[Biblemat] A) SEND THE LIGHT

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  A very good Thursday
morning to each and everyone.  May God bless you and yours.
Here is an article from my files:

SEND THE LIGHT

     How?  Did you say, "how?"

GET NEXT TO THE LIGHT: -- Jesus said, "I am the light of the
world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but 
shall have the light of life" (Jno. 8:12).  It's mighty important
for the person who wants to let his light shine that he be near
the Savior.  As long as that proximity is maintained, you won't
walk in darkness.  The implication is that when you get away
from the light, you walk in darkness and you know what that
means, don't you?  It means stumbling around, not knowing
where you're going.  And that's bad, right?  The Master said,
"he that  doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may
be made manifest, that they are wrought in God" (Jno. 3:21).
In other words, "...everyone that doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds be reproved" (Jno.
3:20).  If you want to be good and do good, you have to get
next to the light.

FLIP THE SWITCH: -- Jesus also said, "Ye are the light of the
world" (Matt. 5:14).  But the light you are doesn't shine until
you turn it on.  It's up to you whether or not you shine as a 
light.  "Let your light shine" (Matt. 5:16) indicates there's a
choice involved in the matter.  You have to decide to turn it
on.  And the reason is simple: "that they may see your good
works."  The primary purpose of light is to illuminate things
so that it's easy to see.  Actually, you can't see anything when there's no 
light.  And furthermore, when folks see your
light shining, they will be constrained to "glorify your Father
which is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).  So, turn it on and let it shine.

GET THE LIGHT OUT OF THE HOUSE: -- Now that's not meant to say that the light 
is not important in the house, for
the Lord said, "...men do not light a candle, and put it under
a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that
are in the house" (Matt. 5:15), but it's also so that if the light
is going to do any good we have to get it out where it can light stuff up -- 
or as we say, bring things to light.  "A city that is set on a hill cannot be 
hid" (Matt. 5:14) indicates that 
you need to put it out where it can be seen.  No matter how
good the light, it's of no benefit to anybody when it's not being used.  
Actually, it's the purpose of light to shine.  No
telling how much good we could do if we'd just get our light
out where folks can see it.

DON'T LET THE LIGHT GO OUT: -- Paul implores that we "walk as children of 
light" (Eph. 5:8), for, says he, "ye were
sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord."  And
wasn't it the apostle John who said, "If we walk in the light as
He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another" (1 Jno. 1:7)?  In 
fact, "If we say that we have fellowship with Him
and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth."  You can't
walk in the light and do bad things any more than you can 
walk in the light and in the dark at the same time.  You're either going to 
keep your light on or let it go out -- it's up to
you.  Jesus said, "the light of the body is the eye: if therefore
thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light" (Matt
6:22).  You can't shut your eyes to the light and still see where you're 
going.  You have to keep your eyes open and 
fixed on the goal.

     And that's how you send the light.  --- Dee Bowman via,
Gospel Power, Vol. 14, No. 40, Oct. 7, 2007.   </HTML>
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