Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
My grandmother was a good example of letting her Christian life shine. The lives she had an influence on are still evident today even though she passed on over 20 years ago. Growing up was always Sunday morning, evening, and Wednesday nights. We would leave home and always swing by and pick up my grandmother. She was most of the time standing outside waiting for us to pick her up. She never had gotten her driver’s license and my grandfather never attended church, so she rode with us.
She was apparently the spiritual leader of her house when my dad and his brother and sister were growing up. My dad, as long as I can remember, was a deacon or elder and remains an elder today. That is not likely to have happened without Christian upbringing.
You could tell my grandmother was a Christian by her actions and hearing her talk. She was always singing hymns around the house and reading her Bible. She was on the phone with people who missed services. I spent a lot of my childhood around my grandparents and I don’t recall her saying anything bad about anyone. She had her health issues but was always happy and loved her family very much.
Later on, after Amy and I were married one Sunday morning I noticed my grandmother didn’t come in the building with mom and dad. Not long after, she came in with a smile on her face and my grandmother came in behind her. He was probably 80 years old at the time. I don’t remember him missing church on Sundays after that day. My grandfather obeyed the gospel a year or so later. I will never forget that day.
I never knew the conversations they had about his salvation, but my grandmother had always let her light shine and lived a good Christian life. She planted a lot of seeds in her life. Some took longer than others to germinate, but she had a Christian influence on a lot of folks. I guess my point in this is that we can all have influence on people by the way we live our lives. The old saying is that there is always someone watching.
I am so glad my grandfather finally became a Christian. It is my opinion today that my grandmother’s Christian example is still reaping benefits. Her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren are all Christians. I know that life is more fast-paced than it was back when my grandparents were raising a family but we still have plenty of opportunities to let our Christian light shine in all we do.
Growing up, my dad was incredible at just about everything. The only thing he was bad at was answering questions about school. We would get confused by a math problem and if mom wasn’t around to help us we would be forced to ask dad. It would be a simple problem like 17-9, and dad would spend 45 minutes explaining theories and ideas and fill a whole whiteboard with symbols and numbers and paragraphs. I would always be more confused afterwards than I was before.
There is a question that will always be present in the mind of a Christian. It is a question that, even when answered, doesn’t seem to make sense. That question is, “Why did God save me?” When we step back and look at who God is, and who we are, why on earth would God still love us? There’s no denying the sin and darkness that is in the world, and there’s no denying that even as God’s children, we mess up and do the things we shouldn’t. A perfect creator chose to save each one of us that wears the name “Christian.” WHY?
God did everything out of love. A love that was perfect and sacrificial. A love that we did not deserve. But He loved us enough to sacrifice Himself so that we could be saved. God saved us because He wanted His creation to experience an eternity in heaven. The only reason we are able to be worshipping and wearing the title “children of God” is because God chose to love us.
But there is more to our salvation. God in His word tells us why He chose to save us. It has been said that, “Every right implies a responsibility, every opportunity implies an obligation, and every possession implies a duty.”
When we made the decision to put Christ on in baptism we accepted and acknowledged the responsibilities that came with our relationship with God. As children of God we have now been called to live a life of service to Him. By obeying the plan of salvation, we are saying that God is now our master.
1 Thessalonians 1:9 tells us that Christians are those who have “turned from idols to serve the one true God.” We have rejected our old way of living. Now we submit to God in everything.
Why did God save me? So that I can glorify Him with my life.
Carl, around his seventh birthday, probably getting a break from school.
Kathy’s article two weeks ago really got me thinking. Since I’ve leaving home I’ve frequently thought, “I wish I knew this when I was younger.” I know this is something everyone’s experienced! While it’s nice to have the knowledge, it’s quite frustrating. I could have saved myself from so much heartache, embarrassment, anger, regret and pain.
Sometimes I feel like I don’t have any wisdom to offer since I’m still in my early 20’s and I’m not a mom (unless you consider Bear to be my child, because I do #dogmom). But I’ve often thought about things I wish I knew growing up and about what I could’ve done differently.
