19 Apr 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a candle in every soul, a family whose hearts are blazing, a man sent from god, a spirit who brings fire, active evangelism, and the life was the light of men, because I live ye shall live also, believe in whom they have not heard, bridging the gap between hearing and belief, bring glad tidings of good things, call on him in whom they have not believed, carry your candle, celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, Christ's resurrection victory, Christ's victory over death, christianity, Christians, Christopher Rice, compassion, critical times, ensures believers, faith, faith cometh by hearing, fiendishly destroyed by the devil, glorify your Father which is in heaven, Go light your world, guarantees believers own spiritual and eternal life, have the light of life, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, hear without a preacher, hearing by the word of God, hold out your candle for all to see, hold out yout candle for all to see, holy spirit, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, how shall they preach except they be sent, I am the light of the world, ignites a candle and makes His home, in him was life, in the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus embodies all that spiritual light is and does, Jesus needs our help to bring others to his fold, Jesus power persuades us to do good, Jesus teachings and example illuminate our path, Jesus' selfless sacrifice on our behalf, John the Baptist, Kathy Troccoli, Let your light so shine before men, lighteth every man that comes into the world, lost to eternal separation, LOVE, make Jesus proud of us, make us a beacon in darkest times, mercy, offers hope and comfort, our world is falling apart, patience, peace, praying to our Father, raise our candles and light up the sky, rising up with our candles blazing, run to the darkness, seek out the helpless confused and torn, seek out the hopeless deceived and poor, some burning brightly, some dark and cold, spread Jesus system of salvation and eternal life, spread the good news of Christ's gospel, stop shirking our responsibilities, suffer injustice, sweet sacrifices of praise, take your candle go light your world, Thank you Jesus, that all men through him might believe, the BIBLE, the bowels of death, the darkness comprehended it not, the light shineth in the darkness, the second Sunday of Easter, the source of light that quickens our understanding, the true light, they may see your good works, those connected to Christ will share in His victory over death, to bear witness of the Light, to make God's revelation universally availble, truth, we have failed on the job, wisdom
Matthew 5:16. ‘Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’
And we’ve come to the second Sunday of Easter, that season when we celebrate the awesome resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus from the bowels of death! And since He made this profound promise: ‘because I live, ye shall live also,’ (John 14:19b) we believe that resurrection will also be in our future. And as this overview explains: ‘That promise ensures believers that His resurrection victory over death guarantees their own spiritual and eternal life. It offers hope and comfort, signifying that because He conquered the grave, those connected to Him will share in that victory.’ And all Christians joyfully shouted: ‘Thank You Jesus!’
But my fellow believers, although it’s good to give Jesus thanks and praise for His selfless sacrifices on our behalf, He also needs our help to bring others to His fold, so that they won’t be lost to eternal separation. And today’s song of worship is a song that encourages us to do just that. It’s one written by Christopher Rice in 2004, titled ‘Go Light Your World,’ and made popular by singer Kathy Troccoli. So, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, sincere and heartfelt mid-tempo version of the song.
Singing: ‘There is a candle in every soul Some brightly burning, some dark and cold There is a Spirit who brings a fire Ignites a candle and makes His home. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the helpless, confused and torn Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world Take your candle, and go light your world.) Frustrated brother, see how he’s tried to Light his own candle some other way See now your sister, she’s been robbed and lied to Still holds a candle without a flame
(Chorus:…Carry your candle…) ‘Cause we are a family whose hearts are blazing So let’s raise our candles and light up the sky Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus Make us a beacon in darkest times. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the hopeless, deceived and poor Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world… Repeat… Take your candle, and go light your world…Take your candle, and go light your world.’
Oh friends, that is exactly what we need to do in these critical times, where our world seems to be falling apart, being fiendishly destroyed by the devil and his evil cohorts. Jesus left us here to show peace and LOVE, compassion and patience to those in need and spread His marvellous system of salvation and eternal life. In other words, to spread the good news of His gospel all around the globe. But unfortunately, we have done a rather poor job of it, and consequently the devil and his evil buddies are now running things, while we stand aside, watch and suffer the injustice of their rule.
However, if we read the beginning of John’s gospel, we’ll see where he refers to Jesus thus: ‘In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John (John the Baptist). The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.’ (John 1:4-9)
That means John the Baptist was sent to inform mankind about Jesus, the true Light of the world, who makes God’s revelation universally available to all men. And Jesus attested to that fact when He declared: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) And this commentary further explains: ‘Jesus is called the light of the world ‘because he is the source of the light that quickens our understanding, because his teachings and his example illuminate our path, and because his power persuades us to do good.’
So, as the song tells us, in each human soul there’s a candle, and when we receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us and lights the candle in us, with the expectation that we will go forth and shine it in the darkness, like a family whose hearts are blazing for Jesus, so others can see His light, and come to know and LOVE Him like we do. But sadly, too many of us have failed on the job, by not taking our brightly shining candle and going out into the darkness seeking the lost, helpless, confused and torn. That therefore left a lot of others trying to light their own candle in some other unsuccessful way and consequently being ill-treated and shamed.
