Are you a Gardener?

[PATrobas]

Reminders – Are you a Gardener?

            Have you ever prayed for someone’s salvation? Have you considered the timing of events and number of people involved for God to answer that prayer? The scripture is clear that we have no power to save anyone and that no one can come to God unless the Father draw them. ^{John 6:44}  This drawing, in part, is a spiritual act of God which imparts the desire within a man’s heart to know the only creator God. Once that is responded to, God sees to it that they  receive knowledge of the Gospel. That knowledge includes an awareness of their sinful position in Adam and belief in the only solution for their sin and sins. God provided that one and only solution, which is that Jesus died as full payment for their sins, He was buried, then rose from the dead to give eternal life to whomsoever believes it. How does one hear this good news? God has chosen to reveal the Gospel through the witnessing and preaching of ordinary Christians such as you and me, who are walking by faith.

            Most people don’t get saved through the preaching of a “professional,” such as  Billy Graham. Most Christians give a testimony of having heard the Gospel over  time from several, if not many people. They heard from friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and sometimes even strangers. Paul laid it out clearly in 1 Corinthians 3:5-6, “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” He is saying that someone plants the seed of the Gospel, then others come along and water that seed, reiterating or enforcing the message, and finally God causes that seed to produce the fruit of salvation when the Gospel is believed. Have you considered that God wants to use you to be a planter, or a waterer, or a harvester? Could you be the person God uses to answer someone else’s prayer of salvation for a friend or relative? He chooses to use us, as imperfect vessels, to reveal the power of His salvation. ^{2 Corinthians 4:7}

            Final Thoughts: I’m constantly looking for and anticipating the opportunity to share the Gospel with someone. Two delivery fellows were at my house this week with a new stove, and in the course of our conversation I was asked what my favorite hobby was now that I’m retired. Immediately, I recognized this as a divine opportunity, so I shared with them that my favorite hobby was studying the Bible. This then led to a discussion about Jesus and ended with me sharing the Gospel with them. When their job was finished, they left with a simple Gospel tract and my encouragement to seek the truth. As I watched them drive away, it made me wonder who has been praying for them and who else God has used in their lives to plant and water the seed of the Gospel. Now it’s my turn to pray for Gus and Kevin’s salvation. Please join me as a gardener in God’s Garden.

[AnOrangeCat]

5 hours ago, PATrobas said:

Most people don’t get saved through the preaching of a “professional,” such as  Billy Graham.

I'd believe this. If nothing else there's a lot of skepticism built up over big names because of a combination of mistakes, fraud, and the world being all too eager to jump on anything that gives an excuse to be critical of Christianity or anything remotely tied to it. But it's harder to be dismissive of someone right in front of you. Especially if the person is in the friend or family category.

[Neighbor]

God is faithful to answer prayer -rightly asked.

Rightly asked is not a special wording it is rightly motivation of the heart, asked without a seeking  of personal gain.

God answered the consistent prayers of my grandmother for my own turning about to Yeshua some 20 plus years after her last prayer before her own death. She prayed, and gave testimony to me many times  while I was young, before she had lost her ability to speak coherently ( multiple strokes). Yet  it was two decades after her death before I was turned about -in answer to that faithfulness on her part in the faithfulness of Yeshua.

I was about to die without ever having been turned about when God intervened; for he is faithful, faithful always. He remembers, he answers- upon his own perfect timing.

 

[TheBlade]

Gardener...at first.. didn't have the best .. anyway when I grew up had to .. always had to weed the garden.. that was anything you can think of we had so it was huge then ALWAYS having to mow the grass...take all the weeds out of the grass. But I digress I don't think that's what you meant a all haha. How most are saved is something no man can answer since 8 billion on the earth only He knows the heart. I praise Him for everyone that He draws to Him.

I can not save anyone no matter what I think believe say or do. Only if it is as He leads and guides for I know many push people away because it was not God talking just man. So in my world my life loved ones that do not know Him I pray He sends labors across their path.. like that and never have to say another word. For He draws them not me. There are times He tells us to talk praise God.. 

My own life at what 9-10 preacher talking about hell burning and then the next week had a dream.. I still remember it. Going up front crying I still have the little four laws they gave me. I know that is now how GOD draws us but praise GOD He used it for His glory and will  never turn anyone away. 

For me praise God most are blind and if blind would have no sin.. you say you see your sin remains. But we plant that seed and it will always grow. Again reminds me dream I had a year or two ago all it was was this plat with a weed all around it a huge plant. And all He said was " you have to let them grow together"

[grumix8]

We are gardeners and this planet is God's garden, the plan of God since the Eden to make heaven into Earth and do his will.

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” - Matthew 6:10

Bible says you came from heaven and you cannot bring anything of he gold from there or things and when we die we cannot bring anything from here to there.

 

Yes, we are gardener. This world is his garden and it's all part of his plan. There will be more of all of us ;D.

