A Root Out of Dry Ground

A Root Out of Dry Ground

I was greatly encouraged by my recent trip to Niger to see what God is doing in this dry land. I was reminded of a picture my father had on his office wall of a parched, cracked piece of ground in the middle of which a small green shoot had sprung up. Under the picture was the Scripture for Isaiah 53:1-2.

“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.”

This is a prophetic word about how Jesus was going to come in weakness and suffering to redeem mankind. But it was a constant reminder to my father that there was no ground too hard for the truth of God to take root.

Jesus said,"This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain-- first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.” Mark 4:26-28

I Corinthians 3:7 says, “So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.”

Our responsibility is not to convert the soul but to simply declare the Word, plant the seed, no matter how hard and barren the ground may seem. Secondly, we need to have an unshakable confidence in the power of the Word to convert the soul. Knowing that in God’s timing and in the right spiritual atmosphere, this seed that we have planted will spring forth into everlasting life. I’m reminded of scenes of deserts that have been dry for years suddenly spring forth into beautiful growth with a season of rain.

The twelve years that my parents sowed seed in the barren desert of an unreached Muslim people group, drenched with tears of intercession, forty-five years later is now producing a harvest.

The Bible says, “He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalms 126:6

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

May God by His Spirit renew your strength and confidence in the power of His Word.

Your co-worker in Christ,

Andy Clark

A Root Out of Dry Ground

A Root Out of Dry Ground

I was greatly encouraged by my recent trip to Niger to see what God is doing in this dry land. I was reminded of a picture my father had on his office wall of a parched, cracked piece of ground in the middle of which a small green shoot had sprung up. Under the picture was the Scripture for Isaiah 53:1-2.

“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.”

This is a prophetic word about how Jesus was going to come in weakness and suffering to redeem mankind. But it was a constant reminder to my father that there was no ground too hard for the truth of God to take root.

Jesus said,"This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain-- first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.” Mark 4:26-28

I Corinthians 3:7 says, “So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.”

Our responsibility is not to convert the soul but to simply declare the Word, plant the seed, no matter how hard and barren the ground may seem. Secondly, we need to have an unshakable confidence in the power of the Word to convert the soul. Knowing that in God’s timing and in the right spiritual atmosphere, this seed that we have planted will spring forth into everlasting life. I’m reminded of scenes of deserts that have been dry for years suddenly spring forth into beautiful growth with a season of rain.

The twelve years that my parents sowed seed in the barren desert of an unreached Muslim people group, drenched with tears of intercession, forty-five years later is now producing a harvest.

The Bible says, “He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalms 126:6

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

May God by His Spirit renew your strength and confidence in the power of His Word.

Your co-worker in Christ,

Andy Clark

Sifting

Luke 22:31-32 “And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you; that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

This devotional was birthed out a word the Lord recently gave me for someone who was facing some challenges. I trust it will be an encouragement to you. In the context of the above scripture, Simon Peter was getting ready to face one of the greatest challenges of his life: the arrest, conviction and execution of the man he had given up everything to follow for the past three and a half years. The man he thought was the Messiah whom Israel had long awaited. In the heat of the action, Simon, denied the Lord three times.

What caused Simon to deny his Lord? Fear definitely played a factor. He faced the possibility of being tortured and executed with Jesus. But Simon was a bold, almost brash individual who was ready to take on about anything. In fact, at Jesus arrest, he had pulled out his sword and cut off the servant’s ear. The problem wasn’t that Simon lacked courage, but in the heat of the battle he lost direction. He was ready to fight and even die for his King, but his King wasn’t fighting. The one who could walk on water, calm the seas, chase the money-changers out of the temple, and declared Himself equal with God was yielding to the enemy. This wasn’t part of the script.

Oftentimes like Simon we face challenges in life that we do not understand. Unexpected things happen out of our control. We pray, fast, claim God’s promises in faith, and nothing seems to happen. Like Peter, we become confused and disoriented. This wasn’t supposed to happen this way. If we are not careful, we can become angry, frustrated, or depressed and maybe even give up. We thought we were doing the right thing, obeying God, but it hasn’t worked out.

I believe the words of our Lord to Simon Peter are relevant to us. In the midst of the confusion in the coming days, the Lord wanted Peter to trust Him. Yes, Satan was going to sift him and try him, but two things Peter needed to be aware of was that Jesus knew what he was going to go through and had already covered it in prayer. He also knew that Peter was going to make it because he said, “when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

You may be challenged in some area of your life today. Things are not going like you expected or planned. You may not understand why things are happening the way they have. Be encouraged, your Great High Priest knew that you were going to face this long before you did, and He has already prayed for you and knows that you are going to come through. He is faithful and has faith in you because He lives in you. For “greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world.” Be of good cheer, for He has overcome the world for you.

Andy

Declairing the Kingdom

Matthew 4:23 “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”

One of the key messages of Jesus’ ministry was the message of the kingdom. John the Baptist’s first message was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matt. 3:2) Jesus continued this trend in Mark 1:14, “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.” When Jesus sent out the 12 disciples, He “commanded them, go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:7-8) As you go through the Gospels, it is interesting to note that the proclamation of the kingdom was often associated with signs and wonders.

In teaching on the kingdom, Jesus said that the kingdom of God could not be confined by political or geographical locations, for the kingdom of God was in us. (Luke 17:20-21) Wherever we go in the world, we are the representation of the kingdom of God. By the Spirit, the full authority of the kingdom resides in us. Paul went on to define the kingdom not by what we possess but by the character and nature of God demonstrated in our lives. (Romans 14:17)

In the world we live in today, where nations and kingdoms are being rocked by political and economic turmoil, our mandate is to exemplify the very character of the kingdom. It is a kingdom of “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17) in a world that is becoming devoid of these godly character traits because the world is divorcing itself from the God of righteousness, peace and joy. In order to exemplify the kingdom, we must be people of the Spirit who walk under the authority of the King. We can not entertain what the world entertains. “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9-10) We are not moved by the news of what is happening in our world today because the love and peace flows in and through us by the Spirit.

It is out of the very character and nature of Christ by the Spirit that we carry on the ministry of Christ that declares and announces the kingdom to a world caught in chaos and darkness. This begins with praying in the kingdom. Jesus admonishes us to pray this prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” (Matthew 6:10) Begin to pray the kingdom over your home, your church, your job, your community, and your nation. Begin to pray the kingdom over North Africa and the Middle East, where millions are seeking to be free from the kingdom of this world. As you pray, declare God’s kingdom over these nations. “God may your kingdom come to Egypt, Libya, etc!”

As God leads by the Spirit, begin to announce the kingdom to those whom God brings into your life. It is through this process of living, praying, declaring, and announcing the kingdom that we bring the kingdom of God to bear on a world that desperately needs the life of the kingdom. May God energize you today to be a representative of the King in whatever measure He has given you, whether it is a prayer, a tweet, a text, a blog, facebook, email or in person. May He be glorified in you.

Andy

P.S. There will be no devotional next week as I will be in Niger, West Africa.