You Reap More Than You Sow
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24
While it varies, an ear of corn can have anywhere from 200 to 400 kernels. A stalk of sweet corn can have anywhere from 2 to 6 ears. So - let me help you with the math - up to 2400 kernels of corn from one - that's ONE - seed. That's excellent design, and important information. If the spiritual is revealed in the physical - and it is, check out Romans 1:19-20 - then those things we do and say and think also produce more than is planted. That's good news for those sowing to the spirit, not so much for those sowing to the flesh.
Have you ever had a field taken over by brambles? It can turn even the most pleasant pasture into a war zone. Would you plow and fertilize and water a plot of ground and then sow greenbriar? I know it sounds crazy, but most of us do that to ourselves without thinking twice about it. We sow with wild abandon "...envy, jealousy, strife, fits of anger..."(Galatians 5:20) as if they weren't going to have any effect on us at all, but it's like planting brambles in your heart. If unchecked, they take over until the only remedy is a burn-off, and even then you still have to cope with the roots. Self-inflicted misery doesn't have an easy fix.
But ...love, joy, peace... and the rest? The kind of investment bonanza they bring makes the toil of nurturing them a small price to pay, indeed!
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galatians 6:7-8
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Laws of the Harvest Part 2
You Reap After You Sow
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galations 6:8
Potting soil. Empty milk cartons. Butter beans. All part of a kindergardener's introduction to farming. OK, not exactly "farming". We planted our beans in our little cartons and watered them carefully - well, we were 5, so our first watering was more enthusiastic than careful. After pouring out our "soil soup" and starting over, we carried our beans home to put on a window sill and wait for our harvest to come in. Did I mention we were 5? I can't speak for my classmates of 50 years ago, but when a few days went by without any home-grown beans on the menu, I dumped out the dirt to look at the planted bean. In case you were wondering, they don't respond well to that kind of treatment. Yes, I'm a bean-killer!
Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7-8
We are living in the "Instant" generation. We no longer want it 'now', we want it yesterday. In today's world, patience is not a virtue. It's a sign of weakness. Waiting for anything seems to be beyond our ability - or maybe just beyond our desires. But in the Kingdom of Heaven (that realm of the heart where people willingly submit to the will of God), patient endurance is a vital part of God's design for our lives. We "wait upon the Lord" to renew our strength, until the fruit of the Spirit comes to ripeness, until the proper season. And if we don't? We short-circuit the blessing of God and rob ourselves of His provision. So, don't give up. Don't jump the gun. Don't pull your beans out of the dirt before they can sprout!
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galations 6:8
Potting soil. Empty milk cartons. Butter beans. All part of a kindergardener's introduction to farming. OK, not exactly "farming". We planted our beans in our little cartons and watered them carefully - well, we were 5, so our first watering was more enthusiastic than careful. After pouring out our "soil soup" and starting over, we carried our beans home to put on a window sill and wait for our harvest to come in. Did I mention we were 5? I can't speak for my classmates of 50 years ago, but when a few days went by without any home-grown beans on the menu, I dumped out the dirt to look at the planted bean. In case you were wondering, they don't respond well to that kind of treatment. Yes, I'm a bean-killer!
Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7-8
We are living in the "Instant" generation. We no longer want it 'now', we want it yesterday. In today's world, patience is not a virtue. It's a sign of weakness. Waiting for anything seems to be beyond our ability - or maybe just beyond our desires. But in the Kingdom of Heaven (that realm of the heart where people willingly submit to the will of God), patient endurance is a vital part of God's design for our lives. We "wait upon the Lord" to renew our strength, until the fruit of the Spirit comes to ripeness, until the proper season. And if we don't? We short-circuit the blessing of God and rob ourselves of His provision. So, don't give up. Don't jump the gun. Don't pull your beans out of the dirt before they can sprout!
