'Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.'
Philippians 2:14-16
Philippians 2:14-16
JESU JUVA
For six months of my life, I lived near the edge of the desert in the Western Australian countryside. When I awoke each morning, I stood outside and gazed over fields covered with red dust and brown grass. Flocks of white cockatoos ascended in noisy pandemonium as they swirled through a pure blue sky. The daylight hours possessed a rugged beauty which never wearied my eyes.
But it was the night sky that mesmerised me most. Away from city lights, town lights, street lights, house lights — all artificial lights — the Milky Way flowed like a river through the sky. Stars glittered in the velvety blackness. They looked brighter and bigger than ever I'd seen before.
On three occasions, I even saw shooting stars. The sky was black enough, the shooting satellites bright enough, that my unaided gaze saw the momentary fizzles of lights.
Those country night skies never failed to remind me of the apostle Paul's words in his letter to the followers of Jesus Christ in Phillipi: “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.”
Every generation since Adam and Eve has been 'warped and crooked' and, nowadays, it seems more noticeable than ever. Perhaps, because of the constant background chatter of television and internet, the darkness appears to be deepening. Each day brings murmurings of terrorism, war, disease, creeping authoritarianism, immorality, and all manners of destruction and death.
True believers need to shine the brightest when the world is at its darkest. This means we should be noticeably different from the crowds of unbelievers who surround us.
Can people see something pure shining through our lives? The way we talk, the way we behave, the way we respond, the way we care for other people, the way we have an unshakeable trust in our Heavenly Father. It's a challenge. In our own strength, it is impossible. We might possess good intentions for a time, but those good intentions can so easily vanish! But with God, nothing is impossible. The Holy Spirit has been sent to help us in our weaknesses.
When God calls us to shine forth, it's not our own light that shines. Human beings can't produce any light from within themselves. It's the light of Jesus which shines through us. It's the light of Jesus which will show people the path to our Father God.
In future days, the purpose of this website is to encourage followers of the one true God (God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit) to shine like stars in this world. And also to encourage anyone who does not yet know God to seek him.
It's a tough world. The darkness is deepening across the globe. Sometimes we might even be tempted to give up. But with our God, we can overcome. He is powerful, loving and faithful. Press in and press on. Keep on going and never give up. With God's help, we will reflect the light of Jesus. That's when we'll shine.
SOLI DEO GLORIA
For six months of my life, I lived near the edge of the desert in the Western Australian countryside. When I awoke each morning, I stood outside and gazed over fields covered with red dust and brown grass. Flocks of white cockatoos ascended in noisy pandemonium as they swirled through a pure blue sky. The daylight hours possessed a rugged beauty which never wearied my eyes.
But it was the night sky that mesmerised me most. Away from city lights, town lights, street lights, house lights — all artificial lights — the Milky Way flowed like a river through the sky. Stars glittered in the velvety blackness. They looked brighter and bigger than ever I'd seen before.
On three occasions, I even saw shooting stars. The sky was black enough, the shooting satellites bright enough, that my unaided gaze saw the momentary fizzles of lights.
Those country night skies never failed to remind me of the apostle Paul's words in his letter to the followers of Jesus Christ in Phillipi: “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.”
Every generation since Adam and Eve has been 'warped and crooked' and, nowadays, it seems more noticeable than ever. Perhaps, because of the constant background chatter of television and internet, the darkness appears to be deepening. Each day brings murmurings of terrorism, war, disease, creeping authoritarianism, immorality, and all manners of destruction and death.
True believers need to shine the brightest when the world is at its darkest. This means we should be noticeably different from the crowds of unbelievers who surround us.
Can people see something pure shining through our lives? The way we talk, the way we behave, the way we respond, the way we care for other people, the way we have an unshakeable trust in our Heavenly Father. It's a challenge. In our own strength, it is impossible. We might possess good intentions for a time, but those good intentions can so easily vanish! But with God, nothing is impossible. The Holy Spirit has been sent to help us in our weaknesses.
When God calls us to shine forth, it's not our own light that shines. Human beings can't produce any light from within themselves. It's the light of Jesus which shines through us. It's the light of Jesus which will show people the path to our Father God.
In future days, the purpose of this website is to encourage followers of the one true God (God the Father, God the Son Jesus Christ and God the Holy Spirit) to shine like stars in this world. And also to encourage anyone who does not yet know God to seek him.
It's a tough world. The darkness is deepening across the globe. Sometimes we might even be tempted to give up. But with our God, we can overcome. He is powerful, loving and faithful. Press in and press on. Keep on going and never give up. With God's help, we will reflect the light of Jesus. That's when we'll shine.
SOLI DEO GLORIA
All glory to the one true and Living God: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
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Sally Dixon is a writer from Adelaide, South Australia.
Her aim in life is to do whatever God says and to go wherever he leads.
You can contact her by email: shine_like_stars@yahoo.com
Her creative business is called Sally Dixon Creations.
Her aim in life is to do whatever God says and to go wherever he leads.
You can contact her by email: shine_like_stars@yahoo.com
Her creative business is called Sally Dixon Creations.