Fragrant Worship

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.

John 12:1-7

Have you ever said something you really didn’t mean in order to cover your true motives? Or maybe you said it and really convinced yourself that you believed it because you did not know your own heart or were not prepared to admit what was in your heart. Our text today looks at just that with the response of Judas to a moment when Mary ministered to Jesus.  There was a dinner given in Jesus’ honor just a short time after he had raised Lazarus from the dead. Mary took a jar of expensive perfume and washed Jesus’ feet with it and then wiped his feet with her own hair.

I love that it says: “and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” Our worship, our ministering to the Lord, ought to have that kind of an impact.

To fill the air with a sweet fragrance.

The air of offense is quite the opposite. It is not a fragrance, instead, it is an odor.

Our passage tells us that Judas objected. However it makes it clear that what he said in objecting and what his true motivations were, were quite different. Judas was a follower of Jesus Christ, selected by the Lord himself to be one of the twelve. While he would betray the Lord and perhaps at some later time would pass a point of no return I don’t think this moment was it. I believe there was still opportunity for him to repent. There was still that opportunity to examine his motives, ask for forgiveness and continue to walk with the Lord.

When we examine ourselves perhaps one way to measure where we stand is to ask the question: “What surrounds me?” Is it a fragrance of worship and ministry to the Lord or is it the odor of self-deception and objection to others worship? Instead of entering into worship ourselves do we always feel it necessary to criticize the worship of others and cloak those objections in religious excuses? Ouch!

I find it interesting that there is no account of Mary defending her actions. A true worshipper need not do that. Jesus came to her defense.

Ask the Lord to help you grow in your worship so that it is less and less about anything else and more and more about Him. 

Once a Week or 24/7?

  “He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”

Hebrews 11:26

How do you measure how much you value something?

Is it evidenced by the amount of time you dedicate to it? How about the dollars you spend in pursuit of something? Is something or someone more valuable to you when it is all you can talk about?

Yes, yes and yes!

Maybe, in the past, you experienced how you valued another person above all else. How easy it is to see how you would spend your time, your money and your words for that person. If you are married now do you remember the days of dating and romance?  All your money, your time and your conversation was centered on the one you loved.   

Now let me ask you an obvious question. How much do you value being a follower of Christ?

Think for a moment before you answer.  

So how much did you say?

Really?

How much time did Christ get today?

 No, I know it’s not Sunday but it’s still a fair question to ask isn’t it? After all, anyone who truly values their walk with the Lord must understand that it cannot simply be a Sunday morning affair but a 24/7 relationship.

I ask you how much time you had with the Lord today not for the purpose of ‘guilting’ you into valuing Christ more because that never works anyway.  Instead, I want to provoke you to that place we talked about yesterday; self-examination.  

It is a good thing to examine our walk with Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit to turn the searchlight on an area that is weak and needs to be strengthened or an action that needs to be repented of.

The very thought that we would take the time to allow the Holy Spirit to examine our walk speaks to the value we place on it.

Allow some self-examination and some Holy Spirit examination in your walk today and respond in obedience to the areas that need to be addressed. As we move further away from this past Sunday morning may your walk with Him move closer to the 24/7 relationship He desires.

Attitude Adjustment

  “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Hebrews 4:12

The Human Cannonball!

Remember that dramatic act from the circus shows of your youth?

I don’t because, while I often heard of it, I never actually saw it happen. Imagine though being shot out of a cannon and carefully aimed for the safety net designed to catch you on the other side of the dusty circus tent.

All eyes are on you!

Now suppose, for just a moment, that all of the little decisions and attitudes of your heart were able to direct or ‘adjust’ the path of your walk in life. Every choice you made or make concerning whether or not you would walk with God, whether or not you would follow His Son, whether or not you believed and obeyed the commands tweaked the aim of that cannon to target a closer walk with God or a shot into the darkness (that would be the opposite direction). You say, “I am sure, my trajectory has me on target with God”. Good, but remember that it is not simply one choice that keeps us in communion with His Spirit but many choices over the course of our lifetime. Scripture says: “Let a man examine himself…” So don’t rest on yesterdays’ victories as there is work to be done today.