Here’s what I would tell myself:
Your parents are more than likely trying their best. I am ashamed to say that I was maybe 20 when I realized that my parents are people, too. They have…
By Kathy Pollard Neal and I became official empty nesters in late June 2018. I knew it would take time to adjust to the new norm. I anticipated moments of sadness because it all went by way too fast. And I had already been warned that you never stop worrying about your kids. What I […]
Perhaps we have never seen a more dramatic rise in depression and related mental health issues than we are seeing right now. What encouragement can we give for those who struggle? Paul, in 2 Corinthians 7, has some practical help. If you find this useful, please like and share. Thank you for watching “Light Of The World.”
This debuted, 3/28/21, on WNKY, NBC 40, Bowling Green, KY
The Lehman Avenue church of Christ hosts a TV program every Sunday at 10:30 AM on NBC. Light Of The World is attempting to share simple, New Testament Christianity. Will you help us get the word out? We’d love for you to take the time to view, like, and share each episode as it debuts on Light Of The World‘s YouTube channel and help us as we attempt to glorify Christ. Thank you!
• Pews. We’re going to be safe and careful, but let’s encourage EVERY member to come and every friend, family, schoolmates and coworkers to come, too.
•Heart. With a desire to learn and grow, to please God, to help this seminar to succeed, to strengthen the church, etc.
•Head. With a knowledge of God’s Word, especially the book of Mark. Fill it with an appreciation of God’s mission and will.
•Social Media Platforms. The more we mention this seminar, the more who will know about it and more opportunities for people to consider attending.
•Void. So many are unsettled, depressed, aimless, afraid, worried, and anxious. Only one solution exists. The solution is Jesus and Jesus will be proclaimed throughout our “Fill The Void” seminar this upcoming week.
We get started Sunday morning at 9:30 AM. Six sessions this week. Let’s fill each other with encouragement by supporting this seminar. See you there!
I occasionally hear the statement, “It sounded like something biblical.” It’s usually said after coming across archaic English, but that’s a topic for later. There are quite a few words even in modern translations that we don’t use outside of a worship setting.
This is partially because the bible wasn’t written in English. Attempting to convey meaning from dead languages to modern, evolving languages is a daunting task. Some translators choose to use obsolete or traditional words for various reasons. Most bible versions include a section in the preface that explains the translator’s reasoning.
We’re going to look at some of these words a little closer. Today’s word is “glory” (as used in the New Testament). We’re familiar with the word, but its meaning in some contexts in scripture is not what we’re used to. Glory (δόξα) can be understood in some of the following ways (BDAG used as a reference and this list is far from exhaustive):
Paul used it to describe variations in the brightness of stars (I Cor. 15.40ff).
It is used to describe otherworldly experiences or beings, especially if they are bright or very powerful (examples in Luke 2.9, John 2.11, Rev. 15.8, 21.23).
A faithful Christian’s experience in the next life is superior to how it is now. Our new bodies will be awesome (I Cor. 15.43, Phil. 3.21).
A faithful Christian will get recognition and celebration for making it (II Cor. 4.17, I Pet. 1.7).
Glory can mean a lot of things, and looking at context can be helpful in figuring out what that’s supposed to be. It’s easy to pass right by the word when we’re reading, but stopping to explore its meaning is extremely beneficial! For more information on “glory” in the New Testament check out BDAG, TDNT, or Google. Since the next several articles in this blog will be informal word studies, feel free to reach out with any requests!
The first of spring is always an exciting time for many. For those of us who aren’t fans of the cold, it is such a happy feeling to be able to spend your day outside without as much as a light jacket. While I try to keep our house clean through the winter, once spring arrives, I have this strong urge to start cleaning. And thanks to the excitement of a new (warmer) season, I have the energy and motivation to do just that. While cleaning the house, I also like to get rid of things we don’t need. Throughout the years, we collect all kinds of extra “stuff.” Some necessary and important for our day to day lives, but some not so much. These extra things may have seemed to be a necessity at the time but now they just take up space. Being married to…
While walking down a country gravel road, I often notice the shiny “rocks” glimmering in the sunlight. Upon closer inspection, the mineral can bear a striking resemblance to gold. As a child, I recall becoming excited by this discovery. Blessed with a mother fostering opportunities to learn, I had a chance to put my windfall to the test. She did a little reading herself from our World Book Encyclopedias before heading to the stove with my “gold.”
