Tag Archives: Jesus

November 13, 2013 · 6:28 AM

Dream Bigger

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One of my favorite things to do in Haiti is to go to the Roboto feeding center. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and Roboto is one of the poorest areas in Haiti. The further we drove into Roboto, the poorer it got. Paved streets turned into rocks covered in trash. The few buildings that are made of wood lean to the side a bit. The rest are made with rusty tin that has rusted through in many places. People sitting on their porches don’t smile and nothing is done to upkeep the area as if it’s too far gone.

When we arrived to our destination I was shocked at how improved our feeding center was since April. Teams have used paving stones to line ground on the property. The width of the property has increased and a second building has been added. The sound of children learning filled the air. As we walked to the back of the property that backs up to the ocean, we passed several classrooms filled with children in blue and white uniforms. They smiled and waved as we walked through getting a tour and tried to process what we were seeing. Over the fence at the back of the property is a beach that is covered by trash and looks more like a landfill. Fisherman were ashore in their boats cleaning their nets and the smell was nearly overwhelming.

As we broke into our assigned teams, we quickly began to work. The guys began to add swings to the swing set and to make repairs on it. The kids in the classrooms stared at us smiling and waving. They couldn’t wait until recess. When it was time for it, every swing quickly filled up. While we were doing that, the ladies were up front painting the entrance, front wall and principal’s office. The wall outside was painted a stark white and was accented by painting the gates bright green. We chose green because it represents new life and hope which is what we hope to bring.

As the morning continued, it came time for lunch. The truck arrived with three five gallon buckets of rice and one bucket halfway filled with macaroni noodles in a brown sauce. Team members grabbed plates and started putting rice on them. Others grabbed the plates and poured some of the macaroni and sauce on them. Others delivered the food to the classes. Others picked up empty dishes and returned them to fill with food again for other children. Each child waits patiently for their food. For most of these kids, this will be the only meal they get. Their parents are so poor, they can’t afford to feed them. What was just a feeding center in the beginning has evolved into an education center to those who would have no education otherwise. We also share God’s love with them and hope to make spiritual change there as well as the future of Roboto.

After lunch, we got to come back to the guest house to clean up a bit and grab something to eat. After lunch, we went to the orphanage in Gonaives. As we sat outside the gate and heard the story of how Coreluv became involved with this orphanage, the sound of children grew louder on the other side. When the gate was opened, the children came rushing out like water on rocks. They bounced from person to person looking at our faces as if to determine who they wanted to fall in love with them. You don’t choose the orphan you get to love, they choose you. They make you feel special because you are the one that they want to have hold them.

We did crafts with them, brought books for them and played games for hours. The staff got a much needed break and took the opportunity to rest. The sound of laughter filled the house. These children aren’t the sad ones on commercials begging for your money. They live in similar conditions, but they’re happy and well cared for. As a monthly contributor, I don’t sponsor just one child. My money goes into everything we’re doing on this trip. I get to see my giving in action and making a difference not just for the orphans, but for the whole community.

At the end of a long, tiring day our muscles were worn out, our emotions were drained and our minds had tried to comprehend what all we saw. We still walked out on that balcony to meet Jesus and to worship Him for giving us the opportunity to serve and to be His hands and feet. We heard from II Kings 4:1-7 and were asked what all miracles we saw in that chapter. One person said it best when he said the widow was challenged to dream big. God will fill as many vessels as you bring Him. The only limitations He has are the amount that you bring Him and allow Him to fill. After yesterday, our dreams just got bigger.

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November 12, 2013 · 6:25 AM

Bringing Hope to Haiti

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Day two in Haiti started off at Faith, Hope, Love orphanage and infant rescue center. When we arrived, most of the kids had already left for school. The few that remained touched my heart. One child had hydrocephalus, another had lymphoma in his eyes and the other had brittle bone disease. As I saw the little girl with this bone disease laying in her crib, my heart broke. She was so thin and frail. She had no strength to move. As the others walked on to see the rest of the orphanage, I stayed behind to pray for her.

She reminded me of my spiritual state. I was helpless without Christ. I had no strength without Him. He had to come into my life to give me the strength I needed to survive. It was He who pulled me from my broken state where I couldn’t stand, lifted me up and provided the strength to move. It is with proper nutrition that both she and I have a chance. Mine comes from God’s Word and spending time with Him daily. Without that, I would die spiritually. For her, a doctor called yesterday and agreed to give her a feeding tube so we can get her the nutrition that she would die without.

