From Ben Fronczek... Acts 17 – The Apostle Paul in Athens

Acts 17 – The Apostle Paul in Athens

Read Acts 17:13-21

“When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)”

So here we go with Paul again fleeing from one place to another because he is being persecuted for doing something good. And here we find him now in the capitol of the Greek world, Athens. Athens had actually reached its prime 500 years before Paul visited it, in the time of Pericles (461-429 B.C.). However Athens was still the cultural and intellectual center of the Greek world. While there, Paul could not help but see the many temples and statues that still stand there today. Today these objects are of interest mainly for their archaeological and artistic value, but in Paul’s day they were idols and places of worship that the Greeks regarded as holy. It was said that there were more statues of the gods in Athens than in all the rest of Greece put together, and that in Athens it was easier to meet a statue of a god than a man. (30,000 statues) The Apostle Paul arrived there in Athens after visiting and starting churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Unfortunately he was persecuted and had to flee each town. And so that’s what brought him to Athens. After being in Athens and observing all of these idols, he can’t help himself and had to speak up and talk about Jesus, first in the local synagogue and then in the marketplace which caught the attention of local Epicureans and Stoic philosophers. The Epicureans were disciples of Epicurus (341-270 B.C.) who believed that pleasure was the greatest good and the most worthy pursuit of man. Pleasure in the sense of tranquillity and freedom from pain, and fears, especially the fear of death. Epicurus taught that the gods took no interest in human affairs. Thus organized religion was viewed as irrelevant because  the gods would not punish evildoers in the afterlife. Epicurus’ followers also believed that everything happened by chance and that death was the end of all. This philosophy is still popular today.  Many people still believe that pleasure is the ultimate goal to seek out. And many people today don’t think God is involved in our life in a personal way. Some don’t believe in an after life or hell, and that everything happen only by chance. Stoics followed the teachings of Zeno the Cypriot (340-265 B.C.). The name “stoic” comes from “stoa,” a particular portico where he taught when he lived in Athens. His followers placed great importance on living in harmony with nature. (Sound familiar: Have you hugged your tree today?) They stressed individual self-sufficiency and rationalism, and they had a reputation for being quite arrogant. Stoics believed that God is in everything, and everything is God. They were also fatalistic or believed that all events are predetermined so that man is powerless to alter his destiny. Many of their teachings are also common today. And so these philosophers are curious about what Paul was teaching and invite him to speak before a council of men called the Areopagus. In his speech he has some amazing things to tell them, especially considering who they were and what they believed.

I want to share with you a couple of things that caught my attention and I feel is relevant for us today.

 #1. Read. 17:22-23  “Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.”

Being religious, and surrounding yourself with all kinds of religious icons and people who think alike doesn’t necessarily meant that you have a relationship with our God, nor does it ensure salvation. As a matter of fact, these people even though they were steeped in their religious relics, they did not even know the one true God. They had had obviously been to busy making up new ones and then side-tracked themselves with others philosophies and false truths that were popular during that time.

Read  24:24-27  ““The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. “

As Paul begins to inform them about our God who they do not know. He lets them know that He is the God that:

- He made all things and is Lord of heaven and on earth (Not Zeus)

- He  doesn’t live in man-made temples, nor is He served by human hands

- He is God! He gives al men life and breath and everything else. He doesn’t need anything from us.

- He determines the time to be set for man and even where we should live.

 WHY?   

#2   V. 27 says, He does all this so that “men will seek Him and  reach out for Him and perhaps find Him!”

I love this thought here. God and Lord of the universe, the most awesome and powerful being in the universe, who created us, who sustains us, who determines a time and place for us to be born;    even though He is invisible, has a strong desire for me and you to personally seek Him out, with the hope of finding Him. Our God is not the kind of God who is throwing Himself on us or forcing Himself on us. He wants to be sought out and pursued. I can’t help but think that He wants to be pursued like a lover, like someone who is real important to you. That’s how intimate of a relationship our God and our Father want to have with us. I don’t believe He is interested in being some kind of religious icon, to have His image set in stone to put on your shelf or plant in your lawn. He wants us to hunger and thirst for Him, to search for Him, and seek Him out. HE want us to be driven to get to know Him. When asked, what did Jesus say was the greatest of all commandments? To love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and being.   You don’t fall in love with anyone like that without  pursuing them. 

God told the Israelites in Deut. 4:29 

“if you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

The Psalmist wrote, “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” (105:4)

I believe it’s when you seek God out and pursue Him like this you move from being simply ‘religious’ to becoming a genuine disciple. We read that God wants sons and daughters who love and want to have a relationship with Him and not just treat Him like some kind of Greek god whose way up there who just threw things into motion, sits back and watches, and expect us to revere Him simply because HE is God.

