as lamps that shine the light of God across the land. We achieve this goal by submitting our actions and our words to the Word and by letting God's Spirit have His way in our lives. Our thoughts are equally crucial because what we think becomes what we say and do. After all, as a man thinketh, so he is (Proverbs 23:7)

We therefore must put God's Word into practice and not ignore what is in the Bible. When we do this, intentional sin diminishes, and we will stop lying, stealing, and practicing idolatry, to name but a few things. We'll submit to God's grace and let it change us. Soon, we will start to fast according to scripture, all while we increasingly show compassion and love to others, just as Jesus taught with the Royal Law.

It is also crucial to apply Mark 12:29-30 - “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. /Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ This means loving the Lord by obeying His commands.

God has empowered us to do these things and much more as His children. All it takes is the choice to live for the Lord. He knows we'll mess up because you're human. However, as long as we repent, change our ways, and keep trusting Him to help, He will lift us when we stumble, so continue walking the journey of life with Him.

And with each passing day, the transformations He makes in us will shine the light of God upon the world, just as Jesus did. May the good Lord help us to honor His word with zeal. May we each choose to obey Him and be like Jesus, a lamp shining God's light wherever we go. IJMN Amen.

As you wait for fellowship at 12 Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:

1. Stubbornness

2. Pay your 'taxes'

3. Standing in the way

4. Don't Cause Others To Sin

5. Exploring the Role of the Five-Fold Ministry in the Christian Faith: How Do You Fit In? (The Five-fold Ministry 1)

6. Unveiling the Crucial Role of the Five-Fold Ministry: How Do You Contribute to the Body of Christ (The Five-fold Ministry 2)

7. Embracing the Five-Fold Ministry: Unlocking Personal Benefits of Serving God (The Five-fold Ministry 3)

8. Wear Your Kingdom Identity

9. Practical Ways To Wear Your Kingdom Identity

10. Have You Changed?

11. A Proud Father

12. Put God's Concerns First