Month: October 2023

THE FARMER AND HIS MULES – A Metaphor For Pastors

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

The Farmer and His Mules – A Metaphor for Pastors

A beloved and hardworking farmer had only a few animals to help him on his farm. He had a few chickens for eggs, a cow for milk, and a few pigs for meat, and two mules. One was a hefty male-mule, the other was a medium-sized female mule. Additionally, the farmer had to sow seed and grow food for his subsistence.

He worked his two mules pretty much every day, hauling heavy loads, pulling a plow and to pull his buckboard wagon. But the farmer worked the larger male mule especially hard.

The farmer couldn’t afford another mule, and he never mated the two mules because he thought he could not do without both of them for the heavy chores during a pregnancy.

The mules aged. Then one day, the larger male mule sat down and quietly died. He had been overworked.

The female mule brayed in grief for several days. Then the farmer replaced the male with the female for the hard chores and heavy loads. Soon after, she died also.

The farmer now realized that he should have mated the mules and raised up the additional help he would need.

It wasn’t long after, having no help for the hard chores and heavy loads, the farmer also passed away.

The moral?

You should not be so foolish to work your help or yourself to death. Plan ahead and raise up new help while there is time.

 Too many preachers and pastors think they can do it all themselves. They fail to raise up Godly men and women to share the heavy load and chores. Maybe it is a matter of trust or an issue of control. Either way, going it alone is foolish and unbiblical.

 Perhaps the members of the church body expect too much of one man.

 Or, perhaps the ‘farmer who sows the seed’ shouldn’t consider his only help to be a couple of mules?

Either way, it can be just like the story of the farmer and the mules, and it usually has a sad ending.

Why not, instead, take this advice?

Exodus 18:13-16, “Moses sat to judge [the disputes] the people [had with one another], and the people stood around Moses from dawn to dusk. When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone [as a judge] with all the people standing around you from dawn to dusk?” Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to ask [about the will] of God. When they have a dispute they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

Jethro Counsels Moses

Exodus 18:17-26, “Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you [to bear]; you cannot do it alone. Now listen to [b]me; [c]I will advise you, and may God be with you [to confirm my advice]. You shall represent the people before God. You shall bring their disputes and causes to Him. You shall teach them the decrees and laws. You shall show them the way they are to live and the work they are to do. Furthermore, you shall select from all the people competent men who [reverently] fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; you shall place these over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. They shall judge the people at all times; have them bring every major dispute to you, but let them judge every minor dispute themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If you will do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure [the responsibility], and all these people will also go [back] to their tents in peace.”

“So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said. Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens [from the highest to the lowest judicial levels]. And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but every minor dispute they judged and decided themselves”. (The Amplified Version)

Try doing it God’s Way – make disciples who make disciples. Let God do the ‘heavy lifting’ through His saints!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

See JESUS CYCLE OF MINISTRY.

See JESUS MODEL FOR MINISTRY.

See THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS FOR MINISTRY

CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:14)

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:14).

The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me) as a disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament.

First, we will be confronted with various situations and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.

Today we, as Christians, are confronted with questions about how we should deal with matters such as believing in Jesus, doing His Works, asking in Jesus’ Name.

“If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:14)

IN CONTEXT

“Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:12-14)

REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:

“If I ask anything in Your name, Jesus, You will do it.” (John 14:14)

It can be tempting or at least easy to misunderstand what Jesus is saying here or to take His instructions out of context. Imagine – ask for anything at any time and, PRESTO! Talk about a great genie! But, of course, that is never the case with Jesus.

Jesus clearly says, “Truly, truly (the double emphasis – translated from ‘amen, amen’ – should alert the reader that a foundational truth is to follow) I say to you, (#1). The one who believes in Me, (#2). The works that I do, (#3). He will do also.

Even when carefully read, one could assume that if Jesus isn’t going to do what I ask, that I will be able to do it for myself. Once again, that would be a misunderstanding.

The ‘secret’, if it can be called that, to all of this is found in His words, “because I am going to the Father”.

John 16:5-7 informs us that, “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, grief has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”

It is the Holy Spirit, when He indwells the believer, who regenerates you, baptizes you into the Body of Christ, gives you His power, comforts you, fills you with joy and peace, sanctifies you, gives you righteousness, convicts you of sin, gives you His Gifts so He can prompt you to do these works by His power through you.

So, yes, “If you ask anything in His name, He will do it.”

Ask. Seek. Knock and receive!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – John 14:15 – “If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15)

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UNIMAGINABLE POWER – THE POWER OF GOD

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ 3 Comments


This is an atomic explosion and the resulting shockwave. This was created and built by human scientists. Its destructive power was unimaginable.

The explosion of Tsar Bomb, according to the classification of nuclear explosions, was an ultra-high-power low-air nuclear explosion.

The mushroom cloud of Tsar Bomb was seen from a distance of 100 miles. The crown of the cloud 40 miles high at the time of the picture.

