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This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
Won’t let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel – No! I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine till Jesus comes, I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

As a young girl and now a mom to two daughters, I remember singing this little tune many times in my life. It’s interesting how such a simple song for children written so many years ago can have so much meaning. Its message and profound lyrics rang true then and ring true still.

Sadly, so many Christians are not letting their light shine. Sadly, too many have let their light grow dim.

So many have become desensitized to sound doctrine. So many have teeter tottered and tried to tiptoe around the Ten Commandments – treating them as suggestions rather than God’s unchanging, holy rules. So many have made excuses. So many have compromised and become comfy with the world, a world that desperately needs every light shining bright.

Matthew 5:14-16 says, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

1 Peter 2:9 explains, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”

Jesus himself stated, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

What does scripture say concerning a believer’s relationship with the world?

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

As Christians, we are called to shine bright.

We can’t afford, and those in the world can’t afford the light of good and hope to grow dim. As believers, our love for our Savior – the One who rescued us – should take first place in our hearts. The love we have because of all He gave should naturally propel us to shine bright and share the hope we have with a lost and dying world.

We should never run after the desires of the world but instead hold strong to the only truth and only pursuit worth pursuing… loving God, loving others, and sharing the hope we have with those God puts in our path.

Take a moment to think of the moment you came to salvation.

Now, go a step further and think for a minute more… put yourself in the shoes of one who has not yet accepted Christ as Savior… who does not have a personal relationship. Then, look around at our world. How must that person be feeling today?

What must it be like to live in the mind, the life of one who does not know the Lord? What emotions must be taking over when a nonbeliever sees our world being torn in every direction and falling apart at the seams? When every day, the daily headlines seem worse than the day before. When the love of many is waxing cold. When lawlessness seems to be winning and morals are slipping away. When there are wars and rumors of wars. When nature is groaning and dying off. When evil is celebrated and what was always seen as good is now suddenly turned on its head and called evil.

How must it be to feel hopeless and stalled in place while daily being bombarded with depressing news painting pictures of depravity, despair, and hopelessness?

What emotions must one be feeling when they see a good future for their children slipping away at the hand of an ungodly government?

What thoughts must be going through the mind of those who can’t see a ray of hope or rescue in such a dark and broken place?

It’s difficult for many Christians to take it all in at times and not become discouraged, or at times depressed, at all that we’re seeing. As a Christian, my head is spinning from all the negative news and seeing the evil rising in our nation and across the world. It’s difficult to not have a sense of worry and fear at times.

YET we have our Savior… we have hope, we have His promises, we have His peace, we have an understanding due to the Bible of what’s happening around us. We know the end of the story. We’ve been rescued and have a bright and beautiful future for all eternity in which to look forward. We know this world is not our home… it was never meant to be our home. It’s a temporary place… we’re Heaven-bound!

An unbeliever does not have such peace, and no number of self-help books or trips to a therapist will fill the void that can only be filled through Jesus. Nothing can bring hope, relief, joy, and peace apart from Jesus.

Yes, there will be many in the world who believe they don’t need the Savior. They may say they are getting along just fine, but the reality is EVERYONE needs the Savior… everyone!

Our heavenly Father has placed us in this world, in this moment, for such a time as this. If there was ever a time to let our light shine, it’s now. If there was ever a time to share the gospel, it’s now. If there was ever a time to pray for the lost in this world, it’s now.

As a believer in Christ, you have everything. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, you have everything… everything that’s important… everything that makes life worth living. You have His love, His gift of salvation, His promises, His Holy Spirit, His protection, His peace. You have a very, very, very bright future ahead of you. An inheritance so incredible that our minds cannot even comprehend.

For so many, this is not their reality. Their reality is defined by the world and circumstances they live in… a world that’s growing darker by the day. A world that so desperately needs the light of the Son.

Christians… get your lights ready. Let others see the love and light of Jesus shining through you.

It’s time to shine, brother in Christ.

It’s time to shine, sister in Christ.

As the song so poignantly and perfectly coveys,

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
Won’t let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel – NO!
I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine till Jesus comes, I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine over the whole wide world, I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Go, Shine bright. Shine like never before!

spate.holly@gmail.com

Having met and worked with some of the most famous people on the planet and having been in ministry for over forty years, I feel well qualified to call out my fellow artists and other outsiders for whom I have love and sympathy. As much as I don’t condone some of their grievous folly and outright sin, hopefully, these people will heed the call of God in their lives and avoid the great tribulation that is about to befall the world when many will be hungry and afraid.

My heart goes out to you all – as even now, we are all beginning to be troubled about the future of our country and humanity at large.

Just so you know, my personal story begins like this: (The whole 240-page story is told in my book titled Miracles, Signs, and Wonders.)