But thankfully all is not lost, we still have the wonderful option to pray to our heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus to make us a beacon in these darkest of times, so, as the chorus says, we can carry our candles, run to the darkness, seek out the hopeless, deceived and poor. Yes friends, we need to bravely and boldly hold out our candles for all to see, so that we can light up this dark and evil world. Light it up with the light of Jesus, that brings, peace, LOVE, forgiveness, salvation and eternal light to those who accept His wonderful offer.
But many don’t know Jesus, and will only know Him through us, that’s why we need to get out there and spread the word. It’s like Bruh Paul says in his letter to the Romans. ‘How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias (Isaiah) saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ (Rom. 10:14 –17)
And this commentary explains that passage of scripture thus. ‘It highlights that people cannot believe in the Gospel if they have not heard it, and they cannot hear it unless it is shared by others. This necessitates active evangelism, where believers are sent to proclaim the message, bridging the gap between hearing and belief.’ That’s quite true, but we don’t all have to go afar to spread the gospel for there are many unbelievers right in our communities who can benefit from our sharing the gospel, or as Jesus said : ‘Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16)
And that’s the crux of our current situation my fellow believers; not enough of us are doing what Jesus desires of us. So please, our world is deteriorating at an enormous speed, and we are the only ones able to slow it down, so let’s stop shirking our responsibilities, and instead, make Jesus proud of us, by rising up, with our candles blazing, and get out there as one big family and shine those candles in the darkness of this evil and ungodly world! Much LOVE!
…“Jesus is the light of life and the life of light…He embodies all that we know spiritual light is and does…”
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Sep 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beacon of hope and light, a candle in every soul, a city set on a hill cannot be hid, a family whose hearts are blazing, a heartfelt version, a Spirit who brings a fire, afraid to stand up for Jesus, all things were made by him, all who practice evil hate the light, an unlit candle, being fruitful in every good work, brightly burning, calling us to worship, carry your candle, Christians being light in the dankness, Christians ought to shine, Christopher Rice, church bells are ringing, dark and cold, do what's required of us, expose it to the light, faith, fellowship, frustrated brother, glorify your father in heaven, Go light your world, habitually giving thanks in all circumstances, have the light of life, he that doeth the truth comes to the light, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, hid deeds may be made manifest, hiding in the darkness, his deeds be exposed, hold out your candle for all to see, holds a candle without a flame, holy spirit, hymns and psalms and spiritual songs, I am the light of the world, ignites a candle, in him was life, in the darkest times, in the darkness of this ungodly world, in the name of Jesus, increasing in the knowledge of God, it gives light to all in the house, Jesus Christ, Jesus embodies all that spiritual light light is and does, Jesus is the light and life of the world, Jesus power persuades us to do good, Jesus' teaching and example illuminate our path, Kathy Troccoli, lest his deeds be reproved, Let your light so shine before men, let's raise our candles, light has come into the world, light of the world, light up the sky, lighting up the darkness of this world, like the comfortable life, LOVE, makes his home, making melody in our hearts to the Lord, men loved darkness rather than light, mercy, neither do men light a candle, on a candlestick, praying to our Father, put it under a bushel, run to the darkness, salvation, seek out the helpless confused and torn, shine our candle in joy and thanksgiving, shining like beacons in the night, stepped up to the plate, stop calling ourselves Christians, stop calling us hypocrites, sweet sacrifices of praise, take your candle go light your world, the church is woefully divided, the darkness comprehended it not, the gospel truth, the life was the light of men, the light shineth in the darkness, the Lord revivies and renews us, the reflections of Christ, the Sermon on the Mount, the source of light that quickens our understanding, their deeds were evil, these dark and evil times, they are wrought in God, they may see your good works, this is the condemnation, tried to light his own candle, truth, unto all pleasing, walk in darkness, walk worthy of God, wisdom, Ye are the light of the world, your sister's been robbed and lied
John 8:12. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Sunday’s here again friends, the Lord’s Day, and those church bells are ringing, calling us to worship in His sanctuary with those of the same faith. Giving thanks with hymns and psalms and spiritual songs, making melody in our hearts to the Lord. (Eph. 5:19) And when we do that, the Lord in turn revives and renews us so that next week we can go out into the world and walk worthy of Him, unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Col. 1:10)
Yes friends, that’s how it works. So, let’s get to singing a spiritual song, this one aptly titled, ‘Go Light Your World.’ It’s a song written by one Christopher Rice, around 2004, which basically reflects the theme of Christians being light in the darkness of this evil world. And today we’ll offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a mid-tempo, truly heartfelt version of the song, a la Kathy Troccoli.
