“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). Each day we who are true Christians make a choice between surrendering our own will to serve the kingdom of heaven or obliviously fulfill the desires of our flesh and those of spirit of this world. However, Jesus tells us plainly that we are the light of this world and therefore must let our light shine as a beacon to this dying world. My personal failures are plentiful as countless hours and days I have wasted as I unconsciously have failed to maintain my focus on the Lord. I wonder how many lost souls around me each day were a missed opportunity to share the gospel due to distractions. My true prayer is to fulfill my calling as a servant of heaven and continuously have compassion on those lost around me all day - every day. I fully understand what Paul meant when he said, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do” (Romans 7:15). Is this the same for you? Are we as brothers and sisters wasting opportunities to fulfill our calling?
Hence, it is for this reason daily fellowship is so very important as it helps to fan the spiritual flames of love, compassion, and servanthood within each one of us as children of God in one body, the Church! Regrettably, instead many avoid daily fellowship because it cramps their style when trying to fit into this world. Worse yet, far too many who claim to be Christians spend needless time believing they are better than the other so-called Christians from the many other “local churches” because they practice and teach doctrines foreign to their own. Week after week, they apply an “us against them” mentality concerning beliefs, traditions, and practices arguing why they are right or others are wrong. Jesus said that the world would know we are Christians and brethren by our love for one another. This is just the opposite of what the world sees in modern Christian Religious institutions calling themselves the local church. Our Lord said, “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35). It is no wonder the world has turned its back on the gospel. “If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well” (1 John 4:20-21).
We who are true Christians must lay down our differences and unite in love to serve the kingdom of heaven as ONE. Only then will the world recognize the differences between them and us. Then, as one body, we can be a great shining light upon the hill and in unity spread the good news of the gospel to all mankind. Regrettably, many who do set out to share the gospel to others do so in the same way as any unbeliever in this world would. Some seek to attract potential converts through slick or catchy techniques to draw them into a conversation. Others seek to create well thought out dialogues to win over the lost through an intellectual exchange. While still others will simply tell unbelievers what they want to hear until they establish enough of a rapport to finally lay the gospel on them in hopes they will believe in it. None of those things is what will draw in those who the Father is calling; it is the light of the Lord shining through us. Moreover, whom do we think we are to know the words the Spirit intends to speak to anyone else? Paul said to those he preached the gospel to, “I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
Many times I have heard people say, “I have to practice, prepare, and memorize scripture to be ready to share the gospel with others.” To me this is absolute foolishness, as it is the Lords work not ours. We do not know what to say and to try to make the gospel make sense to those who are perishing is impossible. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). Therefore, just let the light of the Lord shine through you and trust in Him to do His perfect work with you! Walk by faith and not by sight trusting in God to guide and use you as He sees fit.
Hence, it is for this reason daily fellowship is so very important as it helps to fan the spiritual flames of love, compassion, and servanthood within each one of us as children of God in one body, the Church! Regrettably, instead many avoid daily fellowship because it cramps their style when trying to fit into this world. Worse yet, far too many who claim to be Christians spend needless time believing they are better than the other so-called Christians from the many other “local churches” because they practice and teach doctrines foreign to their own. Week after week, they apply an “us against them” mentality concerning beliefs, traditions, and practices arguing why they are right or others are wrong. Jesus said that the world would know we are Christians and brethren by our love for one another. This is just the opposite of what the world sees in modern Christian Religious institutions calling themselves the local church. Our Lord said, “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35). It is no wonder the world has turned its back on the gospel. “If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well” (1 John 4:20-21).
We who are true Christians must lay down our differences and unite in love to serve the kingdom of heaven as ONE. Only then will the world recognize the differences between them and us. Then, as one body, we can be a great shining light upon the hill and in unity spread the good news of the gospel to all mankind. Regrettably, many who do set out to share the gospel to others do so in the same way as any unbeliever in this world would. Some seek to attract potential converts through slick or catchy techniques to draw them into a conversation. Others seek to create well thought out dialogues to win over the lost through an intellectual exchange. While still others will simply tell unbelievers what they want to hear until they establish enough of a rapport to finally lay the gospel on them in hopes they will believe in it. None of those things is what will draw in those who the Father is calling; it is the light of the Lord shining through us. Moreover, whom do we think we are to know the words the Spirit intends to speak to anyone else? Paul said to those he preached the gospel to, “I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
Many times I have heard people say, “I have to practice, prepare, and memorize scripture to be ready to share the gospel with others.” To me this is absolute foolishness, as it is the Lords work not ours. We do not know what to say and to try to make the gospel make sense to those who are perishing is impossible. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). Therefore, just let the light of the Lord shine through you and trust in Him to do His perfect work with you! Walk by faith and not by sight trusting in God to guide and use you as He sees fit.
