Westlake PNC From the Pastor

OVERCOMING OUR GIANTS

I Samuel 17: 50-51: “So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a
stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of
David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew
it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the
Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.”
If we are not careful, when we read the story of David and Goliath, we miss the
application God has for our own lives. First of all, this situation was not one of his
own making; he just happened to be at the right place at the right time and it happened.
We do not necessarily face physical giants, but there are other kinds of giants we deal
with such as mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. Sometimes we don’t even know how
we got involved in the battle; all we know is we are in it and it is real. Secondly, he
knew the only way out was to do battle with the enemy until he overcame him. You and I
must overcome whatever battles come to us in life even though they may be difficult. We
can take lessons from David on how he overcame. He first relied on facts from the past.
He said, “I remember the lion and the bear that stole a lamb out of the foal and I went
after them and smote them for God delivered them into my hands.” I think we need to
remember the wonderful victories of the past, the very fact that God did not fail us
then, nor is He going to fail us now. Every battle or circumstance in life may be
different, but we can always hold onto the facts as to what God has done for us in the
past. Not only did he have facts in his favor to help bring about victory, but he had a
strong faith that God would not fail him now in this crisis of his life. God allows
things to happen in our lives that He might build our faith in Him. Faith is not made
strong overnight, but receives strengthening as we face each encounter with the enemy of
our soul. The Bible tells us to build ourselves up in the most holy faith. It becomes my
personal responsibility to use every fact that I know from the past and to muster all the
faith I can with the help of God when faced with the present difficult situations in
life. God will then step in as He did for David and bring deliverance and victory,
causing us to overcome the giants in our lives. The song writer said it so well:

“He NEVER has failed me yet.”

LOVE WITH NO RESERVATIONS

Romans 5:8 reads: “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” I John 4:9 : “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” I John 4:19 states: “ We love him, because he first loved us.” I John 4:8: “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

The grand doctrine of the Bible is that God loves apostate man. In every conceivable form, the Bible impresses us with the fact that God loves man even though man was born a sinner with his face away from God. God did not love us because of who we were or what status we held in life. He loved us because of who He is and what He does. (Jeremiah 31:3: “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, ‘Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.’”). He does not love us because we are good or bad, but He loves us because we are His creation. He loves us freely.

God does not force us, but gives us the privilege to return some of that love back to Him. He says in Mark 12:30: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” To enjoy love to it fullest I must first love God with all of my being. John 15:10-11 states: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” God wants us to enjoy the richness of His presence by being filled with His love.

So if God loved us with such great love and we in return love God with all our heart, then the third love we will have will be for others. Jesus said in John 13:34-35: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Matt 5:44 reads: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” You see, God intended for us as His Children to love others as He loved us. Our love should go out to everyone regardless of their race, their education, or their background. God commanded us to love, and may He help us portray His love to others.

A BRAND NEW YEAR

Psalm 65:11: Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.
Another year has gone by and we find ourselves on the brink of a brand new year. It is a time for us to reflect back across the year and to see what accomplishments we have made. Hopefully, we have witnessed some spiritual growth in our lives as well as a better relationship with those we labor with. On the other hand, I am sure that if we are honest with ourselves, we will notice some of our failures and shortcomings. Sometimes it is hard for us to admit that we missed a very good opportunity or that we fell short along some line. The very best thing we can do is own up to our mistake and pledge to ourself that we will not allow it to happen again.
This coming year may our lives be crowned with the presence and power of God. “Thou crownest the year with thy goodness“ -- the margin says “The Hebrew is literally the year of thy goodness-meaning a year remarkable for the manifestation of kindness; or a year of abundant productions.” -- Barnes’ Notes. God’s goodness is continuous, and His goodness endureth. Ps 65:4 reads: Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. Nothing short of God and His goodness can satisfy the soul's deep longings. No one but Christ can satisfy. We cannot understand the soul's yearnings, but we know they are there. If we desire to meet with JESUS we may do so by meeting Him in the paths of prayer, and of communion, and of faith. When we come to Him through these avenues, He will hear us and help us with whatever circumstances are surrounding us. God wants this year and ever year of our lives to be crowned with His goodness, but that can only happen if we open our lives to God’s leadership.