Singing: ‘There is a candle in every soul Some brightly burning, some dark and cold There is a Spirit who brings a fire Ignites a candle and makes His home. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the helpless, confused and torn Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world Take your candle, and go light your world.) Frustrated brother, see how he’s tried to Light his own candle some other way See now your sister, she’s been robbed and lied to Still holds a candle without a flame
(Chorus:…Carry your candle…) ‘Cause we are a family whose hearts are blazing So let’s raise our candles and light up the sky Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus Make us a beacon in darkest times. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the hopeless, deceived and poor Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world… Repeat… Take your candle, and go light your world…Take your candle, and go light your world.’
Oh my people, that is exactly what so many of us supposed believers ought to be doing in these dark and evil times where Satan is effectively ruling the roost! And the song tells the truth; there is a candle in every soul, in every believer, and when the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us, He is supposed to light that candle, so we can go out and shine it in joy and thanksgiving to the rest of the world, ‘the helpless, confused and torn,’ and bring them to the knowledge of Christ.
And are there ever many frustrated brothers out there who have tried to light their candle some other way besides Jesus and obviously were very disappointed. Likewise, many sisters who’ve been abused and lied to and who still hold an unlit candle. That’s not right! And it’s our job to run to these helpless and unfortunate people, holding up our candles high so that they can shine in the darkness of their lives. Oh friends, it’s ever so necessary for us to get up right now and shine, just shine in the tremendous darkness of our ungodly world.
And there are numerous scriptures to confirm what we’ve said, beginning with this one from Jesus Himself, when He curtly informed the Pharisees: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) And that seals the deal right there my brethren! For Jesus is indeed the light and life of the world.
Listen to John in the opening verses of his gospel. ‘All things were made by him (Jesus); and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (understood) it not.’ (John 1:3-5) And that’s the gospel truth, for when light suddenly shines in darkness it blinds the eyes until one gets accustomed to it. Unfortunately though, many people prefer to stay in the darkness rather than come into the light.
And John says it quite plainly. ‘And this is the condemnation, that (the) light has come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds be reproved (exposed). But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.’ (John 3:19-21) And we all know that, for when we’ve down wrong, we try to hide it in the dark, but when we’ve done right, we’re proud to expose it to the light.
Now some of us ask, how is Jesus the light of our life? This commentary explains: “Jesus is the light of life and the life of light. He embodies all that we know spiritual light is and does.” As we’ve seen from the above scriptures, Jesus is the light of life (John 8:12) and the life of light (John 1:4). And to put it in its most basic context, according to this commentary, Jesus is called the light of the world ‘because He is the source of the light that quickens our understanding, because His teachings and His example illuminate our path, and because His power persuades us to do good.’
And that’s an indisputable fact! When we have Jesus in our lives, and truly desire to live for Him, all we ever want to do is good! But there’s one more important matter we must note. While Jesus was here on earth, He was the light of the world, but once He went back to heaven, we became that light, as He says in the Sermon on the Mount.
‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth 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.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
And that’s what we’re called to do as true believers in Jesus, but what we’re not doing to the best of our ability. The church is woefully divided, and individual believers either like the comfortable life or are afraid to stand up for Jesus, so how can we ever shine the way we’re supposed to eh? Oh my fellow believers in Christ, don’t you think it’s high time we stepped up to the plate and do what’s required of us, if not, then stop calling ourselves Christians! Then the unbelievers will also stop calling us hypocrites! Much LOVE!
…Christians are supposed to be reflections of Christ…therefore they ought to be shining like beacons in the night…lighting up the darkness of this world…not hiding in its darkness…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
08 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beacon in darkest times, a candle in every soul, a family whose hearts are blazing, a light unto my path, and glorify your Father in heaven, arise from the dead, awake thou that sleepest, Bible, blessings, Christ shall give thee light, christianity, confidence in our faith, confused, deliverance, drowning in the mire of Satan, faith, fellowship, frustrated brother, Go light your world, god, have the light of life, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, holds a candle without a flame, holy spirit, I am the light of the world, Jesus Christ, let your light so shine, light your candle, LOVE, men may see your good works, much-needed relief, negative sentiments, now are ye light in the Lord, praying to the Father, renewed strength, run to the darkness, salvation, seek out the helpless, sin darkened world, strife, the darkness comprehended it not, the light shineth in the darkness, the source of ligght, the straight and narrow path, the unfruitful works of darkness, thy word is a lamp unto my feet, torn, truth, walk as children of light, walking in sin, wisdom, worship, ye were sometimes darkness
Ephesians 5:8. ‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Then it was Sunday once again… and all roads lead to the Lord’s house to spend the most pleasurable time in a believer’s week, that of celebrating in worship and fellowship with other believers, giving praise to God and encouragement to the saints, while receiving blessings and renewed strength and confidence in our faith from our heavenly Father.
