THE VISION OF LIGHT OF THE WORLD CHURCH IS AS FOLLOWS:

To provide a facility within and a part of the church that not only teaches the Word Of God, but provides a place where:

1. The hungry can be fed 24 hours a day free of charge.
2. Those trapped in drug addiction can receive the word of God for one year while living within the walls of the church.  There will be separate dormitories for men and women.
3. Those who remain for one year will be taught a trade so as to become a productive part of society.
4. To reunite families that were devastated by sin by providing facilities where those families can receive the Word and learn the love of Jesus all over again.
5. The facilities mentioned in # 4 above will be apartment dwellings, separate from the church grounds but owned by Light Of The World Church.
6. After learning a trade and becoming gainfully employed, persons having completed the required training will open a joint savings account in their name and Light Of The World Church.  The employer will be instructed to make automatic deposits of all payroll checks to this joint account.

All of the proceeds of this account will be held for the trainee for one year with the exception of 10%, which will (with the agreement of the trainee) be drafted per pay period as a tithe into a designated Light Of The World Church bank account.  During this one year period of returning to the working community, all household expenses for the trainee will be paid by Light Of The World Church. At the end of the one year period, all funds accumulated in the joint savings account, with the exception of the 10% tithe, will be given to the trainee as a lump sum. This will complete his or hers rehabilitation process and the family will be given the option of remaining in the apartment dwelling at a rent to be determined, or using the lump sum as they so will.

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The “Vision Statement” of Light Of The World Church is taken from the following scriptures:

Matthew 25:31-40

31        When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32        And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33         And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Let’s stop right here for just a moment.  There can be no mistake that Jesus is talking about His second coming.  There can be no mistake that here, Jesus is talking about the endtime and what will happen to everyone at that time.  In the book of the Revelation, Jesus emphasizes at one point that He is talking to the seven kinds of churches.  Here, He is broadening his view to the nations. And the church is included within the nations.  So here, Jesus is talking not only to the churches, but also to those not in the church.  BUT THE CHURCH IS INCLUDED WITHIN THE NATIONS.  (Let’s go back to our scripture, beginning with verse 34)

34        Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35        For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36        Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37        Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38        When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39        Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40        And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (KJV)

Let’s move, if you will,  to verses 45 and 46

Matthew 25:45-46

45        Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46        And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
(KJV)

Looking at Matthew 25:45-46, it becomes clear that Jesus is saying what the righteous, must be doing; and more importantly, that those who are NOT doing these things (vs. 46) “…shall go away into everlasting punishment…” and anyone that IS doing these things is counted righteous and will go away “…into life eternal.”  So this is church business.

This is a good place to insert the origin of the name of our church.  Look at John Chapter 8, verse 12.

John  8:12

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world:  he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (KJV)

Notice that John said that those who are going about church business shall have have the “Light of Life”.  Now Jesus is that Light; but what is the purpose of having Jesus?  Let’s turn to Luke Chapter 1, verse 79 to see why we have this Light and what we are supposed to be doing with Him.

Luke 1:79

To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.  (KJV)

How will we do this?  We will do it by following the instructions given in Matthew Chapter 25, verses 34 through 36.

Matthew 25:34-36

34        Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35        For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36        Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

This is an awesome task but one that the scripture points out is the will of our Father.

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Prayer And Fasting

Nothing happens without prayer and fasting.  We believe that in the years to come, God will provide prayer intercessors, and prayer warriors who will sanctify themselves for this purpose, so that through prayer and fasting, and by walking in faith, this vision will be made manifest.

The Confirmation of the Vision

The confirmation that our vision is from God is found in the Book of Isaiah Chapter 58:

Isaiah 58:6-12

6     Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7     Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8     Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
9     Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10   And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
11  And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12   And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
(KJV)

The New International Version offers a better translation of this chapter.

Isaiah 58:6-12

6     "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
7     Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8     Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9     Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10   and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
11    The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
12    Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
(NIV)

Herein we have the vision that God Himself has given to Light Of The World Church.  It’s a vision that is based upon the scriptures, THE HOLY WORD OF GOD.

We ask that you prayerfully consider becoming a PARTNER of Light Of The World Church, Inc.  Join our efforts and the above verses (verses 8 through 12) will be imparted unto you as well.

May God Bless You Richly,

Ottawa R Pullen, Jr.,
Senior Pastor