17 Jun, 2011

"The Eternal Light"

The World's Oldest Light Bulb Has Been On for 110 Years
How many people does it take to change this light bulb? None.

On June 18, the oldest-known working light bulb in the world will celebrate the 110th year it has burned bright. The bulb, which hangs idly about in a fire station in Livermore, California, holds the Guinness World Record.

However, it's not clear how this particular bulb has been glowing since it was installed in 1901. Lynn Owens, who is in charge of the light bulb centennial committee, says, "Nobody knows how it's possible. It is a 60-watt bulb and it's only turned on for about four watts, but nobody knows why it keeps burning... We've had scientists from all over the country look at this light bulb."
Not that the bulb's shiny record is perfect. It has endured some initial glitches in 1901, a fraught week in 1937 and some random power outages all the way up to 1970s. Originally donated to the fire station, the bulb was actually designed by Adolphe Chailet, who - get this - originally competed with Thomas Edison to make the best light bulb in town.
Now I'm not sure if Edison would be proud or rolling in his grave, but one thing's for sure: let's hope no one hits the power switch on the way out of the door on this bulb.
 
Story courtesy of news.yahoo.com.
Image courtesy of images.google.com. 
John 1:1-9

1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
      The Word was with God,
      and the Word was God.
 2 He existed in the beginning with God.
 3 God created everything through him,
      and nothing was created except through him.
 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,
      and his life brought light to everyone.
 5 The light shines in the darkness,
      and the darkness can never extinguish it.
 
 6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about light?
 
Check out what the Life Application Study Bible says about John 1:4-5 ...
 
"The darkness can never extinguish it" means the darkness of evil never has and never will overcome God's light. Jesus is the Creator of life, and his life brings light to humankind. In his light, we see ourselves as we really are (sinners in need of a Savior). When we follow Jesus, the true Light, we can avoid walking blindly and falling into sin.  He lights the path ahead of us so we can see how to live. He removes the darkness of sin from our lives.

How can I connect today's God's Story scripture to My Life?
  • Would you say that you are walking in the light? Or do you honestly feel that you are stumbling around in the darkness of certain sinful behaviors in your life?  Ask God to light up your life, so that the darkness that allows for that sin to be overcome by His Light.
How can I connect Today's Story, My Story, and God's Story to Others?
 
Have you ever taken a walk in the dark with a group of people?  If just one person carries a flashlight it makes a huge difference. Most people will try to walk as close as possible to the one carrying the light.  Because of your relationship with Jesus, you are the one carrying the light into the dark world every day.  Be sure to find some friends who you know are walking in darkness and have them walk close to you. They will see the light and want to carry it for themselves. 
  • Take a bold step today and ask a close friend who isn't following Jesus how you shine Jesus' Light in your life. You never know where that conversation might lead.
  • Find another friend who needs Jesus' Light in their life and "walk close to them" today by spending some time doing something together that you both enjoy.

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The Daily Bide is brought to you by a team of writers from Youth for Christ/USA. The writers all have various years of experience in youth ministry but share a common bond in serving Jesus and discovering what it means to abide deeply everyday and to connect God's Story with those around them. A number of the Daily Bide writers have also written portions of our 3Story® resources. You can check out our resources at the 3Story.org website or connect with our writers at 3story@yfc.net. If you have a question or a story you would like to share, please reference the Daily Bide date in your email.

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