The House of Blessing on the Hill

The House of Blessing on the Hill

by Mary Light

Transcribed from the original recording; may contain errors.

I’m always thanking God that He can do the impossible. I think He has to do it tonight because there’s going to be a talk, there’s going to be a blessing service, and there’s going to be slides, and it’s going to be through by nine o’clock. Please, goodness. And I do want to thank you all for coming, and I pray that everyone will receive what they need most tonight. Now, I’m so happy to see the children, and I’ve got a little poem here I would like to say, not only for the children, because it shows how God loves every single one of us. It’s poor little black sheep done gone astray, done lost in the wind of the rain. And the shepherd, he say, “O hireling, go find my sheep again.” But the hireling frowned. “O shepherd, that sheep am old and grey.” But the shepherd, he smiled like that little black sheep was as fair as the break of day. And the shepherd say, “O hireling, hasten, for the wind and the rain am cold. And that little black sheep am lonesome out there so far from the fold.” But the hireling frowned. “O shepherd, that sheep am black and bad.” But the shepherd, he smiled as though that little black sheep was the only lamb he had.

And the shepherd, he said, “O hireling, hasten, for here I am the ninety and nine. But way out there from the sheep fold, and that little black sheep of mine.” But the hireling frowned. “O shepherd, the rest of the sheep am here.” But the shepherd, he smiled like that little black sheep he holdeth the mostest dear. And the shepherd, he go in the darkness, in the night that was cold and bleak. And the little black sheep, he find it, and hold it close to his cheek. And the hireling frowned. “O shepherd, don’t bring that sheep to me.” But the shepherd, he smiled and he holdeth close. And that little black sheep was me.

Now I think it’s lovely the way you all participate so beautifully and repeat things as if you really meant it. And I was just looking in my little address book and I found all this in it. I don’t know how it got there. But God always draws things to my attention that He wants me to share with others. And I think you’ll all be blessed if you would repeat these words as if you really meant them. And it’s really confirming all I’ve been trying to get across to you this week. Let us then labour for an inward stillness.

An inward stillness and an inward healing. That perfect silence. That perfect silence. Where the lips and heart are still. Where the lips and heart are still. And we no longer entertain our own imperfect thoughts. Entertain our own imperfect thoughts. And vain opinions. And vain opinions. But God alone speaks in us. But God alone speaks in us. And we wait in singleness of heart. And we wait in singleness of heart. That we may know His will. That we may know His will. And in the silence of our spirits. That we may do His will. And do that only. And do that only. That was written by Longfellow. And now here is another little piece I think you’ll like. Lord God, Thou art here. Wherever I go, Thy presence surrounds me. Thou dost speak to me in every one that I hear. Thou dost touch me in everything that I touch. In everything that I touch. The earth is full of Thy glory. The earth is full of Thy glory. Thou art my life. Thou art my life. Thou art all. Thou art all. Glory be to Thee. Glory be to Thee. God is love. God is love. I am surrounded by love. I am surrounded by love. All that happens to me is love. In one of its many manifestations, there is no power greater than love. May love flow through me to others.

May love flow through me to others. Love is life. Love is God. Now if we each day could read something like that at the beginning of the day or during the day or any time if we get to some of these beautiful affirmations. My beloved husband says an affirmation a day keeps the devil away. We all want to keep the devil away. So why don’t you all begin tomorrow by having a little notebook and writing in that little notebook a beautiful affirmation from the Bible. So, talking about these affirmations, I’ve had a request for special prayers for Charles tonight. Now he is needing a perfect heart. And I want to tell you of an affirmation that saved a man’s life. A bishop’s wife told me that her husband had been giving his life for people in Africa. And he was just so worn out when he got back that he had what the doctor said was the worst heart attack they had ever known. And the doctor said, “He can’t last the night, and I’ll come the first thing in the morning and sign his death certificate.” You know it says in the Bible, God is the strength of your heart. And that bishop’s wife remained awake all night long just saying the same thing over and over again.

“Thank You, Father, for being the strength of his heart.” Now if you would do that for your loved ones whenever you think of them, especially those who are needing a perfect heart, the same thing can happen to them as happened to that bishop. He woke up in the morning perfectly well and opened the door to the doctor when he came to sign the death certificate.

