SCRIPTURE:
“He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 4:21-23, NIV)

Observations:
I asked myself who Jesus was speaking to.
I learned Jesus was speaking to the disciples and those around Him who had asked the meaning of the parable.

I asked myself what Jesus does now.
Jesus asks them two questions:

“Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed?
“Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?”

Jesus then makes three declarative statements:

For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed,
And whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.
If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."

I decided to focus on the two questions today:

Jesus tells them all this right after telling them about the Parable of the Sower that ends with good soil.

Interpretation:
I asked myself what is the function of a lamp?
The function of a lamp is to give light.

I asked myself what is the function of light?
The function of light is to uncover the darkness.
The function of light is to show a clear pathway.
The function of light is to give direction.

I asked myself what it has to do with the disciples.
Jesus was telling them that they are the lamp and should not be hiding their works but need to let their light shine for all to see that others could see the difference in their lives and give glory to the Lord.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV)

This can only happen if their lives are not hidden from others like a lamp being hidden under a bowl or bed. If that happens, the lamp becomes no good. It needs to be on a stand. Jesus wants the disciples to take a stand.

Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life. Jesus wants me to be a lamp so my light can shine for all to see so that He is glorified in Heaven. Our actions when they are righteous and filled with light bring glory to the Father of Lights who gives us the Light of the World. Jesus is the Light of the World and if we follow Him, we will not be stumbling through the darkness but living Light will flood our path.

I ask you now dear friend what kind of lamp are you?
Dear friend, we can be a bright lamp to give light to those around us whether they are family, friends, or foes. Yes, friend Jesus does not stipulate that light should be given only to certain people. Jesus wants our lamp to be on to give light to those around us.

However, if we are not careful in our Christian walk and move away from the good soil, we can be a lamp that is hidden in the darkness of this world. When a lamp is hidden under a bowl or bed it does not give the light that comes from it being on a stand.

This is an important concept for the disciples and us to think about. We cannot be hiding our light but need to let it glow for all to see that the Lord maybe glorified through our actions.

In other words, I also believe this addresses compartmentalization. We should not be compartmentalizing our Christian life where we come of as Christians with our Christian friends but when we hang out with our pre-Christian friends, our Christian faith or the mention of Jesus does not even come into the picture. It should not be that way. I believe through the Parable of the four soils, Jesus was making this point too!

Jesus is the Light of the world and it should be a honor for us to want others to see Jesus in us. There is a time for everything and God looks at our motives. He wants us to be a glowing lamp as we draw our Light from Him!

We can because Jesus promises it to us as I am reminded of John 8:12:
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" (John 8:12, NIV)

May you rest in the Light of the Lord's favor this day knowing He will be our Light! May we become the best lamp for others as God's Word becomes our lamp! Amen!

“Light Amplifies Messiah’s Presence! (L.A.M.P)”/”What kind of lamp are you?”

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you so much thy Word is a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path! Thank you for being so merciful and kind towards us. You deserve all our praise. May we always praise you regardless of our circumstances just because you are Lord! Please Lord forgive us our sins as we have gone our own way many times. We are sorry for the times we have not helped our family and friends with the Gospel because of fear we may hurt their feelings. Forgive us when we do not treat those who we see as enemies with your love. Help us as we depend on you to do the right things. May we live by the principles you have given us and rest on your promises! Help us to be the light you want us to be! And Oh Lord please give us boldness to stand up for you no matter who we are with. Thank you so much Jesus. We thank you for being our Light and Salvation! You are the strength of our life. We believe in you! We believe you are standing in our midst with the power to heal now and the grace to forgive. We rest in you Lord! Thank you for hearing us and answering us! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

You can invite the GREAT PHYSICIAN right now as you make this your prayer.

