How Hard Times Led Mariano Rivera to Jesus Christ (Gospel Light Minute #62)

Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera

He is a baseball pitcher who has played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. He has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees’ closer. A 12-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, he is Major League Baseball’s all-time leader in saves and games finished. His awards include five American League Rolaids Relief Man Awards, the 1999 World Series Most Valuable Player Award, and the 2003 AL Championship Series MVP Award. He is the only reliever to win both a League Championship Series MVP Award and World Series MVP Award. He is regarded by baseball experts as one of the most dominant relievers in major league history. Continue reading “How Hard Times Led Mariano Rivera to Jesus Christ (Gospel Light Minute #62)”

Heaven Goes to Heaven (Gospel Light Minute #60)

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Heaven Sutton
Heaven Sutton

On June 28th, 2012, a seven-year-old girl named Heaven Sutton was shot while she was helping her mother sell lemondade, ice cream, and candy at a candy stand near her home. She was one of the youngest victims of Chicago’s gang violence which has claimed an unusually high number of victims this year. Heaven was shot in the back as she turned to flee a spray of bullets from a gang member who is now in police custody. She died three days later.

Heaven was described by her mother as a girl who “loved to sing, dance, and crack jokes.” Her twelve year old brother said she loved to make people laugh. Her tragic death has become a rallying point for those who are serious about ending the shocking crime levels in Chicago. This past Friday, over 1,000 people turned out to remember her life at the St. Mark International Christian Church.

The death of this little girl really broke my heart when I read about it. The Lord has blessed me and my wife, Meriqua, with 7 children and I have led all of them to the Lord at the age of seven.

Thankfully, Heaven’s family members and friends can be comforted with the knowledge that Heaven Sutton is in Heaven with her Heavenly Father tonight. There, this little girl will experience no more of the pain and sorrow that affected her life on this Earth. In Heaven, Heaven Sutton will be able to sing, dance, and laugh to her heart’s content for all eternity.

This is the “Chief of Sinners,” Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International. In light of the tragic murder of Heaven Sutton, I am reminded of a passage in Matthew 18 which says, “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

My friend, God’s heart aches when one of his little ones is hurt in this world. But, thank God, Heaven is now with God in Heaven. What I want to share with you today is that you do not know the day or hour of your death. Heaven was doing something so simple as selling lemonade when she was gunned down.

The question now is, When you are faced with death will you be ready? In other words, will you end up in Heaven after you die? If you are not certain that you can answer this question in the affirmative, please allow me to show you how you can be sure today.

“Andy Griffith Was Prepared for the Day he Would be Called Home to his Lord.” Are You? (Gospel Light Minute #61)

Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith

He was an actor, television producer, writer, and Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer. He is best known for his television roles, playing the lead characters in the 1960–1968 situation comedy The Andy Griffith Show and in the 1986–1995 legal drama Matlock. As a young man, he served as choir director at First Baptist Church of Goldsboro and pursued pre-ministerial studies at UNC Chapel Hill before changing his major to acting. He earned Tony Award nominations for two Broadway performances. At age 69, he went back to an early dream of singing Southern Gospel music. And he recorded gospel songs for “I Love To Tell The Story – 25 Favorite Hymns.” This album was certified platinum by the RIAA. In 2005, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush. He went home to Heaven on July 3, 2012 at age 86.

His wife said of him at his death, “He was a person of incredibly strong Christian faith and was prepared for the day he would be called Home to his Lord. He is the love of my life, my constant companion, my partner, and my best friend. I cannot imagine life without him, but I take comfort and strength in God’s grace and in the knowledge that he is at peace and with God.” In a 1996 interview after he was diagnosed with Guillen-Barre syndrome, he said, “I firmly believe that in every situation, no matter how difficult, God extends grace greater than the hardship, and strength and peace of mind that can lead us to a place higher than where we were before.” His name is Andy Griffith.

