Clean Stalls

This morning, The Lord Told me this message for His Church.

Proverbs 14:4 (ESV) Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.

Yes, the stall may stay clean. But the field must be plowed for optimal yield at The Harvest. And plowing hard ground stirs up dirt. It is messy. The oxen will get dirty. Oxen in the stall means a messy stall.

Oxen have long been used to till soil. Their strength, endurance, and ability to work in rough or uneven terrain made them ideal for this labor-intensive task. (https://oldentech.com/oxen-for-plowing-fields/)

Why till the ground?

• Soil Aeration

  Tilling aerates the soil, allowing air and moisture to penetrate. This helps seeds germinate and encourages root growth.

• Weed Control

  Tilling uproots weeds and their seeds, reducing competition for nutrients. It helps create a cleaner seedbed for new plants.

• Nutrient Mixing

  Tilling incorporates raw organic fertilizers into the soil for better nutrient availability. This process enriches the soil with nutrients essential for plant growth.

• Soil Structure Improvement

  Tilling breaks up compacted soil, making it easier for roots to grow. It creates a finer soil texture, which is beneficial for seedling establishment.

One field may be tilled multiple times before planting. Land without a history of recent annual crops is often tough and needs to be tilled to prepare it for planting. Primary tilling is done to uproot weeds and tough stubble, while secondary tilling makes the soil finer. If the soil is already loose and previously tilled, one pass may be sufficient. For hard or new ground, two to three passes may be necessary to break it up effectively. (https://agsci.oregonstate.edu/mes/sustainable-onion-production/tillage-and-cultivation)

Tilling must be done at the right time, in preparation for planting for The Harvest. Jesus Christ, The Head of The Church Knows the times and seasons. And He is Gracious to Tell His Body what work is to be done in the current season, including preparatory work for upcoming seasons. It is possible to till out of season, to till too little or too much. So The Church must seek Him fervently and rely upon Him wholeheartedly and respond to Him obediently. We must always be asking The Spirit, "what is The Lord Doing right now?"

Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

Ephesians 1:22-23 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

1 Corinthians 12:12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

Ephesians 4:4-6 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

The Church is the Living Body of Jesus Christ, our Head. He Walks among us.

Revelation 1:12-16 12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

Just as He Writes in Revelation 2 & 3, He is Instructing His Church. Jesus Gives His Assessment of The Church, tells of future events, and offers correction and encouragement to get and/or remain on track with Him. (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%202-3&version=ESV)

Revelation 3:22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

So, saints, does The Church want a clean stall? Because it's more comfortable? Easier?

Or are we going to use the oxen to do the work that brings The Harvest? Even if it's a little messy?

Ephesians 4:15-16 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

In Jesus's Name!

Christy Hale