I hear the protests because you say the ultimate decision is what I do with Christ. True, that determines where you spend eternity.

What about how you spend your time here?

What kind of disciple will you be?

One who hears, listens and obeys

or

One who hears, rationalizes and walks away?

His eyes are on you!

Lighten Up!

  “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me.

Night is coming, when no one can work.”

 John 9:4

In the part of the world where I live (and most of you reading this for that matter!) Summer is winding down. This week we welcome the first of September and in a flash the kids will be back to school. As I sit at my computer writing this it is 7:35 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and the days are definitely getting shorter. It is not difficult to make that assessment as we only need to look at the clock and look outdoors. It takes no spiritual discernment to figure it out.

But the ‘daylight’ also seems to be getting shorter when I consider spiritual things. It seems that all around us it is becoming darker and darker spiritually. If that is true then it is no time for us to hide the light that we have under the table but to let it shine even brighter for all to see. There are so many who seem to be groping around in darkness with no understanding of the time that it is and with no purpose in there lives. There has never been a time riper for the Gospel to be shared than today. It need not be shared by hitting someone over the head with your Bible. People stumbling in the dark often are looking for a light - a way out of that darkness. It is time for Isaiah 60:1 to be declared in the church: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.”

How do I make my light shine brighter? Spend more time in the Son!

No, not the s-u-n, but the S-o-n. Let the glory of the Lord rise upon you because you have been in His presence. When was the last time people had to shield their eyes from looking at you because of the brightness of your countenance? But, you say, that doesn’t happen today! Sadly, it doesn’t. We don’t take the time we ought to in His presence so that when others see us they see His glory reflected in us.

Solution?

Take the time to ‘lighten up’

Spend more time in His presence!

Walking in Unity

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

John 17:20-23

Suppose we, as a church, walked in perfect unity. Suppose there was absolutely no division in our ranks. No division overtly and no division covertly. Every thought, every action, every motive of every individual was in complete unity. What do you suppose we might accomplish as a church? What power would be available to us as the Children of God walking in perfect unity?

Now let me ask you another question. What do you suppose perfect unity looks like? I would like to answer that question by suggesting to you that it looks just like Jesus, the Son of God, doing the will of the Father and the Father glorifying the Son for His obedience.

Perfect unity isn’t always ‘pretty’. You only need to look at the cross of Calvary to discern that. But there also is no substitute for it. Jesus declared: “It is finished”. He did not say – it is finished with a few minor exceptions. He did not say – It is finished except for those couple of times that you and I disagreed Father. He came to do the will of the Father and He did it. He did it because He walked in perfect unity with the Father. He walked with God at all times.

We all need to be walking with God. We do not defer that task to someone else. It is not simply ‘the Pastor’s job’. Look again at the words of our text today. Jesus prayed for unity and He did not pray that all the ‘Pastor’s may be one as we are one’. Rather He prayed for you and me – that all believers may be one.

Father:

I pray that we take to heart the prayer of Jesus and understand the obligation each of us has to walk with you. As we obediently follow you, may we bear witness to the world that we belong to you. May our unity not be that unity after the flesh, but a unity of the Holy Spirit bringing all who believe in you to a place of surrender and faithful commitment to walk with you each day.

I pray this in the matchless name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Expectant Worship

“Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.”
Luke 8:40

When we, as God’s people, gather to worship what should we be expecting?
Is it a great song service?
Goosebumps?
A feeling of peace in our spirit?
How about an expectation of the Lord’s presence in our midst?
Jesus said in John 12:32 “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” To be sure, he was speaking of being lifted up on the cross and the work that was accomplished there. But I think it is also fair to say that when we worship Him, we are drawn near to Him. We are also told that God inhabits the praises of His people. That is, he literally comes into our midst and takes a seat that our worship has created for Him. We should expect to enthrone Him with our worship. He alone is the worthy one and we dare not come together to worship man or any man’s accomplishment.

