Happy Memorial Day!
It's graduation season. My son goes to the Agricultural School of Science. Imagine if a farmer gave the commencement address. Here's a rich, but head scratching piece of advice from his speech. "Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest." Say what? That wisdom is within our passage today- Proverbs 14:1-18. But what does it mean? Why would experts on personal development say that it contains one of the greatest pieces of advice you could give to people? Let's break open that verse (14:4) a phrase at a time to discover its riches.
Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty.
If it wasn't for the fact that Jesus was laid in a manger, we might not even have a clue what a manger is. But we know it was a feeding trough for animals. So if there are no oxen there is no need to fill the manger with food. "Great, less work!" says the shortsighted, unambitious man. "Besides" he thinks, "I know if I feed that dumb ox, I'll just have to clean up after it." He would much rather plop down in front of the TV than clean up it's plop." I get that. But who's the dumb ox? Consider the rest of the verse-
but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest."
If the man would invest in feeding his ox, he could have an abundant harvest. Sadly, most people are shortsighted. They don't invest in feeding their minds, developing their skills and striving for an abundant harvest with their lives. They would rather take it easy. I don't like those parting words people say, "Take it easy." That is not the advice we should be giving each other. The farmer who said to himself, "Take life easy, eat drink and be merry," God called a fool! (Luke 12:19). We should be encouraging each other to advance the kingdom, not to take it easy. Next time a believer says to you, "Take it easy" you might surprise him and say, "Take it by force!" Why? Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men take it by force" Mt.11:12. We are warriors striving to forcefully advance God's kingdom. An easy life is not what Christ has called us to. We are in a war. Fight! Attack! Press the battle. Our King and His kingdom are worthy of such.
So graduates and men of M3, seek an abundant harvest. You have the opportunity before you to sow and reap a great harvest, but you must sow. "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly reaps sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously" 2 Cor.9:6. That's known as the law of the harvest. So if you want an abundant harvest, sow bountifully. Don't settle for less. Strive for more, for God's glory and your honor. He is eager to bestow honors on His multiplying servants. The honors we bestow in M3 are just a pale reminder of that.
Start seeing the opportunities all around you. Jesus lovingly chided his disciples who had come back from a Samaritan village without seeing the harvest opportunities of souls all around them."I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." Men, we need to open our eyes. There are men all around you at church every Sunday, at Bible studies and on church softball teams that could be part of your abundant harvest. They are there at the altar every Sunday wanting to pray with someone to help them go to the next level spiritually. There's a harvest to reap! Please come to the front at the altar call. If you're new to praying with people there, just come up by me. I'm looking for M3 men to introduce these God seeking brothers to. Please don't first go to the lobby; go to the front. We are in a war. Go to the front. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Seek an abundant harvest, so seek to enrich and enlist many to become multiplying manly men. Swap phone numbers and email addresses with men you talk with. Then sow follow up seeds- email them within the next 24 hours the M3 stories video (bit.ly/m3-stories) or other enriching info. Then follow up with a phone call. Wouldn't you do that if you really wanted to buy someone's car or house? This is so much more important. This is changing people's lives and advancing God's kingdom and giving you an abundant harvest. I have a special category in my phone contacts for such priority men I meet. I go over that list often and send them texts, video links or give them calls from time to time. I also have a category for all of my M3 brothers. Please do the same. Thanks!
M3 is about helping you have an abundant harvest, a great legacy of many descendants in your spiritual family tree. But you have to make this your ambition, your pursuit. So go to church to fish for men with your fishing glasses on. (The following 1 minute video is about trust, but it well illustrates what I'm talking about. Just click the following link- See the fish!)
The congregation is full of fish! Are you seeing them and seeking to catch them for Christ and His kingdom purposes? Jesus said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men" Mt.4:19. Someone once quipped, If you're not fishing, your not following." Let's go fishing! Make it your goal to talk to at least one other man each Sunday about his interest in growing further. Perhaps you could simply ask, "Have you gotten one of these?" Then give him an M3 card. See me Sunday at the altar for more of these cards that have our stories and website links on them.
There are men who may not be as smart as others (they might call themselves a dumb ox, as in our proverb), but they put to shame the scholars who aren't reaching anyone. As it's been said, "An ordinary man using an an effective strategy outperforms a genius without such. He may be a dumb ox, but he can plow. He is unstoppable week in and week out in talking to people. So don't leave church without talking to at least one man about M3 or at least getting his contact info. Be unstoppable in this area as well. You will be so glad you did. An abundant harvest awaits you!
1.-To help you attain an abundant harvest, will you join me in seeking to talk with one or more men each week over the summer about growing spiritually? Swap contact info. If you have cards on you, then you could simply start by saying, "Have you gotten one of these M3 cards?" If he says, "No" share a bit how it has helped you and swap phone numbers and follow up with him. If he says, "Yes" encourage him to join. Also share how its helped you. Teamwork makes the dream work. Let's use the R column on the GREAT scoreboard to also include the points for the people you sought to Recruit.
2.-Read through Prov.14:1-18 and pick out one verse or phrase that grabs your attention and share it with us as well and put it on your MP3 card.
Announcements
I commend you for committing yourself to seek to score 5 points or more each day. You are giving yourself to GREAT things!
Speaking of the scoreboard, I want thank Sam for helping restore the Scoreboard yesterday. Someone's smart phone had accidentally erased all of lasts week's entries. (Yes, we know who you are:) So some of you who posted scores Friday may not see all your points on the board. I apologize for this. Thus, to be fair, I won't post scores for last week. But do expect to see your week's total points up next Monday. So strive for 5 points a day and faithfully post your points daily. Thanks!
Congratulations! Here is the list of all of you who blogged every day last week- and almost all of you did- Alex, Andre, Antonio, Armando, Chuy, Dave D, Dave H, Ed L, Eddie M, Flo, Gary, George D, George R, Israel, Jack, Mike, Osiris, Ricardo, Robert, Roger, Sam and Vince.
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