Good morning everyone, from Hawaii and to the far reaches of the world. My nurse Lonny came over Friday morning and changed my dressing for this pick-line that is a valve and the needle that is stabilized in my arm so I can give myself the IV’s plus a bunch of other syringes full of saline, and a non clot drug called Heparin, which keeps the line, or tube open. My temperature was normal for the first time, in about six months, and my blood pressure looks good, so I want to thank the church and all of the Body of Christ that can here me or read this message for all your prayers and comfort. So let us praise the Lord and tell Him we Love Him. We all have to keep positive on all areas of our life. Christ is in us, and the Holy Spirit is guiding me right now, of course I am not supposed to be working, I am supposed to be laying down, but how can you lay down on God, and the rest of the world to evangelize, preach the Word, and to share the works of God and our friend and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Dear Heavenly Father, How can we thank you enough for another great day, a day of sharing love, the Word, and your teaching. I again don’t know what you want to teach us today so I am just going to let the Holy Spirit guide us, we want to worship you in spirit and in truth, so how can we go wrong if we let the Spirit of the Living God direct us today. We all love you beyond all that we think and see and hear we want to praise you and stand up and cheer for your Glory. You are our god help us this fine day Father, have your righteous right hand come down to this church and bless us with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Please anoint us all, throughout the world. You are our God and we cherish you, and we want to all be closer, and to be more like your Son Jesus day by day, please give us the strength and power from within, so we can continue to be good and faithful servants. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen, and again Amen.
Let us start with opening up our bibles to the book of Matthew - 5:14
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
When Jesus says we are the light of the world, the way I look at it each man is let’s say a candle, and before we are saved we are just a candle not giving off any light. And once we become saved the Holy Spirit comes down and lights us up, and as we grow in Christ we give off more and more light day by day. Now each man or women gives off a different illumination, according to there character and there fruit. And each candle has a different flicker and radiance. The thing is if we are not saved then we can be put on a hill and still be in darkness. We could gather a group of candles that also think they are Christians but are not, and all you see is darkness. I can see it plainly when a person is truly giving off light or darkness. I have seen it in other places and in other churches. I can walk down the street, into stores, into other churches, and see more and more unlit candles. The spark is just not there, but to me God has given me the discernment to see, light and darkness almost on contact. But what is a man supposed to do , we are supposed to follow the Lords words to edify and to somehow lead them closer the our awesome Lord so they become full of glow, so the candles get lit and shines up the whole hill.
Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that it was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. Gen.1:3-4
Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD. Psalm 89:15
Light shines on the godly, and joy on those who do right. Psalm 97:11
There is also maintenance an growth, studying the word, building the relationship with Christ so we have to maintain a clean wick, and we have to also watch our overflow of the wax dripping down, which in my interpretation, would be our words that we have said, and how we react to trials and tribulations, and how we treat others with love or just caring about ourselves. We can’t let our wax running all over the place, we should be burning with balance, you notice that some candles burn quite differently, some don’t burn straight some run down one side and some burn very fast. Each candle has a different essence but with Christ he is the fullness that makes us complete and sincere. In other words we don’t burn on our own merits; it is Christ that keeps us lit. And sin will turn down our flame; also our light is hidden if we don’t speak up for ourselves, or just going along with the crowd. There are so many aspects to a candle, and what do you see when you open a draw and see a candle rolling around not being used. It is an analogy reminder that there are the people that we are neglecting or not helping, forgetting about, and not praying for. We must also continue to explain our light to others, to draw on Christ, His power, and His love, to keep us burning for Him, and to shed and pass on the true light for others.
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.Psalm 119:105
The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the sinner's light is snuffed out. Prov. 13:9
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Rom. 12:2
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you." Eph 5:8-14
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Phil 2:3-4
Each candle has a different light, and needs a different care and love, each candle is set on a different hill, with different winds to fight to stay lit, and some are fighting each in there own way to just stay lit. Some of their bodies are melting away, and it is our job as the church to share our wax with others and to replenish the Body, of each and every soul to stay lit through this dark and drifting windy world. We are to keep the wick clean and to stand tall so the flame burns bright, and continues to stay with full glow.
