Timber!

PureHeartChildren'sFund

Lesson from the plague #50 - Timber!

Eccl 11:3 ....if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

Cutting down trees is known as harvesting (reaping) timber. Sowing and reaping is noted in the Bible, cover to cover. Some people say they don’t see ‘sowing and reaping’ taught in the Bible. I’m think to myself, ‘what Bible are they reading?’

Sowing seeds and reaping harvests applies to you and me. All us came from a seed. Everything we eat as well. Sowing is applied to trees as well. People will reap what they didn’t necessarily sow, did you know that?

John 4:38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

God planted an acorn. Probably He used a chipmunk or squirrel to plant It. Maybe He used a man who is no longer alive, or just rain and wind. But now you have a massive tree to harvest a hundred years later. God planted it, and grew it (multiplied it) just for you. All you have to do is to get off of the couch, go out of your house, and reap it. That part, only that part, is up to you. God won’t do it for you.

When you do cut down that tree, even in your backyard, it’s a good idea to warn people by shouting ‘timber’ at the top of your lungs the moment it starts going down . Every American alive will know exactly what you are warning them about. The warning shout of TIMBER means that you are harvesting timber. Maybe for firewood. Maybe for lumber. It doesn′t matter. You are reaping what you sowed (or not). For you it′s a harvest. For the guy just standing there, it′s a warning.

Trees amaze me. The fact that a 200 foot high tree can pop out of a half an inch long acorn is, by itself, a miraculous proof of God. The Lord likes trees too. I know that because He talks about trees throughout the Bible. He also wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes about trees. God created trees for shade, lumber, sculpture, air conditioning, food, and shelter just for us, because He loves us. He uses them as a warning to us as well. He said, `once they’re down, they stay down`. The best warnings are the simplest warnings. God does all things well.

Felling trees is fun, but tricky. They can fall in any direction, and once it’s down, it’s pretty much staying where it landed forever. That is unless you cut it up into little pieces and move it. Cutting down trees can be very dangerous or costly. The tree can kick back on you. The chain saw, wedge or ax might break or bounce resulting in injury. If the ground isn’t clear of smaller trees where the tree falls, the 20 ton tree can still be ten feet in the air, caught in the smaller trees.

You have to know what you are doing if you want to safely cut down a tree. First off, know where you are going to land it before you even start. You have to be well prepared and have a plan. The tools need to be right, and sharp. Knowledge about knots, rot, and other things that will make a tree do weird things while falling can save your life, or someone elses. You need to look at where you want the tree to fall, and clear it’s path of smaller trees before you make the first cut on the big tree. Cutting down trees is a hard science. Once the tree starts to fall, with the first sharp cracking sound, you will yell TIMBER! and the story is pretty much over. It’s going to fall where it’s leaning, and once it does, it’s pretty much unmovable. ‘Timber!’ is the loud and clear warning saying ‘move or die.

Just like lumberjacking, life is fun, but tricky. It can go in any direction. Even well planned life can make many turns and outcomes. Like a tree, once it has fallen over, the part of the life you have lived so far is over as well. Try not to waste a minute, let alone a year by becoming sidetracked. When it’s over, it’s over. Many people in retirement (like me) kick themselves for the 64+ years that we have wasted on the non-essential things. Thinking about it and regretting it is a waste of time. That tree has fallen. Get over it. You can spend the rest of your days bactracking, cutting, dissecting and moving stuff around, or you can forget about it and move forward. Be productive! Finish well!

Phillipians 3:13 but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

For most of Americans, they have lived a year under house arrest. It doesn’t have to be lost time though. I am going to quote pastor Allen Rigg a lot because he really inspired me during his sermon today. This thing the world is going through now doesn’t have to end in house arrest. You can turn it into a house party.

Instead of warning everyone with a heart stopping shout of ‘timber’, you can praise God for what He has done for you over the past year. Praise God for the ‘timber’ you have reaped! When the tree falls, as it did last year, did it land correctly? (I am referring to the last year of your life under house arrest.) Has your life been a house arrest or a house party? If it hasn’t been all you want it to be, change it now.

Chop down a fresh tree, with a clear plan. You have the choice of screaming TIMBER in horror or happily talk about the timber you are going to harvest. The difference between a fallen tree (static point of time) and a year of your life wasted on binge watching Netflix, inactivity and overeating, is that our lives aren’t over yet. Yestarday`s mistakes do not define us. We can start today, as soon as we finish this missive.

