We have just had a beautiful celebration of the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior this Easter season. However, it is my hope and prayer that we do not end our celebration here, but this is just the beginning. For Christ lives everyday in our lives and we live to shine for Him each and everyday of the year.
John the Baptist came to earth to shine for Jesus is a special way. He came to show people that the light was coming. When I look at his life, I cannot help but be reminded over and over how ‘in tune’ with God’s will John really was. The gospel of John in chapter one says that he was sent from God with one purpose and that was to point the way, prepare the way for Christ. John did exactly what he was sent by God to do, he never wavered. He never brought the light upon himself but he always pointed towards the true light, which is Jesus Christ. I must stop and reflect and ask you to do the same thing; how much better would our lives be if we would always point others towards Christ instead of getting ourselves in the way. Let me share a story with you to illustrate this, one that Phillip Yancy shares.
Dr Paul Brand was speaking to a medical college in India on "Let your light so shine before men that they may behold your good works and glorify your Father." In front of the lectern was a oil lamp, with its cotton wick burning from the shallow dish of oil. As he preached, the lamp ran out of oil, the wick burned dry, and the smoke made him cough. He immediately used the opportunity. "Some of us here are like this wick," he said. "We're trying to shine for the glory of God, but we stink. That's what happens when we use ourselves as the fuel of our witness rather than the Holy Spirit. "Wicks can last indefinitely, burning brightly and without irritating smoke, if the fuel, the Holy "Spirit, is in constant supply."
We should learn that we must simply follow God’s leading and the prompting of the Holy Spirit and point to Christ and use Him for our only fuel. John did just that. Once again I think John had some excellent advice for us from his gospel in chapter 3 and verse 30 when we says speaking of Jesus, “He must increase but I must decrease.” If we will just take that thought and make it a part of our life and live accordingly we will see some amazing results for the Kingdom of God.
Trusting Him,
Pastor Michael Tunnell
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