Daily Butter (7/11): Seeds of Faith

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (7/11/11):

What does it matter? Just that in every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice because I know this will lead to my deliverance through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:18-19 HCSB)

Maybe my boat is more with Julie Ackerman Link that I like to admit and my biases are getting in the way, but after two millennia since Christ walked this earth, I often find it hard to share Paul’s view. It just seems that so many would be preachers are proclaiming a Christ that doesn’t match up with the Jesus Christ I read about in Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. I guess there are enough good seeds in the mess of other seeds that a good Berean-minded listener (Acts 17:11) may find the real truth. I just fear it becomes like I once heard Billy Graham put it: a vaccine. They get just enough of a dose that they build up an immunity to prevent their entire lives from being impacted. And yet I know He is true to His Word:

    For just as rain and snow fall from heaven,
    and do not return there
    without saturating the earth,
    and making it germinate and sprout,
    and providing seed to sow
    and food to eat,

    so My word that comes from My mouth
    will not return to Me empty,
    but it will accomplish what I please,
    and will prosper in what I send it [to do].

    (Isaiah 55:10-11 HCSB)

Andy Jentes

(Travelling beginning today. Pardon if updates become infrequent during this time.)