And today’s song of worship is none other than the Christopher Rice authored song of 2004, so appropriately titled for these trying and troubled times, ‘Go Light Your World’ as performed by Kathy Troccoli. We’ll do a spirited, scintillating, encouraging version that will have the saints, just bursting with excitement and enthusiasm to get out into the cruel world and light their candles to show the unbeliever the way to Jesus.
Singing: ‘There is a candle in every soul Some brightly burning, some dark and cold There is a Spirit who brings a fire Ignites a candle and makes His home. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the helpless, confused and torn Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world Take your candle, and go light your world.) Frustrated brother, see how he’s tried to Light his own candle some other way See now your sister, she’s been robbed and lied to Still holds a candle without a flame
(Chorus:…Carry your candle…) ‘Cause we are a family whose hearts are blazing So let’s raise our candles and light up the sky Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus Make us a beacon in darkest times. (Chorus: So carry your candle, run to the darkness Seek out the hopeless, deceived and poor Hold out your candle for all to see it Take your candle, and go light your world… Repeat… Take your candle, and go light your world…Take your candle, and go light your world.’
Ah friends, that’s exactly what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ expects of us! And we all know how dark and dreary our world has become, with all the strife, resentment and all the other negative sentiments and evil deeds that currently abound, and only candle or light carrying believers in Jesus can penetrate that darkness to bring some much-needed relief to a world drowning in the mire of Satan.
And it’s not like we don’t know that Jesus is the light bearer to Satan’s darkness, for He said it Himself, when He was down here on earth. ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)
And how is Jesus the light of your life? This commentary tells us: “Jesus is the light of life and the life of light. He embodies all that we know spiritual light is and does.” Jesus is the light of life (John 8:12) and the life of light (John 1:4).’ Yes, John spells it out right at the beginning of his gospel. ‘In him (Jesus) was life; and the life was in the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ (John 1:4-5)
And the scholars explain those verses thus: ‘In John’s writings, life represents salvation and deliverance through Christ, and light denotes Jesus’ revelation of God which calls men to accountability.’ Therefore, in Jesus there is both life or salvation and also enlightenment about God and what He expects of us. And to put it in its most basic context, according to this commentary, Jesus is called the light of the world ‘because he is the source of the light that quickens our understanding, because his teachings and his example illuminate our path, and because his power persuades us to do good.’
As the famous verse from Psalm 119 describes the Lord’s Word: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105) Walking in darkness is therefore walking in sin, living by the dictates of Satan and this evil world, without Christ and without the benefit of God’s Word in our lives. Obviously then, we must trip and fall often when we cannot see where we’re going. But with Jesus in our lives, and the benefit of God’s word there is a light that guides us on the straight and narrow path.
However, before Jesus went back to heaven, He made a great pronouncement about the subject of light in this world. Namely: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle (lamp), and put it under a bushel (basket), but on a candlestick (lampstand); and it giveth 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 heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14-16)
In other words, my fellow believers, once Christ left the earth, we were the light bearers, and we were supposed to go out into the world do as the song says: ‘Seek out the helpless, confused and torn Hold out your candle for all to see it…Cause we are a family whose hearts are blazing…’
But that’s obviously not the truth, because the world is so badly clothed in darkness that most of its inhabitants cannot even see their hands right in front of their faces, for Satan has so blinded them with sin, and we supposed believers in Christ Jesus; the light bearers, have for whatever reason(s) been hiding our lights under a bushel, the very opposite of what Jesus desires of us. So if the presence of Jesus is not far flung, to all nations, what else can we expect but a dark, disgusting, sinful world.
Now here is another encouraging scripture to go home to. This one from Bruh Paul to the Ephesians. ‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them.
For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved (exposed) are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.’ (Eph. 5:8-14)
Ah my fellow saints, it’s indeed time for us to awake from our slumber and acknowledge the great darkness that’s enveloped our world, because of too many ‘dark and cold candles’ and do something to turn things around, because it all depends on us. And the song says it best: ‘So let’s raise our candles and light up the sky Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus Make us a beacon in darkest times.’ Much LOVE!
…it’s high time for all believers to set their candles aflame…so that the light of Jesus…can erupt in this sin darkened world…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
03 Nov 2022
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, Alpha and Omega, as for me and my house, Big Brother, curse, fog, free will, full of grace and truth, he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God, high priest, his commandments are not grievous, in him was life, In the beginning was the Word, Lord and Saviour, LOVE, negative word, prince of peace, self-control, the beginning and the end, the darkness comprehended it not, the life was the light of men, the light shineth in the darkness, the only begotten of the Father, the Word was God, the Word was with God, this is the love of God, Thursday Blessings, we beheld his glory, we will serve the Lord, whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world
John 1:14. The Word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Oh boy, it was a foggy, foggy night, with no moon or stars in sight. And it’s also a foggy, foggy Thursday morning with no glimpse of the sun. The fog began in the early evening and has been going on since then. Every time I looked out the window during the night, all I could see was this white mist swirling around, making the place look ghost-like. (smile) And when I got up this morning and looked out, I saw the same white, misty sight. Brother! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen fog lasting for such a long period of time. Let’s hope and pray that it doesn’t cause too many problems out there on the roads this morning as commuters endeavour to get to work safely.
