“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19
Hello Friends:
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shineWelcome to the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember again what Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? NO!
I’m gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? NO!
I’m gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? NO!
I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
Let it shine til Jesus comes
I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine til Jesus comes
I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine til Jesus comes
I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
Well, a good singer I’m not. I recently asked my wife, Dee, “Why wasn’t I blessed with a good singing voice like some?” She just laughed. But at least I tried.
There are varying versions of the "This Little Light Is Mine" song. The one I sang today is the one I remember singing as a child in the Mennonite Church. It puzzles me that the writer of the song used the word "little" to describe light in the life of a Christian. Perhaps, if you think of it—the "little" light—is not so little after all!
During the Christmas season, people focus on lighting up trees, houses, and indoor and outdoor spaces. As a family, we love to travel to lighted neighborhoods, perhaps with families hosting annual parties, and dream of what it’s like for them at Christmas.
The Wise Men in Matthew 2 followed the light of a star to find Jesus in Bethlehem. They wanted to see Him who was “born King of the Jews". Behind me is a lighted tree with a lighted star on top to commemorate the occasion.
The word light is mentioned, in various sentence structure forms, 274 times in the Bible. But the majority of the time it is to contrast light with darkness—to equate light to good—and to equate darkness to evil.
In the Old Testament are many memorable verses about light. Who can forget Psalm 27:1. “The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?” Or Psalm 119:105. “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path."
Proverbs 4:18 is one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible. Here it is, “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.”
A little later Isaiah 9:2 prophesied the birth of Jesus. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.”
Are you blown away by these very few of many references to light in the Old Testament? Just wait! The New Testament references to Jesus' birth, and the light He would bring to mankind is unbelievable!
Matthew 4:16 reiterated Isaiah’s prophesy about the birth of Jesus. “The people who live in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
In John 8:12 Jesus explained who He was. “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
John 1:4-5 says about Jesus “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.”
John 11:9-10 explains men walking, or not walking, with the light of Jesus in their lives. “Aren’t there twelve hours in a day?” Jesus answered. “If anyone walks during the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks during the night, he does stumble, because the light is not in him.”
John 12:46 explains further, “I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me would not remain in darkness.”
Let’s go on to Saul, saved after Jesus met him and blinded him, ironically, with an unbelievably bright light. Paul, Saul’s new name given by Jesus, was gloriously saved. Paul said in Acts 26:17-18 about Gentiles, “I am sending you to them to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me. ’to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.”
Paul further talked about the light of the gospel message in 2 Corinthians 4:4, “In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Paul went on to say in 2 Corinthians 4:6 about Jesus, “For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Peter joins the bandwagon talking about light in 1 Peter 2:9. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
The apostle John joins the discussion about light in 1 John 1:5. “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.”
Then John said in 1 John 1:7, “If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Let's continue with the Apostle John in Revelation 21:22-25. He’s just been given a vision of the New Jerusalem that came down out of heaven after the destruction of the earth as we know it. “I did not see a temple in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Night will be no more; people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light,—"
So, in conclusion, the song “This Little Light of Mine”, is a very good “little” song. But I hope and pray that you and I see that—the “This ‘Little’ Light of Mine” mentioned in the song—is not so little!
Until I see you next time keep sharing Jesus with others,
Arlen
There are varying versions of the "This Little Light Is Mine" song. The one I sang today is the one I remember singing as a child in the Mennonite Church. It puzzles me that the writer of the song used the word "little" to describe light in the life of a Christian. Perhaps, if you think of it—the "little" light—is not so little after all!
During the Christmas season, people focus on lighting up trees, houses, and indoor and outdoor spaces. As a family, we love to travel to lighted neighborhoods, perhaps with families hosting annual parties, and dream of what it’s like for them at Christmas.
The Wise Men in Matthew 2 followed the light of a star to find Jesus in Bethlehem. They wanted to see Him who was “born King of the Jews". Behind me is a lighted tree with a lighted star on top to commemorate the occasion.
The word light is mentioned, in various sentence structure forms, 274 times in the Bible. But the majority of the time it is to contrast light with darkness—to equate light to good—and to equate darkness to evil.
In the Old Testament are many memorable verses about light. Who can forget Psalm 27:1. “The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?” Or Psalm 119:105. “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path."
Proverbs 4:18 is one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible. Here it is, “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.”
A little later Isaiah 9:2 prophesied the birth of Jesus. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.”
Are you blown away by these very few of many references to light in the Old Testament? Just wait! The New Testament references to Jesus' birth, and the light He would bring to mankind is unbelievable!
Matthew 4:16 reiterated Isaiah’s prophesy about the birth of Jesus. “The people who live in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
In John 8:12 Jesus explained who He was. “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
John 1:4-5 says about Jesus “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.”
John 11:9-10 explains men walking, or not walking, with the light of Jesus in their lives. “Aren’t there twelve hours in a day?” Jesus answered. “If anyone walks during the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks during the night, he does stumble, because the light is not in him.”
John 12:46 explains further, “I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me would not remain in darkness.”
Let’s go on to Saul, saved after Jesus met him and blinded him, ironically, with an unbelievably bright light. Paul, Saul’s new name given by Jesus, was gloriously saved. Paul said in Acts 26:17-18 about Gentiles, “I am sending you to them to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me. ’to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.”
Paul further talked about the light of the gospel message in 2 Corinthians 4:4, “In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Paul went on to say in 2 Corinthians 4:6 about Jesus, “For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Peter joins the bandwagon talking about light in 1 Peter 2:9. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
The apostle John joins the discussion about light in 1 John 1:5. “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.”
Then John said in 1 John 1:7, “If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Let's continue with the Apostle John in Revelation 21:22-25. He’s just been given a vision of the New Jerusalem that came down out of heaven after the destruction of the earth as we know it. “I did not see a temple in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Night will be no more; people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light,—"
So, in conclusion, the song “This Little Light of Mine”, is a very good “little” song. But I hope and pray that you and I see that—the “This ‘Little’ Light of Mine” mentioned in the song—is not so little!
Until I see you next time keep sharing Jesus with others,
Arlen
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