The Joy of Service

Welcome to Garden Ministry, where the soil of the mind is broken up, fertilized, and made ready for the toiling of the Holy Spirit.

Garden Ministry’s purpose is to encourage the workers in the field of the Lord, and to keep them looking up to Jesus.

This is the 26th letter:

Text for the day: Matthew 25:34

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Our Theme for the day: The Joy of Service

Have you ever ask yourself lately, what joy do I bring to others in the act of service? Are you like the billons of people in the world who just get up in the morning and do the same old thing, because that's your duty? How did we come to the point of service with out Joy, or rising in the morning with no joy in our being to help others? Is there a distinction between happiness and Joy? Webster's New World Dictionary defines joy as synonymous with "happy," "glad," and "cheerful." A thesaurus relates it to "exultation," "rapture," "satisfaction," and "pleasure." On the other hand happiness is defined as synonymous with “great pleasure,” and “delight.”

The Bible makes it clear, that there is a distinction between happiness and joy. Joy is the stronger and the more spiritually dynamic of the two emotions. Joy also stimulates particular responses on earth as well as in heaven. In Galatians 5:22, Joy is defined as one of the fruits of the spirit. But happiness is defined as a gift form God to them that pleases Him and even the sinner’s wealth is held in store for the righteous. “To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." (Ecclesiastes 2:25-26 New International Version)

The Bible gives several examples of things that bring joy, let us look at a few.

In heaven, there is more joy when one person who repents. (Luke 15:7)

Spiritual harvest time brings joy. God's presence and character produces joy. The confidence of being saved brings joy. (Habbakuk 3:18) and (Psalm 51:12).

But the greatest joy that can be experienced on earth comes when a sinner repents of their sin, comes home and lives right. (Luke 15:7, 3 John 4)

When one reads Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you quickly see that Christ found His highest joy in service. (Matthew 20:28 say, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”) See Him teaching in the temple, by the sea, on the mountainside, in the great thoroughfares of travel. See Him by the bedside of the sick, speaking peace and hope to the afflicted. He went about doing good, comforting the mourners, helping the helpless, healing the wounds that sin had made.

In the words of Jesus Him self, He said; “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19) Today there are many to whom life is a painful struggle; they feel their deficiencies, and are miserable and unbelieving; they think they have nothing for which to be grateful. Kind words, looks of sympathy, expressions of appreciation, would be to many a struggling and lonely one as a cup of cold water to a thirsty soul. A word of sympathy, an act of kindness, would lift burdens that rest heavily upon weary shoulders. And every word or deed of unselfish kindness is an expression of the love of Christ for lost humanity.

Finally, a day is coming when we will all have to answer to God for our service to others, or our neglect of service to others. The Bible reminds us, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? Or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew 25:31- 46 King James Version)

Let us take the words of Ma Kathleen Ford of Bermuda as she always says, “you have not done your best, until you have given your all for others”

Today, why not join me in a life of service for others? A life of service for others is the truest and noblest life that man can live. By such a life we are brought into touch with Him who is the light and life of the world. A life of service is the highest honor conferred on man as a Christian. Let us seek to find joy, and happiness, in true hearted service for others today.

It has been four weeks, since Garden Ministry got started and it is growing with new people asking to subscribe to it each day. If you are gaining spiritual muscle mass, and strength through Garden Ministry, and would like to help some-one else gain Spiritual muscle mass and strength also. Then why not send Garden Ministry your Testimony? Ever Monday of the seventh week, Garden Ministry would like to share your Testimony with our faithful viewers and readers. So let us look back over this last month and ask ourselves, which letter or message from Garden Ministry helped you to hold on to your faith? Look up and push on in the name of Jesus.

Our Prayer for today:

Please join us as we pray the God will make all of His followers unselfish in their effort to help and bless others.

Remember, you’re the only Jesus some will ever see.

If you are blessed by these “uplifting gems”, share them.

These letters are written by Elder Kevin Santucci

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