Light

Let There Be Light

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
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Light is amazing. The tiniest glimmer can be seen, sometimes for miles. Darkness exists until there is light.

1 In the beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness. Gen. 1:1-4 (AMPC)

There is a lot of darkness in this world. People who do not know God are walking around in darkness. Their lives are without form, an empty waste, but the Spirit of God is moving about them. God wants to introduce “Light” into their life. By that, I mean Jesus, for He is the light of the world.

Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light which is Life. John 8:12 (AMPC)

Light was made for darkness!

Light dispels darkness. God wants the people who are walking around aimlessly in darkness to be introduced to Light, to Jesus. He wants to use you as a representative of the kingdom of heaven to let your light shine so bright that it attracts the lost to you.

Have you ever noticed how insects and snakes are drawn to light? When I was a young man, my father would ask me to carry the lantern while we were gathering crawdads for our fishing trip the next day. I found out the hard way snakes go to light, but that’s another story.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. Mat. 5:16 (AMPC)

When you let the love of God shine through you in words and deeds, people will be drawn to you. They probably won’t understand it, but they will be drawn to the Light of the world, Jesus, who lives inside you.

There is a lot of darkness in this world. As we hang new calendars on our walls, well, I still do that, let us be mindful of others this new year and let the light of Jesus shine through us. So the darkness that surrounds them will be dispelled, and they can accept Jesus into their life. And God will see that the light is good (suitable, pleasant) and He will approve it; and God will separate the light from the darkness.

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

The Light Switch

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Between the dark and the light
Between good and evil
Which will you choose?

You must choose one
There is no other choice.
What you pick will determine your future.

I know you may not like it.
I know you might say, “It’s not fair!”
That’s because you don’t understand it.

The darkness tries so hard.
To snare you in its hand
To forever extinguish your memory of the light

The Light stands in front of you
With his arms opened wide
And invites you to know Love.

Choose ye this day
Whom you will serve
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Keeper of the Light

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

On a small parcel of sand along the North Carolina coast sits an old, tall lighthouse. People in the area have found comfort for years in knowing that every night, the light was on.

“Remember, Son, you’re a keeper of the light. And the light must always be on to dispel the darkness so that those who are lost may find their way home.” “Yes, Father. I won’t forget.” “I’m serious. You’ll grow up. You’ll get busy. You will even have a girlfriend someday.” “No way! Not a girlfriend. Ewe! Yuk!” “And the light that is within you will slowly grow dim.”

As hard as he tried, little by little, the light that was within him grew faint but not totally extinguished. His father passed quickly due to cancer while he was in junior high, and his mother died while giving birth to him. After the funeral, he went to live with his aunt and uncle in New York City, the city that never sleeps. Life sped up, and he faced unforeseen challenges that he had never expected. He had never experienced such darkness before.

The son grew up. Graduated from high school and then college. That is where he met his wife. They married, and he landed a good-paying job as an investment banker in Manhattan. Three years later, they had a baby girl. He and his wife talked about going to church. Giving their young daughter the same upbringing they had with an introduction and education about God. But there didn’t seem to be enough time to live their busy lives and get a satisfactory amount of sleep.

As their custom, the now middle-aged man meets up with his buddy and coworker on the “Q” Line subway platform. They greet each other as they wait for their train. A young man approaches them and hands each a little booklet. “Jesus loves you,” he said to them. His buddy looked at the pamphlet and said, “Oh man, this is one of those Jesus tracks. I didn’t know anyone did this anymore.” He threw it down to the concrete. But as he looked at his, he noticed on the cover was a lighthouse with a beam of light going out. He felt something inside of him remember, “Keeper of the light.”

The words of his father came screaming back into his mind, into his soul. He knew at that moment that he needed to change how he was living. He knew he needed to be a spiritual leader in his home, to his buddy, and to the world. He realized he needed to help people who are spiritually lost find their way home.

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. Mat. 5:14-16 (MSG)

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

Light in Louisville

/ Mark Brady / 1 Comment

“I’ll never go to Louisville, Kentucky again!” I proclaimed after having a bad experience.

Many years later, I found April online and went to the Philippines to meet her in person. A month later, I returned to the Philippians to marry her. April has two brothers and one sister. I could not meet April’s sister because she was living in Dubai and working as a nurse.

After my bad experience in Louisville, I considered it a dark place.

Little did I know, one day, April’s sister would join a company who finds nurses from around the world and brings them to America to fulfill the shortage of nurses we have here. She arrived with her husband and son in August of 2022. If you don’t see where this is going, she chooses to be a nurse in. of all places. Louisville.

When we learned that April’s company would be closed for twelve days over the holidays, I brought it to April’s attention that we should visit her sister and family for Christmas. It was challenging to wrap my head around the fact that I would be returning to Louisville, but giving April a chance to see her sister after three years was more important. Then I realized I had the opportunity to meet one of my most faithful blog readers in person. Ann Aschauer from the website I recently featured, “SEEKINGDIVINEWISDOM.COM”. Meeting Ann was awesome, and she is as delightful in person as she comes across in her blogs.

After emailing Ann and asking if we could meet, we decided to meet at her church on Christmas morning. While listening to the pastor preaching about Jesus, Emanual, the Prince of Peace, Counselor, and Savior, he referred to him as “the Light of the World.” At that moment, I looked around, and knowing about the people of that church from what Ann writes in her blog post, it hit me, there is light in Louisville!

I felt bad. Convicted of my negative attitude. I repented quietly of my wrong. The rest of our trip was great. I met some wonderful people who are bearers of Light in Louisville. I will never forget this experience and be cautious ever again about labeling a city as dark.