May this be the best year ever for each of us, living and doing the will of God to the best of our ability. In following His commands we can bring forth fruit for the kingdom of God.

A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon
his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace
there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and
to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of
the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6-7

This is a glorious time of year when we celebrate the birth of our LORD and SAVIOUR,
JESUS CHRIST. While we are busy here and there let us not be so busy that we forget why we even have Christmas.
Isaiah, looking down through the scope of time by the power of God, saw the day of
Jesus Christ and made some prophecies concerning the things that would transpire in
Jesus’ life. He said,” unto us a child is born unto us a son is given,” telling us first
that this child was to be for all of the human race, and second that He was given as a
gift; none of us earned Him nor could we buy Him, but He was freely given to mankind by
God Himself. The passage ”the government shall be upon His shoulder” gives us the sense
that He shall rule, or the government shall be vested in Him. Then Isaiah applies some
special titles to this person who was yet to come: Wonderful - to distinguish or to make
great as a miracle, and certainly our Lord’s birth and life was that; Counselor - one of
honorable rank, expressive of great wisdom, and of qualifications to guide and direct the
human race; The Mighity God - unquestionably attributed to the true God in Isaiah 10:21
for the Messiah shall be called strength of God, or strong God; The everlasting Father -
the Man abiding forever, the Father of the future age, the Father of the everlasting age,
literally, it is the Father of eternity; The Prince of Peace - this is a Hebrew mode of
expression denoting that he would be a peaceful prince. The tendency of His
administration would be to restore and perpetuate peace. This expression is used to
distinguish him from the mass of kings and princes who have delighted in conquest and
blood. In contradistinction from all these, the Messiah would seek to promote universal
concord, and the tendency of his reign would be to put an end to wars, and to restore
harmony and order to the nations. JESUS came that He might restore to humanity a portion of that relationship mankind had with God before the fall - communion with Him.

At this season of the year may you know the peace of God, for of His kingdom there will be no end. [some from Barnes]

THE VOICE OF THANKSGIVING
“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.” Psalm 26:7

What a wonderful time of the year when the leaves are changing and some are beginning to fall. A time when we are having a little cooler weather and there is change in the atmosphere. We are drawing close to the thanksgiving season. It is a time for us to remember all the gracious things God has done for us and our families. Thanksgiving is the beginning of what most people consider the festive season. In the midst of our activities it would be well that we enumerate all of God’s wondrous works in our lives. Think of all the answers to prayer, all the mercies extended, all the blessings bestowed upon us. Our hearts should be ever so grateful and thankful for His goodness and His greatness.

     Here is a little lesson from history that might help us to appreciate the paths our forefathers made for us so long ago:
     The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originally members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect). They had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland to escape religious persecution. There, they enjoyed more religious tolerance, but eventually became disenchanted with the Dutch way of life, thinking it ungodly. Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London
stock company to finance a pilgrimage to America. Most of those making the trip aboard the Mayflower were non-Separatists, but were hired to protect the company's interests. Only about one-third of the original colonists were Separatists.
     The Pilgrims set foot at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following fall, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. The remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast -- including 91 Indians who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the help of the natives. The feast was more of a traditional
English harvest festival than a true "thanksgiving" observance. It lasted three days.
     You and I are recipients of many blessings from God because someone walked the way before us. I pray that we shall walk so that those who come after us will also have a plain path to follow.

CHANGES
"And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the

darkness, and the light dwelleth with him." Daniel 2:21-22

It is the time of the year when there is the change of the seasons. We find that fall will soon be upon us, the leaves will start to change their color, the temperatures will begin to cool some and we will find ourselves busy raking leaves.
In the world around us we are seeing a lot of changes. Not all change is bad or sinful as long as it does not lower our standard of morality nor compromise the commandments in the Word of God. We are being confronted with change on the social, business, and economic scenes. There are changes in the moral and political realms today. As foretold in the Bible, they are calling right wrong and wrong right. The general rule of society is to do whatever seems right in their own eyes. Even government officials, who have THE TEN COMMANDMENTS etched on their walls so they can easily see and read them, do not take heed to what they know is right to do. Many people think it is better to bend the rules and keep individuals happy than to be honest and take the consequences. Society would say whatever you feel or do about a situation is no one’s business but yours -- after all the end justifies the means.
God has something to say on this subject. Proverbs 24:21-22 reads, “My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?” Malachi 3:6: “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” In a society where morality and principles as a whole are deplorably wrong, we as Christians must continue to stand for the laws and principles we know are written in the Word of God. God does not adjust His laws to the society of the day; He expects society to adjust to the laws He has given. This is why Christ died -- to take away the sin nature. Romans 8:7 reads, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 5:20: “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” God desires to make a change in the sinner’s life.