Oh, I know the fog can seem harmless, but believe me, it isn’t, especially when it changes its intensity without any notice, causing your sight lines to deteriorate without any notice either. Bad fog causes more accidents than snow, for with the snow, you can at least see where you’re going, while with the fog, you can’t. And like my computer was telling me the truth yesterday when it kept on forecasting fog. (smile) It’s also forecasting the same weather pattern right now too. So who knows what the weather will bring?
No one but Jesus! Glory be my people! We have a Lord and Saviour, a High Priest, a King of Kings, the Word, who knows it all; from the beginning to the end. For He was there in the beginning, as John so eloquently puts it in his gospel. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him: and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ (John 1:1-5)
Yes my fellow beleivers, that’s all about our friend, and brother Jesus Christ. The world was created by the Word of God. He said: ‘Let there be light: and there was light.’ (Gen. 1:3) And everything else He spoke into existence, except mankind, whom He made with His hands from the dirt of the ground, then breathed His breath of life into man’s lifeless body, thereby making it a living being. That’s why the Lord LOVES us so much! We are the work of His hands! And Jesus was right there all the time with the Father as He created the universe. One unified Godhead of Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Remember, ‘the Word was with God, and the Word was God…’ But then ‘The Word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:14) Now which Divine Being became flesh eh? Only Jesus Christ, who came to us in all His glory as the only begotten Son of God, the perfect image of His Father, filled with all grace and truth!
Wow! What a magnificent Being is our Jesus! Only God, or the Son of God could be so many things to us: Lord and Saviour, King, Advocate, High Priest, Friend, Big Brother, Comforter, Prince of Peace, Counsellor, Judge and Jury, etc. etc! And that’s why it’s ever so important that we strive to live for Him, to be obedient to Him as the Word; the Creator of all things, as well as His word, the rules and regulations He’s laid down for us to live by.
And Remember what Jesus said in His Great Invitation: ‘For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matt. 11:30) That means living by His rules and regulations is not difficult. And John in his first epistle tells us the same thing. ‘For this is the LOVE of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (burdensome, hard to follow). (1 John 5:3) And John should know, because he followed Jesus around for the three years He did His earthly ministry.
However, the problem is that what Jesus directs and what the world says are often two entirely different things. But then again, John explains it so wonderfully in his first epistle. ‘For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.’ (1 John 5:4-5) Oh my fellow saints, every believer, everyone that’s born again of water and the blood of Christ has power to overcome the sinful practices of this evil world.
As the scholars tell us: ‘There is conquering power through this confession (of faith in Christ) because God is sovereign over the world, and only through the Son does man have access to and find favour with God.’ It couldn’t be spelled out any simpler or clearer than that my faithful brethren. Only through Christ Jesus can we get to the Father. And Jesus Himself made that quite clear when He declared: (oh no!!!) ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.’ (John 14:6)
And it all comes down to choice, our choice, for the Lord gave us free will to choose whom we will follow, His Son Jesus Christ, or the enemy, Satan, prince of darkness and evil. You, personally have to decide whom you will follow, but as Joshua so nicely put it to the people of Israel in his closing address; ‘but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ (Josh. 24:15d) That’s also my testimony friends.
And the wonderful thing about our God is that when we decide to follow Him, He bestows blessings on us that we do not deserve but need to do His will. We call them our Thursday Blessings. But they need to be declared (yesss!!!) out loud before they can be activated. So let’s do that right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance!
I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
And if we truly mean it, then let’s go out and use those blessings to help others come to Christ. Much LOVE!
…Jesus was there at the beginning…and will be there at the end…note His words to John…I am the Alpha and Omega…the beginning and the end… (Rev. 21:6b)
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ
23 Sep 2021
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, and the life was the light of men, as calves in the stall, curse, divine protection, dwell in the land of the shadow of death, glorify your father in heaven, go forth and grow up, have seen a great light, He is faithful that promised, he that doeth truth cometh to the light, he that followeth me, I am the light of the world, I came not to judge the world but to save the world, in him was life, Jesus turns our darkness into light, keep our hope alive, lay your burdens at the foot of the cross, Let your light so shine before men, LOVE, men loved darkness rather than light, negative word, promotion, self-control. self-discipline, shall have the light of life, shall not walk in darkness, shall the Sun of righteousness arise, shine through the darkness, swallow us up without a prayer, take a leap of faith, that they may see your good works, the believer's bounden duty, the darkness comprehended it not, the light shineth in the darkness, the night shineth as the day, the people that walked in darkness, the power and light and LOVE of Jesus, their deeds were evil, Thursday Blessings, unto you that fear my name, walk as children of light, with healing in his wings
John 8:12. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Oh no friends, it did not clear up nicely in my area yesterday. In fact, it rained all day and during most of the night. But thankfully it seems to have stopped now and the sun is poking it’s bright and beautiful face out through the remaining dark clouds. And that’s how our God, our Jesus works in our lives; when the rain and dark clouds threaten to consume us, if we just keep our hope alive, we will soon see the power and light and LOVE of Jesus begin to shine through all the darkness that threatens to swallow us up without a prayer.
