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YOUR HARVEST TIME-Hosea Part 2

THANKS, friends, who have shared (via e-mail) on your own study of HOSEA 10:12. If you’ve been receiving e-mail from me, you have received the following… The discovery of  SUBSTANCE and CONVICTION of this text!

I shared with you about the discovery of that great web site Net Bible for 8 different translations of HOSEA 10:12. Finally, a listing from cross-references of this text and some random Hebrew definitions of some of the POWER WORDS like “SOW” and “REAP”, for example. If you haven’t received any of these, write me at tristief@juno.,com or tristief@gmail.com and I will get them to you. It will really help your study!

I. “SOW WITH A VIEW TO RIGHTEOUSNESS” The Hebrew “sow” is “zara”-Lev.26:33, Jer. 31:10. The Hebrew for “righteousness “tseh-dek”” which can mean ethical conduct, integrity, upright, and true. Another view  is”conforming to a standard” .
HOW CAN WE  SOW?
CONSIDER. I love the Proverb “Consider the field and receive instruction”. If I want to grow spiritually, what is this decision to sow “seeds with a view to righteousness” going to cost me? I need to realize the discipline of a well-watered garden (Is. 58) requires thought, preparation and work.

DIG. The value of dirt can be aesthetic. There is immense satisfaction to look at a well-dug garden with neatly planted rows. This is what the farmer or gardener wants. But, how messy must my hands get to grow in this way? It’s hard to stay bent over for hours digging out rocks and vines. My mind must be fixed on the RESULT of  this task and see the pain as a worthy price to be paid!

II. “REAP IN ACCORDANCE WITH KINDNESS” A Hebrew rendition  of “kalah” (Strong’s 3615) meaning “to finish” is comparable. Compare the Greek word  “therizo”-“to gather in harvest” (Strong’s 2325) with this. Remember “God’s “kindness”? Translate it as “hesed”-the loyal love of GOD has for us can also be the unconditional seed we share with those around us!

HOW CAN WE REAP?
REJOICE…As we reap, we gather with JOY. YAHWEH TSIDKENU-“GOD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”- has seen fit to bless us with growth. My motivation is that His righteousness has brought about my righteousness!
GATHER...We have work to do! In the midst of reaping, we can become tired or LET THIS TOIL BUILD our endurance. If you know Christ, He fills you with His Spirit and you will “not grow weary of well-doing.” For the farmer or gardener, to LOOK AND SEE GROWTH is the reward!

III. “BREAK UP YOUR FALLOW GROUND” The Hebrew is “niyr” Strong’s 5124. Could there be any doubt what God is telling Israel (here called Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom)? Remember from our last blog, they are living in open rebellion of idol worship and God is trying to draw them back to his loyal love!
HOW DO WE BREAK UP OUR FALLOW GROUND?

My friend, Holly, defines “breaking up fallow ground” as “to plow, harrow, and break up without seeding for the purpose of destroying weeds and insects“. I also like Holly’s definition of “fallow” as “undeveloped but useful“!  Ouch…that describes me pretty well.

***Have you ever felt that way? “OH LORD, you can’t use me! I’m involved in too much sin! ” Peter said the same thing to Jesus ,”Go away from me LORD, for I am a sinful man.” What was the Savior’s response? “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

The farmer or gardener has to make decisions.  Do I wait on this ground and let it settle or do I need to dig out impurities? How do we wait? Actively or passively? My friend, Jeanne, calls this ” passive, yet active (aggressive?) waiting  to know when the time is right.” HERE’S  YOUR BOTTOM LINE: DO I NEED TO BURROW DEEP IN THE THINGS GOD IS ALREADY TEACHING ME OR REMOVE THINGS THAT HINDER MY GROWTH IN JESUS? MY ANSWER IS  “YES.”

IV. “For it is time to SEEK the LORD until HE comes and rains RIGHTEOUSNESS on you.”

HOW DO WE SEEK?

PURSUE AND TAKE ACTION! What do you want your HARVEST to look like next year?  BOUNTIFUL -brimming with new fruit and fresh joy OR dodging the SAME rocks (sin?) as obstacles and trying to untangle the vines around your legs? (Heb. 12) Our goal is to grow…that’s what we were made for.

God is very clear that “if we draw near to Him , He WILL draw near to us”? (Jas. 4). If we spend solid time in His Word-asking Him for growth-He will give it in His timing. A CONFESSIONAL HEART AND A CONTRITE SPIRIT ARE HIS DELIGHT.

Don’t you love that last phrase “until HE comes and rains righteousness on you”? What a beautiful circle to me…the verse starts that way with US activating our faith and ends with HIM giving it!!

He saturates our spirits. His gifts have become ours. Let us sow in faith, reap in joy, break up the fallow ground of mediocrity, and seek Him while He may be found!

