* Make It Happen

You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

Galatians 6:7b-8 NLT

All over Facebook, people are posting pictures of their gardens - both vegetables and flowers. They're showing the fruit of their labor. All the planning and preparing, starting the seeds, working the soil. Planning the layout. It has paid off. They are making it happen.

When I plant cucumber seeds, I expect I will get cucumbers. If I plant sugar snap peas, I expect to get sugar snap peas. Likewise with tomatoes or corn. God created seed to produce after its own kind. I can't plant watermelon and expect to get grapes. I can't expect to harvest lemons from a fig tree. Sounds pretty crazy doesn't it? And yet...

Why is it that we can sow doubt and discord and expect to harvest faith and peace? How do we go about throwing seeds of corruptible behavior all week long and expect to reap holiness and righteousness? Do we watch reality TV all week and then expect God to give us all our answers during the commercial break?

Sometimes we get tired, but further on in this chapter, Paul writes, "So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up."  Keep planning and planting. Make it happen.

Prayer:

Father,

          You alone are God and worthy of all praise. Thank You for the principles You have set before us that never fail. Continue to work the furrowed fields of our hearts so that we can reap a good harvest from Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

* No Excuse

But God's angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse.

Romans 1:18-20 NLT

 I was born this way - what's your excuse? 

You'd better have a good excuse...

Weellllll, excuuuuuuuuuuuuussse me! 

I don't remember who it was that said there aren't enough crutches for the over-abundance of lame excuses, but he spoke the truth. I wonder how many people will stand before God and try to offer excuses. What we need to know is that when that day comes, God will not be looking at anyone else in our little sphere of reality. He'll be looking at only one person - the one in front of Him - and judging the life work of that person as to whether or not Jesus is their Lord and Savior.

Ignorance of the law will not excuse you from the consequences of breaking the law. Not knowing is no excuse - on Earth or in Heaven. Jesus tells us in John 15:22, They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.

Do we have an interest in knowing Jesus or are we committed to knowing Him? Art Turock, famed business speaker and corporate leadership motivator, has this to say about it, "There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results."

God is committed to us. So much so that He sent His only Son to die a brutal death on the Cross at Calvary for the remission of our sins. We have NO excuse...

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive us for trying to excuse or justify any behavior that is opposed to Your Will and Word. Change our hearts and minds, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* How to Marvel

At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, "Who gets the highest rank in God's kingdom?"

For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom.
Matthew 18:1-4 The Message

I remember when my firstborn was a toddler.  I got such a kick out of seeing the world anew through her eyes. It was like discovering it again for the first time. All the excitement and wonder! I think it's why I like kids so much - they truly know how to marvel about things in life! I think we tend to lose that as we grow older and become "responsible" adults. We don't truly recognize marvelous once we lose the newness of life in the name of growing up. We forget how to marvel...

The same can happen in our Christian walk. And if we do forget, then how do we sing at the top of our lungs, "Oh, how marvelous! How wonderful and my song shall ever be! How marvelous! How wonderful is thy Savior's love for me!" 

I like being around baby Christians for just that reason. How exciting it is to see them! Hungry-for-the-Truth-marveling-at-His-Grace-in-awe-and-wonder-of-God's-mercy-and-grace-and-goodness-and-faithfulness brand new creations in Christ!  It's like discovering it again for the first time. All the excitement and wonder... How marvelous! Do you remember how?

Prayer:

Father,
         Open our hearts and minds to receive Your glory and Your grace. Cause us to marvel at the works of Your hands! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Don't Be Scared; You'll Get Your Quilt

But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts [taken complete possession of them]. However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].

John 16:6-7 The Amplified Bible

The story goes like this: After Sunday School, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about. 

The daughter replied confidently, "Don't be scared; you'll get your quilt."
Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later that day, the Mom stopped the Sunday School teacher and asked the Scripture reference for the day's lesson. He said "John 16:6-7."

Quilt - Comforter - it's all the same to a child. I laughed because I have had some very similar lessons with regard to children and their interpretation of what they heard and what was actually said (and some adults, too!).

But aren't we just like that sometimes? We think we know what God said, but we miss something in the interpretation, or substitute what we think means the same thing. We think "Close enough" or "Good enough,"  However, God is a very specific communicator. He says exactly what He means. He establishes His Word.

In verses 13-15 of this same chapter in the Amplified Bible, Jesus assures us that the Comforter - the Holy Spirit  -  when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you. Everything that the Father has is Mine. That is what I meant when I said that He [the Spirit] will take the things that are Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.

