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Post by Paws on Feb 22, 2011 1:22:48 GMT 12.75
Are you happy with the way your life is going? What type fruit do others see in you when considering your character? You may have heard of the old saying; “trash in, trash out.” Or maybe you have heard; “you reap what you sow.” I hope that the words I share below will encourage you.
Hayward Lawson ý"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." (Galatians 6:7)
I have always reaped what I have sown and know this verse to be absolutely true. My wife and I decided before starting a family that ...when we began having children she would stop working outside the home to nurture them. We sacrificed having things for the opportunity to sow good seed in our children. The fruits of what we had sown early in our children were evident in God's timing with them receiving an assurance of their Salvation through Jesus Christ. But it wasn't until they had grown up and left our home that we began to see a more bountiful harvest through their lives. Cathy and I are very proud of our children and what they have become as mature Christian parents and laborers in our Lord’s work. Yes, our children were like many other children and occasionally got into mischief, but by God's Grace and by having faith in His Word they came to know His love and became planters of the seed of life themselves. And just as with fruit on a tree, vine, bush, or other life in this world, the seeds we planted in our children came forth and produced other seeds that they are planting in their children. And now we can already see those natured seeds springing up in our grandchildren and most of them have already placed their trust in Jesus Christ and are serving Him faithfully – Praise to God!
But that brings me to this point for us to consider on the subject of sowing and reaping. We live in a world that thinks only of the now, and does not understand the principles of what we plant in every aspect of our life. Only a shortsighted person thinks only of the here and now, doing as little as he can get by with, only to reap that which is undesirable. If we plant bad seed, we will reap afterwards what is also bad. God says we will reap what we sow, not something else. Surprised?
In the Scripture, God has given us a principle that is both a warning and an encouragement in the above passage. This is an unalterable law, which affects everyone in every area of life, family, work, and pleasure. There is more here than first meets the eye. Every farmer understands the hidden meaning in this principle: “We reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow.” This is good news for those sowing good habits, but a frightening thought for those whose present lifestyle is characterized by promiscuity, drugs, alcohol, neglect of family, or the mistreatment of others. This principle is irrevocable; there is no escape, either for the believer or for the unbeliever. It is the law of life.
We may try to fool ourselves, but we cannot fool God. Did you notice how Galatians 6:7 begins, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked"? Here lies the root cause of the lustful, careless, or indulgent life style of many. They are deceived. They either do not believe the truth or think there are exceptions to the laws of God. To mock God is to turn up one's nose at Him, to hope to outwit Him. In 2 Corinthians 5:10, we read, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
We will all reap the harvest of our lives. One of the reasons some are deceived is that their present seed is not producing an immediate crop. So they continue on with the mistaken idea that there will be no harvest. Unlike the crops of the field, which are harvested at approximately the same time each year, there is no timetable for the harvest of life. Some crops we reap quickly, while others are a long time coming. However, if we’ll wait, the season will come for harvest.
"For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." What a comforting and assuring thought to those who make sacrifice for their families today or are laboring under difficult circumstances, often abused, misused, underpaid, unappreciated, criticized for their work or convictions, and overlooked for promotion. Faithfulness in such circumstances will produce a rich harvest. Remember that our Heavenly Father always keeps His promise.
I am praying for you today that you will plant good seed, in the ground of your life that you prepare well to receive the seed. Don’t expect it to come up immediately and produce fruit in your life. Be patient and know that what you plant in this season of your life will spring up in another season and your life will begin to blossom and then bear fruit in another season. But be sure of this truth, it is you that decides rather to plant “good” or “bad” seed, and whatever you choose is what will come up out of your life. I pray that you will plant the “good” seed. God Bless!
JR
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Post by Paws on Feb 22, 2011 1:56:16 GMT 12.75
Have you ever thought of what it would be like to see the world as Jesus sees the world? It is my prayer that the words below will bless you and cause you to seek for yourself the eyes of Jesus….
Hayward Lawson: Have you ever gone to an art gallery or museum to look at the different types of art? I have taken the opportunity to go on a few occasions. I am sometimes puzzled at what the artist saw in his creation or what they were trying to share o...f themselves. The title for their art doesn’t always seem to match the painting, sketch, or figure.
I have heard it said that art is an expression of the inner feeling of the artist. He was inspired by what he saw, felt, or heard. This makes me think that the eyes may really be the window of our souls. If we could see through the artist's eyes, we might be able to feel or know his inner most thoughts.
Look at what Luke 19:41 says, "And when he was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it."
Have you ever pondered what the eyes of Jesus saw that made Him cry. When Jesus became a man and dwelt on this earth, the world around Him must have seemed so cold, indifferent, and without faith. Is this the way He sees His church, His chosen people today? Would His eyes be filled with tears. Would His heart be broken. If we could only see through the eyes of Jesus, our hearts might be moved to fulfill the great commission He has given us.
