Reflections from A Year of Proper Planting

John Clark gave the importance of taking notes and later reviewing them because we value other people who may be at risk if we are complacent. He shared personal testimony of the fruit of self-denial (Mt 10:38-39). And he exhorted us that in this year of proper planting if things actually seem to have died which we expected to live, then God can open a door to do more than we could have thought or made happen. So we as a congregation need some old ways to be burned off to be purified and new can grow (like becoming more incarnational and missional instead of inward focused and believing that people should be attracted.

Richard shared personally and from 2 Corinthians 9:9—we are God’s fellow workers, his field and his building (factory) so by his grace in us we produce fruit and precious things that will stand the fire. In verses 7-10 we read that one sows, another reaps but God gives the increase and loves the cheerful giver. Of what am I glad for having sown and/or perhaps reaped?

• Richard Lineberry To sow in areas of prayer, giving and serving.

• John Clark Port I have changed this year as a result of God’s blessing and grace helping me choose to be a son in the house

• Susan Mitchell My view of evangelism changed as we prayed and obeyed to bring light in the darkness leaving results to Him.

• Mary Port I have found more freedom as I have put away reactive judgements toward others.

• Dennis Frost Gave thanks for spiritual authority in his life by the elders and that his family is getting in God’s order as he takes responsibility to sow good seed instead of bad. God has blessed his family with more peace as they stepped out to be foster parents and MC hosts.

• Jeffrey Port During the summer MC service projects as outreach into the neighborhood I realized mission and evangelism is not just about trying to get more people into our church.

• Joyce Hanson Gave thanks for the congregation’s love and ministry to her son and that he is a changed man.

• Kendra Cunkle gave thanks that as she has sowed into being the worship leader and secretary and other ways of serving she believes God has confirmed that she is in her proper place.

Fill in your own testimony______________

Merry Happy,
PD

2010 in Review
By Richard Lineberry

As we draw to the end of a year that the Lord has designated as a “Year of Proper Planting,” it might be good to see what changes He has brought in us.
When Ronald Reagan was campaigning against Jimmy Carter, he asked people, “How is your life better than it was four years ago?” Obviously, he was wanting to draw attention to him having a better plan if he was elected.
So, my question is, “Is your spiritual life any better than it was at the end of 2009?” Have you learned anything about planting seeds? Have you seen any results? What adjustments did the Holy Spirit make in your life?”
I think, in review, “proper planting” refers to a variety of things. I made a special attempt to adjust my own prayer life. It’s easy for prayer to become a routine rather than a high point of life. I realized again that prayer must accompany FAITH that you really believe God is going to act in the things you are talking to Him about.
Proper time adjustment for us is always good to consider. What am I doing that is most profitable for His kingdom and where am I wasting time? Am I spending time with God as well as investing time in those that I can help? If not, I probably am spending too much idle time somewhere else.
Finances, of course, is that subject we don’t like to mention too much, but it certainly fits all of the sowing/reaping rules. How are we doing? God wants to increase us in every facet of life but we must sow regularly for Him to have something to work with. To neglect this area of following Christ would be like a farmer wondering why he didn’t have a harvest when he hadn’t planted any seed.
My prayer for us is that God will continue to guide us in proper planting of everything He has blessed us with: Our time, gifts, finances and ability to serve His people. May the Lord give us wisdom and increase our resources in 2011 to do the work of the ministry.

BREAD CASTING
By Richard Lineberry

Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.
Eccl. 11:1

When my youngest son was about ten, he brought home a leftover helium filled balloon from a birthday party. Being an adventurous kid, he decided he’d tie a note with his name, phone number and address on it and let it go to the mercy of the wind from our back yard. Hopefully, he thought, someone will find it far away and call me.
“Fat chance,” I thought, but encouraged him along anyway. Sure enough, about two weeks later he got a call from another boy from someplace in rural Arkansas that had found his balloon in the woods while he and his father were hunting. Wow!
I didn’t think of it at the time, but my son was sowing with anticipation that a reaping (response) would return due to his faith in the process. God’s giving and receiving works like that. If we are in need of receiving, a sure way to receive is to be a giver. “Casting the bread,” of course, refers to anything we might do for or give to others for their benefit. The problem most of us have with this verse is the “after many days you will find it again” part. Returns on investments may not always come as quickly as we’d like. God (or nature itself) is not on our time schedule. Even the best seed may take years to take root, grow up and bless us back. But our impatience should not be a deterrent. Verse 6 of the same chapter tells us, “Sow your seed in the morning and at evening, let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.” Here’s the answer on what we should sow and where? Answer: All kinds of seeds in as many places as we can find. When you sow, quit worrying. Some may produce, some may fall on dry ground. But the surprise is that when God returns the produce you don’t always know where it came from.
I’ve experienced it many times. God has given me needed provision from places I least expected it. People have called me with encouragement at times when I hardly expected they had even been praying for me. I have seen my prayers for people that I prayed for many years ago and forgotten about fulfilled when we crossed paths at a later time. Seed sowing works. The key is to sow continually so we’ve given God a lot to work with. Seeds, of course, are not just money (although that’s a good thing to plant in His Kingdom) but also prayers for others, acts of kindness, cheerful words, anonymous service and anything else you can think up that sounds like something God might like to see done.
The soil of the kingdom of God is fertile ground. Where you see God active, that’s a good place to get involved. Sow to it. Pray for it. If you see God at work in certain people, bless them however you can. Look for people who are already serving God and try to help them out. Some of them may think they don't need any help but actually they do, so sow some help their way. Sow when times seem good as well as when it isn’t convenient. The winds of opposition may be strong, but our faith in God’s working is stronger.

