“Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:15, 16.

The following passage is taken form the Charles Spurgeon sermon, “The Candle”

Do not deceive yourselves with the notion of national Christianity or hereditary Christianity—the only true religion is personal godliness. We cannot light these candles by the pound at a time, nor heap
up lamps in a pile and light them in a mass. We have, nowadays, wonderful lights which can be all lit in an instant by a single touch of electricity—but even then each one of the lights has to receive a flame for itself—which becomes all its own. There is no way by which individuality can be destroyed and men saved en masse. In each man the light is peculiar and distinct. The light that burns in one true minister of Christ is the same which shines forth from another and yet one star differs from another star in glory—Peter is not John, Paul is not James, Whitefield is not Wesley. You shall examine the whole range of God’s lamps and candlesticks and you shall not find two exactly alike. Many artists exhaust themselves and then repeat themselves, but God is inexhaustibly original—no two touches of His pencil are the same. Light is one and its glory is one—and yet there is one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars. There is a difference in the lights of various oils and gases and so there is in your light, my brothers and sisters, and my light. It is very possible that you would like to put my candle in order—you may do so if you can—but do not snuff me out! Your own light is, however, your main concern and you had better ask for special grace that it may not fail. Your light is distinct from mine—as distinct as your life is from mine—though, in another sense, it is true that your spiritual light is one with all the light that ever shone in this world. There is in the lighting, a personal appropriation of the divine flame and afterwards a personal and distinct sending forth of the sacred light in the individual’s own way. Look you well to this, lest you be mistaken and suppose yourselves to be lighted from heaven when you are the mere will-o’-the-wisps of delusion.

Lord, we have light amongst us. I pray we lift it up, place them on top of the bushel basket. Tonight, we lift up those individuals and unnamed ministries shining forth in our communities. We pray for Eikon and Binghampton house churches. We pray for the elders of neighborhoods praying for their neighbors and providing food and shelter for those in need. We pray for those seeking Light, your Light, Lord, that we may show them the way.

Lord, we don’t not need earthly accolades to do Your work, but we do pray for alignment with the Holy Spirit, strength, encouragement, and protection form the adversary.

Lord, we also pray that Blue Cross Blue Shield and Methodist Healthcare come to a fair resolution quickly so that care can be provided without significant monetary costs to those who need it most. In your name, Amen.