You are the Light of the World 2

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"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (Matt. 5: 14-15 NKJV)

Our society today is in desperate need of role models who can correct some of the ills of the society; role models who can uphold a new value system that is built on integrity and truth. The Bible says that we are such role models in Matt. 5:14-15. We are to give light to all who are around us. We are to show them how to live.

A Christian should always be such a person that wherever he’s found, he will be the reference for incorruptibility. To be the light of the world is to be a trail-blazer, a pace-setter and an agent of positive change. The world is waiting for us to eradicate corruption, to start doing what we say.

For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth." (Acts 13:47 NKJV)  

We are sent as light bearers to the world, to bring salvation and deliverance from every works of darkness.

There’s so much we can do to bring about change and give direction to those who are lost. The role of living exemplary lives is not exclusive to leaders. You can be a person of influence at your own level.

Your style may not seem to be the popular way but never mind, keep doing the right thing. God will reward you and in due time, people will come to you for guidance.

Prayer Point:

Lord, please give me the grace to be a true role model that will bring glory to Your holy name

You are the Light of the World

 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matt. 5:14-16 NKJV)

Like the salt adjective that is used to epitomize us, light is also a very profound word. Light is so important that it was the very first element of creation because everything else depends on it.

Again to fairly understand what the charge as the ‘light of the world’ means, we’ll take a closer look at some of the outstanding attributes of light.

First on the many attributes of light is it’s dominion over darkness. No matter how dark a place is, once light is introduced, darkness automatically exits.

Light in the context of our study is both spiritual and physical; the spiritual light being more important. It’s the spiritual light that determines how much of the physical light a man can enjoy. A lot of lives and destinies are held by spiritual darkness and it takes sufficient spiritual light to bring about liberation and illumination.

So, before we talk about the physical light, we must first acknowledge that the reason the Bible calls us light is not just for physical illumination. We are the light of the world not just to make places bright but to exercise the authority of our Lord Jesus over the enemy. As representatives of Christ Jesus, we carry His Light to the world, breaking the bands of wickedness.

For so the Lord has commanded us:

‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ (Acts 13:47)

Prayer Point

Lord, please give me the grace to live and shine as the light that I am.

Get out of the salt shaker

"You are the salt of the earth;...Matt. 5:13a

Have you ever had difficulty getting salt out from the shaker? Some times after several attempts you’d just decide to open the shaker. In some cases some people would add few grains of rice in order to help agitate or stir the salt.

So many of us Christians are like that. We have become so cosy in our Church world that there’s no hunger to reach out. There’s no way we can be salt of the earth inside the salt shaker. Yes, there’s the fear of contamination which is the reason some of us prefer to stay inside but that is contrary to the Word of God. We are the ones to contaminate the world by our lives; by our saltiness and not the other way round. 

But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. (Acts 17:6 NKJV) 

Please read Acts Chapter 17. The verse of Scripture above is the statement the men of Thessalonica made about Paul and Silas. They said these men have turned the world upside down with their doctrine. These were just Paul and Silas. If we go out with the gospel of Jesus, we too can turn this world inside out to the glory of God.

Action Point

Get out of the salt shaker!

Salt of the earth (5)

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men (Matt. 5:13 NKJV)

 

We are still talking ‘the salt of the earth’. Before we round up on this instructional series, let’s touch a little on some of the sundry uses of salt.  

Medical science says that salt is the only element that is found in every single cell in the human body. And that without salt, humans would die. I’m sure you must have heard that before now. Salt water is great solution to kill germs. People gargle with saIt to get relief from sores in the mouth. Salt is used to remove stains from ceramics, keep ants and other insects away. Salt, salt, salt….

If God says that we are the salt of the earth, then we must make effort to function in all of these capacities that we have learnt about salt. Anything less could very well mean that we have lost our flavor and therefore will be thrown away….God forbid!  

Are you wondering how you can be all purpose; healing, preserving, beautifying, thawing etc? That’s who we are. That’s why He says “you are the salt….” 

However, sin is the one thing that throws sand into our salt. It incapacitates us in every area! 

