Daily Encouragement

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Portland Head Lighthouse
Click on photo to enlarge

"Turning The World Right-side Up"

Note: Today Brooksyne and Ester are returning home from a family visit. I will be picking them up this afternoon in Baltimore.

Message summary: Today we need to recognize the world is upside down and we must not get accustomed to think it's normal. The world is deeply marred by sin to the extent that it's upside down! The life-transforming message of Christ remains the world's greatest hope both for individuals and for nations in turning the world right-side up".

Listen to this message on your audio player.

"These who have turned the world upside down have come here too" (Acts 17:6).

Ken is a friend who has an interesting conversation piece in his office, a small globe that suspends, seemingly in the air, by using a magnet force.*

I saw a much larger globe last week in Yarmouth Maine just south of Freeport, where LL Bean has their headquarters and flagship store.

Eartha is a huge globe at a Garmin office. It is the largest rotating and revolving globe in the world, measuring 42 feet in diameter and comprised of 140 gigabytes of information. This used to be the DeLorme map company which was bought out by Garmin. Whenever I am up that way I like to stop and see it. One day when Ester was little we walked around it quoting John 3:16.

We are accustomed to seeing a globe oriented with the northern hemisphere at the top. That's the perspective we are used to. In fact we would say that's the right way and it would look odd to see it upside down such as the image to the left. But my musing mind wants to know; is there an up and a down side in space?

Today's text is a powerful expression of the world’s perspective on the mighty and far-reaching impact of Christ and the early church. It is specifically referring to the ministry of the Apostle Paul and those who traveled with him as they proclaimed the message of Christ in Thessalonica. Apparently their reputation had preceded them. Their message was so absolutely transforming that it was said to "have turned the world upside down".

The key Greek word used here is “anastatōsantes” which means to "upset or unsettle". When Christians confront a world whose mindset and actions move full steam in opposition to God’s commands it surely is upsetting and unsettling.

Indeed, wherever the true message of Jesus Christ goes, it has a transforming impact. This impact will be seen in individuals, families, churches, communities, countries and entire cultures. It’s important to realize that the transformation is upside down from the world’s perspective but right side up according to God’s created design!

Pastor David Guzek observes, "Actually, God was working through Paul and Silas to turn the world right side-up again. But when you yourself are upside-down, the other direction appears to be upside-down as reflected from their point of view!"

Today we need to recognize the world is upside down and we must not get accustomed to think it's normal. Rather the world is deeply marred by sin to the extent that it's upside down! The life-transforming message of Christ remains the world's greatest hope both for individuals and for nations in turning the world right-side up".

This coming Sunday I am teaching a Sunday School class (called Adult Bible Fellowship in our church) on the topic of "Keeping Your Head on Straight In An Upside Down World".

I recall a special formative moment in my personal discipleship when a fellow believer named Dave Cook shared with me a spiritual concept based on Romans 12:2. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind". That was nearly 50 years ago!

Well, the transforming process of breaking conformity to the world and conforming myself to Christ and His teaching continues in my life through the ongoing renewing of my mind. There have been many setbacks along the way but God continues the process and I am assured that He will carry it on to completion until the day He appears (Philippians 1:6). May that be the case in your life as well!

Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, as we walk in step with Your commands our presence makes a positive difference in the classroom, the workplace, the neighborhood, the community and nation, our churches and most especially in our families. With Your sanctifying seal upon our lives we no longer live according to the lust of the flesh, but the life of the Son who resides in us. May we see our world turned right-side up as people walk away from evil while being transformed by Christ’s redemptive power in the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Ancient Of Days" Video CityAlight This song begins with a powerful reminder all we who trust in Christ need to realize in this upside down world:

Though the nations rage

Kingdoms rise and fall

There is still one King

Reigning over all

* Of course if you're interested the suspended globe is on sale here!

Eartha

Jackline, a thoughtful reader from South Sudan, offers this prayer suggestion as a result of our message on spiritual clutter: "Dear Jesus deal with every spiritual clutter in my life. Fill every room in my heart, mind, soul and body leaving no void. Amen.

Today we share our final set of photos from our New England trip.

We stopped by the huge LL Bean flagship store in Freeport Maine and saw their bootmobile, which reminds me of the Hershey Kissmobile.

"Eartha" globe from outside. You can see this from both Rt 1 and Interstate 295.

Another view of the Portland Head Lighthouse. The light station sits on a head of land at the entrance of the primary shipping channel into Portland Harbor, which is within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. Completed in 1791, it is the oldest lighthouse in Maine. It is on a list of 10 of the World’s Most Iconic Lighthouses.

We stopped by the Stonewall Kitchen company store in York, Maine. We came across their products several years ago at Sunset, a local bargain grocery store, at a rather deeply discounted price. We really liked it but haven't seen any since.

You can see the food prep area at the Stonewall Kitchen similar to the kitchen at the Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse, PA. However due to the Plain ladies preparing the food they don't allow photos at the Kitchen Kettle Village.

A fall decoration idea at the Stonewall Kitchen.

Finally today:

I found this neat photo taken by our friend Sabra Penley although I can't find the information as to where it was taken.

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