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
Laws of the Harvest Part 1
While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22
There are a lot of crazy laws on the books. Here in Alabama, if you carry your ice cream cone in your back pocket, you're in violation. Next door in Mississippi, it's illegal to shoot squirrels from the State house - while Congress is in session. (I suppose they're afraid it would be too much like shooting deer over bait.) Out in California, if you detonate your nuclear device within one city's limits, it'll cost you $500. Up in Boston, you are forbidden to bathe without a prescription, and don't bring your peanuts to eat in church unless you want to spend a year in jail! I find a lot of humor - and not much sense - in many of the laws of men. Thankfully, the laws of men can be repealed (like these I mentioned), but there are laws that are unchanging, kept in place by an Almighty Hand. Gravity, motion, thermodynamics are all laws that demonstrate an incredibly wise and skilled Designer whose promises can be depended on, like those of Genesis 8:22, and I'd like to elaborate on a few of them.
Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Galatians 6:7
Have you ever planted turnips and harvested tomatoes, or peas and got potatoes? One of the great things about the Master Designer is His consistency. You harvest what you plant, and that is true in the spiritual realm as well. Your deeds are seeds, and the Word says that the harvest will come in. So, if you're living by faith, hope, and love then you can reasonably expect a return of the same, and if you're doing the works of the flesh you ought not be surprised by the outcome. The harvest of sin is death - death of relationships, hopes, and dreams. Don't fool yourself. Sowing wild oats and praying for a crop failure is no way to prepare for a life worth living: For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galations 6:8
There are a lot of crazy laws on the books. Here in Alabama, if you carry your ice cream cone in your back pocket, you're in violation. Next door in Mississippi, it's illegal to shoot squirrels from the State house - while Congress is in session. (I suppose they're afraid it would be too much like shooting deer over bait.) Out in California, if you detonate your nuclear device within one city's limits, it'll cost you $500. Up in Boston, you are forbidden to bathe without a prescription, and don't bring your peanuts to eat in church unless you want to spend a year in jail! I find a lot of humor - and not much sense - in many of the laws of men. Thankfully, the laws of men can be repealed (like these I mentioned), but there are laws that are unchanging, kept in place by an Almighty Hand. Gravity, motion, thermodynamics are all laws that demonstrate an incredibly wise and skilled Designer whose promises can be depended on, like those of Genesis 8:22, and I'd like to elaborate on a few of them.
Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Galatians 6:7
Have you ever planted turnips and harvested tomatoes, or peas and got potatoes? One of the great things about the Master Designer is His consistency. You harvest what you plant, and that is true in the spiritual realm as well. Your deeds are seeds, and the Word says that the harvest will come in. So, if you're living by faith, hope, and love then you can reasonably expect a return of the same, and if you're doing the works of the flesh you ought not be surprised by the outcome. The harvest of sin is death - death of relationships, hopes, and dreams. Don't fool yourself. Sowing wild oats and praying for a crop failure is no way to prepare for a life worth living: For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galations 6:8
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
There was a great famine in Samaria. Behold, they besieged it, until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. 2 Kings 6:25
How would you like to own that concession stand? "Dove's Dung! Fresh Hot Dove's Dung! Five shekels a pint! Got to Get your Dove's Dung! Can't watch the siege without your Dove's Dung! Get it while it's hot!" When you haven't eaten in a few weeks, almost anything can look pretty tasty. I guess I haven't really been hungry yet! It actually may not be quite as gross as it sounds. Some scholars believe there is evidence that this was a common name for field peas. And what good are black-eyed peas without a ham-hock? No wonder they didn't use them!
Either way, it was high dollar goods, desperate time, desperate measure "food" for those eager to pay for what they would usually turn their nose up at.
"Value" is based on a lot of variables, but their hunger gave value out of all proportion to such fare. And I have to wonder if those guys who had the donkey fillet with dung chutney didn't have a little buyer's remorse!
It makes me wonder if some of the things I've treasured over the years will be in the category of dove's dung, despised in light of the heavenly treasure I'll be enjoying in, well, Heaven. Truth is, some of them fall in it now, like Paul said, "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as dung, in order that I may gain Christ" Phil. 3:8
Don't treasure dung. Treasure what Christ values, and you'll never have buyer's remorse!
How would you like to own that concession stand? "Dove's Dung! Fresh Hot Dove's Dung! Five shekels a pint! Got to Get your Dove's Dung! Can't watch the siege without your Dove's Dung! Get it while it's hot!" When you haven't eaten in a few weeks, almost anything can look pretty tasty. I guess I haven't really been hungry yet! It actually may not be quite as gross as it sounds. Some scholars believe there is evidence that this was a common name for field peas. And what good are black-eyed peas without a ham-hock? No wonder they didn't use them!