Another hindrance is lack of fellowship to the source of our saltiness. When we do not stay in touch with the Holy Spirit, before long our salt will begin to absorb moisture and will soon be overtaken.

You are the salt; the definite answer to the needs of mankind.We must be conscious of who we are. It helps to keep us in check.

Prayer Point
Lord, please help me never to lose my saltiness.

Salt of the earth (4)

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men (Matt. 5:13 NKJV).

We are still looking at some of the outstanding attributes of salt in order to better understand who we ought to be as salt of the earth. During winter, snow falls everywhere including roads for vehicular movement. It could get so bad that if not properly managed, some roads will become completely inaccessible. In order to control this phenomenon, salt is applied to the roads to melt the ice and stop the ice from building up easily. 

There are several cold situations that desperately need the application of our salt in order to thaw and become natural. It is the iciness of the devil that has possessed the heart of the Boko Haram suicide bomber, the heartless assassin, the armed robber, fraudulent government official etc.

When we release the salt that we carry (the love of Christ), these evil hearts will melt and accept Christ Jesus. Their stony hearts will be replaced with a heart of flesh….hallelujah!! 

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26 NKJV) 

We are the agents of this great surgery that only God can do.  We are those to make sure that the icy stony hearts are melted and ensure that they do not harden again. We do this by evangelizing and praying for the lost; by loving them.

Prayer Point
Lord, please endue me grace and love for the lost. I want to partner with You as You transform the hearts of men from stone to a heart of flesh.

Salt of the earth (3)

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men (Matt. 5:13 NKJV) 

Back in the days when Adire (tie-and-die) patterns where the rave, most of us experimented with the craft. It was very common for Creative arts teachers to ask students to create a pattern of Adire as part of their assessments. I was one of those who got on that very interesting experiment. We were told that if the colours will last; without fading, then we must wash with salt. Later on, I learnt that you have to introduce salt early in the process if the dye will be properly fixated on the fabric. Salt is used as a fixative for dying in textile industries. 

So, how exactly should we manifest this amazing attribute of salt? As the salt of the earth, we are expected to retain or sustain beauty…wow!
Colours shouldn’t fade around us! Destinies should be recovered and restored through us. When there’s gloom and hopelessness, we just light up the place with simple honest smiles. As salt, we should be willing to offer our shoulders to the teary and heartbroken. 

Today, a lot of people are going through all manner of difficulties. There’s a little thing you can do to make sure they do not fade away. You can help clothe someone today. You can help put food on  somebody’s table, regardless of the economic recession. You can also pray for someone's restoration.
Go on, let the world know that you are salt indeed!

Action Point

Determine today to help preserve someone’s colour from fading. Locate a needy and take action.

Salt of the earth (2)

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men (Matt. 5:13 NKJV).

Another very important attribute of salt that we’ll be considering today is its use as a preservative. We may have all seen people in the rural areas use salt as a preservative for storing ‘dry fish’ and ‘dry meat’. Salt was also believed to be a remedy for  the much dreaded Ebola disease to the point that so many people bathed with salt. 

If we are truly the salt of the earth, then there should be something about us that heals and preserves. We must be those that manifest our mandate from Mark 16:18- they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."(NKJV) 

We can also bring healing and preservation by being honest; upholding the truth at all times. If 30% of the professing Christians in Nigeria are salt indeed, nobody will brand us ‘fantastically corrupt’. We can remove moral and social decadence from our land when we become salt. 

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You (Psalm 25:21 NKJV).
Integrity and uprightness must be part of our lives if we are salt and that’s the only time we can preserve the world from decaying…from eroding.

Daniel’s uprightness and integrity were part of the reasons God used him in Babylon, the way He did. Daniel was such a man who carried God’s power to the point that God used him to preserve the dynasty of the Babylonians starting from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar to that of Darius. Also, the salt he carried preserved the lives of his fellow astrologers when the others couldn’t interpret the king’s forgotten dream. 

If you and I can become salt indeed, the problems of our communities will be half solved.

Prayer Point 

Lord, please make me salt indeed. I want to be able to heal and preserve.