Re-read 17:27-28  “God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’

#3  God is not way up there some place, rather He is near, for in Him we exist, and move, and live.   God is as close to us as our breath and closer. We just  need to open our eyes of faith. David understood this.

Read Psalm 139:1-18 (click on link to read) http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%20139:1-18&version=NIV1984

God is right here with you and me, and you can’t hide from Him. We just need to learn to open up our eyes of faith, our spiritual eyes and then learn to practice the very presence of God everyday. God is closer than you may realize. As a Christian, He very Spirit is in us.Let me read one last section to you for the next point.  

Read Acts 17:28-34 “‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”

When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council. A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.”

#4  In this text Paul told them that in the past God overlooked their ignorance but now He commands all people to repent (that is to get on the right track, to return to Him, to turn from ignorance to truth). And that truth is found in Jesus;  not in the Greek Gods, not in Philosophies of that time, nor of this time, nor is it found in any other man made religion like, Buddhism, Hinduism, Mormonism, Islam or any other religion. God wants us to turn to Him and Him alone, and seek Him out. We are His offspring. He is our heavenly Father.  And Paul lets them, and us know that He has set a day when He will judge the world. What does that mean?

Listen to what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians in his second letter.  He wrote this: “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power” (2 Thess. 1:7b-10)

Over and over we are told in Scripture that there is a great day coming when all mankind will be judged. Those who believe in, and have accepted God and His son Jesus who died for our sin will be saved and will enter His abode. But those who do not know God, and those who have not accepted Him and His Son Jesus, and those who have not accepted and obeyed the Gospel will for all eternity be sent away from His presence. And what a hell that will be! Paul goes on to tell them, You want proof that this is all true? Well God proved it by raising the man who will judge you from the dead. And of course we know who He is. His Son, and our Lord, Jesus.  At this some of the Athenians laughed, some sneered and walked a way, but just like today a few stayed around and wanted to hear more of what Paul had to say. And some of them became believers.  Jesus Himself prophesied that many would be called, many would here the Good New, but only a few would accept the offer, this gift… how sad.

Sometimes, some folks just don’t want to believe or accept the truth when they here it. 

But that day Paul taught a powerful message.

#1) Being religious and surrounding yourself by all kinds of religious relics and people doesn’t necessarily mean a whole lot to God

#2) He is more interested in us seeking Him out, and even finding Him.  He wants us to have a personal relationship with Him.

#3) He is a lot closer to us than most of realize. We need to practice the presence of God.

 #4) God will not put up with the excuse of ignorance any more. There is a great day coming when we will be judged.

The question is are you ready?

From Jim McGuiggan... Christ: The Incomparable

Christ: The Incomparable

 

 

In Philippians 3 Paul took out all his prized possessions, one by one and looked them over. They were the kind of things people ooh and aah over and sometimes wish they had. Paul himself thought highly of them but after looking them over he said, "Still, compared with Christ and what I have in him, these are all no better than rubbish."

He then goes on to say that he actually suffered the loss of all these. It was more than thinking of them as dispensable; he actually suffered the loss of them (3:7-8). And he took out all the sufferings and losses and looked them over. They were the kind of losses that people understandably stagger under and sob about. Paul himself keenly felt all his losses; he was no Stoic but after examining them in detail he said, "But they aren't worthy to be compared with the glory I find in Christ Jesus and will one day experience in full."

What's especially noteworthy is this: here's a man who went the distance in pursuit of Christ and still confessed he couldn't catch up to him. We're tempted to think if anyone has fully entered into all that union with Christ means it must have been Paul. He hurries to make clear (3:12), "I'm not suggesting I've arrived. Far from it! But I continue the pursuit." This says a lot about Paul, of course, but it says a lot about Jesus Christ. How much is there to him? If someone pursues him as recklessly as Paul, without counting the cost or holding back, what treasures of joy and pain and longing and achievement must be hidden in Christ?

