Shine Your Light

                                                              SHINE YOUR LIGHT!

Matthew 5:14-16

 

8-Year-Old Pays Off Classmates' School Lunch Debt by Selling Keychains!

Keoni Ching is like many boys his age. He likes creating things and helping people. But during a school event, he combined those likes to make a big difference at his school.

He was inspired by NFL cornerback Richard Sherman, who recently donated over $27,000 to help pay off student lunch debts in Santa Clara. Ching wanted to help erase student lunch debts at this school. So, by selling handmade keychain bracelets for $5 each, he raised over $4,000–enough to pay for the lunch debts at his school and six other area schools.

Ching came up with the idea as part of the school's "Kindness Week," and said he selected key chains because "I love key chains. They look good on my backpack." With the help of his parents and grandparents, he sold over 300.

His mother, April Ching, said, "We have sent key chains to Alaska, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Arizona, all over the country. There was one lady who said she wanted $100 worth of keychains so she could hand them out to people. … several people bought one key chain and gave (Keoni) a hundred bucks. It was absolutely amazing how much support the community showed for his whole project."[1]

What an inspiring story of a young boy who used God-given gifts to help pay his fellow students' lunch debts. A typical eight-year-old can be very selfish and self-focused, but Ching thought of those who couldn't pay their lunch debts. I am sure what this boy did was an honorable act in God's eyes. Similarly, God gives each of us certain gifts and opportunities to use them to bless others in need. When we help those in need, we are seeking the Shalom of our communities, towns, and cities. It's also part of the redemptive cycle of helping those enslaved by the debt of sin through Jesus' free gift of salvation. How are you using your gifts?

Jesus, in His teachings on the Sermon on the Mount, commands His followers to excel in good works because they have experienced God's redemptive work in their lives. To emphasize this, He uses the metaphor of Light. I titled this message, SHINE YOUR LIGHT! Matt 5:14-16.

Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the Light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives Light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your Light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Here's another powerful statement from our Lord, directed at His humble, simple followers. By calling them "You are the Light of the World," Jesus elevated their status in society and expanded their role as bearers of God's Light within them. To understand the significance of this task, we must understand the kind of world we live in and how we can enlighten it.

 

 

 

 

 

I. The Spiritually Darkened State of The World

            Michael Youssef quotes from Robert Browning's 1841 poetic works, "God is in his heaven—All's right with the world!" The truth of the matter is that God is indeed in heaven, has absolute control, and nothing that happens surprises Him. But the second part of the sentence, All's right with the world—nothing could be further from the truth.

            As we observe the world news, follow the strange patterns of the climate, endure relentless wars, hunger, and famine, or feel the recent Canadian smoke that filled our skies, it wouldn't take much to conclude that nothing seems right in the world, and things are only getting worse. The world we live in is as spiritually darkened, or becoming even darker, than when Jesus walked on this earth for the first time. This was what Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah's coming.

Matthew 4:16, "The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." The context was that, after overcoming the devil's temptations, they set out to deliver people from the grip of the devil, who had darkened the souls of humanity. "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." II Corinthians 4:4. People's hearts that are darkened can not see and understand the glory of God.

During our hikes, whenever Wilma and I see the sun's rays reflecting on the water or shining through the trees, we pause and say to each other, "See, God's glory!" In fact, God's glory would be a thousand times brighter if only we could see and endure God's presence. As the scripture says, the heavens declare the glory of God; if we can pause to see His glory. Jesus didn't come to point people to a light but to draw them to Him, who is Himself the Light of the world.

 

II. Jesus Is The Light Of the World

            During Jesus' time, many false and counterfeit lights existed, disguised as false deities and prophets who claimed to know and possess the Light. This was how the Apostle Paul describes them, II Corinthians 11:14-15, "For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of Light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." This was how John described Jesus.

"The true Light that gives Light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him." He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave them the right to become children of God." In one way, Jesus enlightened those who believed in Him." John 1:9-12

Later on, Jesus made this unique and bold proclamation, "I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life." John 8:12. When we follow Him, we are assured of salvation and will never walk in darkness. Jesus' concern didn't end with saving a few people; He wanted to save the entire world. How would He do that? By empowering those who were enlightened, He looked at His followers and said emphatically, "You are the Light of the world." John 5:14. All those whom Jesus enlightened must not hide it under a bushel or keep the Light to themselves, but shine their Light outward.