Dear Jesus, thank you for healing the paralytic after forgiving his sins. You set him free to go home. I want to be free. I don’t know everything about you. I still have a lot of questions. What I do know is that you died on the cross for my sins. When it comes to sin, I am a paralytic Oh Lord. I am infected with this deadly disease known as sin. I am not perfect but a sinner who needs your cleansing blood to clean me of my sin everyday. I confess to you my sin and repent of my sin. I know you have forgiven me when you died on the cross. I want to accept that forgiveness. Thank you for shedding your cleansing precious blood for me. You were nailed to the cross because of me. It is like I actually held the hammer and pounded the nails so I could be free. Thank you for willingly dying for me Jesus. Thank you for taking the shame and pain for me. Thank you for doing that to set me free. I come to the cross and ask you for your healing in my life. Thank you for the power of your Blood to redeem humanity. Thank you for coming back to life to save us and give us Eternal Life as we yield to you. Your blood can heal us where we are. I love you Jesus. Even with my questions, I come to you now and accept you into my heart. Please Jesus come into my heart and make my heart your home. Give me a transfusion of change. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus. I acknowledge you now as my Lord and Personal Savior. Please be the Lord and Savior of my life. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior Jesus and because of what you have done for me when God looks at me, He now sees me covered in your blood and His judgment passes over me. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me. Thank you for being with me Lord. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus I now belong to you and never need to be alone! You will always be with me and have given me Salvation. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Friend, if you have prayed this prayer and meant it in your heart, you are a new creation in Christ and all old things are passed away and everything has become new! You may feel something or may not but don’t base it on feelings but base your new life in Christ on the promises of our Savior who will never leave you nor forsake you! Amen!

No matter what you feel in your heart, know that Jesus has come in and resides with you! You are not alone! To make your walk strong with the Lord, spend time in prayer talking to Him as you would to a friend. You don’t need special words to talk to the Lord. Spend time in His Word reading Psalms and turning them into prayer. Next allow God to heal you and speak to you through the Gospel of John or Gospel of Mark before moving on to other Books of the Bible! Slowly, let the Lord show you to which Scriptures He wants you to go to next. It is also important to be part of a body of believers to help you grow in the faith. Find a Bible believing church that preaches the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation proclaiming Jesus Christ our crucified and risen Lord who brings us hope, healing, and help! But beware of churches who do believe in the Word of God completely but there is no freedom in Christ but legalism involved.

As a student, it is not too late to join a fellowship on campus too this blessed New Year of 2008! May the Lord's presence and peace fill you with His love now and forever! Amen!

Feel free to email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com if you want to meet to study the Bible, pray with, talk about spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My number is 412-720-4579.

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

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.Click picture to read my dad's memoriam:

' I AM ' Series Archives:

What kind of L.I.G.H.T do you follow? (Dec 13, 07, 10:09 a.m.)

"What kind of B.R.E.A.D do you eat?" (Dec 08, 07, 10:10 a.m.)

"Who is your S.H.E.P.H.E.R.D?" (June 30, 06)

Gospel of Mark Archives:

Mark 1:1: "What does the G.O.S.P.E.L mean to you?" (Jan 15, 08, 1:15 p.m.)

Mark 1:1-4: "How seriously do you T.E.S.T.I.F.Y about prophesy?" (Jan 12, 08, 11:18 p.m.)

Mark 1:5-8: "Who do you P.O.I.N.T to?" (Jan 16, 08, 8:48 a.m.)

Mark 1:9: How will you take a S.T.A.N.D? (Jan 17, 08, 11:21 a.m.)

Mark 1:9-11: "How is your loving P.R.A.I.S.E?" (Jan 18, 08, 8:53 a.m.)

Mark 1:12-13: "How do you handle T.E.M.P.T.A.T.I.O.N?" (Jan 19, 08, 12:27 p.m.)

Mark 1:14-15: How do you handle T.I.M.E given to you? (Jan 21, 08, 1:31 p.m.)

Mark 1:16-18: "What kind of P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.O.N are you in?" (Jan 26, 08, 10:22 a.m.)

Mark 1:19-20: "Without having to P.R.O.C.R.A.S.T.I.N.A.T.E, what should you do?" (Jan 29, 08, 10:44 a.m.)

Mark 1:20-22: "How do you rate in the B.U.S.I.N.E.S.S of Jesus?" (Jan 30, 08, 11:29 a.m.)

Mark 1:20-22: "Whose T.E.A.C.H.I.N.G.S do you follow?" (Jan 31, 08, 11:52 a.m.)

Mark 1:23-28: "What C.A.P.T.I.V.I.T.Y are you facing today?" (Feb 01, 08, 10:35 a.m.)

Mark 4:3-20: "What if Jesus talked F.O.O.T.B.A.L.L?" (Feb 02, 08, 10:35 a.m.)

Mark 1:29-31: "Where do you need H.E.A.L.I.N.G?" (Feb 05, 08, 11:44 a.m.)