Hmmm, what treasures can I pull out of my experience? What precious things, what gifts from God for which I should be grateful? And what would lead me without despising them or denying their loveliness to see them as trivia in comparison with Christ and what it means to be part of him? What would lead me to do more than point to Paul's experience and wish it were my own? I wonder.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Displaying God's Wisdom In Our Families (Ephesians 5:22-6:9)

                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS"

           Displaying God's Wisdom In Our Families (5:22-6:9)

INTRODUCTION

1. Up to this point Paul has been describing how we can "have a walk 
   worthy of the calling with which you were called" - Ep 4:1

2. We have seen that conduct "worthy of the calling" involves:
   a. Walking in unity - Ep 4:1-16
   b. Walking in truth and holiness - Ep 4:17-32
   c. Walking in love, walking as light and walking as wise - Ep 5:1-21

3. In what might appear at first to be an abrupt change of direction, 
   Paul begins to describe how various family members are to conduct 
   themselves - Ep 5:22-6:9
   a. The responsibilities of wives - Ep 5:22-24
   b. The responsibilities of husbands - Ep 5:25-33
   c. The responsibilities of children - Ep 6:1-3
   d. The responsibilities of fathers - Ep 6:4
   e. The responsibilities of servants - Ep 6:5-8
   f. The responsibilities of masters - Ep 6:9

4. But the subject matter is really not so abrupt as it may appear, for 
   Paul mentioned earlier...
   a. How the church is to "make known the manifold wisdom of God" 
      - Ep 3:10
   b. How we are to walk in "wisdom" - Ep 5:15-17
   ...and it is through family relationships that we can often do this 
   more successfully than in any other way!

5. How can this be?  Well, it is through our families that we interact 
   so much with the society in which we live...
   a. Through marriage we immediately come into contact with another 
      family (our "in-laws")
   b. Through children we develop relationships with those in their 
      schools, their neighborhood, etc.

6. Thus it is through our families we have great potential to 
   demonstrate the wisdom of God...
   a. The same principles that underlie the gospel message (submission,
      love, sacrifice, obedience, honesty, fairness) are to be displayed
      in our family relationships
   b. By example, then, we can demonstrate in our families what is truly
      good and right (i.e., God's will), and prepare others to be 
      receptive to the gospel message!

[Thus Paul is not abruptly changing direction, but continues to talk 
about those sort of things which are crucial to having a "walk worthy of
the calling with which you were called".

Consider, then, how those who "walk worthy" conduct themselves in 
regards to...]

I. MARITAL RESPONSIBILITIES (5:22-33)

   A. THE DUTY OF WIVES... (22-24)
      1. They are to submit to their husbands in everything...
         a. Just as they are to submit to the Lord ("as to the Lord")
         b. Just as the church is subject to Christ
      2. The reason:  the husband is head of the wife, just as Christ is
         head of the church
         a. Any time you have organization that is functional, you must 
            have some chain of authority
         b. In the family, it is God's Will that the husband be the head
            of the wife, and that parents be over their children
      3. Here is an opportunity for wives to demonstrate the wisdom and 
         value of an important principle in God's will:  that of 
         submission!
         a. Jesus taught by both word and example of the importance of 
            submission - cf. Jn 13:12-17; Mk 10:42-45
         b. Indeed we all are to submit in one way or another - Jm 4:7;
            Ep 5:21
         c. Through their submission, wives prove that God's will is 
            best in such matters!

   B. THE DUTY OF HUSBANDS... (25-30)
      1. They are to love their wives...     
         a. Just as Christ loved the church, i.e., with a sacrificial 
            love designed to bless and benefit their wives
         b. Just as they love their own bodies, i.e., with a love that 
            nourishes and cherishes their wives
      2. Just as the wives have the opportunity to demonstrate God's 
         wisdom concerning submission, so husbands are given the 
         opportunity to demonstrate Christ's love...
         a. As the head over His church, Jesus rules as a "benevolent 
            monarch"
         b. Some think such a concept as "benevolent monarch" is 
            impossible (as per the saying, "Power corrupts, absolute 
            power corrupts absolutely")
         c. But when a husband exercises his authority as head of the 
            family with the kind of love Jesus displays while ruling 
            over His church, they demonstrate not only the possibility, 
            but the wisdom of a benevolent monarchy!

[Indeed, the "marriage" between a man and a woman can reflect the 
relationship that exists between Christ and the church (31-32).  But 
this can happen only if...

   1) A husband exercises his authority with love (33a)

   2) A wife submits to her husband with respect (33b).

Just as there are "marital responsibilities", so there are...]

