Friday, May 23, 2014

The Beacon and the Lantern Room-How Clean Is Our Vessel?



Since first joining MPBC in 2012, I am humbled at how God leads me to new areas of service to Him.  These are often areas of service that are in the most outer realm of my comfort-zone.  Just standing before several hundred people worshiping my King can barely be accomplished with a heartbeat below 120 BPM :).  He then (via the ever-looming sign-up sheet of our worship leader, Brad Cordray) leads me to this modern day journal entry thing called “blogging”.  So here goes…stay awake and “track with me” as Pastor Kevin says, and we’ll see where this leads.


As I began praying, asking God what I should share, the
word “lighthouse” kept coming to mind.  While I have always thought lighthouses were amazing in their look and purpose, even living in this great State of NC where our coastline is peppered with so many, I have never visited a lighthouse in person.  So I began reading, learning more about them, and in turn, several things came to my mind and spoke to my heart. 
 

As we know, the lighthouses’ main purpose is to warn ships of impending danger and guide them safely on their way.  I learned the world’s first recorded lighthouse was the Pharos Lighthouse in Alexandria, Egypt.  (Here’s a trivia thought for the day…) Built in 280 B.C., it stood 450 ft tall with a bonfire lit nightly that could be seen more than 30 miles away.  This lighthouse was used for more than 1500 years (Wow) before it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1303 A.D. Over thousands of years lighthouses have served as important guides through storms, fog, and away from many unseen dangers. While there are several rooms within a lighthouse, it is the lantern room which is the most important room of the lighthouse, as this is where the beacon is located.  The walls of the lantern room are made of glass,  totally surrounding the beacon.  This glass needs to remain clean at all times to let the brightest of light shine.  This is one of the many responsibilities of the Lighthouse Keeper. 
 

The same holds true for us as a worship team.  We are the lighthouse keepers of His Light-His Beacon.  We are His Lantern Room.  It is through our hearts that the light of His Beacon shines.   The cleaner our hearts, the brighter the light, the light that draws others closer to Him.  Living our lives in such a way that people say to themselves, “there’s something different about him/her and I want to know how to experience that peace, joy and love in my own life.”…You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.  Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly father.  Matthew 5: 14-16


We continue to see this world darkened with sin more and more each day, so without the light of Christ shining brightly through us as Christians, this world will only become darker with time.  In a dark sky, all darkness looks the same.  That is why we have to be different-sanctified-set apart. We have to shine and shine brightly.  We have to look different to our co-workers, our neighbors, and sometimes even our friends and family.  Different in our speech and our attitudes. They have to see the realness of our lives, consistently, and in turn, want that same light of Jesus to shine in their heart and lives too, but it’s only through the cleansing of our own heart can they see the truest and brightest light.  Unconfessed sin can slowly begin to haze the glass of our “lantern rooms”.  This even small haze of unconfessed sin distorts the light and begins to destroy the fellowship with Christ…But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8.  As we come before Him, we need to remember what a friend we have in Him, tell him everything, confess it, turn away from it-He knows it all anyway, and He loves us in spite of ourselves. 


It is often in the darkest of night, in the mist of the storm, fog sets in.  This fog can further reduce one’s visibility which makes seeing the beacon’s light and staying the course even more challenging, especially for those who are lost and needing Jesus...Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me”. Luke 9:23


That is why we have to make time for Him by continuing to read, study and pray so that once again His light can shine the brightest through us, to the hearts of those around us-those in our lives who are drifting off course. Those heading straight for the cliffs that will damage or destroy them in this life and their life as they enter into eternity.


The brightest beacon shines through the cleanest vessel. Help us Lord as a Worship Team to allow your Beacon to shine through us, guiding us daily in a life of worship and praise…no matter what.


Love in Christ,


Vicky

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