Christian's are the ONLY light of the world.

Matthew 5:14

You are the light of the world.

Christ made it clear that Christians are the light of the world. The Greek brings out the force of the statement stronger, it goes like this; you and you alone, are the light of the world!

Though the philosophers ponder much and the scientists test galore, the fact remains; Christians alone are the light of the world. The knowledge of man is purely mechanical and biological, and obviously no avail to the basics of life. Someone may say, "How can you say such a thing, we have more life enhancement inventions than ever before in history?" Yes we do, but, alas, they are no avail to the basics of life. Do not these grow worse everyday, marriage, friendships, virtue, morality, etc? Whenever in History have you seen "Marriage Guidance Classes?" I tell you never have such challenges arisen in any age. We see the Scripture fulfilled that says; God has chosen the base things of this world to shame the wise. Indeed, He has. We use DVD's, CD's, MP3's. Microwaves, Fax Machines, TV's, Internet, Pacemakers and Jetliners, yet over 50% of couples can't even stay married. Yes indeed, much shame.

The reason Christians are the light of the world alone is; God is light. Therefore, know ye not that the Christian's body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? Since God is in us alone, He shines forth and is visibly manifest in our lives, willing and working His light to the world. Thus, I say again; Christians and Christians alone are the light of the world! Amen!

Dirty, broken and bankrupt.

The Primacy of Preaching the Gospel

1 Corinthians 2:2
For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

These days there is a major attack amongst "professing" Christians on the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many of these people who deny Scripture (and consequently the Gospel) are commonly referred to as the "Emergent Church"; a movement within Christendom that denies gospel preaching and replaces it with "sensitive conversations," and replaces the goal of repentance with good deeds. They are not the only ones, nor the first who are involved in this heresy. No, this attack is nothing new, indeed, the Pastor and Theologian Martyn Lloyd-Jones said in the nineteen sixties, "So I would lay it down as a basic proposition that the primary task of the Church is not to educate man, is not to heal him physically or psychologically, it is not to make him happy. I will go further; it is not even to make him good. These are things that accompany salvation; and when the Church performs her true task she does incidentally educate men and give them knowledge and information, she does bring them happiness, she does make them good and better than they were. But my point is that those are not her primary objectives. Her primary purpose is not any of these; it is rather to put man into the right relationship with God, to reconcile man to God. This really needs to be emphasized at the present time, because this, it seems to me, is the essence of the modern fallacy. It has come into the Church and it is influencing the thinking of many in the Church- this notion that the business of the Church is to make people happy, or to integrate their lives, or to relieve their circumstances and improve their conditions. My whole case is that to do that just to put it palliate the symptoms, to give temporary ease, and that it does not get beyond that."

What a dreadful and stupid thing it is to try to comfort dead people. Unconverted people are dead in their trespasses and sins; it does no good to speak of any subject, other than Jesus Christ and him crucified!

Explaining Grace

If your a Calvinist, people may sometimes ask you, "Why has God chosen some people for salvation and not others?" What do you say? I would suggest that you say nothing other than precisely what God has said through the Apostle Paul in Ephesian 2:7.
Your conversation might go something like this,

Question-Asker- Why would God pick some people for salvation and not others?

You- So that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace।

And remember, always be graceful in explaining God's grace.

Agreeing to Disagree?

1 Corinthians 1:10

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no division among you, but that you be united in the same mind and same judgement.

According to this passage, unity is a command of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul throws in some more force to his already authoritative words by adding by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's almost like he is saying, "hey, let me remind you who I am sent on behalf of. You better listen up!" 

What is the issue here? What is Paul's concern?

1. They must agree. 

2. There was to be no division. 

3. They were to be united in mind and judgement.

What can we infer from those three commands?

1. They did not agree.

2. There was division.

3. They were not united in mind and judgement.

This is further supported in verse 11, For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. The issue was that some people constructed the false assumption, which was Apollos, Paul and Cephas (Peter)all taught different doctrines. Therefore, some Corinthians went off into different directions claiming different teachers as their leader. Some people even sought to top everybody off and say, I follow Christ. 

Well, it's quite obvious from this passage of Scripture that we are not to be "people groupies," but rather, look unto God instead of the man sent by God. But something that gets very often over looked is the fist three commands to agree, not divide and be united in mind and judgement. 

Yet, vast amounts of Churches and Para-Church groups seek to rally believers of diverse or undefined doctrinal positions in the name of unity. Another common trend is the belief that doctrine really does not matter that much in the first place. Yet Paul says we must agree and not only agree but be of the same mind. 

I submit to the reader that the cry of "mixed doctrine for Jesus," is not a Christian position and has no place in biblical evangelism or missions. If we are to be an exploding force in the world, we must be united doctrinally. Therefore, away with all the talks of agreeing to disagree. Let us have no part in this fad of confusion. May we stand in the battle bonded with our brothers by the Scripture, and wield the truth with love while the troops gather in line! 

Resolve One

Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, weather now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolve to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.