"the Strength Of The Ox."

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES

(Proverbs 14:4) “Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.”

(Proverbs 15:17) “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”

(1 Timothy 5:18) “For the scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.”

(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."

PREFACE SUMMARY

Beloved, Oxen are known to be powerful and hardworking creatures used to plow fields and transport heavy loads, but one of the downsides of working with oxen is their droppings, which can create quite a mess.

Some people use horses and they have been known to put diapers on them but they do not have the sure footing that oxen have and the reality is that both animals have droppings and you can tell where the oxen or horses have been plowing by all the dropping left on the plowed ground.

You can always tell where the oxen have been by the droppings left behind, and you can always tell where a pastor has been plowing the flock by the physical evidence left behind in his services which can be represented by tear stained altars, hairpins lying around from some woman's hair she just paid to have done in a beauty parlor and even tissues left in the seats.

Beloved, these tears are cries to God for deliverance, for themselves and their families. I have witnessed a young woman shouting while a huge man sitting beside her would be crying his eyes out.

In the context of our spiritual lives, the crib represents a storage bin to contain the harvest and it symbolizes our spiritual journey, and just as a farmer must contend with the mess created by oxen, we too must be ready to face the challenges of our spiritual path.

Throughout this message, we will discover that a church can only be as spiritual as its pastor or spiritual leader, and embracing the discarded tissues and tear stained pews is a physical sign of a pastor preaching the word in the demonstration of the Holy Ghost with heaven shining on their shoulders.

In summary, let me say that a trustworthy pastor plays a crucial role in leading by example and encouraging open transparency. In such an environment, we can journey together in faith, unencumbered by the need for perfection, and support one another through our struggles and challenges.

"LETTING GO OF THE OLD MAKES WAY FOR THE NEW."

(Luke 9:62) "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put their hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Beloved, this passage of scripture is a priceless lesson about the dangers of returning to old habits and the importance of staying committed to our faith, and throughout this message, I pray there will be a deep inward tug on your heart to answer the Lord calling men and women to come and follow him.

Notice that the ones being called begin to put up excuses, such as going back to bury their dead, and one of the men the Lord called, gave the excuse that he needed to return and say farewell to his friends.

Both of these men gave excuses that they had things to take care of before they could follow the Lord, and the last called, gave the excuse that he needed to go back and tell some of his old friends farewell.

This last excuse serves as a warning for us today, because many have gone back to see the friends in the old places where they used to go and ended up returning to their old lifestyles, forgetting about the change the Lord made in their lives.

To give an illustration, let's say the man goes back and enters a bar he used to visit to tell his friends he has chosen a new plan for his life: to follow Jesus, and let's say his friends in a drunken stupor congratulate him on his choice for a new life and tell him how proud they are of him, and without him knowing it, they set a drink before him, all the while keeping his ego going by asking him to speak about his new life.

Beloved, without noticing the trap, the man will be so wrapped up in the conversation that he begins to sip on the drink before him. When it is empty, the so-called friends will sit another drink before him, and he does not even catch on to what is going on till he is caught in their trap.