Which One.."Are You?"

Which One, are you?

Illus. by Wanye Major

A church just had a change of ministers and was to be served by their first woman pastor. One of the parishioners was having a hard time accepting it, not because of any prejudice, but because his favorite pastime was fishing, and he had always enjoyed taking the pastor fishing.

He just automatically assumed a woman pastor might not know anything about fishing. And in this particular case, he was right.

But when she found out that he had always had this relationship with pastors in the past, she approached him and announced that whenever he wanted to go, she would enjoy going fishing with him.

The time came when they decided to go, and when they had gotten into the boat and anchored down, he found out very quickly that she knew nothing about baiting a hook, so he had to bait the hook for her. When she hooked her first fish, he realized she knew nothing about how to reel it in, so he had to help her reel it in. Then, of course, he had to take the fish off the hook as well.

The result was that the man really got no fishing done himself that day. Then the wind began to blow, and she was cold, so she mentioned that she should have brought her jacket from the car. When he suggested that he could pull up the anchor and take her back to get it, she said, “Oh no, don’t bother, I’ll get it myself.”

And with that, she stood up, got out of the boat, and began walking across the water to the shore. The man sat there shaking his head sadly. “Just like I figured,” he muttered, “Can’t swim either.”

What's the four words every person never wants to hear from anyone, especially their parents or siblings? "I told you so!" Thats right, right along with you should've listened huh?

How many of us, have ever had to say, or ever felt compelled to say these words to our parents or anyone else? "You Were Right, I Should Have Listened and believed what you told me!"

Those are usually some tough words to get out of your mouth aren't they? They are usually followed up with the thought...note to self, "next time pay more attention" and the whole event becomes a learning experience for us!

Galatians 3:2,3,13,14 NKJ

2. This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

3. Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

Everyone wants to receive what God has for them in their lives right? You would think the answer to that question would be yes, but do they? There are far too many people in this life they have been given, not living like they want too!

Matthew 13:3-8 NKJ

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

How do we receive everything that God has for us? By being receptive and being good soil. By paying attention to what the word of God speaks into our lives!

Does the word of God speak into our lives? Sure it does, if we are willing to read it, accept it and believe it!

Here, we find the key, on how we can and do, receive everything that God has for us in our lives, that is assuming we have asked Jesus to be our Lord and Saviour.

Having faith in Jesus, is the key to our relationship with God and receiving everything that God generously has for each one of us! He is the seed that is sown into our lives. And we become good soil, when we believe and accept what He did for us in the past and what He can do for us in the future!

Vs. 13,14

3. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)

14. that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.