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Monday, September 01, 2014

Harvest!

 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, 
because He has anointed me 
to bring glad tidings to the poor. 
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives 
and recovery of sight to the blind, 
to let the oppressed go free,
 and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." 
Luke 4:18-19

When I read this passage, 
I can't help remembering that Jesus also said, 
"Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. 
He will do even greater works than these 
because I go to the Father." (John 4:12).
Because Jesus went to the Father, 
He was able to send us the Holy Spirit (John 14:16). 
I do believe that if we were as dedicated, 
 single-minded, and focused as the apostles, 
we would see the miracles, people risen from the dead, etc. 
that we think are "greater works." 
BUT is it not amazing that the multitude 
Jesus healed did not gather at His cross? 
Is it not puzzling that those who saw His miracles 
did not try to protect Him?

 Tom Schreiner says, "A careful study of the word "greater" (meizon) 
in John's gospel shows that the word greater 
 consistently refers to something that is greater in quality 
rather than something that is greater in number."
Jesus is after a change, a transformation of lives.

In John 20:29, Jesus said to doubting Thomas, 
“... because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed. 
Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.” 
With the Holy Spirit, we can do "greater works" than Jesus. 
We are able to reach more people now with the 
Internet, with TV, with radio. 
We can help the blind see with the gift of education, 
when we help with tutoring or donate to World Vision. 
We can help set people free from poverty and oppression 
if we try to find ways for people to have livelihood. 
We can proclaim liberty to inmates when we go and visit. 
So many ways we can help! 
And when we are able to help, 
we will be able to feed them the Good News 
and help bring in the harvest.

"The Harvest" on Sept. 6-7 at SMX is a 2-day conference 
on evangelization conducted by the Pathways Ministry 
of Ligaya ng Panginoon and the 
Institute for Pastoral Development 
that seeks to enable aspiring leaders 
and builders of God's kingdom with skills and tools 
to become effective evangelizers. 

"Be transformed by the renewal of your mind..." 
Romans 12:2

It's very important to examine 
our thoughts, the way we think. 
Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as a man thinks in his heart, 
so he becomes." and Matthew 12:33, 
"A tree is known by its fruit."

I forgot who said that more people 
struggle with their minds than their finances. 
Our mind is a battlefield. 
Our old enemy likes to put in 
thoughts of discouragement, 
hopelessness, failure, unforgiveness, etc. 
In other words, garbage! 
If we train ourselves to think positive, 
our actions will bear good fruit. 
 I remember what Jing, 
my sister's deceased first husband told me. 
"Our thoughts are like mad dogs. 
We have to reign them in immediately 
or it will take you places you do not want to go."


If our mind is our battlefield, 
our powerful weapons are the Word of God, praise and prayer. 
John 8:31-32 says, "If you abide in my Word...
you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." 
If we keep meditating on God's Word, 
we will know how God thinks, 
and we can align our thinking with His. 
With God there is always hope, love and peace. 
And that is what we want, isn't it?

 "See, I have 5 more!" Matthew 25:20

The Parable of the Talents is so rich, 
much can be gleaned from it. 
The Master is God and He gives each of us 
talents, gifts and blessings, 
'according to our capabilities'. 
It is apparent from the story that 
Jesus is telling us that these talents 
and gifts are not ours, but are God's. 
He will take an accounting about what 
we have done with everything He has entrusted to us. 
We are supposed to be diligent 
to increase and improve on what He has given, 
not for ourselves, but for God's benefit. 
When we are able to do this, 
He says, "Come share my joy!"

I can't say my mom had much to start with.... 
She didn’t have money, 
she didn’t have a grand ambition, 
she didn’t have a brilliant marketing strategy, 
she didn’t have a business degree, 
and she was shy and timid. 
What she did have was common sense, 
a good intuition and she enjoyed 
making things with her hands. 
She was very thrifty, industrious, 
and she had faith in herself and 
most importantly, faith in God.

She prayed for a business. 
 That was her capital. 
And so in spite of all that she didn’t have 
and the little that she did, 
she was able to build a business 
that has been around for 47 years.

 Today we have 15 stores, 
a building along Roces Avenue, 
and a factory in Bulacan. 
We have many livelihood projects, 
and have been able to help our suppliers 
and employees put their children through school, 
pay for their medical expenses, etc. 
I am pretty sure that when mommy met the Master, 
and He asked for an accounting, 
He said to her approvingly, 
"Well done, good and faithful servant. 
 Come, share Your Master's joy!"





5 comments:

  1. Hi Patsy! I hope that you and your family are doing well. I'm always delighted to have your wonderful art linked to our challenges. I enjoy stopping by and I always take this opportunity to pray for you. May God bless your week, and thanks SO MUCH for sharing.
    Karen
    Word Art Wednesday

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  2. Patsy, I am always touched by you blog posts. I thought these pictures looked like you sweet Mother. She surely planted a seed. I cherish my time here. This art is like seeing His Word in a picture. Thank you for dropping by. Sunny sweet smiles from Carole and the DT team at Word Art Wednesday.

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  3. Beautiful artwork, thanks for linking with Unforced Rhythms!

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  4. Great job on this projects...I especially love your masculine drawings. They look so awesome. Thanks for blessing us with your project for our Challenge at Word Art Wednesday...Please join us again in a new Challenge starting today. Leaving you with God's Word in Isaiah 40:8, "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever." Hugs and blessings!

    JO ANN
    http://jatterburycreations.blogspot.com

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  5. I really appreciate the commentary you referenced about the meaning of the word "greater." As someone who can get caught up in the worldly numbers, this is such a great reminder that God is in it for the transformational process -- the deep and not the surface.

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I am so glad you dropped by! You are a blessing!
:^) Patsy