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? 

Be the Light

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ~ Philippians 2:14,15 

What is there about candlelight that draws me to it?

Perhaps it's the ambiance it creates. 

• It never grumbles or complains
• It burns brighter and brighter
• It dances with the flickers of light
• It reflects that dance on the walls
• It comforts with warmth
• It opens up the vision 
• It draws others to it

The longer it burns the shorter it grows, but it never goes out as long as there is wick to burn.

So when I grumble and complain am I drawing others to Christ? Will others listen when I try to witness? Who would want to be a part of something or someone who promotes sadness and makes others around them unhappy or depressed? No one. 

How can I create an ambiance of joy, peace, happiness, love? 

Perhaps by leaving the grumbling and complaining behind, giving it all to Christ.

No matter the situation, He is working things out for His purposes and our good.

Perhaps by living a blameless and harmless lifestyle.

Demonstrating love and kindness to all people goes a long way in the midst of a divided and hopeless people.

Perhaps by shining as lights in the world, creating an ambiance of joy, of peace. People must first know we care before they will listen to the message of salvation. 

Heavenly Father, help me be your light. Help me create that ambiance of peace and comfort, of joy and dancing. Thank you for the privilege to shine for you even to my waning days. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

Have you had the privilege to have candlelight this Christmas? Was there a fireplace or woodstove to watch? How did it make you feel? 

Perhaps you could draw a picture of your smile or write a poem or short story about your feelings of peace. Jesus is our peace, our joy. How can you reflect Him in your life?

Be the Light

 

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, NC photo by pixabay

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

~Mark 16:15 KJV

Before we take our vacations I always do a little research on the area we want to visit. Here are a few things I found out about the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. It is probably the most famous of the lighthouses along the Outer Banks of NC. 

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse has been built in a variety of ways. First, it was short and made of sandstone. It wasn't very visible to mariners. Later in the 1800's it was built on a floating foundation, built much taller, equipped with a Fresnel lens, and painted a distinguishable color. I'd like to examine some of these important features. 

Sandstone - As we mentioned, the sandstone lighthouse was too short and too hard for mariners to see. It couldn't do the job. 

• When God commanded that sacrifices be made, they were only to be representations of the true sacrifice. They were simple altars made of stones. Even the sacrifices made on the brass altar of the Tabernacle were still symbols. All the animal sacrifices could never pay the price for our sins. They were only symbols of the true sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. 

Floating Foundation - When the foundation for the new construction of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was made in the 1800s the water table was only four feet down. Construction workers had to make a floating foundation by laying wood crossways below the water table. Then they placed granite on top of the wood to build the new lighthouse. 

• Jesus, the Rock of our salvation was placed upon a wooden cross. 

Color and Light - The Lighthouse Board regulated the color and light patterns of each lighthouse so mariners could distinguish by day and by night where they were located. The area off the coast of North Carolina is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The lighthouse needed to be tall enough to see and the pattern of the light flashes at night needed to reach out far into the ocean so mariners knew how close they were to the rocky coast. The intersection of the ocean currents caused many ships to go down, casting the ships against the coast. Having the lighthouse to guide the way saved many ships and lives. 

• The Israelites were guided in the wilderness with a cloud by day and a fire by night. It guided them through a wilderness they had not traveled before. 

Fresnel Lens - A Fresnel Lens is made up of triangular prisms of glass. This helps the light to go farther. Lighthouse lights are white lights because they go farther than colored lights. There were 1000 triangles in the Lens made for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. 

• Jesus is the Rock of our foundation. He is the Light of the world.  He is also our Savior on which the church is built. But, the members of the church are the ones commanded to take the gospel to the world. We are to reflect the Light in all we do. There is a world full of shipwrecked people out there who need the light of Jesus to safely guide them to salvation. 

Be the Light. 

Heavenly Father, help us be aware of how we reflect your Light to others. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

Are you going somewhere for a vacation? 

Have you researched the area and the possibilities?

How will your travels help you reflect the light of Jesus to others? 

Staying home this summer? 

There is always an adventure in our backyards. 

Kids' magazines are always looking for drawings and writings by kids! 

What will you discover this summer that you can share with other kids? 

How will you reflect the light of Jesus? 

Be the Light

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, NC photo by pixabay

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

~Mark 16:15 KJV

Before we take our vacations I always do a little research on the area we want to visit. Here are a few things I found out about Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. It is probably the most famous of the lighthouses along the Outer  Banks of NC. 

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse has been built in a variety of ways. First, it was short and made of sandstone. It wasn't very visible to mariners. Later in the 1800's it was built on a floating foundation, built much taller, equipped with a Fresnel lens, and painted a distinguishable color. I'd like to examine some of these important features. 

The Sandstone - As we mentioned, the sandstone lighthouse was too short and too hard for mariners to see. It couldn't do the job. 