But we always have a prayer, and when we use it, our Jesus will turn our darkness into light. Yes, He will turn it around with His majestic power and glory. And why do I think that eh? Because I’ve seen him do it numerous times in my life and the lives of others who sincerely believe in Him. And if you know His Word, you will know this major pronouncement He made many years ago while dwelling here on earth. He truthfully declared: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12)
And if you take the leap of faith and trust Him on that matter, then you will see much more light in your life than darkness. For He is faithful that promised! But if you want to see light, the light of Christ, flooding your soul, life and spirit, then you have to take Him up on His promise and lay your burdens at the foot of His cross. And it’s not a promise that was just made in Jesus’ time, but long, long ago, the Lord promised it through the prophet Isaiah, when he prophesied: ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’ (Is. 9:2)
And that light was the promise of Jesus coming to save the world from the sin and darkness that contaminated it. The prophet Malachi also told us about the coming of Light when he declared on the Lord’s behalf: ‘But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall (grow fat like stall fed calves). And ye shall tread (trample) down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.’ (Mal. 4:2-3)
And the Father kept His promise when He sent Jesus to earth to save our souls from death and eternal separation from Him, by paying the price of our sins on the cross of Calvary and defeating hell, death and the grave when He rose triumphantly from the bowels of hell on that glorious Easter morn some two thousand years ago! Now that momentous occasion birthed the presence of the Light of Jesus in our lives, where, if we accept Him as Lord and Saviour, His Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, to help dispel the darkness of this world, and we will forever live in His glorious Light!
As John so eloquently and truthfully says in the beginning of his gospel: ‘All things were made by him (Jesus); and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ (John 1:3-5) Yes friends, the darkness of this world cannot comprehend, apprehend or take hold of the Light that’s Jesus Christ! And there are so many important scriptures that deal with light and Jesus being light, that I don’t know what to choose. (smile) So let’s choose a few random ones to refresh our memories.
Hear Jesus to the Jewish rulers of His time. ‘I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.’ (John 12:46-47) Oh my people, Jesus didn’t come to judge, but to save, so please let’s remember that nuh.
Now here is this most appropriate scripture, as Jesus says: ‘And this is the condemnation, that (the) light is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth (practices) evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, less his deeds should be reproved (exposed). But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.’ (John 3:19-21) That was true in Jesus’ time, and it’s still true in our time. Evil doers hate the light because they don’t want their evil deeds to be exposed.
And unfortunately, right now, the evil deeds in our society seem to be outweighing the good and truthful ones, that’s why so many of us are hiding from the light in the darkness. But friends, please remember that the darkness doesn’t hamper the sight of our God, for as Bruh David says in Psalm 139: ‘Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee (is not dark to thee); but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.’ (Ps. 139:12) So friends, trying to hide in the darkness from God is useless, as trying to hide from Him period!
Then listen to some more useful words on light from the psalms. Bruh David declares in Psalm 18: ‘For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high (haughty) looks. For thou wilt light my candle (lamp): the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. For by thee I have run through (can run against) a troop; and by my God have I leaped (can leap) over a wall.’ (Ps. 18:27-29) And if that didn’t do anything for you, then listen to this most mighty verse of scripture from Psalm 119: ‘Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ (Ps. 119:105)
Yes friends, the word of God indeed lights our way as we walk through this dark and sinful world. And if we are wise, we will take it to heart and practice it sincerely as these words of Jesus so wisely advised. ‘Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.’ (John 12:35-36)
Now that’s the crux of the problem right there my fellow saints; we must be children of light. Jesus was the light of the world while He was here on earth, but after He went back to heaven, He declared that His followers, that’s us, are now the light of the world. (Matt. 5:14) And as Bruh Paul told the Ephesians: ‘For ye were sometimes (once) darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of light.’ (Eph. 5:8) Yes, my fellow believers, that’s exactly how we ought to walk in this dark and evil world, ‘as children of light,’ so that we can fulfill Jesus’ desire. ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:16)
And the wonderful thing about our Lord and Saviour is that He doesn’t just tell us what to do, but He also gives us the wherewithal to do it. Consequently, we have his Word, His Holy Spirit and numerous other tools that we call our Thursday Blessings that enable us to shine brightly in this dark world. So please, let’s declare those blessings now nuh, that we can invoke them in our spirits.
As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now let’s go out and shine brightly for Jesus, by sharing those blessings just as generously with others as he shared them with us. Much LOVE!