PARENTING

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:1-4

While the father is to be the head of the home, the mother is to be the heart of the home. Parenting correctly involves both parents working together to get the job done. The children also have a responsibility to heed the admonitions given them. Wm. Braden said, “Family life has its origin with God. A more sacred position than that of father or mother it is impossible to occupy. And this because the highest revelation of God presents Him to us as a Parent. He is the Father of men. In every family, therefore, where love abounds and holy authority rules, there is a reflection of God.” We as parents become as God to our children until they come to the age of accountability; therefore, we must instruct them as to the rights and wrongs in life. The early years of childhood have been proven to be the formable years. It is very important to do our best to form or mold those little lives into a young person who has a desire to listen to God. We must instruct our children in the doctrines and duties found in God’s Holy Word so they might know how to live. As parents we must not be content to just tell our children about God’s laws, but we must show them by our consistent and holy daily living. They learn from our example much faster than they do from what we tell them, so we must be careful that our actions and our attitudes are such as is pleasing to God. We need to set boundaries or limits so they know how far they can go and then stand firm even when it hurts. Children like to have boundaries that are consistent, not always changing. They appreciate their parents’ opinions and thoughts, but they will form their own ideas. Therefore, it is important that we give sound advice for them to use as building blocks. We need to be there to lend a helping hand when needed and to support them when they have tried and the results were not what they thought they should be. Above all else, children of all ages need to feel the love and affection that can only come from a parent. They need to feel our prayers and know that they too can be overcomers. May we be good parents and grandparents so those who follow us will be able to find a clear path that points the way to heaven.

Sowing The Seed

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. Psalm 126:5

Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters. Isaiah 32:20

One of the fascinating things about life in any form is that in order for a species to contine to grow or reproduce, someone -man or God- has to plant it. The reason that some plants and animals become extinct or close to extinction is that someone was not watching the reproduction ratio, or failed to do anything about it. I wonder if many times this is not the picture we see of the true disciples of Christ; it seems we are seeing fewer people who really want to turn their life around and give their all to Jesus Christ. There are a lot of people who go under the banner of Christianity, but have never truly given their life over to Him. It becomes our responsibility as His disciples to go forth in the world in which we live and carry this great salvation news.

First of all, we are to sow beside all waters; that is, we are to take the message to ALL men - to the rich, the poor, to the high class and the low, the good and the bad. Jesus came to bring salvation to all men, for He said He came to seek and to save that which was lost - that is, those who do not know Him. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus tells of the sower that went forth to sow; some seed fell by the wayside, some on the rock, some fell among thorns, but some fell on good ground and brought forth a harvest. So, it is up to us to sow the righteous seed of the Gospel.

Second, we must sow the seed in tears; we must bathe all of our efforts in prayer. God knows the hearts of all men and He can take out prayers and soften the hearts of those we pray for. Some we may pray about for years before we see God move, but that does not mean God has not been listening, but that He is waiting for the right time. As the songwriter put it: “Just keep on praying ‘til light breaks through. The Lord will answer - will answer you.” Let us not give up on the brink of a miracle. He promised us that if we would sow in tears, we would reap in joy. God will bring it to pass. It matters not what you may have had to endure or how difficult things may have been, God will always answer the petitions we have brought to Him; He has never failed one of His promises.

So, let’s keep on sowing the seed, keep on watering with our tears, and keep on believing for the souls of men. God will be faithful to give the increase when we have been faithful to sow.

CHRIST IS RISEN!

