Gollihuefamilydiscipleship

No matter where you live on this earth, you should have some understanding that our society has structure, rules, and boundaries that govern us. Even the most primitive societies have developed a system of authority and rule that governs their lives and how they interact with the world. The way we govern ourselves may look different from continent to continent, country to country, state to state, and community to community but we all have systems in place to keep order. The Kingdom of God is no exception to this rule, it has a structural and organization system that governs it citizens. It does not function as a democracy, republic, or regime. A Kingdom has a King/Queen who is the ultimate authority and passer down of rules and regulations that govern their Kingdom. The people do not get to vote on how things are going to go, they may be allowed to share their opinion, or they may not, and they do not have the option to vote out the head of state. God’s kingdom does not work like what we see here in an American because we are used to individual freedom, democracy, and the ability to change the direction of our society every election cycle. We have discussed for some time now how God’s Kingdom is spread by studying the parables of Jesus Christ and now we are going use His parables to gain understanding of how God’s Kingdom functions. There may be societies on this earth who have great understanding of how a kingdom functions, but none understand how an eternal kingdom function. Monarchies by nature must change heads of state because no one lives forever, but God’s kingdom has no such problem as God always has been in authority, is in authority, and always will be in authority. With that being established, we know God’s kingdom has consistency in order, structure, authority, and rules. If the ruler does not change then we should not expect the way the kingdom is governed to change, if the ruler is eternal then so is the structure of His kingdom. We are going to examine the parables of Jesus that pertain to this eternal kingdom and see just how we should live our lives to establish our residency with in it. If we want to be part of His Kingdom, then we must learn the ways of the King (authority) so that we can be productive members of His kingdom.

The Kingdom is new to us but not new (The new cloth and the old garment Mark 2:21-22, Matthew 9:16-17) Occasionally we will run into a product that blows our mind, how did we live without this product in our life? We are so impressed with this item that we start to tell others about it and to our surprise the product is not new it is just new to us. Everyone around you has already known of its existence and has been enjoying the benefits of it for a while now, you are just late to the show. As we look at the parable of the new cloth on an old garment, we must realize that the kingdom of God is new to us, but it is nothing new at all, it is an eternal Kingdom. Just as our Creator has no beginning or end, neither does His Kingdom it always has been, is, and always will be in existence. When we come to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior our eyes are open to something that has always been there, but now our spiritual eyes are open to see it. In fact, everything we know on this earth will fade and pass away, but this Kingdom will reign forever. When we turn our hearts towards God, we become citizens in His Kingdom, and this means that we cannot mix His Kingdom with the worldly kingdom in which we were just redeemed from. There must be a line drawn in the sand between who we are now and who we used to be, and we must decide where we are going to stand. There is no straddling the fence, either we are going to live completely in the newly discovered heavenly kingdom, or we are going to continue to live in our worldly kingdom. If you have truly tasted the forgiveness offered by God, then you know that there is no looking back, you forsake everything from your past and cheerfully live for the eternal future provided by Jesus Christ. You do not want to mingle with your past with your present because you know that the past only brings death and destruction while the promise of God leads to peace and eternal life. God’s kingdom has stood the test of time and will continue to do so but the question is, are we willing to give it priority in our hearts and forsake the past?

(The Sower and the seed Matthew 13:1-23)

Are you burdened for what is Broken? Is your heart torn because of what you see tore down around you? #burdenedforthebroken

