The following snippets are summaries of ministry shared at Ohio Yearly Meeting earlier this month. The ministry is not given in chronological order or in order of quality or any other order except what I felt was right when typing it all up. Be sure to inquire within to test if any message applies to thee - some may have been intended for others and not thee.
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If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that speaketh with thee, thou shouldest have asked for spiritual water. From whence hast thou that spiritual water? Whoever drinks of physical water will thirst again, but the water that He gives will be a well of water in thee springing up to everlasting life. Dip thy cup into this water and receive everlasting, spiritual life to cleanse thy inward soul and mind. We all have a thirst for God, but still we must go to the well ourselves to receive. The Spirit of Christ that springs up to overflowing is always crystal clear and flows from our Creator God. - Nancy Hawkins
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Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Without faith, there can be no true, lasting joy in life. Faith comes by hearing; it takes a lot of focus, desire, and choices on thy part. Our Redeemer, who gave Himself for thee, longs to give thee the living faith needed for this life. It is His gift to thee. Reach out with both hands for the faith that Christ Jesus longs to give thee. Take fresh hold on the gift in the confidence of the knowledge of our Lord - and learn to live like thee believes. Don't settle for a head acknowledgment of Christ. Find a life-changing relationship with Him. - Ed Kirk
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We have this treasure in earthen vessels; we all stumble and fall short of His glory. Despite our nature, God's inward treasure remains. Our inward parts are made holy by the living Christ, the Word of God, our living water and Bread of life, who is borne within. This treasure is not diminished when we share it. It is a great irony: sharing the treasure and use of the treasure brings an increase rather than diminishing it. - Jack Smith
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Abraham was directed by God to sacrifice his son. Are we willing to give up our most valuable thing? Some times in life, there is no "escape clause." To rely completely and totally on the Lord is a awesome, frightening thing. Wait to be led and nourished by the Lord. The One on whom we rely loves us as none other can love us. - Bob Wilber
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Have we truly believed and received? Have we truly repented and been baptized with fire? Can we be led by the Spirit if we have not received it? Do we think we are going to receive it without being changed? Do we think we are going to enter the Kingdom of Heaven without being born again? - David Eley
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[Supplication] Help us to do Thy will in all that we say and think. Help us to be encouragers and not discouragers. Come, Holy Spirit, into this room and fill each soul to the brim! - Anna Peacock
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Be faithful to the witness of our Lord within thee. Let us bear fruits worthy of repentance, that testify to His presence. Seek His power within thee. Our Lord suffered greatly; He came unto His own, and they received Him not. Know what it is to bear the cross. - Terry Wallace
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Christ Jesus has told us to be Friends of God. We do this when we hear the Lord and obey Him. In obedience, we receive His love to share with others. Our Creator calls each of us to treat others as part of His kingdom so they will know the invitation to join a gathered people in God's Light. Know, yes, know that Jesus is thy enduring Friend. - Arthur Berk
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God looks down upon our lives, and He sees where we are about to step off the true path. Let our hearts be encouraged; constantly seek that guidance from on High so thee can stay on that true, firm path. - Winnie Stratton
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A composite of ministry on Seventh Day morning:
Early on, the world was dark. God said, Let there be light, and there was light. And God saw that it was good. Jesus calls us to share His Light rather than hiding it under a bushel. This Light overcomes the darkness and transforms us into His disciples. We were encouraged to wait on the Lord, hear His Word, and seek His inward presence, then be faithful in scattering the spiritual seed where we live as our small roles in the Kingdom of Heaven.
But God, who commanded the Light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The Light of God is within, and the Word of God is within. He lives through us as we turn our lives over to Him. We don't need to be the most talented, smartest, or best looking to be called for service. He sometimes chooses the humblest or most difficult for His work. He knows what we are able to do, regardless of age or condition. He demonstrated the humble, inward kingdom that still exists in our times.
8/24/2008
Spiritual Fruit
The following is the substance of some ministry at Stillwater Quarterly Meeting in Eighth Month 2008.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing… Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. John 15, verses 4, 5, 7, 8
Jesus lived in an agricultural community, and many of His parables relate to the Creation. If His time had been 2008, Jesus might have compared us to an html document with missing closing tags, something that would probably be easier to understand for most Americans than husbandry.
There are many references to fruit. We are known by our fruit (Matthew 7:20). A good tree (heart) bringeth forth good fruit (Matthew 7:17). The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Bearing fruit brings glory to God.
There are important parallels to spiritual fruit and physical fruit. Sometimes in conversation, someone will say something with the spiritual meaning of “Hey, come and taste this persimmon. Thee has not had a persimmon like this one!” Thee can hold it and know it by its skin and shape. When biting into it, its flesh provides thee spiritual nourishment. Inside are the seed. Natural seed hold the DNA of the tree, but spiritual seed have the DNA of Christ Jesus. Spiritual seed point the recipient to Christ, not to the bearer of the fruit.
After eating a spiritual fruit, thy soul will hunger for more of this refreshment. If faithful, thou canst experience what is described in the scriptures as being engrafted onto the spiritual tree. Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
When it pleases the Lord to graft thee onto the spiritual tree (see John 15 quoted above), He will help thee to produce spiritual fruit for others. It is the xylem and phloem of Christ that works through thee to produce fruit. We often produce such fruit without even knowing it.
However, when we try to take the credit, the fruit fails us – and we fall off the spiritual tree like an old dead limb. But don’t despair – learn from thy mistake and lay hold again on the eternal life He has for thee. Sometimes falling from a tree will make it possible for thee to return to the True vine with renewed vigor. The Lord is not done with thee yet, so don’t lose heart - go ask for another of those special persimmons! His exciting work still awaits thee – don’t miss it!
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