After we left there, we drove out of Port au Prince to the site of the mass grave for all who died in the earthquake of 2010. As we stood on this field, we were reminded of that tragic time in this country when over 100,000 died in one day. We heard stories of bodies being drug into the streets. Trucks would come and get a load of bodies and dump them in this field. Other trucks would come take rubble to the site and pile it on top of them. They did this for days. It was a grim reminder of what had happened. One of the team members asked me, “Could you imagine the memorial in America if 100,000 died in one event? Think of what we did for 9/11 for 3,000.” Here, because of poverty, they just dumped in a field and covered them.

We left there and began our long, bumpy trip to Gonaives. We rode in the back of the truck, sitting on our luggage, enjoying the beautiful Haitian country side. Mountains. Farms. Broken roads. Check points. Markets. They were all on our path. The sites, sounds and smells make this ride so memorable. Where we would place multimillion dollar homes with a view, they have piecemeal shacks with rusted tin roofs not even facing the ocean. What a stark contrast of cultures between theirs and ours. The average Haitian makes in a week, less than most of us make in an hour.

Once we arrived in Gonaives, we unloaded our bags at the guest house, said hello to familiar friends who live here and headed out to Myan where we are building an orphanage. As we drove down the long dirt road and went side to side looking for a smooth surface (which didn’t exist), people cheered and waved. We weren’t just building an orphanage in this rural community, we were bringing hope. The well that was completed yesterday will keep this community from having to walk six miles with a 5 gallon bucket to fetch clean water. The gardens we will plant will supply nutritious food. The orphans will hear about Jesus and change the spiritual landscape of this community. What we are building with concrete and mortar is creating hope.

As we exited the truck, kids came running out of no where. Dirty, half naked and smiling they came and held our hands. They walked us up Prayer Mountain and listened as we shared the vision of this property with our team. They sat in our laps as we prayed over them, their community and the future possibilities of this orphanage. When we finished, the kids sang “This is the Day That The Lord Has Made” in their native Creole. They were singing a song about a God they had never known before we arrived last year.

When they finished singing, the kids instinctively grabbed us by our hands and led us to the orphanage. There were chains of 5 or 6 people long as we made our way down the hill and through the gates. The men at the site worked until there was no more daylight. We checked the well to see how deep the water was and to get a sample. We toured the unfinished buildings and made a plan for how we could help. We told them to come back on Thursday for medical treatment and check ups. We danced and played with the kids before we had to leave. We arrived back at our house in time for a typical Haitian meal, had a church service on our balcony and went to bed. Our hearts are full and the work is just beginning.

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November 11, 2013 · 5:21 AM

Expectations

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I used to have a friend who was an Army Ranger. He was proud of the fact that in any war they were “the first in and last out.” They would go in when there was no back up and then provide back up for those who would come in after them. They were on the front lines. The ones who would go where no one else would when no one else would go. I loved hearing his stories. They fascinated me. I then realized that as Christians we have the same call as Rangers. We are called to be on the front lines in this world. We are the ones who should be the standard bearers leading the way to God.

This week, I’m getting the opportunity to be on the front lines in Haiti. We’ve got a team here who has come with the purpose of defending the orphan according to Isaiah 1:17. Last night, after a very long day of travel, we met on the balcony of the guest house in Port au Prince and discussed what our expectations of this trip were. One by one, each person shared why they came and what they hoped God would do. For some, they were following a dream that God had placed in them since they were children, others had been trying to come and this was the first open door, some had come hoping for direction and others had no expectations and were open to what God wanted to do.

There’s something about sitting around a circle with other believers from all walks of life and sharing what you expect God to do. Each of us have some expectations of God, but we rarely put them into words. We expect God for healing, protection and to be our provider. We expect Him to be there when we call out in prayer or fall down and need help. But what do we expect Him to do today? Where do you expect Him to show up in your 8-5 day and make a difference? Where do you expect Him to use you? Are you giving Him the opportunity to use you to accomplish His expectations?

This is now my second trip to Haiti. I know what to expect from the trip and know there will be unexpected things. I know how a God can move here and at home. My expectations are different this time around because I’ve been here. They’re more focused now. Each time I come back I know that my expectations will continue to be more concentrated and focused. I don’t know what to expect when I get back to the States though. Each time I leave the country for missions, I leave a piece of my heart behind and return with a bigger heart somehow. My life changes every time I follow the Great Commission to go.

