1 📷 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good." - Genesis 1:24-25 KJV
In the beginning, when God created the natural world, he established that creatures would reproduce after their kind.
Not only do we see creatures reproducing after their kind in the physical world.
But also, in the spiritual world we see fruit produced after their kind.
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2 📷 "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit." - Matthew 7:15-17 KJV
As it is with physical fruit, so it is with spiritual fruit.
As surely as frogs beget frogs, wolves will beget wolves, snakes will beget snakes...and you're probably already thinking metaphorically.
Sin begets death.
Romans 6:23 KJV - "23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
James 1:15 KJV - "15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."
The key is repentance, a supernatural change.
How shall we be sheep unless the blood of the Lamb flows in our veins?
A wolf wears dead wool, purchased or slaughtered—buying them off or slaying the sheep that get in their way—to wear their cloak.
A thief on the wall or a snake in the grass is not a sheep either.
Fit in, or sneak in...you're still not in till you're rid of sin.
You must come in by the Door.
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3 📷 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." - John 3:6 KJV
Drawing parallels between the natural and spiritual world is about as safe as riding a unicycle on a tightrope.
To compare physical things with spiritual things, natural with supernatural, can be deadly dangerous, though we do it with object lessons all the time.
A very effective object lesson can confuse the natural & the supernatural.
The object so well illustrates the lesson that, after a while, we cannot separate the two.
This is one place paganism begins.
Mystics, the superstitious, naturalists & more, have fundamental confusion regarding these things.
They believe the creature rather than the Creator, directing labor & love—worship—in every direction conceivable, away from the Living God.
ROM 1:18-25
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."
While the physical world is an excellent analog of the spiritual world, let's not learn the wrong lessons—things that are counter to God's moral code.
And let's not invert the relationship, as Satan would have us do, worshipping the creature—the mere illustration when it comes to principles, & corrupt at that—rather than the Creator.

The creature is cursed by sin; the Creator is blessed forever, holy.

4 📷 "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." - Colossians 3:2 KJV
Set Your Affections Where?
Though there are strong parallels ordained by God between the natural and the supernatural, they are not the same...similar but not the same.
Beware of any attempt by the god of this world to blind you to this world's witness of God, or to worship the messenger.
No holy cows, no spirit animals, no worship or prayers to saints or angels.
Let us rather set our affection on things above, on the King of Kings, not on things on the Earth, or its prince.
And let us find spiritual life in Christ, while we bear witness of the Gospel on this earth.
2 Corinthians 4:4, 7, 16, 18 KJV
"4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. ...
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. ...
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. ...
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
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5 📷 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." - Galatians 6:7 KJV
The natural creature reproduces after its kind, and
the spirit produces fruit that reveals its true character.
The writer of Romans 3:8 addresses an interesting perspective on this matter. There were people who accused him of saying,
"Let us do evil, that good may come."
He responded that this mindset was damnable. Is it not an abomination?
● Back to Matthew 7:15-17,
do we sow thistles, that figs may come?
● Do we sow wild oats? do we have a rumspringa,
expecting spiritual growth?
● Do we bribe God to look the other way with indulgences?
● Do we rob God? Malachi 3:8
● Do we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Romans 6:1
Spiritually Discerning
While physical sowing and reaping are quite visible, spiritually, people are far less discerning.
We so quickly wither in the face of opposition or are easily sidetracked by bad ideas with no track record, or at least no truthful record that is politically correct to publish.
We are scattered like so much grain upon a patch of earth.
Read Matthew 13 for more on that point.
And yet, I have see many plants, whether hardy or fragile, beautiful or noxious, poisonous or nutritious, growing in places the determinist would dismiss.
Let the power of God grow you where you are planted.
There are some who make excuse regardless how good the soil. And there are others who allow bad conditions to make a false prophet out of them.
Understand the perils, learn what is profitable, and grow where you are planted.
Whatever the obstacles, natural or supernatural, grow, by the grace of God.
But this illustration is about more. It is about being a sower, being a co-laborer, sowing in your life and the lives of others, spreading the Word.

6 📷 "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." - Galatians 6:8 KJV
Sow in Tears
We are slow to sow in tears, unless they are tears of self-pity, and so we scarcely reap in joy, unless we count the fleeting sense of instant gratification, or the feel-good follies of false prophets.
Psalm 126:5 KJV
"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy."
Little do we sow in tears; little do we reap in joy.
The stewards in the parable of the talents weren't just feel-good investors (Matthew 25).
In living color, they had challenges to face, known enemies and unknown growing conditions. They earned their living by the sweat of their brow.
Jesus, the Bread of Life, earned for us eternal life, by the sweat of His blood-stained brow.
If you ever think you had a hard day of work, remember...
If you ever thought you could pay the price God requires, remember...
Remember Jesus Christ.
But wait a minute, shouldn't joy beget joy?
Hebrews 12:2 KJV
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Jesus looked forward to joy, with hope, and that is what He found.
He believed the Father,
Jesus Christ the Son,
prayed in anguish of spirit,
"Thy will be done."
Jesus believed God,
a hope beyond trials,
a faith that would walk
even double the miles.
Do you believe God?
His face you will see.
What have you sown
for eternity?
Colossians 3:1-4 KJV
"1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."
You reap what you sow...
There is much more to say on this topic.
If you want to read ahead, go to 1 Corinthians 15, and consider its relation to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and how we have access to such grace as we look forward to His appearing.

Lord, Write
The Book of My Life

Oh Lord, I want You to write the book of my life;
Take the quill, and write every line;
And when I'm turning the page at the end of the age,
May it read that Your Will transformed mine.

Oh Lord, I want You to search the script of my life;
Lord, I long to be perfectly whole.
Show me every blot, ev'ry error in plot;
I want Jesus to be in control.

Oh Lord, I want You to write the theme of my life;
Write the song that beckons my soul;
Write a song that is free, pen my heart's melody
That I'll sing while eternity rolls.

Poetic Prayer by Eric Druist

Will You Part at the Portals?
by Eric Druist

Will you part at the portals
at the end of the day?
Will you stand undecided
as time passes away?

Will you walk on together
with the family of God?
Or will you find yourselves parted
in the courtroom of God?

Admonition
by Eric Druist

When you pray for mercy,
Make a prayer for grace.

When you plead forgiveness,
Earnestly seek his face.

When you ask for compassion,
Remember the cross anew.

When you’re seeking redemption,
Be searching in truth.

Do you love Christ and the Church?
Do you love them both?

#reformationday

THE WAY

~ The Compass:
Not just a needle to be jostled by our whims and circumstances, Christ is the body of the compass, present with markings to define our heading, truer north than our desires, truer north than our North Star on cloudy days.

~ The Course:
Paul said, "I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim 2:7) He also said, "For me to live is Christ." (Phm 1:21) To follow Christ's course by faith is to serve Christ.

~ The Captain:
Wherever we go,
He has already been,
willing and able to turn us again.
From the grave 'neath the wave,
to the clouds in the sky,
by fish or by boat,
He can guide us by eye.

~ The Door:
The door of the sheep (Jhn 10:7,9), the strait gate (Luk 13:24), the only way (Jhn 14:6).

THE TRUTH

~ The Light:
Jhn 1:5, 9 "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. ... That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."

~ The Rock:
Mat 7:24-25 "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock."

~ The Foundation:
Eph 2:20 "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;"

~ The Fortress:
Psa 91:2 "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust."

THE LIFE

~ Preserver:
Psa 121:7-8 "The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore." Also, Mat 14:22-33.

~ Provider:
2 Pet 1:3 "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:" Also, Luk 5:4-11.