A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
 A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archive edition Wednesday, June 6, 2012  Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse  Listen to this message on your audio player."Let The Lower Lights Be Burning" "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).  Yesterday we visited Lewes Delaware which is the earliest settlement in the state. Because Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution the town refers to itself as "The First Town in the First State." This area has two great lighthouses; the Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse (above) and the Haven of Refuge Lighthouse (right). Lighthouses are one of our favorite sights to explore when we're near the ocean. So today we will share a message about light!When we lived in northern Pennsylvania we often passed a roadside historical marker honoring a nineteenth century hymn writer Philip Paul Bliss. He wrote many hymns, several which are still sung today such as "Hallelujah, What a Saviour!", "I Will Sing Of My Redeemer", "There Shall Be Showers of Blessing" and the well-known music to "It Is Well With My Soul." Survivors of the RMS Titanic disaster, including Dr. Washington Dodge, reported that passengers in lifeboats sang the Bliss hymn, "Pull For The Shore" as the Titanic was sinking.  Bliss often received the inspiration for a hymn, while listening to a message during a church service. Once an idea struck his alert mind, he worked rapidly usually completing both the text and the music in one sitting. I appreciate the message in a song titled "Let The Lower Lights Be Burning" based on a nautical theme and found the hymn history online.One day, while traveling with Dwight L. Moody as the musician for an evangelistic campaign, Bliss was impressed by an illustration used by Mr. Moody for a message. Moody often told this moving true story of a violent storm on Lake Erie: On a dark, stormy evening, when the waves rolled like mountains and not a star was to be seen, a boat, rocking and plunging, neared the Cleveland harbor. "Are you sure this is Cleveland?" asked the Captain, seeing only light from the lighthouse. "Quite sure," replied the pilot. "Where are the lower lights?" "Gone out, sir!" "Can you make the harbor?" "We must, or perish, sir." With a strong hand and a brave heart, the old pilot turned the wheel, but alas, in the darkness he missed the channel, and, with a crash upon the rock, the boat was slivered and many a life lost in a watery grave. "Brethren," concluded Mr. Moody, "the Master will take care of the great lighthouse. Let us keep the lower lights burning." "Let the Lower Lights Be Burning" first appeared in Bliss' earliest songbook in 1871, and later in the well-known collection, Gospel Hymns, published by Sankey and Bliss in that same year. Nautically speaking the "lower lights" are lights apart from the lighthouse that illumine the water line. They're the various lights from our windows, street lamps, and businesses that enable vessels to come into the harbor at night, through a narrow channel of the harbor's mouth. Spiritually speaking the "lower lights" are lights from individual followers of Christ who allow the light of Christ to shine through them; their words, actions, and deeds. When we, as believers, allow the life changing message of Christ to wane in our lives or behave in a manner that does not glorify Him our flame flickers. If it goes completely unchecked our light can burn out. We don't want to bring disgrace or further the darkness but rather we want to honor the One "who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light." Today the Almighty God of the universe has called us to let our light shine. May we do our part to see that the "lower lights" burn brightly providing a lighted path for "some poor, fainting, struggling seaman, [that] we may rescue, we may save"! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father God, You have called us to be a chosen generation, a people set apart to show forth the praises of Christ who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Since You have enlightened our darkness we will not conceal it, but we will allow it to shine forth wherever we are; in the marketplace, in our homes, in the business place, in the neighborhood, in the voting booth, in church and wherever we have opportunity to bring forth light in this world of darkness. We can make a difference and want to do so. We want to witness faithfully of the light of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose name we pray. Amen.Photos from Lewes, Delaware  We toured the lightship Overfalls in Lewes Harbor.  We walked the quaint streets of Lewes and saw many beautiful varieties of hydrangeas that flourish in a maritime climate. This weathered harbor shack was related to the lightship.  This house built was built in 1665, the oldest house still standing in the state of Delaware. It now serves as a historical society. The doorways were just wide enough to walk through. You can forget bringing a refrigerator or sofa through such narrow openings. One room's ceiling was too low for Stephen to walk in. We have certainly grown over the years!  Lovely Lewes lampposts decorated with seasonal flowers. (Lewes is pronounced Lewis.)  Asiatic Lilies in full bloom. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Let The Lower Lights Be Burning" Video Haven Quartet Video J. Ashley Milne In this song we are represented as the "lower lights". Hymn history is here. Brightly beams our Father's mercy, From His lighthouse ever more. But to us He gives the keeping, Of the lights along the shore. Chorus: Let the lower lights be burning, Send a gleam across the waves, Some poor fainting, struggling sea man, You may rescue, you may save. Dark the night of sin has settled, Loud the angry billows roar, Eager eyes are watching, waiting, For the lights along the shore Trim your feeble lamp, my brother, Some poor sailor tempest tossed, Trying now to make the harbor, In the darkness may be lost. With the Saviour as your pilot, You have conquered wind and wave. Let His brightness shine right through you, Be a beacon light to save. Bliss wrote many songs. See here for a list.  Mary Belle (seen in photo) is a great niece to Ira Sankey who wrote many hymn texts and musical arrangements. He and P. P. Bliss teamed up for a number of sacred hymns as they served under D.L. Moody. For a number of years we regularly visited Mary Belle before she transferred to a rehabilitation facility. Brooksyne visited her there only a few months ago; she has failed more in health but continues to let her light shine for Jesus."This Little Light Of Mine" Video Not specified but powerful voices. Two weeks ago I attended a conference in Washington where the preacher encouraged us to let our lights shine. He held up his index finger and waved it back and forth and we immediately made the connection to the children's song with motions and he spontaneously led us in "This little light of mine" It was some of the best singing of the conference! "The Lighthouse" Video Ronny Hinson He wrote this gospel song in his late teens on a piece of toilet paper. Ironically, he had never seen a lighthouse before he penned the lyrics. The song was copyrighted in 1971 and was a very popular song when we were young Christians. National Harbor of Refuge and Delaware Breakwater Harbor Historic District Lightship Overfalls Lewes Delaware Ryves Holt House |
 Stephen and Brooksyne Weber Our 36th anniversary photo (Click on photo to enlarge) "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 4/12)  Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. We ask you to consider supporting Daily Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 6/4/12: $6,265.00. We express thanks to all who support our ministry!SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION  Were you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net? If you desire you can receive your own free! To receive these "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. These messages are never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed or as an email subscription through feedburner.Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If you no longer desire to receive these messages you can remove your address from the list by merely using the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each email message. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Weekly Version: The weekly version is intended for those who may not check their email regularly or who may desire less frequent mailings. It is Friday's message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. Daily Encouragement on Facebook and Twitter:  The daily message and prayer on Facebook. The daily message and prayer on Twitter.Reader Survey: Please take a few minutes to assist us in improving our ministry effectiveness by filling out this online reader survey. To take the survey click here. Please feel free to pass these messages on! Our other blogs: "A Daily Prayer" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message! "A Little Foolishness" - Humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) (Note: This material is satire!) "Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't done much with it!) "Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. All of these songs are also available for download on the site. Personal Mission Statement "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."  How to become a child of God Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version. © Copyright 2012 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us  Endorsed chaplain "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net |
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