Armageddun Loc: The show me state

SEASONS OF FRUITFULNESS

"The one who received the seed that fell on the good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Matthew 13:23

"Work designed for eternity can only be done by the eternal Spirit."
---A.W. Tozer.....

No Christian is fruitful all of the time. There are silent years of Paul---Peter---and even Jesus, about which we know nothing, years of pruning or pr********n before a time of abundance. This is the scriptural pattern of God's work in our lives as laid out in Psalm 1: "He is like a tree that is planted by the streams of water, which yields its fruit in season" (v.3, italics added). So we must not worry in our latent times.

But the other side of the coin is that every Christian is fruitful some of the time if the enemies of the seed are dealt with properly. A persistent and consistent lack of fruit should prompt a believer to ask these questions: What is hindering God's fruitfulness in my life? Is there anything I'm tolerating that stands in the way of God's full work in me?

Jesus' parable of the sower in Matthew 13 (also Mark 4 and Luke indicates three categories of enemies to the sower's work: the evil one (v 19), trouble and persecution (v 21), and the worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth (v 22). The Christian who does not Actively stand firm in opposition to any of these will bear the consequences of fruitlessness and miss out on the joy of God's bounty.

Do you struggle with a discrepancy between the portrayal of the Christian life in Scripture---abundant life and rivers of living water---and your experience? You may be in a pr********n phase, or there may be a hindrance. How can you know?

Fruitless periods in a Christian's life call for discernment---a quality often lacking in such times. But God promises wisdom to those who ask. So ask. If we seek His guidance and prepare to accept wh**ever He might say, He will show us what hinders His work in our lives.

no propaganda please Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun

Good afternoon Armageddun. How are you doing on this beautiful day? I am so glad NPP is back home from the hospital and feeling much better now that he has the dogs to comfort him, and me to wait on him hand and foot. Haven't yet told him that the waiting on period has nly a few days, before I expect him to get up and start getting some exercise. I can be a B***H when need be.

SWMBO

Ranger7374 Loc: Arizona, 40 miles from the border in the DMZ

I should drop in more oftenly but I work crazy hours now....

How are you all doing?

May God continue to bless each and everyone of you.

I hope all is well, my friends from years past. I hope you are all doing well. God Bless you and Have a great Independence Day!

Armageddun Loc: The show me state

I need to be caught up on all the news of my great friends. You and NPP can count on our prayers. It is good to be back. Thanks for letting me know that he is on the mend. May God bless you all with His richest and best.

Armageddun Loc: The show me state

Good to see you again Ranger. Glad you are staying faithful to the Word. Hope all id well with you.

Armageddun Loc: The show me state

"You are the light of the world."
Matthew 5:14

"We have the t***h and we need not be afraid to say so."
---J.C. Ryle.......

The age of secularization has pushed believers into the margins of life. We may maintain our beliefs as long as we don't carry them into public places, we are told. Yet, there is a voice with higher authority and greater depth than our secular culture. It is The Lord of all creation who says: "You are the light of the world."

As much as the world may push us to the periphery of relevance, it has no answers. It usually doesn't even ask the right questions. But with certainty, it concludes that the gospel is of little importance. The secular offense at the gospel is astounding and absurd. But still we are told to be salt of the earth and lights in the world.

What a catastrophe for secular culture will the coming of the Son of Man be! It will be for our salvation, but unbelieving eyes will be amazed when He appears, having invested everything---all of their resources---in the fallacies of human institutions. Having spent centuries building earthly kingdoms, our fallen race will marvel---and gnash its teeth---at the only kingdom standing in the end.

Do not be intimidated by this world. It seeks answers but condemns anyone who claims to have them. It honors openness to all kinds of "t***hs" but scoffs when one accepts the t***h. No, our Master will not let us be intimidated by this skepticism. He has us neither a light to be hidden nor a spirit of fear. The world craves answers, and though it does not recognize Him, He is the answer. The world seeks wisdom and our God has given us the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). We have no apologies to make for offering the light of salvation to a world in darkness. In fact, we owe apologies to The Lord if we do not. Be bold, "Let your light shine before men" (Matthew 5:16).

bahmer

Amen and Amen

Rose42

Armageddun Loc: The show me state

"A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side."
Luke 10:31

"By compassion, we make others' issues our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also."
---Sir Thomas Browne.......

