“—shine as lights in the world.” Philippians 2:15   D.L. Moody said,”A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine.” He was right.We got a lot of folks making a lot of noise tooting their own horn, but they draw attention to themselves rather than Christ. The vain self-promotion that is so common today is sickening. They turn the church service into a hallelujah hoe-down, but they have no concern whatsoever for holiness.   It is God’s desire that every Christian be a lighthouse to a world lost in the darkness of sin. And, just as a lighthouse loses its effectiveness if the glass is stained, we lose our usefulness when we are stained with sin.   Whether you realize it or not, your life is a testimony to those around you. What do they see when they look at you? Is your life a guide to others or has sin stained your life to the point that they can’t see Christ in you? Before you walk out the door and go about your business today, confess every known sin and determine in your heart that you will be the very best lighthouse for Christ that you can possibly be. Others are depending on you. Your witness could keep someone from a ship-wrecked life. Never under-estimate the power of a shining example. A life well lived is a powerful force for good.”Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”(Matthew 5:16).

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.–Phil. 4:4   Have you ever asked yourself, “Why am I here on earth?” or “What is my purpose in life?” Sure you have. Throughout the centuries people have wondered about this. The Westminister Catechism seeks to answer that question with these words: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” The first part of that statement,”glorify God”, doesn’t surprise anyone, but the second part,”enjoy Him forever”, raises more than a few eyebrows. Can it really be that we are obligated and able to enjoy God forever?   We hear a lot about loving God, serving God, and glorifying God, but not much about enjoying God. Sadly most people have a serious problem in this area. I’m afraid there is more pretense about this than we would like to admit. If you don’t enjoy God you have a serious problem. When the Bible says,”Rejoice in the Lord” it is imperative. It is an obligation, not an option; a command, not a suggestion. So, how are you doing? Do you really enjoy God?   To realize the importance of this think about what the joy of the Lord will do.Here is a partial list: Joy excites us, engergizes us for service, encourages others, exemplfies Christ, exalts Christ, enhances our testimony, and edifies the church. Again I say, if you don’t enjoy God you have a serious problem! If that’s the case, pray as David did,”Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation–“(Psalm 51:12). Do whatever you must, but don’t miss out on the great joy that comes from loving God and being loved by God—nothing else can equal that!

“I have chosen the way of truth; thy judgments have I laid before me.”–Psalm 119:30 “—my heart standeth in awe of thy word.”–Psalm 119:161   Do you believe the Bible? Please–no phony answers! I mean do you really believe the Bible? Do you trust it? Do you obey it? Do you truly believe that it is God’s infallible word? No other issue is more important than this. Your answer will affect the way you think, the way you feel, the things you do, and your eternal destiny!   If the Bible isn’t true we are without any sure standard of right and wrong. Have you ever thought about the ramifications of that? It puts us in a horrible situaton, where every person is free to do as they please. Imagine living in a society where people are allowed to do the most heinous and vile things that the mind can conceive. Everyone knows it shouldn’t be that way. We all know that some things are wrong. But, that is what you get when you reject the Bible as the absolute truth.   You are free to believe what you want, but you better consider the consequences. Belief affects behavior and that can be tragic when you are wrong—tragic for you and tragic for others. Being right is always best and safest. Reject the Bible if you please, but what if you are wrong? What if the Bible really is true? What if you must actually give an account of yourself to God?   For me, it is easy and logical to believe that the Bible is God’s infallible word. But I’m not asking you to believe the Bible just because I do. I’m simply asking you to honestly examine the Bible. This matter is far too important to not consider all the facts. The Bible claims to be God’s Word and it proves itself to be true.   The Bible is a book man could not have written if he would and would not have written if he could.

“Now therefore, give me this mountain , whereof the Lord spake in that day…. ” 
Joshua 14:12

What is the secret to spiritual longevity? Caleb, one of the unsung heroes of the Bible, stands as a shining example of someone who never lost his edge spiritually. He was faithful to the very end.

When he was 85 years old, Caleb said, “I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain . . . ” (Joshua 14:11-12).

But there is another statement of Caleb’s that we should take note of: “I wholly followed the Lord my God” (verse 8).

What does that tells us? To be winners in this spiritual race, we, like Caleb, must follow the Lord our God completely-not half-heartedly, but fully. It means giving 100 percent of ourselves to God.

When Caleb said, “Give me this mountain,” it is worth noting that Hebron was one of the most treacherous, mountainous areas of the Promised Land. In fact, there were some formidable adversaries there. No one wanted to take them on-except for 85-year-old Caleb.

Caleb trusted in God’s promises. He had waited 45 years. So he said, “Give me this mountain. In fact, I have already picked out the area. I want Hebron.” People must have thought Caleb was out of his mind.

But I love Caleb’s boldness. He took the mountain. He overcame his adversaries. And he was victorious. While others looked back, Caleb looked forward.

That is an essential key to spiritual longevity. You are always moving forward. You are always seeking to grow spiritually-and never looking back. (By Greg Laurie)

“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”–Acts 5:42   I read about a man who arrived late at church and the people were already leaving. He asked an usher,”Is the service over?” The wise usher replied,”The worship is over, but the service is just beginning.” That’s a good answer!   Several years ago I placed a sign on the inside of the church door, to be seen by those leaving the building. It said—“YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE MISSION FIELD”. Sometimes we forget that. Some folks think they have discharged all their duties to God by simply attending the church service. They could not be more wrong.   Our responsibility goes far beyond the walls of the church building. It involves every area of our life. As disciples we are never off duty. We are to be salt and light wherever we go. We are to bear witness to God’s saving grace throughout the whole earth. In the gospel, we have the message that the world needs most and God expects us to deliver it.   The worship service is of great importance. It should instruct, inspire, and motivate us, but we also need to get to work! We need to take the gospel to the streets. Singing “Amazing Grace” with the saints is an awesome experience, but we need to get the message of grace to the sinners. It is not their duty to come and get it. It is our job to take it to them. It should also be our joy. What could be more thrilling than to tell others of the greatness of God’s grace?