"The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light." Mt 4:16 NKJV

First and most importantly, Jesus brought the light of salvation to all mankind. But one of the enduring benefits of His kingdom is His impact on learning and education. The word university began with those who believed that God created the universe; therefore, His ways must be studied and known. Martin Luther highlighted from the New Testament the priesthood of all believers. In the process, he changed education because he taught that every person needs to be capable of reading and writing so they can study the Scriptures for themselves. This ushered in a goal of worldwide literacy for everyone in a society. In America, the first law to call for mass universal education was announced in Massachusetts in 1647. It was named, believe it or not, "The Old Deluder Satan Act." Its wording goes: "It being one chief product of that Old Deluder Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures...and to the end that learning may not be buried in the graves of our forefathers." This is a lovely idea that everybody should learn: that ignorance is the devil's tool, and that God is the God of truth.

In nation after nation, Christian missionaries discovered languages that had not been written. So in acts of extraordinary sacrifice, they dedicated their lives to the chore. They assembled the first dictionaries. They penned the first grammars. They formed the first alphabets. And the first significant proper name written in numerous languages was the name Jesus.

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"I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness." Jn 12:46 NKJV

John Ortberg writes: "In 1780 a Jesus-follower in Great Britain named Robert Raikes could not stand the cycle of poverty and ignorance that was destroying little children, a whole generation. He said, 'The world marches forward on the feet of little children.

So he took children who had to work six days a week in squalor. Sunday was their free day.

He said, 'I'm going to start a school for free to teach them to read and write and learn about God! He did, and he called it Sunday school.

Within fifty years, there were 1.5 million children being taught by 160,000 volunteer teachers who had a vision for the education of a generation. Sunday school was not a privatized, optional program for church kids.

It was one of the great educational volunteer triumphs of the world. The alphabet of the Slavic peoples is called Cyrillic. It was named for Saint Cyril, who was a missionary to the Slavs and discovered they had no written alphabet. Thus he created one for them so they would be able to read about Jesus in their own language...A Methodist missionary,

Frank Laubach, cited an extraordinary encounter with God about a century ago that put him on a mission to lift the world out of ignorance. He began a worldwide literacy movement. The phrase 'Each one teach one' flows out of the extraordinary life of this man.

He travelled to more than a hundred countries and led to the development of primers in 313 languages. He became known as 'the apostle to the illiterates.'"

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"You are precious to me." Isa 43:4 NLT

Guess who said, "You are precious to me?" God. So don't let anybody tell you otherwise.

Why is this important? Because

understanding who you are as a person and genuinely believing that you merit love and attention from another person is essential to your self-worth. The capability to convey that successfully and in a considerate manner is essential for any healthy, mutually satisfying relationship. A sense of self-worth is not arrogance. It helps you to set boundaries and guarantees that no matter who you meet, those boundaries will never be compromised.

Often when we feel used in relationships, it's because we have permitted those boundaries to be crossed. Or worse, we have never thought about where the boundaries should be. The way to prevent this situation is to be clear about who you are and what you are willing to do in a relationship. Disregarding the truth about another person, or yourself, may be okay temporarily, but over time, it usually leads to disaster. With a solid foundation of knowing who you are and what you represent, you will possess the bravery to ask the right questions and discern the answers. You will acquire information and evidence that help you realize who a person really is and if they fit into your life. You will be truthful with yourself and others about who you are, your needs, and the way you want to live your life. Outside your relationship with God, there is no other more important relationship than the one you have with yourself. God says, "You are precious to me."

Believe it, and live accordingly.

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"We walk by faith, not by sight." 2Co 5:7

NKJV

Impalas are one of the most powerful animals in Africa. They can leap to a height of more than ten feet and cover more than thirty feet in one jump. Yet the impala can be kept in an enclosure with a fence that's no more than three feet high. Why? Because it won't jump unless it can see where its feet will land. In a sense, impalas walk by sight, not faith. What does it mean to "walk"? To put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward a step at a time. What does it mean to have

"faith"? To trust the Lord, obeying His Word regardless of how things look or feel to you.

Now, faith doesn't do away with intelligent thought and reason. But there is a difference.