II. FAMILIAL RESPONSIBILITIES (6:1-9)

   A. THE DUTY OF CHILDREN... (1-3)
      1. Children are to obey their parents in a way that honors them
      2. There are certainly temporal benefits for such obedience ("that
         it may be well with you...")
      3. But there are also spiritual repercussions - cf. Col 3:20
         ("for this is well pleasing to the Lord")
      4. And by their example, children can show the value of obedience 
         to the commands of God

   B. THE DUTY OF FATHERS... (4)
      1. Fathers are charged both negatively and positively..
         a. DON'T provoke children to wrath (i.e., discipline without 
            love)
         b. DO bring them up in the "training and admonition" of the 
            Lord (i.e., discipline tempered with love)
      2. In the world, people usually fall into two extremes of child-
         raising:
         a. Discipline without love (child abuse)
         b. Love without discipline (permissiveness)
      3. But when fathers properly administer both love and discipline, 
         by example they show how God raises His own children in the 
         family of God - cf. He 12:5-11

   C. THE DUTY OF SERVANTS... (5-8)
      1. In the First Century A.D., servants were an intricate part of 
         many households, which may explain Paul including instructions
         to them and masters in this and parallel passages - cf. Col 3:
         18-4:1
      2. Christians who were servants were expected to exemplify the 
         proper kind of obedience required of all Christians...
         a. Obedience with fear and trembling - cf. Php 2:10
         b. Obedience in sincerity of heart, as to Christ Himself
         c. Obedience with good will, as to the Lord 
         d. Obedience with an understanding that the Lord is an 
            impartial Judge
      3. In this way even slaves could demonstrate by example what true
         obedience was according to the Will of God

   D. THE DUTY OF MASTERS... (9)
      1. Those Christians who had slaves (like Philemon) were charged to
         treat their servants in very special ways:
         a. "do the same things to them", i.e., their treatment of 
            slaves should be governed by the same sort of principles 
            given to the servants...
            1) "with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to 
               Christ"
            2) "not with eyeservice...but as servants of Christ, doing 
               the will of God from the heart"
            3) "with good will...as to the Lord, and not to men"
            4) "knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive
               the same from the Lord..."
         b. In particular, Christian slave-owners were to give up 
            threatening and to remember that God shows no respect of 
            persons
      2. By their example, masters could demonstrate the proper exercise
         of authority, and reveal much about how our Master in heaven 
         rules over us in the kingdom of God!
            
CONCLUSION

1. How we conduct ourselves in our marriage and family relationships can
   greatly effect our efforts to make known "the manifold wisdom of 
   God"...
   a. Marriages and families that are "dysfunctional" serve only to 
      belie the claims we make about the gospel and its power to 
      transform lives
   b. Whereas marriages and families based upon the teachings of God's 
      Word can speak volumes as to the value of principles inherent in 
      the gospel; such principles as:
      1) Submitting to God and others in authority
      2) Exercising authority with sacrificial love
      3) Obeying those placed over us by God
      4) Developing others through training and admonition, not 
         intimidation
      5) Rendering service that is sincere, not hypocritical
      6) Exercising authority with justice and fairness

2. So as we endeavor to "walk worthy of the calling" that we have in 
   Christ, let's not overlook those areas where it is most imperative to
   have a "worthy walk":  in our marriages and families!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Gary.... That which is growing - grows!!!

Our "Preacher-in-training" (Alan) started a new series of lessons on the book of Revelation Sunday evening.  I have studied Revelation before, but this brother makes it "come alive" with his computerized power-point presentations.  The picture above reminded of Alan's reference to one of the early church father's who said: "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church".  How could anything possibly grow in such a hostile environment?  Obviously, it can!!!  The same holds true for the church and somehow this passage from Revelation seemed to fit...

Revelation, Chapter 2

  8  “To the angel of the assembly in Smyrna write: 

“The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things: 

  9  “I know your works, oppression, and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.   10  Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.   11  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes won’t be harmed by the second death.

Unless you have been in a coma of late, you must have noticed that there is a war going on in the United States Of America.  Our government is assuming more and more power and our liberties seem to be vanishing on almost a daily basis.  I pray for this country on a regular basis and encourage you to do the same.  Life is very soon going to become difficult for those that call themselves Christians in this country.  Our current king is Muslim and has allied himself with cronies who share the same worship of Allah, so we can expect problems shortly.  Think I am wrong?  You have the right to disagree (for now at least) !!!  The good news is that nothing on or above this Earth has more power than God.  In our lifetimes, we may actually have choices like those Smyrna faced; it is entirely possible.  However, I take comfort in the FACT that our reward for perseverance will be a crown of life (verse 10 above).  If you are rooted and grounded on the firm ground of Jesus, it doesn't matter how hot things may get for you- you will overcome (one way or another).

From Ben Fronczek... Planting Seeds

Planting Seeds

What kind of work did Jesus grow up doing?  Carpentry. Joseph was a carpenter by trade and I’m sure Jesus grew up learning the ins and out of that trade and worked beside him. Usually it was around the age of 12 that a son would begin learning his dad’s trade, and I would dare to say some began earlier. People knew who Jesus was even after He began His public ministry. As a matter of fact He was even referred to as the carpenter’s son when He traveled back to His home town. I find it interesting that we don’t read many references, illustrations, or allusions to His work as a carpenter; what He built, or how to build this or that. There are a few inferences, but it seems as though He refers to another trade over and over and over again, and so I wonder if Jesus kind of admired that trade. And what I am referring to is how often He talked about Agriculture and the life of a farmer. Over and over we read parables, lessons and stories based on farming or agriculture of some sort; and so I can’t help but wonder; did He admire that way of life?  

