For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
The Bible has a way of just talking to a simple farmer like me. And these verses just keep coming back to me over and over that I decided to write them down. When something keeps coming over and over, where it really is in me that day I do like to write it down, sometimes not even knowing why. Now if the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who aren’t saved that makes the person preaching it a fool as far as what the world see. OK, no problem with that one, been called worse! But as the Word gets more and more into a persons heart the preaching of the cross really becomes the power of God. The Gospel, the cross, the resurrection, foolishness to the world, but not to the born again, well saved Christian who knows that they have been pardoned by a merciful God, a loving God. The pardoned sinner knows there was nothing he or she could have ever done to justify themselves to God Almighty, nothing. And in the repentant person’s total surrender the cross pardoned all.
So simple its just foolishness, who could ever figure that one? Preaching the cross, no matter what a person does is the number one thing that a Christian is on this earth for. Preaching in words and in deeds, or actions. The Kingdom of God looks so unbelievably upside down compared to how most of us have been brought up in the western world. But I figure we were upside down when we were totally immersed in the world which made heaven look upside down from where we were standing. A couple of posts ago I wrote from Matthew chapter 25. In it was one of the most powerful, and upside down things written in the Gospels. I’ve read it over and over the last few years but never was struck by it until recently. It came clear that in the Christian walk that those verses were some of the most important Kingdom basics anyone could ver come across. The preaching of the cross has always given hope to the hopeless, not this new American religion where middle class believers are hoping to get blessed and get rich money wise. But hope to those who have no hope. Its becoming clearer and clearer to me every day what the Gospels mean and what they want us to do to spread the Kingdom. I was once somewhat interested in evangelism, still am, but in a much different way. The way I feel extremely lead now is what I’d call a full service ministry. Where did I ever get that idea? From the Gospels! Also studying the lives and times of the old circuit riders showed me that was what they did too. All this week I’ve been wrestling with this. Most of the time on the tractor or swather where a person just keeps going for hours and hours.
The Bible is so incredibly awesome! After a while it gets into the very marrow of a person’s bones. The more its read and taken in the true foolishness of the world starts to get more and more exposed. Then the more it gets read the Word starts to place a courage in a person’s heart where it doesn’t matter if they look like a total fool to the world. They know with all their heart that they are becoming a servant of the most high God! I know some don’t like the word servant, especially in this day and age, but I know of nothing greater in this world than being a servant for the Lamb that was slain for our sins. Does this mean that we have to quit everything we do and start a ministry? The answer is no. A ministry doesn’t have to rely on outside donations to survive and thrive, a ministry doesn’t need a tax number and be non profit. It can be run right with a person’s regular life. There was no such thing as any of this modern day stuff a hundred years ago, worrying about legal status and such. They just did it. The old circuit riders sometimes only got paid six dollars a year, if that, and had to find their own way to support themselves and families. The job they did truly was foolishness when looked at in a world view. Looking at it from a Kingdom view it was beautiful!
I’ve been wrestling with a problem, the fact that the moment a person recognizes a calling, a true calling from God to spread the Gospel its instantly accepted. The problem is that I don’t really know if folks understand where I’m coming from. I don’t have any calling to do church stuff. I love church, I really do. But my calling is the unglamorous outside of a church. Farm to farm, village to village. Maybe I get viewed a fool for thinking this way but it doesn’t change anything. God has worked this into me for a long time and if it means preaching in the church once in a great while, that’s fine. Outside of the walls is where the true action is. Making a fool out of one’s self in the eyes of the world and maybe the church too. Its not a comfortable ministry, no glamor at all in comparison the a preacher that has a well established church and walks through town every day greeting the church folks. Attending all the local events as the town’s pastor. No, this has none of that at all. So why the pull to do something so upside down compared to the way that’s totally accepted? Because taking the Gospel to those that need it is one of the greatest calls anyone could ever hope to answer!
Morning Tom,
Very good post (as usual). You hit on alot of the same things I’ve been thinking about lately. Sounds like you’ve been smacked upside the head with the holy 2×4 and got it about figured out. I’m still waiting to see whats wanted of me.
Speaking of foolishness, this was a parents weekend I’d like to forget. I don’t know if the youngest is going to make it to his 19th birthday….. on the other hand, I don’t know if I’m going to make it to my 47th. The good thing about the punishment though is if you ground him for 20 years, you’ve got help on the farm at your fingertips for awhile
. Funny how those high school years come back to haunt ya……
You know over the years, I lean on God quite a bit to help me handle these situations… You know, how to punish them young ones and still not lose em. I struggled with it all weekend this weekend. It finally came in one verse from one song in a hymn we sang Sunday… For the life of me, I can’t remember what it was now, but it sure put all the things in order when we sang it (Luckily the song wasn’t about Abraham and had nothing to do with a mountain
)
Well, the prisioner and I started getting the barnyard in shape this weekend. Pulled up all the fence that them goats weren’t paying much attention to and I’m getting it cleaned up to plow this fall for the corn test plots next spring.
