Anchor House Week 27 - Light of the World

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:14-16

The people who work at SeaPort Manatee are some of the most dedicated and hard-working people I have had the privilege to know. They work tirelessly to load and unload ships, keep the port safe, load and unload trucks, and the many other activities that make this place go. Three hundred sixty-five days days a year this SeaPort is alive because of the men and women who work here.

As the days drag on and the hours worked add up, fatigue sets in. Fatigue is the playground of the enemy. He strikes with doubt, impure thoughts, distractions, and any device he can employ to take our eyes off of God. The enemy jumps on us when we are in a place of fatigue like a barnyard cat pounces a field mouse.

Anchor House and those who serve through Anchor House have the privilege of being a beacon of light for the SeaPort community. As the days drag on and the enemy makes his attacks, Anchor House stands as the light in the darkness. Something as simple as sitting down, eating your lunch, and jumping on WiFi to watch your favorite show can be the difference between a successful attack and a defeated attack.

As those that serve at Anchor House embrace the light our Father has granted them, it shines for others to enjoy. A smile when buying a few Gatorades or discussion about faith or a simple “It’s nice to see you” or “We’ve missed seeing you” can be all that is needed to refuel to take on the rest of the shift. It can be all that is needed to glorify our Father in heaven and love his children.

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Matt

Comments

A New Command

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34 NIV I don't know how many times I have read this verse. Today it hit me differently. Part of it jumped off the page. If there's a new commandment, what makes this different than the old ones? They must have love in them, right? Nine of the ten commandments have "No" or "Not" contained in them. They tell us what we cannot do rather than providing us with positive direction. This new commandment couldn't be a more drastic change from the ten commandments. Jesus doesn't say don't do this instead He says DO THIS! Jesus could have easily followed the format of the commandments and said don't hate others or don't ignore others. Instead He gave direction and said LOVE others. This raises the question, what does it mean to love each other as Jesus loved us and how can we do that? Be blessed and be a blessing Matt Ennis

Bold Like Stephen

I've always admired people who aren't afraid to be bold in their convictions. It is the kind of boldness that allows them to stand out in the crowd. There is just something different about how these people view and engage the world around them. The movie “Hacksaw Ridge” portrays a man that exemplifies what I mean by bold. He was drafted to serve in World War II but refused to bear arms because of religious reasons. Yet, he still managed to receive the Congressional Medal of honor. Without a weapon in his hand, he saved 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa. Despite his objection to violence, he still served his country. Despite his objection to war he found a way to love his neighbor. He was bold. When I think of bold in the Bible, I think of Stephen. Acts 6:8 says, "Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people." Stephen faced opposition to his teachings. Those that opposed his teachings couldn't ...

Anchor House Week 4: Strawberries

This week I had the chance to come through on a promise I made to one of our regular ships. When they were in port last we were hanging out in the break room with the crew. Somehow we got on the subject of strawberries, Florida strawberries of course. I made the bold statement that Florida strawberries were the best. Trish followed up by clarifying that Plant City’s are the best. She had a point that is hard to argue with. In the discussion, I told the seafarer that I would bring them some strawberries next time they were at Port Manatee. Sure enough the next time they were in port I ran to Detweillers, first thing in the morning, and picked up a half of a flat of some of the most beautiful strawberries you've ever seen. They were big, red, perfectly placed in the container in a neat and orderly fashion. They looked magnificent. As we approached the ship, the seafarer whom I had made the promise to waved and said, “You remembered!” After we boarded the ship, we t...

Matthew TwoSix:ThreeNine

Search This Blog