EG Ministries INC.

A Diary of a Tomato

February 20, 2020:  Seeds purchased and delivered.
March 20, 2020:  Seeds put in soil, watered and placed in sun-room with heat at a constant 67*.
April 20, 2020:  Baby plants are sprouting, thinned some of the overcrowded pots.
May 20, 2020:  Young plants are strong, ready to go into outdoor garden but weather isn’t right yet. Will hold off planting for another few weeks.
June 20, 2020:  Plants are in outdoor garden, have been fertilized and staked (supports are in for plants to grow on). Watering often!
July 20, 2020:  Plants have been pruned four times, most have flowers or baby fruit on them. Watering every day since we’ve had little rain.
Anxiously waiting the harvest!!

Ever feel like a tomato?
I don’t mean sun-burnt, or round in figure (Bhaaaa!!!)
I mean that you are in the process of something…waiting for “harvest”.
Maybe it’s the process of buying a house,
or planning a family,
or deciding on retirement,
or praying through an opportunity for missions,
or getting through your education.

Whether you are in the beginning, middle or nearing the end of your process we can all appreciate the steps it takes to reap a “good harvest”.

Like the process of the tomato, we plan, purchase, prepare, plant, prune, pause and eventually through patience, produce the end product.

It takes time!

God does the same thing with us:
He made a plan for us from before time began!
He purchased us thought the blood of Jesus.
He prepares the way for us.
He plants us where He needs us.
He prunes us when we need it, to make us more fruitful for Him.
He pauses, (long-suffering) for us to grow, to lean, to choose Him.
He patiently waits for the final product—life with Him in glory!
All of this take time!

So, be patient with yourself, grown in the LORD, gather others along the way, and keep your eyes on that final product!!
The harvest will be so sweet!!

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  John 15:5
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.  1 Corinthians 3:6
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.  2 Peter 3:9

2020

Twenty-twenty

Perfect eye-sight is 20/20.  (Based on seeing clearly at 20 feet from any given object.)

When someone says they understand 20/20, it means they can see the issue clearly; they completely understand.

20/20 is a program on TV where the journalist tries to give us all the information we need to clearly see the topic.

20-20 is also slang for scanning the immediate area, making sure you see what’s happening (urban dictionary).

 

Here we are in the year 2020!

As a teen, I had a much different idea of what this year would look like:

More “outer space”, less earthy.

More minimal, less drama.

More energy, less aging.  (Bhaaa!!!)

More clarity, less questions.

 

I certainly could not see clearly, 20/20, into this year from 1987.

Actually, I can’t see clearly into the next few hours, let alone the next few days or years!

No matter how much I “scan the immediate area”, listen to journalists, or get my eyes tested, the future is still a blur!

 

There is only ONE Who sees 20/20, understands 20/20:

1 John 3:20b …He knows everything.

Psalm 147:5b …His understanding is beyond measure.

Revelation 1:8 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

 

As we walk into 2020, let us lean fully into the God Who is 20/20!

3 Little Words

The Bible is filled with amazing truths!

The Bible is filled with powerful words!

The Bible is filled with LIFE!

The Bible is filled with… a lot of things I wish I could remember!

 

Raise your hand if you can identify with that last comment ?

 

What if I give you ONLY three words to remember?

Could you do it?  It’s only three words.

 

Here’s the coolest thing:

God’s Word is filled with three word phrases to help us remember full stories, or truths.

Try my theory:

Read the following three word phrases, then fill in the story or truth from where the three words come.

(I gave you the reference just so you could see if you are correct!)

READY??

 

In the beginning…

(Ok that one was easy!)

 

And God said…  (Genesis 1)

 

Let us make…  (Genesis 1:27)

 

Peace, Be still!  (Mark 4:39)

 

Walk by faith  (2 Corinthians 5:7)

 

Come, follow Me.  (Matthew 4:19)

 

But if not…  (Daniel 3:18)

 

Enter His gates…  (Psalm 100)

 

Taste and see… (Psalm 34:8)

 

He’s not here!  (Matthew 28:6)

 

Feed My sheep.  (John 21:15-19)

 

Help my unbelief!  (Mark 9:24)

 

Seek ye first…  (Matthew 6:33)

 

It is finished!  (John 19:30)

 

… but through (by) Me  (John 14:6)

 

God so loved…  (John 3:16)

 

Always be prepared…  (1 Peter 3:15)

 

Love never dies (ceases, ends).  (1 Corinthians 13:8)

 

How did you do?

