1020AFC051410
This week’s Bible Verse: John 15:16 It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. AND 2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,
Aloha pumehana, ‘Ōmea …Warmest Aloha, Beloved. Today I want to write about LIGHT. There are so many things in Scripture that refer to or are associated with light. It was the first object of creation. It is the Creator Themselves (One Creator, Three Persons – the Speaker, the Spirit, and the Light (see the Gospel of John, Chapter 1). Literally thousands of books and gazillions of words have been written about these and many more references to light. The Light I specifically want to address is yours.
How about starting with John 8:12? When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am The Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life.” And in John 1:1-4, John tells us
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things* came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be 4 through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; 5 the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. * [including your light, Beloved]
There are some people I know – you probably can name a few in your life – in whom that Light is more evident, easier to see, and whenever I look at them I see how different they are from me. You know what I mean, yes? Some people call it “wholesome” as in decent, clean, honest, moral, upright, someone with plenty of integrity and plenty more energy for doing good things. Go through your mental photo albums and pick out a few. How do they do that? How do they radiate that light? Believe me, I wish I knew. I think it comes, in part, from being virtuous, and in that sense “wholesomeness” is equivalent to “holiness.” And it is holiness that shows, that inspires, that motivates; it is holiness with very few impurities – so few, in fact, that it is by contrast well out of the ordinary.
This display of virtue, or the light of holiness, can be seen and both men and women, in Christians (JP2 for example) and non-Christians (Gandhi for example), in every age group from infants to the very old. In the people who have this life-force characteristic, the effect is stop-and-stare beautiful. It is a state of life which many try to cultivate, and rightly so because it is evidence of achieving harmony between self, God, and others. These persons certainly do not lead charmed lives free of suffering and refulgent with confidence; indeed they are often the poor, the marginalized, the widowed and orphaned, and the innocents. It seems like their light is effortless; sometimes they are not even aware of its presence or effect.
There are organizations which try to promote this characteristic – some openly and honestly, and some with ulterior motives. Most religions promote holiness and the emulation of God’s love and mercy; every one has a Golden Rule in some form or another that is a reflection of a Deity’s beneficence. There are organizations that promote virtue for women and valor for men. Some sell products and services to help men and women access these concepts through spiritual exercises or outward signs such as jewelry or wardrobe items. Try an Internet search and you will find a wide range of these kinds of organizations. Certainly it seems good to work toward cultivating awareness of and commitment to virtue and valor and one could argue that you cannot have one without the other for it take virtue to be truly valorous and valor to be truly virtuous.
I remember a Radio Preacher’s sermon on the thirty-first chapter of Proverbs. One statement he made struck me as particularly and elegantly insightful. He said, “There is nothing in this world more beautiful than a virtuous woman serving the Lord.” I thought about all the difficulties women have endured for millennia because they were deemed lesser in every way because of their gender. You know what I have often said about women: Naturally they are not the lesser; they are certainly deserving of all equitable consideration and treatment. In fact, I argue that women are the better part of humanity. Man was made from dirt. Woman was made from flesh and bone. Better ingredients, better people. OK, so I probably sound a little flippant there, but I say that to illustrate that indeed there is little in this world that can outshine the Light one sees in a life lived with virtue and valor. And that applies to both men and women, boys and girls, saints and sinners.
Receive The Light ...
Some people mirror/reflect
THE LIGHT. Some people obscure The Light. Some people oppose The Light. Some people carry in them The Light. I think we are attracted to them most because we, too, would like to carry THE LIGHT. It has been said, “If you believe you lack righteousness, behave as though you actually have it and eventually you will.” Righteousness, Holiness,
The Light I can see a bumper sticker coming: Got Light? And it is not “Gotalightmac?” It is “Got
The Light?” What we do says who we are. Actions speak louder than words.
In these times, some claim this to be the End Times, there is much Darkness to overcome. Join hands, so to speak, with those you see who carry The Light. Thank them for being a Light in your life. Don’t be deceived by those who claim to have it but hide it, and don’t be too quick to assume that only a chosen few carry The Light. You go ahead be one of the candles. You have a wick as the core you’re your being – offer it up. For “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16
So, with Paul, let us accept that we are all called to be vessels for The Light. “For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober. Those who sleep go to sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet that is hope for salvation. For God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5-10
Rather than “The Force be with you” I commission you, “May The Light be in you!”
Please continue to support Justin as he goes through this next phase of his eternal life. Remember MN and MC as they deal with their cancer. Pray for the conversions of PJ, AT my niece, and all who oppose or obscure The Light along with those who believe The Light is a marketable possession rather than a precious gift. Finally, Beloved, share The Light by standing with those who carry It. What you do says who you are. Where you stand is where your shadow starts. What you illuminate is that which is no longer hidden.
I love you for The Light has shone upon you and you are so beautiful to me. That is more than adequate because it is from God – he chose you to bear the Fruit of Light.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved!
