Harvest Time

"And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race]." Mark 16:15 (amp)

"All during this time, the good news - the Message of the Kingdom - will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come." Matthew 24:14 (msg)

"Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" John 4:35 (nkjv)

"Jesus said, 'The food that keeps me going is that I do the will  of the One who sent me, finishing the work He started. As you look around right now, wouldn't you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I'm telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what's right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It's harvest time!" John 4:34-35 (msg)

"And Jesus said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.'" Mark 1:17 (esv)

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise." Proverbs 11:30 (nkjv)

"How much do you have to hate someone to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?" - Penn Jillette (athiest comedian)

"'Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you  to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world." - William Booth (founder Salvation Army)

"What are we here for, to have a good time with Christians or to save sinners?" - Malla Moe (Norwegian pioneer missionary)

"Some want to live within the sound of a church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell." - C.T. Studd (English missionary)

It is time to start doing what the Bible talks about. It is time to spread this Gospel to EVERYONE. Why would you not? Surely we don't hate anyone enough to want them to die without Christ. So the only explanation I can think of for why we haven't shared Jesus with the people around us is fear.

But 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Also, Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

God has given us the ability to do what He asked us to do. He took away our excuses.

It's time to start doing what God has commissioned us to do, and spread His life-transforming good news with everyone.

It's Harvest Time!

Strength and Faith

Isaiah 51:9a "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD;awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago."

Isaiah 52:1 "Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean."

1Kings 20:22 "Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, 'Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do, for in the spring the king of Syria will come up against you.'"

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

2Timothy 2:1 "You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus"

Nehemiah 8:10 "Then he said to them, 'Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'"

I could go on and on, but I think this should be clear. God wants us strengthened. He wants us strong. He says that in Christ there is strength. But I notice something else here which seems to be the reason we seldom access this strength or seem to have it as often as we need it.  He doesn't ever say that He will just make you strong. The Philippians verse comes close to that, but even there it requires something to be done. We have to DO. We have to "put on" strength. We have to get into His grace. We have to strengthen ourself and consider what we have to do. And we must choose to not be greived - to be in joy. Its all a matter of what we choose to do. The way we choose to live. Nothing happens by magic. Nothing happens just because it happens. There is a deliberate act that must be committed in order to get any promise of God. Strength is no different.
But don't despair, it is not impossible. If it was, God would never have asked us to do it. He does require deliberate faith though. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). The moment you step out in faith to do what it takes to get out of being miserable, to stop being greived; when you decide to be strong and strengthen yourself, His grace and power go into action on your behalf.

Side note: the way you strengthen yourself is to meditate on the Word, to let it change you in the way Romans 12:2 describes. Also, taking time to pray in tongues (Jude 20). And, spending time in worship (Psalm 16:11). Strengthening yourself is actually pretty easy... if you make the decision to just do it. (Nike)

Love

♥ overlooks insults
♥ talks well of others
♥ forgets mistakes
♥ does not nag
♥ does not quarrel
♥ uses kind words
♥ is honest
♥ is forgiving
♥ listens and cares
♥ delights in the success of others
♥ is helpful
♥ is not just a feeling. It's unselfish and giving, and it is proved by unselfish actions.
If you refuse to do these things, you are not acting in love.
But those who search for and desire to move in love, will know God

Proverbs 3:11/8:17/10:12,18/13:24/17:9/18:21/27:5/29:10

(taken from Proverbs for Kids from The Book)

I would love to type into this box a lovely exposition about the Sold Out lifestyle. About what it means to be fully surrendered. These subjects are resonating inside me like a newly struck bell tone. They are shaking who I am and how I see things.
However, I am not capable of putting into words the tremblings within. The only way that I could explain would be to do. To live that shaken life. To live a servants life, sold to the Master, and His to control.
I pray that I can do that. That my life can explain the joys of full surrender to those who do not understand.

rivers of living water...

John 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

there is one thing i've known for almost forever that holds true in this case- only what is in you can come out. this is why it is vital to guard what you put in, and be selective over what takes root in your mind and heart. because when the river gushes, you dont want it to be poisonous water. you want it to be that living water Jesus talked about. in order to have that living water rushing out, you have to be full of the life of God. so dont contaminate the water- guard your eargates, guard your eyegates, guard what you say. renew your mind to the Word. then pure clean ALIVE water can rush out of you... and "everything will live, wherever the river goes."  :)

i got a twitter today... still not sure what i'm doing with that. i feel old. but yeah if you wanna follow me, i put a little link thing on here (side bar under my pic), just click and follow... :)

Gifts and Talents

sometimes i get kinda down on myself because i dont write well. when i want to, i can have perfect spelling and perfect grammar, and perfect format... but the ideas dont flow. my thoughts dont make sense. i'm just not a writer.
yesterday while reading a blog by a girl 9 years my junior, i began to talk to God about this. she writes so profoundly. and so eloquently. and sometimes i wonder at her being only 15. she writes essays similar to what i had to read when i was in AP English III in high school. they are written so maturely and with so much passion, and i always am floored when i read them.
and so i whined to God "why cant i ever write like this?!  i cant even come up with something to say in a comment usually. 'wow' is about as profound as i get. i cant ever seem to get words to all the things going on in my head." and He laughed at me. (always fun when God starts laughing at you... its like "uhm God thats not funny to me!").   He said "i didnt call you to write now did i?" i looked down and said under my breath "well, no" He said "well then. why do you need to be able to do it like her?" i thought on it a moment and tried to let that sink in. He continued, "i have specific calls for you. she wont be able to do the things i've called you to do anywhere near as well as you. because i place the gifts in you that match your calling" now there is something to meditate.  this isnt the first time He's told me this. throughout my life its been one thing or another where i've compared myself to someone else (He said in the Bible not to do this!) and found myself lacking in some area.  but its because i wasnt called to that area. i dont need that gift. instead i need to be seeking the face of God for help in discovering and using all the gifts He DID give me. He hasnt left any of us without talent. and only He can make this flower of a person bloom. this tulip might not look like that daisy. but if all were daisies, wouldnt that make for a boring world? 1 Corinthians 12 addresses this- Paul says it in relation to the body- if all were an eye, where would the hearing be?  and so i see, if all were great writers, where would the scientists be? if all were writers, where would the musicians be? if all were writers, where would the counselors be? if all were writers, where would all the mechanics, janitors, cooks, mathematicians, teachers, athletes, etc be?  we all have purpose. but none of us have exactly the same purpose.
the comparisons stop now. its time to find my gift and run with it.