BLESSINGS as YOU enjoy the harvest of your faith!

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Who is God?

Want to impact the next generation? The greatest gift we can give to them is to equip them to study the Bible themselves! They have to interact with the Scripture if they are to own their faith. There is absolutely nothing in the world like watching a high school or college student say, “It’s not just my parents’ faith anymore! I am in the Bible myself to see if these things are true! This is mine, now!”” I had the joy of working with an amazing group of high school women over the spring semester and our first study was to find out the answer to the question-“WHO IS GOD FROM SCRIPTURE?”. I went through my old Campus Crusade for Christ “follow-up” materials , Grace Bible Church “Essentials” packet , and my own notes to boil all of this down to (in my opinion) a beginning framework for these young women. Here’s what we talked about!

I.Who is God from Scripture?

Psalm 139 ( Personal Skill: Mark the words “you” ,“me” and “God”-can this be a personal text?)

(V.1-6)”O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all.”

(V. 13-18) “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me when as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.

Omnipotent means that God is the all powerful Ruler of the universe, able to do anything He chooses, yet never chooses to do anything contrary to His plan or character. He is all powerful yet personal! He is just but loving!

II. Who is Jesus from Scripture?

Jesus Distinct as the Son: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His ]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”

Jesus Part of the Trinity: Colossians 2:9 ” For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.” Philippians 2:5-8 ” Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Awesome Quote -“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.” C.S. Lewis

III. How does this affect me?

*God is FOR you! Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” “Always lives”=present help!

*God knows you! Isaiah 43:1-3 “But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel,“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” You are His girl!

*God can handle your mess! Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Hebrews 13:5 “He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” He will help you!

Challenge Time: READ a few of these verses this week. WRITE down your prayer requests and date them . (Always super cool to SEE Him answer you!) ASK God to help you in a hard (impossible?) situation. TAPE this study with verses up on your mirror-you will look at them a ton and you will have new strength!

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What is God’s will for your life?

Whenever you can spend time with high school or college women, jump on that opportunity! It’s always refreshing! In a recent gal’s bible study, we tackled these questions,“What are the biggest questions do you think high school women in America are asking? Is it social, philosophical, or moral? ” We divided up and began tossing out ideas varying from “Personal Appearance” to “Guys”! After looking at their responses and countless years of similar questions from a variety of Christian groups, here’s our “BIG THREE BIGGEST QUESTIONS”! (There are 2 “power words responses” for each question.) My prayer for all of us -regardless of age-can ask women these questions. This is how the generations can come together and represent Jesus!

I. “What am I called to do in life?” 

Do what you know now- OBEY AND PRAY!

Proverbs 2:1-11 “My son (daughter!) , If you receive my words and treasure my commands, turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding…yes, if you call for intelligence, and to understanding raise your voice; If you seek wisdom like silver, and like hidden treasures search her out, then will you understand the fear of the Lord the knowledge of God you will find. For the Lord gives wisdom from his mouth come knowledge and understanding He has success in store for the upright is the shield of those who walk honestly guarding the paths of justice protecting the way of his faithful ones..then you will understand what is right and just, what is fair, every good path; For wisdom WILL enter your heart, knowledge will be at home in your soul, discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you.”

II. “When am I actually going to date someone? What do I need to know?”

Know yourself first-PRIZE AND PRINCESS!!

1 Corinthians 7:32-35 “I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and he is divided. An unmarried woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy in both body and spirit. A married woman, on the other hand, is anxious about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. I am telling you this for your own benefit, not to impose a restraint upon you, but for the sake of propriety and adherence to the Lord without distraction.”

III. “How can I have closer friends? How can I be a friend?”
INITIATE AND ENCOURAGE!

Proverbs 17:17″A friend is a friend at all times, and a brother (sister!) is born for the time of adversity.
Ephesians 4:32 “And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.”

IV.Application: You have the power to choose a response!
*”I control my life!” ” OR “I will let God be in charge. If He’s truly God, HE may know the exact career that uses my gifts and talents..and that will be an amazing adventure. “

*”I don’t care-I’ll date when I want and who I want.” OR “I can let Him guide me with godly principles. If He’s truly God, HE might know best and have a huge blessing for me if I’ll trust Him.”

*“Even though my friends drag me down, I’m afraid if I don’t have them, I’ll be lonely.” OR “This is hard but I know that who I hang with is who I’ll become. I want kind and unconditional friends who point me to God.”

Tell yourself the truth:
“I want blessing over my life. I want joy in my spirit. I want God’s will because He loves me more than I can ever understand. I don’t want a life of bad choices which result in pain and despair. He says His plan is best and will bring only things that are for my good.”