You see we have an opportunity this week to fulfill the verse from above. We expect Jesus to come as we worship Him and we welcome Him into our midst. That is what our expectation should be as we gather together in worship. He is more than capable of taking it from there! Don’t you long for the time when we all come together for just that reason and nothing more? Maybe you are a little offended by that because you think to yourself: “My needs are great and I need some answers and I need some provisions and I need some comfort and I need some strength and I need…. He knows what you need even before you express it. “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 Go ahead – delight yourself in Him – worship Him and Him alone and see if He doesn’t come and meet you!

We have included a link to a video from the recent Chicago conference that some of our congregation was blessed to be able to attend. Take some time to watch and listen as this crowd of thousands delighted themselves in the Lord and welcomed His presence through their expectant worship!


http://youtu.be/jx8vZ95OYoc

Transforming our Worship

^“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.”

Psalm 40:3

Are you ‘expecting’ to be transformed? How about your worship? What song is in your mouth – the old song or His new song? Worship to God originates from God. Look at the verse again; who put the new song in your mouth? As we wait on Him our worship is transformed. The old is gone and the new has come.

 I was reminded this week of an old Disney song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs that was either titled or had the line in it that said: “…Whistle while you work…” and I felt God whisper to me “…worship while you wait…” Yesterday we spoke about active waiting. Today we are talking about worshipful waiting. Our active waiting, as God does His transforming work in us, must include worship.

 Do you only worship during the mountaintop experiences of life or do you also worship God during the seasons when you find yourself in the Valley of the Shadow of Death? A true worshipper, who is being transformed, is one who worships at all times regardless of where life’s circumstances find him. Jesus said that true worshippers would worship in Spirit and in Truth. True worshippers worship all the time and are not stopped by external circumstances.

Of course, we know that worship is not just singing a song. We have been taught that worship is living that lifestyle that pleases God.  But when our worship includes lifting our hearts and our voices to Him and making that joyful noise that the Bible speaks about, there is a transforming work that takes place in us and in those around us as well (read today’s verse again!). Remember what we have been taught: You become like what you worship. Worship God and He does that transforming work in us that changes us from glory to glory – causing us to be a reflection of His son in the earth. That does something wonderful – it has the power to change us but it also has the power to change those around us as well!

Your worship impacts you and your worship impacts others.

Who are you worshipping today?

Worship while you wait!

Active, Habitual Waiting

²⁴And Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him].

Genesis 5:24 (Amplified Bible)

Are you ‘waiting’ to be transformed? Do you view transformation as something you just sit back and expect will happen by an act of God? That word ‘wait’ is too often perceived as such a passive word but it is anything but that. Ask a waiter or waitress how passive their job is. You will probably find out that a good waiter or waitress is constantly, actively working.

I appreciate the Amplified Bible translation of our verse above because it reveals a walk with God, a ‘waiting on God’ if you will, that is anything but passive. Is it fair to use the words ‘walk’ and ‘wait’ interchangeably? I think so, when our conversation is transformation. Our waiting on God should be as active a pursuit as our walking with Him is.

The verse above says that Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God. You and I both know that habits are not formed in our lives with an occasional application of the behavior but by consistent repetition. If I want to establish a good habit in my life I must repeat it consistently over time. If I want to walk with God, it is not going to happen with an occasional Sunday morning stroll into church. It is daily, passionate devotion to Him. Even when no one else is watching and even when there are no seeming rewards. Enoch made time for God. He walked with God. Not once in a blue moon but regularly, consistently, faithfully.

God is transforming you.

He is transforming His church.

