E
elijah23
Guest
Should we spread the gospel to everyone right away, or should we use discretion?
Christian Forums
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
-
Desire to be a vessel of honor unto the Lord Jesus Christ?
Join For His Glory for a discussion on how
https://christianforums.net/threads/a-vessel-of-honor.110278/
-
Taking the time to pray? Christ is the answer in times of need
https://christianforums.net/threads/psalm-70-1-save-me-o-god-lord-help-me-now.108509/
-
-
Depending upon the Holy Spirit for all you do?
Read through the following study by Tenchi for more on this topic
https://christianforums.net/threads/without-the-holy-spirit-we-can-do-nothing.109419/
-
-
How are famous preachers sometimes effected by sin?
Join Sola Scriptura for a discussion on the subject
https://christianforums.net/threads/anointed-preaching-teaching.109331/#post-1912042
-
elijah23 said:
An interesting question for sure.
It has been said that: "You can't preach to an empty stomach."
Although I do not believe that to be true in itself, it is a very good reminder in the importance of giving that "Cup of water" to those in need.
Let me share my take on this verse as the Lord showed it to me.
In context let's look at Mat (7:7):
I used to think, quite naively, that:
Asking meant - Asking God for whatever, in faith, and we shall receive.
Seeking meant - If you lose your car keys, or whatever, seek them and you will find.
Knocking meant - If your looking for a job, you need to be knocking on doors in order for one to open.
In July 2000, the Lord corrected me on that by showing me what it meant.
The Asking part covers every aspect of life: Material, Enotional, Spiritual, Financial, etc.
He will not deny us just as we would not deny our own children. "Who among would give a stone to his son when he asks for bread"
However as long as we remain in the Asking mode or focus, we remain in a relationship that is Child\Father relationship. Children always ask. Babies cry for food, care, warmth, etc. A toddler asks for a cookie. A teenager asks for the car keyes + $10 for gas and $10 for pizza. And even as adults we asks God constantly for things, such as the bare necessities. This type od behavior keeps us in a Child\Father relationship WHILE God is wishing for us to GROW UP.
SIDEBAR {When my children were growing up, they would always come to me with all kinds of petitions. Ex. Can I get a new bookbag for school? Please Dad could I get that new GI Joe? etc. etc. -- I would often answer something along the lines of "We'll see!" I would say that because I may have been unsure I had the money or time or some other reason to actualy get them what they wanted. Howerver on the occasions that I new for sure that I could come through on their request, I would look at them straight in the eyes and with a wink I would say: "Trust your Dad!"
God says the same to us when it comes to the necessities of life. He says He feeds the birds and clothes the flowers of the fields. So relax and "Trust your Dad!"}
God is going to take care of us in every way and so He wants us to grow out of the "Child like" relationship and become MATURE in our faith.
That is where the SEEKING comes into play.
Since everything we need is covered in the Asking part, what is Seeking all about?
Mat (6:33) "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. "
God is looking for seekers, those who want to go beyond the Asking, not that there's anything wrong with asking, but the mature one will learn to "Trust hisDad" and move on to seeking more of His Kingdom and His Righteousness, knowing full well that "all these things shall be added unto you".
There is certainly more to God than just what He supply regarding our needs.
His immeasurable Love, the Beauty of His Grace, His never ending compassion, the Wonder of His knowledge, and infinitely more.
SIDEBAR - I once was making some muffins from scratch, on one of my off days from work. In front of me were 4 cups of flour, a cup of sugar, some salt and baking soda. When I mixed all 4 ingredients, which were all white, together Itought to myself: "I can't distinguish salt from sugar or flour from soda."
That's when the Lord said to me: "I can reach into that mixture and pick out every grain respectively."
I was totally blessed. Now, don't get me wrong I knew all along that God could do that but at that moment it was just a wonderful revelation.
When we take the time to seek Him, God is going to reveals amd disclose some wonderful things about himself.
These wonderful secrets turn out to be "Nuggets of Gold" or Pearls of great price" and although they are meant for our enjoyment and revelation at the time, God will expect us to deliver (Share) them with others. (Part of being His hand extended).
