March 2, 2022
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Encounter

BLOG: Mess

“Progress might have been all right once, but it’s gone on too long.” ~ Ogden Nash

“Progress might have been all right once, but it’s gone on too long.” ~ Ogden Nash

Certainly, this quote is tongue in cheek and points us to a great verse in Proverbs 14:4 that says: “Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.”

Having a farm with no oxen in it surely makes for a clean barn – no mucking the stalls, no feeding the animals – it’s all so very easy! But nothing gets done either – no oxen to pull the plow or help reap the harvest. The point is – if you want to move ahead, there will be mess and stink associated with that progress.

This is true in every congregation. There are three groups always involved in congregational life: some are coming to God, some are living in God, while others are running from God. It’s not a monoculture – by nature it is messy – but the church is all about people!

This is also true in every one of our lives. As you well know, the Christian life lived out is not clear cut. We make mistakes; we commit and repent for sins; we take unnecessary detours only to come back to the main line. This was the experience of Pilgrim in the book Pilgrim’s Progress as he moved to the Celestial City. All along the way were pitfalls and mess, mess, mess!

Pardon the oxen pun, but it’s the nature of the beast. Expect that to move ahead spiritually, there will be some messes to clean up. But also expect a wonderful harvest at the end of it!

I just released the latest Encounter podcast yesterday. In it I chat with Mariann Courage about the Holy Spirit and His gifts. You will find this to be a spiritually stimulating time – check it out!

The resources Mariann speaks about are:

- Teachings of Pastor Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Chapel.

- The book “Battlefield of the mind” by Joyce Meyer.

Pastor Leon Throness

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