Spring is coming!

Here in the heartland spring is around the corner, farmers and gardeners are thinking about what to plant, where to start and how much seed they will need. Although they won’t see results for months they are preparing now so when it comes time to harvest, they will receive the rewards of their labors.

A farmer or gardner does not plant seed and then ignore it until harvest time, a farmer/gardener weeds, a farmer/gardener waters, a farmer/gardener tends too their fields and protects it from predators, who want to steal the seed or the fruit of the seed.

A farmer does this on a large scale, a gardener does this on a smaller scale, but both understand the principle of working the land, planting the seed and harvesting.

why we would be any different?

As the Church, that is the body of Christ: us as individuals so there is no misunderstanding, we are too work the soil, plant the seed ,we are too water, we are too tend too the fields watch over and protect from varmints what God gave us.

And like the farmer/ gardener we are to have faith that God will take care of the seed we sow in His name, the results are up to the Lord of the Harvest, and He will take care of the results.

The Church has to have faith like this, sometimes I wonder if we do. We get discouraged when we don’t see direct results, but I can tell you from my life many poured into me and planted and watered, but God took His time to harvest what was planted, in my case it was 33 years.

Others have planted, watered and prayed for 40, 50 or more years to see someone come to the Lord.

Never give up on what God is doing, we do not toil in vain, if you are planting gospel seeds, cover them in prayer and trust God to grow them, remember a seed must die to bear fruit, and a lot of seed is in un-fertile ground that must be worked, but rest assured God is at work, trust Him, don’t get discouraged you might not see the harvest, but God will harvest what is sown in His name,keep doing what God has asked you to do and He will take care of the rest.

God’s word says this;

“The sower sows the word. Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”....”The kingdom of God is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself — first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head. As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.” And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.” Mark 4:14-20, 26-32 CSB

“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 CSB

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.”James 5:7-8 CSB

Truth or Consequences

God has called us all to obedience, He does not tolerate disobedience for long, He gives us what we deserve and turns us over to our own deprived hearts.

God has allowed evil men to rule, when His people have turned their backs on Him from the beginning God told His people that they would regret having rulers and still today I believe we do, submitting to God is easier than submitting to man, God's ways are perfect our ways are not.

It is not God's will for our society to take the life of innocent children, it is not God's will that our society be morally bankrupt, it is not God's will that we as a culture be sexually corrupt, it is not God's will will that widows and orphans be trampled on, the poor exploited,or racial divisions these perversions are all the result of the rule of man.

It is time to turn from our ways and back to God our creator, His way is the only way.

Psalms 81, Romans 1:16-32 Isaiah 55:6-11, Exodus 20:1-17,John 14:6

Follow Me! It's not a question

When Jesus called the Apostles they were working in their fields of labor, but He came upon them and said follow me, and they did.

The Apostles left their income and security and endured overwhelming circumstance, many died agonizing deaths but they kept focus on the mission given them trusting that God will supply their every need.

As believers we are given this same mission while on earth: to Follow Him to spread the gospel and love of Jesus Christ to a lost world through our words, our behavior, our service, and our lifestyle. This mission may cost us relationships, position, careers, reputation, and even our very lives. Believers may be persecuted, slandered, ostracized, imprisoned, or even killed for our faith. God asks us to trust Him with all of our needs. God asks us to believe that what we have right at this moment is enough to care out His mission. God asks us to endure in our circumstances, no matter how difficult, and to find joy no matter what because we have Him with us always.

What made the Apostles forsake it all and follow Him?

How about you are you following Him, or are you trying to lead?

In what circumstance are you doubting the Lord’s provision? Are you struggling to accept that where God has placed you and what He has in front of you is enough for today?

From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near! ” As He was walking along the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for   people! ”  Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.

Matthew 4:17-22

God is in control.

“When God wants to judge a nation, he gives them wicked rulers."
John Calvin

Proverbs 21:1-2 HCSB

A king’s heart is like streams of water in the Lord ’s hand: He directs it wherever He chooses. All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord evaluates the motives.

This scripture reminds us who is in control. The President, our Congress, Judges, Governors only rule with limited authority.

God directs their ways to bring blessings or repentance.

It is time we as a Nation repent and ask God to restore us to His ways.

2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

When Ahab and Jezebel reigned in Israel the scriptures say that Ahab did evil in the sight of God more than all that came before Him.

But what is really sad, is those who cast their tents in his courts and turned on God.

God struck the land, the people, and then Ahab and Jezebel. You can read this in 1 Kings 16.

1 Kings 16:29-33 HCSB

Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Judah’s King Asa; Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria 22 years. But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord ’s sight more than all who were before him.   Then, as if following the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat were a trivial matter, he married Jezebel,  the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians,  and then proceeded to serve Baal and worship him.   He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal  that he had built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole.  Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.