In the beginning, God first created light, (Genesis 1:3). It was a major part of His grand design and it’s a window on the universe. The light of the sun also warms the earth and the people upon it, it makes things grow, and it enhances the artistry of everything around us.
       Light not only illuminates all we see with our eyes, but God’s light of truth illuminates our minds and our hearts because He, Himself is light. “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all,” (1 John 1:5, ESV).
       Man in his natural state is dead in his sins but when a person becomes a born-again Christian, his spiritual eyes are opened. “And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins,” (Ephesians 2:1). It is then that a radical transformation occurs. “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (II Corinthians 5:17; TLB).
       A Christian grows in his faith by meditating on God’s word. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” (Psalm 119:105; KJV). With God’s word lighting the way, we can be sure-footed about our steps through life. And if we stumble, we always have the Lord at our side to help us back up. Even in the tough times, He is always there to lead and to guide us by the light of His truths.
       We all grow at a different pace but at some point, we become ready to share the light we have been walking in. The Bible calls us children of light: “For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night,” (I Thessalonians 5:5; NLT). We must radiate that light just like a lamp on a stand. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven,” (Matthew 5:14-16; NKJV).
       The secret to applying this Scripture to your life is found in a key part of this passage: “. . . that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven,” (Vs 16b).
       God’s light will shine through you and me as we care for one another, as we exercise forgiveness, and as we encourage each other, loving our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus said, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these,” (Mark 12:30, 31; NKJV).
       In this life, though we only see and understand in part, there is a new world coming where darkness will be ruled out once and for all. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known,” (I Corinthians 13:12; KJV).

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       As Christians we have so much to look forward to. Isaiah prophesied, “No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor will the moon give you light for brightness; But you will have the Lord as an everlasting light, And your God as your glory,” (Isaiah 60:19; NASB).
       Many years ago, Isaiah saw into the far distant future to a time when John the revelator was 

describing the new Jerusalem. Its walls were made of precious stones, its gates were housed with pearls, and its streets were made of gold that shone like glass. “But I saw no temple in it [the city], for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light,” (Revelation 21:22, 23; NKJV).
       The Bible is filled with many word-pictures of God as light. The majesty of His splendor will be 

awesome to behold. But for now, as we live out our days here on earth, it’s good to know that we can experience a little bit of His power and glory as He pours Himself out upon us. And because we accept Him as our Savior, He then comes to live inside of us. Do you know Him? Visit: https://kathyveer.com/become-a-christian.
 
References:
https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-light/
https://www.thepottershouse.org/daylight-saving-time-and-how-light-illuminates-the-bible/

       Actor, producer, and director, Denzel Washington has been making mainstream headlines lately. He has taken a major step of faith: he was recently baptized (at 69 years old) and received his Minister’s license through the Church of God in Christ, New York.
       Jesse T. Jackson at ChurchLeaders.com reports that before the baptism, Bishop William Armstead asked Washington if he believes in Jesus Christ and if he will obey his commandments. Washington responded in the affirmative to both questions.
       Denzel said, “In one week I turn 70 . . . It took a while but I'm here . . . If [God] can do this for me, there’s nothing He can’t do for you. The sky literally is the limit,” reports Tamantha Ryan at PageSix News (MSN).
       Washington has made about 50 movies in his 40 plus year career. He has received three Golden Globe Awards, one Tony, two Academy Awards and so much more. In 2020, The New York Times ranked him as the greatest actor of the 21st century.
       Born and raised in New York, he was the son of an ordained Pentecostal Preacher; his mother--a true woman of faith--owned a beauty shop. She was the greatest influence in Denzel’s life, and they remain close to this day.
       Even though Denzel grew up in a Christian home, there were problems. The devil attacks everyone on this planet, especially believers. Denzel was definitely influenced by the wrong kinds of people in life. To add to his trials and tribulations, his parents divorced. He explained to Maya Khamala at GoalCast.com, “"My parents were like night and day . . . She's urban, raised in Harlem. My father was just this spirit-filled man until the day he died, a country boy raised on a farm in Virginia . . . They say opposites attract but my parents grew apart. I was 14 when they divorced."
       It was a challenging time, and it further undermined Denzel’s ability to follow God and succeed in His ways. So, it was then that his mother wisely placed him in a private prep school: Oakland Military Academy in New Windsor, New York. Denzel believed that decision changed his life. It ultimately prevented him from going to prison like many of his friends had done.
       In an interview by Dotson Rader at Parade.com, Denzel--at the age of 20--said, “I’ve felt the hand of God on my life, no doubt about it. I remember sitting in my mother’s beauty parlor in Mount Vernon, N.Y., on March 27, 1975, and in the mirror I kept seeing this woman looking at me . . . I was doing so bad in school, and this woman said, ‘Somebody give me a piece of stationery! I’m having a prophecy!’ I still have that piece of paper. ‘You’re going to speak to millions of people,’ she said to me. ‘You’re going to do great things!’ And I thought, ‘Yeah, right. When’s that going to start? On Monday? I’m flunking out of school.’ . . . Later on, I asked my mother, ‘Who was that woman?’ She said, ‘It’s Ruth Green, one of the elder sisters in the church, who’s been known to have the gift of prophecy.’ . . . That fall I started acting.”
       People who know Denzel Washington know that he is a devout Christian and doesn’t apologize for it. But he admitted, “. . . I accepted it, I definitely experienced it, but I wasn’t ready to live it . . .”

