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Agriculture

Morning Devotionals

John Dysinger

Following Fully God’s Original Plan

Dear Heavenly Father, what a privilege it is to be here with all these people who are seeking you, seeking to return to your garden plan.

And Lord, we ask for your spirit to be with us, not only in this meeting this morning, but throughout the day and throughout the weekend.

And we thank you for doing this and for the blessings you have in store.

Lord, use me this morning, keep my mind clear and focused, and may it be to your honor and glory, we pray.

So as you all know, I hope, our theme this year is Following Fully, and I'm sure that the speakers, hopefully, especially David Obermiller in the evening meetings, will bring out this theme more.

But this morning, I just want to look at following fully God's original plan.

It was not God's purpose that people should be crowded into cities, huddled together in terraces and tenements.

In the beginning, He placed our first parents where?

In a garden amid the beautiful sights and sounds of nature, and these sights and sounds he desires men to rejoice in today." And then she says, the more nearly we can come in harmony with God's original plan, the more favorable will be our position for the recovery and the preservation of health.

And then I have just a little bit alternate version from Ministry of Healing 365, little alternate to the last sentence there, the more nearly we come into harmony with God's original plan, the more favorable will be our position to secure health of body and mind and soul.

There it is, that wholeness that God is calling us to.

The more nearly we come into harmony with God's original plan.

We have to go back to the beginning, right?

Genesis, Genesis 1, 26, man made in the image of God, male and female created he them, right?

You know, we're kind of forgetting that in this day and age, but God had a plan with the way he created us in his image.

And of course, in the garden there was also the vegan diet, Genesis 129.

And you know, I feel like as a church, we've caught on to that and we've got lots of programs where we are teaching people the original diet, right?

Sabbath rest and sanctification in Genesis 2, 2 and 3.

And again, praise the Lord that our church and as individuals we are emphasizing that.

That's an important point in these last days, bringing people back to God's original plan for the Sabbath.

And then, of course, also in Genesis 2, verse 24, talks about marriage.

And you know, I think that as a people, we're doing a pretty good job of pointing people back to God's original plan in these areas.

But, this clicker's not always, something's missing here.

You know, I just want to say, being involved in agriculture for the last 18 years, I realize that I'm a little biased and probably a little bit over the top when it comes to this.

But could we maybe emphasize the missing piece a little bit more?

Okay, the occupation, God's original plan for our occupation.

To Adam and Eve was committed the care of the garden, to dress it and to keep it." Genesis 2 15.

Though rich in all that the owner of the universe could supply, they were not to be idle.

Useful occupation was appointed them as a blessing to strengthen the body, to expand the mind, and to develop the character.

Now notice, the useful occupation wasn't just for physical health.

It was also to expand the mind and develop the character.

And notice also that this was before sin.

You know, working the garden is not a consequence of sin.

Now obviously we know that when sin came into the picture, the work became harder because we needed the training that came from that hard work.

So this, if we want to return to God's original plan, if we want to follow fully, we need to pick up the missing piece here and get back into the garden.

And I just want to point out, What was the useful occupation?

It was dressing and keeping the garden, right?

It wasn't just, and now I'm not saying that's the only useful occupation.

There's plenty of other useful occupations.

Genesis 3.23, therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken.

So the occupation did not change as a result of sin.

As I said, the work became harder, but, And here's a quote from Education, page 43, that this is talking about the children of Israel, so of course this was well after the garden.

White says, by the distribution of the land among the people, God provided for them, as for the dwellers in Eden, the occupation most favorable to development.

This is the occupation most favorable to development.

We read that the more closely we follow that plan, The more favorable it is for not only our physical development, but for our mental and spiritual development, I challenge you this morning.

You know, I'm not 1 that's into conspiracy theories.

I'm not saying there are not a bunch of conspiracies out there, but I don't wanna waste my time on them.

There's a conspiracy to keep you out of the garden.

And I just want to share briefly, you know, years ago, as I said, we've been, the Lord led us to farming 18 years ago.

And the first few years were really, really hard because we had no idea what we were doing.

And we didn't have the resources that are available now.

So, we were literally just learning through the school of hard knocks.

And so 1 time, I spent a lot of time with the Lord and that's the beauty of not having the knowledge and everything because you don't know where to go but to the Lord.

And so I would just go out with the Lord and say, Lord, you got to help me because I don't know what I'm doing.

But 1 of those times I was just kind of wrestling with the Lord because we knew without a doubt he had called us to do this.

And I was just saying, Lord, why did you call us to this and then make it so hard?

You know, we're trying and we're working hard, but yet it doesn't seem to be working.

And you know, it was 1 of those light bulb moments in my life where the Lord just made it so clear and I felt so dumb.

You know, it's like, John, of course it's hard because the devil doesn't want you in the garden.

He knows what we've just been talking about here.

He knows that the garden is where God created man to be, to work, to live.

So, of course, he's going to do everything in his power to keep us out of it.

And if you look around today, and I'm not suggesting that all the modern inventions all the modern inventions are evil or anything, but I do believe with all my heart that everything in this world today is trying to keep us from the garden, insulating us.

We live in air conditioned buildings and we get in our air conditioned car and we go to the air conditioned grocery store to buy our groceries.