For example:

- In John 10 Jesus talked about a shepherd and his flock and how He is the good shepherd.

- In Luke 15:3ff  He told the parable of the lost sheep; how if someone owns a 100 sheep and one wanders away how the shepherd will leave the 99 to search out the one that was lost, and when it is found He talked about how much he rejoices. And then Jesus alludes to the fact of how there is great joy in heaven over one sinner repents and returns to God. 

– In John 15 Jesus talked about another kind of farming when He talks about the vine and the branches and how we are like the branches, and He is the true vine, and His Father is the gardener who trims that branches that bear fruit so that they will be even more productive and who clips off the branches that are totally unproductive.

– In Matthew 7:15ff  Jesus said that you will recognize a person, whether he is good or evil  by the fruit which they bear.

– In Matthew 9:37 Jesus also said “The harvest is plentiful but the workers  are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.”   Referring to the great work that needs to be done evangelizing and reaching out to those who have not come into a relationship with God and become part the kingdom of Heaven yet. He said, Pray that more may join in this work.

– In Matthew 20, Jesus tells a parable about someone who owns a vineyard who is generous and employs men at different times throughout the day and then pays them the all the same at the end.

– Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus tells the parable of the two son who are told to work in the Father’s vineyard. One says he’s going to but doesn’t and one says he doesn’t want to, but does.

- In verses Matthew 21:33ff,  Jesus tells the parable of the tenants who rent a vineyard from a land owner but then abuse the servant and kills the son that the landowner sends to collect his fruit and these evil doers doom. He is referring to  the Jews who did not accept Jesus and would face judgement..

- In Luke 12:13ff,  Jesus told the story of the rich fool whose ground produced a good crop who tore his barns down to build bigger ones so that he could hoard it, become lazy, and selfishly over indulge himself; never thinking how God would view that or about his own soul.

- In Luke 8:4-8 Jesus tells the Parable of the sower.  Where the farmer goes out to spread seed, and the seed falls on different kinds of soils, and hence produces different yields. It is a parable to illustrate how when we spread the good about Jesus and the Kingdom of God, different things happen as different people hear the message..

-In Mark 4, Jesus tells a couple of more parables related to seeds the sprout and grow.

Read Mark 4:26-32 “He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”  Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.”

And so here Jesus refers to what the Kingdom of God is like. It’s like seed which is planted; it is something that is growing and will be harvested. (And there’s even more references) And so I wondered, why did Jesus talk so much about different kinds of farming.. Was it because he was talking to so many who were involved in Agriculture? Did He actually like that life style? As I began to think about it, I realized that in most cases farming is like no other job. I grew up on a farm, a truck farm that grew all kinds of vegetables, which evolved into a hot house business which produced and sold all kinds of plants, from vegetables to poinsettias, from greenhouse tomatoes to cacti. So it’s not like I don’t know what I am talking about here. Let me tell you a little something about farming that Jesus may have admired. And mind you by no means am I putting down or demeaning any other kind of work that one would choose to do, but even Jesus recognized there are lessons we can learn from agriculture. 

So let’s look at some of these lessons:

 -  I don’t believe farming is a job, rather, it becomes more of a life style. It’s not just a job you do, it’s who you are. The same is true for be a Christian, it’s not something you just do now and then or just on Sundays, rather it’s who and what you become, it’s a 24/7 life style.

-  And in most cases, whether the farmer admits it or not, they have no choice but to depend on God’s good grace and providence.  You plant a seed and you can’t make it sprout, only God can make that happen. Farmers can’t make it rain. They can’t do anything with the weather. They depend on God for that as well. When it comes to growing plants or animals, there is so much involved beyond the farmer’s own ability.  Likewise a genuine disciple of Jesus should know how much God grace and providence is part of their life. (“We should trust in the Lord and lean not our own understanding”)

- There aren’t too many successful farmers who are lazy. If they want their farm to be productive and profitable they have to get moving and take their work serious. You can’t expect to have a good crop of corn if you lay around and wait to plant it in August. Your cows aren’t going to produce  a good supply of milk if you are too lazy to feed them and make sure they have enough water. You’re not going to pick many vegetables out of a field if you never weed it.