…to shine brightly for Jesus…in this dark world…that’s the believer’s bounden duty…
Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8
19 Jun 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a guiding light, be responsible, bring backsliders back to your fold, calls men to accountability, compassionrestoring faith in you, defeat the virus, each one help one, each one teach one, energy level, enthusiasm, ever-faithful God, fearful and anxious world, Friday chant, grin and bear it, hard labour, have seen a great light, have the light of life, His only begotten Son, I am the light of the world, in him was life, in the land of the shadow of death, in the name of, Jesus Christ, lock down, LOVE, mercy, omnipotent help, our Lord and Saviour, pandemic, physical distancing, racial protest, realm of prayer, revelation of God, serious setbacks, stand strong and steadfast, stay safe, TGIF!, Thank God is Friday, that have walked in darkness, the darkness comprehended it not, the forefront, the life was the light of men, the light shineth in darkness, the people, they that dwell, this serious storm, understanding of the truth, unrest in our streets, upon them hath the light shined, waiting with bated breath, wise guidance
Isaiah 9:2. The people that have walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
And then all those bright, sunshiny days, morphed into this beautiful one called Friday! And everyone’s thoughts are turned to what this June weekend might hold for us, as individuals, as well as our whole frustrated, discontented, weary, sick, fearful and anxious world! But there is no need to fear my friends, for our great and ever-faithful God has given us an incredible promise: ‘The people that have walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.’
Yeh friends, the Lord promised us a guiding light to lead us out of the darkness and He kept that promise when He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ into the world to show us what He was truly like, and that we would be able to follow the light and come to a sure understanding of the truth found in His Word. But unfortunately, as John says: ‘In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ (John 1:4-5)
Now is it ever so sad, that back then, only a minority of mankind appreciated the light and took advantage of what it had to offer. And the same unfortunate situation still exists to this day. But hear this explanation from the scholars nuh: ‘1:4-5. Life…light: See also 8:12; 9:5; 11:25; 14:6. (Please check out those references.) In John’s writings, life represents salvation and deliverance through Christ, and light denotes Jesus’ revelation of God which calls men to accountability.’
Exactly what I’ve been saying: not enough of us have accepted Jesus’ revelation of God, neither His most wonderful offer of salvation and deliverance! No wonder our world is in such a calamitous state! Jesus said it quite plainly Himself: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ (John 8:12) So the ONLY way out is for us to accept what God has to offer on a worldwide scale, not trying to run Him out of our society, as we are presently trying to do. Let’s remember that nuh! Sermon done! (smile)
And since it’s Friday, I know many of you are waiting with bated breath to hear what the ordinary workingman has to say. So let’s check it out nuh. As always, he begins with ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday and the weekend is here!’ But these days his enthusiasm and energy level don’t seem as high as they were before the pandemic shut down everything. ‘Yeh, thank God for the two days off from work! But what we going to do with them eh? Is summer time now, and half the place still lock down, and yuh still have to practice social or physical distancing, or whatever yuh choose to call it!
Steups! And not even that, but I really don’t want to go anywhere because mih body tired, ah still can’t catch mihself, still not gotten back accustomed to the hard labour in the slave master work! Oh what a difference two months away from it makes! And this pandemic thing, as well as the new racial protest and them, doh look like they going away any time soon nuh.
Ah Lord eh! In all mih born days, ah never see the world in such a mess yet nuh! But what a small man like me going to do about all that eh? Not a hell of a lot. Just grin and bear it as best as I can and pray that it all get better sooner than later! And is a good thing I still have the weekends to look forward to yes, so I can get away from it all. Thank the Lord for that oui!’
Ah friends, I know that many of us are experiencing the same kind of frustration and feel like the ordinary workingman does, because we are ordinary working people without a whole lotta say in the big affairs of the society, and the powers that be don’t pay a lot of attention to us, unless we rise up together and make our voices heard. And that ofttimes meets with unfortunate circumstances as the current racial protests are showing. But there’s one place where NO ONE can stop or hold us back…and that’s in the realm of prayer!
Calls to Almighty God are only monitored by Him and He desires to hear from all of us. So let’s get busy and pray nuh; call out to God for mercy and deliverance through our Friday Chant. As one loud and sincere voice: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. It’s been pretty rough…some of it from work, as many of us are now back to work in varied ways, but most of our anxiety still comes from all the confusion and havoc that the Covid-19 virus still causing. We not accustomed to that Lord, and it really telling on us. And now, on top of all that, we have racial riots and protests to put up with.
Oh Lord, yuh know we can’t handle it on our own and desperately need Your help. Yes, heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat both the virus and the unrest in our streets. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give the governments and those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the sure and wise guidance to handle the situation properly, with the least amount of loss to life and property as possible. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe, so that we can avoid any more serious setbacks.