The flare was visible at a distance of more than 620 miles, observed in Norway, Greenland and Alaska.

  • The explosion’s mushroom cloud rose to a height of 42 miles. The shape of the “hat” was two-tiered; the diameter of the upper tier was estimated at 59 miles, the lower tier at 43 miles. The cloud was observed 500 miles from the explosion site.
  • The blast wave circled the globe three times, with the first one taking 36 hours and 27 minutes.
  • A seismic wave in the earth’s crust, generated by the shock wave of the explosion, circled the globe three times.

This man-made creation has the power to destroy the world.

THE CRUCIFIXION

By Contrast, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and His moment of death, was and is a Spiritual explosion created by the Hand of God. It has the power to save the entire world and everyone in it.

Its life giving power is unimaginable.

The range of this ‘Spiritual explosion’ is unmeasurable.

It reaches from the earth to the limits of the heavens.

It is realized by faith alone.

Matthew 27:50-54, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and gave up His spirit.

 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom;

 and the earth shook and the rocks were split.

 Also, the tombs were opened, and

 Many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and

(Many bodies were) coming out of the tombs after His resurrection,

 They entered the holy city and appeared to many.

 Now as for the centurion and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the other things that were happening, they became extremely frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:50-54)

THE RESURRECTION

Matthew 28:1, “Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. Verse 2. And behold,

a severe earthquake had occurred,

for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it.”

Mark 15:50, “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and gave up His spirit. Verse 51. And behold,

 The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and

 The earth shook, and

 The rocks were split. Verse 52. Also,

The tombs were opened, and

Many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; Verse 53, and

Many bodies were coming out of the tombs after His resurrection,

They entered the holy city and appeared to many”.

This was and is the power released by Jesus’ death and resurrection.

This is the power of the Gospel, the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

This is the power of God [for His power is invincible].

This is the power by which we pray and receive our help.

This power is inexhaustible.

This power is immeasurable.

This power is inestimable.

This power is incalculable.

And has been reserved for you in these last days.

The next time you go humbly to God in prayer, think on the power of the resurrection. It has been done for you.

If you ever have doubts, fears or reservations, remember that the Law is spiritual, and that you are a creature of the flesh [worldly, self-reliant—carnal and unspiritual], sold into slavery to sin [and serving under its control].

There will be times that you will not understand your own actions [You will be and perhaps are baffled and bewildered by your own actions]. Often you do not practice what you want to do, but you do the very thing you hate [and are yielding to your human nature, your worldliness—your sinful capacity].

Now if you habitually do what you do not want to do, [that means] you agree with the Law, confessing that it is good (morally excellent). So now [if that is the case, then] it is no longer you who do it [the disobedient thing which you despise], but the sin [nature] which lives in you.

You should know that nothing good lives in you, that is, in your flesh [your human nature, your worldliness—your sinful capacity].

The willingness [to do good] is present in you, but the doing of good is not. For the good that you want to do, you do not do, but you practice the very evil that you do not want. But if you are doing the very thing you do not want to do, you are no longer the one doing it [that is, it is not you that acts], but the sin [nature] which lives in you is controlling you.

It is the law [of your inner self], that is the evil is present in you, the one who wants to do good. For you joyfully delight in the law of God in your inner self [with your new nature], but you see a different law and rule of action in the members of your body [in its appetites and desires], waging war against the law of your mind and subduing you and making you a prisoner of the law of sin which is within your members. Wretched and miserable person that you are! Who will [rescue you and] set you free from your body of death [your corrupt, mortal existence]? Thanks be to God [for your deliverance] through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

So then, on the one hand you, with your mind serve the law of God, but on the other, with your flesh [your human nature, your worldliness, your sinful capacity—serve] the law of sin. – (Taken from Romans 7:14-25, personalized for personal application).

Do not be ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death! We have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory and power of the Father, we too might walk habitually in newness of life [abandoning our old ways]. For if we have become one with Him [permanently united] in the likeness of His death, we will also certainly be [one with Him and share fully] in the likeness of His resurrection.  

Know that our old self [our human nature without the Holy Spirit] was nailed to the cross with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. For the person who has died [with Christ] has been freed from [the power of] sin.

Since we have died with Christ, we believe and know that we will also live [together] with Him, because we know [the self-evident truth] that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. For the death that He died, He died to the power of sin [ending its power and paying the sinner’s debt] once and for all; and the life that He lives, He lives to [glorify] God [in unbroken fellowship with Him].

So, consider yourselves to be dead to sin [and your relationship to sin as having been broken], and now you are alive to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. – (taken from Romans 6:3-11, personalized for personal application.)

Finally. In order to make this a present reality in your life, think on these things. Meditate on them, daily.

Do not let these words and thoughts depart from your mind or your mouth. Read, recite [and meditate on] them day and night, and you must be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful.

Has God not told you and is He not telling you now, “Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Together in the Bonds of Christ –

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young