A Georgia farmer, ragged and barefooted, was standing on the steps of his tumbledown shack.
A stranger stopped for a drink of water and just to pass the time of day he asked: “How is your cotton coming along?” he asked.
“Ain’t got none,” replied the farmer.    “Did you plant any?” asked the stranger.
“Nope,” was the reply, “awful lot of work planting and pickin cotton and I’m afraid of those bollweevils.”     

“Well,” continued the stranger, “how is your corn?”                                   

“Didn’t plant none,” came the answer, “’fraid there weren’t going to be no rain                             

The visitor persevered: “Well, how are your potatoes?”                                                                  

“Ain’t got none. To much work to dig those taders up and besides I’m Scairt  of potato bugs.”
“Really, what did you plant?” pressed the stranger “Nothin’,” was the calm reply, “I jest played safe.”

So, why didn’t that farmer plant his crops? He claimed he was afraid. He was afraid of the crop failing. Maybe he was more afraid of the work. SO, he just didn’t plant anything.

I don’t believe that Jesus admired or had anything good to say about those who was lazy and unwilling to work or serve in some capacity. Why? Because I believe that way of life is steeped and rooted in selfishness.  Farming demands a lot of self motivation. Farmers don’t have a boss who’s going to tell them what to do every minute.  Whatever the farmer raises, grows, or tends, usually needs constant attention. Animals need to be tended to every day. A farmer just can’t up and walk away from his farm and animals.  If he does he has to make sure there is someone there to tend them.

We are talking about dedication and a unyielding devotion here.  And I believe that’s what Jesus wants and expects from His disciples, a dedication, a unyielding devotion to Him and to those things which are important to Him.

-  And farming is not just about what you make for yourself, it is primarily involves what you can produce for others. It is the farmers who feed the world.

And likewise, being a Christian is not just about what we personally get out of being one, it is not a selfish way of life, rather, our love for God should motivate us to love other the way that Jesus would have us. 

The more I looked at what Jesus had to say in these parables and these stories the more I realized that we are all farmers of a sort. We all sow seeds; we all tend to something.  Now I’m not necessarily talking about  planting seeds like corn, or tending animals like cows or chickens, vegetable plants or even grape vines. In most cases when Jesus talked about planting seeds, and tending vines and animals He was not talking in a literal sense. Did you ever think about the fact that everything you say or do whether at work or home is like planting a seed. Think about a seed. You plant it, it grows, and eventually bears some kind of fruit. Whether you recognize it or not, what you say can have the similar effect. Jesus also talked about good seed and bad seed in the parable of the weeds. Both will bear fruit when planted at the right time; but one will bear something you want something that’s’ good and profitable, while the other bears something you don’t want, something that’s a nuisance, bad or even evil.

We are all farmers of a sort, a sower of seed by what we say or do, and by how we tend to that which we’ve planted. And in some cases some of those seed may take months or even years to sprout and bear fruit. The big questions is, what kind of seed are you going out and spreading. And how well are you tending to that which God put you over? Years ago when we were raising our kids this list came out concerning the effects we can have on a child. To me it reminded me of what we can plant in others. 

It went like this:
 

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.  

If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.  

If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive.   

If a child lives with pity, he learns to feel sorry for himself.  

If a child lives with jealousy, he learns to feel guilty.  

BUT  If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to be confident.  

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.  

If a child lives with praise, he learns to be appreciative. 

If a child live with acceptance, he learns to love. 

If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself. 

If a child lives with recognition, he learns it is good to have a goal. 

If a child lives with fairness, he learns what justice is. 

If a child lives with honesty, he learns what truth is. 

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith in himself and those about him.  

If a child lives with friendliness, he learns the world is a nice place in which to live.

See, we are all sow and care for something of seed.   What kind of seed are you casting forth. Good seed? I hope so.

How well are you tending your garden, your farm, or sphere of influence? Those you come in contact with.  Or are you living a selfish self centered existence?

The very first job God gave man was to take him (Adam) and put him in His garden. Why?  To work it and take care of it  (Gen. 2:15) I wonder if He was teaching us something right from the beginning?

There are a couple of other things I also remembered about farming:

- It’s like you become part of a special group or club when you are a farmer. It’s hard to explain. Outsiders may look down on you because of the kind of work you do, how hard you work, how dirty and how smelly you may get, but there’s kinship farm workers have with one another that’s close. I’ve seen it more than once. Jane was telling me just last week how when Ty was sick, how all the neighbor came and not only helped with the farm chores, she also told me that they provide more food for their table than they could even eat.

That’s the kind of kinship we as Christian should have even though others may make fun or look down on us as Christians. As brothers and sister we should be that close when another hurts we are there to help. 

