CHURCHES

I am reading about someone who has a fascination for the old Colonial churches in New Zealand.

He says that he would like to explore their history, that he would like to record their history and that he would like to take pictures of the churches.

And here are his own words:

“During my travels of New Zealand I have always had a fascination for the wonderful little old early Colonial churches scattered around, even though I seldom enter one in my daily life!” – New Zealand Today, May/June 2010, page 22)

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

The church is not a building.

The church is a local congregation of saints.

1. A congregation of those who truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. In their congregation the gospel is rightly preached.

3. In their congregation the sacraments are properly administered.

a. Baptism, Matthew 28:19,20. 

b. The Lord’s Supper, Acts 2:42-46.

The BIBLE only teaches two sacraments (ordinances) of the church.

“While a Salvationist was collecting at Thorndon New World, a man came up to him. As he dropped some money into the donation bucket, the man leaned forward and said, ‘Even atheists think you guys do good work!'” – WAR CRY, ISSUE 6543

“SAVING LIVES AT SEA”, is written on the COASTGUARD keyring, I obtained at the local ASB Bank for a small donation some time ago.

The keyring reminds me of the hymn LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING with the chorus:

“Let the lower lights be burning! Send a gleam across the wave! Some poor fainting, struggling seaman you may rescue, you may save.”

I remember when I was a fainting, struggling person and when I reached the eternal haven.

The author and composer of the hymn LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING is Philip P. Bliss. He lived from 1838-1876. Philip P. Bliss died during the Christmas season of 1876 at the age of thirty-eight in a tragic train accident in Ohio.

Followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are called to be “lower lights”. There are fainting and struggling people everywhere. We are to guide them to the eternal haven.

I entered the eternal haven when I was eighteen years old and since then I have a secure relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

Have you entered the eternal haven? Are you functioning as a “lower light”?

Yesterday on our way home from the NINETY MILE BEACH  we stopped at the ANCIENT KAURI KINGDOM for a cup of coffee. On a sugar sachet I read this quote by Golda Meir:

“DON’T BE SO HUMBLE – YOU ARE NOT THAT GREAT.”