III. Shine Your Light

            "You are the Light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives Light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your Light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

            Jesus used two metaphors: "a town on a hill and a lamp on a stand," to explain how his followers are to live in this world. Just as a city on a hill cannot be hidden, so are the Christians; they are visible, and their lives are observed for what they do and do not do. Therefore, through our godly behavior, we can draw people to Christ, or through our ungodly lifestyle, we may turn others away. How are we living our lives out in the world?

            Another metaphor was the house lamp. You don't realize how essential a house lamp is until you're in complete darkness. Before electricity, lamps were vital household tools. At night, people would light a lamp to brighten their homes. Growing up, my job was to make sure this lantern was lit every day before sunset. I ensured this small lamp shone each night brightly.

Jesus uses the metaphor of a lamp to highlight the important role of Christians in illuminating a world full of spiritual darkness. The primary purpose of Light is to expose and expel darkness. Similarly, we Christians expel the lies and deception of Satan in the lives of people by leading them to Jesus, the Truth. How do we spiritually brighten people's lives?

Not primarily through proclamations, protests, and debates, but as Jesus demonstrated—by letting our good works shine among people—so that when they see them, they might glorify the Father. In church history, we have examples, such as William Carey, George Müller, Hudson Taylor, and Mother Teresa, among others, who illuminated their faith through good deeds. Now it is our turn, as people of the Light; let us go out and let our Light shine brightly.

 

 

---

[1] Alicia Lee, “An 8-year-old boy paid off the lunch debt for his entire school by selling key chains,” CNN The Good Stuff (2-4-20) 7-15-2026

Be The Salt

                                                                        BE THE SALT!

Matthew 5:13

In his book “Led by the Carpenter,” D. James Kennedy writes: A man walked into a small mom-and-pop grocery store and asked, "Do you sell salt?” "Ha!" said Pop, the proprietor. "Do we sell salt! Just look!" And Pop showed the customer a whole wall of shelves filled with nothing but salt: Morton salt, iodized salt, kosher salt, sea salt, rock salt, garlic salt, seasoning salt, Epsom salts, and every kind of salt you can think of.

"Wow!" said the customer.

"You think that's something?" said Pop with a wave of his hand. "That’s nothing! Come look.” And Pop led the customer to a back room filled with shelves, bins, cartons, barrels, and boxes of salt. “Do we sell salt?” he said.

“Unbelievable!” said the customer.

“You think that’s something?” said Pop. “Come! I’ll show you salt!” And Pop led the customer down some steps into a huge basement, five times as large as the previous room, filled wall to wall and floor to ceiling with every imaginable form, size, and shape of salt — even huge ten-pound salt licks for the cow pasture. “Incredible!” said the customer. “You really do sell salt!” “No!” said Pop. “That’s just the problem! We never sell salt! But that salt salesman – Oh boy! Does he sell salt!” The moral of this story is that salt that stays on the shelf does no good at all.”[1]

In our series, “Words From The Mountain,” we reach a pivotal point where Jesus shifts His focus from character growth to how Christians embody His Kingdom values in everyday life. He moves from broad ideas to specific ones and from a group perspective to a personal one. He employs two widely understood and accessible metaphors, “Salt and Light,” to express His Kingdom mission, which all His followers can and must carry out gracefully.

We will examine Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” I titled this message, BE THE SALT! What did Jesus mean by, ‘You are the salt of the earth’? What is the biblical significance of salt? How can Christians be the salt in a world that is broken and morally and spiritually deteriorating?

I. Biblical Significance of Salt

            Jesus did not say you are the honey of the earth; instead, he said, you are the salt of the earth. Why did Jesus use that common, simple table salt and make a bold declaration to His followers, saying, “You are the salt of the earth’? What was the biblical significance of salt?

            In the Old Testament, God used salt symbolically in various ways to illustrate His nature and purpose, as well as the positive and negative aspects of life for people. For example, turning Lot’s wife, who couldn’t leave Sodom and Gomorrah behind, into a pillar of salt reminds us not to look back in our pursuit of God. Genesis 19:26. God commanded the use of salt as a covenant in all grain, sin, or guilt offerings to demonstrate His faithful provision to the priests.