 

The Tree of Life of the Garden we will eat from it.

 

Rev 2:7; 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.'
Rev 22:2; in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Rev 22:14; Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.
Rev 22:19; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

There may be multiple trees of life. ( Ezek 47:7-12; )

 

 

[Sower]

On 5/19/2023 at 6:53 PM, PATrobas said:

The scripture is clear that we have no power to save anyone and that no one can come to God unless the Father draw them. ^{John 6:44}  This drawing, in part, is a spiritual act of God which imparts the desire within a man’s heart to know the only creator God. Once that is responded to, God sees to it that they  receive knowledge of the Gospel.

You say;   "no one can come to God unless the Father draw them"  I agree as that's what the word says.
So how does God draw us?   Do they have to have been chosen first? Or just known?  Then God send the spirit to enable to receive a desire as you say, to know God? I do not know how others received desire, only myself.
Did all believers just wake up one day with a desire to be saved, or a desire to get a bible and read it? What does the word say?

My understanding the way God calls/enables is the word. Faith is what is needed. Faith comes by hearing the Word.
"And the WORD was God"....The word, God, called me (that desire) when I heard for the first time the words "You must be saved"
"You must be born again, to enter the kingdom of heaven."  (my sheep hear my voice)

I was in the RCC 30yrs, and never heard those words. When I heard them at a funeral, a tiny spark struck, a desire to get my catholic bible out and read to discover the gospel. More reading, questions, understanding, and a child was born.

Months later with my first new pastor on a church visitation to a young mother that had visited our church, in three hours of hearing the word, the good news, she received saving knowledge and cried out for God's salvation mercy. I witnessed my first birth of a child of God, and I was a tiny part of sharing the light she received. That moment is seared into my mind/memory. Sharing a few verses, discussing a testimony, and a few hours of time, and witness the beginning of a sisters new eternity. Cool, huh!

I wouldn't say I am a gardener. But I really enjoy sowing seed. Lately there has not been many days go by where  some delivery person (fresh soil) has received the seeds of the gospel. And the Lord keeps sending them. God answers prayer.

No person can save anybody from their sins. Yet God does says about wisdom;

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise."    Proverbs 11:30

 

 

 

[Sower]

23 hours ago, AnOrangeCat said:

I'd believe this. If nothing else there's a lot of skepticism built up over big names because of a combination of mistakes, fraud, and the world being all too eager to jump on anything that gives an excuse to be critical of Christianity or anything remotely tied to it. But it's harder to be dismissive of someone right in front of you. Especially if the person is in the friend or family category.

It is those Christian soldiers who are on the front lines that get wounded and fall when engaging the enemy, and not the pew sitters.

quote; The man who is actually in the arena

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong
man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is
marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who
comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and
shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows
great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy
cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that
his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know
victory nor defeat

[com7fy8]

And God uses example. Good teaching includes demonstration.

[Ray12614]

Interestingly enough . . . this year my wife and I have planted an garden. We took a 70 by 40 foot piece of land, and turned it into an garden plot. We did the following:

1. I turned over and broke up the area filled with grass and weeds with a disk. (I did not have a plow, but had a tractor so I borrowed my neighbors disk to chop and turn over the soil.

2. Then I bought a rototiller, and spent 4 weeks rototilling the soil which further broke up the soil that the disk missed, and killed the root systems of the grass and weeds. During this process many rocks were discovered, and I had to place them in piles to be disposed of later.

3. After weeks of rototilling, the soil was ready, and my wife and I took 2 days to plant various seeds, and plants we wanted. It was work, but, we are looking not at the work, but at the harvest of vegetables that are contained in the seeds and seedlings.

This summer, we will have to keep the garden, de-weeding it, keeping pests out of it (deer, insects, rodents etc.), watering it, and dealing with anything that would keep our harvest from happening.

I do have some initial pictures if there is any interest in seeing them . . . 

We are laboring in faith, doing what we can do, and trusting God for a great outcome of tasty vegetables . . . 

Speaking of tending our gardens . . . This is Sunday morning . . . and it is time to assemble together with our brothers and sisters at our local church . . . 

Grace and Peace . . . Ray . . . 

[Sower]

34 minutes ago, Ray12614 said:

I do have some initial pictures if there is any interest in seeing them . . . 

Now that I'm finally shutting down my business to enjoy the fruits of my labor, ,  I also plan the same and to get my grand kids involved in planting a large garden, and will this fall/winter prepare the soil and set up/plumb some kind of simpler irrigation. Have the large tractor and disk, but am looking to score a smaller garden size with smaller implements.  Would love to see your project and any on going progress.

On some of my wood worker and old wood working machinery  forums there is a saying that we post to the effect that when someone talks about a project they made or compleated;

If no pictures are posted it didn't happen.....

Sorry Ray the off road, but it's sorta about gardening..

Thanks for the thread.