Either way, it was high dollar goods, desperate time, desperate measure "food" for those eager to pay for what they would usually turn their nose up at.
"Value" is based on a lot of variables, but their hunger gave value out of all proportion to such fare. And I have to wonder if those guys who had the donkey fillet with dung chutney didn't have a little buyer's remorse!
It makes me wonder if some of the things I've treasured over the years will be in the category of dove's dung, despised in light of the heavenly treasure I'll be enjoying in, well, Heaven. Truth is, some of them fall in it now, like Paul said, "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as dung, in order that I may gain Christ" Phil. 3:8
Don't treasure dung. Treasure what Christ values, and you'll never have buyer's remorse!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Useless!
I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)Philemon 1:10
Wonder dogs led busy lives,what with saving Timmy from the well, fighting Nazis, bringing Christmas to orphans, preparing 7 course meals and such."How did they do it?" you ask, and of course I've been waiting to tell you: Discipline. They were well-trained and -coached, and if they could bark on cue, the humans could always "read their mind" and give the kids at home some "exposition". "Woof woof woof" meant "Oh no! Little Timmy's in the well" "Woof WOOFwoof" meant "Ol' Heinie the butcher is a Nazi spy!" "Ruffwoof urrrrr" meant "So you want fries with that?"
But those were 'Celebrity Canines', far outside my experience. Take Useless for instance. He was a nondescript little Heinz 57 of a mutt. My dad took one look at him and declared, "There's a useless pothound if I ever saw one!" and the name stuck. Many a summer evening found me wandering amongst the fireflies and skeeters hollering for that dog: "Useless. U-U-Useless. UseLE-ESS!" But he must have been a collaborator, because we never got any idiots out of wells or nabbed any spies, and if there were fries, I never saw them. I did discover one thing though. For him to join the ranks of Wonder Dogs would require far more than I could do. It would need a change of heart. Useless liked me. He loved to have me pet him and play with him, but when it came to business, well, I minded him a lot better than he minded me!
I know, you see it coming, "Which Dog Are You?" So? Lassie or Useless? Selfless or Selfish? Famous or Infamous? Try it from this angle: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 1 Peter 5:6
Wonder dogs led busy lives,what with saving Timmy from the well, fighting Nazis, bringing Christmas to orphans, preparing 7 course meals and such."How did they do it?" you ask, and of course I've been waiting to tell you: Discipline. They were well-trained and -coached, and if they could bark on cue, the humans could always "read their mind" and give the kids at home some "exposition". "Woof woof woof" meant "Oh no! Little Timmy's in the well" "Woof WOOFwoof" meant "Ol' Heinie the butcher is a Nazi spy!" "Ruffwoof urrrrr" meant "So you want fries with that?"
But those were 'Celebrity Canines', far outside my experience. Take Useless for instance. He was a nondescript little Heinz 57 of a mutt. My dad took one look at him and declared, "There's a useless pothound if I ever saw one!" and the name stuck. Many a summer evening found me wandering amongst the fireflies and skeeters hollering for that dog: "Useless. U-U-Useless. UseLE-ESS!" But he must have been a collaborator, because we never got any idiots out of wells or nabbed any spies, and if there were fries, I never saw them. I did discover one thing though. For him to join the ranks of Wonder Dogs would require far more than I could do. It would need a change of heart. Useless liked me. He loved to have me pet him and play with him, but when it came to business, well, I minded him a lot better than he minded me!
I know, you see it coming, "Which Dog Are You?" So? Lassie or Useless? Selfless or Selfish? Famous or Infamous? Try it from this angle: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 1 Peter 5:6
Saturday, October 30, 2010
2 minute warning
1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound mind, self-controlled, and watchful in prayer.