Leviticus 2:13, “Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.” In Numbers 18:8-19, God instructed the use of salt so that the meat would last longer and taste better for the priests and their families who depended on it for their daily food.

On one occasion, the people of the land complained to Elisha that their land was unproductive and the water was bad. Salt was used to heal the waters. “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.” II Kings 2:20-21

Here, Elisha was a prototype of Yeshua, who would come later and invite people to drink of the water He gives and live forever. John 4:13-14, Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” In the Old Testament, salt was used not only for healing and seasoning but also as a preservative.

Today, salt is readily available in our culture, and we don’t need it as a preservative because of refrigeration. But to the people of Jesus’ day, it was an important and precious commodity. When Jesus told the disciples they were the salt of the earth, He meant that believers were essential and valuable, and that they had a mission to preserve the world from decay.

II. The Fallen State Of The World.

            Matthew 5:13, “You are the Salt Of the Earth.” This bold proclamation of Jesus was not only a description and the function of the individual follower of Christ, but also explained the state of the world. This was how the Apostle Paul described the fallen nature of humanity in Rom 3:12-18, “All have turned away, they have together become worthless.

There is no one who does good, not even one." “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." “The poison of vipers is on their lips." “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Martin Lloyd-Jones accurately noted the world’s corruption in his 1959 book.

“Our Lord, when he says, ‘You are the salt of the earth, it clearly implies rottenness in the earth; it implies a tendency to pollution and to becoming foul and offensive. That is what the Bible has to say about this world. It is fallen, sinful, and bad. Its tendency is toward evil and war. It is like meat, which tends to putrefy and become polluted. It is like something which can only be kept wholesome by means of a preservative or antiseptic.”[2]

 

If Lloyd Jones's assessment from sixty-seven years ago was correct, how should we evaluate the world today? People who have spent their entire lives in this country might observe and say that our nation is now much more corrupt and godless than it was a hundred years ago. If our country is left to its own vices, it will inevitably move toward destruction. Who can stop it? Who is the remedy that will heal and protect our nation and the world from further decay?

III. Individual Christians Are Called to Be the Salt of The Earth.

            Jesus’ proclamation, "You are the Salt of the Earth,” as Lloyd Jones notes, is often seen by many churches as a church’s responsibility: to engage in politics, economics, and other international affairs through legislation and, if necessary, through war. He believes this is a serious misunderstanding. Instead, he sees it as a call for individual Christians to be the salt of the earth.[3] How can an individual Christian function as the salt of the earth?

Through their personal life and character, by being the man or woman of God in every area of influence they encounter. For example, at your workplace, several people might be talking disrespectfully, cursing one another, and so on. Suddenly, as a Christian, you walk in, and your presence makes an immediate difference. You don’t have to say anything; people start cleaning up their language. My personal experience of working in a homeless shelter.

            Jesus doesn’t refer to the church as a collective body to be the salt, so that we can take on the role of policing the earth. Instead, he calls his individual followers, whose hearts were transformed by his love, to go out into the world, interact with non-believers, and Be The Salt.

It is much more effective to change one heart at a time than to pass legislation or wage war to alter human behavior.  According to one report, there are 373,000 congregations in the USA,[4] and they vary in size and shape. I compare them to the “Salt Shakers,” and the congregants to the salt. What good is it if they keep attending church services but never interact with their friends, neighbors, or coworkers, and try to be the salt in their circles of responsibility?

Are you like the salt stuck in a shaker, needing a little crush to be released? Or are you a free-flowing salt that easily mixes with the world, adding Christian flavor and taste, and helping preserve it from further decay? As the salt of the earth, let’s go out and impact our world. Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

---

[1]https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/preaching/sermon-illustrations/salt-of-earth/

[2] D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, page 131

[3] D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, page 134

[4] https://hirr.hartfordinternational.edu/fast-facts-on-american-religion/

Blessed Is The Nation Whose God Is The Lord

                                              Blessed Is The Nation Whose God Is The LORD!

