COLOR MY WORLD SPRING!
"For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers have already appeared in the land; The time has arrived for pruning the vines, And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land. The fig tree has ripened its figs, And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, And come along!"
(Song of Solomon 2: 11 - 13 ) SPRINGTIME IS ON THE WAY! "Listen to the animals and they will teach you..." (Job 12: 7) I enjoy riding Samson around the farm this time of year, getting my "inner cowgirl" on, checking out fence lines after a long winter, and just playing with Montana and our rescued mini-dwarf horse, Lil' Bit. As you can see from the picture above, the grass and even the woods in the background are still pretty brown from the lingering affects of winter. But spring is headed our way. How do I know that? Forget those groundhogs with their shadows. Horses give away all the secrets to nature! My horses started shedding their winter coats several weeks ago. No joking, you could stuff a dozen mattresses with the fluffy stuff. Instead of stuffing mattresses, I always leave some of their shedded hair lying around on the ground. Lo and behold, a few days later I always find new bird nests all around the farm that are finely woven together with multi-colored horse hair. 
Montana says, "Why do I keep feeling like someone's following me!" To which Lil' Bit replies, "Don't look back, bro', and just keep walking."
Gathering around the water hole is always big fun on a warm spring day.
NO MORE EXCUSES
"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
(Romans 1: 20)
Vivid blues and greens, - the colors of renewal and spring are here! The arrival of spring is always a time of renewal. And there's no better way to start the new season than with the renewing of your mind and how you think! Instead of waking up and thinking, "Oh well, it's just another day and hopefully another dollar", the Bible says that today is the day the Lord has made, and you and I should be glad and rejoice in it! Why? Because we have another day, not just to wake up and go through the motions of living, but to truly breathe in all the wonders of God's creation. It's also another day to look around at all our Heavenly Father has made, and recognize Him as the great "I Am."
As you take time to look around at the many colors and sights of spring this year, I want you to become an active participant in the renewal process of your mind by thinking about what I am about to say to you. The earth, and all that is in it are God's creation, and it all belongs to Him. But earth, as magnificent as it is, is not His greatest creation. God's greatest creation is YOU! You were created in His image. He formed you in the secret place, and He knew you even before your mother's womb. Think about that for a moment. The things of earth with all of its mysteries, and all the things that your eyes behold, will one day pass away. But you are an eternal creation destined for purpose in Christ Jesus. And when your purpose is in Him, you are without excuse. So what are you waiting for? Look at all the marvelous things the Lord has done, and then rejoice!
UNDERSTANDING YOUR GREAT VALUE
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"
(Matthew 6: 26)
I adopted Lil' Bit several years ago after discovering him living in an abandoned pasture where he had been neglected and forgotten. Today, he's no longer a victim. He's a Victor. And he is greatly valued.
How long has it been since someone told you that you are valuable? It's not just people who are alone that long to hear those words. People from all walks of life wake up every day longing to hear someone tell them that they have value, and they are prized. And often, those same people go to bed night after night with the same unfulfilled longing; the longing to hear that they really matter. If we as the church don't tell them they are loved and valued, then who will?
AS THE CHURCH, WE MUST TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR REAL VALUE
Perhaps it's just the fact that I'm getting older and I see things from a different vantage point these days, but I am acutely aware of the life-changing power that telling someone they have value has on a person's life. Right about now, the "dirt under my fingernails" cowgirl in me has to shoot straight. Too often, church leaders concern themselves with erecting new and valuable buildings, while their people don't have a clue about their real value in Christ. And why do we need to teach people about their value? People who don't understand their real value are inevitably a weak people. And weak people will eventually fall for anything, and ultimately stand for nothing.
Yes, it's true, sometimes we really do need practical things like new church buildings. That's an understood fact. But a church is not a building, and that's something that is often not fully understood. The truth is, no matter how costly, - wood, brick, and mortar are not the church. People are the church. When we understand that people, and not buildings, are the real church, then we develop a new set of priorities in our building program. First things first - and first, we build the people. And how do you build the people? You build the people by teaching them who they are in Christ Jesus, and by teaching them that they have great value and worth.
And how long is that gonna take? Afterall, the church building is falling down around us and we don't have all day! I certainly don't mean to make light of a serious subject, but I tend to think of everything in terms of horses. So I'll explain it this way. When I'm training my horse to be the horse he was created to be, I don't put myself on a self-imposed time slot that adds gray hairs to my head. I keep to the most important matter at hand. Yes, the horse barn, itself, may be falling down, but my horse learning what I'm trying to teach him and learning it well, is my first and main priority. Everything else will follow. And again, how long is it gonna take? It's gonna take as long as it takes. The real question is, are we in it for the long-haul?
CONSIDER THIS...
When God was building the nation of Israel, He began by telling the Israelites that they were His "chosen people". It took awhile, a long while, in fact, but eventually they understood who they were in relationship to Him. And before long, they understood their important value to Him, as well. To be clear - there's absolutely nothing wrong with building programs, and erecting new church buildings. I'm all for it, so don't misconstrue what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that we have to have our priorities in line to be successful. The #1 priority is building a people who know God, and who understand their value to Him. And what do you get when you build the people first, and the building second? Here's the short list:
1 - You get the kind of folks that can stand up to adversity; the kind who are in it for the long-haul.
2 - You get the kind of folks who are committed, and don't church-hop or look for the next best thing.
3 - You get the kind of folks that are rock solid and don't run when you preach the truth.
4 - You get the kind of folks that understand that God has given them a Pastor/Shepherd, and they are the sheep.
5 - And finally, you get the kind of folks that can be depended upon to still be around and "tithe and give" when the first new church building payment comes due!
Wow, what a short list! Can you imagine the long list? Now you know the kind of folks I'm talking about. I'm talking about people who have a strong Godly foundation; a foundation that can withstand and outlast the shaking that is sure to come. I'm talking about people who have been taught some serious groundwork lessons before the saddle gets thrown up on their back. I'm talking about people who know who they are in Christ Jesus, and who understand their own value. I'm talking about people who have been Word-taught and Blood-bought. I'm talking about the real church. And how long does it take to build a church like that? You know the answer.
It takes as long as it takes!
HAVE YOU VISITED OUR NEWLY UPDATED WEBSITE YET?
Check out our new video web page, and the new photo gallery of Susan's equine ministry partners, Samson and Montana. Lots of new updates, pictures, and ministry on purpose, power, and partnership!
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