Pastor Ralph Diehl » fruit

SEED SEASION

pastordiehl — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:00:52 +0000

There is a fable about a man who was browsing in a store when he made the surprising discovery that God was behind the sales counter. So the man walked over and asked, “What are You selling?”

God replied, “What does your heart desire?”

The man said, “I want happiness, peace of mind, and freedom from fear…for me and the whole world.”

God smiled and said, “I don’t sell fruit here. Only seeds.”

We usually want a short-cut answer from God, but He only sells seeds. If we do what His Word instructs, the result will follow. If you are happy with the way you are, I would never want to change that. But, if there’s something missing in your life, I think planting a feww seeds that direction will surely help.

Paul wrote, “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

DELAYED HARVEST

pastordiehl — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:00:37 +0000

My house is located on a gravel road with black walnut trees lining the road. These walnuts were planted a couple decades ago by my father-in-law, from whom we purchased this site. I’ve carefully pruned these walnuts so an eight-foot log could be harvested from as many as possible one day.

Last year was the first really good harvest of walnuts. Because Anita and I aren’t into cracking black walnuts, we just let them lie and mowed over them. There were so many it was a real mess. The roller on my garden tractor drug them all over the yard. Now, this year, there are only about 7 0r 8 nuts on the 11 trees on our frontage.

I wondered what the deal was, so did a little research on walnut production. I discovered that certain strains of black walnut produce in alternate years. They produce a few nuts in the off years, but primarily every second year.

That reminded me that Jesus said that we would reap in due season if we faint not. There is a season to sow, and a season to reap. And sometimes the season to reap is not when we expect it. It arrives in due season.

When is the last time you felt like you missed a promised blessing, but it showed up later?

12 Days: DAY NINE

pastordiehl — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 12:00:35 +0000

“On the ninth day of christmas my True Love sent to me: Nine Ladies Dancing“.

The nine Ladies Dancing refer to the nine fruit of the Holy Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. They are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are absent from the natural (or old) man but are the fruit of a spiritual life, dedicated to living for God’s glory. Fruit is the natural result of a healthy life. These fruit are not something we “preach” into a person’s life, but the natural outcropping of one who is focused upon living in a godly manner.

And fruit bear the seeds of reproduction. It is these godly mannerisms that attract non-Christians to the Savior, thus multiplying the next generation of believers. They may seem like weaknesses to the self-serving natural man, but they are the vehicle through which Christ can work. These are the nine ladies dancing.