Psalm 33:1-22

On the 250th anniversary of our nation's independence, we have much to thank God for. Through His divine providence, we live in one of the greatest countries on Earth, where wealth is abundant. Clearly, the USA remains a top destination for those fleeing persecution of all kinds and seeking economic opportunity and a better life. My first trip to the USA was in 1990, to Hawaii, to attend a leadership training school with YWAM, where I was tempted to stay back in the country. God had other plans, so He took me back to India to continue to serve Him there.

After fifteen years, the Lord led me back this time with my family of five to pursue a M.Div. at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2005. Since then, I have served as a pastor, and our entire family became naturalized citizens. Now, we call the USA our home! Over the past 20 years living here, I have seen firsthand both the good and the bad sides of this country.

While I am grateful for many blessings we enjoy as children of God and as a pastor, I am also deeply concerned about the numerous challenges our nation faces. In a country that claims to be founded on Judeo-Christian principles and is full of Bibles, many Christians are unaware of their own scriptures. Here are some startling statistics:

-Half of all Christian adults can name the four Gospels.

-Many Christians cannot identify more than two or three of the twelve disciples. 

-Most Christians believe the Bible teaches, "God helps those who help themselves."

-At least 12 percent of adults believe that Joan of Arc might be Noah's wife.

-Another survey of graduating high school seniors revealed that over 50 percent thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife.

-Many people have pointed out that Billy Graham preached the Sermon on the Mount. "The larger scandal is biblical ignorance among Christians. Choose whichever statistic or survey you like; the general pattern is the same among professing Christians. America's Christians know less and less about the Bible. It shows."[1] How is it that in a country that claims to be the greatest country on Earth, many people do not know the true God? And those who seem to know the God of the Bible are ignorant of the Bible that helps us understand who God really is and His purposes for humanity? We will explore Psalm 33 to understand what makes and keeps a nation blessed, and what the biblical blessings truly mean. I title this message:

Blessed Is The Nation Whose God is the LORD! Psalm 33:1-22. Let's begin!

I. Celebrating God's Goodness. (Psalm 33:1-5)

 

When we read the Psalms, we do so without music, which can cause us to forget that many of them were originally songs of praise and worship. Here, the Psalmist encourages us to sing joyfully to the LORD, give praise to the LORD, play skillfully with stringed instruments, sing a new song to God, and shout for joy. Remember, when we sing songs of praise, who are we singing for? It is not for the worship leader, pastor, or even for each other, but for God.

As God's children, we are called to praise Him. Praise involves declaring God's goodness, faithfulness, love, mercy, grace, provision, protection, and compassion. When we praise Him, it opens our hearts to hope in Him and trust Him. Reflect on the past twenty-four hours. When did you feel thankful? Where have you seen God's kindness? How have you experienced His love and Justice? We have just celebrated the 250th anniversary of our nation's founding. What have we truly celebrated? Was it our own ingenuity, achievements, and successes, or the extraordinary goodness and the bountiful blessings of the LORD?

II. Celebrating God's Greatness: Psalm 33:6-11

            Singing praises to God involves celebrating His Greatness. The Psalmist recounts how God created the heavens, the starry hosts, the Earth, and the seas, which were formed by His Word and are being sustained by it. Remember the creation story in Genesis, there were seven times God said, "Let there be," and things came into existence out of nothing and nowhere.

That emphasizes God's greatness, and we sing praises to Him for His mighty power. The Psalmist also calls on the whole Earth to fear Him and for people to revere our God by highlighting His unmatched greatness. God, through His power, defeats the plans of the nations (Ancient Israel's enemies) and thwarts people's evil schemes. What He did to Israel's enemies then, He is capable of doing to any nation that opposes God's eternal plans and purposes.

III. Blessed Is The Nation Whose God Is The LORD!

Psalm 33:12 says, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance." The Psalmist is referring to Israel as God's chosen people. Through them, God would ultimately send the Messiah who saves and blesses everyone.

God promised to provide, bless, and protect the nation of Israel as long as they obeyed His precepts and followed Him, not bowing before any other false gods. But we know from numerous OT passages that the Israelites turned away from Him. Prophet Isaiah painfully describes how God's chosen people rebelled against Him.

Isaiah 1:2-4, Hear me, you heavens! Listen, Earth! For the Lord has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand." Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.

