Lights in the Darkness

 

Today I'd like to share a Bible story from Acts 20:7-12. I'd like to take you deeper into the story to see the sights and sounds, "the just like us" human side of the story, because the Bible is just as much about us as it is about the people who lived those stories. Enjoy.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Matthew 5:14

Children chattered and played as they walked with their parents carrying baskets of food and their lamps. Tonight was the last night to hear and visit with Paul before he sailed to Assos. There was a large house, three stories high, where they had agreed to gather. Neighbors watched as the little troop grew larger the closer they came to the house. 

The ladies in the house welcomed the guests, taking the baskets and spreading the food along tables for

everyone to share. A little food, a little fellowship, a little preaching, because of the buzz of the house no one noticed how late the hour had become. 

Eutychus, a young man, sat propped in a window to catch the night breeze and make room for the older folks to sit. As Paul preached toward midnight, Eutychus’ eyes began to droop and his head to nod. Several times, he’d caught himself from falling onto the old man seated in front of him. He rearranged himself, hoping to wake up. He wanted to hear, and he didn’t want to begin to snore, but his body slumped into slumber. Suddenly, his arms flailed. He toppled out the window to the street below. 

People screamed. Lights poured into the streets. Eutychus was dead! The commotion awakened the neighbors. Paul pushed his way through the crowd and then gathered the young man in his arms. “His life is in him,” he declared as Eutychus’ eyes fluttered open. 

“Hallelujah! Praise God! Thank you, Jesus!” came the exclamations from the crowd as they lifted their hands and faces heavenward. 

"Thank you, Jesus? Who is this Jesus?" the neighbors whispered along the street. They watched as people filed back into the house, talking and praising.

Inside, people prayed, ate, listened, and asked questions until dawn, when the town began to stir again. Eutychus, the young man, was helped home as people dispersed. Neighbors watched and eyed the window where, last night, he had fallen.

Lamps through the night, a dead man raised alive, people praising Jesus. “We’ve never seen anything like this before.”

To think, it seemed to have started with lights shining in the darkness.

Heavenly Father, help us always be your shining light regardless of the hour or the circumstances. Even when we don't realize others are watching, may we still be prepared to be your witness. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Hey Kids:

It's easy to be kind, share, and play fair when we feel good, but what about when we begin to get tired? When it's bedtime and we feel grumpy, how do we react? 

How can we let others see Jesus in us even when we don't always feel like it? 

An Enlarged Tent

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; Isaiah 54:2

Isaiah prophesied before Israel was taken captive into Babylon that they would return. They would be responsible for spreading the gospel to the world. At the end of the 70 years, Cyrus allowed Ezra and Nehemiah to return to Israel with funds and materials to rebuild the temple and the wall. He sent protection for them. They had an opportunity to reach the world for Christ, the Messiah. 

The next verse says they would break forth on the right hand and on the left. They would inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Did it happen? Not yet.

Israel secluded themselves. They wanted nothing to do with Gentiles or Samaritans. So the Greeks took over and then the Romans. Finally, Israel themselves rejected and crucified the Messiah. God allowed Titus to destroy them, but God enlarged His tent. He sent Paul to the Gentiles. The church grew in Europe and Africa and in Asia Minor. All the while Israel lay desolate until 1948.

But what about us, the church, the believers in Jesus? Are we taking a vacation? When this country was founded, they came here for religious liberty. They stretched forth their habitations. We saw great revivals in Europe and in the US. 

There was a man mentioned in I Chron 4:9,10. He prayed for God to bless him and enlarge his "coast". He wanted God to use him to reach others. Like us he was probably a little bashful in sharing the gospel with others. But he wanted God to bless him, give him a supernatural unction to be brave enough to encounter others for Christ.

The world is changing fast, like a whirlwind has hit. I wonder if I'm paying attention and asking for God's favor to expand my opportunities to reach others?

Dear Heavenly Father, please give me a desire to be used by You, to expand my tent, my outreach to spread the gospel in a rapidly changing world. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Follow the Son

 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. ~ Luke 9:23

While growing sunflowers over the years I've noticed a few things.

• No matter the time of day sunflowers follow the sun.From early morning to late afternoon, they face the sun. 
• Their roots grow deep into the soil, cleansing it from radiation, arsenic, and other harmful chemicals.

I've also noticed the blessings that people have who follow God's Son every day.

• Following the Son keeps our eyes on Jesus and not on the world
• Being rooted in Jesus cleanses us from the harmful effects of the world.