The 2 minute warning is a good ol' American Football tradition. The game clock is stopped and the referee notifies each head coach that he's got 2 minutes of game time left. I don't know why we really still do this, since everybody in the stadium can see the clock, and I have to believe that any coach worth his salt is aware of it, but he still gets told. It's not like that in "futbol" (soccer for us in the US. The 'world' calls soccer 'football' because the ball is moved by the foot. We call football football because...uh...because...er...we're AMERICANS, and we SAID so, that's why!) Anyway, in "soccer", only one person in the world knows when the game will end - the referee. They play two 45 minute halves with a 15 minute break in the middle, and the ref decides to add time or not at the end, and HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO SAY WHY! This can be frustrating and confusing for those of us used to clock management as practiced in football and gabbed about incessantly by on-air announcers. But in the world of “futbol” we get a glimpse of God as a timekeeper. It's His clock, His timing. Coaches, players, and spectators can have their opinions and reasons for them, but only the Ref has the power of decision. We all know that we're in the final moments of the Game. The last whistle is about to blow. It's time to put all our strength into finishing well, to get every possible score before the End, leaving nothing undone.
Romans 13:11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed.
The 2 minute warning is a good ol' American Football tradition. The game clock is stopped and the referee notifies each head coach that he's got 2 minutes of game time left. I don't know why we really still do this, since everybody in the stadium can see the clock, and I have to believe that any coach worth his salt is aware of it, but he still gets told. It's not like that in "futbol" (soccer for us in the US. The 'world' calls soccer 'football' because the ball is moved by the foot. We call football football because...uh...because...er...we're AMERICANS, and we SAID so, that's why!) Anyway, in "soccer", only one person in the world knows when the game will end - the referee. They play two 45 minute halves with a 15 minute break in the middle, and the ref decides to add time or not at the end, and HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO SAY WHY! This can be frustrating and confusing for those of us used to clock management as practiced in football and gabbed about incessantly by on-air announcers. But in the world of “futbol” we get a glimpse of God as a timekeeper. It's His clock, His timing. Coaches, players, and spectators can have their opinions and reasons for them, but only the Ref has the power of decision. We all know that we're in the final moments of the Game. The last whistle is about to blow. It's time to put all our strength into finishing well, to get every possible score before the End, leaving nothing undone.
Romans 13:11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Gramps
You may have heard I'm a Grandaddy now. August 6 marked a big change in my life, as my little girl produced her little girl. We got to go and marvel at her gorgeous red hair and sweet little fingers and funny little froggy feet (not webbed, the way she stands on them while lying down). After careful consideration, my completely biased and 100% subjective opinion is - wait for it - she is the most beautiful, perfect child in the universe. Those of you who believe their own grands fill that particular niche...well, you're probably wrong about other stuff, too. I'm carrying the pictures to prove it and I'm not afraid to use them!
Of course, this got me to thinking about spiritual things. There's nothing like seeing the promise of a new life in your latter years to turn your thoughts toward the Lord.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. 2Cor 5:17
In the moment we were born again, we passed from Death to Life. We moved from ruined and wasted to new and - dare I say it - gorgeous! It likely occurs to you that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's even conceivable that my personal attachment to sweet little Anne has colored my opinions. And in a wonderful way, that's true of me and my heavenly Father, too. All that sinful, miserable ugliness that was my life before Him, washed clean, made NEW! If I try and bring any of that up to Him, remind Him of how bad I can be, He just whispers, "Sea of Forgetfulness" "Covered by the Blood" "As far as the East is from the West". In His eyes - and by His Grace - I'm brand spanking new, just like that little Grand, with all of eternity stretching before us to make me into the image of His perfect Son. Talk about Grand! I can hardly wait to see what He does in me next!
Of course, this got me to thinking about spiritual things. There's nothing like seeing the promise of a new life in your latter years to turn your thoughts toward the Lord.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. 2Cor 5:17
In the moment we were born again, we passed from Death to Life. We moved from ruined and wasted to new and - dare I say it - gorgeous! It likely occurs to you that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's even conceivable that my personal attachment to sweet little Anne has colored my opinions. And in a wonderful way, that's true of me and my heavenly Father, too. All that sinful, miserable ugliness that was my life before Him, washed clean, made NEW! If I try and bring any of that up to Him, remind Him of how bad I can be, He just whispers, "Sea of Forgetfulness" "Covered by the Blood" "As far as the East is from the West". In His eyes - and by His Grace - I'm brand spanking new, just like that little Grand, with all of eternity stretching before us to make me into the image of His perfect Son. Talk about Grand! I can hardly wait to see what He does in me next!
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