Israel's history demonstrates some of the consequences that can happen to a nation when its people turn away from God. God fought for them as long as they honored Him by destroying the temples of other gods and obeying His commandments. But when they disobeyed and followed idols, God sent several prophets to warn and call them back to Him. When they completely refused to listen to those warnings, God punished them by allowing their enemies to invade, destroy their cities, and take them as captives into their own land of Babylon.

Once a great and powerful nation, it has now fallen and been disgraced by its enemies. The blessings of obedience, dealings, and punishments for disobedience are relevant to the nation of Israel. The main lesson we learn from this is that sin leads to negative consequences. 

Galatians 6:7, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." It is God's warning to individuals and nations that He will not be mocked. If we obey His commandments and follow Him, we will be blessed; if we rebel, we will face the consequences.

By reading Psalm 33, we will learn three principles that apply to individuals and nations to experience God's blessings. First, worship the living God and do not bow our knees to any false gods. Isaiah 42:8 says, "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols." Psalm 33 began with high praises and worship of the living God. So long as we worship our God and do not bow down to idols, we will be blessed, but if we turn away and worship idols or the creation, we will face God's punishment.

Secondly, living a life of obedience to the almighty God. Vs. 12 notes, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD." A nation, community, or people experience true prosperity, peace, and spiritual well-being only when they acknowledge, worship, and obey the one true God (Yahweh) as their ultimate authority. On the US currency, it reads, "In God We Trust!

Who is God for you? Does he sadly remain only in the Bible, in biblical literature, on paper currency, or in slogans? Or is He the absolute sovereign God who calls for total surrender and obedience to His commandments? If you only believe in God but never obey Him, you are no different than the Pharisees who believed in God but never obeyed Him.

Thirdly, consistently demonstrating a life of complete dependency on God. Psalm 33:13-14, From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all humanity; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on Earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do." During our 250^th celebrations of our nation's founding, did you know who the uninvited guest was? Yet He watched everything and even more that has taken place?

He is God, the LORD! I wonder what He thinks of what he has seen and continues to see in our nation. He is not impressed by our wealth and military power, and in fact, He challenges our false hope and security, saying, "A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength, it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine." Psalm 33:17-19 On the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation, let's remember as individuals and as a nation, we can only be blessed and remain blessed by worshiping God and not following idols, and living a life of obedience and dependency on our God, the LORD almighty.

 

 

 

 

 

---

[1] https://answersingenesis.org/christianity/scandal-biblical-illiteracy/

Delighting In The Lord

                                                     DELIGHTING IN THE LORD

                                                                    Psalm 37:1-11

Many delight in work wealth, status, education, material possessions, pleasure, sex, drugs, sports, and other temporary things of this world, but they are never satisfied. If you are following the FIFA World Cup these days, you can see how the players and the fans are crazy about Football. Thousands of fans traveled from other countries to the USA, spending thousands of dollars to support their home team on foreign soil.

When their team wins, they are elated; when they lose, they are deflated. What does it matter who wins and who loses? It is just a sport! Do they really get what they are seeking? No! They never truly get what they want, which is why they are always wanting more. The dictionary defines delight as: a high degree of gratification or pleasure.

This is the lesson King Solomon learned in his pursuit of earthly treasure that pleasures are meaningless. Ecclesiastes 2:9-11, "Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What's more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted, I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day's work! I Hate Life! Then I took a good look at everything I'd done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing." (The Message).

His Father, King David, had a different perspective on life. Psalm 37:1-7, "Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord;  trust in him and he will do this:  

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes."

Solomon ran after the treasures of the earth to be satisfied, and concluded that everything is meaningless. On the other hand, delighting in the Lord is true treasure indeed: "Godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 6:6). Why can the pursuit of earthly treasures not satisfy the inner longings of our hearts? I John 2:15-17, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."

Who can grant us the desires of our hearts and make us truly satisfied? The answer is in Psalm 37:4, "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Taking delight in the LORD means our hearts will truly find peace and fulfillment in Him. We take God as our greatest treasure in life and earnestly seek after Him more than gold, silver, or anything else. Then the scripture promises, "He will give the desires of our hearts."

