1-4-3

The full text as prepared for the Sunday, February 10, 2013 message:

 

Does anyone recognize this lighthouse? This lighthouse is Minots Ledge light. It’s located at Scituate, MA. Does anyone have any idea why this particular light house is special?

I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that many sailors have searched for this light because it is unlike any other light in the world. The light pulses one time, then four times, then three times; it’s been repeating this pattern over and over again since 1894; 143, 143, 143.

The signal, 143 is code for “I love you.”

In 1947, the Coast Guard decided to put in modern equipment. They felt they needed to take out the signal that spells out “I love you.” They told the public they were going to put in the regular signal that just flashes. The entire state rose up in dismay. Sailors from around the world who had been touched in the middle of the night by the lighthouse’s message protested. Finally, the Coast Guard backed down and the old equipment is still there. All night long, in fog or good weather, it flashes out “I love you.” Sailors from around the world have longed to go there to see that light and its message.

Love is powerful.

This past week I read a story about a woman who endured a very hard life growing up. Her father and mother had abused her all during her youth and teenage years. It was a terrible story. Ordinarily, when you see someone who has been the victim of that kind of mistreatment and hate, they are severely affected. You could say they have a reason to be. This woman had a successful marriage. She had a wonderful husband and they had been happily married for 11 years. She was a successful lady with a professional career. Great things were happening to her. A reporter asked her, looking right into her eyes, “Why she thought she had not only survived but triumphed." Her answer is revealing and compelling. She said, “I had more love than they had hate.” She said it in a calm, gentle and assured tone of voice.

Hate is the sand in the machinery of your life, but love is the oil. Love will kep your life flowing smoothly so it won't seize up and quit working. If your life has not been very pleasant, give love a try. 

 

(SLIDE) 1 John 3:11, 18-19, “For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another…let us love not in word or speech, but in truth and action”

Love is powerful... but love is abstract until it is expressed in and by you. We can talk about love, define love, and still not be loving.

Where we're not loving, let's break down those barriers once and for all. Let's love the person, the situations, the circumstances at which you express irritation, experience challenge, at which you feel baffled... to the person who seems to rub you the wrong way – right now, silently begin to transform your experience of them by sending love as a secret experiment.

Begin to extend love to that person right now. Envelop them in love making sure “one end” of that love is still attached to you. Don't tell them that you are doing it. Let it really be an experiment. Extend love to them now and continue that until next Valentine's Day. Maybe write their name down on a piece of paper and put it in your pocket, wallet, or handbag... someplace where you will comes across it regularly. Every time you become aware on that piece of paper, or see that piece of paper, extend love to that person, situation, or circumstance and watch in amazement how your relationship changes.

Put love into action and and be loving. Erase the differences/challenges you see with Love. Turn any resentment into love. 

 

I want those of you who have businesses to pay special attention to this next story. You have seen businesses, especially restaurants, where one goes in and it fails. Another one comes in and it fails. Another one comes in and it fails. You think it is the location. There was one woman who decided to open a business in a location where the two owners before had gone bankrupt and failed miserably. Her friends said, “You can’t possibly start a business there.”

She said, “I’m going to use a secret they didn’t use.” She decided to open up this business to test the Bible. She opened up a restaurant and a candy shop in a place where the two owners before had failed and gone out of business. She was a brilliant success. When asked how she had succeeded in the same business where others had failed, she said: “I just loved and blessed all my customers. I loved them as Jesus has taught us to do. I love the complaining man as well as the satisfied customers. When customers leave my place, I not only invite them to come back, I silently send them a blessing of love and pray for their prosperity and happiness.

“When no customers are in the store, I bless the people with love as they pass by on the street.”

Love is powerful. 

This is great in a business, but the real place to start this is at home. Bless that place. Bless the place, even when nobody is there so when they come in, they will feel the love of God. 

 

Bless everything. Perhaps this idea sounds familiar to you. Surround yourself with God’s love. Remember what the Bible says. You do not have to do it. You simply consent to it happening through you, and it will. Love is THE GREATEST POWER… it will never let you down.

There is nothing you or I have ever done, ever said, or ever thought that can diminish, let alone destroy the love God has for us. God sees more in us that we see in ourselves.

I am going to close this portion of today’s service with these words from Emmet Fox, “There is no difficulty in my life that enough love will not conquer; no disease that enough love will not heal; no door that enough love will not open; no gulf that enough love will not bridge; no wall that enough love will not [tear] down; no wrong that enough love will not set right; it makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble; how helpless the outlook; how muddled the tangle; how great the mistake; a sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all – if only you will love enough, you will be the happiest, most powerful being in the world.”

God, today, this moment, I agree to let my light shine, my love shine, and to become love. 

Thank You, God, 1-4-3. Amen.

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