       Denzel certainly has struggled with that “walk of faith” that Christians experience. He confessed giving his life to Christ on three separate occasions. When Denzel was close to 60 years old, his mother encouraged him by telling him he would do good by a lot of people, but he had to do good the right way. Denzel said, “I don’t drink anymore. I don’t do any of those things . . . I’m all about the message to the degree that I know it, and I’m unashamed and unafraid to share it.”
       Washington has continued to grow in his walk with God. Like all of us, he has stumbled and fallen, but he has also gotten back up and has kept on fighting the good fight.
       The Bible says, “Fight the good fight of the faith [in the conflict with evil]; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and [for which] you made the good confession [of faith] in the presence of many witnesses,” (1 Timothy 6:12; AMP).
       When I meet Jesus on that glorious, awesome day, I want Him to say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Isn’t that what you want, too? Then put God first.

References:
https://churchleaders.com/news/502924-movie-icon-denzel-washington-gets-baptized-and-receives-his-minister-license.html
https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/celebrities/denzel-washington-gets-baptized-and-becomes-a-minister-after-saying-religion-is-not-fashionable-in-hollywood/ar-AA1wkvoA
https://www.goalcast.com/2020/09/10/denzel-washington-father-broken-relationship-mother-lessons/
https://web.archive.org/web/20060411214059/http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/1999/edition_12-12-1999/Denzel_Washington
https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/idolchatter/2020/07/denzel-washington-on-coming-to-christ-i-was-filled-with-the-holy-ghost-and-it-scared-me.html [Jun 30, 2020]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denzel_Washington

       As we approach Valentine’s day, many of us will celebrate God’s 

blessings; that is, with our spouses and sweethearts . . . just like in the days of Adam and Eve. Sadly, there are many misled people who think God 

intended that blessing to be between “Adam and Steve”.
       Today, “James” shares his story from a heart of grace and freedom. His story comes directly from the website, “FaithMessenger.com”. It is reprinted here in its entirety.
       “James” says his life used to be full of dark pain, lust and lies. But God transformed him. He says: In the early ‘60s, I lived in a small town in Oklahoma with a family that looked perfect to the outside, but it was dark inside. I was sexually abused at age five by neighborhood teens and by my mentally ill father throughout my teen years. My parent’s divorce gained me an overbearing stepfather who hated me. My grandfather’s mistress took advantage of me. My controlling mother and grandmother were full of anger. I was longing for love and fell into the arms of homosexuality.
       In the early 80s, the Kansas City gay community was a perfect place to hide and play out my pain. This “secret club” met my need to be taken care of by older men, “my daddies.” Churches rejected me. They asked me to leave. They even spit in my face. It fueled the anger ruining my soul. Deciding there’s no room for God in my life, I’d play out my brokenness in a life of “gay” drama.
       While drinking, taking drugs and cross dressing, I hurt everyone in my path and received pleasure from men, money and power. I agreed with the gay movement: “You are born this way.” We educated small children with that lie. We didn’t choose homosexuality. Who would? We lived in a dark world of secrets.
       “Gay” was supposed to be fun, but after a decade, I grew weary building walls around my pain to keep from being exposed. I watched my closest friends, 36 in all, die of AIDS. When I shared with a Christian woman that my partner had AIDS, she quickly moved to the other side of the room. Where was the care and concern?
       My pain intensified when someone embezzled from my flourishing company. My youthful sex 

