Shine like stars!

This world is a very dark place. No, I am not a pessimist - I do see many points of light. But even if you are living in a nice, prosperous part of this world (like I do) and even if you have no reason to complain about your personal circumstances - believe me - this world is a very dark place. Maybe you don't know which women and children in your neigbourhood are suffering in silence because of sexual abuse. Maybe you don't know how many men are addicted to their work, to money, status, drugs, alcohol, betting, pornography or to a combination of these things. Maybe you really don't see the darkness all around you, maybe somebody has to open the eyes of your heart.

Thank you Lord Jesus, You are the Light of the world! Help us, your children here on earth, help us to reflect your love. Please Lord, use us to expose the lies of the darkness and give us strength to resist evil. Please dear Jesus, shine your light upon us, restore us; protect us against the enemy and against all evildoers that are inspired or even possessed by him. Make us strong and courageous - fill us with your all-powerful Holy Spirit! We know that You have instructed us to put on your armour, defend the powerless, bring justice and fight for what is right. Please Lord, open our eyes for the suffering all around us. I ask You, Jesus, please strengthen your people! Help us to be like shining stars in this dark universe. We know we can not depend on our own strengths or insights, we know that we have disobeyed You and that we have given the wrong example many, many times. Please forgive us, please forgive me for letting You down, dear Jesus. We confess that we are often spreading darkness ourselves, in stead of showing your love and kindness to the lost and lonely people all around us. We need You to make us holy, we need You to fill us again with your cleansing power, because we really want to radiate your love! Yes Jesus, we want to be like power stations, save havens, your very own shining stars!

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 2 Peter 2:20

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. 1 John 4:1-6

Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:4-5