Christian living

Candle-Like Christianity

There is Nothing better than a good candle

Often I am joked anytime I bring up how much I enjoy a good candle. I understand that it's not a, "manly" thing to enjoy, but here are several reasons why I think it's preposterous to think any person can't enjoy a nice candle.

  1. Pleasing aroma- Obviously the main purpose of candles in the age of electricity is for their scent (or for those times the electricity goes out). 
  2. Flicker of the Fire- I have always loved watching the flames on candles dance. There's something peaceful about looking at the flames, and seeing a resemblance life in them. Although, I understand that they aren't alive, they still resemble life in a way with the warmth that they provide and the movement that they make.
  3. Illumination- What candles were intended for at the start. They bring light to the darkness. 

Okay, so what's your point?

The light Of the world

In John 8:12 Jesus said of himself, "I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

In Ephesians 5, Paul writes to the church telling them to, "Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good, and right, and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord." 

Jesus is the light of the world. + We follow Jesus. = We ARE the light of the world. 

To God, there is nothing better than a good candle-like Christian

I believe heaven rejoices over every soul that comes to know Christ and chooses to follow Him, and it pleases our Father in heaven. When we accept Christ, we are born into a new life in the Spirit and through the Holy Spirit we provide warmth to all people. Finally, with this new found hope in Christ we provide the light in a darkened world. 

In Christ, we have the light to show the lost, the way. 

The purpose of light is to illuminate the darkness. Without the light there is only darkness. Without the light we can't see between right and wrong. The light shows us the good in everything, but also reveals sin. It's hard to look directly at the light, sometimes it's even harder to look at what it reveals. 

There is power in the name of Jesus. Let's use it more and more each and every day.

2 ways to be encouraging

Acts 4:29 "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,"

Acts 4:29 "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,"

The beauty of the book of Acts in the New Testament is that for the first time we see the church learning to live for Christ after Christ had ascended into Heaven. As terrifying as that may have been for them Christ commanded them, before he ascended, to go and teach all nations of what he had done.

And they did just that.

They grew in number, they gathered in fellowship as believers, and they encouraged one another daily. Persecution would soon follow, but they held fast to their belief in Christ.

So, how did they do it?

What should we do?

Be generous

In Acts 2 we read that people from all walks of life that began to follow Christ now mingled with one another like never before. Many people repented of their sins and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, they sat down to eat with one another, and they sold their possessions and gave generously to any person that was in need.

No, I don't mean you need to sell all that you have.

However, we should seek to be generous with what we do have. Being generous for some may surely be with their treasure, but for others it might be their time. 

Be generous in giving your time to encourage others to live for Christ. As part of the church we are to gather in fellowship to exhort and build one another up, encouraging one another. 

ask god for courage

In Acts 4 we read about the growing persecution the church faces after Christ has ascended. Peter and John had just finished healing a man and teaching a crowd in Jesus' name. Because of this, the Jewish leaders came and arrested them and threatened them to stop teaching in Jesus' name. Since the Sadducees could find no fault in them Peter and John were released. Once Peter and John gathered with other believers they prayed for God to give them boldness to speak God's word. 

They could've stopped right there... but they didn't.

God is our Creator, He is our Provider, and He is our Healer.

When we are discouraged and struggling, we as believers should come together and pray for God to give us courage to speak His word. 

 

Who can you encourage this week?

What will you do to make a difference?

Setting Spiritual Goals

It's always good to set goals whatever our circumstances may be, but what does it look like to set spiritual goals?

Why set spiritual goals?

We should set spiritual goals for ourselves much like we set goals for our everyday lives. Setting goals gives us a chance to look at who we would like to become as a Christian. As a Christian the goal is to grow in our faith and understanding as followers of Christ. Setting spiritual goals and reaching them allows us to look back on who we were, to what we have become in Christ. 

Here are some spiritual goals to start with:

  • Read a book of the Bible
  • See family come to Christ
  • See prayers answered
  • Memorize verses
  • Discover spiritual gifts

here are some other ways to start Spiritual Growth in your life:

  • Read the Bible
  • Obey the Bible
  • Active prayer life
  • Invite others to Church
  • Fasting
  • Give your talents, treasures, and time

 

Here's a video of Pastor Marc's message on Spiritual Growth and setting Spiritual Goals.