Pray for the eyes of Jesus, but be careful, you may be surprised. I have prayed this prayer and my Lord has filled my eyes with tears many times as I have looked around me in this world. Those tears have driven me to preach God's Holy Word to all that I come in contact with. I promise you that these eyes will give you a very special love for each other and for the lost.
I am praying that you will seek to have the eyes of Jesus and that when you see what He sees in this world that you will be moved within your soul. May God Bless You with His eyes!
JR
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Post by Toby Benoit on Feb 22, 2011 12:33:27 GMT 12.75
Thanks Paws! This guy's got it right! ;D
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Post by Paws on Mar 16, 2011 6:06:35 GMT 12.75
Hayward Lawson: At my present place of employment, and with every employer I have ever had, there have been rules of conduct - what is permissible and what is forbidden. In fact, this is true about every area of our lives. However, the greatest guarantee... for ethical behavior is not external, a written code, but internal, an honest and sincere conscience. The apostle Paul likens a person who refuses to listen to the inner witness of his conscience to a ship-wrecked sailor: "having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck" (1 Timothy 1:19). Disaster awaits the person who ignores the warnings of his conscience.
Perhaps the most common attribute we ascribe to the spirit is guilt. We do something wrong and most of us, at least for a while, experience thoughts or pains of guilt. Our spirit condemns us for our actions. The moralist who seeks to live a good life attempts to heed the voice of conscience and succeeds in many instances. Paul is referring to this role of conscience in the life of the moralist when he says their thoughts were "accusing or else excusing them" (Romans 2:15).
When maintained properly, our spirit is an internal guidance system that directs our lives into profitable successful avenues. It also, like red warning lights on a car dashboard, alerts us to impending moral dangers. For every true Christian, God does the same thing through our spirit. His Holy Spirit will convict our spirit and always give us an opportunity to reject the temptation to do the wrong thing. In His Word we read in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
I have been conversing with a young man on FB over the past two days that rejects the words that I share in the messages God gives me to share with you and with him. He has tried to insult me with his words and desires that I stop writing on FB because it is foolishness. I will not share his name, but please pray with me that God will speak to his spirit and that he will not deny any longer God’s Word and God’s calling. The sad truth is that this young man is not alone in his thoughts. In fact, there are many that reject continually the prompting of their spirit, increasing the risk of their own destruction as they suppress their inner spirit and the call of God. Thus, their spirit is hardened through repeated violations of God’s Law, so that they no longer feel guilty. This is a very sad thing in their lives, because God will eventually give them over to their evil thoughts and no longer convict them of their lawlessness.
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:28-32) I believe that this is actually a curse of God on these who continue to reject Him in their spirit and can think only of evil in their conscience, all along thinking that they are right and free to do whatever they desire.
Praise God that the guilt brought on by our sins as Christians have been removed through the death of Christ, so that we no longer stand condemned. "How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:14). Our consciences no longer condemn us for "there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). We are forgiven people.
Thus, the place of spirit in the life of the believer is to convict of sin, not accuse. It is satan that is the accuser, not our Lord. Edified by the Holy Spirit, our spirit is the lamp of the Lord. It is an effective tool for righteousness when it is maintained.
That maintenance comes primarily through conforming and heeding to the Word of God. The Scripture is the internal guide that programs our spirit for godliness. The spirit is only as reliable as its source. The standard by which our spirit guides and instructs us is God's Word. Every individual's conscience acts as a legitimate guide only insofar as the Bible is the foundation. Staying sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit through the conscience also requires daily and continued repentance and confession of sin. Sin obscures and stifles the still, small voice of God in our soul. When the Spirit convicts of sin, we must quickly admit our faults and turn away from further involvement. Sincere repentance keeps the spirit in divine operating order.
As we adhere to the Scriptures and respond positively to our spirit's conviction, our actions will reflect our beliefs. We will live out our faith with a good and clear conscience, free of offense toward God and those around us.
I am praying for you that you will listen closely to the Holy Spirit and that your spirit will walk closely and obediently with God.