Mark 1:32-34: "Where do you need an A.N.S.W.E.R?" (Feb 06, 08, 11:16 a.m.)

Mark 1:35-39: "Where do you give your S.O.L.I.T.A.R.Y time to the Lord?" (Feb 07, 08, 11:41 a.m.)

Mark 1:40-42: "Where do you need to be C.L.E.A.N?" (Feb 09, 08, 11:00 a.m.)

Mark 1:43-45: "What do your actions C.A.U.S.E?" (Feb 11, 08, 9:23 a.m.)

MARK CHAPTER 2:

Mark 2:1-2: "What do you do with your P.O.P.U.L.A.R.I.T.Y?" (Feb 12, 08, 9:52 a.m.)

Mark 2:2-5: "What kind of F.R.I.E.N.D are you?" (Feb 13, 08, 11:49 a.m.)

Mark 2:5-12: "Where does P.A.R.A.L.Y.S.I.S take hold of you?" (Feb 15, 08, 7:42 a.m.)

Mark 2:5-12: "What are you thinking in your M.I.N.D?" (Feb 16, 08, 11:08 a.m.)

Mark 2:5-12: "What do you represent by your A.C.T.I.O.N.S?" (Feb 18, 08, 8:23 a.m.)

Mark 2:13-15: "Where are you looking for A.C.C.E.P.T.A.N.C.E?" (Feb 19, 08, 11:22 a.m.)

Mark 2:15-17: "Who do you I.N.V.I.T.E to Jesus?" (Feb 20, 08, 9:57 a.m.)

Mark 2:18-20: "When do you F.A.S.T?" (Feb 21, 08, 9:32 a.m.)

Mark 2:21-22: "How do you see your L.I.F.E?" (Feb 22, 08, 9:56 a.m.)

Mark 2:23-28: "What kind of L.E.A.D.E.R will you be? (Feb 23, 08, 10:46 a.m.)

Mark 2:23-28: "What does the S.A.B.B.A.T.H mean to you?" (Feb 25, 08, 10:46 a.m.)

CHAPTER 3:

Mark 3:1-6:"Whose N.E.E.D.S do you meet?" (Feb 26, 08, 9:54 a.m.)

Mark 3:7-8: "What is your I.M.P.A.C.T?" (Feb 27, 08, 8:17 a.m.)

Mark 3:9-11: "What S.P.A.C.E do you give yourself?" (Feb 28, 08, 9:38 a.m.)

Mark 3:11-12: "How do you fight E.V.I.L?" (Feb 29, 08, 9:11 a.m.)

Mark 3:13-16: "What emphasis do you put on your R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P with Jesus?" (March 01, 08, 9:29 a.m.)

Mark 3:17-19: "Where do you have your A.P.P.O.I.N.T.M.E.N.T in?" (March 03, 08, 9:49 a.m.)

Mark 3:20: "Where do you G.A.T.H.E.R?" (March 04, 08, 12:07 p.m.)

Mark 3:21: "How are your actions seen by your F.A.M.I.L.Y?" (March 05, 08, 10:24 a.m.)

Mark 3:22-27: "How do you handle S.L.A.N.D.E.R?" (March 06, 08, 7:57 a.m.)

Mark 3:28-30: "What is your V.I.E.W of Jesus?" (March 07, 08, 8:18 a.m.)

Mark 3:31-34: "What do you do with God's Will?" (March 08, 08, 8:45 a.m.)

CHAPTER 4:
Mark 4:1-20: "What do P.A.R.A.B.L.E.S mean to you?" (March 10, 08, 7:15 a.m.)

Mark 4:1-20: "What if Jesus talked F.O.O.T.B.A.L.L?" (Feb 02, 08, 10:35 a.m.)

Mark 4:1-20: "Where are you in your W.A.L.K with the Lord?" (March 11, 08, 9:32 a.m.)

Audio: "Where are you in your W.A.L.K with the Lord?" (March 11, 08, 11:05 a.m.)

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EXPRESSIONS

Video: Delta Zeta Deliciously Delivers Lusciously with Lambda Chi Alpha

Video: Chi Omega's Operation Offers Nothin' But a Gangsta Party at Kappa Alpha Psi's Place

“Light Amplifies Messiah’s Presence! (L.A.M.P)”

By Ramesh C.ReddyPittsburgh StandardMarch 12, 2008

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Express Your View

By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

March 12, 2008