He is doing it on His schedule and according to His plans. He won’t be rushed and He won’t be late, but He will be stopped by anyone who says “No, I won’t wait and I won’t walk. It is too painfully slow and much too hard!” Remember that even in the process of transforming you – His grace is sufficient.

Wait on Him.  

Walk with Him.

  

Waiting on Transformation

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

God is doing a work of transformation in His people. And He is not (no disrespect meant) running a fly-by-night operation with your life or mine. As a matter of fact He is taking His time to bring about lasting change.

I am not too familiar with the toy called a “Transformer” but from what little I know the toy transforms from one thing to another in a rather quick fashion. Now, to be sure, there is an aspect of our walk with Christ that is instantaneous. We are told in 11 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” We can be saved from our sins and given eternal life in an instant as we trust in Him. Salvation comes in a moment through the accomplished work of Jesus on the cross.

Transformation takes a wee bit longer. God is, by His Holy Spirit, changing us into the image of His son. Does it really take God that long? Nope, but it does take us that long. You see we don’t readily and regularly die to our flesh. We are too attached to it! Indeed the new has come but we don’t accurately and adequately reflect the new until all the old flesh is gone and that takes us a while.

Aren’t you glad God is patient? I know I am. Sometimes when we are passionately in love with God we become impatient for the change to happen more quickly. When that happens, remind yourself that He is in control; His plans for you are good and sometimes, like your mother told you, ‘good things come to those who wait’ (these are mom’s words and not expressed that way in God’s word!). But our waiting is not to be static in nature. It is a dynamic waiting process. We have things to do to cooperate with the Spirit of God as He transforms us. Over the next few days I want us to look together at that process of waiting. Can you wait?

  

Desperation

³⁵And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:  ³⁶And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.

 ³⁷And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.  ³⁸And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.  ³⁹And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.  ⁴⁰And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,  ⁴¹Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.  ⁴²And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.  ⁴³And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Matthew 18:35-43

When was the last time you truly cried out to God

in desperation for some need in your life?

What does a desperate person look like and how do they act?

More often than not desperate people are not quiet, well-mannered and shy. It is not that they are trying to intentionally be rude or loud but their desperation is pressing them to act in a manner that will get answers. In the case of the blind man, he was desperate and without sight. It wasn’t like he could just walk over to Jesus. He certainly could not press into the crowd to touch the hem of his garment as a woman had done. He was blind, he was desperate and he was loud. When he was shushed by some, his desperation would not allow him to be silent but to shout even louder. One other important point, his desperation was driven by faith. Jesus heard him. Jesus healed him. But what if the blind man was too polite to shout when Jesus passed by?

 So often our pride trumps our desperation and instead of calling out to Jesus we remain silent so as not to offend the crowd following Jesus. It is interesting that some in the crowd may have been offended that day but Jesus was not. His attention was caught by the shout and the Spirit of God responded to the man’s faith and healed him.    

Perhaps you need to be desperate enough that your faith and your desperation cannot hold back calling out to God when He passes by.

What are you waiting for?

I Dare You

I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

Psalm 52:9

“I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.”

Psalm 35:18

What do you suppose next Sunday morning would be like if everyone came to church overflowing with His Spirit and with a mouth filled with praise to God? I am not talking about walking out the door that way – I am talking about coming into the House of God filled up and overflowing, literally spilling over onto others with the presence of God. No need to have someone else ‘put words in your mouth’ of praise but, you, out of the abundance of a heart filled with His love and with a desire to praise and worship Him come in to join the others who likewise are filled and have purposed long before they came into the house to fulfill the words of Psalm 122:1 “I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go into the House of the Lord.” 

Do you suppose God would meet His people there in a special way? I think He would. Not that we haven’t known His presence before in our times of gathering together. But a deliberate, purposeful desire to come filled, come overflowing, come to pour out in lavish praise and worship to Him.

