Daily Encouragement (Archive Edition)

The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

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Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Castle Hill Lighthouse, Newport, RI

Castle Hill Lighthouse is located on Narragansett Bay in Newport, Rhode Island at the end of the historic Ocean Drive. It is an active navigation aid.

"The Lighthouse Keeper's Duty"

Message summary: Let’s spread the life-saving message of salvation to all who will hear, here and now. Let us faithfully discharge our duties as Lighthouse Keepers.

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“With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation’’’ (Acts 2:40). “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3).

We visited Newport, RI over the weekend following our attendance at our friend Veda Shibilo's funeral service on Friday. We both grew up in the middle of the country far from any ocean. In fact Brooksyne didn't see the ocean till 1979 several years after we were married. But when we lived in New England in the nineties we were near the coast and frequently visited the ocean.

We enjoy many features of the coast but our favorite shore sighting is the lighthouse. If there is a lighthouse anywhere near our travels we try to go see it. We have seen lighthouses up and down the east and west coasts. There are 21 lighthouses in Rhode Island and we saw several of them over the weekend.

We see them for their architectural and historical value. It’s also inspiring to see a structure with a foundation laid in or near the deep sea that has weathered many a storm and yet stands strong decade after decade. Lighthouses are popular tourist attractions, some even doubling as Bed & Breakfast spots throughout the country.

But lighthouses were not built for beauty but for a specific function; to give warning. Lighthouses are generally viewed from the land looking out to sea but functionally they are designed to be seen from the sea serving as a warning.

We read this on a plaque regarding the duty of the Lighthouse keeper at the Old Point Loma lighthouse in San Diego as: "Above all, and without fail, the light must be kept burning brightly from sunset to sunrise." Likewise, for those who are Lighthouse keepers of the Gospel, our duty is to "live as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8b) and to "have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness" (Ephesians 5:11).

Most receiving these encouragement messages are followers of Christ, having accepted His forgiveness through the plan of salvation. However we should all value warnings. At the heart of Peter’s Pentecost message was, "With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, 'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation'" (Acts 2:40). A powerful verse in the book of Hebrews states, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" (2:3).

We urge you all to examine the state of your soul today. Are you saved from your sin and living to please the Lord? If so, are You shining your light for Jesus as He has commanded, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify Your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:17)?

Today’s Scriptures are abundantly clear: we must warn the lost in this life and we must live exemplary lives as children of light. The salvation message must be shared with others now for it will be too late in the life hereafter since the kingdom of earth and the kingdom of heaven are eternally separate. Let’s spread the life-saving message of salvation to all who will hear, here and now. Let us faithfully discharge our duties as Lighthouse Keepers.

Be encouraged today,

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, we who were once darkness, are now light in the Lord, through our salvation in Christ Jesus. We live as children of light partaking of the fruit of the light which consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth. We seek to find out what pleases You, rather than ourselves. The vast majority take no thought for their future life but live only for the “here and now”. They gather treasures that have no eternal value, that are washed away like the sand when the waves wash upon the shore. To their eternal demise they dismiss the treasures that lasts for all eternity; those which never perish, spoil or fade kept in heaven for believers who will later claim their treasure trove. Help us, as children of light, to be faithful in exposing the darkness of this world and the dangers that lie therein, warning those who travel alongside us to prepare not just for this life, but for all of eternity. Amen.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"My Lighthouse" Video Rend Collective Ester and Brooksyne will be working at a Rend Collective concert here in York in April.

On Sunday afternoon we went to the always windy Brenton Point State Park on Ocean Drive to fly a kite. This is a very popular kite-flying point and hosts the annual Newport Kite Festival

Ester celebrated her birthday yesterday so it was special weekend for her!

Thimble Islands sunset CT (click to enlarge)

On the way up to Massachusetts Thursday we stopped by the Thimble Islands off the coast of Connecticut to view the sunset. The Thimble Islands is an archipelago consisting of small islands along the Connecticut coast in Long Island Sound many of which have homes on them which are accessible only by small boats.

At the funeral service it was nice to visit with many of the people in a church we served during the 90's in Taunton, Massachusetts. Marcia was in the church during our tenure and continues to attend with a real servant's heart and concern for others. This young man shared what a blessing Marcia was in getting him back on track. He is now a student at Gordon College.

The dining room in "The Breakers" mansion. We didn't eat here!

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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.

Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

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