GOD\u2019S SUCCESSFUL WORD<\/p>\n
Isaiah 55: 10: For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven,
\nand returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring
\nforth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the
\neater: 11: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it
\nshall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I
\nplease, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.<\/p>\n
God made the rain and snow to illustrate his word. It is not an
\nafterthought that God uses creation to illustrate the truth. Everything
\nwas created \u201cby [Christ] and for [Christ] and he is before all things,
\nand by him all things consist\u2026that in all things he might have the
\npreeminence.\u201d (Col 1: 16-18) If we have not preached Christ from
\ncreation we have preached creation in vain.<\/p>\n
The rain and snow come down from God above. This illustrates how God\u2019s
\nword comes down from God above. (Ps 104:13; Job 37:6) Christ the Word
\ncame down from above. He is God in human flesh, the Word made flesh who
\ndwelt among us. (Jn 1: 1, 14) Likewise, it is God above who sends his
\ngospel to his child. (Deut 32: 2)<\/p>\n
Furthermore, as the rain and snow always accomplish God\u2019s purpose so
\ndoes God\u2019s word. The Word came down and is now returned to God but not
\nbefore accomplishing the purpose for which God sent him. He finished the
\ntransgression, made an end of sins, made reconciliation for iniquity,
\nbrought in everlasting righteousness, fulfilled all scripture, is
\nanointed the most Holy and has anointed the Holiest giving his people
\nwelcome access into God\u2019s presence. (Dan 9: 24; Jn 17: 4; 19: 30; Heb
\n10: 19-22) Likewise, the word preached in truth always accomplishes
\nGod\u2019s purpose, \u201cFor we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them
\nthat are saved, and in them that perish.\u201d (2 Cor 2: 15) \u201cthe LORD shall
\nsatisfy thy soul in drought\u2026and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and
\nlike a spring of water, whose waters fail not.\u201d (Is 58: 11) Christ
\nquickens and Christ grows us through the gospel \u201cas the latter and
\nformer rain unto the earth.\u201d (Hos 6: 3-4)<\/p>\n
Finally, as the snow and rain gives seed to the sower and bread to the
\neater, God accomplishes his purpose, giving us bread to live on and seed
\nto sow. Believer, live upon Christ the Bread and we shall never hunger.
\nAnd as we sow seed from the harvest for a future harvest so God causes
\nhis church to sow the word and calls out his lost sheep. \u201cHe that
\nobserveth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall
\nnot reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the
\nbones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou
\nknowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy
\nseed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not
\nwhether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall
\nbe alike good.\u201d (Ecc 11: 4-6) Free will preachers are like rain-dancers.
\nBut as we depend upon God to give snow and rain and bring forth seed, we
\ndepend upon God to give life and fruit in our hearers, as well as
\nourselves. (Job 38: 22-29, 37-38) \u201cNow he that ministereth seed to the
\nsower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown,
\nand increase the fruits of your righteousness.\u201d \u201cGod is able to make all
\ngrace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all
\nthings, may abound to every good work: Being enriched in every thing to
\nall bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.\u201d (2 Cor
\n9: 8-11) So preach the word!
\nClay Curtis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GOD\u2019S SUCCESSFUL WORD Isaiah 55: 10: For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11: So shall my word be that goeth forth out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,62,110],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-author-clay-curtis","category-pictures-and-types","category-sovereignty-of-god"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4948"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4950,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4948\/revisions\/4950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}