My mom placed the item under inspection over our gas stove’s flame with the shiny pebble gripped in a set of scissor tongs. As the flame lapped at the material, the smell of sulfur filled the air. The gold-looking material did not melt away but turned bright red; hence, it was pyrite. More specifically, it was iron pyrite. Fire is how you test to see if something is gold or “fool’s gold.”
How do we feel knowing that we, too, are periodically placed into the tongs above the fire? Of course, I mean this metaphorically. Times of testing come, nonetheless. Peter reminds us that these occasions allow us to prove our faith. We are like that gold tested by fire. Note that salvation only follows that testing (1 Peter 1.6-9). We must recall Jesus endured the same fiery trials, yet without sin (Hebrews 2.17-18; 4.14-16). He, of course, leaves us an example to follow (1 Peter 2.21).
Yes, we must endeavor to be gold refined by the fire. If we are lukewarm, like the Laodiceans, Jesus may well advise us to buy refined gold from Him as well (Revelation 3.17-19). The Laodiceans believed themselves prosperous but had pockets full of pyrite. Jesus told them He reproved and disciplined those He loves. So, it is not just the world holding us over the fire. Sometimes we need the Lord’s chastisement to bring about our repentance.
One day we will give an account of ourselves to God (Romans 14.12). That is the ultimate test. God will be able to tell if we are gold or pyrite quickly. Those who are refined gold enter into the place He has prepared for the righteous (John 14.1-3). For those found to be pyrite, it is an unquenchable fire (Mark 9.42-48). Whether or not there is also the smell of sulfur as tradition often associates with hell, we still note that Scripture describes it as a place of darkness and the gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13.41-43). It is not where we want to spend eternity. Now is our time to be refined by the fire. Let us strive to ensure that we are Au (gold) and not FeS2 (iron pyrite).
Kathy bought me an Ancestry DNA kit for Christmas. Last week, the results came back with my “ethnicity estimate” (if you care, it’s 41% Scotland, 35% England, 11% Ireland, 6% Wales, 3% Norway, 2% Germanic Europe, and 2% Sweden). It has been even more interesting to look through the records on the ancestry site, filling in blanks on my family tree (as well as that of Kathy’s family). It’s fun to trace back as many generations as the records will reveal, as well as finding out how certain ancestors died or what they did in their lives. My 8th-great-grandfather on my maternal grandfather’s side, Isaac Perkins, born in 1676, was a sea captain in Massachusetts. My 8th-great-grandfather on my paternal grandfather’s side, John McClain, immigrated from Scotland to Virginia in the late 1600s. Almost every day, I am still finding out new details about my family. But all of us have interesting twists and turns in our family tree.
Lineage, the family line or people, was important to the Jews. From the time Abraham is promised, “And you will be the father of a multitude of nations” (Gen. 17:4), the Jews felt it essential to trace back to Abraham’s descendants through his grandson, Jacob (Israel). Twelve sons and twelve tribes, these people looked back to find out who they belonged to. Ethnic Jews are proud of their heritage and do everything they can to trace back to their tribe. In a study of God’s eternal plan of salvation, Matthew and Luke provide us Jesus’ lineage. In it, we find some very interesting people–Tamar (Mat. 1:3), Ruth (Mat. 1:5), Bathsheba “who had been the wife of Uriah” (Mat. 1:6), and notorious Manasseh (Mat. 1:10; cf. 2 Chron. 33).
Your ethnic heritage may be extremely fascinating, and you may be connected to both famous and infamous folks. But, spiritually, you find yourself in a unique heritage if you are a part of the New Testament church. It is not necessary to trace back, uninterrupted, for 2,000 years of church history and have had your physical family a part of the family of God through all that time. If you hear the gospel, believe Jesus is God’s Son, repent of your sins, and are baptized for the remission of your sins, you are a part of “the household of God” (1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 3:6; 1 Pet. 2:5; 4:17). The Father Himself adds you to His family (Acts 2:47). It matters whether or not you are part of that great heritage of faith revealed in the New Testament. What a heritage to bequeath to your children and grandchildren, too! Your obedience to the will of God can help them enjoy the benefits of this family line for eternity!
My 3rd Great-Grandfather, Steven Dudley Pollard.
His maternal Grandfather, my 5th-Great-Grandfather, Levi Walker.
The Preacher Pollard Blog 