{"id":2,"date":"2016-09-20T15:42:55","date_gmt":"2016-09-20T15:42:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thelight.com\/\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2018-03-11T19:50:49","modified_gmt":"2018-03-12T00:50:49","slug":"sample-page","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thelight.com\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Page"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the LIGHT!<\/p>\n

We’re about “loving God and loving others!” (Matt 22:36-40)\u00a0 You won’t find us engaging in too much debate around \u00a0the many different areas that have many different interpretations (and fights!) amongst all the various tribes in the Kingdom of God.\u00a0 So, we welcome people from all denominations and faith backgrounds.\u00a0 Even if you don’t have any faith background but are just curious, as long as you fundamentally ascribe at a bare minimum to a “do no harm” philosophy (and hopefully have a desire to “show the greatest love to the greatest number in the greatest fashion”) you are always welcome!<\/p>\n

Here at the LIGHT! we just want everyone to have a simple faith (of a child (Matt 19:14) or of the criminal on the cross (Luke 23:43)) that leads to salvation and eternal life.\u00a0 From there we would like you to be discipled (mentored or coached in today’s parlance) into Christian maturity (see any of the staff if you are interested in this opportunity to grow in your faith!) so that you may join us as a “spiritual adult” to help further Jesus’ mission.<\/p>\n

The truth is, in our country and especially in the Evangelical Christian Community, there are many opportunities to focus on the eternal perspective<\/strong> of saving souls over “here,” giving to missions to save souls “over there” and or increasing your spiritual knowledge.\u00a0 However, we’ve noticed that there is much less focus on serving those outside the Body in an earthly perspective<\/strong> or of “speaking up for those who cannot speak up for themselves” against institutions that are systemically holding them back. (Prov 31:8)<\/p>\n

We’re trying to bridge that gap between the eternal and the earthly.\u00a0 So, while we definitely support missions (we give over 98% of our offerings to supporting front-line field workers) and don’t see anything wrong with learning about terms like eschatology, soteriology, ontology, episteomology or initiation, propitiation, justification, sanctification, etc. (is your head spinning yet?\u00a0 Don’t worry!\u00a0 We are happy to help explain these to you, too, even though these terms are not our primary focus areas and we don’t believe you need to know them to experience the salvation offered by Jesus =)\u00a0 our main desire is to follow Jesus’ example of ministering to people’s earthly needs even as he touched them eternally with discerning questions about their relationship with God.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Take a look at all of Jesus’ miracles below and observe how often He served physically even as He spoke spiritually (Hint:\u00a0 He actually did more serving than speaking!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
37 Miracles of Jesus<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
#<\/td>\nMiracle<\/strong><\/td>\nMatthew<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\nMark<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\nLuke<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\nJohn<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\nJesus Turns Water into Wine<\/a>\u00a0at the Wedding in Cana<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n2:1-11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nJesus Heals an Official’s Son at Capernaum in Galilee<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n4:43-54<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nJesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit From a Man in Capernaum<\/td>\n<\/td>\n1:21-27<\/td>\n4:31-36<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nJesus Heals Peter’s Mother-in-Law Sick With Fever<\/td>\n8:14-15<\/td>\n1:29-31<\/td>\n4:38-39<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\nJesus Heals Many Sick and Oppressed at Evening<\/td>\n8:16-17<\/td>\n1:32-34<\/td>\n4:40-41<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nFirst Miraculous Catch of Fish on the Lake of Gennesaret<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n5:1-11<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\nJesus Cleanses a Man With Leprosy<\/td>\n8:1-4<\/td>\n1:40-45<\/td>\n5:12-14<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\nJesus Heals a\u00a0Centurion<\/a>‘s Paralyzed Servant in Capernaum<\/td>\n8:5-13<\/td>\n<\/td>\n7:1-10<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\nJesus Heals a Paralytic Who Was Let Down From the Roof<\/td>\n9:1-8<\/td>\n2:1-12<\/td>\n5:17-26<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/td>\nJesus Heals a Man’s Withered Hand on the Sabbath<\/td>\n12:9-14<\/td>\n3:1-6<\/td>\n6:6-11<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11<\/td>\nJesus Raises a Widow’s Son From the Dead in Nain<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n7:11-17<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12<\/td>\nJesus Calms a Storm on the Sea<\/td>\n8:23-27<\/td>\n4:35-41<\/td>\n8:22-25<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13<\/td>\nJesus Casts Demons into a Herd of Pigs<\/td>\n8:28-33<\/td>\n5:1-20<\/td>\n8:26-39<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
14<\/td>\nJesus Heals a Woman in the Crowd With an Issue of Blood<\/td>\n9:20-22<\/td>\n5:25-34<\/td>\n8:42-48<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
15<\/td>\nJesus Raises Jairus’ Daughter Back to Life<\/td>\n9:18,
\n23-26<\/td>\n		5:21-24,
\n35-43<\/td>\n		8:40-42,
\n49-56<\/td>\n		<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
16<\/td>\nJesus Heals Two Blind Men<\/td>\n9:27-31<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
17<\/td>\nJesus Heals a Man Who Was Unable to Speak<\/td>\n9:32-34<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18<\/td>\nJesus Heals an Invalid at Bethesda<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n5:1-15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
19<\/td>\nJesus Feeds 5,000<\/a>\u00a0Plus Women and Children<\/td>\n14:13-21<\/td>\n6:30-44<\/td>\n9:10-17<\/td>\n6:1-15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20<\/td>\nJesus Walks on Water<\/a><\/td>\n14:22-33<\/td>\n6:45-52<\/td>\n<\/td>\n6:16-21<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
21<\/td>\nJesus Heals Many Sick in Gennesaret as They Touch His Garment<\/td>\n14:34-36<\/td>\n6:53-56<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
22<\/td>\nJesus Heals a Gentile Woman’s Demon-Possessed Daughter<\/td>\n15:21-28<\/td>\n7:24-30<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
23<\/td>\nJesus Heals a Deaf and Dumb Man<\/td>\n<\/td>\n7:31-37<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
24<\/td>\nJesus Feeds 4,000 Plus Women and Children<\/td>\n15:32-39<\/td>\n8:1-13<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
25<\/td>\nJesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida<\/td>\n<\/td>\n8:22-26<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
26<\/td>\nJesus Heals a Man Born Blind by Spitting in His Eyes<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n9:1-12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
27<\/td>\nJesus Heals a Boy With an Unclean Spirit<\/td>\n17:14-20<\/td>\n9:14-29<\/td>\n9:37-43<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
28<\/td>\nMiraculous Temple Tax in a Fish’s Mouth<\/td>\n17:24-27<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
29<\/td>\nJesus Heals a Blind, Mute Demoniac<\/td>\n12:22-23<\/td>\n<\/td>\n11:14-23<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
30<\/td>\nJesus Heals a Woman Who Had Been Crippled for 18 Years<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n13:10-17<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
31<\/td>\nJesus Heals a Man With Dropsy on the Sabbath<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n14:1-6<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
32<\/td>\nJesus Cleanses Ten Lepers on the Way to Jerusalem<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n17:11-19<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
33<\/td>\nJesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead<\/a>\u00a0in Bethany<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n11:1-45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
34<\/td>\nJesus Restores Sight to Bartimaeus in Jericho<\/td>\n20:29-34<\/td>\n10:46-52<\/td>\n18:35-43<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
35<\/td>\nJesus Withers the Fig Tree on the Road From Bethany<\/td>\n21:18:22<\/td>\n11:12-14<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
36<\/td>\nJesus Heals a Servant’s Severed Ear While He Is Being Arrested<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n22:50-51<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
37<\/td>\nThe Second Miraculous Catch of Fish at the Sea of Tiberias<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n21:4-11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