Covenant Life exists to restore individuals, nations
and generations
and the earth itself to the image and love of God.

The image of God: his love, faith, hope, joy, etc... When we practice daily prayer and Scripture reading we train with and put to use mighty spiritual weapons for Christ to save that which is lost. The armor of God is his thoughts in our mind, his healing in our hearts, his truth in our secret parts, his faith, and his joy in bringing others his good news. Paul said stand against the powers of darkness using the sword of the spirit and praying in the spirit.

Moved to pray FOR others: Richard Lineberry shared with me this week that after he received the baptism in Holy Spirit he would take his High School yearbook and pray by name for classmates. After that he met many who would share with him that they got saved and some were involved in ministry. Sometimes today when at a mall or crowded place he is moved to pray “blanket prayers” over the mass of people. This week as I was meditating on hell, my own sin and God’s mercy and unconditional love for me I felt such a love of God I had to turn to my prayer list of people who are unchurched, lost or in great need.

Blessed to pray WITH others: Thursday nights Richard and I meet with men for prayer and conversation about life and Jesus. This week when Richard prayed for one man he felt heat in his shoulder and received healing and began to quietly speak in tongues.

Need to pray ALONE: This time of Advent preparation is well spent not just going through prayer requests but also by reading Scripture and just thinking and feeling. For example consider the group of angels who in one decision of serving “self” became God-haters and were cast forever from God’s presence. Consider Adam and Eve who in one choice of self over God became “shamers” and “blamers” and brought curses on mankind and on all the earth itself. Then consider how many times we have chosen self and rejected God’s love yet God not only rescued us but has come to live in us and has filled us and opened his kingdom to us. He who is forgiven much loves much. How can we not give thanks and witness for Him!

Happy Advent!

Advent Heroes fighting for faith, hope, love and Joy:
God’s own coming and His armor.

Isaiah 9:1-3 there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress… 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light… they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice…

Barbara realized that many small agreements with darkness can be made during the day by confessing things like: “I’m frustrated because I can’t get done what I want to do.” She said, as I was agreeing with frustration I would naturally feel more of it. How many little things are we speaking agreement with as we complain or think with familiarity and negativity? Being aware (discerning the spirits) and saying aloud, “I break that agreement with frustration,” doesn’t change circumstances but does detach me from being controlled by the feelings. I can choose to disagree and fight doubt and negativity and replace them with God’s words, thoughts, feelings and ways of hope, faith, love, joy and peace in Christ (the armor of God).
Ez 13:3-5 "woe to those following their own spirit [carnal and unsubmitted) and have seen nothing [not discerning bad spirits and agreements]. You have not gone up into the breaches (gaps) nor built the wall around the house... To stand in the day of battle." In other words they are just reacting and agreeing with strongholds of familiarity and negativity and leaving their houses (families, church) unprotected.
Ez 22:30 “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.
Joseph and Mary are not even mentioned, nor any New Testament persons, in the faith heroes’ chapter Hebrews 11. The names from New Testament times written in the history of the new covenant are to include yours and mine... Will we continue the fight of faith? We live under the encouraging eye of witnesses of the ages as well as Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s hope, Joseph’s and Mary’s faith, John’s fire of the Spirit, Anna, Simeon and the New testament saints and Christian martyrs and saints through the ages.
We are the teenagers and dads and moms and workmen. We are Christ’s witnesses and missionaries. We stand in the gap and repair the breach by God’s own hope and faith in us.
Joseph and Mary had to fight against enemies within and without. They needed faith and hope. They received angels and dreams and messages from God and believed the Scriptures. They opened their spiritual eyes to see “out of the box” and see and hear what God was telling them to do.
We need faith and hope to combat familiarity and negativity. They needed courage and love to stand against the accuser and to stand in the gap so God could use them to bring salvation to all for all history. The world and people around us need us to stand in the gap and repair breaches, and to fight for their salvation and for the kingdom.
How does God want to use you? What do you see? Hear? Where are you engaged in the battle? For whom are you praying by name? For whom are you standing in the gap?
Give thanks. Worship and spend time in God's presence so you can stand and fight from God’s own presence and armor Sow and plant in the Spirit and reap restoration of individuals, nations, generations and the earth itself to the love and image of God-Faith, hope, love, joy and peace reflect the image of God.
You and I are God’s treasure in earthen vessels of weakness so we can show the glory of his grace. His presence and armor equips us to our calling to be Hebrews 11 Heroes of Faith. Agree with God. Disagree with demons.
I hope you find it helpful to read and use the Advent meditations, prayers and Scriptures at home.
First Candle: prepare in hope and lean hope against God to fight familiarity. Second Candle: Faith from prophecy fulfilled. Fight negativity with God’s Word (sword of the Spirit). Third Candle: Love and repentance in response to God’s mercy on us sinners. Fourth Candle: Choose and practice Joy while you look for Christ’s “comings” to each day.