Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Richard Craig, Author at GraceAndWorks - Page 42 of 59
Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.
Here’s the question, who do you want to be like? Who do you look up to? Why do you want to be like him/her? As I pondered this word and subject several ideas about role players/leaders came into my thought process. Maybe it is Mom or Dad that I want to be like or a brother or sister. Maybe it is a boss or co-worker. What about an athlete or coach? It could be a policeman/woman, fireman/woman, service man or woman. Could it be a teacher or preacher? Maybe an actor or possibly a good friend. We all have different interests and likes and the people we look up to, or want to be like, will vary greatly.
When I was in my mid teens, I had a preacher that I wanted to emulate and be like him. I watched what he did. I studied the methods he used. I started putting the ideas to work. I built sermons just like he did. I listened and observed how he taught his classes. His name was Al Tennant. As I got older in life, I used what I had learned from him. He became one of the most influential persons in my life. What I had learned from him in the way he taught became vital in my sales career. His way of teaching not only helped with relating to people but also in showing my product and why someone needed it. As I advanced in sales and became a sales manager the same teaching process that I had learned in my mid teens was still working into my 40’s-50’s and 60’s. He indeed was a valuable person to look up to, be like, and emulate. Thank you Al Tennant!!
I left one person for last on purpose. Jesus!! He was/is THE most looked up to person in my life. He is the one that I have tried to pattern my life after. Many times I think Jesus gets put last in lives, when, indeed, He should be number one. In 1st Corinthians 11:1, Paul tells the church in Corinth to be imitators of him because, ” I am of Christ.” 3rd John verse 11 says to imitate good.
Back to the original question. Who do you imitate? The Bible teaches us to not be followers of men, but, to be followers of Jesus.
Wisdom is a fountain of life to him who has it, but folly is the chastisement of fools. The mind of the wise makes his speech judicious, and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God for ever and ever. I will thank thee for ever, because thou hast done it. I will proclaim thy name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
Let my cry come before thee, O Lord; give me understanding according to thy word! Let my supplication come before thee; deliver me according to thy word. My lips will pour forth praise that thou dost teach me thy statutes. My tongue will sing of thy word, for all thy commandments are right. Let thy hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen thy precepts. I long for thy salvation, O Lord, and thy law is my delight. Let me live, that I may praise thee, and let thy ordinances help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.
This week I want to talk to you about it being planting time. It’s fall time in Western Nebraska and time to plant the wheat for next years crop. The moisture is not real good and it’s going to be a struggle to get the kernels of wheat into wet ground so they can germinate. I’ve got the tractor hooked up to the grain drills. About ready to get started, just have to scoop the wheat into the drills. For those that are not aware, wheat weighs 60 pounds per bushel and it takes about a bushel of seed per acre. OK, the drills are full and we’re pulling into the field. Field has been tilled and ready for planting. Boy that moisture line is deep due to the lack of rain, hope I can get the seeds deep enough and yet not too deep so the sprouts can get through the ground to sunlight. I’ve gone a little ways into the field so I stopped and checked to see if everything was working OK. All the spouts on the drill are flowing good, the seed is being planted, and the seeds are sitting on moisture. YAY!! Everything is going good.
Planting is done and the wheat is growing and doing good. Thank you, God. The wheat will go dormant during the winter months and now it is next spring and all looks good. The wheat is doing well and now it is July and harvest goes good. The grain is safely in bins to wait for a good selling market. Planting the seeds worked. They germinated, grew, and produced healthy plants.
In life we also plant seeds (every day). These can be seeds of hope or despair, love or hate, success or failure, compassion or uncaring, praise, kindness, positive seeds, negative seeds, fear, divisive, steadfastness, ill will, good or evil and the list will just continue on. The question I have for you is this: As you travel the roads through life what kind of seeds are you planting? We know that not all seeds will grow, but many do. Be careful what kind you are planting.
Just as the wheat needed the right conditions to be able to be a healthy plant so do the seeds we plant as we go through life (good or bad). God wants us to plant seeds in His Kingdom. I had Faith the the wheat would grow and I have Faith that the seeds I plant in the Kingdom will grow. God says so!! Do you plant seeds for God and do you have the Faith they will grow? Not all will germinate, but some will. Don’t become discouraged.
Do the work, plant the seeds, and let God take care of the production.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will return to thee.
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