“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.” Matthew 28:6-7

Never before in history has there ever been anyone that could raise themselves from the grave or the dead. JESUS CHRIST the Son of God was the only one that has been able to fulfill that claim. John 10:17-18 says, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” There have been many false Christs in this world down through time who have claimed to be the Messiah, but they all died and were buried. Today you can find their various graves and tombstones around the world. They are still locked away in their tombs awaiting the great judgment day and their final reward for posing themselves as Christ. Our Christ has only an empty tomb for us to see, where He lay for just a little while before He raised Himself from death and the grave. There is no headstone there because He no longer resides there; He has come forth, Hallelujah! The apostle wrote in I Corinthians 15:20, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” John 14:19 reads, “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.” We as Christians have the wonderful and blessed truth concerning our lives here and what is gong to happen in the future. Death to the Christian is only a transition from this earthly life to our heavenly and eternal life. Jesus has promised us that one day all those who have died in the Lord shall be raised from the dead and be caught up into heaven, there to live with our Christ forevermore. As we are entering this spring season, let us remember that He that is giving new life to all the plant world around us is desirous to give every person new life in Him. Then someday we can live with Him forever in that great Heaven He has gone to prepare for all those that have loved and followed Him.

CULTIVATING

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” Hosea 10:12

It will soon be that time of the year when people begin to till their gardens and the farmers begin to plow and disc their fields, getting them ready for planting. They must break the land up deep and cultivate it well, so that when the time comes to plant the seeds they can germinate easily and produce a bountiful crop. We as human beings are like the fallow ground in that we must watch lest we become stalemate in our relationship with God. It is so easy to get taken up with all the cares of life until we find ourselves too busy, and without enough time to get everything done. The problem is - if we are not careful - we will have a tendency to slack off in our devotional life to God. When this happens, we start to become lean in our spiritual life and walk. We will become more susceptible to the enemy of our soul and to the temptations and snares he places in our way. Mankind has the desire to do what is right, but he finds that sometimes the flesh is weak. The prophet Hosea gave the remedy to anyone who finds himself growing lean or lacking in the soul. First he said “break up the fallow ground” of the soul. We do that by earnestly seeking the Lord in prayer and meditation. We bare our soul to God so that He might help us in the areas of life that we are struggling with. He wants us to be very open and honest with Him concerning the condition we are in. Second he said “it is time to seek the Lord.” Humanity has a tendency to turn to other solutions such as good deeds or good works rather than seeking the Lord and His remedy for our leanness. The prophet also told us how we would know when the fallow ground had been broken up sufficiently, “till He come and rain righteousness upon you.” When the Lord shows us what we need to do or change in our lives to be able to draw closer to Him, then it is up to us to obey by making the needed adjustment. The Word said for us to draw nigh to Him and He will draw nigh to us. It is God’s sincere desire that we have a close relationship and fellowship with Him. When we follow His proddings, the joy bells will continue to ring in our soul and we can have a life that is overflowing with the sweet presence of God. As a result of that overflow, God will use us to touch the lives of others along our way.

Y LOVE Y

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

We see from these scriptures that the real test of true love is how much we are willing to give or sacrifice of ourselves for the interest of someone else. Real love is not about what I will receive from a relationship but rather what I can put into that relationship to make it better. The Scripture says that Jesus came to His own but His own received Him not, and yet Jesus said concerning His people, “how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!” You see, God’s love is not something that is here today and gone tomorrow; for He says in Jeremiah 31:3: The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. God loves us because He is God and we are His creation, not because we are good or because we are evil, but because His most outstanding attribute is love. John 15:12 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” Romans 13:10: Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. As a Christian we have an obligation, but most of all the privilege, of being able to share this love which has been placed in our heart. Jesus told us we were to love our enemies and those that have done us wrong, not just the ones who were nice or kind to us. We show this love first of all by the attitudes we have toward the people and the situations that are around us. God is able to help us to portray His spirit and love regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in. We also show this love by our actions; people do watch where we go and those activities we involve ourselves in. They look to see how we respond to the difficult happenings in our lives. How we react during those times tells them much about the love of Jesus in our heart. I pray that God will help each of us to be a living example of true love which the world very seldom sees.

