The ripple effect: Fisher’s of men series installment #3
Have you ever thrown a stone in the water and watched the ripples from it? Of course you have. The other day as we were fishing off the wharf in that coastal fishing village I was telling you about I observed several large ripple effects as some large sardine carriers came in to the harbor laden down with herring destined for the processing plant better known as a sardine factory. (Remember that I said the wild fishing industry was almost done and you don’t see the boats anymore? Wrong again) There must have been 5 or 6 of these sardine carriers coming into the harbor if not more. When you’re preoccupied with what you are preoccupied with (a mouthful there) sometimes you don’t see everything that’s going on around you. Now that is profound! I’ll get back to that statement (about being preoccupied).
As I said these boats were laden down with fish and were coming in to the harbor one right after another. Well, I say one after another, there were a few minutes maybe between each other, but my point is that they were creating some big waves (ripple effect). When the harvest comes, and now I am speaking of the harvesting of men’s souls…it will generate a huge ripple effect yet Jesus said that the kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed or with visible display. Luke 17:20
He goes on to say in the next verse 21, “Nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! Or, See, [it is ] there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]. Vs. 22 says And He said to the disciples, The time is coming when you will long to see [even one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see [it].” Could it be that we can be so preoccupied with our own individual lives that we will not observe what is happening in the Spirit? All around us people are being saved or touched by the Spirit but we are so preoccupied that we miss God? And could it be that we become to preoccupied with our lives that even though we may long to see one of the days of revival we might miss out?
The news media will not proclaim a revival, but when it comes there will be a ripple effect. My mind goes back about fifty years approximately. The particular church group that we belonged to was a full Gospel group, in fact that was and still is the name that they go by; the Full Gospel Assembly. The kingdom of God was in that place or I should say in the people. And there was at that time a series of meetings taking place, every night of the week except one as I recall we were in the house of God and He was pouring out His Spirit. There were over 120 young people who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in that six week revival. Actually the meetings went on for six weeks; it was a little touch of heaven. But the ripple effect is still being felt. I felt it this morning as I talked to the Lord. I saw it day before yesterday as I attended church. There were several folks there who had received in those meetings back in 1957 and they are still going on with the Lord and being a witness for Him.
There will be revival again because there are hungry hearts and God has promised if we hunger and thirst after righteousness that He will fill us. The kingdom of God is within. You can’t see it now but you will see it. Just be faithful. The only problem with the ripple is that it diminishes as time passes. It seemed like the fishing industry got revived the other day and there was a harvest and it created a ripple effect. That is what this generation needs to see.
Our generation needs to see what a ripple effect God will make when the harvest comes. Jesus said in Matthew 9:37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Matthew 9:38 Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvestWe are the laborers and we have the commission. What shall we do?
Have you ever thrown a stone in the water and watched the ripples from it? Of course you have. The other day as we were fishing off the wharf in that coastal fishing village I was telling you about I observed several large ripple effects as some large sardine carriers came in to the harbor laden down with herring destined for the processing plant better known as a sardine factory. (Remember that I said the wild fishing industry was almost done and you don’t see the boats anymore? Wrong again) There must have been 5 or 6 of these sardine carriers coming into the harbor if not more. When you’re preoccupied with what you are preoccupied with (a mouthful there) sometimes you don’t see everything that’s going on around you. Now that is profound! I’ll get back to that statement (about being preoccupied).
As I said these boats were laden down with fish and were coming in to the harbor one right after another. Well, I say one after another, there were a few minutes maybe between each other, but my point is that they were creating some big waves (ripple effect). When the harvest comes, and now I am speaking of the harvesting of men’s souls…it will generate a huge ripple effect yet Jesus said that the kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed or with visible display. Luke 17:20
He goes on to say in the next verse 21, “Nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! Or, See, [it is ] there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]. Vs. 22 says And He said to the disciples, The time is coming when you will long to see [even one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see [it].” Could it be that we can be so preoccupied with our own individual lives that we will not observe what is happening in the Spirit? All around us people are being saved or touched by the Spirit but we are so preoccupied that we miss God? And could it be that we become to preoccupied with our lives that even though we may long to see one of the days of revival we might miss out?
The news media will not proclaim a revival, but when it comes there will be a ripple effect. My mind goes back about fifty years approximately. The particular church group that we belonged to was a full Gospel group, in fact that was and still is the name that they go by; the Full Gospel Assembly. The kingdom of God was in that place or I should say in the people. And there was at that time a series of meetings taking place, every night of the week except one as I recall we were in the house of God and He was pouring out His Spirit. There were over 120 young people who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in that six week revival. Actually the meetings went on for six weeks; it was a little touch of heaven. But the ripple effect is still being felt. I felt it this morning as I talked to the Lord. I saw it day before yesterday as I attended church. There were several folks there who had received in those meetings back in 1957 and they are still going on with the Lord and being a witness for Him.
There will be revival again because there are hungry hearts and God has promised if we hunger and thirst after righteousness that He will fill us. The kingdom of God is within. You can’t see it now but you will see it. Just be faithful. The only problem with the ripple is that it diminishes as time passes. It seemed like the fishing industry got revived the other day and there was a harvest and it created a ripple effect. That is what this generation needs to see.
Our generation needs to see what a ripple effect God will make when the harvest comes. Jesus said in Matthew 9:37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Matthew 9:38 Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvestWe are the laborers and we have the commission. What shall we do?
posted by Randall | 6:40 a.m.
2 Comments:
Randall
I don't know what this will have to do with the ripple effect, but I have had these thoughts running around in my head for awhile now.
A few months ago my life took a turn that I would never have expected. If someone had told me that a situation like this could ever happen I would have told them they were crazy! It would be impossible but the life we take for granted, the devil will try to take away from us by catching us off guard. It is times like these that we see how close we are with God. If we can turn to Him and let Him help us through we will be O.K.
I don't like to say that God told me or showed me something because I am never sure if it is God or just me, but I know that God is preparing me for something because of this situation . In my head I see this scenario where I am talking to someone or maybe a group of people about HOW this situation has impacted my life both personallyand spiritually.{Now if you know me at all you would know that this is so far away from my comfort zone that it would have to be God for me to be able to do anything like that}
In this scenario I am helping someone to get through a time in their life were they will need to know that God is there for themand so are their friends.
This is what I have found out!!!
God is faithful and so are your true friends.
As for the ripple effect I guess our lives and how we deal with situations will ripple out and affect the people we are closest to and the people that are watching us.
Each one of us will make ripples in someone's life. Let's try for our ripples to bring someone in to the kingdom not take them away from God.
C.M.
Ripple Effect:the spreading,with gradually diminishing force,of the results of an event.
After I looked this up in my dictionary, I thought, where do I go with this, how do I comment on something I don't know anything about, so I thought, and -----.
Everything we do has a ripple effect, even things we don't do can have a ripple effect, yes even our thoughts. Is this possible? Yes,every action we make is first a thought in our head, be it a good or a bad thought, from our head it then becomes an action.
The Bible says, if I have a sinful thought then I have sinned, but when my thoughts go to actions,then this could cause others to sin, causing "ripple effect ". We must be so careful of our thoughts and actions. If I cause someone to sin, we both pay the consequences [we know what they are].
I think you know where I am coming from, just one of the many ripple effects, but it could be the most important.
Coffee
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