And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to also bring a lot of backsliders back to your fold, show them the error of their ways. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce a whole new flock, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion because of the way we, your faithful believers, handle the situation. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic and the unrest in the streets as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’
Now, like faithful believers, let’s go and do whatever little we can do to help the situation! Much LOVE!
…each one teach one…each one help one…
30 Jan 2020
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a compassionate heart, accountability, curse, deliverance, divine protection, faith, favour, fulfillment, generously share, glorify your father in heaven, have the light of life, he that follweth me, I am the light of the world, in Jesus' name, joy, Let there be light, let your light so shine, lifts the spirits, made to enjoy light, negative word, physical sunlight, pleasure, prosperity, revelation of God, salt of the earth, salvation, see your good works, self-control, selfishly hoard, Sermon on the Mount, spiritual light of Jesus, success, sunshine, supernatural wisdom, the Beatitudes, the darkness comprehended it not, the Life, the Word, Thursday Blessings, walk in darkness, work the works
John 9:12. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Well it’s begun as a somewhat grey and unappealing Thursday morning, but let’s hope that it will eventually turn into a bright sunshiny day like yesterday, although it was a tad on the chilly side. Yes friends, there’s something to be said for sunshine, even when it’s freezing cold! (smile) It just lifts the spirits…don’t know if it’s because of the light and our spirits were made to enjoy light, not darkness, but it certainly does help to see a nice, bright day filled with sunshine, especially when things are not going too well.
But yuh know what? We believers don’t really need to depend so much on the physical sunlight because we have the one who made that sunlight, who is also that sunlight, dwelling deep down inside of us! And consequently, when the physical sunlight is not apparent, we can faithfully call on the spiritual light of Jesus to brighten up our days…and also our nights! Wow! That’s why He could make this awesome, but oh so true statement: ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’
Ah friends, what a blessing it is to have the Light of the world in our lives; dwelling securely and faithfully in the souls and spirits of each believer! (chuh!) Give Him much thanks and praise for He is certainly deserving of them! Now hear how John characterizes Him nuh: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.’ (John 1:1-4)
Yes my people, Jesus was there from the very beginning: He was the Word; the awesome Word that God spoke to create the universe! ‘Let there be light…and there was light.’ (Gen. 1:3) He was also ‘the life’, which was the light of men, meaning when we have Jesus, we have both life and light! Glory be! And as the scholars explain: ‘1:4-5. Life…light: See also 8:12; 9:5; 11:25; 14:6. In John’s writings, life represents salvation and deliverance through Christ, and light denotes Jesus’ revelation of God which calls men to accountability.’
That’s why it’s so sad and unfortunate when John continues: ‘And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended (apprehended) it not.’ (John 1:5) Yes, Jesus came to shine light into a darkened world, but the world did not cotton to His light. Why, you wonder? Because as Jesus said in His famous discourse to Nicodemus: ‘And this is the condemnation of the world, that light (the light) is come into the world, and men LOVED darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.’ (John 3:19)
No wonder we refused the life and light that was, is, and will always be Jesus! It’s hard for evil man to give up his evil deeds because it’s just an inherent part of his nature. But friends, that evil nature will not get us anywhere except hellfire and damnation, eternal separation from Almighty God, which is the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul and spirit! That’s why the Father sent Jesus to earth to redeem us and to reconcile us to Him, otherwise come the big judgement day, we’d be left on the outside looking in. And believe me friends, whatever that might entail in reality, it certainly will not be a good thing!
Now listen to Jesus again on the subject of ‘the light of the world,’ when He was about to heal a man born blind and the disciples asked Him who had sinned that he was born blind? ‘Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest (be revealed) in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’
Yes precious people of God, certain things are made to happen in this evil word so that our God can cause them to be rectified and thus glorify His most blessed and holy name! But the most important part of those statements is the fact that while Jesus was in the world, He was indeed the light of the world, but once He left the world, the duty of being light to a darkened world fell on us, His believers. Like He said back on the Sermon on the Mount after the Beatitudes: ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. …Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt. 5:14, 16)
Ah my fellow believers (yeah!), we are now the reflection of Jesus’ shining light to this evil world, so let’s go out and shine nuh… Oh and don’t forget we’re also the salt of the earth, so we have to be tasty too, otherwise we’ll just be cast out and ground underfoot. (smile) And the great thing about Jesus is that He never gives us a task to perform unless He gives us the wherewithal, the tools to perform it. And He’s certainly given us the tools to be the salt and light of the earth in our Thursday Blessings, so let’s declare (yeah!) them now nuh, so we can invoke them in our daily routine.
As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection!
I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and everyday! Amen!’
And if we truly believe and are truly sincere, then we’ll go out now and generously share those blessings with others as Jesus desires of us, and don’t selfishly hoard them for ourselves. Much LOVE!
…oh…what a joy and pleasure it is…to be the salt and light of this evil world…in Jesus’ name…
SCRIP-BITS 