View Related
BECOME A SHINING LIGHT.
Have you noticed how often the word “Shining” appears in the Bible and also in hymns and gospel songs? In the Old Testament in Numbers 6:25 we have that lovely blessing which is often read out at the end of a church service. “The Lord bless thee and keep thee, the Lord make His face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto the, the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon thee and give thee peace.” In the New Testament Mathew 5:16 Jesus tells His disciples “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” There are also two very popular children’s hymns which include the word shine. The first one “Jesus wants me for a sunbeam to shine for Him each day” was written by a Sunday school teacher named Nellie Talbot. Thinking about how the sunlight brightens a dark world she wrote the song to tell children that their lives could also brighten a dark world. Then there is Susan Warner, the well- known author of “The Wide, Wide, World” who wrote another gospel hymn for children called “Jesus bids us shine.”
One of today’s most popular hymns is “Shine, Jesus, Shine” which was written by Graham Kendrick in 1987. Another popular gospel song is “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.” It is sung all over the world and it’s message is to let your caring spirit (your good works) come out for the world to see. Let God’s light shine through you.
So what exactly are all these songs, hymns and verses trying to tell us. The dictionary defines “shine” as emitting a light, reflecting brightness from elsewhere. So the Bible is telling us that we must in our own lives reflect the glory of God and His goodness. We must become a shining example of what it is like to be a follower of God, a follower of the teachings of Jesus and we must inspire others to be like us. How can we do this? Well we can let our light shine through our words and deeds. You can brighten someone’s day by paying them a compliment, give them a word of praise, something they can hug to their heart and remember in sad times. There are plenty of kind deeds like this you can do to those who are alone in the world and perhaps lonely. Let us show them our God by our life and actions. There is enough pain, hurt and evil in the world today. Let us be the light in the darkness that will inspire and help others.
Jesus often referred to Himself as “The Light of the World” and speaking to those gathered for the Sermon on the Mount He said to them “You are the Light of the World.” Jesus came to us as a messenger from God and now He is sending us out to also be messengers for God. We must try to keep our light shining all through our life and when the time comes for us to leave this world let us try to leave the light of our presence still on to inspire others.
So come on Spiritualists. Let us “Shine our beliefs” out into the world. Let us tell the world that that there is no death and that we are going to live forever. That death is just a stepping through a door into the next world where those we love are waiting for us. Tell the world that we worship a God of love and mercy for sinners and not a vengeful deity who required a human sacrifice before He will admit us into His heavenly kingdom. We worship a God who does not favour one system of religious belief over another, who does not favour one race over another, and who does not favour one species of His creation over another. How awful to belong to a religion which tells you that animals have no souls and therefore will not survive death. To be told that you will never again see your beloved dog, cat or other pet. I have attended enough Spiritualists services to know that animals do indeed go to the next world just like us. This is another truth we can “shine” to the world.
Remember we are the only religion which can prove what we preach. We do not tell others that they have to have to have faith or that they have to believe. We can say WE KNOW.
I am offering a free copy of my paperback book “Why I am a Spiritualist” to anyone interested. Please contact me by email
[email protected]
Post Article:
Submit Your Own Article