It was a beautiful Saturday for the Barnwells’ get together at the farm. Freddie Barnwell–affectionately referred to as Farmer Barnwell–and his wife Jessie were getting ready. At the same time, their daughter, granddaughter, and little great granddaughter, Emily, were baking their “almost heaven” cookies with Freddie’s apple cider, home grown mint tea, and fresh churned butter popcorn–what a treat for all the guests!
Time at the Farm Saturday included games of all kinds for the kids and adults, horseback riding, and lots of good music and singing. Finally, people would gather for share time, followed by everyone’s favorite part of the day, story time!
Carmella Barclay was the first to speak during share-time. She explained that just the day before, she had seen a girl about five years old trying to get her mother’s attention in the store. The mother, talking on her phone, completely ignored her daughter.
“This sweet young girl was so frustrated that she began to cry!” Carmella remarked. “I’ve seen children of all ages express a need for attention. Children beg their parents to listen to them, or to look at what they can draw, make, or write only to receive a half-hearted response or to be totally ignored. It’s like throwing cold water on someone; you’re totally dampening their enthusiasm and sense of self worth. The burden of discouragement, one of Satan’s favorite tools, is like a hundred pound bag of rocks on a person’s back!”
Farmer Barnwell said, “Carmella, you have the most wonderful, sensitive, and caring heart. You are the type of encourager through whom the light of Christ shines bright.” He then said, “I will tell you a story my uncle used to tell when I was younger. It might seem frivolous to some people but it makes a good point.” The farmer continued with this story:
Thomas Edison, when working on the light bulb, said each failed experiment was one step closer to success. Feeling confident this was the day it would finally work, he told his wife to go on to bed without him. It was almost two thirty in the morning when the light finally worked. He was elated beyond words as he picked up the two foot square board he had his light bulb project on. He ran out of his lab behind his house, across the yard into the house and up the stairs, yelling with excitement every step of the way. He burst into the bedroom, exclaiming, “Martha, look Martha, I’ve done it!” His wife, half asleep, with one eye open, sat up, looked at the clock and said, “For goodness sake Thomas, it’s two thirty in the morning, turn off the light and come to bed!”
Just as the laughter was quieting down, Saydie Graden asked if that was really a true story, and some people couldn’t help but laugh a little more. Jessie Barnwell asked if Saydie could see how the story perfectly illustrates the idea of throwing cold water on someone’s enthusiasm like Carmella mentioned. Saydie smiled while nodding yes! Mrs. Barnwell continued, “Giving someone your time wrapped in love is a great way to let the light of Christ shine. Even though some people might misunderstand your motives and make false assumptions, remember Jesus performed miracles without a word of thanks!”
Folks thought over this for a moment before Royce MacFadyen and his wife, Sheila, stood up. Royce said, “After what you just said about letting your light shine makes me think of a couple we met at a volleyball tournament both of our daughters were playing in. The couple was Judge Ballou and his wife. They said all the judicial activism and law-fare in our country currently made them think of the Judge and how he told them most politicians he knew put election and re-election ahead of doing what was good or right. He talked about how a Judge’s bench should be a workbench where the Judge is a referee and not a throne where Judge’s bias overrules the United States Constitution upon which justice and fairness are dependent.”
Sheila said, “Everything the Judge expressed concern about has certainly proven true!” Royce then added, “Judge Ballou said he and everyone else will have to stand before God some day and be judged. We need to judge ourselves to make sure our faith is secure in the Lord and we persevere until He comes by letting our light shine for Christ.” Many in the group nodded, and a few even shouted agreement. Farmer Barnwell said, “I hope all of what we just heard touched your heart as much as it did mine!” Everyone responded by applauding.
“Let’s move on to our first story about Robert and his wife Yvette’s work with foster care programs. It has led them to Levi Ramsay, who was about to enter a dark and scary world when he left foster care at age eighteen. He was well aware that seventy percent of youth that exit foster care as legal adults are arrested at least once, if not more, by their mid twenties.
The chances of former foster care students being in jail, on drugs, or having committed suicide by age twenty five is fifty percent. Everything he owned was in a tattered suitcase and a tote bag the day he had to go out on his own. He said he could never describe the elation he felt when, by the grace of God, a ministry focused on helping foster care students make the transition, selected him. Now at age twenty-four, Levi and his lovely wife Tamera are serving the Lord helping others make the transition.”
The farmer motioned to a young man and woman sitting nearby and everyone applauded. Farmer Barnwell continued, “Tonight they are going to show you how you can make a lamp for less than a dollar that will not only provide an economical source of light during an emergency, more importantly you can use this lamp in proclaiming the light of Christ. It will replace costly battery flashlights, candles, and toxic kerosene lamps during long periods without electricity. In addition, if this lamp is tipped over, the fuel will actually put the flame out.”
