Shining Like Bright Lights

Philippians 2:14-16 

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” (ESV)

“Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless” (NLT).

Well, this is another video talk. And the verse that I got out of my little memory verse holder was in the New Living Translation, and so that is why I have two translations here instead of just one. These two translations are worded slightly different from each other, but overall they both seem to be giving the same or a very similar message.

The main message that I got from this today has to do with the spiritual condition of today’s modern market-driven churches which are often being led by charlatans and wolves in sheep’s clothing who are teaching lies (half-truths) and not the whole truth of the gospel, and so they are leading many people to follow after the lies instead of to follow after the truth.

So, we, as followers of Jesus Christ, need to be those who are living godly and holy lives so that we can shine like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. But we need to know that this world full of crooked and perverse people is now within the gatherings of what are called “churches” today. And so we need to shine as bright lights among those professing faith in Jesus Christ, too. And we need to be sharing the full truth of the gospel.

And Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to (save) our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we give up (lose) our lives of sin, and we now follow Jesus in walks of obedience to his commands, in holy living, then we have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven.

[Lu 9:23-26; Matt 7:21-23; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

Shining Like Bright Lights

Video Talk

October 21,2022

https://youtu.be/FEBsr1s2x5g

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