On oak leaves, oranges, and tomato seeds

Eleven wheelbarrows full of oak leaves.

That’s what my younger sister and I shoveled on Saturday afternoon. Unlike the elms, sycamores, birches, and maples that lose their leaves in the fall–which seems to be the more logical thing to do–those towering, moss-laden southern oaks lose their leaves in the spring. And that means that we get to get out the shovels, rakes, and wheelbarrows twice a year. On the other hand, we never have to shovel snow...

When the oaks lose their dead, brown leaves, new green buds get pushed on the branches. As we pick oranges and lemons bursting ripe off the trees, we plant the cucumber and tomato seeds. The old leaves must come off before the new ones come on. One crop of fruit ripens as another sprouts.

Isn’t our spiritual life like a tree? We let the old man fall to the ground as the new man grows. We can’t put on the new man until after the old is gone. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him (Colossians 3:8-10). The command to put off is before the command to put on. Is Paul trying to give us a hint here? Yes! The old man and the new man are two different people, and the one must die before the other can be born. Just as Jesus said that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit (Matthew 7:18), the new man can’t have anything of the old man–no dead leaves and no bad fruit. We need to put our old man to death to make way for the new.

Our lives bear fruit just like our garden does. As healthy Christians, we should be bearing a lot of it! Not just one crop of one kind of fruit...it’s not enough just to be patient once a week. We should always be bearing lots of fruit. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control–our lives are an entire garden! Because we are growing so many types of fruits, we may be in different stages for each crop. Maybe joy is ripe and we can benefit from its fruit as we plant the seeds of self-control. There should never be a time when we are not tending fruit. Sometimes, the fruit may just be a tiny seedling, but even then, it’s growing. Maybe the only evidence that there is fruit growing is that we can smell the first budding blossom. But those little blossoms in March turn into oranges by January, and the first seedlings of February are tomatoes by June. He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). God is the Master Gardener Who will faithfully tend the garden in each one of us.

What kind of fruit are you growing?

The peace of God...

Recently, my parents and I have been having lots of talks about what I'm going to be doing this summer...I have so many wonderful opportunities, that sometimes it gets to be a little overwhelming! About a week ago I thought we had everything figured out...I knew where I was going to go, when I was going to go, and how I would get there. Finally the summer was planned, and I could check it off my mental list...yet there was one thing we had decided I should do that I just wasn't sure about. I wanted to do it, but at the same time something inside me held back.

Have you ever wished God would just show you His will plainly? Have you ever wondered why we have to seek God's will, instead of Him showing us simply? This is where I was at this morning. After talking to my parents, and pacing my room thinking (yes, I do that:), I went and did what I should have done to begin with...got down on my knees, with my Bible on the bed in front of me, and started praying. Then I opened my Bible, and asked God to please show me something I could hold on to...something I could spiritually cling to for strength and wisdom! I went to John 14:27...

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you! Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled..."

I kept on reading through chapters 15 and 16. Jesus speaks to the disciples telling them that He is the vine, and that they cannot bear fruit unless they abide in Him. He talks about how much the Father loves them, and tells them not to be surprised when the world hates them, for "if they were of the world, the world would love it's own. Yet because they are not of the world, but Christ chose them out of the world, therefore the world hates them." He tells them about His death and Resurrection, and then says He is going away to His Father. Jesus knows they will not understand, and so tells them He is sending the Holy Spirit to help them! And after ALL of this, verse 33 comes. "These things I have spoken to you, that in ME you may have peace..."

Peace comes only in Christ! Philippians 4 says, "But in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the PEACE OF GOD will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!" What I do this summer isn't the biggest thing ever, but I do know God has a plan for it! I also know that if I'm seeking His will, He will make clear what He wants me to do, and give me His peace through it all!

Lord, peace IN YOU is enough! In fact, it's more that enough...it overflows and never stops! All I have to do is see that it's there...that you offer it to me! Jesus, give me the willingness to be actively seeking your will, and in the meantime I'll be content with your peace! Thank you that it passes my comprehension, so that I can be more in awe of you!

