Tag Archives: Lord

Fruit Trees of God

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I look at my life and see the fruit appear.  It’s not something I can reach out and hold.  The fruit is more like a receding tide.  Chaos begins to recede or move out of my life, while stability, love, righteous acts, and a determination to continue appear.

Many do not see this kind of fruit in their Christian life.  They pray for help to become godly.  Then they find themselves looking for something rather tangible.  But the fruit of God’s intervention in our lives is not something we can perceive.  Now, I’ll admit that there are times when He moves in and does something that is clearly different and not from this world.  But stopping a bullet in flight toward our heart is not His normal way of doing things.

Look at your life.  You have prayed.  You have developed a mind to know the difference between sin and righteousness.   People have begun to notice that you love God more than the world.  There are certain people you have been praying for that now

English: folio 150 recto of the codex, with th...

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exhibit a difference in their life.  There is a measurable lack of chaos caused by sin.  And there is a marked increase in stability caused by your devotion to the Lord.

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (1 Corinthians: 1)

So then, let us not be of those who look for signs and what is called wisdom.  But let us take His promises as if they belong to us.  Let us gather confidence because God cannot lie.  And, above all, let us look to what is, not sitting waiting for a sign from God or a certain thought pattern that will cause men to stand in awe.  We are a people just like those released from bondage in Egypt.  They did not trust God or remember that they had once lived as slaves.  It was for this reason that God said, “They have not known my ways.”  And it was because they did not combine their understanding with faith that God swore on oath that they would never enter His rest.

I am prompted to open my eyes and see what He is doing, as opposed to looking for something I can hold in my hand.  I hope this post has helped to remind my friends of the same thing.  We are urged to remember that life is what is happening while we’re looking for it to happen.

Ignorance Can Kill

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English: An XOXO brand purse.

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A little boy lived on a farm.  One day he came up to his dad and asked, “Dad, is it ok with you if I steal grandma’s purse?”  The dad looked at his boy with a straight face, hiding the amazement within him.  “Why would you ask me something like that?”  The dad asked.  The boy answered, “I was tempted to do it.  I think I even want to do it.  And I thought I’d ask you if it’s ok.”  The boy said.

There are certain things we KNOW God doesn’t want us to do.  How often have I found myself pleading and pleading with God to help me resist temptation.  I would guess others have also.   Here’s the meat of the issue:

Why do we beg for something the Lord has plainly told us is not ok with Him?  And why do we beg for strength to overcome?  The issue here is the begging.  Begging does not have the same strength as a simple belief that God is willing to help.  He has promised to give such things to those who love Him.  It is not His will that we sin.  It is His will to overcome sin.

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

He wants us to live life full of “wins”.  And He is anxious (if that is possible) to see that “Winning attitude” appear in all of His children.  Let’s get our head on straight.  Are we so immature in Christ Jesus that we can’t make out the difference between temptation and a test?

The Fickle Finger of Accusation.

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Finger pointing

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What does it take for Christians to live in peace with one another?  Look at the divisions among us, each believes this, and each believes that.  What utter foolishness.  Men have divided scripture until there is little place left where a man might know he has found the body of Christ.

Ok.  I’m not so stupid as to advocate a reuniting of the branches of the family of Christ.  I won’t live long enough to argue with the present believers, let alone those children who will come of age and believe what they were taught.

But there are certain solid and indisputable items of The Faith which can be agreed.  And there are fringe differences which might be argued to the profitability of all.  And it is those fringe differences which bring us all the closer as we argue them between us.

Only, let us be careful to keep such bantering behind closed doors.  Those who hate us will surely point to the subtle differences and proclaim, “They can’t agree between themselves!  How can we trust that they have anything worth examining?”

We who are not afraid to encounter a subtle difference in belief find great strength appears after defending our position.  Both walk away satisfied that they have been heard.  And such issues have no lasting impact on the love we have for one another.  But in the hands of those who hate the Lord, such things become a fire and restraint for those who are trying to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

What am I saying here?  Why did I post this?  I posted this to point to one element of humanity that has caused untold sorrow and death.  The pride of man has crept into the Church from the beginning.  And each generation raises up its own brand of pride.  Drop it!  Ask yourself if you would be willing to stand before the Holy Throne of the Most High God and point at your brother with an accusing finger.  Then if you’re still willing to do that for a subtle difference in belief, are you willing to receive the judgment of God for accusing your brother?

Just thinkin this through.  I’m done now.  I think I’ll go get another coffee.  Man!  I think I might have sprained a finger typing this too fast……………

“It’s Time to Get Up.”

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Parents know how hard it is to wake a son or daughter to do the things necessary.  How many times do we try.  How many variations of alarm to we imagine and “give it a whirl”.

An adult knows to set the alarm.  The one who knows that it is his hand that will either feed him at night or fold a while longer in slumber; missing an oportunity to provide.

And once awake, both the child and the adult knows a different place of service.  No longer is that one serving himself in slumber.  Now we learn to serve others by waking.

It is the same with the Lord.  How the child of God likes to sleep in sin.  How neglect of the Holy covers him like a warm blanket.  But what is accomplished?  He speaks to us as we sleep.  “Wake.  It is time to work.”  Again he comes to us to find us sleeping.  Again and again He approaches us unnoticed.  Yet, there is a place where He rightfully demands that we wake.  We are His children.  Perhaps a punishment will rouse the eyelids, arms, and legs to do what needs to be done.

But the mature in Christ know to wake early, pray in the darkness before the dawn explodes with demands.  The alarm is within us now.   And we rise with a willingness.  We wake with joy to serve the One who loved us enough to wake us.

Will the Ocean Be Saved?

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You have said to the sea,

“Thus far you shall come and no more.”

You have said to man’s greed,

“Thus far you shall come and no more.”

You have made a people for Yourself.

You spoke them to life and said,

“Thus far you have come……..

And I will call you farther.”

Praise to the Lord of Life!

For He has not restrained His people.

He has set them free to live!

He has touched them with His Holy Hand.

And to them He has said,

“I will come to you and take you to be with me.

This far you WILL come and it will be complete.

For where I am you will be also.”

The restraint of the sea does not belong to man.

The restraint against sin does not belong to God’s people.

Just as the hope in Christ is not offered to the ocean.

Amen.

Believe!

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English: Man's Sin, and God's Promise; as in G...

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Settle matters with death. Once a man has settled his mind to accept death as that inevitable doorway to eternity, he is free to live the rest of his days without fear of anything.  Then what can be held against you?  The world is caught up in living.  God’s people are not to be that way.  They live dead and do all they can to retain what they can’t keep; even their flesh.  But God’s people have settled it in their mind that Jesus has taken away that fear of death which once held us as prisoners.

We have heard that Jesus will take His people into the peace of His Father.  We have heard that He is even now preparing a beautiful place for those He incites to love Him.  We see the marks within us of obedience to the Father’s Will.  And we firmly believe the promises He has spoken.  Then we believe, without the slightest hesitation, that God is true.  What He has said He is able and willing to do.

How odd these things seemed to me as I first read them.  But after watching His hand bless my life, belief is the only reasonable conclusion to retain.  For now we don’t see Him with our senses.  But there is a Spirit who confirms these things to our hearts.  Don’t ever let anyone teach you anything other than what the Lord has said in the Bible.  Believe, and you will live though you die.