Latest / Scripture Central / ”Stand Forever” Ep. 16 | The Truth—Let There Be Light | Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge

Transcript

”Stand Forever” Ep. 16 | The Truth—Let There Be Light | Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge · Scripture Central

• 0:00
  The common tendency is to blend in with the crowd.
• 0:04
  Most of us are uncomfortable with attention.
• 0:08
  If you can blend in, less may be expected of you.
• 0:11
  More I think than be a good example.
• 0:14
  The Lord is saying don't be afraid to shine.
• 0:19
  If you follow the Lord, you will be a light shining in the
• 0:24
  darkness. Your light will shine, he sang.
• 0:29
  Don't hide my light. Do not try to blend in.
• 0:36
  Let my light shine in you let it happen.
• 0:40
  Let there be light. Hello, my name is Larry
• 0:59
  Corbridge and this is episode 16 of the Stand Forever series.
• 1:06
  So to just get a fix on where we are in this in this series.
• 1:10
  In past episodes, we considered the essential problem in life as
• 1:16
  separation from God our Father. And in that sense, not only
• 1:21
  physically, but separation in character, knowledge, and power,
• 1:28
  the primary and most devastating consequences flowing from that
• 1:32
  separation are chaos, darkness, and death.
• 1:37
  Jesus Christ is the way offsetting chaos.
• 1:41
  He is the truth offsetting darkness, and He is the life
• 1:46
  offsetting death. He alone bridges the gap if we
• 1:51
  will believe and follow Him to the end.
• 1:55
  So we have considered Christ to this point as the way, the way
• 2:00
  to the gifts, gifts of God's Spirit and and God's life.
• 2:06
  We have concluded the destination is reunion with God,
• 2:12
  that is receiving the gift of God's Son, God's Spirit, and
• 2:17
  God's life, and helping others do that very same thing and in
• 2:23
  that very process become more like the Lord.
• 2:29
  In now, in this episode and in some of the coming episodes, we
• 2:34
  will turn our attention to Christ as the truth.
• 2:38
  Having considered Him as the way, we're now looking to Him as
• 2:42
  the truth, offsetting darkness in the light of truth, we can
• 2:48
  get a fix on who and where we are.
• 2:52
  That is kind of point A, the point of beginning and and
• 2:55
  knowing the destination. We can then chart a course in
• 3:00
  between. The Lord Jesus Christ is not
• 3:05
  only the way, the destination, He is also the truth, how to get
• 3:11
  there, and the life, the reward. When you do without
• 3:17
  intervention, without light, darkness reigns.
• 3:21
  It is, it is, of course, the natural state of things.
• 3:26
  God offsets the natural state of things.
• 3:30
  In Genesis, for example, it is recorded in the beginning.
• 3:34
  God created the heaven and the earth, and the earth was without
• 3:39
  form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
• 3:44
  And God said, let there be light, and there was light, and
• 3:50
  God saw the light and that it was good.
• 3:53
  And God divided, divided the light from the darkness.
• 3:58
  That first command, let there be light, echoes down through the
• 4:03
  ages and rings loudly through the darkness that lingers still.
• 4:09
  Let there be light. While God created the heavens
• 4:14
  and the earth, there is no indication He created light as
• 4:18
  well. Rather the command was for the
• 4:21
  light to to emerge. We need to do the same.
• 4:25
  Let it be invited in. Satan is the Prince of darkness,
• 4:32
  while Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
• 4:36
  He said I am the light of the world, he that follow with me
• 4:41
  shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
• 4:48
  John also said in him Christ was life, and the life was the light
• 4:56
  of man, and the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness
• 5:02
  comprehendeth it not. That was he said, the true light
• 5:07
  which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
• 5:11
  Those are John's words. Everyone who comes into the
• 5:15
  world is endowed with light, the Lord said, And the Spirit giveth
• 5:21
  light to every man that cometh into the world, and the Spirit
• 5:25
  enlighteneth every man through the world that hearkeneth to the
• 5:30
  voice of the Spirit. Common sense, of course,
• 5:35
  recommends walking in the light, otherwise we stumble.
• 5:39
  The Lord said, Are there not 12 hours in the day?
• 5:43
  If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not because he seeeth
• 5:47
  the light, he seeeth the light of this world.
• 5:50
  But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth because there is no
• 5:55
  light in him. The truth.
• 5:59
  Truth chases darkness away, as the Lord said, that which is of
• 6:05
  God is light, and he that receiveth light and continueth
• 6:11
  in God receiveth more light, and that light groweth brighter and
• 6:17
  brighter until the perfect day. And again the Lord said, Verily
• 6:23
  I say unto you, and I say it, that you may know the truth,
• 6:28
  that you may chase. Listen to this, that you may
• 6:31
  chase darkness from among you. The light of the gospel brings
• 6:38
  people out of obscurity and darkness, the Lord also said,
• 6:44
  and also those to whom these commandments were given meaning.
• 6:47
  Members of the church might have power to lay the foundation of
• 6:53
  this church and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out
• 6:57
  of darkness. The only true and living Church