It’s out here on the frontline where I feel most at home. It’s where I feel and experience God in a way like no other. It’s where I not only have expectations of God, but He reveals His expectations of me. I wonder how much of His expectations of me I miss in the U.S. because I fail to have expectations of Him. What if I lived my life full of expectation of God in my every day life? How would things change? How much more could God use me? How much more often would He meet me? How much more real would He be in my day to day life? How would my country change? It all starts with a simple daily expectation of God. Take time each day to let God know your expectations of Him and I’m sure He’ll let you know His expectations of you. I promise you it will be life changing.

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November 8, 2013 · 7:46 AM

Free From Self Criticism

It’s Free Friday! What are you going to be free from today? The choice is yours to let it go. To celebrate Free Friday, I’m giving away a free copy of Steven Furtick’s book “Greater”. Keep reading to find out how to enter.

Most of the time, I’m my own worst enemy. Certainly I’m my own worst critic. I see and know all my flaws better than anyone. I do my best to cover them up so no one else sees them, but I know they’re still there. I use them as excuses to keep myself from doing greater things. I allow them to hold me back from who I was created to be. When I look in the mirror, they stare back at me and remind me that I’m a deeply flawed individual and am incapable of doing the things that I’m called to do. This cycle of self doubt perpetuates itself in my mind to the point that it blocks out the call from God.

Moses felt the same way. I always read the early chapters of Exodus and though he was making excuses as to why God couldn’t use him. In reality, I think it was self doubt and self criticism that was rearing it’s ugly head. When God asked him to do something greater, those insecurities and flaws that he saw in his own life reminded him of his inabilities. I don’t think he was trying to make excuses to get out of doing what God called him to, but rather he was telling God, “You’ve go the wrong person. I have so many flaws. How could you possibly use me? Remember how bad I messed up before?”

Whatever our flaws are and no matter how bad our past is, we can’t let the enemy use those to keep us from being and doing something great. Steven Furtick refers to this side of him as his “lesser loser life”. He said in chapter 2 of the book “Greater”, “I find over and over again that my greatest enemy of the greater life God has for me is…me.” Each one of us have this voice in our head that constantly tells us, “You can’t. You’re not enough. God can’t use you.” On and on it goes with all the things that are wrong with you. Relentlessly it attacks your mind to get you to believe that you’re not enough.

Today, it’s time to free yourself of that voice. You are God’s unique creation and were designed by Him to be great and to do greater things. The way I combat that voice is with scripture and by claiming who I am in Christ. When it says I can’t, I tell it, “I can do all things through Christ.” When it says God can’t use me because of my past, I say, “I’ve been forgive, it’s been forgotten and I’ve been redeemed.” When it says that no one will listen, I say, “I’m just the messenger. The message is His. My job is to speak it and His job is to open ears and minds.” I focus on what I can do and not what I can’t. I recognize what is my responsibility and what is God’s. He doesn’t ask me to do what only He can do. He asks me to do what only I can do.

What does that voice say to you that keeps you from being great? It’s time to set yourself free and what better day than Friday! Don’t listen to it. Shut it up and replace it with who God says you are. You are more than enough to do what God asks of you. You can and will do greater things through Christ. Don’t let your flaws become an excuse. Instead let God use them for His glory in a way that only He can do. God doesn’t make mistakes. Your life, your past and your flaws are not mistakes, but rather they are the exact things God needs in your life to accomplish what only you can do. It’s time to free yourself from self criticism and to do greater things.

To win Steven Furtick’s book “Greater”, simply go to my Facebook page and share any of today’s statuses. Everyone who shares a Facebook status by 11:59 PM, November 8th, 2013, will be entered into a drawing to win this life changing book. I’ll draw a name tomorrow, November 9th, and post the winner on my Facebook page.

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November 7, 2013 · 7:52 AM

American Night in Cairo

I’ve been reminded twice this week about what I called “American Night in Cairo”. When I lived in Egypt, there were days were I longed to be back in the States and I would remember everything great about the U.S. On those days, I would put a cassette tape in my jam box that my parents recorded from my favorite station at home and listen to the music, DJ chatter, news, traffic and weather. I’d cook hotdogs that someone brought me, open a can of chili and drink a Dr. Pepper that a friend got from the commissary. After that, I’d put in a VHS tape into the VCR, sit on the couch and what “Friends” and other shows from “Must See TV” with commercials and all. For a moment, it was like I was back in my natural habitat.

