Plowing with Hope

Plowing with Hope

"...when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest" (1 Corinthians 9:10).

Plowing the soil is tedious, dusty, and slow. I can recall when I was young watching farmers plowing with a team of horses and later as I grew older watching some of those same farmers plowing with new John Deere tractors.

Every farmer plows because he hopes for a good harvest. If a man is hired to plow the field, he may do so without ever hoping to see the harvest. But the farmer who plows his own field knows he will soon plant seed. He plows with hope, already anticipating the growing plants. But there is one fact that we need to take notice of and that is sometimes the field is hard and rocky.

Often times we can make a comparison of our life to that of the fields we have mentioned. So with that thought in mind we need to give Christ our hard hearts so He can do His work in our fields. Just as the plow uncovers stones, weeds and debris, there are things inside our lives that need to be revealed. Confession and repentance, like plowing, are part of our growth in salvation.

Confess your sins with the hope of a harvest receiving in return eternal life with Christ. Know that God will plow the hard ground of your heart, allowing the Lord to plant His love and forgiveness.

The farmer plows the dusty field with hopes for a harvest, and we look ahead to blessed hope of eternity with Christ.

Pastor Rolf

God's Guidance

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding..." Psalm 32:8,9

Life is filled with critical decisions. Sifting through options and trying to make wise choices can often be overwhelming. We find ourselves asking “is this what God wants for my life”? Will I regret this later? Why can't I hear God clearly?

Questions seem to buzz like flies until we are exhausted! Often we prefer to challenge God's timing on guidance. We want to know what to do NOW.

Our Scripture verses assure us that He will instruct, teach, guide, and counsel us; but it will be on His terms and in His time. That usually involves waiting and obedience. God expects us to listen and learn from Him the direction we are to go. Horses and mules may look intelligent with their big soulful eyes, but they are stubborn and willful. In order to make them go in the direction you intend, a bit and bridle are necessary.

If they start to stray, a sharp snap and pull on the reins bring a painful reminder that they are not in charge.

Sometimes the Lord has to use a bit and bridle on us! When facing tough decisions, remember and be thankful that you are not alone in the process. God's unfailing love surrounds us when we trust in Him. He fences us in with hope and peace.

Pastor Rolf

Learn To Use Your Faith

"For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt inhis heart, but believes that those things he says will be done,he will have whatever he says. 24 "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have. Mark 11:23,24

There is spiritual growth as well as physical growth. We don't start out strong and mature. The Bible, and all creation, teaches gradual growth.“The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.” Mark 4:28

The Bible is full of great promises however, must receive them by faith. Faith is not trying to believe, but knowing that we believe. So, you must start using faith at the level we are at. If we don't have faith for a new car then we believe for a bicycle. Then believe God for a motorcycle. We continue to use our faith feeding it on God's Word and it will continue to grow.

As we grow and mature in our faith we will find that “place” where we can believe God for large things as easily as we believed Him for small things.

The mistake many make is trying to believe God for a jumbo jet when they really don't have enough faith for a bicycle. Yes, the Word says that all things are possible, but only for those who truly believe. Most people are just trying to believe and hoping something will happen.What if you have a need now but somehow your faith is not at a level to receive it? Get someone to agree with you as Jesus instructed in Matthew 18:19: "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”

But don't expect to go through life depending entirely on someone else's faith. God will require us to eventually mature and use our own faith.

God knows our needs. The Bible is clear that God does not want us to be in lack. Then why doesn't God just meet our needs, without us having to ask?

One answer is God wants us to grow in faith. Our faith can only grow strong as we use it. So, every need is a faith opportunity, and thus an opportunity for growth.

God wants us to be specific in our asking, so that when the answer comes, we will know it was from God and came in response to our faith in Him. The good news is we START NOW! No need to wait for a major crisis, we need to trust God in the small and mature our faith for the big things we need in the future.

Pastor Rolf