Thorny soil (The Sower and the seed Matthew 13:1-23) As kids you do not always understand when your parents are very cautious about who you are hanging out with. They want details of who they are, where they are from, who their parents are, are they a good student, who are their siblings, etc. You do not understand why they want to know all this stuff about who you are spending your time with but as you get older you start to realize that the company you keep has a major impact on your actions. If your inner circle is full of people who do not take their schoolwork seriously and are constantly cutting school, then you are likely to fall in line with their actions. On the other hand, if you are always hanging out with honor students who are heavily involved in after school activities then they are likely to pull you in the same direction. When Jesus speaks of the thorny soil in the parable of the Sower and the Seed (v. 7 and v.22) these are those who hear the word of God but everything around them makes it difficult, the environment and people they surround themselves with simples chokes it right out of them. The pressure of this world just surrounds them, and they elevate the things of this world over the things of God’s kingdom. Peer pressure cause them to turn their priorities into that of selfish desires instead of seeking the kingdom of God over all else. They pursue wealth, prosperity, relationships, and possessions that push them away from God; they simple choose to chase after the world instead of after God. It is so easy for anyone to find themselves in the thorny ground soil because our society paints a beautiful picture of what our lives should be like and what we should be pursuing but it is all a lie. The world wants us to believe that success is judged by what we own and how much we have in our bank accounts instead of the truth that we are judged on how well we know and love our Creator. When we start to want the things the world wants, look the way the world looks, and turn a blind eye to the wrong in the world around us then the thorns have already begun to choke us. As believers we have understand we can choose who and what we allow to be around us and have influence over our lives, we do not have to be surrounded by thorns. We can choose who and what we allow to have influence over our lives.

Stony ground soil (The Sower and the seed Matthew 13:1-23) Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and for a while you think your talking to someone who really knows what they are talking about but as the conversation goes a little deeper you realize they just have surface knowledge and no depth of knowledge? I remember once having a conversation with an individual in a hospital waiting room, both of us was waiting for our loved ones to come out of surgery and we started talking about the bible and the Lord. The conversation was going well and then this person started to quote the bible, only the things they were quoting was not from the Bible. I remember one quote they through out was, “you know the bible said that you just have to push the pedal to the metal and hope for the best.” Well, there is no such scripture in the Bible, and I quickly began to realize this individual had no depth in their relationship with God and was only repeating things they had heard other people say. In the parable on the Sower and the seed, this is the type of person that receives the seed in the stony ground soil (v.5-6, v.20-21). These individuals receive the word of God, but they never grow in their depth in their relationship with God so when things get tough, they just wither away. When someone gives their heart to Jesus Christ the most important thing they can do is dig deep into the word of God and plant themselves firmly in the truth. You do not need to hear everyone’s opinion about what the Bible says, you need to read and study to find out exactly what it says. The apostle Paul chastises the church of Corinth in 1 Corinthians 3 when he says that they are still like babies on the milk of God’s word, and they never grew up and moved into the meat of the word. As believers to ensure that we do not wither away when life comes hard at us, we must have depth in our relationship with God and His word. We cannot just skim the surface only getting fed once or twice a week during a church service, we must feed on the word of God daily. Jesus says that these individuals with no depth fade away because they are the ones who are easily offended by everything going on around in. They lack depth meaning their focus is upon themselves and their desires instead of the things of God’s Kingdom. Let us encourage you to dig deep into word of God, spend much time in prayer, and surround yourself with those in your life that drive you closer to God.

Wayside soil (The Sower and the seed Matthew 13:1-23) The boys love to watch Scooby Doo and to be honest we love to watch it with them. If you watch enough Scooby then you are going to see a classic scene of Shaggy going through a fridge making him a snack and as he builds this monster sandwich and returns to the fridge to get more, Scooby sneaks over and eats Shaggy’s snack right behind his back. Shaggy returns to where the sandwich used to be and is confused and dismayed as to what could have possibly happened to his snack, all the while Scooby is standing there licking his lips. Shaggy comes off as the goofy hippie teen who foolishly left his sandwich unguarded around Scooby while the audience laughs at his misfortune. It is a reoccurring theme throughout the history of the show that Scooby is going to steal Shaggy’s food every chance he gets, yet Shaggy always lets his guard down. We laugh at Shaggy for his loss, but did you know that in the parable of the Sower and the Seed Jesus said that many are just like him. He says that seed sowed in the wayside soil is snatched away by the enemy before it has time to take root. (v.4 &v. 19) How do we keep from this happening to us? How do we keep from becoming the wayside soil were something valuable is snatched away from us? If Shaggy kept guard over his snack there is no way that a 100 plus pound Great Dayne could snatch it way from him and if we keep guard over God’s Word, there is no way the devil can steal it away from us. We guard and protect what is valuable to us and there is no way that we are going to leave our valuables laying out unprotected, yet we will do this with God’s truth. If we valued the word of God, we would keep it before our eyes continually (constantly reading it), we would hide it away in our hearts so it could not be stolen, and we would value it over the opinions of this world. When we heard the Truth of God our ears would perk up and we would know that what we were hearing was important and we would do everything we could to guard and protect it from the enemy, including isolating ourselves form the lies of this world. Wayside soil can be fertile soil as long at the seed is guarded and protected from the enemy who seeks to snatch it away.