December 2009

The Greatest Christmas Gift
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

Isaiah 9:6-7
To me this is the most wonderful time of the year, when we celebrate the birth of the ONE AND ONLY TRUE AND LIVING GOD. While we are in the midst of all our celebrations and giving of gifts let us remember that the only reason we have this season is because God sent His only begotten son as a Gift to humanity to reconcile us back to Himself. Matthew 1:21: " And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." Luke 1:76-77: "And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
Even though God gave His Son as a gift to the human race, we must accept the gift of Him into our hearts before it becomes a reality. We live in a day when many people who claim to be a Christian do not live up to what the Word of God admonishes us to do and be. Since Christ came as the greatest Gift to lost mankind those who receive Him as their personal Saviour are to carry this blessed Gift wherever they go, living a life that is uplifting to the wonderful name of Jesus. This year during our hustle and bustle let us take time to give a smile to those who may not have one. Take time to strengthen those that are weak or lonely, remembering that not everyone you meet knows about this GREATEST OF ALL GIFTS. Jesus said it is more blessed to give than receive, so this Christmas season let us be givers of those blessings which God has so graciously given us through His Son Jesus.

THANKSGIVING
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. Psalm 100:4

In the agricultural world, harvest time is about over, and the time to begin enjoying some of the fruits of the labors is near. What a wonderful and blessed time of the year when we look beyond all the toils and sweat to realize the benefits of our labors; to be grateful and thankful to our bountiful Father above who gave to us the increase that we enjoy.
Paul tells us in Romans 1:21: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” God wants us to understand that every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father above.

All the things we enjoy in life are blessings either directly or indirectly allowed by the mighty hand of God. As we approach this season of the year we are especially reminded of all the benefits and privileges we have here in America. I know there are those who are trying to take as many of those privileges away as possible. That is why we must do our part to stand and be counted as often as we see the opportunity to do so.

Our religious freedom is under attack by those in high places who think our core values have no place in our society. I thank God for His Word which guides men’s hearts and minds in clean, clear, and holy ways; ways of treating others as you would like to be treated. We need to thank God for the country we live in, AMERICA. I realize there have been many changes made, not all to the good; yet we enjoy more freedoms than any other country in the world.
Then we should thank God for our families and friends and what they mean to us -- I cannot imagine life without them. We should do all we can to build those relationships, and make them as strong as we possibly can. We never know when we may need each other.
Most of us can thank God for a measure of health and many other blessings such as food, raiment and answered prayers. Oh, what a wonderful Savior we have. We are blessed beyond measure. We owe our God everything, for He is all sufficient. We are far short on our thanks and praise to the Lord. The Psalmist said in Ps. 150:6: “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.” Let us express our gratitude to our Heavenly Father this Thanksgiving season for His watchful care upon us.

HARVEST TIME

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. John 4:35

     We are in the harvest time of the year -- gathering in the fruits of our planting labors. If we have planted with good seed, if the condition of the soil is good, if we have watered sufficiently and God has granted adequate sunshine; then we can hope to reap a good harvest.
     In this Scripture Jesus is of course speaking about the Gospel seed being planted in the hearts of men. Jesus said in Mark 16:15: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.” As followers of Christ we have a huge job as well as a wonderful privilege to take the message of salvation and hope to every individual our lives touch. We sow the seed in various ways. One most important way is to give them the word of God. Jesus said His Word would not return unto Him void. God’s Word remains with them long after what we have said has faded away. We also plant seed by our example in action and attitudes. Sometimes people may not always comprehend what we say -- at least at the time, but they do pick up on our actions or attitudes. We must be careful what we plant and how we plant it. There comes a harvest regardless of what or how we have planted, so we must plant good seed in the correct way.
    Jesus tells us in this Scripture that the fields (the sea of humanity) are already white (ripe) ready to harvest (bring the gospel message to). As we look around us today, we see mankind reaching out in hopes of finding something that will satisfy the void in their souls. We have the answer to life’s perplexities. It is not found in this world’s gains and amusements, but rather in Jesus Christ. Jesus said in verse thirty-six that if we go out and reap (labor) we would receive wages (souls that would be born into the kingdom of God). Sometimes the results we receive are because of other’s labors; but both the laborer and the receiver get to rejoice together. The problem with most individuals is if they don’t see some results right away they have a tendency to quit or stop trying as hard. Galatians 6:9 says: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” We must get the message out to this our generation, so that when we stand before the Great Harvest Gather we will have some sheaves to lay at His feet.

