BCF Lampstand is officially back and in action!
The Lampstand Magazine is up and ready to illuminate the lives of students across campuses. We are proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and connecting people to a deeper revelation of who He is. Get ready for testimony stories, biblical analyses, devotionals, and much more!
Word of the Day
“You are the light of the world. A town built 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 others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
— Matthew 5:14–16
When the Lord spoke the earth into existence, His first command was for “light.” This was not an unplanned declaration, but an introduction of God Himself. Let’s look at what the Bible says light is and how that defines who you are.
The Bible says
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
— John 1:4–5 (NKJV)“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.”
— 1 John 1:5“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:6
So, back to our question of the day: What is light?
Light is the Lord’s encapsulated glory.
The Lord is so holy, so mighty, that He cannot give us His full manifest presence (Exodus 20:18–21; Exodus 33:20). But in His grace, He gives us portions of Himself through His glory, and light in Jesus Christ is what allows us to experience it.
Light is what gives sight to the integrity of who He is—a good God, a promise keeper, One who speaks and gathers according to His Word (Isaiah 55:11; Isaiah 34:16). Every time He has brought forth light, its purpose has been to guide (Exodus 13:21–22; Psalm 119:105), redeem (Acts 9:3–4), or create according to His Word (Genesis 1:3). No light can exist outside of a purpose His Word has desired, and nothing can live outside of His light. His light is the core of all creation’s existence, and it is what proves Him to be the one true God.
Alright, so what does that say about us—the light of the world?
As lights, we are bearers of the Lord’s encapsulated glory. In a dark world, we preach a message of hope that reveals the integrity of who He is—a good God, a promise keeper, One who speaks and gathers according to His Word. In every moment that He has illuminated us, He has used us to guide according to His good Word, redeem according to His good Word, or create according to His good Word.
Breath alone is not what brings us to life; rather, it is the existence of His light. Christ in us, the hope of glory! We are the bearers of His image—tools used to illuminate the integrity of goodness.
So let your light SHINE.
Be the tool that illuminates the gospel of Jesus Christ! The Lord does not reveal these things so that they may be hidden, but so that they may be put on a stand and used to illuminate the whole house (Matthew 5:14–16). The Lord’s glory brings about His desires, and as bearers of His light, we are the tools He uses to carry them out. So shine!
Shine in your class.
Shine on your campus.
Shine in your dorm.
Shine in your workplace.
Let your light shine!
Bring about the Lord’s desire by guiding, redeeming, and creating according to His Word.
Call to Action
Share your light. Let people catch sight of your good deeds so that they may glorify our Father in Heaven. Bring people back to the original purpose for which they were created by being conscious of the light you carry.
Share the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation. Share it so that those who know you may also know Him and experience the power of God. Creation awaits the revelation of the truth of the gospel, and you are a vessel through which that truth can be made known.
Honor the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ by showing the world who He is!
Originally published on the Bethel Campus Fellowship Substack.