Thoughts and Teachings
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Where is Your Light?
Matthew 5:15: “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.”
Mark 4:21: “And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?”
Luke 8:16: “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.”
The preceding verses of Scripture teach a single concept. This concept was presented by Jesus Christ to the Jews. I am all for keeping Scripture in its proper context, so let me say it again: The parable of the lighted candle was given by Jesus Christ to the Jews. They were God’s chosen people, and Jesus even referred to them as “the light of the world.”
Matthew 5:14: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”
To be sure that you understand that Jesus was speaking to the Jews, let me skip forward in this sermon given by Jesus Christ.
Matthew 6:31-32: “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”
In the preceding passage, Jesus referred to another group of people, the Gentiles (non-Jews). He spoke of them because they were not present for His sermon, since Jesus presented Himself only to the Jews during His earthly ministry.
Matthew 15:24: “But he (Jesus) answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Jews).”
So what is the point of all of this? I am not going to be one of those “Christians” who thinks that everything stated in the Bible was directed at me. Plenty of people do that, and that is the source of a lot of confusion and bad doctrine. However, I know that while most Scripture does not apply to believers in the age of grace, all Scripture was recorded for the benefit of all believers.
2nd Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Romans 15:4: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
This brings me to today’s lesson. Even though Jesus Christ gave the parable of the lighted candle to the Jews, and even though the Jews were referred to as “the light of the world”, there is wisdom to be found in this parable by believers in the age of grace. Let me show you what it is.
John 1:6-9: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (John the Baptist). The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”
Who was this “Light” that John was telling people about?
Acts 19:4: “Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance (a change of mind), saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
Jesus Christ was the Light. And what did Jesus say about light?
Luke 8:16: “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.”
Have you been saved? If you have been saved, it was because you believed on Jesus Christ. If you have believed on Jesus Christ, then you have His Holy Spirit living inside of you. That means that you have Light. So what are you doing with that Light? Do you leave it in your bedroom? Do you leave it in the closet? Do you take it with you wherever you go? Or are you afraid of what other people will think when they see the Light? Do the cares of this world come in like the wind, trying to blow out the Light on your candle?
2nd Peter 3:10-11: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,”
Everything here is going to pass away. Worldly distractions will be burned. The opinions of people will vanish into oblivion. The only reason that you will be spared is because of that Light of yours. That Light doesn’t seem so insignificant now, does it? You may not want much to do with that Light currently, but someday you’re going to be very happy that you have it. So what are you going to do with your Light? Are you going to hide it? Or are you going to let other people see it? Light is a wonderful thing. Without Light, there is only darkness. Without Light, people stay lost, and religious heresies prevail. Spread the truth about Jesus Christ. Shed some Light on the world. Help the lost become found, and expose the darkness of religion.
Mark 4:21: “And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?”
Luke 8:16: “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.”
The preceding verses of Scripture teach a single concept. This concept was presented by Jesus Christ to the Jews. I am all for keeping Scripture in its proper context, so let me say it again: The parable of the lighted candle was given by Jesus Christ to the Jews. They were God’s chosen people, and Jesus even referred to them as “the light of the world.”
Matthew 5:14: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”
To be sure that you understand that Jesus was speaking to the Jews, let me skip forward in this sermon given by Jesus Christ.
Matthew 6:31-32: “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”
In the preceding passage, Jesus referred to another group of people, the Gentiles (non-Jews). He spoke of them because they were not present for His sermon, since Jesus presented Himself only to the Jews during His earthly ministry.
Matthew 15:24: “But he (Jesus) answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Jews).”
So what is the point of all of this? I am not going to be one of those “Christians” who thinks that everything stated in the Bible was directed at me. Plenty of people do that, and that is the source of a lot of confusion and bad doctrine. However, I know that while most Scripture does not apply to believers in the age of grace, all Scripture was recorded for the benefit of all believers.
2nd Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Romans 15:4: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
This brings me to today’s lesson. Even though Jesus Christ gave the parable of the lighted candle to the Jews, and even though the Jews were referred to as “the light of the world”, there is wisdom to be found in this parable by believers in the age of grace. Let me show you what it is.
John 1:6-9: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (John the Baptist). The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”
Who was this “Light” that John was telling people about?
Acts 19:4: “Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance (a change of mind), saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
Jesus Christ was the Light. And what did Jesus say about light?
Luke 8:16: “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.”
Have you been saved? If you have been saved, it was because you believed on Jesus Christ. If you have believed on Jesus Christ, then you have His Holy Spirit living inside of you. That means that you have Light. So what are you doing with that Light? Do you leave it in your bedroom? Do you leave it in the closet? Do you take it with you wherever you go? Or are you afraid of what other people will think when they see the Light? Do the cares of this world come in like the wind, trying to blow out the Light on your candle?