Instead of pondering murder mysteries (the mystery of Cecil Hotel really got to me), ponder God and His goodness. Instead of reading trash on the internet, watching trash on tv or reading People magazine, read the Bible and inspiring stories. Most importantly have a plan. It`s always best that your plan aligns with God’s plan for your life.

How to thrive in 2021 instead of just barely survive.

1. The word ‘timber’ is either referring to reaping a harvest of lumber or a dreaded warning sound. Choose to speak of positive things, not negative things. Choose good, not bad. Reap harvest instead of scaring people to death unnecessarily with every warning that the media comes up with on a daily basis.

2. Choose God. Zoom Bible studies. Great fellowship and teaching online. Unless you are cutting down a tree, or actually with your own eyes seeing a tree fall down, don’t shout ‘timber’. Fake news is abounding on both sides. Listen to God’s side through prayer and the Word. Ask Him (not the people in the ‘know’). Read His Word more than the newspaper and social media. Talk to Him more than you talk to people. Listen to Him, not unsolicited advisors.

3. Speak truth. Repeating lies is lying. Repeating hearsay, conjectures, opinions and news is usually lying. Repent quickly when you find out your are repeating someting not true. No harm in that. It′s good for the soul. Don′t be stubborn or proud resisting the new found truth. We are all trying to figure everything out.

4. Ask God what His plan for your life is. Don’t let self proclaimed ‘prophets’ (spiritual people in the ‘know’) tell you want God wants you to do with your life. If you are a born again believer He’ll let you know personally. He’s a gentleman. Ask Him! He may use a few trusted spritual advisors that personally know you, but that`s about it.  

5. Don’t fear or worry (stated over 360 times in the Bible), instead expect God to be with you and to help you to do something wonderful through your life.

6. Once you have God’s plan for your life, (knowing basically where God wants you to go) plan your life around it with minute to minute plans, hour by hour plans, day by day plans, and life plans. Make sure that everything you do conforms to that. Excercise plans, Bible reading plans, diet, health strategies, relationship strategies, time management etc. All should fit into the big picture. If not, cut it out.

7. God will let changes happen in your day to day stuff. Be flexible. Be kind and tolerant to others interrupting your ‘spirituality’. You don’t have to be on the offensive. Don’t offend, nor be offended.

8. People before agendas and plans, always. That’s part of God’s plans for you as well.

9. Know that God’s plans are always the best plans. Blindly trust Him.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

SO, WHAT′S NEW AT PUREHEART?

Lots of improvements happened to the kitchen. (it′s 10 years old now. We have cooked over a half a million meals in it). We are trying to buy a commercial sink, dishwasher and garbage disposal once we get the sink. (Expensive!)

COVID 19 UPDATE - NOT ONE CASE AMONG OUR STAFF OR THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WE SERVE (thousands of people if you include their families! - PSALM 91

PRAYER REQUESTS

1. Government is tough, and getting tougher. It has been strangling out a lot of the weaker foreign organizations, or organizations getting involved in things that aren′t their business. They are now calling us foreign agents, which isn’t good. We are fine, it just takes patience, calm, money, certainty of our calling, and GOD. Expenses are huge though. We are up to date, and legal again,after a bunch of redo′s from jumpstreet and tons of fines. We are just waiting for the next step towards LEGALLY opening an orphanage. They keep changing the rules though.

2. FOR THE ORPHANAGE THAT I KNOW IS IN OUR FUTURE. NOT ONLY AN ORPHANAGE, BUT AN OLD FOLKS HOME AS WELL. I THINK THE TWO CAN BE SIDE BY SIDE ON THE SAME PROPERTY, IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF MONEY. IT WOULD BE A BLESSING TO THE OLD FOLKS TO HEAR KIDS PLAYING, AND IT WOULD BE A BLESSING FOR THE KIDS TO HAVE ABUELAS AND ABUELOS.

3. AMERICA!

4. WINNIE`S HEALTH ??

5. Wisdom and discernment. Thanks Pope Mary.

PLEASE KEEP ON DOING WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU`RE DOING, IT'S WORKING!! pray, donate, and spread the word about us, what we are doing and the needs here!

God miraculously provides, non stop.

Please share this letter on FB and with your friends, churches & civic groups!

Thank you!!!

Dean and Winnie Peters

Joyfully serving the 'least of these' in Nicaragua for the glory of God

[email protected]

www.whatistheloveofGod.com

www.pureheartchildren.org

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