The truth was, Egypt was my new home. I fell in love with Arabic, the pyramids, eating who knows what from who knows where, the dust storms, the horns honking, sailing down the Nile and everything else that was special about living there. I was so caught up in looking back to my old life that I almost missed the new one. I longed for days that had passed and my memory amplified how great things were because they weren’t right in front of me. It got to be all I thought about until I really embraced Egypt.

I heard the first part of Romans 6 last night from The Message Bible and it paralleled with those nights in Egypt. It says, “If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace – a new life in a new land!” I find myself, even now, looking back on my old life, the one where I didn’t follow God’s ways, and remembering it with fondness.

I don’t think it’s bad to remember the good times I had, but when I start longing for them again, it distracts from my new life in Christ. I start missing out on what God has for me in this new land. I can’t allow what used to be to dominate my present thoughts and to create a homesickness for what once was. Since we’re born into sin, that lifestyle is “home” to our flesh. Our mind and body want to go back there, but our spirit, who is given to us from God, desires the new land. It creates a battle inside. That battle stunts our growth, stagnates our walk and keeps us from seeing all the blessings of the new life.

It wasn’t until I quit having “American Night in Cairo” that I began to see the beauty of my new home. I had missed out on so much because I was always dreaming of what used to be. What is your “American Night in Cairo” that keeps drawing you back to your old life? God has called you to live a new life in a new land. Don’t spend your time in this new life dreaming of days gone by. Thank God you’re forgiven, listen to the deepest part of your spirit as it calls you to love this new life and follow after it. You live in a country of grace now. You have a new life in a new land, embrace it.

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November 6, 2013 · 8:06 AM

Face to Face With God

After Moses came down from the mountainside with the Ten Commandments, he continued to meet with God in the Tabernacle. Exodus 33 says that when Moses would go into the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would stand at the door of their tents and watch. Once he entered, the pillar of cloud would come down over the entrance of the tent and the people would bow. What happens next in verse 11 is what I love about God. It says, “And God spoke to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” God desires to have that relationship with you and me. One where we sit down with Him, face to face and speak as friends.

That sounds so difficult to me at times. How do I sit down and talk as friends with the One who created everything I see? Who am I that He would even meet me, let alone have a conversation with me? When I think of that, my own weaknesses, insecurities and sin come to mind. They make me want to stay outside of that sacred meeting place where God comes down and meets me face to face. I’d rather be one of the people who stands at a distance and watches others go in and expose themselves completely before the God of creation. It’s such an intimate meeting that it scares me at times to enter into it.

I love that God is willing to meet each one of us just like He did with Moses. I love that He desires to be our friend, father and helper. He has the will and the desire, but it’s up to each one of us to move beyond desire and to step into that place where He can meet us like that. Notice that it was Moses who entered the Tabernacle first and then God’s presence came down. It reminds me of James 4:8. It says, “(You) Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” The first step to intimacy with God is all about us being willing to get past being so vulnerable and open with God and then taking that first step toward Him.

I also think of the Prodigal Son. His father didn’t go look for him. Instead, he had to make the decision to expose who he had been to his father and then started moving in the direction of his father. When the father saw him a long way off, he recognized him and ran towards him. The Bible shows this principle over and over again. God is waiting and looking for us to enter that place where we meet Him. He is willing to come meet us face to face. He wants to talk to us as friends and children of His, but we have to move towards Him. Our first step sets God free to come running in our direction.

What’s your first step? Is it getting over your pride and admitting you can’t do this on your own? Is it acknowledging that there is hidden sin in your life and being willing to let God shine His light on it? Is it carving out time in your already overflowing schedule to make time with Him? Whatever it is, I encourage you to take that step today. Once you take that step, momentum is of your side. God begins to move towards you and you towards Him. The distance is cut in half with each step. Before you know it, you’ll be face to face with God almighty.

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November 5, 2013 · 7:49 AM

Dismembered = Dysfunction

I was 20 when I moved out of my parents house. I didn’t just move out, I moved out of the country. I committed to a year of living in Egypt working in an English speaking church in Cairo. Looking back, it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. At the time, I struggled with homesickness, creating a whole new circle of friends, having my beliefs challenged and seeing church done in a way if had never seen it done before. Everything about that trip challenged me and pushed me to question just about everything in my life.