So don’t forget that. “Thank You, Father, for being the strength of his heart.” And then, supposing you know someone who is full of fear, you know it says in the Bible also, God is love, perfect love casteth out fear. And this you can say for anybody. “Thank You, God, for filling that person with Thy love which will cast out all fear.” Remembering that when a person is full of love, they’re full of the divine. And when you’re full of the divine, nothing that is imperfect can enter into you. So that’s very important too. Now, someone was asking me today if I ever got discouraged. And I said no. And then God reminded me that I’d better be truthful and make a little confession to you. It was something I’d forgotten. But I’ve been going around for many a long year now saying that unless you were thinking too much about yourself, that nothing and nobody could hurt you. And you know when you make these statements, I think a little spiritual pride comes in and you think, well I’m alright. Nothing and nobody would ever hurt me. But how wrong can you be? It was in California. I was driving with a girl whom I loved very, very much. And I had sent her a letter just before I left home that I thought was full of love and everything that was beautiful.

And she started talking about this letter and she turned it into just the opposite. And I was so upset, I felt so sorry for myself to think that anyone could misjudge me so much. And I knew that when you have self-pity, or you’re thinking about yourself at all, you’re right out of the kingdom. And when you’re out of the kingdom, you’ve got to get back in again as quickly as possible. So as soon as we got home, I went to her room, my room, and I went down on my knees and I said, “Oh dear God, forgive me. I repent of this self-pity that I’ve got. And I thank You, Father, because I know I’m forgiven, because that’s why Jesus Christ died on the cross.” And then I said, “Now Father, I want You to bless the one who has hurt me so much.” And I felt, “Now, I’ve done everything. I ought to be back in the kingdom. I ought to be full of the joy of the Lord.” But I wasn’t. I was just as miserable as before. So then I talked to God again. It’s always so wonderful. You can keep on talking to God until everything’s straightened out. Rufus Moseley, that wonderful man who wrote so many glorious books, said, “God is the world’s greatest un-messer.”

You take a mess to God, and He’ll not only un-mess it, but He’ll turn it into an asset. And He does it all the time. So I went on about my own little mess, and I said, “Now Father, I’ve repented. I’ve thanked You for forgiving me. I’ve asked You to bless the one who hurt me. That’s all I know how to do. What more could I do? What have I left undone?” And you know, God has a wonderful sense of humor. And He alone would be the only one who would ever know that there was one text in the Bible that could change my self-pity into joy. Because as clearly as anything came the thought, “Read the 92nd Psalm.” Now I read the 91st every day, as I told you this morning, but I didn’t know what was in the 92nd at all. So I opened the Bible immediately, and I started to read it, still full of self-pity. But before I got to the end, I was laughing back in the kingdom, full of the joy of the Lord. Because in the last verse but one, it says, “When I grow old, I will wax fat and flourishing.” And at that moment I felt so fat, and I laughed, and I took the Bible into my host and hostess, and shared it with them.

And then she said, “Mary, are we still friends?” I said, “Yes, we’re greater friends than ever. I’m so glad you got all that out of your system, and I’m back in the kingdom.” She said, “Well, thank God you said that, because otherwise I would never have gone back to church again.” So it’s awfully important when you’re out of the kingdom for anything, to go to God and stay with God until you’re back in the kingdom. And then go on, as I hope you’ve done before, by doing everything that comes your way, as if you’re doing it for Him.

Now, I want to just say one more thing about prayer groups. I talked so much about them this morning, but I forgot to mention a very lovely prayer group, a little-bye minister in Maryland. And I hope all you people here, especially those belonging to this church, are going to start up some wonderful prayer groups. It’ll be a powerhouse for your church. If you have them in your home, it’ll be a powerhouse in your home. You don’t have to have any experience, even if you just get one other person. And thank God for taking over and have a lovely hour of intercessions. And what I want you to do in your prayer groups is to remember that the greatest thing in prayer groups, almost, is to witness for the glory of God. And in this particular prayer group I’m thinking about in Maryland, the minister asks at every meeting, “Is there anybody here who can tell of an answered prayer?” But there are three conditions. One is that it must be short, so that nobody takes over the whole hour. Another one is that it must be joyous, so that no misery gets into a prayer group, which should be a thing of joy. And the third thing is that it must have happened since the previous meeting, so you don’t get the same thing dished up every time you meet.