So, in accordance with Jesus’ ministry above, here at the LIGHT!, you’ll find us mostly interested in discussing, deciding (and ultimately, “doing!”) the best actions<\/span> that can\u00a0help others in their earthly lives even as we use that as a potential platform to share about their eternal lives.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You won’t find us engaging in endless debate about the multitude of beliefs<\/span> that differ across the spectrum of Christianity around the world.\u00a0 There are (according to\u00a0World Chris\u00adt\u00adian Ency\u00adclo\u00adpe\u00addia\u00a0<\/em>(Bar\u00adrett, Kurian, and John\u00adson; Oxford Uni\u00adver\u00adsity Press, Volume I, page 16)) approximately 33,000 different belief systems (“denominations”) that self-identify as “Christian.”\u00a0 We will strongly defend the very few beliefs necessary for salvation that are common to most Christian denominations but, in everything else that doesn’t matter for salvation, we’ll simply share with you the major positions that exist today and then let God convict you on which one you want to take.<\/p>\n

Back to the actions <\/span>that can help others…what is it that most people need help with today in our country?\u00a0 Here are some questions to ponder that might lead you to the answer:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Think about how many people you know who live paycheck to paycheck.<\/li>\n
  • How many of your friends (or you!) struggle with making ends meet?<\/li>\n
  • Why is it that the Millenials don’t think that they will be better off than their parents?<\/li>\n
  • How come you work so hard and after many years of faithful service you aren’t a millionaire yet or haven’t moved up another rung on the social mobility ladder?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Here is the answer in case you haven’t guessed it.\u00a0 The great injustice that is correlated with almost every earthly ill today is, economic inequality<\/strong>.\u00a0 \u00a0Our current state of inequality is a key factor behind all these questions.\u00a0 (You can watch the videos below to see how the research and the reasoning leads us to this conclusion.)\u00a0 While we believe mankind is inherently sinful, the sad thing about inequality in the US is that, even if you took all morality out of it, the system itself<\/em> leads to too much variation in inequality – it’s a systemic issue, not merely a sin issue, which makes this even more insidious!<\/p>\n

    Note that inequality is NOT<\/strong> the same as poverty (although Jesus said the poor would always be amongst us AND<\/strong> we need to open wide our hand to help them (John 8:12 and Deut 15:11.)\u00a0 It would still be an issue if the bottom 20% averaged earning $50K\/yr while the top 20% averaged earning $5000K\/yr.\u00a0 It is the expansive variation<\/strong> which is the issue, which creates mistrust and separation in societies (see the video below).<\/p>\n

    Check out these two videos which capture the essence of why we believe inequality is one of the single biggest earthly social issues facing our country today:<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

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