“Thank you, God, for being patient with me and teaching me this valuable lesson lovingly. Again, I repent of my negative attitude toward Louisville, Kentucky. May you raise up more bearers of Light here and in every place worldwide.”

Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
James 3:10 (NKJV)

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Let There Be Light

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At least twice that we know of, darkness was upon the earth until God spoke. The first time was after God had created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:3, “And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.” A few verses later, He called it good.

Another time was right before Jesus was born. Theologians call the time “The Dark Ages” because God had not spoken for 400 years. Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a shining cloud]; and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing (Offspring) which shall be born of you will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35 AMPC)

Then during his ministry, “Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light which is Life.“ (John 8:12 AMPC)

There will be a future time when God will once again separate light and darkness as He did during creation. This time, He will judge everyone, and those who accepted “Light” (God’s son, Jesus) will enter heaven and those who didn’t will send themselves to hell. Hell is absent of light. Meaning the absence of the presence of God.

Light can come in different forms. One is in people. Last Saturday, I watched a little four-year-old boy while his mother was participating in a Bible study. The child was so precious and full of the love of God. His personality brought light into my day, and when he was leaving, he stopped, turned around, and returned to hug me. It was like being hugged by God himself. I needed it, too.

Even though it’s Christmas time in the city, people are living in darkness, possibly due to their life situation(s) or the mere fact they do not know Jesus. We can cast Light into their lives during this season and throughout the year. We can share with them the hope of Jesus Christ, and God will once again say, “Let there be light.”

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

Light

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Charlie 27You can’t grow up with the greatest fisherman, and not learn something about the business of fishing.  One Friday night, Dad and I were in the creek catching crawdads.  I was holding the lantern.  While I was looking around the rocks for bait, I felt something touch my left leg.  It was a snake.  I froze.

Then I called out to my father, “Dad, I have a snake next to my left leg.”

“Okay, just a minute,” he said.

After he picked up a couple of more, prize brown bass winning bait, he slipped in behind me and grabbed the snake by the tail and slung it!  The next morning, I was telling my mother about the adventure when she said, “Son, did your father happen to mention, snakes are drawn to light?  That’s why he wanted you to carry the lantern.”

Another thing I have learned about light is this, it attracts flying insects.  Pest.  If you have a fly in your house, and you are having trouble getting it, turn out every light except one, and it will come to you.  That’s when you kill it.

As a devoted servant of God, we are the light of the world.  If your light is shining bright enough, you will attract snakes, vipers, and pest!  It is important to know how to respond to them:

  • Learn to identify them quick, for what they are. They might, at first, even be a friend.
  • Know they are there to disrupt you, or hinder you, from accomplishing what God has called you to do.
  • Do not be afraid of them! They are antagonist.  “Every great story has one.” (Rev. Joel Budd)
  • Speak out loud, and declare you are doing the work of God.

 

“Then I gave them my report: “Face it: we’re in a bad way here. Jerusalem is a wreck; its gates are burned up. Come—let’s build the wall of Jerusalem and not live with this disgrace any longer.” I told them how God was supporting me and how the king was backing me up.

They said, “We’re with you. Let’s get started.” They rolled up their sleeves, ready for the good work.

When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they laughed at us, mocking, “Ha! What do you think you’re doing? Do you think you can cross the king?”

I shot back, ‘The God-of-Heaven will make sure we succeed. We’re his servants and we’re going to work, rebuilding. You can keep your nose out of it. You get no say in this—Jerusalem’s none of your business!’”  Nehemiah 2:17-20 (The Message)

You are anointed for whatever God has laid on your heart to do.  Now go do it with excellence.  Don’t you dare diminish your light, so as not to draw vipers, who only want to hurt you, or flies, who are there to annoy you.  Also, don’t forget, you can call out to your Father in heaven anytime, to help you deal with a snake.

Copyright © 2019 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

Let There Be Light

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

MikeMike Breaux, shared a powerful message the other day.  Here is only a small portion of it:

 

This world is dark, and getting darker!  Our world needs light.  Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” (Mat. 5:14)  Even if you only have a little light, it may be a lot more than the person next to you.  Share the Light of the world.  Share Jesus!

(Video property of Willow Creek Community Church)
Copyright © 2019 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved

Three Days of Darkness

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

dispelThere is nothing like the fear that comes from physical, or emotional darkness.  When you can’t see your way, and you have no clue on when and where light will come.  Your heart can pound like a concert bass drum.

Exo 10:21-23 MSG   GOD said to Moses: “Stretch your hand to the skies. Let darkness descend on the land of Egypt–a darkness so dark you can touch it.”  Moses stretched out his hand to the skies. Thick darkness descended on the land of Egypt for three days.  Nobody could see anybody. For three days no one could so much as move. Except for the Israelites: they had light where they were living.

Another time, when there was darkness on the earth, for three days, was when the Son of God, Jesus died.  You talk about your only ray of light going out and sickness settling in, to the very depths of your being.  Jesus had once said, “I am Light that has come into the world so that all who believe in me won’t have to stay any longer in the dark.” (Joh 12:46 MSG)  Three days of darkness, until Jesus was resurrected from the dead, then Light once again walked on the earth.

Are you stumbling around in life desperately running your hand along the wall, panicking as you look for the switch?  Has your darkness lasted much longer than three days?  Don’t get angry, as Pharaoh did.  Don’t let your heart be hardened, as his did, and definitely don’t shake your fist at God.  He may be allowing the darkness, to move you toward Him, who is Light.  Accept Light.  Accept God.  Try living in a way, where you can see your way, by believing in God’s way.

Copyright © 2018 Mark Brady, All rights reserved