William Ian said, “You have to be kidding, who ever heard of such a thing? What kind of new fuel is this?”
Levi stood up, talking for the first time, and replied, “William, this fuel is actually the oldest fuel for lamps ever recorded as it goes back thousands of years to ancient Israel. This fuel burns slowly and is a clean burning fuel. Just a couple of ounces can burn for several hours, giving off light brighter than a candle. The fuel we are talking about is,” he paused for effect, “Olive oil.” Levi held up the type of olive oil lamp he and Tamera made in a pottery class that looked like the ones archeologists discovered in Israel and believed to be over seven thousand years old.
Tamara then showed the simple lamp she made at home using a small jar, piece of thin wire, and strips of cotton for the wick made from an old T-shirt. She spoke up, “The current rave regarding olive oil presents a unique opportunity to share the love of Christ using one of these lamps as a conversation piece.”
Levi then added, “Olive oil is being touted by researchers for everything from cosmetics, good health to longevity. Now you can show people how all the current news regarding olive oil was known thousands of years ago using your Bible. Even the oldest living tree is said to be an Olive Tree that is estimated to be four thousand years old and still producing olives.
“The oldest reference we find in the Bible to an olive oil lamp is in Exodus chapter twenty seven, where God commands the Israelites to bring clear oil of pressed olives to keep the lamps burning in the temple. In Exodus nineteen, we find where God told the Israelites that if they obeyed His voice and kept His commandments, they would be a peculiar treasure unto Him above all people, for all the earth is His and they would be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. I believe I am right in thinking there is a connection here in that the Israelites were to be a light to the nations which would be symbolized by the olive oil lamps in the temple. Moses mixed spices into olive oil in anointing Aaron and his sons as well as it was used in anointing kings, priests, and prophets both in the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Jackie Harnell said, “I just read that King David referred to himself in Psalms as a green olive tree in the house of God, and Hosea fourteen in which God says He will heal Israel’s backsliding, will love them freely, and its beauty will be like the Olive Tree.”
Tamara then read Zechariah chapter four where it says God chose Zerubbabel to complete the rebuilding of the temple. When the angel asked him what he saw, he said a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top with seven lamps, seven pipes and two olive trees, one on the right and one on the left. The Angel then spoke and said the two olive trees were the two anointed ones who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.
Levi read from Revelation chapter eleven about the two prophets that will testify of the Lord for three and a half years during the Tribulation period, identified as two olive trees and two lamp stands. “What do you think they represent?” he asked.
Layla McKelvey said she felt they represented the Holy Spirit and his continuous flow of anointing oil on these two messengers of God. Yes, I believe you are right Layla, he replied and it is this continuous indwelling of the Holy Spirit that will enable us to faithfully witness for Christ in the face of adversity and the challenges that are headed our way.
They concluded with the parable from Matthew chapter thirteen where Jesus talked about the ten virgins and their oil lamps as they await the bridegroom’s arrival which is symbolic of the Lord Jesus coming for His church, the believer in Christ. Five were wise, having brought extra olive oil for their lamps. The five that felt they had enough oil but didn’t, left to go buy more. They were not present when the bridegroom came. The wise virgin’s lamps continued to burn bright as in sharing the light of the world, Christ Jesus, by their faith and good works. When the bridegroom came they were prepared and rewarded for their faithfulness.
“Hebrews eleven six indicates the faithful believer that keeps their spiritual light shining can expect a future reward. When God makes a promise, be assured it will be more than we can begin to imagine,” Levi assured everyone.
In Matthew chapter five Jesus says we are not to hide our lamp under a bushel/basket but let our light shine. Families that could not afford a lampstand would turn their baskets over and set their lamp on top of the basket to get the lamp up off the floor to shine more light in the room, thus they understood exactly what Jesus was saying by not hiding their light under the basket.
Tamara said, “Now we can see the significance of how olive oil and the olive trees represent the Holy Spirit. People that feel timid or those who may feel they have to be a Bible scholar to share their faith can use this knowledge and olive oil lamps as a way to share the love of Christ with the world. In addition, by using this opening, you can mention how everything Jesus and Bible prophecy said would happen in the last days for the first time ever have converged.
After prayer time, Farmer Barnwell said he knew Timmy Farlie was anxious to grab his fishing pole and get down to the pond. “The rest of you feel free to walk around the farm enjoying the rest of this day the Lord has made.” Then everyone started to sing!
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