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2 Shine like Stars for Jesus

3 Phil 2:12, Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

4 V 14, Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15so 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 16as you hold firmly to the word of life.

5 When we are blameless (not hypocritical) & pure (unmixed motive) we become role models of the kingdom – we become clean mirrors that reflect the light of Christ.

6 When we do things at work or home - in the world - and at church without complaining and arguing, we are like planets that reflect the light of the Son.

7 When we hold on to the word and promise of Christ that the pastors and elders have taught in His church, we are like moons that reflect the light of the Son.

8 The church is a mirror ball and we are individual mirror on the mirror ball that reflects his light in this dark and crooked world.

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11 V 36, His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom.

12 V26, the wheat sprouted and formed heads It is important that the kingdom citizens practice what they preach - serving and sharing without complaining or arguing. True Christians can be identified by their spiritual fruit and practical grain heads.

13 V38b, The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The evil one in turn planted phony Christians in the church – they have the form of godliness but they don’t have genuine conversion.

14 V40, Just as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

15 Christ will come and his angels will separate the phonies from the true kingdom citizens. Christ said the evil people and the evil one will be thrown into hell.

16 V43, Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

17 If you have ears, listen, ask yourself, am I the real deal or not? If you are sure you are the children of the kingdom, shine like stars for Christ so that people around you can see authentic kingdom citizens.

18 If you don’t belong to God, accept Christ’s offer before it is too late for you; God is in the business of making wheat out of weeds; saints out of sinners – all true Christians were formerly darkness but are now light in the Lord.

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