appeal was fading, too. Penniless and hopeless, I set out to kill myself.
       While driving down Highway 69 in my Park Avenue Buick to Miami, Oklahoma, a glowing, bluish white form appeared. It felt overpowering and I broke down crying…for the first time in my life.
       No bartender would have an answer for this, so I went to my gay partner’s mother. She said, “James, Jesus loves you.”
       “I’m not into that,” I said, making a cross with my fingers. “Stay away from me. God hates me.”
        She handed me a business card with the name, Pat Smith, director of a healing ministry. Slipping the card into my back pocket, I left for home to face my living hell. I had no money, nothing to drink, and a sick, dying partner.
       That evening, alone in my bedroom, I called Pat. She ignored my verbal abuse and responded, “James, are you ready to get into the boat and go to the other side?”
       “Will it hurt?” I asked.
       “Yes, but the joy will come.”
       On March 20, 1989, I got into the boat and gave my life to the Lord Jesus. Yes, coming out of homosexuality was difficult! At times, facing my pain, and being transparent was so hard I thought I would die. Lovers, family, and friends that once loved me, reacted angrily toward me. I was not that cute, popular guy anymore.
       Day after day, I laid my past down at the foot of the cross. I chose life. That meant forgiving all who hurt me. I was able to go to my abusers and pray for them and love them with a pure love.
       The world says, “Embrace sin.” I embrace life with Jesus. I still die daily to myself, but oh, it’s so worth it. My new life is wonderfully amazing.

       James blessed Pam Enderby recently with his thoughts on his journey…..“Pam, I had a memory of March 20, 1990, sitting at your dining room table with John and your small children. There were 

balloons and even a cake to celebrate my first birthday with Christ and my first year of freedom out of homosexuality. Now into 26 years with our Lord, that touch of love you and your family gave me is still so near my heart.”
       (James has been married 20 years now, has 3 sons, 2 daughters-in-law and 3 grandchildren. He and his wife have served the Lord in India. Best of all, James found a father who really loves him and will not leave him. He says, “Jesus has become my best friend and my new “daddy.” He transformed me into the man of God I am today.”)

References:
https://faithsmessenger.com/arms_of_homosexuality/

Previous Blog...                      Finger Lickin' Good                     1/26/2025
                                                                            Colonel Sanders

        So how does a “chicken guy” become a Colonel? Well, Mr. Sanders’ chicken recipe was so amazing that the Governor of Kentucky 

designated him a Kentucky Colonel. Imagine that! It is also remarkable to follow Sanders’ life, from his poor beginnings and a broken home to a man who went from job to job, to someone who eventually figured out how to create a 

successful business worth billions today.
       Let’s shift our thinking for a minute . . . One of the great things about the Bible is the way the characters are presented. There’s no glossing over when it comes to the facts. The portrayals are brutally honest. You can read about King David, or the Apostle Paul, among many. Their flaws and failures are laid open for all to see. Yet God clearly had a place in His heart for them. Harland Sanders was one of those people. It was no secret that life was a struggle for him but God’s plan for him superseded everything.
       Harland’s dad died when Harland was just five years old; the year was 1895. His mother had to 

become the breadwinner, so Harland was left to care for his two younger sisters. By age ten, Harland also began working and by age thirteen, he dropped out of school in seventh grade. He worked as a farmhand but later worked as a railroad fireman, blacksmith, soldier, buggy painter, streetcar conductor, janitor, lawyer, insurance salesman, ferry operator, and more, before he finally went into the restaurant business.
       Sanders married Miss Josephine King when he was eighteen. But she left him a couple of years later because he couldn’t seem to hold a job. She took their daughter with her. He later remarried in 1949, to Claudia Ledington-Price at the age of 59; she had been his mistress.
       In the year 1930, Sanders ran a service station in Kentucky where he fed hungry travelers. He 

eventually moved his operation to a restaurant across the street and that’s where KFC was first 