Nick Vujicic: No Limbs, but No Limits through Jesus Christ! (Gospel Light Minute #59)

He is a motivational speaker who was born with a rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. Growing up, he struggled mentally, emotionally, and physically, but he eventually learned to accept his disability. At the age of 17, he started his own non-profit organization, Life Without Limbs. He gives motivational speeches to schools, churches, and corporate audiences around the world on living with a disability, hope, and finding meaning in life. He also speaks about his belief that God can use any willing heart to do His work and that God is big enough to overcome any and all disabilities, problems, and difficulties. Along with speaking and writing, he starred in the short film “The Butterfly Circus”, which won the Doorpost Film Project’s top prize of 2009, and the Best Short Film award at the Method Fest Film Festival, where he was also awarded Best Actor in a short film.

Born into a Serbian family in Brisbane, Australia, he says his parents struggled with accepting him and trusting God after he was born. As years passed, he too struggled with trusting God for himself. He said, “I challenged God. I said, ‘God, I know that I’m a sinner. I know that I won’t probably have peace until You’re in my heart. But I will not let You in my heart until You answer me, why? Why did you take my arms and legs? Why didn’t You give me what everybody else has? God, until You answer me that question, I will not serve You.’ At age 8, he tried to commit suicide by drowning himself in a bathtub, but his love for his parents wouldn’t let him do it. Soon after, his mother had him read a story about a severely disabled man. That man’s story made a huge impact on him. He says, “I gave my life to Jesus Christ when I read John chapter 9 at age 15, where a man who was blind from birth was coming through a village. Jesus saw him. People said, ‘Why was this man born that way?’ Jesus said, ‘It was done so that the works of God may be revealed through him.'” It was in Jesus Christ where he found the strength to do what many thought would be impossible.

He says of his faith in God, “I believe if God doesn’t give you a miracle, you are a miracle of God for somebody else’s salvation…I thank God that He didn’t answer my prayer when I was begging him for arms and legs at age eight. Because guess what? I have no arms and no legs, and He’s using me all around the world…I didn’t need my circumstance to change. I don’t need arms and legs. I need the wings of the Holy Spirit. I’m flying, because I know Jesus is holding me up. Don’t give up on God, because God will not give up on you.” His name is Nick Vujicic (vor-chick).

Webb Simpson: “I’d be Stupid Not to Thank My Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (Gospel Light Minute #58)

He qualified for the PGA Tour after his tie for seventh place at the 2008 PGA Tour Qualifying School. In 2011, he won the PGA Tour at the Wyndham Championship and the FedEx Cup playoff event at the Deutsche (Dou-ch) Bank Championship. He was also a member of the United States’ victorious 2011 Presidents Cup team.

After his win at the 2012 U.S. Open, he was quick to give God the glory. He said, “I’d be stupid not to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, because it was tough out there and I was nervous, but I felt God’s presence all day.” Ryan Carson, the student pastor at Forest Hills Church in Charlotte, NC, where he and his wife are members, said of him, “He knows that his hope is not in golf. He knows that his hope is in the Lord, and that perspective has really kept him grounded. He is not someone who just calls himself a Christian then just attends church. He’s got a passionate pursuit of Jesus going on. It’s something that is really contagious. He steers conversations back to the Lord, back to Scripture, back to experiences that he’s had with the Lord or that other people have had. He’s passionate about it. He’s not just a nominal Christian. He’s truly got a life that wants to honor and serve Jesus.”

He described how his faith directly plays into golf ethics by saying, “Our deposit of the Holy Spirit living inside of us, more than anything, has allowed me to make those tough decisions. It’s happened probably 10 times in my life where I had to make certain calls and call penalty shots on myself. For me, it’s not as much the nature of the game but the fact that the Holy Spirit is prompting me to call a penalty on myself. Within our own nature, we don’t want to call a penalty on ourselves. We want to see how much we can get away with. That’s been a part of every tough decision I’ve made in golf.” His name is Webb Simpson.

Dwyane Wade Gives Back to God to Help Others Find Him (Gospel Light Minute #57)

Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade

He is a professional basketball player for the Miami Heat. In 2006, he was awarded the Sportsman of the Year Award by Sports Illustrated and soon became one of the most well-known and popular players in the league. After entering the league as the fifth pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, he was named to the All-Rookie team and the All-Star team the following eight seasons. In his third season, he helped lead the Miami Heat to their first NBA Championship in franchise history. Because of this, he was named the 2006 NBA Finals MVP. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, he led the United States Men’s Basketball team, commonly known as the “Redeem Team”, in scoring, as they captured gold medal honors in Beijing, China. And in the 2008–2009 season, he led the league in scoring and earned his first NBA scoring title. He most recently helped lead the Miami Heat to the 2012 NBA Finals.