Now, there were some wonderful witnesses that night, but the outstanding one was a woman who said, “I was in your church last Sunday morning, and you were preaching about frustration. And I’ve never felt so frustrated in all my life, because we’ve got an alcoholic in the family, and he was coming home more drunk every night. And the night before, he had been unbearable. And I just sat there, and I thought, ‘Oh, God, if only You could have that man here in this church. If he heard this sermon, he’d never drink another drink.’ And when I got home, the door was flung open by the alcoholic, who said, ‘I don’t know why, but I got to church this morning, just in time to hear the sermon, and I know I’ll never drink again.’ And I said, ‘I don’t know why.’ Now,” she said, “that was last Sunday, and this is Thursday night, and he hasn’t looked at a bottle.” So you see how wonderful God is, and how important it is that we should witness for His honor and glory. And it’s so wonderful if you could make a little sacrifice for God, how He not only answers your prayers, but gives you twice as much as you ask. I was in Beaumont, Texas, with a little group of wives.

They weren’t a prayer group then, but thank God they are now. And they all had a problem. And their problem were their husbands. But it wasn’t the husbands’ faults at all. It was the wives’. You know, the most important thing a wife can remember is to love and not shove. Will you all remember love and not shove? And these wives were doing a little shoving. They were trying to shove their husbands into churches and into prayer groups where they didn’t want to go. You see, the husbands were like the man who wrote in a church magazine, “Take my wife and let her be dedicated, Lord, to Thee. Let her now Thy will to see, but please, dear God, don’t count on me.”

Well, I felt guided to say to them, “I believe there’s somebody in this group who, if only she would make a sacrifice to God, would receive her heart’s desire.” And afterwards, the girl came to me and said, “Mary Light, you were talking to me. I’m a chain smoker. I put my smoking before God, before everything. But I want you to know that I’m never going to smoke another cigarette. Because I want my husband to join the church more than anything. He’s a salesman. And he thinks he sells more on Sunday than any other day. We’ve got three lovely children, a beautiful home, but he’s never there to enjoy it. So I won’t smoke another cigarette.” Well, that evening she called me up and she said, “Mary, let me drive you to Orange, where you’re speaking tonight. A miracle’s happened. My husband’s miles away. He didn’t even know that I was going to have him prayed for this morning. And he’s put through a long distance call. And he says he can’t sell anything. He can’t think of anything, except that he must join the church on Sunday.” And the very next Sunday, not only did her husband join the church, but when his son saw his father go up, he went up too. So that’s what I mean when you make a little sacrifice for God, how He blesses you with twice what you’ve been trained for.

Now, I want to tell you about a woman who was in the hospital, and the doctor sent her home and said that very soon she’d be completely blind. With the little sight she had remaining, she studied her Bible. And one day she came to the words, “Whatsoever ye shall ask believing, ye will receive.” And she cried aloud to God and she said, “Oh, Father, how can I believe that I receive my sight when all those doctors have told me that it’s impossible?” And then she said, “Father, I’m going down on my knees now, and I’m going to stay down on my knees until I believe.” And she said it took her exactly half an hour. And then suddenly she said, “Father, I believe I may have perfect sight.” And she said in a flash she received perfect sight. And then God sent her a vision. She had a little piece of land on a hill in Hamilton, Virginia. And she saw on this hill a house of blessing. She saw every detail of this house. And she went to her Sunday school class, and she told them all about this wonderful healing she had received and the wonderful vision. And there was an architect in that class, and he said, “I can see it just as you describe it, and I’m going to draw up a plan as a love offering for you.”

She had no money at all. But on the way home she found a dollar bill on the ground, and she held it in both her hands, and she said, “Father, if You want that house of blessing, will You multiply this until there’s enough money to build it?” She went round to everyone in that little village and asked if they’d lost the dollar bill. They all said no. And then her Sunday school class spread the news round, and money came from all quarters until there was enough for the house of blessing to be built with a beautiful little chapel in the grounds. And when I went there, it was just the most perfect place imaginable, with every modern convenience and beautifully furnished. And she told me that everything in it was a love offering, and nobody had been asked to give anything. And she said, “Only yesterday something very wonderful happened. I noticed at the beginning of the week that it needed repainting and doing up inside and out. And I had an estimate, and when the estimate came in, it was for $300, and I hadn’t got any. But yesterday a woman came down and she said, ‘I’ve been here a week, and the rest and the peace and the prayers and everything combined have made me all new.

“‘Now I was going on for another three weeks’ vacation, but I’m going straight back home, and I brought you the cheque as a love offering of the amount that I would have spent.’ And it was for exactly $300.” And that’s how God works. And you might feel, oh, that couldn’t happen to me because I’m on a salary and I get the same every week or every month. Nothing like that could happen to me. Well, believe me, when you’re in God’s service, He’s doing the impossible all the time. When my husband and I went home to England five years ago, we felt God was telling us again and again that He wanted us to go. So we went. But we spent all our money. We feel that our time is God’s time, our money is God’s money, and if He wants it all back again, well, it’s His anyway. So we came back without any money. But we found bills waiting for us. So I said to God, “Now, Father, it’s Your money, and they’re Your bills, so will You please let us pay them? Thank You, Father,” always thanking Him in anticipation. The very next day, a man came to the door. When I opened it, he said, “Are you Mrs. Leomont?” I said, “Yes.”