The fall season brings about many colors. The leaves on the trees begin to change and they can no longer hold onto the green life because the days are shorter. We all have sin that wants to show itself and will if we take our eyes off of Jesus, the Son of God, and expose ourselves to darkness. Just like those leaves we can start to die as darkness overtakes us. We need to clean to the light of the world, Jesus, in order to remain fruitful and alive.

The hungry shall be feed (The Sower and the seed Matthew 13:1-23) Those who are successful in college realize something quickly that those who are unsuccessful do not realize. In college you are not paying a university or professor to teach you something you do not know; you are really paying them to tell you what you need to teach yourself and learn on your own. That is right, you pay all this money to teach yourself something you did not know. If you are not willing to put in the work and time to teach yourself then you will not be successful on the college the level. You must have a desire, passion, and hunger to learn the subject matter at hand and you must be willing to seek it out on your own. No one is going to stand over you, making sure that you are doing your work, they are simply going to tell you what you need to learn, and it is up to you. In verse 10 the disciples asked Jesus why He spoke in parables and Jesus told them that it was meant for some to understand and for other to not understand and then he revealed the meaning of the parable to the disciples present at that time. Jesus was speaking to a large crowd (v. 1 great multitude) when He delivered the parable of the Sower and yet it says that only His disciples came to Him seeking deeper understanding. Jesus was like the college professor handing out an assignment to the entire class, yet only a few took the time to seek out the answer on their own. Those who hungered for the answer did not leave with the crowd they stuck around to see if they can unravel the mystery behind the parable. Today many Christians are a lot like the failing college student who refuses to teach themselves, they want someone else to do all the work and simply hand them the answers to life’s questions, but the Kingdom of God does not work that way. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are those who will be fed. (Matthew 5:6) The ones who wanted a deeper understanding stuck around and sought it from Jesus, those who did not simply went home. I am afraid our modern churches are full of individuals who simply receive a message and go home, they do not hunger and thirst for depth or clarity of what they just heard. They are satisfied with just being present and refuse to do the extra work (studying the word, prayer, fasting, etc) it takes to receive deeper understanding from Jesus.

We do not choose the soil. (The Sower and the seed Matthew 13:1-23) We are not the greatest gardeners, but we have grown to understand that the soil has a lot to do with the success of what ever you plant. A portion of our property that we garden on has dark rich soil that produces good nutrients for our plants and another portion has dry hard soil, plants planted here do not seem to do as well. Knowing this, we try to plant as much as we can in the fertile soil that is going to produce the biggest harvest for our family. This reasoning makes perfect sense when gardening for a bountiful fruit and vegetable harvest, but it makes zero sense when looking for a spiritual harvest. When seeking a spiritual harvest, you must sow the seed in every type of soil whether you feel like it will be fruitful or not. In fact, our job is not to examine the soil for fertileness, we are simply tasked with sowing seed ever where we go regardless how fertile or unfertile the soil seems. Sometimes as believers, I believe that we are looking at the soil (people) around us and we try to pick and choose which soil is best for us to sow in, like we are planting a garden. We see certain types of soil (people) and say, they would never be receptive to this message, they would be offended by this and reject it, or I am not going to waist my time they will not listen any way. We try to find people who look and act like us because we feel like they will be good soil and a good fit for our congregations. The beauty of this parable is that the Sower did not discriminate on where the seed the sown, it went on every type of soil. We must stop trying to examine the soil and just start throwing it ever where we go, regardless of whether we think it is going to be fruitful or not. The gospel message is for everyone, it is just as much for the drug addict, prostitute, and murderer as it is for your neighbor, family, and friends. Jesus died for everyone, and everyone deserves to hear of His sacrifice and His message of hope and truth.