Too often we come to be filled, to be poured into and with something less than gladness in our hearts to be in His house. Come on, don’t pretend; we’ve all been there. He knows even if you’ve fooled others. So let’s do that. Let’s purpose in our hearts that this Sunday we come together for His benefit and not ours. You ask: “How do I benefit God?” – By offering the sacrifice of praise by fulfilling the words of Psalm 34:3 “Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.”

Don’t make every Sunday about you – make it all about Him!

Make this Sunday His day.

 I dare you!

If you will then you are well on your way to making every day His day.

Who Has Captured You?

¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
² to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD
   for the display of his splendor.

Isaiah 61:1-3

Yesterday you were told that chains are not intended to hold the children of God in bondage. That is true. But it is important to understand that even now many believers find themselves, like Paul the Apostle, in prison cells for their faith in Christ. We don’t often consider this because it seems so far removed from our world.

 We believe that it has little relevance to our walk with Christ today. But maybe you need to stop and ponder this question; what chains truly hold you captive? Are they literal shackles around your hands and feet? Likely not. But many saints now wearing those literal chains in cells in so many parts of the world can answer a resounding NO to being truly captured by them!

They may be tethered to a prison cell by iron links but their hearts and their spirits are captivated by the LORD.  They may find themselves physically bound like Joseph, Peter or Paul and yet freer than many who have no literal chains tied around their hands but instead have chains binding their spirits and binding their service to Christ. Those chains have robbed them of what they could be because of spiritual bondage which was never intended for His sons and daughters.     

God’s antidote for the chains of bondage was Calvary. His son was sent to proclaim liberty to the captives. What captivates you today?  Is it Christ or are they chains of bondage. Let him set you free from the things that have captured you and held you as a prisoner.

Heavenly Father:

We pray in the powerful name of Jesus that every chain of bondage will be broken in the lives of your children by the work already accomplished at the cross. May we walk in the freedom and the liberty that was purchased for us and not become captured again by the chains of bondage. Instead I pray we are captivated by the Spirit of the Lord and minister that same freedom to others.

Set Free to Remain Free

 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”  Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.  He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

Genesis 41:41-43

 ¹ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1

Chains are not intended to hold the children of God in bondage. There is a biblical law called the Law of First Mention and it is most often used to best understand biblical doctrines by studying where that doctrine is first mentioned in scripture. This may not be exactly what theologians had in mind for the Law of First Mention but is nonetheless very interesting that the first use of the word “chain” in scripture is that of Pharaoh commanding a gold chain be placed upon Joseph’s neck. The first mention we have in scripture for a chain concerning God’s people is not a picture of bondage. Different commentators note that the gold chain represented a ‘mark of distinction’, a sign of civil authority’, a badge of honor and dignity and so on….

God’s plans for you are good. The only chains he desires to see around you are those of honor and not those of bondage. It was never his plan for his children to be in bondage to sin. He sent us his son to set us free from that bondage we chose for ourselves. Paul declares in our verse from Galatians 5:1 that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Maybe stating it another way is this: We have been set free to remain free.     

Truly I am your servant, LORD;
   I serve you just as my mother did;
   you have freed me from my chains.

Psalm 116:16

Follower or Worshipper?

Matthew 8:1-2 “When He was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”  (KJV)

Did you catch that? It says great multitudes followed him but a leper came and worshipped him! There are, in fact, great multitudes that follow Jesus still today. They often follow at a distance to the ‘Jesus’ they accept as a great teacher, to the ‘Jesus’ they can certainly admire or to the ‘Jesus’, the one, who is indeed worthy of being followed.  Sometimes these great multitudes would just as easily turn and follow another ‘god’.

I love the word ‘behold’ in verse two because it seems to cast a light on the distinction between the individual leper and the great multitude and between the followers and the worshipper.

What is it about leprosy or cancer or bankruptcy or any number of other hopeless situations that change us from a ‘follower’ to a ‘worshipper’?  Maybe I should ask the question another way. If you were not facing humiliation, financial ruin or some other great personal catastrophe could you still be, would you still be, a worshipper? I hope you answered yes to that last question. The true worshipper worships God not just because of what he can do but because of who he is. He is worthy to be worshipped.

