i was reading last night and a scripture jumped out at me. i read it over and over and immediately felt like this should be posted for everyone here at sermonindex. i hope it blesses some people here.

Hosea 10:12

"12 Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.

i hope that the Lord may speak this verse to your heart as well.

phil

I really like this verse a lot. What you sow so shall ye reap. Sow righteousness and watch the Lord rain down righteousness upon you.

Oh how the church needs to break up its fallow ground and sow righteousness. We have not pushed people to break up their fallow ground because we have not pushed them to repentance. Instead the church has invited them to pitch their tents on the fallow ground and develope a false sense of security.

The church must start to sow righteousness again. This is one of the reasons I so enjoy sermonindex...it encourages people to holiness and righteous living.

Thank you all for encouraging the bride of Christ to be ready and spotless for His return.

May the lamb that was slain receive His just reward.

In His service,
Steve

_________________
Steve

Sorry, I know I replied once but I had to add this:

Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

It is time for the church to seek the Lord once more and to repent of her sin and of her repression of holiness. It is time for her to Seek God with all her heart and turn up the ground and turn from her worldliness and wickedness. It is time for her to crucify herself to the world and have no more desire for it. It is time to seek God’s face and desire the rains of righteousness to flow from Him, to our undeserving, parched souls.

Oh how we need God to water and fill our thirst; but, may our thirst be unsatiable and may we continue to hunger after the very words of God and thirst after His righteousness. Might we crave it in our souls like our bodies shout out for food and drink. May our hunger for holiness never be filled until we reach the shores of sweet Beulah land. Let us live holy lives but may be never be content...always striving and hungering more and more after the holiness of God!
Wanting always to drink from the pure rains of His Righteousness.

Oh may God come down and fill us.
Might we see His mighty working hand.
Might we be harvested and in turn go out into the harvest and bring others to heavens gates...
for His glory!
Not for our own personal glory or the church's glory but only for the glory of God!!!

May the lamb that was slain receive His just reward.
It is not what can we get out of God
but it is what God can get out of us.
It is time!

When it comes to the church and those who are part of the church...
I am tired of academics...I want action!!!!
I am tired of repression...I want repentance!!!
I am tired of helplessness ... I want holiness!!!
I am tired of the stuffing down of the old man... I want sanctification!!!
I am tired of man striving for his own gain and glory... I want God glorified in EVERYTHING!!!

Oh how we need to break up that fallow ground and say with Paul, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14

May God help us see the error of our ways and may we repent from them and turn completely to Him with humble hearts and may His will be done in our lives even as it is so perfectly done in heaven.

In His service,

Steve

_________________
Steve

Phil,

The Lord led me back to that scripture on Sunday morning. I included it in an exhortation I read to the church on that day.

There is a text sermon by Charles Finney called "Breaking Up the Fallow Ground" on here. Highly recommend it.

Murray

_________________
Murray Beninger

Phil,

I was reading the scriptures just after posting and the Lord confirmed His word to us by leading me to Joel. In chapter 1:17, it says "the seeds are shriveled beneath the clods." Clods is another name for fallowed ground. Soil that was once tilled and productive but now lies waste and hardened.

This scripture is in a chapter which is titled a call to repentance in my bible.

In chapter 3 of Joel it says there are multitudes in the valley of decision. People that must decide whether to go on with God or stay and die.

Last week God showed me a scripture in Ezekiel which said "the sound of a carefree multitude was with her."

It is humbling to realize that the Creator of the universe speaks to us all over the world, having patience with us, to lead us to repentance.

Murray

_________________
Murray Beninger

Isaiah 66:1 - 2 (NKJV) 1Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? 2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.


Psalms 34:18 (KJV) 18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Malachi 3:16 - 17 (NKJV) 16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name. 17 “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.”

There is no doubt that God is breaking up some fallow ground in places all around the world, the fallow ground of our own hearts... that hungering and thirsting for holiness and revival and reality.

God bless all of you/us as we sigh and groan with unutterable longing for God's glory in us.

Clint

_________________
Clint Thornton

Steve, I see a progression in your thoughts - from polemic words directed to a mass of people “out there”:

_________________
Diane

Diane,
What I say is not to a mass of people "out there", for I am also a part of the Church. But regardless, we are called to reflect light into the darkness. I don't believe we/I should allow someone who is heading toward a cliff head over it without doing my best to stop them. The church of Jesus' day thought they were fine, but there came one shouting as a voice in the wilderness. Repent! (I am not comparing myself to John the Baptist)

Perhaps the church is in the condition it is now because too many were too quiet for too long. I do realize that I cannot change anyone but myself (and even then only God's grace does the changing) but if I want to see my Lord Jesus reign and be Lord in the church and in the lives of those who call themselves Christians, then I have a responsibility, out of love, to show, in love, that:
Academics (talking about it) is not enough... I/they must start acting on it not just talking about it.
that:
Repression of sin is not enough...I/they must truly repent of sin (That is what the cross crucifying us to the world is about...we/I no longer have a desire for the world and the things it has to offer but our desire is for Christ and Him alone.
that:
helplessness is not an option. I/they cannot say, but I am only human or I cannot help myself. But because Christ reigns in me Holiness is not only posible but required of God..no excuses. God calls us ALL to be holy for He is holy. Of course myself included...but not just me. Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect..."
that:
there is a better way for all of us. The church need not have to keep stuffing down the old man...God desires for us/me to be sanctified. This is for the church whom He has set apart as the Bride of Christ for His dear only begotten Son...as well as for myself (as part of that Bride :-) )
that:
there is too much of the church trying to get glory for herself, too many pastors trying to grab glory, too many laypeople trying to get glory...there are times I am not careful enough and try to share in the glory...but it is not about us/me...it is about God! I desire to see Him get glory in EVERYTHING. And that should be the goal of the church as well. He sits on His throne in eternity and all majesty, glory and honour MUST be ascribed unto Him.

And, my dear sister, as for the "sharper punch" in the last of your post. Believe me, I put my name there everyday. I humble my heart before Him and pray and desire and strive to allow His will to be done in my life. It takes a conscious effort (for ME) to stay off the throne of my heart and allow God Almighty to reign every minute of every day.

Seeing as it is impossible for you to know the tone of this response by only the words I used, please believe me when I say that I was not offended by your response (I do not believe it was meant to be offensive nor correcting). I believe you wrote to my benefit. Thank you. I only write again to be more clearly understood.

What I say to others...always gets said to me first. How else can God use me? Take care.

In His service,
Steve

_________________
Steve