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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
We are reading and studying in Luke Chapter 8 where Jesus is speaking about quality - reliability - perseverance - patience - in that parable of the sower which He explained and developed in detail.
In verse 16, Jesus continues to teach that the fruitful life is like a lamp. That seed which germinates and grows transforms that man into a lamp. The main purpose of a lamp is to shine - to illumine - to enlighten.
The true disciple of Jesus Christ is like a lighthouse. He gives light for other travellers along the way so that they may journey in safety, but he also warns of the dangers. Not everybody appreciates the second aspect of the lighthouse.
To hide the light which God gives us is SIN. To cover the light which we have received is wrong. To refuse to share the light which Jesus has given us, can lead to all kinds of dangers for us, as well as for people around us.
One task we have in this nation just now is to let people know that GOD IS GOD.
What does God think of abuse - all kinds of abuse - people begging - famines when He has provided 30% more food than is required - drug addiction - the church compromising His Holy Word? These - and many more areas - are areas of darkness - where He calls disciples to shine - to be lights - to speak up - to speak out - writing - challenging - confronting authority at times - entering into areas of confusion and darkness. The lamp is only useful when it is shining. A torch must have a battery.
Remembering the type of lamp to which Jesus is referring - if the lamp is going to continue to shine it must have a constant and regular supply of oil, and for us that means being filled with the Holy Spirit. If we do not take in we cannot give out. We will flicker - fade - wither - and soon go out.
v 17 One day everything will be revealed. Consider things carefully, or even that which we thought we had will be taken away.
v 19 His mother and brothers come along and cannot get near because of the crowd.
In verse 21, Jesus gives one of the most revolutionary verses in the Bible. We are told in the other Gospels that there was an occasion when His family thought He was mad - out of His mind. Jesus never rejected Mary. He honoured her right to the end, and baptised her in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
When we become believers, we enter into a new relationship with one another. We become members of the family of God, and we become committed to the family with all its needs and wants - problems - opportunities - and blessings - with all its strengths and weaknesses - with all its friendliness and all its awkward characters.
Old family relationships are not excluded, and cast aside, but others are now included. We are brothers and sisters. We may not like all the members in the family, but they are still family.
And Jesus says, "Love one another as I have loved you". Interestingly, He said that after Judas had left the room. Check it out in John Chapter 13, because many are unaware of the setting and significance of these vital words.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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