 We do belong to a special group – God’s family

- One last thing, even thought the work is hard, and dirty, there is something very rewarding about being a farmer. It’s why so many stay in the business even though there’s not a lot of money to be made. It’s being able to turn around and look at the work you’ve done and feeling good about what you’ve accomplished, and knowing that you have a great harvest to look forward to.

When we serve Jesus, I don’t know about you, it makes me feel good. And not only that I am looking forward to His harvest day, when He brings us into His sheep fold and ushers us in to His kingdom.

So my Challenge for you today: To do your best to start sowing really good seeds. Realize that everything you say and do is like planting something. It is going to have some kind of impact on another’s life depending on what kind of seed you sow.  And then,  remember to take responsibility and do your best to take care of those things God has given you.   And last of all, look forward to the harvest, not only in the here and now as you try to help those around you, Get ready for greatest harvest of all, when Jesus return and ushers you into His heavenly pasture.

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

From Jim McGuiggan... Becoming Obedient

Becoming Obedient

It's only because it's so familiar to us that we don't shut our mouths in astonishment when we read it. He who is God in nature, who is a divine colleague in the "land of the Trinity", becomes an obedient servant. He took the view that his Godhood wasn't to be exploited and so he emptied himself and took human nature as his own. Breathtaking truth!

Then he who ordered mountain ranges around, he who spoke commands to mighty oceans and flung stars into space the way we throw rice at a wedding that one, who rolled out the heavens like a man rolling out carpet, became "obedient". There's something profoundly startling in that concept. The Hebrew writer says, "Although he was a son, he learned obedience" (5:8) In spite of his being a son he learned obedience. There it is, the sense that somehow we might have expected him to be exempt from obedience and the suffering that taught him obedience.

Satan once tempted him saying (Matthew 4), "Oh come on, if it's true you're the Son of God you're to be exempt from hunger and obedience." To this the Master replied, "You're wrong. It's precisely because I am God's Son that I should not be exempt. I am to suffer and obey." Satan didn't understand the true nature of the true God. Godhood is not to be exploited.

And so we hear that he who emptied himself became obedient even to death on a cross. And why should the Philippians be obedient (2:12)? Why should they be obedient even when it meant suffering? Because they had found in Jesus Christ all their motivation and inspiration for living in the world and with one another (2:1-4).

The cross was not only atoning in nature. It was a call to have the heart of God and live it out before the world. 

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Walking In Love, Light, And Wisdom (Ephesians 5:1-21)

                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS"

               Walking In Love, Light, And Wisdom (5:1-21)

INTRODUCTION

1. Though we now enter chapter five, we are still noticing how to "walk 
   worthy of the calling with which you were called" - Ep 4:1
   a. We have been "called" to be...
      1) "holy and without blame before Him in love" - Ep 1:4
      2) "sons by Jesus Christ to Himself" - Ep 1:5
      3) "fellow citizens with the saints" - Ep 2:19
      4) "members of the household of God" - Ep 2:19
      5) "a holy temple in the Lord" - Ep 2:21
      6) "fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise 
         in Christ" - Ep 3:6
   b. What sort of "walk" is worthy of such a calling?  So far we have 
      seen that it is one in which we are...
      1) "Walking Together In Unity" - Ep 4:1-16
      2) "Walking In Truth And Holiness - Ep 4:17-32

2. As we come into the fifth chapter, we learn that our "walk" (or 
   conduct) which is worthy of our calling is one in which we...
   a. Walk In Love - Ep 5:1-7
   b. Walk As Light - Ep 5:8-14
   c. Walk As Wise - Ep 5:15-21

["Walking In Love, Light, And Wisdom":  why is this so important?  As 
indicated in Ep 5:1, we are to be "followers of God as dear children";
and just as God is "love, light, and wisdom" personified, so we should 
try to imitate our Father!

Therefore, consider how we should...]

I. WALK IN LOVE (1-7)

   A. FOLLOWING CHRIST AS OUR EXAMPLE... (1-2)
      1. Jesus certainly has loved us and given Himself for us
      2. He offered Himself to God as an offering and sacrifice in our 
         behalf
      3. Let His example teach us how to "walk in love" - cf. Jn 13:
         34-35; 1Jn 3:16-17

   B. WITH A LOVE THAT IS PURE... (3-7)
      1. Our love should be free from any hint of immorality or greed 
         - Ep 5:3
      2. Even words or jokes suggestive of immorality or greed are 
         unbecoming those who are "saints" (holy, set apart for God's 
         purpose) - Ep 5:4
      3. This is a serious concern, for immoral or greedy persons have 
         no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, but instead will 
         experience the full wrath of God! - Ep 5:5-7

["Walk In Love", with a love that is sacrificial and free from any hint
of personal gain (either sexual or monetary)...that is the kind of 
"walk" worthy of our calling as "saints".

