Health & Freedom Abundant Life Newsletter
Abundant Life Newsletter - Vol 4.1.1
A Parable -- Based on Jer. 2:13
The great potters in the Potter’s shop were all invited to the Party. They were told to bring all whom they met along the way. It was a long way across a vast Wilderness, and He would lead us. But several said, “We will need a lot of Water to cross that Wilderness.” So they decided to get organized and divided the group into teams and began to make Jugs to hold the Precious Water.
One had red clay and a little jar of colored glaze. Many wanted to use his glaze. Another had white clay and claimed his was so beautiful, that he needed no glaze at all, but would etch elaborate designs with a stylus. Still another had brown clay and lamented long and loudly that the most durable Jugs were made of brown clay. Over time, more and more came up with combinations astounding, so that they had variations of Jugs without number.
But then a Man came to the door and said, “Why didn’t you come to the Party? It was a great time! Even the journey was fun.” He told of the good fellowship the guests had while traveling. They were such a joyful bunch that they drew more people into the group every step of the way. And that the Host had provided Water from a living fountain whenever they thirsted. The potters were struck dumb when they looked at the clock. They had missed the Party. It was time to go home. As the Man turned to leave he said, “By the way, nice jugs.”
Chris Duffy
Flood Cult Builds Ark
Noah is the six hundred year old founder of the “Flood” cult. He and his family have been building a large, strange building that he says is going to float. He predicts that due to the deterioration of society God has warned only he that the earth will be destroyed. He says that it will “rain”. “Rain,” he says, “is water falling from the sky.” But even though he has strange ideas his neighbors all agree he is a good man.
The town has become a tourist trap as travelers go out of their way to see his 100 year project, a huge box shaped barge miles from any body of water. It is three stories tall and quite impressive.
So far he does not seem to be using the opportunity to charge admission or distribute tracts. A sharp businessman would do very well with an attraction like this. At present it is a nice inexpensive diversion for the travelers. Lately he has been loading a great variety of animals into the building. And some people are worried about health concerns with so many animals indoors.
The Kingdom Chronicle
Make It Your Own
I have been thinking about our Country’s economy a lot lately. You may be also. Because my household economy is constrained by the country’s economy. I’ve been praying for creative ways to solve financial difficulties. But the Lord has been encouraging me not to worry about the world’s economy, because His Economy is doing great!
You may have never heard of God’s Economy, because this English word is not used in the Bible. But the Greek word from which we get the word economy is OIKONOMIA. So here we will pursue a word study of OIKONOMIA, economy. Here is a bit of page 81 in the Greek Lexicon of Young’s Analytical Concordance, showing OIKEOS through OIKOUROS.
*****Image from Young's Analytical Concordance*****
OIKONOMIA is from the words OIKOS, meaning house, and NOMOS, meaning rule or law. (It is also helpful to study the other words related to OIKOS and NOMOS). So literally the word means rule of a house. It is translated into two English words in the King James version: dispensation and stewardship. These words appear in seven places: Luke 16:2, 3, 4; I Cor. 9:17; Eph. 1:10 and 3:2; Col. 1:25
To illustrate, think of God as the ruler of a large house. He is the bread winner. His first job was creation and all that he made was “very good”. He maintains the natural laws and spiritual laws for the benefit of His Family and future children. His current business is X-PRESS MY LOVE, INC., an enormous venture. But his obedient children do whatever He has delegated to them. The business requires an economy, a system of exchange, so that all necessary functions can be fulfilled. The currency that we use is AGAPE, LOVE. As in any economy, wealth is exchanged back and forth and around for each individual’s benefit. So it is in God’s Economy.
If we use our time and energy wisely, we will “study (God’s Word) to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The more Word we know, and understand, the more Word we own. And the more we own the more we can give to others.
God wants us to be about our Fathers business, which is to dispense Him to the world in the form of love and truth, God’s Word. It’s the REAL thing.
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:24-30, 33.