The priest and the Levite are easy targets. Their negligent behavior in this story is so apathetic, so self-centered, that we have no problem knowing who to point our fingers at. But this is not a story about finger pointing. It is about becoming like Jesus. Just as we were helpless and He showed us mercy, others are helpless and we are to show them His mercy. This is our command regardless of interpersonal barriers. Labels like "Samaritan" are not relevant.

Jesus' point about the priest and the Levite, of course, is that they were not compassionate. But He also implies that we live in a world full of them. There are many of them traveling down the road. Nearly everyone in need will have been passed by several before a true neighbor comes along. Jesus isn't just condemning Levitical hypocrisy; He's casting His revealing light on the ugliness of human nature. When we see people in need, most of us would prefer not to get involved.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is an accurate picture of our world. Most people are missing the mark; few have found true meaning. There are many robbers who plunder, many priests and Levites who are negligent, and many innkeepers who will intervene if they're paid for it. And, in a sense, every one of these is as miserable as the helpless victims lying by the side of the road. The only person in this story who could possibly have a satisfying life is the Samaritan. The others, in pursuing their goals, miss the ultimate meaning of them all.

Look at the story of the Good Samaritan as a parable of human nature. Do you want to be satisfied in life? Understand the robbers, priests and Levites, innkeepers and victims; have compassion on them all for the misery they're in. Above all, be like the Samaritan who shows tangible mercy. Be like Jesus.

Armageddun Loc: The show me state

A MUSTARD-SEED KINGDOM

"What shall we say the kingdom of God is like?.... It is like mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants."
Mark 4:30-32

"He is invited to do great things who receive small things greatly."
---Cassiodorus .....

Not only is this the rule of the kingdom, but it is also the rule of all kingdom things. The kingdom of God was almost unnoticeable when it began, in a sense, with a nomad named Abraham. Then a small nation of wanderers with the promise of a tiny tract of land. Then a Messiah of seemingly humble, obscure origins. Then a band of low-pedigree disciples. Then a fringe movement in the backwaters of an empire. Today, the kingdom of God has influenced the planet more than any earthly empire and any religious worldview. It is the largest and most fruitful of all the plants in this ravaged garden. That's the historical implications of these verses.

But there's also a personal application of all of these verses. We tend to think that accomplishing something in God's kingdom means building large ministries with an extending reach. We are impressed by those who have done great things for God---defining "great things" as impacting lots of people in highly visible ways. And perhaps these are great things, in God's eyes. But they began small. God's kingdom is a mustard-seed kind of enterprise.
Huge ministries often begin with one small step of faith. Lives are often changed by one kind word. Hearts are touched by one soft song, or one frightened witness, or a cup of cold water given in His name. Nothing in His kingdom is too small to count---or even too small to grow into something huge.

Never despise the small things in your life. Never spend so much time reaching for the high-impact acts of ministry that you neglect the minute details of service. The massive doors of God's kingdom swing on tiny hinges of our faith and obedience. Focus on the hinges, and you'll see the doors open wide.

Armageddun Loc: The show me state

WITNESSES ON TRIAL

"This will result in your being witnesses to them."
Luke 21:13

"God has called us to shine."
---Dwight L. Moody.....

We can become completely self-absorbed in a trial. We see how it will impact us, we pray for deliverance from it, and we obsess about how to work ourselves out of it. But we often become blind to God's larger purpose. Our trials, though they seem like disasters to us, may be God's means for bringing honor to His name.

In this passage in Luke, Jesus tells His disciples they will be d**gged through court, prisons, and the world's halls of power. But He does not tell them to call their attorneys and clear their names. He tells them to be more concerned with His name---in other words, to be His witnesses. Their "disaster" is for His glory, He says, and He reminds them to go through trials with that purpose in mind.

