“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Mt. 5:16
We are not just to let our light shine, but “let your light SO shine.” The word “so” means to a certain degree or impact. This means your light is supposed to shine bright enough to be an attraction. Not an attraction to yourself, but to the Father.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Mt. 5:16
Good works is not the light. The Spirit of God in you is.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Mt. 5:16
Light doesn’t make noise or talk, it shines.
“And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,” Hag. 1:14
No work is a true work of God unless it is stirred up by the Holy Spirit.
“The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” Zeph. 3:13
Remnant believers love the word of God. Once they feed on it and receive from it, they have rest, even in the midst of a busy day. And no devil in hell can make them afraid.
“For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Lk. 1:37
God may call Christians to a work that requires a lot of money and man power. When I would see these, what we call ministries, struggle for money and man power, I was quick to make a judgment and say in my heart, “That’s what they get for starting something God isn’t in.” But I have another thought about it. Maybe some of these huge works, impossible works for man to do, were ordered of God, but those who started out in obedience and trust in God, have lost their trust in God and took matters into their own hands. Therefore it leaves them with a work that is impossible for them to do. Nothing is impossible if God is in it. Let’s trust God in all the work He gives us to do.
“And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.” Acts 18:26
I am the first to admit that the way we do church is the way we have been taught. Church all over the world is done in a traditional way. God is not against tradition; only when it forbids the Spirit to have His way. It could be that our way of doing church is so rooted in us that we have a built in resistance to the Spirit and don’t know it. It could also be that the way of doing church doesn’t keep the Spirit from moving, but the hearts of the people do. It may be that you are satisfied with the way church is done. So with that said, I pray; God teach us Your way more perfectly.
“Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?” I Cor. 6:7
It is far better to be right with God than to obtain your rights.
“And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.†Jn. 5:38-39
You must not love what you know, but love Who you know.
“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” Gal. 5:4
One reason some Christians who are backsliding will gravitate toward legalism is because it preoccupies and soothes their conscience so they don’t see they are subtly falling from grace.
