Category Archives: light,

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Simply Glorious

https://open.spotify.com/episode/06uzq2ymdR2oCJ8Zm6Lt8u?si=11a4c5c6d15347fe

“And the light shineth in darkness; and darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:5 KJV

This verse is part of the description John gave us in his explanation of the marvelous mystery of Jesus Christ.

Let’s back this train up and check out the proceeding verses.

John 1:1-5 NKJV: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God. 

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

What exactly is that comprehension?

I always love to add a precise meaning, because every single word in the Bible is intentional and the choice of the usage of that particular word is often key in understanding what God would have us to glean from that scripture.

So even though we do often know the meaning of a word, it’s helpful to also check the other possibilities.

One meaning of comprehend is this: “To take in the meaning, nature, or importance of, or to grasp” that is according to our internet dictionary.

The light that shined so gloriously and the darkness did not even notice its arrival, much less that it was there.

You know, I can’t possibly do a Christmas post without the Shepherd story, I have many a Christmas post and I appreciate your tolerance of my Christmas “reruns”, to me, it’s like decorations, we only see them for a very short season, once a year and if someone new is seeing them for the first time, well, that justifies the rerun:).

Let’s get to the most glorious announcement ever to be heard by human ear, as an angel from heaven itself proclaimed the arrival of The King 

as the arrival of a King must be proclaimed, even if the King choses his arrival to be as a newborn baby boy in a stable lowly and sure.

Oh, I love this story! I could literally stand and quote verbatim with as much joy and excitement in my own soul as the first time I ever read it.

Luke 2:1-20: ” And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David.)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room from them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord appeared shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all that heard it wondered at those things told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying, and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”

Oh, can you imagine! The shepherds ran, they went as fast as they could possibly go, to see the wonder of heaven touching earth, as proclaimed by angelic voices praising the eternal King and his glorious, glorious light that shone down, that glorious light that shone about the angel, that magnificent star that would later lead the wise men.

Jesus in his radiant light and He is that light, as He himself said.

John 8;12: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

Our world is so incredibly dark, as God sent Jesus into this world and his wonderous birth was unknown to those of high estate that night and was proclaimed to those whom God himself had chosen to be the messengers of the greatest news in human history.

Shepherds, shepherds, who were doing their jobs, being diligent, caring for those flocks, watching over them at night.

Those he chose, obedient, and diligent, and faithful as they went forth proclaiming the good news of the miraculous birth.

As in our time today, that wonderous, glorious news was and is sent to all, but now rejected by so many, as their darkened hearts cannot even comprehend the truth of the Gospel.

The wickedness of our present world would shame Sodom, we have gone beyond all rhyme or reason, we have entered into the realm of lunacy with our laws and actions, rejecting the Saviour, rejecting the light, fulfilling this verse.

John 3:19: ” And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.”

But as those shepherds had that good news to proclaim, we today also still have some awesome news to be shared.

That light has not dimmed, that light has not lost one lumen, and that light shall never be extinguished, it is not man-made, nor will the actions of men ever have bearing upon its brilliancy.

We know that those who do not desire the light, those wish to destroy it, as they have longed to destroy Israel, and hate and persecute those who love the light, and shine themselves, as the lights Jesus left them to be on this earth, we know that they do not comprehend the eternal weight of that hatred and rejection, but we must also rejoice in the truth that their hatred and rejection will never prevent that glorious revelation of the true magnificent of his light yet to be shone,

As the wise men came from the east to behold the King, we have this proclamation concerning the day in which all will behold Him, in His glory,

Matthew 24:27: “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

That glorious light will burn brighter than ever and that light will destroy once and for all the oppressive darkness.

2 Thessalonians 2:8: “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.”

Revelation 21:23: “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

Now that is some good news and that is simply glorious, as it shall be!

Blessings to you and yours, have a blessed holiday season and may that glorious light shine upon you!

Φλογιζω NBJ 2022/ Rev N. Brown Johnson

 

 

 

 

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“Pilot Light”

“And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.” Exodus 27:20 Now we know that was for the temple.

But 1 Corinthians 3:16 asks us this: “Know ye NOT that ye ARE the temple of God? and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 

What about our lights and the light that burns in us? The light that is to shine into a world of darkness a fire burning for and on behalf of God?

The oil for that lamp, HOLY, Holy oil that WE CAN NOT PRODUCE OURSELVES. Oil given from the Holy Spirit as we spend time in prayer and worship.

It has to be a ready supply, CONSTANTLY being poured into us and we are not allowing that to happen, our lamps contain only the oil from the last “deposit” and over time it will start to “evaporate” and little by little, the level starts going lower and lowering and you don’t even realize that you are almost “running on empty” as far as fuel goes.