It's just unbelievable how removed we have become from the garden and I believe it's a conspiracy on the part of Satan because he knows that if we get back in the garden, God's going to meet us there and he's going to talk with us and teach us and draw us to Uh-oh, what have I done here?

Okay, so, in wrapping it up, I don't claim by any means to understand completely what following fully really looks like.

But I do believe with all my heart that following fully includes the garden and more nearly following God's original plan for man.

And so I don't know where each of you are individually.

I know we come from a wide variety of backgrounds here.

Darryl Hosford

The Dragon, the Soil and the Prepper

Each of us come as a student of your holy scriptures.

This morning, we want to acknowledge the fact that Satan would have us not receive a blessing in this meeting, this day, and this conference.

But as we spent some time in prayer a few minutes ago, and as we now lift this session to you, we ask that you will overrule Satan's plans.

Father, I pray that you will take the words that I speak and translate them as only the Holy Spirit can do to something that is a true blessing.

We want to be challenged this morning, but Father, I pray that no 1 is hurt, but that your truth speaks forward.

Thank you for your spirit being with us in Jesus' name.

Well, friends, 2, 000 years ago, a battle raged.

The struggle was not only for territory on Earth, but for the whole existence of the universe.

The armies of Earth and the great battles of mankind are no comparison to the conflict that took place when Jesus was here on earth.

In the time of Christ, this conflict was not new to the universe.

Man had mistrusted God in the Garden of Eden.

All sin started in the place especially designed by God to be a protection for man, the garden.

Eve had accepted 2 lies, that God does not mean what he says, and that man will never die.

In the same act, the same sin, God was brought down to the level of Adam and man was elevated to the level of God.

I'll explain that a little bit more as we look through history.

A lesson for each of us this morning is that Satan knows how to work in the garden, or wherever you are.

There's no guaranteed way to avoid Satan's influence except in heart communion with Jesus.

Do you want that heart communion with Jesus this morning?

Can we right now invite him into our lives so that Jesus may go with us into each class, each appointment?

May Jesus prompt the words of our mouths throughout this day.

Is this your desire as well as mine for today?

The culmination of the life of Christ on this earth was the ultimate showdown between good and evil.

The focal point of the crucifixion of Christ.

Satan and his minions were jubilant in the apparent defeat of Jesus.

Satan was determined that Jesus would never leave the tomb.

But on Sunday morning, there was no power in the universe able to restrain and resist the call of God to his son.

Until the resurrection of Christ, Satan had some ongoing access to heaven.

Satan himself appeared before the intergalactic council of the universe as Earth's principal.

The sons of God met together, and there was Satan, the ruler of the Earth.

Every vote that was cast, he was causing sedition and discord.

Every discussion was tainted with his disagreements and accusations.

Heaven itself had become a hell because Satan was there.

At the resurrection, we see an epic shift of power, almost like the whole Earth tilts, or Heaven tilts, and Satan and his minions are filling the pull toward Earth.

There's a struggle, and we'll read in Revelation 12 in just a minute.

Satan sees in horror as his legions hurling toward earth.

Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels.

I don't think we have any conception of what war would actually be like in heaven.

With this introduction, I'd like you to turn with me to the 12th chapter of Revelation, and I'd like to read the chapter in 2 sections.

First, the section talking about an introduction to the scene of this conflict, and second, how this conflict then moves to earth.

We're going to read verses 1 through 6 initially.

Our title again, The Dragon, the soil, and the prepper.

I don't know if it'll be possible for us to read in unison, but if anything I say today, God's words are what will give us inspiration.

If you'd like to read responsively, I'm going to read from a King James version, but if you'd like to read in whatever version you have, but I'd like to move, instead of really slow reading, I'd like to kind of just move through verses 1 through 6, You're welcome to join me.

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of 12 stars.

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth and pained to be delivered.

And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold a great red dragon having 7 heads and 10 horns and 7 crowns upon his heads.

And his tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth.

And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

And she brought forth a man child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.

And her child was caught up to God and to his throne.

And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a plate prepared of God, and they should feed her there 1, 203 score days.

We're gonna pause here just for a moment, and then we're going to read the rest of the chapter.

You can read it with me in just a moment.

Those verses flowed very smoothly off of our lips, but do you realize that encompassed 4, 000 years of Earth's history.

Chapter 12 and verse 5 does not go in through any heart-wrenching exclamations that Jesus lost.

He is to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up unto God.

The disciples at the crucifixion said, all is lost, I give it up.

And the Bible simply says, he's caught up to God.

The Bible doesn't get into this loss, this sense that God's kingdom was in peril.

Because the perspective here is on the resurrection, isn't it?

We can thank the Lord for the resurrection this morning.

Do you notice the part of the soil played?

The dragon had a plan, and the wilderness was a tool in God's hand.

Let's continue reading the rest of the chapter.

Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.

He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ.

For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death.

Therefore rejoice ye heavens and ye that dwell in them.

Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea, for the devil has come down unto you having great wrath, because he knoweth that his time is a short time.

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, He persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

And to the woman were given 2 wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, times and a half a time, from the face of the serpent.

And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus.

From this alone, I feel like we've had our devotional thought.

I wanna draw your attention back up to verse 11, just briefly before we return to my thoughts.

They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death.

We see this continuing from the cross on down through time, don't we?

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Morning Devotionals

The Dragon, the Soil and the Prepper

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