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Let Your Light Shine

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Dear friends, if you know Jesus Christ this Christmas season then you must let your light shine. God has said to us, “You are the light of the world.” And He has told us to let this light shine. Wherever God has placed us, He has asked us to be His ambassadors and to speak well of His son Jesus.

This Christmas, I want to challenge you to shine for Him. Take hold of the Gospel of John and read it over and over again. Let Jesus Christ shine through you. Let your light shine in your neighborhood, at your workplace, at the gym, and with your family.

There is great darkness in the land right now. People are anxious, worried, and afraid. Today we need to step up in the name of Jesus Christ and say, “Wait a minute. It doesnt have to be like this. I know Jesus. He is the light of the world. If we follow Him we dont have to walk in darkness. We dont have to be afraid.

Friends, there are millions of us who know Jesus, love Him, and are walking in the light. If we all walk in the light of Jesus Christ, then the light is going to shine.

Today, let your light shine. The world desperately needs to know Jesus Christ. Let your light shine to the people that God has put in your path today.

He’s at Work

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Galatians 2:20 is one of my absolute favorite verses. “I have been crucified with Christ,” the apostle Paul says, “and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God…” Notice how plainly Paul puts it: Christ lives in me. Do you realize the magnitude of that reality?

The power of Jesus flows through you and me – every moment of every day – touching people everywhere we go.

In fact, even when youre not aware thats Jesus is working, Hes still at work. Sometimes the best evangelism results come when you dont think youre being used. You walk into a situation, do what youre supposed to do, and suddenly things begin to happen. Its so exciting!

Jesus can work through you anywhere you go – at the office, at the club, in the neighborhood. Just be yourself in Christ and people will notice something different. Its really that simple. You dont have to put on an act. You dont have to pretend that youre a Christian. You are one! Jesus Christ is alive in you today!

So, as you walk with God today, remember that Hes working through – right now! Let the truth of that sink in! May it motivate you to continue reaching your world for Jesus Christ.

We’re all Called

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William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, is one of my heroes! He had a famous quote hed say to Christians who said they werent called to share the Good News.

“Not called?” Hed ask. “No, Not heard the call, I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin!”

Wow – those are pretty strong words, arent they? But thats why I like men like William Booth. They confidently spoke what they knew of God and Jesus Christ, and exhorted others to do the same. No excuses. No apologies. There was no reason not to pour their hearts and souls into evangelism!

Jesus prayed for His followers in John 17:18. “As you sent me into the world,” He said, “I have sent them into the world.” Jesus has sent you into your world, too. Whether thats to a foreign land, your cubicle at work, or in your neighborhood book club.

Wherever God has placed you, Hes done it for the purpose of influencing those around you with the Good News. So lets take William Booths challenge to heart. Lets you and I listen to Gods call, and pull sinners out of the fire of sin.

Lives Changed by Missionaries

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Recently I was honored to speak at one of the worlds largest

gatherings of believers seeking to enter the missions field. Missionaries from all over the world came to share their stories of sacrifice and service. Anyone who believes that a Christian life cant be exciting and purposeful should spend some time with these courageous ambassadors for Christ.

I have great love and admiration for missionaries. My father, my five sisters and I were each led to the Lord by overseas missionaries, and my wife Pat and I spent our early years in missions work throughout Latin America. Our sons have since joined us in our pursuit of the Great Commission – to take the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world – and I pray that several of our grandchildren are not far behind.

In John 20 we hear the words of Jesus – resurrected from the grave – as He challenges His disciples to share Gods love with the lost. “As the Father has sent me,” He says, “so I send you.”

Most of us have come to faith through the outreach of someone sent by God. As you grow in your faith, the Lords heart for the lost will become your heart as well. When that happens, whether its in your own neighborhood or in some distant land, you too will become a missionary – an ambassador for Christ.

Reaching Widows

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My wife and I know a woman in England, named Emma. She felt God asking her to befriend an elderly neighbor, who was a widower. It wasnt easy, because this old man was pretty arrogant and rude. Apparently, no one liked him. But at one point he became sick, so Emma visited him in the hospital. Over time, this belligerent man was softened by Emmas kindness.

One day, Emma shared with him about her relationship with Jesus Christ. Then she asked if he would like to receive Jesus, by faith, into his life. Without hesitation he said, “Yes!” That 84-year-old man died shortly after his conversion, but now hes in heaven!

It certainly wasnt comfortable for Emma to reach out to that elderly man. But God called her out of her comfort zone, and she obeyed. Imagine what would have happened if Emma hadnt followed Gods leading. That man probably would have died without knowing Jesus Christ.

In Luke Chapter 10, Jesus told His followers to first, love God “with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength,” and then, “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Is there a widow in your neighborhood, or community, whom you could befriend? It often takes so little to show them Christs love. And yet, as Emma can testify, your simple act of kindness can have eternal results!