---“Be Fruitful and Multiply” ---
Man must remember the perennial conflict between God and Lucifer. The conflict deals with the recognition of the sovereignty of God. It involves two fundamental issues: Life and Freewill. God presents the Principle of Productivity whereby man may use his freewill to enjoy life in terms of body, soul, and spirit.
Productivity is not just in terms of dollar and cents, but in accomplishment, morale, and sense of fulfillment. It is related to the Law of Reciprocity; the Law of Sowing and Reaping.
God said “Be fruitful, and multiply”. Simply, ‘Be productive and get results that meet the approval of God’; Legally stated: Pro se – ‘act on ones behalf’; Scripturally stated: A person must believe that God is, and that He is a rewarder to them that diligently seek Him. The Principle of Productivity acknowledges the sovereignty of God.
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Many people are passive and do not exercise their freewill to act upon their environment to do good. They are more reactive instead of proactive. By being satisfied with just consistently only reacting to their environment, individuals become more like an object with no freewill. This reinforces Lucifer’s charge against God Almighty and His Sovereignty.
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Man is a freewill agent. Man has the ability to freely
choose to acknowledge the sovereignty of God. Lucifer denies the freewill of man and his ability to freely choose to acknowledge the sovereignty of God.
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The significance of the Principle of Productivity is evident in every sector of society through the problem of learned helplessness and recidivism associated with the nation’s educational system, homelessness, crime, culture of poverty, culture of organizations, the ‘cycle of abuse, and community apathy.
The significance of the Principle of Productivity is evident when many organizations are successful in a materialistic manner but still lack Productivity. Usually, the condition of being nonproductive is evident through inefficiency and the management of human resources. Some examples may include the following:
1. Employees/volunteers: fulfills their responsibilities with low or lack of commitment to mission of organization;
2. Employees/volunteers: no sense of personal fulfillment (belief that individual actions make a difference); no personal development, burnout/apathy; sense of hopelessness, and high turnover.
3. Organizational Culture: Complacency, Stagnation; no vision (well-integrated and coordinated processes & goal); widespread disrespect; and every evil work.
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Ministry of Reconciliation
“Therfore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” ---II Corinthians 5:17-19
The significance of the Principle of Productivity is evident through the problem of recidivism. Many ex-offenders or survivors of abusive relationships believe in God and want to improve their lives but are hindered from productivity. When a person is released from imprisonment they may not be accustomed to acting on their own behalf and receiving positive results. Their past may reflect a pattern of being treated as mere objects with no freewill or a pattern where there is no encouragement to exercise freewill in positive manner and receive positive results. The Ministry of Reconciliation involves the process of restoration/revival of the earth as well as the body, soul, and spirit of man.
There is an understanding that personal efforts can make a positive difference i.e. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” ---Phillippians 4:13.
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ...Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." --- Romans 8:35, 37
"Yes, We Can!"
"Sí, Se Puede!"
“Nam, Nehnu Nastatyeh!”
"Yo Mir Kenen!"
"KEN ANU YECHOLIM!"
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Faith-Based organizations may be important in the Reconciliation process. It involves more than the mere preaching and teaching about the existence of God. It understands how to acknowledge His sovereignty; worship God in spirit and truth, despite life circumstances.
Yes, the Ministry of Reconciliation involves the essence of Christianity i.e. the resurrection of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Faith-based organizations should embrace the message of the Resurrection: Hope.
1. Be humble.
2. Fulfill steward’s responsibility of taking care of the earth; God’s creation.
3. Believe in a person’s abilities and determination to use abilities in a positive manner to achieve wholeness in body, soul, and spirit.
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The Laws of Reciprocity/Sowing and Reaping states all actions have consequences. Our thoughts towards each other determine our behavior and attitudes. The way we see and think about our fellow man should reflect hope. Man should put trust in man to do good. God put trust in man to do the same, though man brought disappointment to God again and again. Is this not grace and mercy?
If a person doesn’t receive any positive results – just a simple praise or encouragement to “be not weary in well-doing for ye shall reap if ye faint not”; if a person comes to believe that no matter whether s/he tries to do the right thing there will be no positive results, then the person may eventually will not recognize the sovereignty of God i.e. doubt Him and His ability to bring forth life to body, soul, and spirit. A person may doubt the fact He is.
Acknowledging the sovereignty of God is a serious endeavor. It involves humility and respect towards all men w/o partiality as well as towards God Almighty. Failure to do so may result in the loss of souls --- others and own. In light of this understanding & pursuing man’s purpose of acknowledging the sovereignty of God, consider whether you’re a helper or a hindrance.
So in conclusion….
Making a Difference
“Like a Pebble in a Pond”
Everyone seeks to make a ‘big splash’ and be recognized for their actions. There are some individuals who make more of an impact on their environment not by making a ‘big splash’ but ripples. There are individuals who through their speech, actions, and sometimes their mere presence create ripples of change that causes the cessation of stagnation, apathy, and/or complacency. Like a pebble in a pond…plop!…people may not even know that the ripples of change were caused by the individual’s words, actions, or presence. Their name may never be found in the annals of history. However, the ripples of change produce movement towards enthusiasm, vitality, and hope.
“Like a Water Droplet”
Sometimes life circumstances may seem so overwhelming and may cause a person to think the circumstances may never go away or change. There are some individuals who make an impact on their environment by using the power of a water droplet. Through perseverance and faith they deal with the circumstances of life. As time passes by, the circumstances that were so overwhelming are reduced to something that can be used to facilitate enthusiasm, vitality, and hope.
People who are ‘like a pebble in a pond’ or/and ‘like a water droplet’ is a threat to the soul’s adversary only because the Principle of Productivity is evident through the strength of their character. There’s continual positive impact on the environment in spite of life circumstances. “Beloved, think it not strange”… It is expected that the soul’s adversary would try to hinder/minimize the expression or the significance of the Principle of Productivity. “Rejoice,…that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (I Peter 4:12, 13)
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.