2nd Peter 3:10-11: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,”
Everything here is going to pass away. Worldly distractions will be burned. The opinions of people will vanish into oblivion. The only reason that you will be spared is because of that Light of yours. That Light doesn’t seem so insignificant now, does it? You may not want much to do with that Light currently, but someday you’re going to be very happy that you have it. So what are you going to do with your Light? Are you going to hide it? Or are you going to let other people see it? Light is a wonderful thing. Without Light, there is only darkness. Without Light, people stay lost, and religious heresies prevail. Spread the truth about Jesus Christ. Shed some Light on the world. Help the lost become found, and expose the darkness of religion.
Martha and Mary
Luke 10:38-42: “Now it came to pass, as they (Jesus Christ and His disciples) went, that he (Jesus) entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
A woman named Martha invited Jesus Christ into her house. Martha had a sister named Mary. Mary sat down and listened to what Jesus had to tell her, while Martha was busy serving. We aren’t told what this “serving” involved, but I believe it to mean that Martha was in the kitchen preparing food. She was probably putting something together for her guest and/or the others in her household. Martha became bothered by the fact that while she was in the other room doing all of the work, Mary was simply sitting down and listening to Jesus. Martha came to Jesus and requested that He tell Mary to get up and help. Jesus did not do as He was asked. Instead, Jesus offered Martha the following response:
“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Martha was concerned with her duties to serve her guest and those in the household. Jesus noted that Martha was “careful and troubled about many things”. There are things in life that are necessary. We have to have jobs. We have to make time to eat. We have to take time to sleep. There are other things we do in life that are not necessary. These things may be hobbies or simple distractions from life. Sometimes we make priorities out of the wrong things, whether those things are necessary or not. While Martha was tied up with her work in the kitchen, Mary had abandoned her duties because she had recognized that there was a more important matter to tend to. Jesus did not seem to think that being served was all that important during His visit to Martha’s house. Instead, Jesus said that “one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part”.
Can you imagine having Jesus Christ in your house? This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for these two women. How did they respond? Martha left her guest in order to tend to other things. Mary planted herself next to Jesus and heard what He had to say.
Have you been saved? If not, then “one thing is needful” for you to do. Believe on Jesus Christ and be saved.
Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
If you have already been saved, then let me ask you some questions: Are you making time for God? Do you ever read the Bible? Do you ever pray? Do you ever tell others about Jesus? Or are you too busy being “careful and troubled about many things”? Mary chose the “good part”. What do you choose? Do you spend more time on Facebook than you do on the “good part”? Do you spend more time watching TV than you do on the “good part”? Do you spend more time on sports scores, gossip, and self image than you do on the “good part”? Do you spend more time on worldly distractions, whatever they may be, than on the “good part”? Remember, Jesus made time for you.
Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Don’t forget about the “good part”. We can spend all of our time on the temporary distractions of this world, or we can recognize what is truly important. And don't be so caught up in everyday life that you miss an opportunity to do something for God. Don’t be a Martha. Be a Mary.
A woman named Martha invited Jesus Christ into her house. Martha had a sister named Mary. Mary sat down and listened to what Jesus had to tell her, while Martha was busy serving. We aren’t told what this “serving” involved, but I believe it to mean that Martha was in the kitchen preparing food. She was probably putting something together for her guest and/or the others in her household. Martha became bothered by the fact that while she was in the other room doing all of the work, Mary was simply sitting down and listening to Jesus. Martha came to Jesus and requested that He tell Mary to get up and help. Jesus did not do as He was asked. Instead, Jesus offered Martha the following response:
“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Martha was concerned with her duties to serve her guest and those in the household. Jesus noted that Martha was “careful and troubled about many things”. There are things in life that are necessary. We have to have jobs. We have to make time to eat. We have to take time to sleep. There are other things we do in life that are not necessary. These things may be hobbies or simple distractions from life. Sometimes we make priorities out of the wrong things, whether those things are necessary or not. While Martha was tied up with her work in the kitchen, Mary had abandoned her duties because she had recognized that there was a more important matter to tend to. Jesus did not seem to think that being served was all that important during His visit to Martha’s house. Instead, Jesus said that “one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part”.
Can you imagine having Jesus Christ in your house? This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for these two women. How did they respond? Martha left her guest in order to tend to other things. Mary planted herself next to Jesus and heard what He had to say.
Have you been saved? If not, then “one thing is needful” for you to do. Believe on Jesus Christ and be saved.
Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
If you have already been saved, then let me ask you some questions: Are you making time for God? Do you ever read the Bible? Do you ever pray? Do you ever tell others about Jesus? Or are you too busy being “careful and troubled about many things”? Mary chose the “good part”. What do you choose? Do you spend more time on Facebook than you do on the “good part”? Do you spend more time watching TV than you do on the “good part”? Do you spend more time on sports scores, gossip, and self image than you do on the “good part”? Do you spend more time on worldly distractions, whatever they may be, than on the “good part”? Remember, Jesus made time for you.
Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Don’t forget about the “good part”. We can spend all of our time on the temporary distractions of this world, or we can recognize what is truly important. And don't be so caught up in everyday life that you miss an opportunity to do something for God. Don’t be a Martha. Be a Mary.