2006AFC020720 – Shining a light on Light
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Matthew 5:16 – 16 In the same way, let your light♪ shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. ♪ This word is phos {foce} and is used to describe anything emitting light.
Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Grace and Peace to each of you from God our Father and our Lord, Jesus the Christ, in the Power of the Holy Spirit. Alright now, all y’all, we are going to a hymn-singing-Bible-studying revival! Buckle up, because here we go. Turn your radio on (↔ Music Link) and Light up the World! (↔ Music Link) Everybody wants to be a star, right? Then consider this: Philippians 2:14-15 – 14 Do all things without murmuring* and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. *In both the Old Testament and New Testament, this word indicates people who secretly confer to discontentedly complain – griping gossipers. Don’t be like them! Be a bright star in this crooked and perverse generation! WE know the Light, the True Light, and that Light is our Light.
2 Peter 1:16-21 – 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
19 So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining (↔ Music Link) in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
The Prophets spoke about God by the Power of God, and their words are to be our Light. Psalm 119:105 – 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 27:1a – 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
Psalm 56:13 – 13 For you have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from falling, so that I may walk before God in the light of life. (↔ Music Link) Listen carefully for this stanza in the song:
Some people are scared to let their little lights shine
So we must share our light divine
Cause they are lost down in the valley
Trying to get home
John 8:12 – 12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have* the light of life.”
*This verb means “to have” as in to hold one’s self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to or to be closely joined to a person or a thing.
Matthew 5:14a – 14 You are† the light of the world. †This is from the verb “to be” in the present indicative mode which normally describes an action taking place at the present time. Normally, this action is a continued action taking place right now. Doesn’t that seem like what should be happening now? Should we be more conscious of being the light?
Ephesians 5:8 – 8 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. (↔ Music Link) Live as children of light –
Psalm 112:1 & 4 – 1 Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments. 4 They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
Isaiah 60:1-3 – 1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. 3 Nations shall come to your light, (↔ Music Link) and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Proverbs 4:18 – 18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
Isaiah 58:8 – 8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Well, Belovéd, that was quite an adventure, so let me now ask you a question based on what you have seen and heard:
Is the Light within us, emanating from us like light from a lamp; or is the Light outside us, reflecting off our souls like light in a mirror? I’ll count to 10 while you think about that.
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10! What do you think? Is Light inside or outside? Did you say BOTH? So did I. Do you remember this?
LIGHT ≡ GOD ≡ TRUTH ≡ WAY ≡ LIFE ≡ ETERNAL ≡ LOVE
It is certainly true that God is Light and his Light is within me, and it is also true that his Light shines on me. Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8:12), but WE are also the Light of the World (Matthew 5:14), so that is why he said let your light shine before others. We are created in God’s image and likeness and God is Light. Wherever God is, there is Light; wherever Light shines, there is God. If we think back to Genesis, Chapter 1, what is the first Creation spoken into being? Genesis 1:3-4 – 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. And what will be Light in Heaven for all eternity? Revelation 22:5 – 5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. How do we get that Light in and around us? We’ve been here before, so give a listen to Alan Jackson again as he sings Turn your Eyes Upon Jesus. (↔ Music Link). Yes ʻŌmea, it is Jesus who will Light up our lives, (↔ Music Link) and how bright is that Brightness!
Please pray with us here at Share-a-Prayer.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Belovéd!
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