Though few of us are hauled before the world's judges for our faith, we all go through difficulties. Rather than turning inward and focussing on our hardships and how to get out of them, Jesus would tell us by the implications of this passage to have a greater purpose in mind. We are to seek His glory in all circumstances, even the ones that pain us deeply. They are often His means of letting the world know who He is.

How does Jesus display Himself in our trials? That depends on our response. Are we in a situation where people are trying to take advantage of us, draw us into their controversies, or compel us to behave in conformity to the world's standards? Then Jesus is displayed in our refusal to be conformed. Our lack of contentiousness and competitiveness will indicate faith and hope in higher realities. Are we suffering in a way that would cause most people to despair or cry out in bitterness and anger? Then Jesus is displayed as we demonstrate that our treasure is above and that this world's travails are swallowed up in our hope of eternal life. Wh**ever we go through, it can result in our being witnesses.

Armageddun Loc: The show me state

THE TEST OF IMPOSSIBILITIES

"Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"
John 6:5

"We have a God who delights in impossibilities."
---Andrew Murray......

Jesus asked Philip this probing question. It seems innocent enough, but there is a test in it. Jesus gives Philip an impossibility to consider. And Philip's response indicates a mindset with which we can all sympathize. We look at the situation, think of how to solve it in human terms, and lament about our lack of resources. There isn't enough money. There isn't enough time. There aren't enough people. We have insufficient means.

We, like Philip, forget Whom we are dealing with. The situation is never too big for Jesus. He is not bound by our resources. In fact, if we had sufficient means, He probably would choose to work with someone else. His power cannot be demonstrated among people with self-sufficiency. He is waiting for the Andrews of the world to come to Him with a limited, pitiful supply and ask, full of doubt, "But how far will this go?" (V.9). Having brought His people to the point of knowing their own poverty and limitations, He is ready to work.

When has Jesus confronted you with an impossibility? When has He said, "What are you going to do with this situation?" As we look at the world around us, we can relate to Philip. There are hundreds of millions of hungry people in the world. There are diseases running rampant with no known (or available) cure. There are relationships breaking under the strain of secular patterns of behavior. And worst of all, there are people dying and going to hell, many of them never having heard the gospel. Like Philip, we might say we don't have enough resources. Like Andrew, we might show Jesus what we have, knowing it is paltry.

Wh**ever our response, we must acknowledge our insufficiency. Then, and only then, can we look at the sufficiency of Jesus. He already has in mind what He is going to do (v.6). He already knows how He will meet the need. He is waiting for us to acknowledge our limitations and trust Him.

bahmer

Amen and Amen

Armageddun Loc: The show me state

14 hrs ·

WHERE GOD'S HEART IS

"If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave that ninety-nine on the hill and go to look for the one that wandered off?"
Matthew 18:12

"The salvation of one soul is worth more than the framing of a Magna Carta of a thousand worlds."
---John Keble.....

David says that the Lord is his Shepherd. Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd. And in Matthew 18, Jesus tells us that the Shepherd is zealously focused on restoring lost sheep.

The implications of this for our understanding of God are clear: He is a seeking God. If we want to know what His priorities in this world are, we need look no further than here. He tells us. He is passionate about pursuing lost sheep. He will gladly leave behind the ninety-nine in their comfort and safety to track down a single, misguided sheep. All heaven rejoices when that sheep is found (Luke 15:7-10).

The implications of this are so clear for us: As co-laborers with God, we are also to be seeking on His behalf. He is a missionary God, He sent a missionary Son into the world, and He calls us to have a missionary mind. If we are to be like Him, we, too, must have a consuming, searching passion for lost sheep.

Do we want to align ourselves with God's plan? Then we must single-mindedly pray for those who are lost. We must work to find them and to bring them into the Good Shepherd's fold. We must give our resources toward this end. We must behave like a shepherd who is not content with a 99% success rate. God does not rest as long as there are lost sheep, and neither can we.

Today, there are more than four billion sheep outside of the Shepherd's fold. Half of them live so far out of the fold that there are no representatives of the Shepherd nearby. If we want to be in tune with God's priorities, we must pray, give, train, tell, send, go---and never rest----as long as sheep are outside the fold.

bahmer

Amen and Amen