Whether he ever heals your body, he is worthy. Whether you ever know again the blessing of financial prosperity or the anointing for a great ministry He alone is still worthy of praise. Are you a follower or a worshipper? Do you worship Him only for what He can do or do you worship Him for who He is? It is good to be a Christ follower. It is infinitely better to be a Christ worshipper. 

Just Enough to Get By

2 Chronicles 16:9a “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him…” 

This morning I happened across a book titled: “A Little Bit of God in Every Day”. It is one of those little, small books meant to have an encouraging word for you each day for a month. The book itself is not much larger than a boxed roll of scotch tape so the title is a word play on the size of the book more than anything else. But for how many Christ followers would that title also describe their life? Just a little bit of God in every day and no more. Simply enough to get by and not a measure more! Certainly there is no need to get crazy about loving God.

Jesus did not come to earth, die on the cross and rise from the dead so that we could scarcely skate through life by the skin of our teeth and coast into heaven on fumes. He said in John Chapter 10 and verse 10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” A full life is not marked by someone who has only a little bit of God in every day or just enough to get by but instead it is the picture of someone who, no matter what, cannot get enough of God and will not be turned away from his presence.

Does that describe you?

“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.” That is Psalm 27:4 and I think it describes well the life of someone consumed with knowing God. Someone not merely content with just a little bit.

How much of God are you expecting today?   

Fruit – An Expected Outcome

“Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. ⁷ So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

Luke 13:6-7

If I walk into a grocery store I expect that I will find groceries. Likewise, if I walk into a zoo, I do not expect to find runways, ticket counters and tarmacs. There is an expectation based on the destination. There is also an expectation based on the type of person I am seeing. If you are a lawyer it is assumed you can assist individuals with their legal needs. A financial planner is expected to help me with my long term financial planning. What then is one expectation our heavenly Father has if we are Christ followers? If you answered “fruit” give yourself a gold star! Fruit is an expected outcome in our lives. It is not an option that we can select like we would choose an option on a car if we walked into that new car showroom. We understand this. We agree with this. But how fruitful are we? I am not talking about the “fruit” of church attendance or the “fruit” of giving or good works or anything else but the Fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). What then is the “secret” to being fruitful?

The answer is found in John 15: 4-5

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

    “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Do you want to bear much fruit? Abide or remain in the vine. Simply put – remain carries a definition of: “…to remain or stay, while others go….”.

 Don’t walk away – remain in Christ and bear much fruit for Him even when or if others walk away!

   

Buried Treasures

But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

Matthew 25:18

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:21

Remember the pirate stories of your youth. Remember how the map was marked with an “X” to reveal the spot where you would find buried treasure? In the pirate tales the treasure was highly sought after and of great value.

I wonder how many Christ followers have buried treasures. How many have taken the valuable things of the Kingdom and done nothing with them? Like the ‘wicked’ servant (God’s description, not mine) they have placed those things underground (so to speak) instead of using them to bring increase for the Kingdom and bear fruit in their own lives.

Jesus said: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” How many have buried treasure? How many have buried their hearts in the earth – so caught up and in love with this earth and this world that their very hearts and the treasures that should be used for the Kingdom are instead buried and of no use?

Passion for the things of God? Buried!

Sold out to do His will? Buried!

Loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? Buried!

I hope that, as a believer, you truly believe in resurrection. We spoke yesterday about second chances. Won’t you let God take that which was buried and resurrect it for His glory? Jesus died on the cross for your sins and mine. After three days He rose again. The Bible tells me that he led captivity captive. Let His Holy Spirit bring resurrection life to what was buried and offer you that second chance to be captivated once again by Him. 

