The
Harvester
JUNE 2003 No. 210
Nearly
six thousand years ago (not billions and billions of years like some scientists
want us to believe), God created mankind. This is recorded for us in the first
chapter of the Bible. We are told, “So
God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and
female created he them.” (Gen. 1:27) Of course this does not mean we were
made to look physically like God because God does not possess a material body.
He is a spirit being (John
God
is merciful. “For the
Lord thy God is a merciful God; he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee,
nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.”(Deut.
4:31) Being full of mercy is one quality that God wants us to display at all
times. Do we? If someone does us wrong, are we eager to get revenge? “Be ye
therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”(Luke 6:36)
God
is righteous (Psa. 111:3).
Likewise we must strive to be virtuous — not with our own righteousness, but
with God’s righteousness! Paul, in speaking of the Israelites who denied Jesus
as the Messiah, said, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and
going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God.”(Rom. 10:3) Thus, we are admonished to “seek
ye first the
Another
characteristic of God which should prevail in us is that he is slow to
anger. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous
in mercy.”(Psa. 103:8) Are we hot-headed? How many times have we quickly
lost our temper or become very angry at the slightest provocation? That is not
how God created us. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift
to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the
righteousness of God.”(Jas. 1:19,20)
God
is good to all. The Bible
tells us that the world is full of his goodness (Psa. 33:5). “Oh that men
would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the
children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry
soul with goodness.”(Psa. 107:8,9) Since we are created in his image, we
are instruments of God, designed to be good to all men so that through such
goodness and kindness, people will glorify God himself (Matt.
God
is impartial. “For the
Lord God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a
terrible, which regardeth not person, nor taketh reward.”(Deut. 10:17) He
is fair and honest and treats all people the same. Therefore, we must have the
same respect toward all others, dealing with them in a fair manner. “But if ye have respect to persons, ye
commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”(Jas. 2:9)
God
is forgiving. “For thou,
Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that
call upon thee.”(Psa. 86:5) Likewise, we should be forgiving toward our
fellow man. Yet, this is one of the rarest qualities about God that we find
within ourselves. Paul tells us why we need to have such a forgiving nature. “And
be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God
for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”(Eph. 4:32)
Finally,
and perhaps, the most important aspect of God is that he is love. By
sending his Son to die on the cross for our sins, God wants us to be creatures
abounding in love — love for God and love for our fellow man. “Beloved, let
us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth
not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God
toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we
might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he
loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God
so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”(1 John 4:7-11)
Although
God has many other characteristics which we were not able to discuss in this
article, the Bible tells us that God is: merciful, righteous, slow to anger,
good, impartial, forgiving and love. Since we were created “in his image”,
then these same traits ought to be an integral part of our lives? Are they?
RAY McMANUS
One day a man went to visit a church. He arrived
early, parked his car and got out. Another car pulled up near him and the
driver told him, “I always park there. You took my place!”
The visitor went inside, found an empty seat and sat
down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, “That’s my seat!
You took my place!” The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome
but said nothing.
Then the visitor looked around and sat down at
another empty seat. Another member walked up to him and said, That’s where I
always sit. You took my place!” The visitor was even more troubled by this
treatment, but still said nothing.
Later, as the congregation was praying for Christ to
dwell among them, the visitor stood and his appearance began to change.
Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone
from the congregation noticed him and called out, “What happened to you?”
The visitor replied, “I took your place.”
—Adapted—
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES
1.Who
took three spears and struck down Absalom while he hung from a tree by his
head?
2.
How long did the Feast of the Unleavened Bread last?
3.
Which disciple was the one that “Jesus loved”?
4.When
Paul went to the apostles to present the gospel he was preaching to the
Gentiles, who accompanied him?
5.
According to Isaiah 25, what will God do to the tears from all the faces?
ANSWERS NEXT MONTH . . .
and
remember last month’s questions?
1.
What type
of people did God raise up to deliver the Israelites from those that spoiled
them? JUDGES (Jud.
2.
What did Moses do with the tablets of the testimony when he saw the golden
calf? HE THREW THEM AND BROKE THEM
(Exo. 32:19)
3.
Who filled the jars with water that Jesus would turn to wine? SERVANTS (Jn. 2:7)
4.
According to James 5, the prayer of faith accomplishes what? SAVES THE SICK (Jas.
5.
If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, in a tree, or on the ground,
with the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, what are you NOT to
do? TAKE THE MOTHER (Deut. 22:6)
FORBIDDEN
FRUIT CREATES MANY JAMS!
GOSPEL MEETINGS
DATES PLACE
& TIME SPEAKER
June Taylors Crossroads Tony Whiddon
1-6 Roanoke, AL (Brooklet, GA)
June Temple Hill Church James McDonald
1-6 Smithdale, MS (Woodbury, TN)
June New Bethel Church Gerald Carter
6-8 Cullman, AL (Eubank, KY)
June Mt. Carmel Church Sam Dick
8-13 Woodland, AL (Cave City, KY)
June Standing Stone St. Park various speakers
9-13 Livingston, TN
(camp meeting)
June Ephesus, GA James McDonald
15-20 (Woodbury, TN)
June Pleasant
20-22
June Hokes Bluff Church Sam Dick
22-26 near Gadsden, AL (Cave City, KY)
June Mt. Zion Church James McDonald
23-27 Brookhaven, MS (Woodbury, TN)
June Chapel Hill Church Sam Dick
27-29 Pell City, AL (Cave City, KY)
June Willows Oak Church James McDonald
27-29
THE
HARVESTER is a monthly publication intended to encourage all men everywhere to
become laborers into God’s harvest (Luke 10:2). This paper is mailed free of
charge to anyone who wishes to receive it. Please submit name, address, and all
correspondence to:
Ray McManus
141 County Road 474
Woodland, AL 36280
Phone:
(256) 449-9221