Better Than New

Isaiah 1:18 Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.

God has such a sense of humor. After my reference to This Old House yesterday, I received in my In-Box the ‘This Old House Newsletter.’ I do subscribe to it, it didn’t just pop in but God could have made that happen had He so desired. The headline title is what made me laugh.

101 Clever Money-Savers From the TOH Cheapskate Hall of Fame….I fully expect to see my name in it!!

As I write this, I am in my living room. Looking around I see a room full of stuff, most of which is recycled, repainted, restored and re-purposed. There are a few things bought new, like the sectional couch but even that was marked down to less than half price due to a construction sale. I need esthetically pleasing things around me, but it is not necessary that they be new, costly or trendy. For me, finding a treasure and making it work in my environment is the thrill. I ‘see’ things as they can be, not so much as they are. If it needs paint or other tweaking, so much the better.

There are two night stands in my bedroom at this moment that once were one piece, an antique gentleman’s armoire. When it was no longer needed in that state, I cut it in half and made the night stands. It still has the appeal of an older piece I like so much and one part has three drawers for storage, the other has one drawer and a shelf for holding books. It is still functional, maintains its character and makes me smile. What else do you need?

I, for one, am thankful that God looks at me through eyes that ‘see’ me as I can be, pure and righteous, rather than eyes that only see the scars of life, the fading of youth, the string of failures and the stains of sin. I, too, have been “recycled, repainted, restored and re-purposed” by the blood of Jesus Christ! There is nothing ‘Cheapskate’ about the cost to restore me. I am not bargain basement, outdated, useless or beyond repair. I am the restored daughter of The King, loved and highly favored. And, my Friend, so are you!

I Am the True Vine

Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

The reference scripture this morning is from the NIV Bible. It is plain spoken and to the point. It encouraged me to read the Book of Titus. It is a sound and basic outline for Christian living. The quoted verses above rather jumped off the page at me. In my mind’s eye I saw a bowl with the empty stem of a cluster of grapes in it. There were a few grapes left behind in the bottom of the bowl. Okay, this really tweaked my curiosity and I had to ask God to show me what that meant.  

John 15:1-8  (The Vine and the Branches) “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 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. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

I get the connection about God, Jesus and man in the scripture from John 15…it was the reference verse from Titus and the few grapes left behind that confused me. I read the verses over and over, asking God to give me new insight and understanding. Finally, the light bulb went off over my thick head.

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

The grapes are the fruit of living in grace and walking in salvation as we are told in John 15. Everyone loves the plump juicy fruit and readily accepts it. We need the mercy of grace and gobble it up. The grapes left behind in the bowl…is that the fruit that teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age?

Do we pick over the parts of grace and salvation that appeal to us and ignore the parts that aren’t convenient? Are we ‘situational’ or ‘seasonal’ fruit pickers? Are we willing ‘to say ‘NO’ to ungodliness and worldly passions’ when it suits us but leave them behind in the bottom of the bowl when it doesn’t? Let’s face it, sometimes it is just plain easier to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age than others. Isn’t it?

“…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. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned…”

Not one word about having the latitude and option to pick over the fruit and take only that which appeals to you do I see in that scripture. Christians are not migrant farm workers moving from vineyard to vineyard. We are to remain in me and I in you if we are to bear much fruit. Nothing left in the bottom of the bowl…..

Christmas Gift

Hebrews 13:5 Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’.

Christmas is a season just begging for encouragement. For some, it can be a season of great joy, or a season of real gloom. They say (whoever ‘they’ are) the holiday season has the highest suicide rate of the year. Emotions run extremely high for some to exceedingly low for others. Seems to me they can reach an exaggerated state in either direction. There is nothing like the eyes of a young child twinkling with anticipation on Christmas morning to bring a smile to the parents…unless of course, there is no tree or presents and little food in the pantry. The twinkle fades quickly when the child realizes all the commercials in the world have lied about Christmas.

Then there are those who have no one with which to share anything, however lavish or meager their resources might be. I have spent the holidays alone…well, except for my loyal dog, Roxy. My kids had other plans with other family and I had Roxy. Initially, I would blow it off by telling myself it didn’t matter, it was just me, and made little effort to have any sort of celebratory meal or atmosphere. I was missing the point entirely. Christmas isn’t about who you have around you; it is about celebrating the birth of your Savior. That extraordinary event on a cold winter’s night gave us the most wonderful gift of all. Raising a glass of champagne in a room full of people may tickle your fancy but raising your eyes in thanks and prayer to the Reason for the Season, Jesus - the true Christmas story, is a heart to heart gift exchange.

The Christmas story demonstrates what can happen when we allow our faith to reach beyond what we understand. It’s the same faith which brings stories of healings our way; it delivers alcoholics, gamblers and drug addicts from destructive addictions, restores broken relationships, comforts a grieving spouse, and reminds us all that hope for the Christian is never lost. This is the Christmas story we must teach our children and grandchildren and share with those around us, wherever we may be.

God can use us mightily to serve Him. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small country church, a mission field in Mongolia, in a crowded store, your workplace, or a home office where you work to follow the call He gave you. Where ever we may be, regardless of social ladders and economic circumstances, He will bless us as we serve Him this Christmas season and every day. Hebrews 13:5 Be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’.

Our brothers and sisters in Christ and those that do not know Him yet, regardless of the season in which they may find themselves, need a word of encouragement from you. What better than the real Christmas story? It’s a gift that costs very little but has immeasurable lasting value.