As a child, he suffered through the pain of his parents divorce and through seeing his mother go to jail for selling drugs. From this difficult point in his young life, he came to rely on Jesus Christ for strength. Today, when he is asked about his faith, he is quick to point out that he believes in Jesus Christ and that His relationship with God has sustained him through life’s toughest moments. In fact, he wears the #3 jersey as a tribute to the Holy Trinity. He tithes 10% of his income and said about doing this, “I’m a firm believer in the Bible. I believe everything in there. I’m given so much, so giving 10 percent back to God is nothing to me. That’s why I do it, and I don’t think twice about it.” In 2008, he bought his mother a church building in Chicago which today helps those in the community who struggle with drug abuse and other issues find God. He encourages fathers to stay involved in their children’s lives and encourages young people to believe in God and in themselves to accomplish great things in life in spite of what others may say. His name is Dwyane Wade.

Kevin Durant: Walking With the Lord (Gospel Light Minute #56)

Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant

He is a professional NBA player. He plays the position of small forward with the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association. He was the consensus 2007 National College Player of the Year and the 2006-2007 Big 12 Player of the Year. After a standout freshman season at the University of Texas, he opted to enter the NBA Draft, where he was selected second overall by the Seattle SuperSonics.

There he went on to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after his debut season. In 2007, he signed an endorsement contract with Nike. In the 2009-2010 NBA season, he led the NBA in scoring and became the youngest player ever to win the NBA scoring title. He is also a 3-time NBA scoring champion and a 3-time member of the All NBA First Team. He most recently led his team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, to the 2012 NBA Finals.

He says the foundation of his faith in Jesus Christ comes from his family. He said, “I went to a Christian school. When I was young we went to church a lot but we didn’t go as much when I grew up and got into middle school and high school. I was always intrigued about how we got here. Why do we do the things we do? Who made us like this? My mom often sat me down and talked to me about spiritual things, and I have spiritual teachers that help me out. I’m not perfect by any means. I’ve got a long way to go to become closer to the Lord, but hopefully, I can continue to stay on the path. I might take a few steps forward, and take a couple steps back, and then take some more steps forward, but I want to get better….I go to chapel before every game. I have a spiritual coach that I talk to and he’s helping me out in my walk with the Lord. My teammates do a great job of sticking together and praying for each other. I always try to get better in my walk [with Christ].”

He said that it is tough to stay humble in a world that is often hyped with fortune and fame. He said, “I sometimes have to remind myself that any day this can be gone. In the Bible, it says the Lord exalts humility, and that’s one thing I try to be all the time. When I’m talking in front of people or when people tell me I’m great, I remind myself that I can always be better. I’ve just got to be thankful to the Lord for the gifts He’s given me. My gift back to Him is to always be humble and to work as hard as I can. I’ve got to continue to be that way.” He helps encourage his teammates to put God first in their lives and to allow the light of Christ to shine through in everything they do both on and off the court. His name is Kevin Durant.

Carrie Underwood: Growing in Faith (Gospel Light Minute #55)

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She is a country singer, songwriter, and actress who won the fourth season of American Idol in 2005. She is a multi-platinum selling recording artist, a winner of several Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards and American Music Awards. She is also a Golden Globe Award nominee and a two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year. She is also the first-ever female artist to win back-to-back Academy of Country Music Awards for Entertainer of the Year in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. And in 2012, Billboard named her Country Music’s reigning Queen. Her albums include: “Some Hearts” (which is the fastest selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history); “Carnival Ride”; “Play On”; and “Blown Away”.

