August 2, 2019
Designed to Multiply
Lisa Morrone, PT
Today’s Truth
“Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.’ And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:11-NIV)
Friend to Friend
When my children were in elementary school, they spent much of their 3rd grade year focused on the multiplication tables: from 0 x 0 = 0 all the way through to 12 x 12 = 144. To supplement their in-school learning, I bought them a set of laminated multiplication flash cards which we kept in the car. Whenever we drove anywhere, I encouraged them to take out those cards and we would work through them. Why? Because I knew if my children could master the concept and the practice of multiplication, they would prosper in their future academic endeavors. In fact, the ability to multiply is foundational to so much of life.
Our Lord created the concept of multiplication from the very beginning. In the first chapter of the very first book of the First Testament, God fashioned the very first living things with the ability to reproduce—seed-bearing plants and fruit with seeds in them. And Scripture tells us that God himself declared it, “Good.”
Further on in the creation account, all varieties of animals along with humans were created with “seed” and encouraged to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 9:7). This ‘beginning of time’ multiplication was primarily about population expansion, filling the earth with more—more plants, more animals, and, eventually, more people.
Yet, as you read through the Bible, the concept of multiplication takes a sharp spiritual turn: the multiplication of Saints. In the New Testament, the followers of Jesus are commissioned to “Go forth into all the world…” and MULTIPLY (Mark 16:15). And again, in Luke 10:2, Jesus told his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into His harvest field.”
Since Jesus used the analogy of farming when He was talking about multiplying the number of Believers on the earth, I’d like to highlight three important “farming principles” I’ve observed.
- You reap what you sow. (If you plant corn kernels, you’ll harvest corn.)
- You reap more than you sow. (One kernel of corn yields a corn stalk with multiple ears of corn and hundreds of kernels.)
- You don’t reap what you don’t sow. (If you plant squash, you will not harvest corn.)
Now let’s apply these three farming principles to the multiplication of the Saints. First, if you verbally share the message of salvation with people, time and time again, chances are good you will reap new Believers. Second, when you lead one person to Christ, they will then potentially lead others to Christ, in essence multiplying the seed you planted in them. And third, if you shy away from ever sharing the gospel message, you will not have the opportunity to lead others to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sadly, you will have missed a significant part of what you were saved to do.
Some people I know feel “Saint multiplication” or evangelism, just isn’t their gifting. So, they leave the work of this spiritual multiplication in the hands of “professionals”—their pastors, Bible teachers, missionaries and public evangelists. They’ve convinced themselves that if they simply “act like a Christian” around unbelievers, their exemplary lives will yield the fruit of others’ salvation. The problem with this thinking is that the message of Christ requires us to sow the words of Christ into people’s lives. Evangelism was never meant to be a game of Charades.
Let’s Pray
Oh, Lord of the Harvest, first we pray for boldness to plant the seed of salvation in others’ lives so that we might multiply the number of Saints here on earth. Secondly, Lord, we pray you would save, sanctify, and send many, many workers to broadcast the Seed of the Gospel to all who will give them access to their soil.
In the mighty Name of Jesus,
Amen.
Now It's Your Turn
Who was responsible for the multiplication of personal salvation you’ve come to acquire? Who have you reached out to with a clear message of redemption? If you are insecure in your ability to articulate the Gospel, work on it. Right down a concise explanation (no longer than a 3-minute read). Find someone safe and knowledgeable enough to practice on, if need be. You don’t have to have a perfect pitch, girlfriend. You have a perfect God. Just look for opportunities to cast His Seed and start flinging!
More from the Girlfriends
Lisa Morrone, PT is a physical therapist, professor, author of six books, radio guest and event speaker who encourages people to “Get Healthy for Heaven’s Sake.” Visit Lisa’s website for more information and to sign up to receive her informative “Monday Morning Health Tips”!
Sleep Well Again (Harvest House Publishers) is one of Lisa’s six books in her Restoring Your Temple® health resource collection. Her books are available on Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com,or wherever books are sold.
Seeking God?
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Originally published Friday, 02 August 2019.
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