Does that mean, if we go to church every Sunday, God will give us a new Rolls-Royce? No. The idea behind this verse and others like it is that, when we truly rejoice or "delight" in the eternal things of God, our desires will begin to parallel His, and we will never go unfulfilled.

If we place our joy and hope in God first, He will meet all of our needs. He will even grant our wants, as our hearts' desires begin to match up with His will.

 

If we truly prioritize the Lord, our hearts' greatest desire likely won't be a brand-new Rolls-Royce but eternal treasures in Christ. This world can never satisfy our deepest longings, but if we choose to delight in God's way, He will always provide more than we expect.

Jesus said, "Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14). What does delighting in the LORD look like in our daily lives?

 

I. Delighting in the LORD means delighting in His word:

            Reading God's Word, meditating on it daily, and doing our best to live according to it. Psalm 1:1-3, Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers."

 

II. Delighting in the Lord means obeying His Commandments

 

Psalm 119:33-40, Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart. 35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. 38 Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. 39 Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. 40 How I long for your precepts! In your righteousness, preserve my life.

 

Psalm 119:65-72, Do good to your servant according to your word, Lord. 66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands. 67 Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I obey your word. 68 You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees. 69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart. 70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law. 71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. 72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

 

Delighting in the Lord is reflected in obeying his commandments. If only we could obey these two commandments, we could fulfill all the law and the prophets: Matthew 22:38-40, Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

 

Let us resolve this morning that we will delight ourselves in the Lord and He will meet the desires of our hearts. Amen!

Standing Up For Righteousness

                                                           Standing Up for Righteousness!

(Words From The Mountain)

 

George Galatis was an engineer at Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Waterford, Connecticut, when he realized something was wrong. The spent fuel-rod pools risked releasing radioactivity throughout the plant. The pools were not meant to serve as nuclear waste dumps. Federal guidelines required the Millstone plant to move only a third of the rods into the pools, but Galatis discovered that all of the hot fuel had been dumped into them.

Supervisors overlooked this routine violation, knowing they were saving millions by taking shortcuts. Fearing that the violations could endanger thousands of lives, Galatis told his colleague, George Betancourt, that they should contact the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Betancourt agreed but was worried about his colleague's future. "You do that," he said, "and you're dog meat." When Galatis urged plant managers to stop the hazardous practices, they refused. Since many of his supervisors were churchgoers, he was baffled.

"This was not splitting hairs," Galatis says. "These were not technical issues. These were moral issues." Galatis warned his supervisors about what could happen: an eventual shutdown, plant decommissioning, and criminal investigations. But after two years, nothing had changed—except the workplace atmosphere in which Galatis found himself. When he sat down in the cafeteria, coworkers left. When he entered a meeting, the room went silent. Coworkers spread rumors that he was an alcoholic, and his performance evaluation suffered.

Galatis began a focused search for God's guidance. He woke up at 4 a.m. to pray and read the Scriptures. During lunch breaks, he drove to a quiet place to pray and search the Bible. It was during one of these prayer times that Galatis believed God whispered to him, "Will you die for me?" Though he feared for his safety, Galatis realized there were many ways of dying: his livelihood, his reputation, and his family were at stake.

After months of prayer and study, he concluded that no matter how much he was badgered, God would not let him be destroyed. He decided to contact the NRC. They offered him no refuge. Coworkers confronted him in the hallways and his office. Some called him a fool; others, a troublemaker. He was subtly threatened and harassed for months, and coworkers often told him, "Shut up and keep your job."

After four years of fighting Millstone and enduring harassment from coworkers, Galatis finally secured a severance agreement and left. The NRC never suspended Millstone's license, but three reactors were shut down for repairs at a cost of over $1 billion. A criminal investigation was initiated. Millstone reactor 1 will never reopen. The Millstone 2 and 3 plants did not reopen until years later. Galatis is now 47 and attends Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, with hopes of becoming a pastor."[1]

This true story illustrates what happens when we stand up for righteousness. It resonates with Christians in New England who face workplace harassment as they practice their faith in a secular setting. This is a mild form of persecution that some in the USA might experience, but many of our brothers and sisters worldwide face much greater harassment and persecution.

In our series on The Words From the Mountain, we reach a crucial moment where our faith will be tested. Our Lord clearly and directly explains what happens to those who want to be His disciples and stand up for righteousness and the rewards associated with it. Matthew 5:10-12

 

 

I Standing Up For Righteousness

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:10-12 (ESV).