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also your were called in one body, and be thankful!" -Colossians 3:15

Let us...

In Hebrews 3 and 4, the author challenges us to persevere and not be disobedient like the "faithless Exodus generation." The reason is because "there is still a rest for the people of God."

A rest. Big sigh of relief! Don't we all need a rest? We all need to be able to cease striving and know that our God is God! 

This rest is both here and now, and eternal. It is a peace, no matter what chaos is going on around us. It is a trust, because we know the One Who is Sovereign over the affairs of men.

Isn't that wonderful that we don't have to keep going and going on our own strength like the world around us? Their motto seems to be "Go until you drop!"

Continuing on in Hebrews 4, verse 11: "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience [the Israelites in the exodus]. For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

So we are to be faithful, and persevere, unlike the Israelites who grumbled and complained at the first sight of trouble. And not only that, but the Word of God is illumining our hidden intentions and motives. We are completely bare before our God, who sees and knows everything about us. We can't lie to Him and pretend that we are 'okay.' He sees everything, and He is our Judge.

That is a formidable image! The One Who knows EVERY LITTLE THING about me, is the One who will judge my life. I have no chance! He sees the times that it looked like I was persevering, but inside was complaining. He sees the times that it looked like I was being faithful, but was doubting His Word.

But the verses go on..."Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need!"

Instead of us approaching expecting condemnation from the One who knows we deserve it, we have a great High Priest Who is seated at the right hand of God. He can empathize with our struggles, for He was tempted to sin just as we are, except that He never caved in.  He does not sit far above looking down on us...He came down to us! Became one of us!

And He is the One who speaks for us to the Father. 

Let us therefore come boldly! Let us draw near with confidence! Not only do we not have to fear condemnation, we can receive HELP.  "That we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need." 

This goes back to the beginning: we need help! We need rest!

But we are not alone in this. We have a great High Priest, who is interceding for us, with groanings that cannot be uttered.

"Let us therefore be dilligent"

"Let us hold fast"

"Let us come boldly"

"..that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need." 

"For He who promises is Faithful!"

When the things of life don't go our way....

If you been around for any period of time, you know and understand that things don't always go the way we want them to. Life brings struggles, hardships, conflicts, and situations that we don't want. We cannot change this. We don't control what life brings us. But we can control how we respond to the situations....and that's what really counts. How do we choose to respond to the circumstances? So many times, when things don't go my way, I respond selfishly and in anger. I want to complain, pout, and blame people. I want to think negatively about it. BUT, this is not the way that I should respond. I, as a follower of Christ, need to respond to situations in a Christlike manner. I need to view the hardship/conflict/situation through Biblical lens. I need to think about the circumstance positively. I need to remember that God was the One that gave me this situation. He is the One that orchestrates all the affairs of men. He has a purpose for it and even though it looks like nothing good could come out of the situation, ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD! I need to trust Him and know that His ways are far above my ways. I need to choose to look to Him and choose to praise Him.

Right now my family is going through a really tough situation. As I look at the situation through human eyes, I think that the situation is impossible to fix! But God is able!!!! With Him all things are possible! He can change hearts and heal hurts! He is in control! And so, I cry out to Him for help, comfort, strength, and wisdom. And if it is not His will to fix the situation as I would like, I will still love Him. Even though I can see nothing good that can come out of this situation, I will still trust His Word that He does work all things together for good to those who love God and to those who are called according to His purposes. God's ways are always higher and better than mine. He is sovereign over all the affairs of men. He is still in control and I praise Him for that. What a great God I serve!