She grew up in the church and began singing at the First Free Will Baptist Church in rural Oklahoma. She said, “I grew up going to church camp and reading my Bible and having different faith books and movies in my life…My songs are sometimes focused on God, Jesus and faith, and that is a part of my “Bible Beltness,” where such themes are popular. I was not the first, nor will I be the last, to sing about God.” She along with her Christian husband hockey player pray and read the Bible together on a daily basis. She said, “Every Wednesday, my husband and I have a study group with our friends. I attend church. We try to devote time in the morning to say a prayer. I’m not a big reader, though. I have to feel it, hear it, touch it be involved in it.” She credits her husband with helping her grow in her faith in Christ, and says that their faith in God is at the very heart of their marriage. Her name is Carrie Underwood.

Al Green: Singing God’s Praise After Giving his Life to Christ (Gospel Light Minute #53)

He is a soul singer who later turned to Gospel music. In the 1970s, he hit his peak with hit singles such as “You Oughta Be With Me”, “I’m Still In Love With You”, “Love and Happiness”, and “Let’s Stay Together”. In 2005, Rolling Stone named him #66 in their list of the ’100 Greatest Artists of All Time’. In 1995, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame which referred to him as “one of the most gifted purveyors of soul music.” To date, he has sold more than 20 million records. He has won numerous other awards and accolades including being inducted into the Gospel Music Association’s Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2004. He was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 BET Awards.

Like many children during his time, he was taught Gospel music from a young age. In fact, Gospel music was the only accepted form of music in his parents’ household. He writes in his autobiography, “There was God’s music and the devil’s music…nothing in between and no two ways about it.” His father often told him about the “evils” of other types of music such as soul music. But this other music was compelling to him, and consequently, as a teenager, his father threw him out of the house for listening to other soul artists. He eventually started an R&B group and soon after went solo. By the early ’70s, he had made his home in Memphis, forgotten about God and his Christian upbringing, and was enjoying the fruits of fame which included rock and roll and lots of women. He states in his autobiography, “I wasn’t paying much attention to the laws of God and the wages of sin at the age of twenty-five. I have had carnal relations with more women then I can remember or confess. We sow the wind and reap the whirlwind, fulfilling the desires of our flesh and bringing down upon ourselves the judgment of God.”

He says of his conversion that he was in the Disneyland Hotel in the middle of a tour, when he was awakened out of sleep by his own shouting. He said, “I was praising God, rejoicing in the great and glorious gift of salvation through his son Jesus Christ…. Suddenly the shouting and celebration stopped and I heard a voice, calm and clear coming from inside me. ‘Are you ashamed of Me?’ was the question it asked and the words pierced me like a knife.” He buried his face in a handful of towels to muffle the noise as he shouted “Lord, no!” He says, “Whatever I knew…all that faded into insignificance. I was in the middle of a personal encounter one on one with my Creator and now at least I understood what all the words and all the songs and all the tears had really meant.”

However, after this conversion, he kept up with his sinful ways and needed a more harsher lesson before he truly came to Christ. A little while after his conversion in the Disneyland Hotel, one of his girlfriends assaulted him by dousing him with a pot of hot grits while he was taking a shower, burning him on his back, stomach, and arms. Although she was already married, she was upset because he would not marry her. After burning him, she went and killed herself with his gun. This episode proved to be a turning point in his life. He finally surrendered his carnality to his faith in Jesus Christ and produced what many consider to be the finest work of his career, the “Belle” album. In it, he says, “I sang ‘it’s you that I want but it’s Him that I need,’ And I meant it. Each note and every word.”

Today, he continues to sing R&B and Gospel music around the world, pastors the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis, and gives this message of salvation to all people who visit his website: “Thank you for visiting my website. I would like to take this opportuntity to invite you to bring Christ into your life. Confess Jesus Christ today as your personal saviour and you will begin to receive his bountiful blessings. Ask him into your life today. By confessing your sins, you will be given the miraculous gift of salvation.” His name is Al Green.

Kay Coles James Became a Christian Under the Preaching of Billy Graham and God Has Used her to Do Great Things (Gospel Light Minute #52)

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She is the president and founder of the Gloucester Institute which is an organization that trains and nurtures leaders in the African American community. She was the director for the United States Office of Personnel Management. She was nominated by George W. Bush in 2001 and served in that position until 2005. Prior to that appointment, she served as Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources under then-Governor George Allen and as Senior Vice President of the Family Research Council. She was also the dean of Regent University’s government school. She is a current member of the NASA Advisory Council.