Up to this point in his teaching, Jesus pronounced seven blessings on those who are serious about following Him, no matter what. The blessedness Jesus referred to here was more than a fleeting happiness that depends on our circumstances. It is a deep sense of Joy and Shalom (Inner and outward well-being), both in this chaotic world and in the future, that no person can give, and no circumstance can take away.

The people Jesus pronounced "blessed" represent a Kingdom culture, exhibiting Kingdom values that are not typically welcomed by the world at large. All the Beatitudes are counter-cultural to the world's values, but perhaps none so markedly as this eighth one. How can being persecuted be "blessed"? Persecution is never pleasant but involves suffering and often severe pain. As Jesus qualifies, the blessed persecution comes "for righteousness' sake." In life, we all go through some suffering; some suffer for doing evil, but that is punishment.

Others suffer persecution for reasons unrelated to righteousness. Jesus is not pronouncing blessedness to all victims of persecution for any cause. No! He offered to only those who actively pursue His Kingdom of righteousness, and because of their unwavering faith in Him.

Matthew 5:11 states, "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account." Peter explains it this way: "But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it?" But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God."  I Peter 2:20. NIV

The apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, expands the scope of persecution to include all believers: "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." II Timothy 3:12. The blessedness of persecution is promised only to those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus. Let's look at what does for the sake of righteousness mean?

II. What does Standing Up For Righteousness Mean?

When we hear the word righteousness, our minds immediately think of our personal moral purity and right standing with God. While that is partly true, the Hebrew understanding of righteousness is much richer, broader, and more community-oriented than we often realize.

The biblical word righteousness is based on two Hebrew words. "Tzedakah is the right living with God, that actively restores relationships and seeks the well-being of others. The second word, Mishpat, is the application of justice, the kind that creates a fair and stable society where the vulnerable are protected, and everyone is treated equitably.

These two core ideas, Tzedakah and Mishpat, are not separate concepts but deeply interconnected components of biblical righteousness."[2] So a righteous person, biblically speaking, is more than being good; he wholeheartedly loves God and seeks the Shalom of others.

Here are a couple of scriptures that explain the dual concept of righteousness. "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8, ESV). But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 5:24.

Notice how righteousness is linked with justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God. This demonstrates that righteousness is never practiced alone but is always relational with God and others. God wanted His people to pursue righteousness so much that He established laws to care for widows, the poor, orphans, and strangers, and to defend the rights of the vulnerable by bringing justice for them. That is what standing up for righteousness means.

When we stand up for righteousness or in Christ's name to bring people back to God and seek the well-being of others, we will undoubtedly face persecution, which has been happening since the time of the prophets and continues today in many parts of the world.

Every day, more than 12 Christians are killed for their faith. That's one Christian every two hours—murdered because they follow Jesus. Open Doors' 2025 World Watch List, the annual report that ranks the 50 most difficult places to be a Christian, highlights these grim facts. Other numbers are just as horrifying: 4,744 believers were arrested, imprisoned, detained without trial, or sentenced; 3,775 followers of Jesus were abducted; 3,944 Christians were sexually assaulted, harassed, or forcibly married to non-Christians. Nearly 55,000 believers experienced mental or physical abuse because of their faith, and 28,368 homes, shops, and businesses belonging to Christians were attacked. Additionally, nearly 210,000 followers of Christ were forced to flee their homes.[3]

 

These are not just numbers and statistics; they are our brothers and sisters in God's family. Why are they being harassed and persecuted so harshly? All because they stood up for righteousness and claimed the name of Christ. Jesus called them blessed, and theirs is the Kingdom of God. For that reason, we pray and support persecuted Christians. More importantly, we will stand up for righteousness wherever God has placed us, so that we, too, will be blessed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

---

[1] Adam Bowles, "A Cry in the Nuclear Wilderness," Christianity Today, Vol. 44, No. 11 (10-2-00), p. 66

[2] https://www.thebibleseminary.edu/post/understanding-righteousness-in-hebrew-and-the-bible

[3] https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/stories/12-Christians-killed-for-their-faith-each-day/