TO THE GLORY OF GOD

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” I Corinthians 10:31
In all of the deeds, actions, and plans in life, the most important question we should ask our self is, “Does this bring glory to God?” The phrase, "the glory of God," is equivalent to the honour of God; and the admonition is that we should act in all things as to honour Him as our Lawgiver, our Creator, our Redeemer; and so to lead others by our example to praise Him and to embrace His Gospel.

All the relationships we have in life should bring forth the goodness and the greatness of the eternal God. From the smallest things -- eating and drinking -- to the designing and planning of the most intricate details of our lives, God wants and must be a part of the entire framework of those things that make up our lives. Whatever we do, wherever we go, whatever relations we have, what we say, what we look at, what we listen to, whatever we participate in, should all be done with the Eternal One in mind. He hears everything, sees everything and knows everything. Job 34:21: “For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.” When God looks down on us, He is looking to see if what we are doing is pleasing to Him and bringing honor to His name. As we go about our daily lives and mingle among the human race, our presence should give off the radiance of Christ. God wants us to bring love, joy, peace, contentment and kindness into a world that is filled with hate, revenge and violence. The problem is most of the time we are in too big a hurry endeavoring to get things accomplished until we make blunders and mistakes and then have to go back and make apologies.

Our example has a great bearing on those we are in contact with in life’s walk. If it has a shade of something that’s not just right, it can lower the quality of what Christ can do for the human heart. II Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” Psalm 34:15: “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.” The closer we walk to our Savior, the more like Him we will become. If our lives resemble more of Christ, they will bring glory and honor to Him. Then we can say with the apostle Paul, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”

The Lord’s Compassion

Lamentations 3:22-23” It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

The streams of mercy acknowledged; We are not consumed. The church of God is like Moses' bush, burning, yet not consumed; whatever hardships it has met with, or may meet with, it shall have a being in the world to the end of time. It is persecuted of men, but not forsaken of God, and therefore, though it is cast down, it is not destroyed (2
Corinthians 4:9), corrected, yet not consumed, refined in the furnace as silver, but not
consumed as dross. [Matthew Henry's Commentary]

That God's compassions fail not; they do not really fail, no, not even when in anger He seems to have shut up his tender mercies. These rivers of mercy run fully and constantly, but never run dry. No, they are new every morning; every morning we have fresh instances of God's compassion towards us; He visits us with them every morning (Job 7:18); every morning does He bring his judgment to light, Zephaniah 3:5.
When our comforts fail, yet God's compassions do not. Great is His faithfulness. Though
the covenant seemed to be broken, they owned that it still continued in full force; and,
though Jerusalem be in ruins, the truth of the Lord endures for ever. Whatever hard
things we suffer, we must never entertain any hard thoughts of God, but must still be
ready to own that He is both kind and faithful. He is good to all; His tender mercies are
over all His works; all His creatures taste of His goodness. But He is in a particular
manner good to those that wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him. While trouble is
prolonged, and deliverance is deferred, we must patiently wait for God and His gracious
returns to us. While we wait for Him by faith, we must seek Him by prayer: our souls must seek Him, else we do not seek so as to find. And to those who thus wait and seek, God will be gracious; He will show them his marvelous lovingkindness. When God returns to deal graciously with us, it will not be according to our merits, but according to His mercies, according to the multitude, the abundance, of His mercies. He retains His
kindness for His people even when He afflicts them. He does not willingly grieve the
children of men, much less His own children. However it be, yet God is good to them (Psalm 73:1), and they may by faith see love in His heart even when they see frowns in His face and a rod in His hand. What a great and mighty God we serve!