Fruit of the Spirit 2

Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Still looking at the Fruit of the Spirit, we see in Jeremiah (6:19), God speaks of the disaster which is about to come, and speaks of it as "the fruit of their plans" -- that which comes from evil scheming. So the evil in us can also come to fruition. Rotten fruit.

The early church continued this concern about how those with the Spirit develop a character like Christ's. Some of them spend much of their writing time on describing what this character is. Polycarp, for instance, in his letter to the church in Philippi, wrote that the church's leaders are to have "a wide compassion for humanity", which does not put off doing kindnesses. He, like the apostle Paul, also writes about what is not a part of this character: gossip, the undermining of others, easily believing ill of others, loose sexual behavior, empty speech, quick temper, and most especially the eagerness for money. That would be more akin to rotten fruit.

Many believers, unfortunately, forgot how deeply marred we are by sin, and saw failure to live in these 'fruit' as proof that the Spirit was not at work. This resulted in a new legalism made of a decision to obey behavioral rules rooted in law, not in a soul which grew through the Spirit's work to bear good fruit.

You don't need to turn to the Law to give rise to character in ourselves and our children. You need to turn to the Spirit, and trust that the Spirit will be working overtime to change you, working literally till Kingdom come, refashioning you so you become like Christ.

The early church understood this. They didn't go around saying they had the Holy Spirit and thus needed no human teachers. They instead took each other aside and corrected each other, and those who understood the Christian way best (especially the apostles) taught it to the others. They accepted their responsibility for spiritual growth in their fellow believers. Even the apostles were not above correction, as Paul so sharply points out in Galatians. They understood that by way of mutual education and the use of discernment, in the power of the Holy Spirit, they could grow as Christians. The evidence of growth was the fruit. The "fullness of the Spirit" is when the gifts are applied fruit-fully.

Unity is a fruit of the Spirit, found in the "one anothers" of Colossians. But it is not always immediately so. Jesus' work set father against son and mother against daughter, and the Spirit takes after Jesus' ministry. In Acts 15, even though the Jerusalem Council was being guided by the Spirit, division arose. They wrestled with the matter, done with an attitude of 'show us, Spirit!' Where there is such tension, the Spirit brings reconciliation.

 
The organism of believers known as the Christian Church is able to hold, and to benefit from, the human race's many cultures, outlooks, theologies, histories and styles. Yet the Church can only be truly 'of the whole' when it embraces and sustains the whole truth. It means not just being broad in most ways, it also means being clear about what to reject. This we learn, Friends, by being sensitive to and listening for the Holy Spirit in us and allowing the lessons in ‘fruitfulness of the spirit’ to change us. Where there are believers abounding in a harvest of good fruit, there is more harmony and peace in the body. I could use more peace and harmony, how about you?

The Lord is My Shepherd

Isaiah 40:11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm (z’roah in Hebrew), And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.

John 10:10-11 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

I was reading an article written by an American living in Israel. He said they often see goats and sheep roaming the countryside and driving through rural Israel often involved sudden stops to allow a herd of sheep or goats to cross the road. But interestingly, he had never seen “sheep kill" on the side of the road in all the years he lived in Israel. It’s because sheep don’t roam without a shepherd.

The Lord is gathering His lambs with His arm, and carrying us to His bosom. This is not a distant relationship but one of loving care and intimacy with His sheep. He said, "I know my sheep and my sheep know me." [John 10:14]. Then He continued, "..and I lay down my life for the sheep."

The most vulnerable time for defenseless animals is at night when they need to rest. The sheepfold is where they are gathered by the shepherd each night; a stone compound, with rocks stacked high enough to keep out predators, but without a door. Jesus declared Himself to be the “door of the sheep” [John 10:7-9] because, as a Good Shepherd, He lies where a door would typically be so that nothing could go in or out, without passing by the Shepherd.

Fear and evil seems to be rearing their ugly heads in every facet of life these days. Greater darkness seems to be looming on the horizon; we need to truly realize the powerful and complete protection our Good Shepherd provides. Nothing can get to us unless it goes through Him! When the Lord laid down His life for us He also gave us a fortress of protection and safety which is impossible to break.

Knowing of the dark days we would be facing Jesus afforded us a profound sense of safety in Himself so that we absolutely need not walk in fear. Promising never to leave nor forsake us till the end of the age He gave us the security of intimacy with Himself, in and through every trial or danger. We need never doubt we can trust Him.

Our land is being ravaged by wildfires and flooding. Our countrymen are suffering many hardships and far too many people lead lives of desperation tainted with fear and suspicion. These folks do not rest in faith in the knowledge their Shepherd is watching over them. In the face of tragedy and heartache, our Shepherd sees our trials and though it may feel to us at the time we are alone, we are not. It is not the material possessions of this earth that bring us eternal fellowship with our God but the Shepherd Jesus that ushers us through the sheep gate.

The ‘thief’ mentioned in John 10:10 above is the enemy, satan, evil itself, that comes to steal our peace, kill our joy and to destroy our faith in the One, Jesus, our Shepherd. The other day I wrote about Psalms 23 and how much comfort it must have given David to think of God as his shepherd because he knew the love, care and total protection he gave the sheep he guarded was nothing compared to what he received from his Shepherd. The sheep rest well, not in fear, because they know their shepherd’s voice and his presence. That is the comfort offered us when we rest and rely on our Good Shepherd. “…Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me….”

I pray today for each of us to lay down any fear and trembling which fills our hearts and minds as we see fires raging and flood waters destroying. Take heart in the knowledge of our Shepherd and His protection. We won’t become ‘sheep kill’ either.