Who is responsible for farming? (The Sower and the seed Matthew 13:1-23) One of the most important things at any job is communication when it comes to the delegation of tasks on the job. One of the major problems you see at a workplace is that most of the time when something gets overlooked or undone it is because the person supposed to do it thought someone else was taking care of it or they did not know it was their responsibility. A good manager will make sure that their workforce has a clear understanding of what their responsibilities for the day are and that they know they will be held accountable for what is not completed. As we begin to study this “the parable of the sower” one of the most important things we must understand is who is responsible for sowing the seed of God’s word? Who is the farmer in the farmer in the story that is throwing the seed of God’s word everywhere? Who is responsible for the task of sowing the seed in God’s kingdom? Just like a good manager on the job, God has left nothing to doubt and has made it clear who is responsible for the task of sharing His word with the world. The church (all believers, disciples) is responsible for sharing the seed of God’s word with those around them. So, if you claim Jesus Christ as your Lord, then you should know that it is 100% your responsibility to be spreading the seed of Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone around you. If you are parent, it is your responsibility to share it with your children, if you are a husband, it is your responsibility to share it with your wife (and vice versa), if you are an employee, it is your responsibility to share it with your coworkers, if you have neighbors, it is your responsibility to share the gospel with them, etc. You get the point, if you are a child of God, it is your responsibility to sow the seed of God’s word wherever you go and with whomever you encounter.

A city has a hierarchy and structure (The City on the Hill, Matthew 5:14-16) We live in rural West Virginia and when you are driving along on our winding roads it is not unusual to see a sign marking a community with this word written at the bottom of the sign, “unincorporated.” This simply means that the community does not have a municipal structure in place to govern their community such as a mayor, city council, police force, etc. They are still governed by county and state regulations and laws, but all citizens are on a level playing field when it comes to government hierarchy. A lot of people in the church want to live in the Body of Christ like they would live in an unincorporated community, with a since that all is equal only that is not the way God’s Kingdom works. God’s Kingdom is one of structure, organization, and leadership appointment from heaven not the voting booth. We must be able to willingly to submit to those whom God has given spiritual authority over us in our lives. Instead of respecting and honoring those in church authority many simply choose to challenge, ignore, or abandon those God has placed over them. When things do not go their way, they get angry, try to stir up a revolt, or simply leave the congregation all together. For any city to function effectively and efficient there must be structure and order within its borders, and this is no different in the church. We must understand submitting to those in authority does not mean we are of less importance or of lower standing it means that this is the role God has chosen for us at this moment in our life. Will we be obedient and respectful when an elder lovingly challenges us or will we be offended and outraged their audacity. God’s kingdom does not work like our world, you do not receive social status by the title that you hold, you receive status upgrades by how obedient you are to God’s plan for your life. There is nothing wrong with serving others, being corrected in love, or not getting to set in the front pew; the problem is how our ego’s respond to and respect to the established authority of God’s church.

