Matthew 8:1-4 – When he came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. 2 Right away a man with leprosy came up and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”3 Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 Then Jesus told him, “See that you don’t tell anyone;but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Matthew 8:1-4 is a powerful story, for it is my own. I too heard of this Jesus, I too followed him and listened to his teachings, and I too knew I was sick and unable to be well save for his will in my life. Then Jesus did more and abundantly more for me than I was worthy of: he touched me.
He did not have to do that, for I was unclean. He gently caressed my soul and at that very moment, I was made clean. Not of my ability, but by submission to His. And like the leper, I too have desired to speak and tell of that experience since Jesus did touch me- and I have not been silent since.
After Ploughing the soil of the world, planting seeds of faith, watering with the source of Christ, we have the final product: A harvest of faithful souls! The quintessential virtues throughout this process are faith, patience, and consistent work. The Farmer has seen every step and having faithfully executed each step, he will assuredly receive a result. The fruit we share in is the righteousness of Christ.
The “First pick of the Crop” is the fruit of faith in Christ manifested in justification, sanctification, and ultimately the unseen glorification of God’s people. The brilliant thing about being Farmers for Christ is that we glory in Christ’s harvest. Every step comes to the climax of reproducing God’s original work through obedience and conformity to Him.
Reflection
How does your life reflect the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer? Is there one area you are weaker in then the others? Which is it and why?
What change can you make today to assist you with marching in step, running with endurance, and sowing with patience?
The Farmer is an icon of patience, hard work, and consistency. He, more than anyone, knows the value of the hard work it takes day in and day out to reap a bountiful harvest. Paul encourages Timothy to emulate the farmer in his approach to hard work. The farmer has certain steps to follow in order to better ensure a good harvest and as we look at each of them, we will understand their significance to the Christian life.
Preparing the Soil
Before we can discuss the work of planting, watering, and harvesting we must first look at the soil we are using. When a farmer seeks to plant a field, he must prepare the soil and make sure it is ready for the seed. Oftentimes, we rush straight to the watering, expecting a harvest and we have not even prepared the ground for planting. The soil must be tilled and ploughed to ready it to accept seed for a healthy harvest. Read more…
Christians have no greater model for evangelism than that of Jesus Christ. We can look at His life and ministry and clearly see His approach to reaching the lost. In this message we look at three principles we can learn from Him; 1) Jesus’ life was not separate from His ministry, 2) Jesus looked for lost souls, not sinners, and 3) Jesus broke down societal barriers
Christians have no greater model for evangelism than that of Jesus Christ. We can look at His life and ministry and clearly see His approach to reaching the lost. In this message we look at three principles we can learn from Him; 1) Jesus’ life was not separate from His ministry, 2) Jesus looked for lost souls, not sinners, and 3) Jesus broke down societal barriers
In this latest message in our series “Win Them Now” we look at the nature of God’s love and what that means to mankind. God’s love can reach anyone regardless of their past and it can hold onto those who have put their faith in Him.
The promise of a Messiah was the direct result of a loving God who is intricately involved in the lives of His creation. God meticulously orchestrated events through the entirety of the Old Testament to foreshadow the need for a Savior and His substitutionary atonement for mankind.
Satan has worked tirelessly since Eden to convince mankind there are no consequences for the rejection of God. He has managed to convince generations hell is a place made up to scare children into behaving and to control the weak minded. The Bible clearly teaches a place exists right now, where those who reject God will be sent until the final judgment; a place of physical and mental torments. Once judged, they will be sentenced to the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels to spend eternity dying, but unable to find relief. The good news is, God prepared a way so no one has to spend eternity tormented, but it requires belief in Jesus Christ and submission to Him as Lord of your life.
As a society we have convinced ourselves the great advances in science and technology are somehow a barometer of the morality of man. The hard truth is as we progress scientifically and technologically we are actually regressing morally. Our world is but a shadow of the intended purpose of God’s creation. The good news is that this world is not all there is! We have a Redeemer Who offers real peace, real joy, and real hope in spite of crime, sickness, and natural disasters.
Previously, we looked at the necessity of prayer for the equipping of believers in the body of Christ. Today we are going to look at the actual equipment the believer has available to them. In Ephesians 6:14-17, the Apostle Paul details the spiritual equipment issued to every person who accepts Christ as Lord and Savior. This equipment is not optional. Its proper and consistent use is required for the believer and the church to walk in victory.
As believers, to have access to resources which can help us walk in spiritual victory and to not use them is foolishness. Unfortunately, many of us hang our spiritual armor in the closet and leave it there to collect dust. We then struggle daily in our spiritual lives and wonder what has gone wrong. Calling upon God for assistance, when what we need has been in front of us all along.
In this chapter, Paul lists six pieces of armor vital to the believer. Each of them is below and linked to a message specifically for it. I encourage you to take the time to listen and learn the importance they play in our spiritual lives.
Christians have no greater model for evangelism than that of Jesus Christ. We can look at His life and ministry and clearly see His approach to reaching the lost. In this message we look at three principles we can learn from Him; 1) Jesus’ life was not separate from His ministry, 2) Jesus looked for lost souls, not sinners, and 3) Jesus broke down societal barriers