Could you remember the context once you had the three words?

My point:

So often we think, “I can’t memorize that!  It’s too much!”

But, we all can remember three words!

Get God’s Word into your life however you can!

Start with three words of truth, of direction, of grace, of POWER!

Three words from God are worth far more than thousands of words from the world!

“Our words say ‘Jesus is my Savior’. Our life shows ‘Jesus is my King’.”

Most of us who call ourselves “believers” have the first part down.  We KNOW we are saved through our faith in God’s promise that we confess or call, He saves.  (Romans 10:9-13)

 

Once we are saved, there is a life process that BEGINS at salvation, and doesn’t end until we are face to face with our heavenly Father, home in heaven.

It’s the change in making Jesus not only SAVIOR but KING.

It’s in the choices we make to SHOW our convictions.

It’s in the attitude we reflect to others.

It’s in the times we say no to sin, and yes to godliness.

It’s in the way we choose to spend our time.

It’s in the gut reactions we have to unrighteousness around us.

It’s in the love we SHOW to those who are unlovely.

It’s in the way we choose to glorify our Savior, by making Him King:  Ruler of our whole life!

 

Each day take one step toward your KING!

Make one choice that reflects WHO’s you are!

Show the world WHO your King really is!

Jesus!

 

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

(1 Timothy 1:17)

 

King making Challenge:

Read the following passages to find out HOW a “Jesus is King” Believer acts:

Philippians 2, Romans 12, Colossians 3, Romans 10:9-13

The rescue came FIRST!

Many of us are familiar with the story of Peter, one of Jesus’ closest friends, walking on water.

(You can find the story in the Bible, Matthew 14:22-33.)

 

Here’s the jist:

Jesus finds out his cousin, and fellow God-worshipper, John is killed by beheading.

In His grief, Jesus withdraws to a remote place.

Crowds follow Him.

He ministers to them, for a full day, resulting in a very large hungry crowd!

Jesus feeds them, then sends His disciples ahead of Himself across the “Lake”.

Jesus goes off to pray for the night.

Close to dawn, Jesus comes to His friends, (who are still in the boat on a churning sea), walking on the water!

They think He’s a ghost!

Jesus speaks to them to assure them it is He.

 

We pick up the story with Peter’s words:

“Lord, if it’s You”, Peter replied, “tell me to come to You on the water.”

“Come”, He said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.

“You of little faith”, He said, “why did you doubt?”

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

 

Go back and read that again, this time take notice of Jesus’ actions and reactions.

 

Did you see it?

Did you see the ORDER in which Jesus acted, then spoke?

He invited Peter into the miracle.

He watched Peter act in faith, step by miraculous step, close enough to touch Him.

He saw Peter’s eyes drift.

He heard Peter’s cry.

IMMEDIATELY…

He reached out His hand.

He rescued, made sure Peter was safe, secure, with his focus back on Jesus.

Then, once Peter was safe, Jesus questioned him.

 

I think many of us see God as this disciplinarian, shaking His proverbial finger at us, shouting, “WHY DO YOU DOUBT!? YOU HAVE SUCH LITTLE FAITH!!”, putting us into a position of thinking we could never measure up!

We’re just failures!

 

But that’s NOT God!

(And we know this because Jesus is God revealed to us.)

Jesus’ go-to first reaction was not to reprimand Peter.

Jesus called him to a miracle!!  (Jesus calls us to miracles EVERYDAY!  Will you climb out of the boat to join Him?)

Jesus witnesses Peter’s doubt.  (Jesus sees our doubts, too!  He’s ready, hand out, to grab us when we falter!)

Jesus rescued!  (Jesus doesn’t leave us to flounder, trying to keep our head afloat in the sea of our doubts.)

Once safe, Jesus called Peter to MORE faith!  (Jesus puts our feet on solid ground and says, “Will you trust Me MORE?”)

 

Take the first step toward Jesus!

He’s Got You!!

He will never let you drown!!