I have one additional request of you that have read this message, please remember to pray for the young man I mentioned earlier and add a post to this post that you are praying for him so that he will know that you care and love him just as I do and our Lord does. Thank you and may God Bless You! conscience and spirit
JR
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Post by Paws on Jan 7, 2012 3:54:26 GMT 12.75
JR Lawson
Nothing in our lives seems to be more important than our thoughts, what we think about. Listen to the following statement and see if you can grasp its full meaning. “Sow a thought and you reap an act, sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap character.” Every person’s character is ultimately shaped by his thoughts. The Bible says the same thing in another way, when it says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). How true it is indeed. As a Boy Scout, I have spent many years outside camping. And like all Boy Scouts, I have slept in many wooded areas and built many a camp fires. As a Boy Scout we never desired to destroy good healthy trees and so most of our fire wood was collected from trees that had already fallen to the ground. So that leads me to this thought, have you ever walked through a woods and looked at trees that have fallen or those that look unstable and about to fall? If you look close enough you will see what I have seen, they rot from the inside out. The same goes for us. Like a fallen tree that rots from within, our wrong thoughts lead to inner decay in our lives and can lead to our fall. With our thoughts being so important, what should we do with our thoughts? Glad you asked. First, we should cultivate our thoughts. Think of your mind as a garden and your thoughts as seeds. Whatever is planted in your mind ultimately grows. Thus, we cannot guard our thoughts too carefully. As Christians, we should refrain from reading filthy literature, viewing obscene movies or lewd pictures, or telling or listening to off colored jokes. All of these things will lead to evil thinking. You say, “But we live in an evil world and thoughts just seem to pop into my mind.” Okay, I hear you. I heard it said, “We cannot keep birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from building nest in our hair.” So it is true that we cannot stop evil thoughts from popping into our minds. However, we can keep them from remaining there and growing. And yes, we can also refrain from places or some of the opportunities that seem to culture such thoughts to appear in the first place. Next, we should elevate our thoughts. The alternative to evil thinking is not to hide ourselves away in a convent or to quit thinking altogether. But we can still alter our thoughts by thinking on better things. God’s Word says, “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8). So we should elevate our thoughts by thinking about better and more positive things. Lastly, let me suggest that we should concentrate our thoughts. The great commandment found in Matthew 22:37 says, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” How do you love God “with all your mind?” We can start by beginning each day reading God’s word and by spending time with Him in prayer. This will set our thoughts on the right road for the rest of the day. If we meditate or concentrate our thoughts on the right things, we will become what we think. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”
May our God bless each of my FB Friends as your thoughts be upon Him and His good will be in your thoughts and flourish into the most joyful life. Because whatever a man “sows” he will “reap.” Happy Harvesting!
JR
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Post by Toby Benoit on Jan 7, 2012 22:19:02 GMT 12.75
Thanks Paws! ;D
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Post by Paws on Jan 9, 2012 14:55:46 GMT 12.75
Have you ever done anything that you are ashamed of or possibly whatever you did, torments you today? You may even feel that God couldn’t possibly love you and that you don’t deserve to be forgiven. You can be free from your ugly past. Forgiveness is essential to our peace, contentment, and enjoyment of life. Its absence leaves us prisoners of emotions, which damage our relationships with others, as well as our own emotional and even our physical health. "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." (Mark 11:25, 26) There are three areas of life in which everyone needs to experience forgiveness. First, we need to seek the forgiveness of God. We have all sinned against God (Romans 3:23). This means that all of us, you, me, and single person has willfully disobeyed God, acted independently of God, and denied God’s rightful position as Lord of our lives. Our sin has separated us from God and made us the objects of His wrath (Ephesians 2:1 3). But God's love for us is greater than our sin against Him. Therefore, He has provided a way in which we can be forgiven and reconciled to Him. Our forgiveness was made possible through the death of Christ at Calvary. The Bible says the shedding of His blood paid our sin debt in full. The penalty of death has been canceled and our guilt has been removed. We are no longer enemies but children of God sealed by His Holy Spirit as proof of our sonship (1 Peter 1:18, 19; 2:24; Ephesians 1:7, 13, 14; Colossians 1:13, 14).
God's forgiveness is not the result of our performance. It is an act of His grace, His undeserved love and favor. We experience God's forgiveness when by faith we receive Christ as our personal Savior (John 1:12; 3:16). We are born again (John 3:3). We become new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Forgiveness for future sin comes through our confession and repentance and His eternal grace toward us (1 John 1:9). Failure to deal with sin as a believer results in God's chastisement (Hebrews 12:5 11). Second, we need to forgive others. To forgive those who have offended us is to set them free from obligations to us, which are the results of wrongs done to us. There are three elements in forgiveness: hurt or injury, debt, and cancellation of that debt. Since an unforgiving spirit can never be justified, you must cancel the debt of others even as Christ canceled your sin debt. When you do so, your memory of past hurts is healed; you see the person who hurt you in a new light; you are free; you can ask the other person back into your life again. How do you express forgiveness? By saying, "because Christ has forgiven me for my sins against Him, I forgive you for the hurt you have caused me and no longer hold it against you. You are free." Lastly, we must forgive ourselves. If God is willing to forgive us, can we not forgive ourselves? Sometimes we get stuck in the cement of self accusation, unable to forgive ourselves for those sins that God has forgiven. Failure to forgive ourselves results in continuous self condemnation, a feeling of uncertainty in our relationship with God and a sense of low self esteem. These thoughts can result in excessive and compulsive behavior patterns of work, alcohol, drugs, spending, depression, and even in our ministries. You can forgive yourself. First, make an honest confession, stating specifically the wrong you have done. Second, reaffirm your faith in the promises of God that He has forgiven you of your wrongdoing through Christ's death at Calvary. Third, affirm your freedom from the guilt of your wrong and choose to receive it by faith. Finally, thank God for your new freedom. For 2012, my prayer is that you will find a Bible believing and preaching church and attend that church every week and that you will grow in the knowledge of God’s Word and that you will obey God faithfully. God Bless!
JR
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