A ship is at your harbour

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 35^th letter:

Text for the day: 2 Timothy 4:2 (New International Version)

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Our Theme for the day: A ship is at your harbour

Philip Paul Bliss was directing the singing for a series of services being conducted by the well-known preacher Dwight L. Moody. As he closed his message, Moody told the story of a captain who was attempting to bring his boat to the Cleveland harbor one very dark and stormy night. The waves rolled like mountains, Moody said, and not a star was to be seen in the clouded sky. He pictured the boat rocking on the violent waves as the captain peered through the darkness for the sight of a signal light by means of which to guide his vessel to safety. When he finally spotted a single light from a tall light-house to guide the ship, he turned to the pilot and asked: “Are you sure this is Cleveland harbor?” “Quite sure, sir,” the pilot replied. “Then where are the lower lights?” You see these lower lights were set up many years before to save ships from coming upon near by reefs, or serve as beacon lights to safety.

To the question of the pilot, “where are the lower lights”? The captain continued. “Gone out, sir,” the other man on the boat asked. “Can you make the harbor?” the captain answered anxiously. “We must, or perish, sir,” the pilot replied. But despite his strong heart and brave hand, in the darkness he missed the channel. With a resounding crash the boat piled up on the rocks, losing nearly everyone on board, and then settled slowly to a watery grave. As the congregation listened intently, Moody concluded with this admonition to the Christians: “Brethren, the Master will take care of the great light-house; let us keep the lower lights burning.” That was all Bliss needed to pen one of his most popular hymns, “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning.”

Today Jesus claims himself as the great lighthouse, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12) This is not a contradiction when we read that He requires His followers to be lesser lights, or beacon lights to safety reflecting His glory. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Both 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) Like this ship on that dark wild and stormy night endeavouring to get in the harbour of Cleveland, Ohio, there are souls in the darkness of this world trying to get in to the harbour of safety. The cause of this boat sinking and nearly everyone on board losing their life, lie not with the captain, or the pilot, nor the lighthouse, but the lower lights. They where gone out. Like these lower lights, there are many servants of God today whose light is gone out. They are standing at their post, but there is no light shining from them. They are standing at their post, but there is no message being spoken by them. They are standing at their post and the waves of life are covering them.

In closing we must realize that we are not just a worker, but a channel through which the Holy Spirit operates. But what must it take on our part for God to have full access of us? Mary Hunter Moore in her book, (A Workman not Ashamed 1941 page 9) says, “Nothing less than the removal of every obstruction which would endanger the free and complete use of the channel”. Brightly beams our Father’s mercy, from His lighthouse evermore, but to us He gives the keeping of the lights along the shore. Dark the night of sin has settled, loud the angry billows roar; eager eyes are watching, longing for the lights along the shore. Trim your feeble lamp, my brother! Some poor sailor, tempest tossed, trying now to make the harbor, in the darkness may be lost. Let the lower lights be burning, send a gleam across the wave! some poor fainting, struggling seaman you may rescue, you may save.

We are into our sixth week, 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? Every 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 these weeks and ask ourselves, which letter or message from Garden Ministry helped me to hold on to my faith? Look up and push on in the name of Jesus. This week-end let us find someway of which we can unite our communities, help them find Jesus, and look to be prepared for further service in the Lord. Don’t Give Up. Look Up!

Our Prayer for today:

Please join us as we pray for the light of the gospel to shine from His servants today.

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

For further information, comment or requests, E-mail Garden Ministry: gardenministry.blogspot.com