When intelligent thought and reason won't take you another step, faith keeps right on going. Why? Because intelligent thought and reason hold the hand of man and go only as far as he can travel, whereas faith holds the hand of God, the God who makes a way where there seems to be no way. That was Abraham's story: "[Urged on] by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to receive as an inheritance; and he went, although he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go" (Heb 11:8 AMPC).

Are you anxious about the future? Don't be; just take the next step of faith, and you will be one step closer to the blessings and rewards that God has in mind for you.

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"I have set before you an open door." Rev

3:8 NKJV

In seeking to know God's will, there are two things you should never do. First, when the door is closed, get impatient and force it open. Second, create your own door. To succeed in what God has called you to do, follow the "open door policy." The Bible describes it this way: "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: "These things says He who is holy, He who is true, 'He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens': "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name'" (vv. 7-8 NKJV).

Who does God open doors for? (1) People who "have a little strength." So, your mistakes don't disqualify you, as long as you're willing to learn from them. And your inadequacies don't limit God if you allow them to make you more dependent on Him. (2)

People who "have kept My word." The people

God opens doors for are governed by this guiding principle: "Whatever God's Word says about it, that's what I'm going to think, believe, and do." If it's not on God's blueprint, don't build it. If it's not in God's recipe book, don't mix it in. (3) People who "have not denied My name." Regardless of rejection or ridicule, these people speak boldly about the things they value most in life, including their relationship with Jesus. If you want God to open doors for you, live by these principles each day.

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"A great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." 1Co

16:9 NKJV

The New Living Translation states Paul's words this way: "There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me." In doing the will of God, you should anticipate opposition from those who are not privy to what God has shared with you or instructed you to do. Indeed, if you are accepted and applauded wherever you go, you should reexamine either the assignment you believe God has given you or the way in which you are carrying it out. You say, "But didn't Jesus say that His yoke was 'easy'?" Yes, and He was talking about a comfortable-fitting yoke around the neck of a hardworking ox that plowed from morning until night. The work was hard, but the yoke was comfortable.

That means when God calls you to do something difficult, He will provide you with the grace and resources to do it. You say,

"But Satan is attacking me." Attack is a sign of respect; it means you represent a threat to the kingdom of darkness. And as you get closer to your God-given goal, expect Satan's attack to intensify. But there is good news.

The intensity of the attack is an indicator of the blessing God has for you on the other side of the attack. And one more thought. Your greatest rewards will not come in this life but in the life to come. And that's good because they won't just be temporal, they will be eternal. The hymnist wrote: "To him that overcometh a crown of life shall be; He with the King of glory shall reign eternally."

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"Then He said to them, 'Follow Me..."" Mt

4:19 NKJV

Most people who decide to grow personally find their first mentors in the pages of books.

That is a great place to start. For that matter, it's a great place to continue. And the wisdom that's found in Scripture makes the Bible the best mentor's manual ever written. If you are not reading it daily, you are robbing yourself of the greatest source of inspiration and illumination. And at some point, if you're wise, you will also look for a role model to mentor you. No matter how gifted and experienced you are, you will go further with the right mentor than you will on your own. Jesus, the greatest mentor of all, discipled a group of men who changed the world forever. "And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them,

'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.

He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him" (vv.

18-22 KJV). Note the words "follow Me, and I will make you..." Just as the right mentor can make you, the wrong mentor can break you.

So you need to pray about this. Then you must do something about it. Why? Because if you follow only yourself, you may find yourself going in circles and getting nowhere.

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"Let me teach you." Mt 11:29 NLT

Jesus said, "I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Mt

16:18). When He spoke those words, the religious leaders of His day were plotting His death, the society in which He lived was controlled by the might of Rome, and His followers were common people. Humanly speaking, what He promised was audacious, and the possibilities of it happening were zero. Nevertheless, it came to pass. Two thousand years later, He is the most quoted author in the world, and our values are based on the principles He taught. How did He do it?

By mentoring others. So when looking for a mentor, try to find someone who exemplifies the qualities and character Jesus displayed.

"Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light'" (Mt 11:28-30 NLT). Jesus used an agricultural illustration His listeners would understand. To get the highest productivity out of an ox, the yoke around its neck had to be a comfortable fit. And a good mentor is someone who understands you and knows what is the right fit for your temperament and talents. A mentor is an extra pair of eyes and ears and that always has your best interests at heart. When you think about it, having the right mentor is one of the best investments you can make in your future.

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