This is where the KNOCKING comes into play.
If we ask Him or wait upon Him, He will direct us on where to deliver these wonderful pearls. He will show us the doors and they will open.
But has it ever happened to you that God shows you something wonderful and when you share it with someone else, it's as if it went right over their head? All they can say is: "Oh, that's nice, so how are you petunias coming along.?"
This would be like throwing your Pearl before swine.
SIDEBAR - I once was asked by my church to be part of a committee who would reach out to those who had frequented our church in the past but for whatever reason were not attending anymore. I Acquiesced. On my list of contacts was a young girl ,who through many hardships of family life, had attended the church and had subsequently cease coming. She had suffered in many ways at the hands of her Christian peers and therefore had given up on church.
One morning, as I was in devotions, she came to my mind so I began to pray for her. As I was praying the Lord said to me:"Tell her about the muffins!"
I was bewildered. So I asked Him:"You want me to tell her that, out of a white mixture of 4 ingredients, You are capable of extracting each grain so as to form 4 new piles?"
HE said:"No, no, that was for you. I want you to tell her that the mixture is like her whole life. And just as I can see every little grain in that mixture, I saw every moment of her life when she cried herself to sleep, every time she raged at Me, every time she felt so lonely and without friends, etc, etc. And I want you to tell her that I was there beside at all times and that I LOVE HER"
Well to say the least, when I shared that with her I walked through a door that did not have swine on the other side.
Blessings
ArielIrene
Member
elijah23 said:
The Principle: Casting Pearls Before Swine
"Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:6).
Of course, these words of Jesus are allegorical. I doubt that any were literally casting pearls before swine. The meaning is pretty simple to figure out; "Do not persist in offering what is sacred or of value to those who have no appreciation for it, because your gift will not only become contaminated and be despised, your generous efforts could also be rebuffed and perhaps even openly attacked."
The "dogs" and "swine" here stand for the unappreciative and worldly; unappreciative and uncaring men and women who belittle the value of what is offered to them. "That which is holy" would be the meat offered in sacrifice to God. A dog could care less whether it came from the altar or the garbage. The swine have no appreciation for either the beauty nor the value of the pearls under their feet.
Your life, time, energy, opportunities and abilities are God's pearls. They're His! You and I are merely His stewards overseeing His possessions (1 Corinthians 6:19,20; 4:1,2; 1 Peter 4:8-11). We must show discernment as to what use we make of God's possessions. It is possible to waste them either by using them when we should not as well as not using them when we should.
Examples of the Principle Applied
"Jesus therefore perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force, to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain to be by Himself alone." (John 6:15).
Jesus was very popular at this stage of His ministry. The main reason for this is that He had just miraculously fed five thousand plus people. The purpose was twofold; the people were hungry, and Jesus wanted to illustrate the more important spiritual bread, the bread of life, that He was offering them in His teachings.
But the people did not want the bread of life. They wanted more of the physical bread to eat. They began following Him for the wrong reason (vs. 26-27). Jesus offered them spiritual bread, but they did not want that (vs. 40-41). When Jesus refuses to duplicate the earlier miracle, continuing instead to redirect their attention toward the words of life, the people finally lose interest and leave (vs. 66). They were unappreciative of the pearls Jesus was offering them. Jesus simply refused to allow His efforts to be wasted on those who had little interest in His purpose and mission.
elijah,elijah23 said:
.
A dog neither chews the cud or has a two-part hoof.
A dog eats his own vomit and thereby his own books become a trap and a snare to him. He easily looses interest in prophecy and apostolic testimony. Moses is an anathema to him. His belly is his god.
A hog lays around in his own dung (works of the law). He has a split hoof, so he is gentle in his walk, but he never chews his cud (meditates upon the word). He just eats more and more and rests in his own mess.
The hog cannot get enough Moses to satisfy him. He desires more and more laws and regulations, and when you present the pearl of free justification to him, he cannot resist becoming angry and going after you with his tusks, that grow out of his jaws. His belly is his god.
Joe