Age Quod Agis
chick
1020AFC051410
This week’s Bible Verse: John 15:16 It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. AND 2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,
Aloha pumehana, ‘Ōmea …Warmest Aloha, Beloved. Today I want to write about LIGHT. There are so many things in Scripture that refer to or are associated with light. It was the first object of creation. It is the Creator Themselves (One Creator, Three Persons – the Speaker, the Spirit, and the Light (see the Gospel of John, Chapter 1). Literally thousands of books and gazillions of words have been written about these and many more references to light. The Light I specifically want to address is yours.
How about starting with John 8:12? When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am The Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life.” And in John 1:1-4, John tells us
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things* came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be 4 through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; 5 the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. * [including your light, Beloved]
There are some people I know – you probably can name a few in your life – in whom that Light is more evident, easier to see, and whenever I look at them I see how different they are from me. You know what I mean, yes? Some people call it “wholesome” as in decent, clean, honest, moral, upright, someone with plenty of integrity and plenty more energy for doing good things. Go through your mental photo albums and pick out a few. How do they do that? How do they radiate that light? Believe me, I wish I knew. I think it comes, in part, from being virtuous, and in that sense “wholesomeness” is equivalent to “holiness.” And it is holiness that shows, that inspires, that motivates; it is holiness with very few impurities – so few, in fact, that it is by contrast well out of the ordinary.
This display of virtue, or the light of holiness, can be seen and both men and women, in Christians (JP2 for example) and non-Christians (Gandhi for example), in every age group from infants to the very old. In the people who have this life-force characteristic, the effect is stop-and-stare beautiful. It is a state of life which many try to cultivate, and rightly so because it is evidence of achieving harmony between self, God, and others. These persons certainly do not lead charmed lives free of suffering and refulgent with confidence; indeed they are often the poor, the marginalized, the widowed and orphaned, and the innocents. It seems like their light is effortless; sometimes they are not even aware of its presence or effect.
There are organizations which try to promote this characteristic – some openly and honestly, and some with ulterior motives. Most religions promote holiness and the emulation of God’s love and mercy; every one has a Golden Rule in some form or another that is a reflection of a Deity’s beneficence. There are organizations that promote virtue for women and valor for men. Some sell products and services to help men and women access these concepts through spiritual exercises or outward signs such as jewelry or wardrobe items. Try an Internet search and you will find a wide range of these kinds of organizations. Certainly it seems good to work toward cultivating awareness of and commitment to virtue and valor and one could argue that you cannot have one without the other for it take virtue to be truly valorous and valor to be truly virtuous.
I remember a Radio Preacher’s sermon on the thirty-first chapter of Proverbs. One statement he made struck me as particularly and elegantly insightful. He said, “There is nothing in this world more beautiful than a virtuous woman serving the Lord.” I thought about all the difficulties women have endured for millennia because they were deemed lesser in every way because of their gender. You know what I have often said about women: Naturally they are not the lesser; they are certainly deserving of all equitable consideration and treatment. In fact, I argue that women are the better part of humanity. Man was made from dirt. Woman was made from flesh and bone. Better ingredients, better people. OK, so I probably sound a little flippant there, but I say that to illustrate that indeed there is little in this world that can outshine the Light one sees in a life lived with virtue and valor. And that applies to both men and women, boys and girls, saints and sinners.
Receive The Light ...
Some people mirror/reflect
THE LIGHT. Some people obscure The Light. Some people oppose The Light. Some people carry in them The Light. I think we are attracted to them most because we, too, would like to carry THE LIGHT. It has been said, “If you believe you lack righteousness, behave as though you actually have it and eventually you will.” Righteousness, Holiness,
The Light I can see a bumper sticker coming: Got Light? And it is not “Gotalightmac?” It is “Got
The Light?” What we do says who we are. Actions speak louder than words.
In these times, some claim this to be the End Times, there is much Darkness to overcome. Join hands, so to speak, with those you see who carry The Light. Thank them for being a Light in your life. Don’t be deceived by those who claim to have it but hide it, and don’t be too quick to assume that only a chosen few carry The Light. You go ahead be one of the candles. You have a wick as the core you’re your being – offer it up. For “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16
So, with Paul, let us accept that we are all called to be vessels for The Light. “For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober. Those who sleep go to sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet that is hope for salvation. For God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5-10
Rather than “The Force be with you” I commission you, “May The Light be in you!”
Please continue to support Justin as he goes through this next phase of his eternal life. Remember MN and MC as they deal with their cancer. Pray for the conversions of PJ, AT my niece, and all who oppose or obscure The Light along with those who believe The Light is a marketable possession rather than a precious gift. Finally, Beloved, share The Light by standing with those who carry It. What you do says who you are. Where you stand is where your shadow starts. What you illuminate is that which is no longer hidden.
I love you for The Light has shone upon you and you are so beautiful to me. That is more than adequate because it is from God – he chose you to bear the Fruit of Light.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved!
Age Quod Agis
chick