Rain came pretty good at the house Saturday. An all day kind of rain. Problem is that 15 miles away at one of the field, we didn’t get a drop. Ahhhh summer in Alabama. Still water in the well though and the pop up showers seem to have me in there sights.
Putting the tiller motor on the hay elevator today. Funny how that works. The tiller will give up the ghost and all of a sudden there is a needed part available for something else thats torn up. Thank you God…. again.
I’m probably going to be out of pocket the rest of the week. Seems no one will go to southern Florida during hurricane season but me for work here (plus everyone else hates driving the diesel beast anywhere…. I think I’m in love with the thing….). So I get an all expense trip to Miami for the next 4 days. Motel sixes usually don’t have internet…..
Have a GREAT day,
Brad
Florida eh! Oats field for me! Looks like I might start combining tomorrow, for sure the next day. The weather is getting better and its cooling down a bit, and drying the air out.
If it looks like I got stuff figured out, well, it ain’t so. I’m more confused now than ever before! But that goes with the territory I guess. Might have to keep reading the Book of Psalms, crying out to the Lord for deliverance. Being hit with a thousand enemies lately, just trying to keep me from the Lord’s service. But I’ll keep on keeping on if it kills me. Oh Lord!
Two months from now all this work will be ended and maybe I can concentrate on making enough firewood to last a couple of years. Although that means sixty cord! But I won’t be having the feed worries of the last two years so that’ll free me up to be an old wood cutter, and splitter and stacker and burner
If you read this while in Florida I hope all is well. If not shoot me a comment when you get yourself back. Lost you, lost Jan, hmm. Gotta get Pastor Josh and Brent more involved here
God Bless!
Hi Tom!
Still around, just very tired. Rain keeps hitting here every few days, hard to make hay this summer. Weeds are growing nice though.
Hey Brent!
I always see your area on the regional radar and you folks sure do get allot more rain than we do! I can’t complain though, the corn is huge here, and even if its dry from here on out we’ll get more than enough silage and pickin corn. It’ll be nice not looking at a mostly empty silage pit come fall. Last year was pathetic!
Was reading the Book of Psalms last night before crashing and I can’t hardly believe how that thing came alive in front of my eyes, wow! Funny how the Word of God does that, seemed to be talking directly to me, and didn’t even feel like a three thousand year old writing!
Don’t know if I’ll be combining today, most likely will, waiting to use the grain head from the neighbor. Looks like he should get done sometime in later afternoon with his oats, then its hook up and go! Might miss church tonight but everything that I do there has been covered so it shouldn’t make any difference.
Take care and God Bless!
Morning Guys,
Well seems even a new diesel pickup becomes raggely in my hands. The A/C went out five miles into the trip. I’ll tell ya, the closer you get to miami the hotter the air gets. Well I was the only one old schoolin it down here. Both windows down. everyone thought I was crazy.
I think I’m going to start back today. make it home by tomorrow sometime. In the meanwhile I’ve got to do some wrenching on the truck. Hopefully its just a stuck vent door or something.
Have a GREAT day,
Brad
Evening Folks!
Current status: Done combining oats for the day.
Oats yield: 75 bushels per acre +
Combine status: Still in one piece. (I think)
Combine air conditioner status: Not so good.
Body comfort: Extremely itchy.
Current Vision: Everything looks like in a fog.
Next thing to do: Take a shower!
Tomorrow’s jobs: Do it all over again! (And maybe get er done!)
So time for a shower and read a little of the Word and hit the hay!
God Bless!
Morning Tom,
Well you took away my fun, I was going to ask how it was going….
I’m back. Waiting for daylight to see how this raggely ol place is doing. I have a feeling it held up pretty good without me. Iguess I might be missing them goats a little, at least I had a purpose around here then.
Well, it seems I have singlehandly almost shut down the Pillar of Truth. Guess somewhere in those instuctions I am supposed to give King James type answers. Well, I’d read the KJV, and give my own interpretation. Turned in 6 lessons over two days. I’ve got several emails from the graders to stop what I was doing and go strictly KJV. I’ve done that now, and if those graders can make it through one more lesson without kickin me out, I should be alright
. Its nip and tuck now….. I wonder what the principals office at a bible school looks like…….
Its getting about time for me to start going like mad here. Hay is about to pick up. Second cutting in the next week or so. That should be my last one of the year. These drought years its getting harder and harder for that fesce to recover. Hopefully I can cut it now and get a pretty good stand for winter grazin. Then its just a short busride for them cows over to the hayfield.
Alright, time to finish this bill paying. Hard to do…. everything seems to be going up except on the receivin end….
Have a GREAT day,
Brad
Morning Brad!
But us country bumkins ain’t lured all that easy!