It was hard to deal with at the age of 20. I had grown up in one church under one pastor. I knew one way to do things. I knew one way to be a Christian. All of a sudden my world was split wide open. The church had over 10 denominations in it and had representation from over 20 countries. They used to say the church there was a microcosm of Heaven. We had to function and act as a body in order to survive. We couldn’t separate ourselves by body parts like we do here in the states. Here we go to First Fellowship of the Foot, Hands International, Eye of the Savior, the United Ears Church or Nose Community Church.

Somehow in our separation we have become what I Corinthians 12 talks about. In verse 21, Paul writes, “The eye can never say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you.’ The head can’t say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.'” Yet we look at denominations different than our own as not being Christian or not being Christian enough. I was once told by someone of another denomination, “Many are called (Christians), but only few are chosen.” He implied that every other denomination besides his was only Christian in name.

We can’t act that way. As verse 13 puts it, “We have ALL been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same spirit.” I’m not against different denominations or non-denominations. I’m against us fighting against each other and trying to build our churches with each other’s members. We focus so much on how to attract someone who is a Christian and so little on how to reach out to the lost. It’s time we cast our nets on the other side and started working together instead of against each other. Sure we have differences, but our core belief in Jesus is the same.

I think there will be some surprises when we get to Heaven and see who is there. It won’t just be your denomination. Each denomination serves a different purpose just like each member of your body serves a different purpose. Verse 22 says, “Some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.” Each of us play a vital role in reaching the lost. Each of us have a unique perspective on the Gospel. Don’t diminish other Christians who have a differing view than you. Instead, learn from each other and work together because we have a common goal: to know Him more fully and to share His love with others.

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November 4, 2013 · 8:02 AM

I Love Mondays

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Did you ever read the “Garfield” comic strips? He was famous for saying, “I hate Mondays.” That resonated with so many people. Cubicals everywhere had a picture of him with a coffee mug and that expression on it. Now the saying is all over people’s Facebook page on Mondays. It doesn’t resonate with me though. It’s not that I don’t enjoy my weekends, but Mondays to me are a fresh start. The old week is gone, the new week is here and I get new challenges. The meetings will begin shortly after I log in, the todo list will be built and the week will be set up. Now that I think about it, I kind of like Mondays.

Ok, so maybe you don’t enjoy them like I do. To me, it’s all about perspective. The attitude with which you start your day will determine how you act throughout it. Fridays seem to be more enjoyable because your starting attitude is different. There are only 8 hours standing between you and the weekend and so you have this expectancy, this hope that gets you through with a smile on your face. I believe every day should be that way. I believe the attitude I choose each morning is what determines the outcome of my day.

In the month of November, several of my friends post something they’re thankful for each and every day. They often say that November is their favorite month. Coincidence? A heart full of gratitude is one that has a positive outlook. Each morning I try to find something to be thankful for. Some days, I’m just thankful I’m breathing. Other days, there are so many blessings that it’s hard to choose from. No matter what, I’m always thankful that God’s mercy is new every morning. I’m thankful that each day is a blank slate with God. I wake up forgiven for the mistakes I made yesterday because I’ve asked for it and I don’t have to worry that God is going to hold hem against me.

If God doesn’t hold it against me after I’ve asked for forgiveness, then I need to release myself from the guilt as well. Most of the time that my attitude is wrong is because I hold myself in some kind of penance purgatory. It’s as if God’s forgiveness wasn’t enough. It’s as if it was too easy to find new mercy this morning so I have to make sure I have a bad day to make up for my sin. You can’t earn God’s grace that way! He’s already paid the price for what you did yesterday. Once it’s forgiven and He’s forgotten it, you need to release yourself to be free in His mercy.

Don’t hate today because it’s Monday. Love it because He has granted you forgiveness from your past and has new mercy for you today. Don’t hold yourself back from the potential that today holds because of something you’ve been forgiven of. Release yourself to find joy in the new day and be open to see how God can use the mistakes of your yesterdays for His glory. You have the power to wake up today (and tomorrow) and say, “Thank you, God, that your mercies are new every morning. I don’t hate today because of what it stands for. I love it because of what you’ve done for me.” Try it and see if an attitude adjustment doesn’t make Mondays or any other day better.