Sin makes us dirty. Sin takes away our purity and gives us debt. It is a debt that we can not pay. Jesus paid that debt for us on a cross where he became the ransom for us. He paid the debt by the shedding of his blood. Today we talk about the shedding of his blood and how it is the only way to make us clean. Hebrews 9:11-15: “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

Lead others to glorify God (The City on the Hill, Matthew 5:14-16) Can you think of someone in your life who inspires you to be a better person, maybe to be healthier, or even kick a bad habit? Maybe it is someone in your family, a member of your community, a celebrity, or just someone you have seen on your favorite social media platform. Their energy seems to be contagious, their personality draws them to you, and their story is so compelling that it motivates and moves others to better themselves. Hopefully, everyone has someone in their life that has impacted them on this level, but did you know that this is the exact type of individual that every follower of Jesus Christ should be. Matthew 5:16 says that as believers we should live our lives in a manner that when those around us see how much we love our God that it leads them to glorify God. Our good works cause us to receive no praise or accolades but instead causes others to realize there is a higher power and purpose in and on this earth. Our lives should constantly be pointing others toward a relationship with Jesus Christ and an expansion of His Kingdom on this earth. This is our purpose as believers in and disciples of Jesus Christ, to lead others into a relationship with the creator of the heavens and the earth. We are not just part of a congregation, church, or religion, we are eternal citizens of the kingdom of heaven acting as ambassadors on this earth. No one likes to be under the microscope by those around them but as Christians we must embrace the fact that this is the life God has called us to live. Our interactions with the world around us are not just cordial or casual encounters they are opportunities for us to lead others into a relationship with Jesus Christ. We should be the ones who have the contagious personality, we should be the charismatic one’s people are drawn to, and our story should be so inspirational and compelling that it moves others around us to glorify God. Are you living this type of lifestyle? I try but I know I can do better, and I am going to better because I know that it is what God desires for all His children.

A Congregational approach (The City on the Hill, Matthew 5:14-16) One of the prettiest times of the year in our region is Christmas time, it seems like everyone likes to decorate with beautiful bright lights. Our local park has what they call “Christmas in the park” and it is basically a drive through light show with displays everywhere you look. If you take the time to get out of your car and walk up to the displays, you will notice that they are made up of hundreds if not thousands of individual lights. Now one of these lights on their own would not make much of a light show but when they all light up in unity they produce beautiful artwork that draws crowds to view them. I see Jesus’ use of the city on the hill analogy in the same way I do the Christmas lights in the park. A single light will produce some light but nothing like the light produced when many lights come together unity. The body of Christ has responsibility of placing their individual light on the nightstand before the world, but it also has the responsibility of coming together and become a city of lights shining for Jesus. When the church is unified and working together the light for Christ is magnified to this world and when we are not the light is dimmed and we looked ununified. Before Jesus left this earth He prayed for the church and that we may be unified as the He and the Father was unified. When the church is at odds with each other, not cooperating with each other, or talking about each other the world does not see the light of Christ they see a chaotic mess. People would not drive to the park to see a bunch of random individual lights illuminated but they will for a cohesive unified grouping of lights that is beautiful. Just like the park has many individual displays of lights the body of Christ has many as well. Some a bigger than others, some are different colors, and some are brighter than others, but all have the same theme, celebrating Christmas. Our individual churches are the same, we do not all look the same, but we should all be pointing others to Jesus Christ. Unification does not mean that we all go the same building and worship the same way it means that we all have the same focus, showing the light of Jesus Christ to this world and growing His kingdom.

You are to be above the drama (The City on the Hill, Matthew 5:14-16) As Jesus uses the analogy of His church being like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden, I cannot help but imagining a city setting up on a mountain with rock cliffs all around it. The city is protected and elevated to the point that they know everything is okay and they do not have to worry much about what is going on around them at the foot of the hill. It is not that the city does not care about what is happening around them, it is just that they know that whatever is going on around them is not going to affect them in the long run. They may have to deal with some temporary inconveniences with what is going on around them, but they know it will soon end and everything will be taken care of. As the church we live our life like the city on the hill, above the drama, knowing that everything is temporary and will end up in our favor. This does not mean that we ignore what is going on around us or that we do not try to help or make positive changes; it simply means that we focus on where we are going and not what we are going through. Our goal is to be the light of Christ to this world by reflecting His love, character, and compassion on all those around us. When this becomes our focus, we are not so easily entangled in the things of this word and keep our attention on the heavenly and spiritual aspects of our life. 2 Timothy 2:4 says that a soldier does not become entangled in civilian affairs because they are focused on their mission at hand. When we seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) we realize the petty things and drama of this life do not really matter in the long run. We are not as easily offended by those around us, and we realize that we are not at odds with those around us as much as we are with the demonic spiritual realm that has waged war against our Creator (Ephesians 6:12). We realize that our opinion being known is not as important as God’s love and His gospel being shared with the world around us. A city on the hill is above the drama because they know their future is bright and the church of Jesus Christ should be the same because our future is not only bright, but also eternally blissful.

