Light & Life

Good day to each of you reading this column and a “BIG THANK YOU” for your prayers and your support.

Before I begin the lesson, it’s time for a laugh or two on Church Bulletin Bloopers:

Folks, I am not making these up—they came from Church bulletins throughout the country:

Don’t let worry kill you off—let the Church help.

The Fasting and Praying Conference includes meals.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be “What is Hell?” Come early and listen to our choir practice.

The sermon this morning: ‘Jesus walks on the Water.’ The sermon tonight: ‘Searching for Jesus.’

For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

Ladies don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They will need all the help they can get.

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall.. Music will follow.

Jim Hall and Sue Cook were married on April 1 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.

And, Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM—prayer and medication to follow.

Hope you enjoy the above church bulletins, as we need a bit of humor in our lives.

Depression, Isolation, Restriction, Empty, Helpless, Worthless, Shut Away, Fearful, Confined, Lonely, Jittery, Nervous, Scared and so many other words used on the air waves in the time we live in today.

As for two of the most common words used, fear and darkness for the pandemic has placed both words in the forefront of many people.

Fear for what may happen if one ventures out and darkness from the fear of what happen if one catches the COVID-19 and then more darkness as one is placed in isolation from their loved ones.

Turn with me to John 1:1-13 (FF) The WORD existed in the beginning, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God. He was present with God at the beginning. All came into existence by means of Him; and nothing came into existence apart from Him. What originated in him was Life; and the Life was the Light of Mankind. That Light shines in the darkness; but the darkness did not absorb it.

A man came, sent from God; his name was John. He came for witness, in order that he might give evidence concerning that Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not himself the Light; his mission was to give evidence concerning that Light. The real Light was that which enlightens every man that comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world was created by means of Him; yet the world did not recognize Him.
He came to His own home; but his own family did not welcome Him. But whosoever welcomed Him, believing in His Power, He bestowed upon them the right to become children of God. They were not begotten from blood nor from natural desire of man; but from God himself.

Would you say that fear and darkness have been around since the beginning of time? Yes, but so have life and light—What Jesus taught, what Jesus said, and what Jesus did are tied inseparably to who he is. John shows us in the following verses that Jesus is fully human and fully God.
In John 1-3 (NIV) it says, Through Him THE WORD) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Do you remember the song, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine–“This Little Light of Mine” is a traditional gospel song written by Harry Dixon Loes and first collected by musicologist John Lomax in 1939.

I will come back to the song above shortly, but let it be known that darkness and fear will never extinguish the Light of God and Jesus Christ for his life brings light to all mankind. Jesus has removed the darkness of sin and fear of dying, providing each of us with a lighted pathway to everlasting life. What more could one ask in these troubled times.

As times of trouble persevere and darkness and fear take grip upon our lives– fear not, breathe deep and read the following:

There’s a little flame inside us all
Some shine bright, some shine small
The rains will come and the waters rise
But don’t you ever lose your light
In this life you will know
Love and pain, joy and sorrow
So when it hurts, when times get hard
Don’t forget whose child you are

This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine, gonna let it shine

May you live each day with no regret
Make the most of every chance you get
Let your eyes get wide when you look at the stars
With the same sense of wonder as a child’s heart
With the ones you love treasure the time
And for those who are gone keep their memories alive
Hold on to your dreams don’t ever let go
There’s a fire inside you burning with hope

This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine, gonna let it shine

There will be days when you want to give up
When the clouds settle in
But after the rain comes the sun
Don’t you ever forget

One day there will be no more pain
And we will finally see Jesus’ face
So until then I’m gonna to try
To brave the dark and let my little light shine

This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine, gonna let it shine

What a wonderful song—In fact a very timely song in the time we live in today.

May you Bless God in all that you do and until next time, as Helen Steiner Rice says, If you meet God in the morning, He’ll go with you through the day.

Jeff