I have been employed as worker, manager, and grower in fruit orchards for over 30 years. I've worked on several farms in Pennsylvania and Minnesota working at each farm for 3-8 years at a time. One gets to know every tree on the farm and becomes intimately familiar with many aspects of the land specific to the place where you are set to work. Pastoring (or shepherding) is similar in all aspects except that you become intimate with people's hearts and the land of their life.
Only recently, has it become apparent to me that the Lord has been teaching me and preparing me for the work I have begun to do at and with Third Day Ministries (formerly called "His Present Glory Fellowship". As the scripture in Amos says, (to paraphase), I am a keeper of fruit trees, I have not been raised or trained as a "christian minister" through seminary study or career choice, but the Lord has raised me up according to His plan, taught me some lessons about living and raising Good Fruit and set me over some in a small flock to care for and raise up into their own maturity and fruitfulness.
Fruit is produced not for the benefit of the producer - either trees or individuals, but rather fruit is produced for the benefit of feeding others and reproducing new plants capable of producing yet even more fruit for food.
The purpose of this website is to make available some of the lessons, perceptions, and treasures the Lord has given to me over the years. The perspective and focus of Your-Study-Bible-Online website is on the Covenant relationship of life in the Kingdom of God. The Bible is the book of the Covenant and it must be seen and understood from this perspective if it is to make sense to us. I am also developing a personal website @ www.fruitfulland.org and www.true-identity-theft.org where I will be posting more Christian teaching articles and resources outside of the prespective of covenant relationship.
I also offer many books and resources that I have found valuable and interesting on my websites.
The Lord has given me a particular love for the people of Israel and those we call "Jewish". I have an understanding of the reconciliaton of the two houses of Israel and I love to celebrate the three seasonal "Feasts of the LORD" . The Old Testament is not "old" and outdated to me, but it is rich with vibrant pictures of our lives and the condition of our hearts, our strengths, weaknesses and the unsurpassed lovingkindness, justice, and ever burning Love of God that continually saves, corrects, and heals us.
The scripture from Amos also says to "Go prophecy to my people Israel".
" Israel" means not only "Christian believers" and/or "Jewish people" but it also includes all those alive in the world that may still be "strangers to the covenants of promise" (Eph 2:12-14) in other words, everybody. After all the Bible says that Jesus died a substitutionary death for the "sins of the whole world (1John 2.2)" so everyone is included.
"Prophecy" is simply speaking God's own words out of your mouth. It is not about fortune or future telling, but rather about speaking the living Truth. The same powerful life giving truth the God began to speak at Creation as recorded in Genesis. He is still speaking today through a people born of His Spirit and created for just exactly this work.
Much of the Truth I have to share comes from my knowledge of the earth and how it produces good food. This is all a picture and an example of the operation of the Spirit of God in our hearts and our lives after we have been born from above and exchanged our carnal life for the Life of Christ. The Land of the Lord is a good Land and it produces the Fruit of the Spirit - Our hearts born from the Spirit are born of the seed of the Lord Jesus Christ and they are good. Seed produces after its own kind - always.
The Good Land is us, born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and we are His Fruitful Land - Jewish believer, Gentile believer, and the Stranger yet to be connected to the Covenants and Promises of God.
Gal 5:22-23 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (NIV)
If God has no law restricting these things in us, what is the problem? - perhaps there is an enemy at work hidden in pockets of darkness and death, or perhaps we have not yet fully realized WHO WE ARE in Christ.
Search the pages, links and information offered here and proceed further into Life and Liberty than perhaps you thought possible. After all, there is no law against these things!
Shalom, Tom Marxen