As you have noticed in this world there are many colors and sizes and shapes of different candles, they all need different care and tending to. In many different ways we must all stick and stay and group together to form a great light, to be that city on a hill, did you ever see a large amount of candles or light on top of great hill in the mountains standing out, it is such a beautiful sight. The light shines over all the darkness of the rest of the forest and valleys. And each city is burning and flickering and illuminating in a different way. With out sharing and caring and love for each other you might find that one particular farm house standing alone, and the light that illuminates from it is very dim.
So there are candles out there burning all alone, and those are the ones that need more light to see and maintain the truth. They need more light to come to them to edify strengthen, and express the power of God to stay lit in this changing world. It is the ones that are alone that are very vulnerable for that gust of wind from evil, can very easily put out the flame without let us say “fellowship” of other candles of light, or that lonely candle may live in darkness forever. And it is our job to find the lonely burning candles and bring more light and hope to sustain there victory through this fallen world.
for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:4-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 1Cor. 1:3-6
I wonder why can’t we group together as one light, the Body of Christ, being able to keep those single ones that are melting away, some of the candles the wicks are broken and need to be repaired through compassion of others, some need to be reshaped and some need more candles surrounding them, unity is strength, without a full body how can we function.
so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1Cor. 25-27
There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.Eph4:4-6
I find myself many a time, even though Christ dwells in me, my flame has become very dim, and I can feel the wind of evil trying to put me out. But the balance through Christ has made me sustain the gushes of wind, and I am still lit, the affliction has dimmed me, but I am a fighter. And I am going to achieve the brightness once again.
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:12-14 NASB
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Tim 4:7-8
It amazes me that people in this world don’t even see the light that is in me, “the Christ” and the struggles that we all have to go through just to keep ourselves lit. Spiritual warfare has become so intense lately, and it is so hidden and so discreet and subtle. Know one knows each and every story of each candles life, and what they had to go through just to stay partially lit. That is another answer to having fellowship, to be able to express to each other there ups and downs of each of their individual lives, and testimonies, you always feel better when you are able to talk to someone.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col. 3:12-17
Also we have the candles that shed a great light that it is too bright; it doesn’t illuminate anything but themselves. Let us use this analogy of a lighthouse, that brings light to a whole harbor, but doesn’t put any light upon the base, or let us say there own home. It is so preoccupied that they want to shed this great light out to everyone else to see, but forgetting there own home, their family, friends, and the Body of Christ. The lighthouse stands tall and erect but does nothing for the rest of the body below. I have seen many stone built lighthouses.
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 2 Tim. 3:2-5
As time goes on all I see more and more divisions of light, and less love, and consideration, sympathy, concern, and kindness, and our hearts break just trying to fulfill the emptiness of these unlit candles. Some day when this church mission is built downtown, there will be a light always burning in it for all. That is our purpose, dream and destiny to help others, to keep the candles of the soul burning. Or to re-light broken candles or to light candles that have never been lit before, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Did I not weep for those in trouble? Was I not deeply grieved for the needy? So I looked for good, but evil came instead. I waited for the light, but darkness fell. My heart is troubled and restless. Days of affliction have come upon me. Job 30:25-27
He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn't make. Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:3-5
For this is as the Lord commanded us when he said, `I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth. Acts 13:47
I have walked many a mile through deserts, swamps, valleys, wide open fields, plateaus, mountains, lakes, oceans, rivers, steams, and a lot of dark cities. I do have a lot to share and have gone through a lot of experiences of true life, with all the different people that live in all these areas, but if no one can see the light of God within me, or cannot see deep within my heart, how can I share my experiences with what God wanted me to learn through the Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 1Cor. 2:11-13
As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit just as it has taught you, remain in him. 1John 2:27
We all chose different roads to travel on, but we are all looking for that great light into heaven. Christ is our light, Christ is our truth, and Christ is our all, in all.
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance he has given to his people. Eph. 1:18
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.1Pet. 2:9
This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. John 1:5
Dear Heavenly Father thank-you for this wonderful day, Thank-you for giving us your Word and being to the point, but keeping it simple, and giving us the bread of life we all needed. Thank-you O’Lord, so much for keeping us at "one" with your Son, We all love you, and we will continue to worship and praise your name this whole week, please help us to be better Christians this week, please keep the Holy Spirit with us to guide us, and Lord please keep directing our paths, and decisions. We hold the church up to you Father, In Jesus Name, Amen and Amen.
