I dont remember( I think it was Veronica) wanted this story sent to them about reaping the fruit that I wrote to our Outreach team: Don’t just read or preach the Scriptures, LIVE in the Scriptures! We may never see the fruit from the seeds we plant, but Jesus will! Some may be getting bored, or discouraged, or worn out; I mean how much fun is washing pots and pans, serving spoons of food, or mopping floors for the elderly, the poor, the needy, and the helpless; I mean I could be home watching TV or on Facebook with my friends! I don’t have time to go to the nursing home and visit or sing to some folks that seem that I don’t exist; that won’t be around long and are sick. Saturdays are my day off; I’m tired and need my rest; I can’t plant flowers, rake, mow or use the weed eater to make something pretty for the elderly because MY yard needs that done also! Call the elderly each morning to check on them and say,” hi how are you today”; you got to be kidding me; I mean the View and Rachel Ray are on TV! Those children, they don’t need my help, they got parents! I got a story to tell, a fairy tale, maybe a parable, or maybe even real, or maybe a little of all. The cast consist of an elderly parent from a small town, a son with a wife from the big city, a Nazarene church from a small town, and a Nazarene Outreach Team from that same small town, and Jesus. This son of an elderly parent moved away from the small town to go to college, studying communication and after graduation, he landed a talk show on the radio in a big city far away. This is where the son met his wife of twenty-five years. They both loved the elderly parent deeply, but the parent would not leave the small town that they had grown up in, and besides, their spouse had been buried nearby. So the telephone was the only way to stay in touch with each other’s love for one another. During these phone calls, much was said; things about everyday life and that the Nazarene Outreach Team also loved, cared, and helped them. The elderly parent passed away and the son with his wife came to take care of arrangements and business. Sitting there the son and his wife saw a Bible, his parent’s Bible. The son and his wife whom had not step foot in a church since they were children, and then only went to church because their parents forced them, began to look through the Bible that was filled with notes. Notes about how the Nazarene Outreach team visited them, how they helped them, how they called to check on them; how they loved them! These two non-believers became interested in whom these people were and why would they be interested in his parent. They met some of that Nazarene Outreach Team at the funeral, then the son departed back home, to that far away big city. Jesus had been planted in the hearts of this son and his wife, not by preaching, but by the little Nazarene Outreach Team LIVING the Scriptures! Finally the seed took hold and the son with his wife checked out the local Nazarene church where they lived. Both became saved and extremely active in their Nazarene church. Both played musical instruments and sang beautifully, such blessing to those that heard! That little Nazarene Outreach Team from that little Nazarene church had planted a seed on fertile ground, but never saw the nurturing, the cultivating, or the fruit, not even the blessing from their music, but Jesus did, and that is ALL that counts. We are his legs, his arms, and his tongue here on earth and if we do not get up to do for Jesus, then many of the children of Jesus will be lost. I said LOST! GONE! FOREVER! What a great way for this story to end, a little Nazarene church’s Outreach Team planted a seed and the fruit was a son and his wife far away in the big city! Fantastic story! But wait, that’s not the end of this story! No, not the end of the story by far, but the beginning of a great story! The son and his wife still had Jesus working in their hearts, all from that little seed planted there by a little Nazarene church, in a little town far away. After much contemplation, the two decided to leave their high paying jobs and follow Jesus to wherever He led them. Jesus led them to be evangelist for the Nazarene churches and shed that blessing of great music, since both played instruments, as well as having great voices to sing. Both the son and the wife had gone back to school so that they could now preach God’s Word, praise the Lord through their music, and follow that little Nazarene Outreach Team in LIVING in the scriptures. Isn’t this a great story how you and I can plant one seed without preaching the word, but, by LIVING in the Scriptures of the Word by example, it blossoms into two Nazarene evangelists that are planting seeds coast to coast every week, blossoming into more and more fruit that will also plant more and more seeds. What an awesome way to end a story! Fantastic that you and I could do that! But wait!!! That’s not the end of a great story, but only the beginning of another story, all from one seed planted with love and caring by a little Nazarene Outreach Team from a little town so far away. A little group that sacrificed their time for Jesus! The son and his wife had a visit from representatives of the Nazarene Church in Kansas City. With the talents Jesus had blessed the two evangelists through music, the education to spread the Word of the Scriptures, and the son’s experience in broadcasting, they were asked to do a Nazarene radio broadcast that would reach thirty to forty countries around the world. Most of us do not realize that 60% of the Nazarene churches are not in the United States. Along with their evangelist ministry, they had a worldwide broadcasting ministry! All because YOU decided to LIVE in the Holy Scriptures! All because YOU washed pots and pans, served food, wiped tables, and mopped floors at the Care Center. All because YOU decided to visit and sing at the nursing home for the forgotten loved ones of Jesus. All because YOU decided to plant flowers on Saturdays at nursing homes, or clean up an old cemetery, or work at Habitat, or whatever was needed that day. All because YOU decided to make weekly phone calls to check on the elderly, to show that YOU cared, that YOU loved them as Jesus loves you. All because YOU, YOU from a little town, a little Nazarene church with a Nazarene Outreach Team, decide to obey Jesus! (See Scriptures at bottom of page) YOU planted the seed that found fertile ground! YOU may never see your seed nurtured, cultivated, or blossom into a gorgeous fruit, but Jesus will see, and that is all that counts! I know some of YOU are sitting there going, “sure, sure, and you really believe that, REALLY?” YOU that think that way are described in the Bible as the stony, rocky soil. YOU know the story; the story that some seeds casted out fell unto rocky soil and died; some fell on sandy soil and didn’t produce much; and then some fell on rich soil and produce great numbers of fruit. Which are YOU? As I said at the beginning, this is just a story, just a fairy tale, maybe just a parable, or just maybe, maybe a real live story that we at this end haven’t heard from the other end of the story, YET!
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 21:53:15 +0000
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