• When God commanded that sacrifices be made, they were only to be representations of the true sacrifice. They were simple altars made of stones. Even when the brass altar of the Tabernacle was constructed it was still a symbol of the true sacrifice to come.

The Floating Foundation - When the foundation for the new construction of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was made in the 1800s the water table was only four feet down. Construction workers had to make a floating foundation by laying wood crossways below the water table. Then they placed granite on top of the wood to build the new lighthouse. 

• Jesus, the Rock of our salvation was placed upon a wooden cross. 

The Color and the Light - The Lighthouse Board regulated the color and light patterns of each lighthouse so mariners could distinguish by day and by night where they were located. The area off the coast of North Carolina is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The lighthouse needed to be tall enough to see and the pattern of the light flashes at night needed to reach out far into the ocean so mariners knew how close they were to the rocky coast. The intersection of the ocean currents caused many ships to go down, casting the ships against the coast. Having the lighthouse to guide the way saved many ships and lives. 

• The Israelites were guided in the wilderness with a cloud by day and a fire by night. It guided them through a wilderness they had not traveled before. 

The Fresnel Lens - A Fresnel Lens is made up of triangular prisms of glass. This helps the light to go farther. Lighthouse lights are white lights because they go farther than colored lights. There were 1000 triangles in the Lens made for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. 

• Jesus is the Rock of our foundation. He is the Light of the world.  He is also our Savior on which the church is built. But, the members of the church are the ones commanded to take the gospel to the world. We are to reflect the Light in all we do. There is a world full of shipwrecked people out there who need the light of Jesus to safely guide them to salvation. 

Be the Light. 

Father, help us be aware of how we reflect your Light to others. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

Are you going somewhere for a vacation? 

Have you researched the area and the possibilities?

How will your travels help you reflect the light of Jesus to others? 

Staying home this summer? 

There is always an adventure in our backyards. 

Kids' magazines are always looking for drawings and writings by kids! 

What will you discover this summer that you can share with other kids? 

How will you reflect the light of Jesus? 

Jesus and The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

 

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, NC photo by pixabay

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

~Mark 16:15 KJV

We're planning our vacation to the Outer Banks of NC this summer so I've been doing a little research on the lighthouses we want to visit. Cape Hatteras is probably the most famous so that's the one I want to share about today. 

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse has been built in a variety of ways. First, it was short and made of sandstone. It wasn't very visible to mariners. Later in the 1800's it was built on a floating foundation, built much taller, equipped with a Fresnel lens, and painted a distinguishable color. I'd like to examine some of these important features. 

The Sandstone - As we mentioned, the sandstone lighthouse was too short and too hard for mariners to see. It couldn't do the job. 

• When God commanded that sacrifices be made, they were only to be representations of the true sacrifice. They were simple altars made of stones. Even when the brass altar of the tabernacle was constructed it was still a symbol of the true sacrifice to come.

The Floating Foundation - When the foundation for the new construction of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was made in the 1800s the water table was only four feet down. Construction workers had to make a floating foundation by laying wood crossways below the water table. Then they placed granite on top of the wood to build the new lighthouse. 

• Jesus, the Rock of our salvation was placed upon a wooden cross. 

The Color and the Light - The Lighthouse Board regulated the color and the light patterns of each lighthouse so mariners could distinguish by day and by night where they were located. The area off the coast of North Carolina is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The lighthouse needed to be tall enough to see and the pattern of the light flashes at night needed to reach out far into the ocean so mariners knew how close they were to the rocky coast. The intersection of the ocean currents caused many ships to go down, casting the ships against the coast. Having the lighthouse to guide the way saved many ships and lives. 

• The Israelites were guided in the wilderness with a cloud by day and a fire by night. It guided them through a wilderness they had not traveled before. 

The Fresnel Lens - A Fresnel Lens is made up of triangular prisms of glass. This helps the light to go farther. Lighthouse lights are white lights because they go farther than colored lights. There were 1000 triangles in the Lens made for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. 

• Jesus is the Rock of our foundation. He is the Light of the world.  He is also our Savior on which the church is built. But, the members of the church are the ones commanded to take the gospel to the world. We are to reflect the Light in all we do. There is a world full of shipwrecked people out there who need the light of Jesus to safely guide them to salvation. 

Be the Light. 

Father, help us be aware of how we reflect your Light to others. In Jesus's name. Amen.

Hey Kids:

Are you going somewhere for a vacation? 

Have you researched the area, the possibilities?

How will your travels help you reflect the light of Jesus to others? 

Staying home this summer? 

There is always an adventure in our backyards. 

Kids' magazines are always looking for drawings and writings by kids! 

What will you discover this summer that you can share with other kids? 

How will you reflect the light of Jesus?