conceived. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed because of the Great Depression. But through other opportunities, he was able to finalize his secret recipe ten years later.
       Sanders' life was pock marked with brawling and cussing. Though he was a talented man with 

successes along the way, conflict seemed to follow him. His mother was a devout Christian which no doubt influenced him, but he did not yield to the truth of the Gospel until his golden years.
       A year before Mr. Sanders passed away, he appeared on Trinity Broadcasting Network. During the interview he said, “I was about 77 when I found the Lord. I knew I should have Him; I should walk with Him, [but] I couldn’t reach him--my sinfulness . . . You see I used to curse, terrible. Did ever since 

boyhood when I went to railroading. I got in the habit of it. And I wanted to quit for years and years, 

but I couldn’t; couldn’t quit to save my life . . . I knew my soul would go to hell. My tithing and going to church and living right and my fellow man and all: that’s not going to get you to heaven. You’ve got to get God in your heart, and you’ve got to get His heart too. I hope people . . . who haven’t accepted 

Christ don’t put it off too long because listen, time is getting shorter all the time . . .”


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        Harland Sanders created a very successful business. He traveled across the country, cooking batches of chicken for various restaurants, striking deals that paid him a nickel for every chicken they sold. By 1964 he had 600 KFC franchises which he then sold for two million dollars. He retained his Canadian outlets for awhile and eventually sold them too. He made large donations to organizations like the Salvation Army. He said it thrilled his heart to be able to “give back” and serve God with his 

finances. He died at the age of 90, leaving behind a net worth of 3.5 million dollars.
       Jesus Christ made a pronounced difference in Harland Sanders’ life. But not because of his patented chicken recipe of eleven herbs and spices. He showed the world that people need Jesus and there’s nothing more important than inviting Him to be your Lord and Savior. What about you? Do you know the Lord? If not, would you like to? For more info about how to become a Christian, visit https://kathyveer.com/become-a-christian

References:
https://www.biography.com/people/colonel-harland-sanders-12353545
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/colonel-sanders/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Sanders
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDC8EuSLKLw

       Let’s go back to the last century. In 1903, a most unusual person was born with the nickname, Watchman Nee; his actual Chinese name was 

Ni Tuosheng. He was born in Shantou, of the Qing dynasty, a city on the eastern coast of Guangdong, China.
       Nee’s father was an officer in the Imperial Customs Service. His mother was educated in an American-staffed Methodist mission school. His grandfather was a gifted Anglican preacher.
       An article at Wikipedia describes Nee’s conversion:
       “In the spring of 1920, when Nee was 17, Dora Yu was invited to hold ten days of revival meetings in the Church of Heavenly Peace in Fuzhou. After Nee's mother attended these meetings, she was moved to apologize to her son for a previous incident of unjust punishment. Her action impressed Nee so much that he determined to attend the next day's evangelistic meetings to see what was taking place there. After 

returning from the meeting, according to Nee's own account:
       “On the evening of 28th April, 1920, I was alone in my room, struggling to decide whether or not to believe in the Lord. At first I was reluctant but as I tried to pray I saw the magnitude of my sins and the reality and efficacy of Jesus as the Savior. As I visualized the Lord's hands stretched out on the cross, they seemed to be welcoming me, and the Lord was saying, "I am waiting here to receive you." Realizing the effectiveness of Christ's blood in cleansing my sins and being overwhelmed by such love, I accepted him there. Previously I had laughed at people who had accepted Jesus, but that evening the experience became real for me and I wept and confessed my sins, seeking the Lord's forgiveness. As I made my first prayer I knew joy and peace such as I had never known before. Light seemed to flood the room and I said to the Lord, "Oh, Lord, you have indeed been gracious to me."
       — Watchman Nee, Watchman Nee's Testimony.
In 1936, before a group of fellow workers, Watchman Nee outlined the commission of his ministry:
       “From the time I was bedridden by illness until the time I was healed by God, I was being shown more clearly the kind of work God wanted me [to do]: literary work . . . meetings for the overcomer . . . building up local churches . . . and youth training . . . In the future my personal burden and work will generally comprise these four aspects. May all the glory be to the Lord.”
       — Watchman Nee, Watchman Nee's Testimony.
       Nee began to write and publish at the age of 20. His articles and books were moving and deeply spiritual. He wrote about the Christian walk and how to be completely surrendered to God.