Second Chances

“⁶ Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. ⁷ So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

   ⁸ “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Luke 13:6-9

I have three hydrangea plants in my front yard that we had transplanted from another family members home. We planted them around a light post in our front yard. The first year it grew wonderfully with lush green leaves but no blossoms all season long. The next year was a repeat of the first. While we still had no blossoms on it we left it alone. This year our plant is full of beautiful pink blossoms. We are enjoying them so much now that we planted a variety called ‘Endless Summer’ in another spot in our yard. 

I am grateful for second chances, maybe in part, because I am so often in need of them. Our hydrangea plant was actually given a second and a third chance. Some may read the text above and find it harsh in light of the vineyard owners command but I find mercy and a second chance in the words of the vineyard caretaker. One was prepared to be done with it because it bore no fruit. Certainly not an unfair judgment on the owners’ part. He had a fig tree and expected to find figs on it. But as a person so often in need of second chances I am so grateful for the caretakers’ response. Give me more time and let me dig around it and fertilize it.

You’ll forgive me if my ignorance shows since I am not a farmer but through patient work by the caretaker the fig tree got another chance. Are you working with someone who you would reasonably expect to have produced the fruit of the Spirit in their life only to be frustrated by the lack of fruit? Will you lovingly spend a little more time with them, dig around the ‘roots’ and fertilize – bringing to the soil of their heart the needed nutrients to allow healthy growth? I am enjoying my hydrangeas this year and the only thing that changed was taking the time to prune back the plants. It was a relatively small investment made to reap wonderful benefits.

We aren’t told the final results in our parable from today but the point was made. Fruit was expected and every effort would be given to see that fruit was produced. But perhaps by taking a different perspective on it we see the marvelous mercy and generous grace offered by the caretaker of our souls in giving a second chance. Take time to thank God and acknowledge the second chances you have received.    

Fear or Faith?

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

   ²¹ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

   ²² “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

   ²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

   ²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’”

Matthew 25:14-25

Each one of us has certain abilities and levels of skill and talent. That is not in question in the parable we read above. What is in question, is how those abilities were used by his servants when a certain man entrusted his wealth to them. The first two servants doubled what they had received while the third servant, motivated by fear (vs. 25), realized no increase in what had been entrusted to him. There is no good that can come to you if you are motivated by fear. However, when you motivation is to use the talents that God has given you to see the Kingdom of God advanced then the increase is great. Some have clearly recognized the talents, abilities and gifts God has given them, but they are so paralyzed with fear that they do not sow, let alone reap a harvest for the King. Jesus came to set the captives free. Yes, you say you know that. Well, then today receive the freedom from fear that he wants you to have so that you, like the first wise servant, go out at once and put the talents entrusted to you to work for His Kingdom. After all, we are told in II Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (KJV)

Temptation

Hebrews 2:18 “Because He himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

There is great strength found in this verse and available to the follower of Christ. Note that it declares in part the words “…when he was tempted…” and not “when he sinned…”. You see Jesus knows what it means to be tempted and yet to overcome that temptation without sinning. Armed with that understanding we can call out to him at those moments of temptation to receive the strength from his Spirit to overcome the temptation. He is on your side and has provided you the power to overcome. Don’t surrender to sin – instead call out to him in that moment of temptation and know the victory over sin that he has provided.  

James 4:2 tells us:

 “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.” If we combine the thought conveyed in this scripture with Hebrews 2:18 from above we have a powerful combination that is further reinforced through Jesus’ teaching on prayer to the disciples “…and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil…”

There is a way out of temptation but we do not have it if we do not ask for it. If we do not ask for it we must then challenge ourselves with this question. What appeals to me more, the temporary satisfaction I get from yielding to the temptation of sin or being like Christ?

“Let a man examine himself…”

“The Buck Stops Here”

“…train yourself to be godly.”    I Timothy 4:7b

Do you sometimes attempt to “pass the buck” when it comes to your walk with God? Stop blaming others for any lack of passion, holiness or lack of maturity in your walk with God. Paul’s command to Timothy in our verse today was never meant to say that we have no need of others. Perhaps as it relates to today’s text we can listen and follow the advice of Harry S. Truman when he said “The buck stops here.”