• 7:02
  upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord,
• 7:07
  and will please. Speaking unto the Church
• 7:09
  collectively and not individually, he said the Church
• 7:14
  emerges out of obscurity and darkness as its members follow
• 7:19
  Him who is the light of the world.
• 7:24
  Speaking of members of the Church, Paul said, Heavenly
• 7:27
  Father made Saints in light, and delivered us, he said, from the
• 7:33
  power of darkness. He also said, For ye were
• 7:38
  sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord walk.
• 7:44
  He said, As children of light, proving what is acceptable unto
• 7:49
  the Lord, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of
• 7:54
  darkness, but rather reprove them.
• 7:58
  Those were Paul's words. The Lord said, And you know
• 8:03
  this, let your light so shine before men, that they may see
• 8:07
  your good works, and glorify your Father, which is in heaven.
• 8:12
  He also said, Therefore hold up your light, that it may shine
• 8:16
  into the world. Behold, he said, I am the light
• 8:20
  which ye shall hold up, that which you have seen me do more,
• 8:26
  more, I think, than be a good example.
• 8:29
  It seems to me the Lord is saying do not listen to this.
• 8:33
  I think He's saying do not be afraid, don't be afraid to
• 8:38
  shine. He's saying don't hide my light,
• 8:44
  follow me and do not be ashamed to stand out.
• 8:49
  Do not try to blend in. Let my light shine in you.
• 8:56
  Let it happen. Let there be light.
• 9:01
  Let your light so shine. The common tendency is to blend
• 9:08
  in with the crowd. Most of us are uncomfortable
• 9:13
  with attention. Most of us would rather go
• 9:16
  somewhat unnoticed. If you can blend in, less may be
• 9:21
  expected of you. Safety is thought to be found in
• 9:25
  numbers, blending in with the crowd, which gives rise, it
• 9:30
  seems to me, to a silent accord of low expectations and
• 9:35
  unconscious consensus of mediocrity.
• 9:39
  The Lord promised that if we care for the poor and provide
• 9:43
  help for those in need, He said, then shall thy light break forth
• 9:48
  as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily, and
• 9:53
  thy righteousness shall go before thee.
• 9:56
  The glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.
• 10:00
  Then he said, Shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy
• 10:06
  darkness be as the noonday, And the Lord shall guide thee
• 10:11
  continually, and satisfy thy soul, and drought, and make fat
• 10:15
  thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like
• 10:20
  a spring of water whose waters failed.
• 10:23
  On what a promise. If you follow the Lord, you will
• 10:30
  be a light shining in the darkness.
• 10:34
  Your light will shine, which will be Him, the Lord, his
• 10:39
  light. And whether you choose it or
• 10:42
  want it, you will be a city set on a hill.
• 10:47
  As the Lord said, you will not be able to hide.
• 10:50
  Especially today, as the world grows ever darker.
• 10:55
  Often you will stand out alone. The Lord essentially says, I am
• 11:01
  the light which you which should shine within you.
• 11:05
  Do not be ashamed of me and hide the light.
• 11:09
  Do not dim the light. Do not try to blend in.
• 11:14
  Follow me and do not fear. Marianne Williamson, an American
• 11:21
  author, famously said this. Our deepest fear is not that we
• 11:28
  are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are
• 11:32
  powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our
• 11:37
  darkness, that most frightens us.
• 11:41
  We ask ourselves, who am I to be?
• 11:44
  Brilliant, Gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
• 11:47
  Actually, she said, who are you not to be?
• 11:51
  You are a child of God. You're playing small does not
• 11:57
  serve the world. There is nothing enlightened
• 12:01
  about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure
• 12:05
  around you. We are all meant to shine as
• 12:09
  children do. We were born to make manifest
• 12:12
  the glory of God that is within us.
• 12:15
  And it is not just in some of us, it is in everyone.
• 12:22
  End Quote. Let there be light.
• 12:27
  The Lord's purpose is to empower, uplift and exalt all
• 12:33
  His children, that the light of their lives may all shine forth.
• 12:39
  In the Book of Ether, it is recorded that the Lord caused
• 12:42
  stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women and
• 12:47
  children, that they may not cross the great waters in
• 12:50
  darkness. He can touch you as well if you
• 12:56
  let him, and if you do, you will shine, and neither you nor those
• 13:06
  who travel with you will cross the great waters of life and
• 13:09
  darkness as recorded in Isaiah. Arise, shine, for thy light is
• 13:19
  common in the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
• 13:23
  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross
• 13:26
  darkness the people. But the Lord shall rise upon
• 13:30
  thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
• 13:36
  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and the kings to the
• 13:39
  brightness of thy of thy rising. End Quote.
• 13:45
  Choose to receive the truth, that you may chase darkness from
• 13:49
  among you. Let there be light and let your
• 13:53
  light shine. Now, in the next three episodes,
• 14:00
  we will explore the question, Who are you?
• 14:04
  I hope you will join me then.