     Here is an excerpt form his book of Daily Meditations: A Table in the Wilderness:

     October 2
     “Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it,” (Luke 17:32, 33; (KJV).
      If I mistake not, this is the one passage in the New Testament that tells of our reaction to the rapture call. In that moment we shall discover our real heart’s treasure. If it is the Lord Himself, there will be no backward look. It is so easy to become m ore attracted to the gifts of God than to the Giver–and even, I may add, to the work of God than to God Himself. But he that is on the housetop is not to go back for his goods. Let me illustrate. I am engaged in writing a book. I have finished eight chapters and I have another nine to write, about which I am seriously exercised before the Lord. Now, suppose the call “to come up hither” were to come and my reaction were to be, “What about my book?” Is it not possible that the precious thing which I am doing downstairs in the house, as it were, might be enough to pin me down, a peg that could hold me to the earth? The question at issue is always, Where is my heart?”
       Nee wrote 19 books during his lifetime. Each one is a rich treasury of the Christian faith. I greatly encourage you to pick one up and read it. You will be truly blessed.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchman_Nee
Nee, Watchman. (1978). A Table in the Wilderness: Daily Meditations; October 2. Tyndale.

     This would be a good place to end the story, but there’s one more twist that shows just how amazing God is. Jonathan returned with his “shofar” (horn) to this same spot, years later after he had been in ministry. He found the same rock where he was saved and celebrated that decision as he spent time with the Lord. Later, he was telling his congregants about it, and they informed him that this particular spot had been dedicated to Satan and was a meeting place for witches. The rock was their altar! Suddenly, Jonathan remembered some graffiti he saw there that said, “No Jew shall enter these sacred grounds.” Jonathan said, “For 2000 years, you [Satan] haven’t wanted Jews to come to Jesus, (because he knows when that happens, that’s it for him) . . . Too late Satan. It’s

      There’s been a lot of “buzz” lately about an independent film, 

released July 4th of this year called Sound of Freedom. It is based on a true story and was created and produced to expose the evils of sex-trafficking, going on in this country and around the world
  The film depicts the incredible true story of former federal government agent, Tim Ballard, turned vigilante who quits his job and 

embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from sex traffickers.
       In a CBN interview, Tim Ballard explains, “Nobody was talking about human-trafficking and I was telling people these stories of things I was coming across and no one believed me. And it was like, ‘These are real kids.’
       “And really it was my wife on this . . . she grabbed me by the 

collar and said, ‘I will not let you jeopardize my salvation.’ [the 

actress during this scene said, ‘You quit your job and you go and rescue those kids.’] . . . I really put it into perspective: why are we here on this earth?
       “And then we jumped in and the operation--as the movie depicts--was extremely successful . . . it was actually bigger than Sound of Freedom was able to show.
       The star, Jim Caviezel, (the actor who played Jesus in The Passion of the Christ), explains, “It is the fastest growing international crime network that the world has ever seen. It has already passed the 

illegal arms trade and soon it’s going to pass the drug trade.”
       The horrors of what is happening to these children and adults alike can hardly be grasped. The website, Human Trafficking Research states that individuals are exploited “. . . through threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, and/or deception . . . and include the practices of forced labor, debt bondage, domestic servitude, forced marriage, sex trafficking, child sex trafficking, and the recruitment and use of child soldiers . . .”
       There are also reports about people being used for organ harvesting, adrenochrome collection through torturous fear tactics, and medical experimentation. But of course there is push back among the elites who say such ideas are no ore than conspiracy theories. Even so, many are talking about these issues and more of these operations are coming to light each day in spite of the “woke”.
       And just to show how “woke” our society has become, Wikipedia reports that, “Sound of Freedom was completed in 2018 and a distribution deal was made with 20th Century Fox. However, that studio was purchased by the Walt Disney Company, which shelved the film. The filmmakers reportedly spent years trying to get the distribution rights back from Disney and take it to theaters.
       “[Producer] Verástegui approached Angel Studios with the release rights. Angel presented the film to an online group of 100,000 investors in its past projects called the Angel Guild, which gave it a "yes" vote within days. On March 30, 2023, Variety reported that Angel Studios had acquired the worldwide distribution rights . . . On May 12, it received a release date of July 4, 2023.”