And once you realize you need it and it is not quite there, there may not be time to get a fill up, Take Matthew 25:1-13 for a great example:

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. The five that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them; 

 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight, there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

Then all the virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you:  but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

And while they went out to buy the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage; and the door was shut.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.“

Notice that the five foolish did indeed have their lamps, they just didn’t bother worrying about the oil. Next time, next week, maybe tomorrow, maybe tomorrow may never come.

The five wise took oil in their vessels, lamps, bodies, oil inside US. It is ironic, of course NOTHING really is, but after these verses Jesus gets into His teaching on the talents and the hidden talents and the talent being taken from the one who hid it and given to the one who already had ten. 

The overtaking of complacency has been on my heart so strong lately and it is truly a major problem for the body of Christ currently and we do have to take into consideration the great “falling away” but this is a horse of a different color.

If we all know there IS a great falling away and that the “saints are being worn out” by the enemy, why would this be a good time for anyone to rest?

We NEED and SHOULD BE doing double duty, working harder and harder for the kingdom, trying to win souls and trying to minister and feed the ones that God has sent us. 

I have said this before, but I am saying it again, is it any shock that Jesus told us in Luke 10:2:..“The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”

Jesus TOLD us we have a great harvest but it is not going to gather itself! We have to be the light and we have to have the oil and we have to OVERCOME complacency.

If we approach our walk with Christ and our Christianity in everyday as nothing more than a doldrums, take it or leave it “lifestyle” we are going to soon find the pilot light will go out.

Jesus deserves SO MUCH MORE.

Lukewarm or even barely warmed over christianity is an absolute insult to Him and every single thing He has done for us.

And NOTHING will snuff that light out faster than complacency.

Complacency is described by the dictionary as a “smug, uncritical view of one’s accomplishments” when even doing nothing still feels quite right and one synonym of it is STAGNANT, not moving, not going forward, just staying in one place.

With our next scriptures, please note that it refers to women, but this could be men, women, whoever falls into this category and it should be a wake up call for us all.

The beginning of Isaiah chapter 32 deals with the evils taking over and all the damage that is being done (sound like our world?) then verses 9-17, says it all, here IS our problem and IF we want things changed, our answer follows:

“RISE UP,ye women, that are at ease, HEAR MY VOICE, ye careless (COMPLACENT) daughters; give ear to my speech.

Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless (COMPLACENT) women; for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall NOT come.

TREMBLE, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless (COMPLACENT) ONES; strip up, and make you bare, {RID yourself of whatever is holding you down} and gird sackcloth upon your lions {REPENT}.

They shall lament (mourn) for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; yea, upon all houses of joy in the joyous city: Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts, and towers shall be dens for ever, a joy to wild asses, a pasture of flocks; 

UNTIL the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be  a fruitful field, and the fruitful field counted for a forest.

THEN judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness REMAIN in the fruitful field.

AND THE WORK OF RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL BE PEACE, and THE EFFECT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS QUIETNESS AND ASSURANCE FOR EVER.”

He said it THREE TIMES,  so this tells us what a huge problem this is, and has been, we must overcome complacency WHILE we still can. 

1 Samuel 2, around verse 22, gets into the story of Eli, and Eli just absolutely let his sons (these men were supposed to be priests) run wild in the unholy things they did in the temple, even sleeping with prostitutes that were actually gathering outside, which is horrifying in itself,  and he just pretty much told them it was wrong, but did NOTHING to stop it.

So the judgment of God came down on him and his sons all died and even, and even the grandson whom was named “Ichabod” which means “inglorious” the mother said because the “Glory of the Lord had departed…’ (1 Samuel chapter 4) because of the transgression against the house of the Lord.

But here is the forerunner 1 Samuel 3:2,3 (a) ” And it came to pass that at that at that time Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes begin to wax (grow) dim, that he could not see; and ERE (IN TIME) THE LAMP OF THE GOD WENT OUT IN THE TEMPLE…” 

This was an EXTREME example but it serves as a very sobering, terrifying reminder to us all to remember that those virgins represent US, God’s children, and any of us can become discouraged and complacent, but we can’t stay there! 

We all have a “pilot light’ that must be lit and kept lit and we have to keep check on that fuel and it seem that light starting to grow low, we have to make sure we get back up to full flame because nothing is worth letting that light go out.

And if you see a brother or sister growing “dark” encourage them, pray with them and help them get that spark back and as the verses from Isaiah proved out We will all be thankful for their new ignition!

Love, Peace, & have  a blessed week! Keep that fire burning!

Σαλπιζω NBJ 2017