waiting

SOWING AND REAPING FOR GOD – SEVEN LAWS OF HARVESTING

 

(February 15, 2024) Richard Winter challenges…

Many times you will hear preachers begin some point with ‘Jesus said…’

The truth is that Jesus said a lot of things!

  • Some were direct commandments, such as ‘Leave your boats and follow me’ (Matthew 4:18–22).
  • Some were instructions, such as ‘Worship God only and serve people’ (Matthew 22:37-39).
  • Some were easy to understand… and some were hard.

To help His hearers understand things, Jesus often took an event from life that everyone should be able to comprehend and see the spiritual application. These have been recorded as short teaching parables… earthly lessons with a heavenly application.

But… did listeners always comprehend?  
Take Matthew 13:3 for example – ‘… He told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.”’ Then He tells the parable of seed sowing concluding with this challenge, ‘Are you listening to this? Really listening?’ (Matthew 13:9Mge).

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MARY – WHAT AN INCREDIBLE LADY!

(December 10, 2022) Geri  B challenges us not just to believe the gospel message but to live it!

When Christmas comes around we naturally think of Jesus, born of a virgin, born in a manger, born to die on a cross for the sins of the world. That’s as it should be! There is no greater message to be proclaimed, nor any other focus that should be given.

But I would add that one of the greatest messengers of this truth is the mother of Jesus, Mary herself. Mary doesn’t preach this message, she lives it!

When we take time to go through the gospels and study this woman of God we find a very humble woman…

  • Great in faith
  • Persistent in prayer
  • Steadfast in her trust in God
  • Specific in believing that what He said about her son, Jesus, would come to pass
  • Willing to be willing!

Mary was willing to –

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TIME FOR YOUR BAGGAGE CHECK?

(February 1, 2020) Carol Round has a timely 2020 suggestion…

In Ecclesiastes 3:6 the wisest teacher gave good advice about life – that there is ‘a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away.’

While some people like to clean out their clutter in the spring, this is my time to toss out anything unnecessary. When I start going through manila folders of paperwork and organizing my taxes, I’m also motivated to declutter.

If you notice the store ads after Christmas and through January, there are a plethora of organisational tools for sale. Shelving, storage boxes, and office supplies tempt us to get our life in order.

While going through home office files and closets this month, I faced more clutter than usual. I’d accumulated tax records going back to 2005. Why had I waited so long to dispose of them? I checked online to see how many years’ worth I really needed to keep – my records were way overdue for shredding! (more…)

WILLINGNESS – MARY’S KEY

(December 5, 2017) Geraldine Brandt reminds us of a special lady who willingly trusted God to fulfil his word…

May I bring a particular aspect to the Christmas story – the biblical Mary that I see!

When we think of Christmas we naturally think of Jesus Christ, born of Mary, a virgin – born in a manger, born to die on a cross for the sins of the world. That’s as it should be!  There is no greater message to be proclaimed, nor any other focus that should be given.

But can I add that one of the greatest messengers of this truth is the mother of Jesus, Mary herself.

Mary does not preach this message, she lives it!  When we take time to go through the gospels and study this woman of God we find a very humble woman, great in faith, persistent in prayer and steadfast in her trust in God, specifically trusting that what he said about her son, Jesus, would come to pass.

Willing to obey
From the very beginning – Mary’s encounter with Gabriel, the archangel of God Most High – we see a woman who is willing to do the will of God, and to do that will without fanfare, complaint, or requested recognition. (more…)