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News from Nazareth Village - A Lamp unto my Feet, a Light to all Nations

3Aug '09
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Villagers on the Pacific island of Vanuatu

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At the end of every tour of Nazareth Village, each participant receives a gift—a careful reproduction of an actual first-century lamp which can be used to burn olive oil or other lamp fuel.

One such lamp opened a new door for teaching the story of salvation, half-way around the world!

It all started last year when Australian missions worker, Kevin Currell, of Sight & Sound Ministries, visited Nazareth Village from Boronia, Victoria. Something wonderful happened when he got home:

“The reason for writing to you has to do with the replica lamps that you give out at the end of your tours. I brought three back to Australia with me and used them initially in presentations of my trip and to illustrate a couple of messages about letting our light shine, etc.

“However, it was not until I was in the hills of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, preaching to loincloth-clad villagers, that the eternal value of these lamps really hit home. I was using one of them to illustrate Isaiah 42:3 and then moved on to present the gospel.

“It occurred to me in the middle of my message that I could use two of the lamps to explain salvation —one with oil in it representing the born-again person with the indwelling Spirit, and an empty one representing the unsaved.

“When I finished preaching I asked if there were any questions. One man was direct and profound: ‘Can a pagan man who can’t read or write be saved?’ Later, when there were no more questions, he shot his hand up again and said, ‘I want to trust Christ right now!’ The object lesson with the lamps had been a key in helping him to understand the gospel.