, of course if it was a new combine the prayer would be for the Lord to rain down money from heaven to help pay for it and that might not even cover it). Wanta finish up some paper work and go through it Sunday after church. you know, the kind of paper work old Sheffey had to do. Funny, I sure ain’t good at paperwork 
No need to tell you about my coming day here, that’s been covered already! Made er back eh!! Figured those Miami lights would lure you
I love hearing about PTM and your answers. I really can see where that would give them graders a headache! Most of there answers on the answer sheet are strictly KJV verses. I don’t think they like to have to really figure out someone’s original answers. The must not understand there’s a genius as their student
I’m hoping to have a few minutes tonight so Lord, see to it that the combine runs smoothly and there ain’t hardly no problems today, (there, just had to interject a little prayer in here, a person does that running them old combines
Well, I’d ah better get out there and unload grain wagons, grease up the old combine and put in a day here!
God Bless!
Morning Morning!!
How was the weekend. Mine went pretty well. Just trying to keep equipment and animals up to snuff here. Looking for a weather window now to do the hay. Should be coming soon.
So, now that your all healthy and regular from all that oat bran intake, we shouldn’t be hearing about any health problems for awhile. Just a suggestion though…. at our age eating the stuff is alot better for ya than snorting it
.
Just plodding along here. We got a welcome touch of fall around here lately. Temps have been down in the 80’s even see some 50’s in the morning. I was talking to a buddy about the long druggery of summer. Day after day of high humidity and high temps. These days like we’ve been having lately are very… very…. welcome.
Tom, I’m thick as a brick. Are you filling out your exhortin’ papers?? er…. preaching papers?? Am I gonna have to start calling you sir now??
.
Well better git on out and take advantage of these temps while I can. Before long, the long drudge will continue….
Have a GREAT day,
Brad
Morning Brad!
Yup, all that oats stuff is done now! Put away the auger today, take the neighbor’s gravity boxes back to him, unhook the grain head from the combine today and set up for bringing home the straw bales the next couple of days. Plus I want to knock down a nice field of second crop alfalfa today or tomorrow too!
Went snooping in the sweet corn patch last evening and low and behold there was enough for a meal! Boy, was it good! Now in a few days the main run will start and we have us a few weeks of eating like a bunch of hogs
Glory!!
Beautiful weather around here too, not to hot and the temps in the low fifties in the early morning. Don’t get much better than that! Sure beats working in a humid oven!
Ahh, hmm, (cough), duh, (old Tom kicking his boot toe in the dust and occasional cow pie), about them papers, its like old Sheffey. I’ll finish filling them out this week and get all the recommendations in order and all of that and hopefully in a week or two I can send the whole pack on down to Tulsa. What happens after that I don’t know. But either way, just like ol’ Sheffey, it won’t make any difference. If it be the Lord’s will there should be a license to preach with my name on it before the year ends. Of coarse if I come down Alabama way I pray your wife can make up some good dumplings
Kinda important to feed a servant of the Lord the good stuff 
I’d better git too! This is really a different summer than the last two and I’d better take advantage of the moment!
God Bless!
Morning Tom,
I dunno about them dumplings, but we got jars and jars of kerosene pickles we can feed ya
.
Things around here been going pretty good. Routine things mostly. Them longhorns love the barbed wire. Makes a good scratching post. Unfortunately all my fencing looks like spaghetti. Time for a little tightening I guess.
Rain has been light, but at the right times and in the right places. Still about 12 inches lighter than normal, but alot better than last year. This year has been a little cooler too. The timely rains help, but I’m still in drought mode and sold off a good bit of the animals and am just waiting around for wetter (and better) days to git em back. Anyway, I’m just not running around like a choppin block chicken like I was last year.
Speaking of chickens, hows your coming along. Did they survive the heat pretty good? I’m thinking about getting some of those cornish rocks for eating this winter. They don’t hold up well in the heat, but I figger if I wait a little while longer I can catch the cooler weather…..If I remember right though they might be a little hard to find in the fall. I’ll have to do some looking around.
Well, the bible school principal office is about the same as all the others. I got my hand slapped and promised never to do it again. Ended up having to redo the one lesson that they hadn’t graded yet.
Thou has promist not to do thy own will anymore
Well, I hope that ol paperwork does alright. If we don’t get rain here in a couple of years, I might need an exorcism
. If I do, I promise the wife will make some dumplins………
Better git at it. Rains a coming this morning (hopefully…….)
Have a GREAT day,
Brad
Morning Brad!
Planning on cutting a good sized field of hay today, looks a little wet outside in the dark but I don’t think it was all to much rain we got last night. Oh well, corn is tall and plenty of it so no feed worries that I know of this year.
I tell you, doing paperwork is about as easy as getting rain these last few years. I just have a hard time getting started. I think I was made to be an illiterate hillbilly and that’s about it
But somehow it’ll get completed along with everything else that needs completing.
I gotta get and start the day too. But sure is nice that the small grains are all done with and everything put away. Oh, tell your wife that I like fried chicken with them dumplings
Oh, durn near forgot, chickens, ours survived good so far and will be ready for butchering later this month. No heat losses or anything like that this year. By the way, I think them broiler chicks are available year round so there shouldn’t be much problem getting them.
Now I gotta go
God Bless!