2013 November 12 - Morning Manna

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven".(Matthew 5:14-16)

Today's Morsel: In this February 1962, 51 ago, astronaut John Glenn climbed into the Friendship 7 space capsule atop an Atlas rocket at Cape Canaveral. Not only did John Glenn make history, but a little city in Australia made history as well. That night, both John Glenn and the little town of Perth, Australia got put on the international map. The Australian government agreed to NASA's request to leave airport lights on in Perth and Queensland to see if they were visible from space. Bill King, a journalist at The West Australian, was looking for a new angle. After a pre-flight press conference, he asked Colonel Gordon Cooper, a US astronaut based at Muchea tracking station, if Lt-Col Glenn would see the lights if people left them on. Colonel Cooper didn't know. Bill King took the idea to Perth, Lord Mayor, Sir Henry "Harry" Howard, who branded it a waste of public money. But Premier David Brand approved and left street lights on until dawn and the people of Perth responded with enthusiasm, leaving on porch lights and hanging Hills hoisted with gas burners and globes and draping white sheets to amplify the light.
At 11.37 pm, Friendship 7 passed over Perth at more than 28,000km/h- more than 6.4km for every beat of Lt-Col Glenn's heart. At Muchea, Colonel Cooper suggested to astronaut Glenn, look for the light show in his honor. "That's affirmative," Lt-Col Glenn radioed back. "Just to my right I can see a big pattern of lights, apparently right on the coast. I can see the outline of a town and a very bright light just to the south of it." Colonel Cooper: "That's Perth and Rockingham you're seeing there." Glenn: "The lights show up very well and thank everybody for turning them on will you."
Jesus said that we must let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5: 16). Jesus said that we are a lights and that we are as a city sat on a hill that cannot be hid. So we must shine. You may be thinking its just me; we are just a little church; I'm the only one; we are only a few. Well, let me encourage you, turn on the light because somebody is trying to find their way home. It's dark out there and someone is trying to stay on course. Because little Perth's, Australia turned on their lights, today the city is nicknamed "City of Lights." Why not be like Motel 6 and leave the lights on.

Sing: There's a country far beyond the starry sky, there's a city where there never comes a night, if we're faithful. we shall go there by and by, tis the city where the Lamb is the light.

Chorus:In the city where the Lamb is the light, in the city where there cometh no night, I've a mansion over there, that is free from toil and care, I am going where the Lamb is the light.