Matthew 5:14-16

God doesn't need our help or opinion, with this being true why does he want us involved in what He is doing?

The truth is destined to be revealed. (The Lamp Stand Mark 4:21-25) Shawnna and I have a friend who used to have a saying she liked to use, she would say, “The truth will stand when the world is on fire.” She would say this with the reasoning that people can say what they want to and believe what they want to, but it does not change the Truth and that fact it will always stand. It does not matter what the media says the truth will always stand, it does not matter what your piers say the truth will stand, and it matter what textbooks and scholars say the truth will stand. It may seem like there are times in our lives where the truth has been replaced but stand firm in knowing that truth is eternal and there is nothing anyone can do to change that. God has ordained and breathed truth into this world and no one or no thing can change its existence. When we elevate the light of God’s truth in our life, we are showing the world that not everyone has abandoned or strayed from the truth. Scripture is clear that one day every individual will stand before God (Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10-11) and the truth will be revealed to them. At this point they will either realize that they have been deceived their entire life and based their existence on lies from the pits of Hell or that they have firmly placed their faith in the Truth. There will be no question on this day what the Truth is or who is the giver of Truth. As followers of Christ our job is to take the light (truth) given us and share it with a world that many times does not want to hear it, does not respect it, and most certainly does not believe it. This cannot deter us from being carriers of the truth every where we go and with everyone they encounter. The truth will stand in the face of all odds, the truth will stand when the world is on fire.

They was ready to burn instead of bow to their demands, be eaten by lions instead of obeying their religious rules. Has the modern church gotten to soft and bows to society too easily?

Those who receive will get more. (The Lamp Stand Mark 4:21-25) When I was in first grade, I had some health issues, so I missed a lot of school that year. When it came time to move on to second grade my mom and dad decided to keep back in first grade because they were afraid that I missed some important information that would have me behind if I moved forward. I am thankful that they understood that the educational process is based on building blocks if you fail to acquire certain knowledge at one level then it is near impossible to be successful at the next level. You must master the basics before you can attempt the advanced. This is very true spiritually as well and is essentially what Jesus is saying in verse 25 when he says, “he who has will be given more, and whoever does not have will lose what they have. He is saying that to those who seek out the truth and let it change them will receive a greater understanding of the things of God and those who do not, will always be lost. When God illuminates truth in our lives, we must grab a hold of it and never let it go. Hebrews 11:6 says that God is a rewarded of those who diligently seek him, and we cannot be afraid to forsake all to grasp the truths of God’s Kingdom. Jesus echoed this throughout his entire ministry as he would speak in parables to large crowds and then those who stuck around and sought more knowledge received an in-depth explanation of the parable. But those who just walked away and did not seek the light simply missed out on everything. Our ministry is constantly encouraging everyone to do these 4 things daily to ensure that you are always growing closer to God. Encounter God, Exalt God, edify yourself by reading the word of God, and Engage this world for Jesus Christ. Do not settle for surface knowledge, dig deep into the truths of God’s Kingdom, and make your relationship with God the most important thing in your life.