FREEDOM

“And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.” Acts 22:28:

We have come again to the month in which we celebrate the freedom of out country {July 4, 1776}. Many men gave their lives because they felt that fighting and dying for the cause of freedom was worth the price they had to pay. Every generation has to continue to fight in various ways to maintain this freedom that was so graciously handed down to us from our forefathers. If we are not alert to the changes around us, we can be overtaken by those who claim they have our best interest at heart. Some people are willing to give up their freedom for convenience and for promised (?) security. America was founded on Christian principles and Biblical laws which have kept and preserved us as a nation for many generations. We dare not cave in to this day’s idea of doing our own thing as long as it makes one happy. May God help us to be faithful to our generation to preserve this heritage which has come to us at such a great price.
From the beginning of time Satan has declared war on God. His method was to get men to disobey or sin against God. He accomplished this by getting humanity to break the laws {Ten Commandments} and principles that God has set down in His Holy Word - the Bible - for us to live and govern our lives by. Sin makes us an enemy toward God until we have a heart change by God Himself. Psalms 51:5: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Jesus Christ came that He might destroy the works of the devil in the hearts of mankind and set up a new rulership under the Lordship of Christ.
Zecheriah 13:1: “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” Ro 8:2: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Jesus said, in John 8:32: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” I John 3:4 says that sin is the transgression of the law of God. The only real freedom we have is when we have been set free in our hearts by Jesus Christ. Then whatever the circumstances we find ourselves in, He will be there to see that we make it through. To know He is standing by your side is to know the best freedom in the world.

THE BRIDE

Jeremiah 33:11 “The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever:”
The month of June is chosen by brides for their weddings more than any other time of the year. Arrayed in all her finery and with a big smile on her face, she appears anxious and excited about the fact she is soon to become the bridegroom’s wife. The love of her life is about to sweep her off her feet into a new realm of life.

We the true born-again believers in Jesus Christ are the ones who make up the Bride of Christ. In Matthew the 25th chapter, Jesus tells the parable of ten virgins and the bridegroom {Himself}. Jesus said five of those virgins were wise; they took extra oil along with their lamps. Five of those virgins were foolish; they took no extra oil for their lamps. When their lamps went out they did not have time to replenish their oil, for the cry had gone out that it was time to meet the bridegroom.

    Jesus is coming again soon to take His Bride away. In Luke 17:26, He says “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.” Again in Matthew 24:44 Jesus said, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” God is still giving us, His creation, ample opportunity to prepare for His return. We do not know when He may come; but He told us when He went away
that He would come again and receive us unto Himself, that where He was there we might be also. It is our responsibility to get ready and stay ready for the Bridegroom by having our sins washed away and our heart made pure and holy by the cleansing of the Holy Spirit. We must have a consistent and Godly walk which tells the world around us that we
are looking for our Bridegroom. There should be joy and excitement in our midst that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is coming again so that He might receive His Bride, the church, which shall be without spot or wrinkle. Jesus said to those who look for Him will He appear again. Are you watching for His coming? All the wise virgins are.

Flowers

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; Song of Solomon 2:12

“Note the infinite variety of flowers, and how they thrive in all sorts of places. High up on the mountains, at the very edge of the snow, is found the purple soldanella, the white crocus, and the blue hepatica. Down in the sultry plain blooms the red poppy, the white dog-daisy, and the blue corn-flower; in the cold, raw winds of March, the dearly-loved snowdrop shakes its pure bell. Everywhere, in all sorts of situations, in all sorts of climates, out of all sorts of soils, spring up the flowers God has made. Everywhere, in all sorts of situations, in all ranks of life, in all conditions of life, out of every social deposit, the saints of God arise. Everywhere the grace of God shines and matures the seed of eternal life, and causes the flowers of a Christian life to unfold. And as each flower is specially suited to the soil in which it grows, and to the climate which surrounds it, so it is with the Christian graces. There are special graces, special virtues, according to class, and place, and circumstances.” {S. Baring Gould}

Sometimes we may think how difficult is to live in a world that is so filled with sin and all the filth and slime of immorality and corruption. The fact is that in the most difficult situations in life, the Christians flower or life should stand out the more. God has called us out to serve and shine in this our generation. If we are not careful the devil will try to convince us that we are the only one who is really involved in trying to make things go. We may not always see what someone else is doing or the effect they may be having on others. It is everyone’s responsibility to make sure that we live our lives in such a way that those around us will be able to smell the fragrance of a holiness life. There is no need for us to hang our heads or be ashamed -- we have the very best thing in this world -- the message of hope for those who are lost. God has placed us here in this present day that we might blossom and bloom and beautify the world and the people around us and serve Him in this present age.

Rev. Kennith Adamson