I watch as bees carry pollen from flower to flower, helping the seeds to form.

• The pollen from the sunflowers feeds the bees.
• The seeds feed other animals, birds, and people. 
• The seeds also drop into the soil beneath, allowing new plants to form

There are seeds that form in our lives.

• As we interact with other Christians, we grow in knowledge and love.
• We are able to feed others with the seeds of the gospel.
• We teach our children who are under our care and instruction to grow into strong Christians.

The leaves of the sunflower plant gather sunlight. 

• The leaves transform sunlight into chlorophyll.
•  The chlorophyll feeds the plant and helps it grow stronger. 

The old folks used to say, "Leaf through that catalog and see what you like. Leaf through that book and see if it might be a good read." They referred to the pages. 

• If we "leaf" through the pages of the Bible, stopping to read, study, even devour passages we grow stronger.
• A solid reading of the scripture gives us knowledge, and then we are able to give every person an answer for the hope within us.

Heavenly  Father, help us to take notice of Your creation, allowing it to open our eyes to your truth.Your word tells us that the invisible things of You from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even Your eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (My paraphrase from Rom. 1:20) Direct our lives, O Lord, we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen.

My "Plumgranny" Tree is Blooming!

 

And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.

And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;

 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the Lord commanded Moses.

Exodus 39:24-26

Grandma had two trees along her back walk, a chinaberry tree and a "plumgranny tree." The Chinaberry tree was for climbing. It had nice, low spreading limbs we could climb without worrying about falling out and breaking something. The "plumgranny tree" wasn't for climbing. It was for eating. 

You've never eaten a "plumgranny?" It's sour and sweet with lots of tiny seeds just right for spitting. That's all there is, seeds and juice. Just put your fingers in the crown, that's the blossom end, and pull the tough skin apart. Sections of bright, juicy seeds will squirt juice all over your hands and clothes. 

I heard that! Someone said, "They're not 'plumgrannies'. They're pomegranates." I know that, but I didn't know until I was plumb grown. Pomegranates are one of the seven species mentioned in the Bible (Deuteronomy 8:8) They are native to Iran and India but have naturalized throughout the Mediterranean. Pomegranates are associated with fruitfulness, knowledge, learning, and wisdom. They also have many health benefits. The whole plant, from bark to flower to fruit, is edible. 

Tradition says there are 613 seeds in the fruit, the same as the 613 commandments in the Talmud. Though the actual number of seeds varies greatly, there can be quite a bit of symbolism associated with the fruit. God commanded that representations of the fruit be sewn between the bells on the priest's robe. There is no flesh in the fruit, only seeds and juice. When we leave our flesh behind, there is no more self in our actions. For a seed to produce more fruit, it must die. To be of service to Christ, we must die to ourselves and live unto Him. The red juice surrounds the seed and stains all it touches. So the blood of Christ must cover the seed planted in the hearts of others, and the blood stain of Jesus left to water it so that others may come to know Him as Savior. 

The juice - tart and sweet. I wish I still had the picture of my grandchildren eating their first pomegranates. Following Christ is not all sweetness, but the end results are eternal blessings.

Heavenly Father, help me remember to leave the thoughts and actions of the flesh behind and always be vigilant in planting and watering the seeds of the gospel in the hearts of others. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

The Bible in Action

Do you know the seven species of the Bible?

Read Deuteronomy 8:8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil, and honey;

Have you eaten all these foods? In the fall, Judaism celebrates the new year. On the second day, they introduce a new fruit. Often, that fruit is a pomegranate. 

Why not introduce yourself to a new species during the seven weeks of summer? 

Week 1 - Explore your neighborhood or vacation spot for a mill or store that provides freshly ground grains.  Help Mom bake a loaf of bread from fresh-ground wheat. 

Week 2 - Explore a new breakfast food. Barley makes great muffins. I found a good recipe on the package of barley I bought at the grocery store. 

Week 3 - We all love a handful of grapes, but have you made grape jelly? 

Week 4 - The figs will begin to come in between June and August. I love to pick them straight off the tree on a hot summer day. They always taste cool and refreshing, much like a peach. 

Week 5- Pomegranates may not be available until September, but the juice is readily available in most grocery stores. Be sure to try a whole fruit once they come in.

Week 6 - Drag a piece of crusty bread through a plate of olive oil. It's as good as butter.

Week 7 - Explore the farmers' market for local honey. The taste is wonderful, and the health benefits far outweigh the store-bought brands. 

I'm wondering why God made these foods and recommended them to the Israelites. Got any ideas to share?