How do you receive the light? (The Lamp Stand Mark 4:21-25) Have you ever been around someone who is going to do things their way no matter what? There may be a better way to do it, but you can forget mentioning it to them because they are going to do it the way they want to do it. You can say that they are stubborn, just set in their ways, or just downright difficult but any way you put it they are will not receive good council when it is offered. They have already made up their mind and there is nothing that anyone is going to say or do to change their opinion. Everyone reading this blog is probably thinking of someone in their present or past that meets this description, but rarely do they think of themselves in this light when they reject truths in their own life. God’s word was given to us to show us the right path that would lead us into eternal security yet many simply refuse to change their ways and embrace the truth. In verse 24 when Jesus said that we should be very careful what you do with the truth He was saying, are you going to ignore it or apply it to your life? Are you going to be like the stubborn co-worker who is going to always do it their way are you going to let the Truth set you free? When we run into the light (Truth) are we going to let it hurt our feelings or are we going to allow it to transform us? When the light reveals that something in our life is not right are we going to get mad at the Light and heap abuse on it or make the hard decision and put our life in line with the Truth. The light is not meant to offend or ridicule anyone, it is meant to open your eyes and lead you on a path to freedom. How we respond to the light when it appears in our life will determine whether we spend eternity in the arms of a loving Savior or eternal separation from God in Hell.

When we elevate the light, we expose darkness. (The Lamp Stand Mark 4:21-25) Living in a rural community one of the things that you get used to is that severe weather always puts the electrical grid in danger. In the summer when you have a big thunderstorm you are always on edge on whether you are going to lose power or not and, in the winter, a snowstorm gives you that same opportunity. One time we were in the middle of a power outage and the sun had begun to set so we were going to need some light. We got the battery powered lantern from the basement and turned it on and sat it in the living room floor, it gave some light, and everyone was comfortable, but someone got the idea to hang the lantern from the ceiling fan. Suddenly, the dimly light room was completely illuminated, and everyone was seeing clearing. It was the same light, on the same setting but by elevating it to a higher status it eliminated the darkness in the room. We must realize as God’s people that the way we treat His Truths will determine the impact they have on the world around us. When we truly elevate God’s Word (truth) in our lives and put it in the place it belongs as our guiding light, then we expose the darkness around us. This is not the popular thing to do because it is going to cause controversy and conflict all around us. It not only exposes the darkness in the world around us, but it also exposes the darkness within ourselves and causes decisions to be made. If we elevate the light where it should be then we must make changes in our life. We cannot keep watching the same things we were watching, we cannot keep some habits that we have always had, we cannot hang out in the same places we are used to hanging out, and we cannot be as close with certain people as we used to be. When the light is elevated then the darkness must flee from our lives, and it should show those around us the light as well. Light and darkness never mingle, and light is never pleasant to the darkness as it always flees in its presence. Darkness hates being exposed but if we are elevating the light of God there is nothing it can do but flee in its presence.

What are we Elevating in our life? (The Lamp Stand Mark 4:21-25) Everyone has priorities in life whether they want to admit it or not, there are certain things they give priority over others in their life. The old timers used to live by the motto of God, Family, and Country; meaning this is the way they prioritized their daily decisions. Things of God first, then take care of the family, and then make sure they are being productive members of society. It is sad to say but our society has sharply swung to a mentality of me first and everything else second. Selfish ambition has filled the hearts of most as they seek to take care of themselves and their interests above all else. In verse 24 of our parable Jesus warns those He is speaking to be careful with what spiritual truths they are hearing. He says that the seriousness of how they take it will determine the blessing that they receive from hearing it. In other words, exalting the truths of God’s words in one’s life will mean that an individual will receive blessings from above. Our society has tried its absolute best to rip the truth of God’s Word from every facet of public life. We have removed it from schools, public buildings, and the moral deprivation of our society shows it has been removed from the hearts of most. As believers, we are to take the light of God and share it with the world around us, we are to lift it high and illuminate our surrounding. We must esteem it, value it, and carry it will pride and honor. If we take the words of God seriously then we know that they hold the key to unlocking the door of eternal life for all who accept them. The church must get back to elevating the proper things in their life so the world around us can be illuminated, as Matthew 6:33 says we must first seek the kingdom of God in our lives. This is not going to be the easy path, it is not going to be the most popular path, but it is the path that we must follow if we are true followers of Jesus Christ.