That appointed time came...

But [that appointed time came] when Christ, the Messiah, appeared as a High Priest of the better things that have come and are to come. [Then] through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with [human] hands, that is, not a part of this material creation, He went once for all into the [Holy of] Holies [of heaven], not by virtue of the blood of goats and calves [by which to make reconciliation between God and man], but His own blood, having found and secured a complete redemption – an everlasting release [for us].

There was a time. There was a plan. There was a destiny..when CHRIST came to earth for mankind. Christ, The Messiah, our Saviour, came. This was His destiny, "to seek and to save those who were lost." His plan – LOVE! He showed us His love by laying down His life freely, so that those who believe would freely receive eternal life. This plan concocted before you and I were born, in the eternities of the eternities, and at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

His death and resurrection brought in a better covenant, not through endless works and sacrifices, but a covenant of love and mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Yet like the proverbial monkey who has his hand stuck in the jar of sweets because his fist is full, we still all go our own way. God sent His Son who brings us a better life, yet we choose the life of unforgiveness, greed, covetousness and earthly success, when He offers spiritual success. A life of peace in Him, joy and strength in Him with blessings on that which we have and do.

No wonder God weeps in Heaven when He gave all to save, yet we chose the waters of pride and independence instead of the safety of the Ark of Christ. Our eternity is sealed in Him. We alone have that choice to make "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." This could not be plainer – we choose, life or death. God has done all to bring us life and be reconciled to Him for He alone is Holy, Right and Just. The consequence of choosing death will mean eternal separation from that which is good, GOD.

Beloved ones chose carefully.

A Sower went out to sow...

This well known parable of the seed that was sown in four different soils has been much talked about and discussed.

Interesting the sower scatters the seed and it falls in different places and so begins a journey of the life of the seed and subsequent harvest or lack of harvest. This is encouraging in the fact that God has given us the job to scatter "seed" but even as the sower does not stress about where the seed falls, so we too need not fuss. The seed will do its own work in a heart that is willing or perhaps lie dormant until the right conditions are met.

The sower is scattering the same kind of seed. The seed has the same potential, the same life and the only difference is how it is received. The same seed is capable of producing 100% harvest dependent upon where it falls. The most harvest is produced in the soil that hears and understands what potential there is in the seed.

Jesus told us that His words are spirit and life and it is in allowing the seed of the word, the life in it, to work in all our situations. We are called to be doer's of the word and not just hearers. James likens those who hear the word and do nothing with it like those who look in a mirror and then walk away forgetting what they look like.

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. Jas 1:25

We are blessed when we listen and obey the Word. Sometimes we can read a passage of the bible and wish we hadn't opened to that section as it seems that it is too hard a struggle for us to do. We need to remember that if God is commanding us to do, than He has also equipped us with the power with which to do it. The Seed (Christ) dwells in us and so does the anointing to accomplish His Word.

I find it really interesting that God has called His Son, The Seed. Think about this. If you plant tomato seeds you will harvest tomatoes in time. Everything, all the DNA, the life and all the information is contained in that seed to produce tomatoes. So everything of Christ, as The Seed (and as the amplified bible puts it, the divine sperm of the Almighty), dwells in us producing Christ likeness when the seed is watered by our affection and obedience to it.

As the apostle John so amply put it:-

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 1Jn 3:9

As with all sowing, there is a waiting time until the harvest. This is where the word encourages us not to be weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap. (Gal 6:9) If we remain faithful to the Word, leaning on the Holy Spirit to help us and empower us, we will produce a harvest, some 30, some 60 and some 100%, but a harvest nevertheless that will glorify the Son by producing fruits of righteousness, peace and joy in our lives. A great thing about harvests is the more we sow, the more we will reap. The more we listen and obey, a greater harvest of fruitfulness will be seen.