She is a graduate of Hampton University and is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, including the Doctor of Laws Degree from Pepperdine University. In 2003, she was named the 2003 Distinguished Christian Statesman by Dr. D. James Kennedy, in which she was described as a Christian statesman who “makes it clear that the only way to transform any culture is from the inside out and that ‘the children of God will be called upon to lead the way.'” She is a wife, mother of three children, and grandmother of five.

She committed her life to following Jesus Christ while watching Billy Graham on television before entering college. She said that it was while sitting with other students at an InterVarsity Fall Conference in Virginia, that she heard the conference speaker describe the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross and realized that God had a calling for her life. She said it was then that she told God, ‘God, I am available to be used by you. Here I am.’ She said, “I did not have a plan beyond ‘What is the next opportunity to serve?’ I will tell others, if you’re willing to do that and really mean it, hold on, because you don’t have a clue as to where your life is going.” Her name is Kay Coles James.

Robert Griffin III: ‘My Relationship With God is My Most Important Influence’

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Robert Griffin III
Robert Griffin III

He is the new NFL quarterback for the Washington Redskins. He was selected by the Redskins in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football for Baylor University, and won the Heisman Trophy in 2011. Hailing from a military family, with a strong, strict father, he began college at 17 years old. With dedication and hard work, he graduated in 3 years with a degree in political science, and a 3.67 GPA, all while appearing on the Dean’s List two times. He is currently studying for a Masters degree in Communications. He won the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year award, the Davey O’Brien Award, the Manning Award, and the Consensus All-American award in 2011.

He said of his faith, ‘I was heavily influenced by my parents to learn discipline. But my relationship with God was my most important influence…I’ve been in the church since I was 7. My parents didn’t push it on us but they made sure we grew up in the church, so that’s all we know, that’s what we do.’ He went further to say, ‘Whenever you can be a Christian and come to a Christian university like Baylor and make a difference like this whole football team has, it’s great. [God] gives you the stage to make a difference and not to just talk about yourself, but lift Him up. There are a lot of different types of Christians everywhere, but my biggest thing is it’s not our job to judge; it’s just our job to go out, praise Him, let people know what He’s doing, and let people follow if they want to. So I praise God, I thank him for everything. Purposefully, you live every day for Him, and when He gives you the opportunity to speak up for Him or to do something in His name, you do it.” The young man that I am talking about is Robert Griffin III, better known as RG3.

Steve Harvey: “I Am a New Christian” (Gospel Light Minute #50)

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He is a bestselling author, actor, television and radio personality, entertainer, and comedian. He is best known as the star of the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show, and as one of only four comedians featured in the Spike Lee joint “The Original Kings of Comedy.” He currently hosts the nationally syndicated radio program “The Steve Harvey Morning Show” as well as the television game show “Family Feud.” In 2007, he won the Syndicated Personality/Show of the Year Award by Radio & Records Magazine. He is the author of two books, “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man” and “Straight Talk, No Chaser”. The movie, “Think Like a Man” is based upon his bestseller, “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man” and was released on April 20, 2012. Within a few days it became the #1 movie in America.

At a Morehouse College event, he told the audience of how he became a “new Christian”. And every day, he opens his radio show talking about his faith and in his own way, encouraging others to follow Christ and serve God as well. He said in an interview regarding his second divorce, ‘It was honestly the toughest period ever in my entire life. But it highlighted my need to be a better Christian.’ Along with talking about his faith often, he hosts the annual BET “Celebration of Gospel” event which features a who’s who of Gospel singers and performers. His name is Steve Harvey.

Chuck Colson Found Hope in Jesus Christ and he Shared that Hope with Many Others (Gospel Light Minute #49)

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He was a former Special Counsel to President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973. Once known as the “hatchet man” for President Nixon he came to prominence at the height of the Watergate scandal when he was named one of the Watergate Seven. He compiled the notorious “enemies list” of politicians, journalists and activists who were perceived as threats to the White House. He pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for seeking to discredit former Pentagon official Daniel Ellsberg. He served seven months in the federal Maxwell Prison in Alabama as the first member of the Nixon administration to be incarcerated for Watergate-related charges.

