In the Parable of the Sower (found in Matthew 13 and Mark 4) Jesus told of a farmer scattering seed.
It’s a familiar story, and we readily identify with the seed taken away by the birds, the seed that fell on rocky ground, the seed sown among the thorns, and the seed that fell on good, fertile ground.
But, no matter how good the ground is, even the best field will have some weeds that sprout up and try to choke off and diminish the productivity and beauty of the field.
We’re all like that.
The best Christian in the world is not without his or her flaws. We all sin and fall short of the beauty and glory of our LORD.
As a result, any of us can have unresolved guilt, shame, and hidden wounds lurking in our souls – and the enemy of our souls often uses those thorny problems to choke off the fruit and the joy and all the abundance of life Jesus bought for us when He rose from the dead and stepped out of the tomb alive.
When Jesus said that He came for all who are weary and carry heavy burdens in Matthew 11: 28-30, the Greek word he used for “weary” is (kopiao) and it means utterly worn out to the depths of one’s very soul. It’s much deeper and heavier than physical exhaustion.
A Christian in that condition is not only miserable, he or she cannot bear the fruit God intended us to bear.
The Encounter events that recently took place at Camp Okoboji and Prairie River Camp through GoServ Global were designed and built so people could confront the thorny parts of their lives that are choking out true, full, and healthy relationships with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Certainly, that kind of experience doesn’t take place in an hour or two. Over the course of two to three days, staff from Genesis Church of Iquitos, Peru, helped two dozen people at each event wrestle with the prickly and painful unresolved issues at the heart of their souls.
They’ve had ample experience with this as all the members of their church go through an Encounter Event – and there are over a thousand of those members, two-thirds of whom are under age 18 and often confront the demonic during their encounters.
I can’t say I saw anyone obviously confronting the demonic, but there was praise and worship, and there was real love and compassion. There were deep and honest conversations in the sessions and around the campfire about what it means to be imperfect but adopted into the family of God and truly loved in ways beyond our ability to fully comprehend.
There were relationships built and forged among the participants. There were prayers of submission to God, and lives were changed in ways that brought Him glory. The Holy Spirit moved in power and seeds were planted deep and true in good soil. Those seeds were watered with He who said He is living water and I am absolutely certain the Light of the World will shine on those plants and they will bear much fruit.
This is real Christianity. This is honest and real and true and I cannot wait to see Encounter Events held all across Iowa, Minnesota, the Midwest, the United States, and the world.
LORD let it be so!
AMEN and AMEN!
Photo of Nelton and Bethany Noriega by Terry Baxter, used by permission.
Thanks and acknowledgement to Worthy Brief for the inspiration and information about
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