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November 1, 2013 · 7:40 AM

Free From Walls of Hurt

Many of you already know my story. I was blindsided ten years ago when I discovered my ex-wife having an affair. I logged into her email one morning when I was suspicious that something was wrong. What I found were emails between her and her lover. I read intimate details about their get togethers, the lies that they would tell their spouses, where and how they would meet, what they like that the other did in bed and how me and his wife didn’t measure up. Reading all those emails was one of the most painful things I’ve ever done. I kept walking away from the computer screaming out in anger and in pain. I pulled my hair to try to get the pain out of my body and onto my body.

When I offered reconciliation, forgiveness and counseling that evening, she turned me down. I only thought I had been in pain. When she replied, “What if I don’t want to?”, my heart broke even more. When she said, “I’m leaving”, I snapped. In that moment, I felt the worst pain and hurt I have ever felt in my life. It was as if someone stabbed me with a knife in the chest and pulled it straight down. I fell to my knees and began to sob. I lost all control. As she quickly packed her things, I began screaming and turning over ever picture of us in the house. I began to lash out in anger and in pain.

After that night, I couldn’t sleep for a long time. Every time I closed my eyes I would see the words of the emails and imagine them. The pain and fury would come rushing back. I quickly built up walls to shield myself from those thoughts and from ever being hurt like that again. I promised myself I would never put myself in that position again. I would never fully open up to anyone and share my innermost being where I would risk that kind of pain again. As things continued to go wrong in my life over the next six months, I built the wall brick by brick, thought by thought, promise by promise.

It wasn’t until I gave up on September 25, 2003, that I quit building the wall. Even though I had quit building it, I left it up to guard myself. I didn’t let anyone past it, not even God. I was afraid of being vulnerable. I was afraid of the pain. God spoke to me and then confirmed it through another person later. He wanted inside that wall. He wanted to heal me so I could have meaningful relationships. He wanted to bring restoration so I could build bridges with those bricks from my wall. He wanted to replace the scar tissue with tender flesh. It all came down to my choice. I had to choose to let Him come in and clean up the mess behind my wall.

Whatever has caused you to build walls in your life, God wants to bring healing. Whatever relationships have caused you to push people away, God wants to bring restoration to you. The walls you’ve built are only a facade. They don’t let you experience life, they just let you observe it. God wants to free you from your past hurt and to break down those walls in your life so you can truly live. It won’t happen over night so relax. Simply invite Him inside those walls and have the courage to ask Him to free you from them. Others need you back in their lives. Even more need to hear your story so they can find freedom from their pain.

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October 31, 2013 · 7:54 AM

Stand and Shine

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Every year at this time, I’m amazed at how many Christians are scared of Halloween. They believe that in partaking in it, they are partaking in witchcraft or celebrating the devil’s holiday. I get it if they don’t want to dress up and go knocking door to door asking for candy. What I don’t get is sitting at home in the dark with the lights out hoping no one comes and knocks on their door. To me, that is the opposite of what Christians should be doing. We should have the most lit up yard and offer the best candy available. We should have a table set up in our driveway and be sitting out there hoping others will come join us in conversation.

In Matthew 5, Jesus said we were to be salt and light. He didn’t tell us to run and hide. In verses 14-16 in the Message Jesus says, “Here’s another way to put it: you’re here to be light, bringing out God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand – shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in Heaven.”

Jesus said to keep an open house and to be generous with your lives. He didn’t tell us to hide our light and to give in to darkness. He told us to do the opposite. If there is no light, there can only be darkness. Why would we hide our light on a day where it is needed most? To me, that is falling into the enemy’s trap. He wants you to hide your light. He wants you to close your door. He doesn’t want you talking to your neighbors because they might hear you open up and talk about God. Jesus said that when you open up to others, you’ll prompt them to open up to God.

Most of us are scared to go door to door to share our faith. There may be people in your church who do it, but it’s not something most of us would ever do. We make excuses, we tell ourselves it’s ineffective, we say it’s offensive and we don’t want to push people away. Yet tonight, you don’t have to go door to door witnessing. You have people coming to your door hungry, looking for something more than candy. They’re looking for Light to see whose door to knock on. Oddly enough, the ones who bear the true light are cowering in darkness. They’re putting their light under a bucket while the lost search for light.

You don’t have to celebrate Halloween tonight. You don’t have to dress up. But I believe you are playing into the enemy’s hands and doing the opposite of what God has called you to do if you turn off your lights and hide. We are called to be salt and light. As Jesus put it in Matthew 5:13, “If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.” Don’t lose your usefulness tonight. Let God use you to build relationships with your neighbors, open up conversations and to talk to others about God. Don’t run and hide, stand and shine.

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