Our "walk" also bears the responsibility of being a positive influence 
in the world in which we live, and this Paul discusses as we now 
consider our need to...]

II. WALK AS LIGHT (8-14)

   A. WE ARE NOW "LIGHT IN THE LORD"... (8-10)
      1. Before coming to Christ, we were once "darkness" (remember Ep 2:1-3);

         but now we are "light in the Lord" and should walk as
         "children of light" - Ep 5:8
      2. The "fruit" expected of those "children of light" is "goodness,
         righteousness and truth" - Ep 5:9
      3. By bearing such fruit, we fulfill our role as "light" by 
         "proving" (demonstrating) what is well-pleasing to the Lord - 
          Ep 5:10; cf. Ro 12:1-2

   B. AS "LIGHT" WE MUST NECESSARILY EXPOSE "DARKNESS"... (11-14)
      1. We are not to have fellowship with "unfruitful works of 
         darkness" - Ep 5:11; e.g., fornication, uncleanness, 
         covetousness, Ep 5:3-4
      2. Instead, our task is to "expose" them - Ep 5:11b-13
         a. Things that we must "expose" are often so disgraceful, it is
            shameful to speak of them
         b. But by "walking in the light" ourselves, we can through 
            example and word expose by contrast these "works of 
            darkness"
      3. Thus the need to be "light" ourselves, something that comes 
         only from Christ - Ep 5:14
         a. Christ gives "light" to those who were spiritually asleep 
            and dead - cf. Ep 2:4-6
         b. Some scholars think this verse (14) may have been an early
            "baptismal hymn", sung at a person's baptism

[To "Walk As Light" is an awesome responsibility, and some have allowed
the "darkness" to overshadow the "light", rather than the "light" 
exposing the "darkness".  How can we be sure to carry out our role as 
"the children of light"?

This is were "wisdom" comes in, and therefore Paul exhorts us to...]

III. WALK AS WISE (15-21)

   A. CHARACTERISTICS OF "WALKING AS WISE"... (15-17)
      1. Doing so with great care - Ep 5:15
         a. The word translated "circumspectly" means "exactly, 
            accurately, diligently"
         b. Unlike fools, who care little about where they are going or 
            what is happening
      2. Taking advantage of the time available to one - Ep 5:16
         a. To "redeem the time" is "to make wise and sacred use of 
            every opportunity for doing good, so that zeal and well 
            doing are as it were the purchase money by which we make the
            time our own" (from the "Online Bible")
         b. This is necessary, because the days are "evil" (bringing 
            toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to 
            Christian faith and steadfastness; causing pain and trouble 
            - Online Bible)
      3. Understanding the will of the Lord - Ep 5:17
         a. Only by understanding the will of the Lord can we be a "wise
            people"
         b. Just as Israel was to demonstrate their wisdom by doing the 
            will of the Lord, so we can "walk as wise" only if we 
            understand His will for us - cf. Deut 4:5-6

   B. TO WALK AS WISE REQUIRES BEING "FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT"... (18-21)
      1. While those who "walk as fools" delight in being filled with 
         wine, those who "walk as wise" will endeavor to be filled with
         the Spirit!
      2. What evidence is there that one is "filled with the Spirit"? 
         Paul describes three indications...
         a. One indication is singing praises - Ep 5:19
         b. Another indication is giving thanks - Ep 5:20
         c. A third indication is submitting to one another in the fear
           of God - Ep 5:21

CONCLUSION

1. Children of God who delight in...
   a. Singing praises and making melody in the heart
   b. Giving thanks always for all things to God
   c. Submitting to one another in the fear of God
   -- demonstrate that they are "filled with the Spirit", and as such, 
      truly are "followers of God as dear children" (Ep 5:1)

2. As children of God, and "filled with the Spirit", they are able to
   walk in a manner worthy of their calling, as they...
   a. "Walk in love"
   b. "Walk as light"
   c. "Walk as wise"

3. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we live in a world...
   a. That has perverted the meaning of "love"
   b. That takes perverse pleasure in works of darkness
   c. That stumbles around aimlessly, like drunken fools
   -- Can we not see the need for the people of God today to live up to
      their "calling", and to "prove what is acceptable in the Lord"?

4. May God fill His children with His Spirit...
   a. So that we can truly "walk in love", "walk as light", and "walk as
      wise"
   b. And thereby show to the world the "fruit of the Spirit" (i.e.,
      goodness, righteousness, and truth)!