Years ago, I repented of my foolish lifestyle and received Christ’s forgiveness in a dark forest at night – by moonlight. I didn’t even know what I was doing – I just cried out to God in desperation because of the collapse of my marriage and the eventual loss of two very young, beloved children. “God, if you are real, please reveal yourself to me. I’m sorry for having lived the way I have…. Jesus, HELP ME! After collapsing in a heap, I felt the heavy burden of sin lifting off me.

Afterward, I finally slept that night for the first time in a long time. The next day while at work, I felt a warm stirring in my stomach as if water was gurgling up and giving me a sense of contentment. Not understanding what was happening, I stopped into a small, empty church after work looking for a Bible and miraculously found one. Unfamiliar with it, I opened it randomly, and my eyes fell on this verse: “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” So from that moment on, I’ve been an outspoken evangelical – never doubting that I had been “born again.”

Little did I know that this was a rare phenomenon since, in those days, Pentecostal preachers were even claiming to raise the dead.

Nevertheless, I became a Baptist because of their study and adherence to scripture. (Not so much anymore, because in these days of apostasy, we need to be careful where and what we learn and adhere to. However, anyone can ask for the Holy Spirit to help them understand the Word of God, and He will do it.) Today I adhere to scripture alone, read it daily, and have memorized many scripture verses.

In any case, this conversion altered my lifestyle and opened doors that I never thought were possible. So, since I loved to do artwork, my new Christian wife and I headed south to Florida, where I had aspired to become a professional artist.

The Ringling school of art had just begun the new semester, so I was too late to enroll. On that same stretch of road, I spied a sign declaring open auditions for the new season at the Sarasota Community theatre. The play was Take my Wife. With nothing better to do, I went inside to audition on a lark, having had one semester of drama in high school. Low and behold, I got the part of a Jewish playboy doctor, Dr. Roth. Charles Livingston portrayed my father in the play. I soon found out he was the former director of the Lone Ranger series – first on radio – then on television. He was the one to urge me to study drama at the University of Miami, saying, “I think you’ve got what it takes to be a professional actor.” So off we go.

Incidentally, I worked as a Portrait artist on Miami Beach at the Fontainebleau while I was being tutored by Ladislou Vaida, the head of the drama department at the U of M. That was over forty years ago, during which I snagged my first TV commercial – the first time auditioning. I also snagged my Screen Actors Guild card at the same time! God was truly working in my life, and I give Him all the credit and glory.

I loved going to Saturday matinees at the Plaza Theatre for ten cents with enough left over for popcorn and candy. Hopalong Cassidy and the Lone Ranger were my favorites. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would meet and work with movie stars, famous directors, and screenwriters.

Please don’t throw caution to the wind like Elon Musk recently did – eternity in heaven or hell is a very long time.

Mr. Musk recently tweeted to his accuser, writing this message about hell in response: “Thank you for the blessing, but I’m ok with going to hell, if that is indeed my destination, since the vast majority of all humans ever born will be there.”

To Mr. Musk and other celebrities, I would tell this little story.

There was a very wealthy man who snubbed his creator God and imagined himself to be far above all other kings who preceded him. His name was Belshazzar. One day as he was feasting and partying with the utensils and drinking wine from the golden cups taken from the Temple of God, he and party-goers dropped their food and drinks in absolute shock as a huge, dismembered hand wrote on the wall above their heads that wrote silently, “Mene, Mene, Tekel Upharsin.”

Daniel, the prophet of God, interpreted the words, which held the party goers in terror and no one else could interpret. He said, “This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting” (Daniel 5:26-27). Immediately he lost everything – even his life.

Belshazzar should have known better; his father was put out to pasture when he defied God. Nebuchadnezzar immediately lost his mind and spent seven years eating grass like a cow. His nails grew to become like claws, and his hair grew long and covered his face. In other words, he had lost his mind.

We should all be careful not to provoke (our creator) God to anger.

God has, in essence, let us get away with murder, sexual perversion, and all sorts of criminality. But the day is coming, and soon, when he will pass judgment on the world. Then it won’t matter how powerful, famous, intelligent, talented, or wealthy you are.

In telling that story, I can’t help but think of the many actors and actresses I’ve worked with who fit that description. They have power, money, and fame, but their lives are devoid of meaning. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll just don’t cut it. Dear actors and other outsiders, please consider repenting of your indifference to God – asking His forgiveness and asking to receive Christ into your heart and life.

Today, while in retirement, I write – mostly screenplays with the hope of getting my movie about the end times on the big screen and with time running out. (The beginning of the tribulation period is almost here.) I want to sound the alarm, and I am currently seeking producers to help me do so. People willing to lock arms with me on this venture can contact me at the email address below for more information and a synopsis (outline).

YBIC

Jim Towers

Write me at jt.filmmaker@yahoo.com or visit me at www.dropzonedelta.com and visit my website www.propheticsignsandwonders.com.

This Little Light of Mine :: By Holly Spate

An Open Letter to Outsiders and Elon Musk :: By Jim Towers