He said, “Well, I’m from the British Columbia Electricity Corporation. I’ve come to apologize on behalf of the corporation because we have overcharged you on your electric light bill for the past five years, and I’ve brought you a check to cover it.” The check was for $350, which paid all our bills and left some over. Now, my husband is a certified public accountant. He keeps every receipt, every bill, and he said if he had gone over those accounts again and again and again, he could never have found where they were overcharging. It was a defective meter. But people say they’ve never heard of an electricity corporation bringing any money back. They generally come and say that you owe them some, but not that they owe you some. So you see the wonder of God. And now, if we’re going to finish by nine, we’d better be having the blessing service that I told you about. I have been asked to say once again that poem to help you never to worry again. And I want to tell you that there are a lot of my books still left over there, and I’d be very happy to autograph them. And if you buy them, you’re really helping to bring God’s kingdom on earth to those in India who are starving, and to little babies all over the world who have no parents and no homes, who are waiting to be brought to America, because the proceeds go to those organizations.

And this is a poem I’ve been asked to finish up with. Worry, why worry? What can worrying do? It never stops the trouble from overtaking you. It gives you indigestion and sleepless hours at night, and fills with gloom the days, however fair and bright. It puts a frown upon your face, and a grumble in your tone. It makes you unfit to live with others, and unfit to live alone. Worry, why worry? What can worrying do? It never stops the trouble from overtaking you. Pray, why pray? What can praying do? Prayer can really alter things. It makes life anew. It’s good for the digestion, gives perfect sleep at night, and on the very gloomiest days, sheds rays of golden light. It puts a smile upon your face, and a love note in your tone. It makes you fit to live with others, and fit to live alone. Worry, why worry? What can worrying do? It never stops the trouble. What am I doing now? I’m thinking of all the things I want to tell you that I have.

Well, I’ll begin again that last little bit. Pray, why pray? What can praying do? Prayer can really alter things. It makes life anew. It’s good for the digestion, gives perfect sleep at night, and on the very gloomiest days, shed rays of golden light. It puts a smile upon your face, and a love note in your tone. It makes you fit to live with others, and fit to live alone. Praying, why pray? What can praying do? It can bring God down from heaven to love and work through you. Now, God was reminding me all in the middle of it that there are some people tonight who were not here to hear about two little sentence prayers that God answered instantaneously. And I think it’s so helpful to know of those little sentence prayers, especially for prayer groups, so that you don’t go on feeling that unless you say a very, very long prayer, you can’t get God’s attention. One was a man who was going into the Mission Hall in Vancouver, and an alcoholic came along, and he was so drunk that he couldn’t stand up. And he said, “Give me a dime.” And the other one said, “You come in here, and you receive more than a dime, you will receive salvation.” He took him by the arm, let him into the hall, and as soon as he got in, he let go of him, and the man fell flat on his face.

And the other one said, “Now you’re down there, you’d better pray.” And he said, “Me pray? I’ve never said a prayer in my life.” He said, “God will give you the words.” And after a while, the man said, “Gee whiz. God help me. Nobody else can. Gee whiz.” He stood up absolutely sober. He never took another drink. And he’s now the head of the largest Mission Hall on Vancouver Island, bringing hundreds to Jesus. So don’t ever think that because a person hasn’t faith, because he’s never said a prayer in his life, that God will heal and bless him the very first time he says a sentence prayer out of his heart. And the other sentence prayer that was answered was in a little church in Texas. I was up in the pulpit speaking, and all of a sudden I found myself saying to those people something I’ve never done before in my life. I said, “I love you so much, I can’t stand it, being so far away from you. I’m coming down to finish my talk down there.” And I stood right in front of an old man in the front pew to finish my talk. And at the end he said, “Will you say a prayer of praise and thanksgiving? When I came into this church and saw you were way up there, I thought, ‘Oh, I won’t be able to hear her.

“‘And I want to hear every word.’ And I just said, ‘Dear God, let her come down here so I can hear her.’ ” He said, “As I sent that prayer up, you came right down.” So you see, at any time you can send a little flash prayer up, remembering that it does say in the Bible, in everything, make your request known unto God with thanksgiving.

And God bless you all and thank you so much for coming.