If you are not moving forward in your walk with God it is not your spouses fault, it is not your children or parents or Pastor’s fault. It is certainly not blame we can place at the feet of God as some try to do somewhat obliquely by inferring that they are not being “drawn” by the Spirit of God as others are. God addresses that when his word tells us in James 4:8 to:  “Come near to God and he will come near to you…” By Paul’s admonition to Timothy to train himself to be Godly he was making it clear to him, and to us, that we have a role to play in the process of sanctification and godliness.

Do you want to be godly? Then spend time with God in prayer. Spend time with God in his word. Not simply reading a passage, or scanning a promise or subscribing to this blog. Take time to draw near to him today. Memorize his word (hide it in your heart), study it (I know, that one may be tough for some) but most importantly – do it! Train yourself to be Godly!  

“It May Get Worse Before It Gets Better”

“¹² As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. ¹³ Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. ¹⁴ But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. ¹⁵ You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. ¹⁶ In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”  Genesis 15:12-16

Abram, later named Abraham is a revered man in the Judeo-Christian faiths. He received and believed some pretty significant promises from the Lord. He remained faithful to trust God even though many of those promises did not (as he was told by God in our scripture passage above) come to pass in his lifetime. Many times we are content to receive the promises of God if we can be assured to see them come to pass in the next week or two or at least before the end of the year! God’s timetable is so much different. We want instant gratification and he wants our life transformed. Would you be as committed to serve and follow Christ if the rewards are delayed and the path to them is strewn with a few trials, a few tribulations and a few tests? What if you sew and somebody else reaps? Is that o.k. with you? If it is, you are on the right path but if it is not, then ask God to recalibrate your walk and your motives. Spend some time with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. There, and for the next day following, you will find out what he endured so that you might reap the benefit. There you can learn some powerful lessons on surrendering to the Father’s will and not your own. You will be rewarded but perhaps it comes after some other people reap some benefits because of your sacrifice.   

“We” not Me and “Us” not I

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

It is interesting how often in the New Testament we find plural pronouns used and not singular. Such is the case in Ephesians 2:10 above; “…WE are God’s workmanship…” and at the end of the verse we read: “…good works…for US to do.” God certainly uses individuals. But he also speaks to his church corporately and expects that we as individuals are properly united with his body where he has planted us. WE are his workmanship and we are more effective united together to impact our world for him. Jesus prayed for his followers to be “one” in John 17. When people look at our local church do you think they see one representation of Jesus Christ in that place or just a bunch of individuals doing their own thing? His word comes to individuals but is also comes to his people who gather together as local representations of him. He has good works prepared in advance for “US” to do. Are you doing your part? Commit today to be a contributing part of his body of believers, not just a person who goes to church on Sunday. Yes, he has plans and purpose for your life

Mission Accomplished

“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.” Jeremiah 29:11

I remember some time ago while in prayer telling the Lord how eager I was to hear the words “Well done, thou good and faithful servant…” and then distinctly sensing God saying to me – “I am also eager to hear some words from you as well.” Of course I asked what those words would be and He responded with – “It is finished!”

Imagine the life that accomplishes God’s plans and purposes for it. Imagine the life that fulfills all the words that He has spoken to you. Certainly, that was the life of Christ as he uttered the words “It is finished” from the cross. While we do not have to suffer and die to redeem mankind we were created by God with purpose and to fulfill His plans for our life.

As the verse from Jeremiah tells us – His plans for us are good.

We each have a specific and personal mission to accomplish. How about this - as you ‘accomplish life’ today make it your mission to accomplish His plans.  It is easy to get overwhelmed with accomplishing the plan of God for our whole life. When we view it as a mission for the rest of our days we can sometimes miss His good plans for us today. Let tomorrow take care of itself and do what He asks you to do today.