So, when you find yourself in a situation that you don't like, look to Jesus! He has a purpose for all events in life. Make a conscious choice to think positively and to praise God no matter what. Choose to do what is right and to respond to whatever situation in a Christlike manner. Even when your world seems to be falling apart, remember that it's all apart of Christ purpose for your life - to conform you to more to His image. God is in control and He understands the situation better then you do. Go to Him for comfort in the midst of distress, for peace in the midst of conflict, for direction in the midst of confusion, for joy in the midst of heartache, for strength in the midst of weakness, for hope in the midst of despair. Cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength," Isaiah 26:3-4. Ultimately, God uses hardships and un-liked situations to bring us closer to Himself, to show us that He's in control and that we can trust Him. This is one of the things that the Lord has been teaching me as I walk through a hard time - this is some of the good that has come from it. I'm so glad that I belong to the One who cares for me and will use every event in my life to conform me more into His image. I need to do my part and respond to these situations in a way that honors Him and always be looking for the good that comes from it.

Let's get our eyes off our circumstances and get them on to the One who orchestrates them. When we do, we will experience the blessings of having the peace and joy of God which we otherwise would have missed.

From Psalm 34

"I will bless the Lord at all times! His praise shall continually be in my mouth! My soul shall make it's boast in THE LORD! The humble shall hear of it, and be glad. Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together! I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered be from all my fears! They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed! This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them! Oh, taste, and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who trusts in HIM!" - Psalm 34:1-8

Wow. There is so much packed into this passage! "I will bless the Lord at all times." That means even when I'm tired of doing school, when I'm sick, when I don't understand what God is doing, and when I fail. I should always be blessing the Lord! His praise should continually be in my mouth! My life should be a constant act of worship. Now, this doesn't mean we never stop talking and singing, and that we can never be quiet. God tells us to "Be still, and know that He is God." It's good to be quiet. I think this "blessing the Lord" is an attitude as well. An attitude that doesn't change when the situation changes, but is constant, because God is constant, and always deserves our praise!

Look at the next section... "My soul shall make it's boast in the Lord! The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!"
It's all about God! This whole passage rings out this marvelous truth! Life is about Christ! Our soul's boast should be in the Lord! The psalmist says, "Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt HIS name together!"

These next few verses are some of my favorites..."I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears! They looked to Him, and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed! This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them!" There are many times when I do not seek the Lord like I should, but when I realize my sin, and come back to actively seeking Him, this is a passage I cling to. When we seek God, HE ANSWERS US! I love how verse five then says what happens when we look to Christ, and are seeking Him... "and they were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed!" If that doesn't fill you with joy, and give you a reason to bless the Lord, I don't know what else will! Dwell on this truth! Think about the fact that GOD ALWAYS ANSWERS, and let it put you in wonder of Him! Verse six confirms again what was just said. "This poor man cried out, and The Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles!" Then, in verse eight, is where this deliverance is spread past just one person, to "all those who fear HIM." This wondrous gift is for everyone who fears the Lord! Isn't our God gracious to forgive us, and give us strength over and over?! I'd challenge you today... Taste, and see that the Lord is good!

Do not love the World

1 John 2:15-17 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For ALL that is in the world-- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides FOREVER."

This is a challenge for me. The world sometimes seems like it has it all, that I'm missing out on all the "fun" stuff, and that because I love Jesus, I am just plain weird. But Christians are NOT OF THE WORLD. No wonder the world treats us weird! We don't belong here! In John 15:19 Jesus says "If you were of the world, the world would love it's own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." Does that mean everyone in the world hates us? Not exactly. But the father of sin, the one behind it all, hates us. Literally. He is totally against us, and he will do anything to get rid of us! Does that mean that we should stiff-arm everybody in the world except for people at church?Of course not! We are supposed to be lights in the darkness. We need to be in the world so we can influence the people around us. But we MUST make sure we are in the world but not OF the world. If we are in the world too much and not staying in the scriptures, it can slowly grow on us and grab our hearts away from the Lord. We can grow to love the world, and our lives, and that is NOT OK. Mark 8:35 says "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it." We cannot try to keep our lives at any cost. If our lives are lived for ourselves, we will lose our lives. But if we live them for our Savior, He will let us keep them and then something will actually come of it! So will you "have fun" in life, do whatever you want, or will you live for Christ and do something for Him and through Him that will count for eternity?

Can we trust the Bible?

I thought that this video went right along with the post: "Pondering some Bible Facts"

Hope you enjoy!