A year before going to prison, he gave his life to Jesus Christ. His biographer, Jonathan Aitken, said, “He transferred his huge drive, intellect and maniacal energy from the service of Richard Nixon to the service of Jesus Christ.” After his release from prison, he founded Prison Fellowship which today is “the nation’s largest outreach to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families”. He worked tirelessly to promote prison reform and prisoner rehabilitation. He later founded Justice Fellowship where he used his influence in conservative political circles to push for reforms in the U.S. criminal justice system.

His autobiography “Born Again,” has sold millions of copies and in 1993, he was awarded the prestigious Templeton Prize, worth more than $1 million, which is given each year to the person who has done the most to advance the cause of religion. He has received honorary doctorates from various colleges and universities. And in 2008, he was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President George W. Bush.

He said of his hope in Christ, “Where is the hope? I meet millions of people who feel demoralized by the decay around us. The hope that each of us has is not in who governs us, or what laws we pass, or what great things we do as a nation. Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people. And that’s where our hope is in this country. And that’s where our hope is in life.” He went home to be with Jesus on April 21, 2012. His name is Chuck Colson.

Bubba Watson: Just Showing the Light (Gospel Light Minute #48)

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He is a professional golfer who won the 2012 Masters Tournament. He is one of the few players who can hit a ball over 350 yards capable of generating a ball speed up to 194 miles per hour. His Masters win elevated him to a career high number four in the Official World Golf Ranking. He has also won the Travelers Championship in 2010, the Farmer’s Insurance Open in 2011 and the Zurich Classic in 2011.

He says of his faith, ‘I grew up in Bagdad, Florida, as one of the good guys: “Didn’t cuss, didn’t cheat, didn’t steal, didn’t lie, didn’t drink, didn’t do drugs…I was doing the right things but I didn’t know what that meant.” In his senior year in high school, two twin neighbor girls invited him to their youth group. He went and found a place where he belonged. He said, “The girls asked me to go to church, and after a few times going I realized this is what I wanted to do. This is truth here. And I gave myself to the Lord.” Though he never took a golf lesson in his life, he said “I am grateful for the people around me and the opportunity to live my life for Christ. I’ve really got a good team around me trying to help me succeed, not just in golf, but off the golf course, to be a light for Jesus.” He frequently uses his Twitter account to share Christ with his followers. He said, “For me, it’s just showing the Light. There’s people who want to put down Christians. I try to tell them Jesus loves you.” His name is Bubba Watson.

Thomas Kinkade: The ‘Painter of Light’ Talks About his Relationship with The Light of the World (Gospel Light Minute #47)

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He was a popular inspirational painter of realistic and breath-taking scenes. Known as “the painter of light”, he had the honor of painting “The cross” scene at the Billy Graham Museum. He is known for selling millions of copies of his paintings. He received many awards for his work including multiple National Association of Limited Edition Dealers awards for Artist of the Year and Graphic Artist of the Year, and his art was named Lithograph of the Year nine times. In his art, he placed an emphasis on the value of simple pleasures and said that he intended to communicate inspirational, life-affirming messages through his work for the glory of God. Before his unexpected death on Good Friday, April 6, 2012, he held the title of being “America’s most-collected living artist”.

He says of his salvation experience and the impact that it had on his work, “I became a Christian in 1980, when I was about 22 years old, and I would say that when I was saved, my art got saved. It was then that a very interesting transition began in my life. I started to see the characteristic of light begin to develop within my work. The darkness was leaving and the light was beginning to break forth. For example, my paintings, prior to that time, were very much self-defining and idiosyncratic. They were very much my own expression. I had little interest in how my art affected other people. In fact, my college professors would constantly make the point that one’s art is all about one’s self. It doesn’t matter if someone else understands or likes it. It doesn’t matter if they purchase it. All that matters is you.’ It was art as self-expression, as opposed to any concern for, or consciousness of an audience, or any desire to impact other people. When I became a Christian, I began to challenge that notion…”

He credited the Lord for both the ability and the inspiration to create his paintings. He says, “My goal is to touch all people, to bring peace and joy into their lives through the images I create and I see my art as a ministry tool to share Jesus Christ with the masses.”His name is Thomas Kinkade.