Author Archives: Steve

Shine! – Matthew 5:14-16, Part 3: Good Works

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Light of the World-Good Works“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, NASB).

This familiar verse is from the Sermon on the Mount. You’ve probably read it, sung about it, had it taught to you in Sunday School lessons, or had it preached to you in sermons on many occasions.

I know I have. And I’ve even expounded on it more than a few times myself in these Meditations. But in all my elucidations about being the light of the world, there’s one very important point I haven’t explained very well–how to emit light.

What do I actually do to radiate light so that people will glorify God? How do I shine?

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Because It’s the Religious Thing To Do – Matthew 3:7-10

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baptism“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come. Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for out father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:7-10, NASB).

This declaration was made by John the Baptist when the religious leaders came to be baptized by him. John warned them that they weren’t repenting and looking for a Savior as he was preaching. They didn’t think they needed saving and so they were just being baptized because it was the religious thing to do!

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How Would God Describe You? – Job 1

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Satan_Before_the_Lord_Giaquinto“Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil” (Job 1:8, NASB).

In this verse God is describing Job to Satan, showcasing him as an example of faithfulness among human beings. God repeats this same description to the devil in vs. 2:3. And, the book of Job begins with this same description: “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil” (vs. 1:1).

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Pay It Forward – Malachi 3:10

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pay-it-forward2“Bring the full tenth into the storehouse  so that there may be food in my house. ‘Test Me in this way,’ says the Lord of Hosts. See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven for you and pour out a blessing for you without measure” (Malachi 3:10, HCSB).

The prophet Malachi accuses the people of Israel of robbing God (vs. 8) because they did not pay their tithes. The tithes were used to support the priests and Levites, whose ministry was essential if Israel was to be faithful to God in its calling as His chosen people. Because their land was cursed by drought and pestilence (vs. 9,11), they felt justified not giving their tithes.

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Jesus Loves Me, This I Know – Malachi 1:2

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Jesus Loves Me kids“I have always loved you,” says the Lord” (Malachi 1:2, NLT).

Malachi wrote to the Jewish exiles that had resettled in Judah probably sometime during the reign of King Darius of Persia (521-486 BC). Malachi begins his oracle by conveying the simple truth that God has always loved Israel.

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Holy Cooking Pots – Zechariah 14:20-21

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cooking_pot“On that day even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: Holy to the Lord. And the cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar. In fact, every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. All who come to worship will be free to use any of these pots to boil their sacrifices” (Zechariah 14:20-21, NLT).

The last chapter of the book of Zechariah closes with visions of both the salvation and judgment that occurs at the coming of God’s universal Kingdom–“the day of the Lord.”

These last verses of the chapter and the book describe the pervasiveness of God’s holiness in His Kingdom. So much so that even the inscription on the harness bells of horses and the cooking pots in the Temple will be holy.

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Eternal Matters – Revelation 19:7-8

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BrideWithLongVeil&Groom“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints” (Revelation 19:7-8, ESV).

To prepare for a modern wedding, the bride-to-be starts weeks or maybe even months in advance to select a wedding dress, shoes, jewelry and other attire to wear at the wedding ceremony. Before the ceremony the bride-to-be will go to the beauty salon to have her hair done and have a facial and manicure so she can look especially beautiful for the groom at the wedding ceremony.

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For Such a Time as This – Esther 4:14

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world_in_hands“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14, ESV).

The story of Esther is set in Susa, the Persian capital, during the reign of King Xerxes (486–464 BC) after Persia had replaced Babylon as the ruling power.

Some Jews had returned to Jerusalem where they enjoyed a reasonable amount of control over their own affairs as described in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Others, like those in the story of Esther, lived in various parts of the empire where they were often treated with suspicion and recriminations.

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Blessed To Be a Blessing – Zechariah 8:23

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BeABlessing“In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you” (Zechariah 8:23, ESV).

Zechariah prophesied about a day when the Lord would restore a remnant in Israel. When the restoration takes place, Jerusalem will be a prosperous and peaceful place and will be known by its faithfulness to God.

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