So, do we want a quilt - just something to cover ourselves - or do we want the Comforter? Pay attention...

Prayer:

Father,

           Open our ears and our hearts to fully hear and understand what You would say to us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Giving More *

But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.

Isaiah 32:8 NLT

I had lunch with an old friend who I hadn't seen in awhile. We tried to catch up on everything we could, talking non-stop in an extended lunch visit. It was good. My friend told me an amazing story of how their extended family had been lost from them for more than 40 years, and over the years, they had tried to find them without success - but how they were finally able to search out the cousins, the offspring of an aunt who had always been very kind and very generous. I could see love's glow remembered in my friend's eyes and I knew just how loving the woman had been. It was a wonderful story to hear and I was very excited at all the good news of it.

The cousin who was first found later went to her sibling and said, You will never guess who called me. To her shock, her brother said my friend's name without hesitation... keeping in mind, it has been 40 years. When asked how he knew, he replied that his cousin had been on his mind for a couple weeks... the same amount my friend had been searching this last time around! God has such a sweet way of answering the desires of our heart.

We talked the rest of the time about all their plans to reunite face to face - oh, it is going to be such a grand time! As we were standing in the parking lot saying goodbye, my friend said, Before we go, I want to tell you one more thing about my aunt...  And I feel compelled to share it with you now.

It turns out that the aunt and cousins were very poor when they were all growing up, but it never stopped them from giving to others. The woman's life personified generous hospitality, with the emphasis on generous. The daughter of the amazing woman told this story. Her mother used to go to the grocery store and pick up the wooden fruit crates from the trash bin in back. She would then take them home, break them down, and tie them in bundles to sell for firewood to have money to buy coal to heat their home. One Christmas, the woman worked twice as hard to get enough money - not for toys for her children - but to get enough to buy an extra load of coal. 

When the coal cart driver came, she pressed that money into his hand and said, I want you to use this to buy coal for the poorest family on your route. I can't bear to think of anyone being cold on Christmas.

The driver was overcome by emotion and tried to hand back the money, but she insisted. Finally, when he could speak, through his tears, he replied, Missus, you are my poorest family... 

Poorest by the world's standards, but richest in the eyes of God.

Today, all three of her children are very successful in their career of choice (helping others in one form or another) and able to travel to different parts of the world. God's Word has much to say about those who are generous in spirit. Don't you just love it?

Prayer:

Father,

        Thank You for orchestrating such a wonderful reunion for my friend! Such a loving and generous thing for You to do!! Lord, change our hearts and cause us to be more like You! In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Follow Me +

[Jesus speaking] Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

John 12:26 NLT

Not too long ago, I had the privilege of having a heart-to-heart conversation with a non-believer who really did not have a clue who God is in all His glory and majesty. He believed “good” people should get to go to heaven simply for being good to others. I told him that would be nice, but that’s not how it worked. 

I explained to him the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ – by confessing our sin, then believing that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, accepting His sacrifice on the cross for our sin, and finally to confess with our mouths and believe in our heart that Jesus is Lord and God raised Him from the dead. My friend didn’t like that because he knew people who were always kind to others and gave to charities and helped others, but they didn’t believe in Jesus. He thought they should get to go to heaven. I was praying in my heart during the whole “defense” of what he believed, asking for the right words to say in response… and this is the analogy God provided.

I have a very good job. My boss lines out what I’m to do and if I expect a paycheck – what I believe is my just reward for doing what’s expected of me – then I do what I’m supposed to do. And if I don’t, I can also expect to lose my paycheck. You see, it’s not my company, so I can’t make up the rules to suit my likes and dislikes, to be what I want them or don't want them to be. I have to follow the rules established by the authority to be able to reap the benefits of being employed.

Who do you think created heaven? Who do you think it belongs to? Who do you think is the Boss there?  

To all three questions, he replied unequivocally, “God.” 

So I asked him, If God created heaven, and heaven belongs to Him, and God is the boss there, then He makes the rules, and His rule book clearly states that the only way to heaven is through Jesus. There is no other way in.

My friend had never thought of God in that capacity. He thought of Him as a kind of good luck deity that would follow US around, and be at our beck and call, blessing us when we did something good. However, neither God nor His Son said they would follow US. Jesus DID say they would be with us always, but that’s because He first said, Follow Me.

Prayer:

Father,

          We are so wrong. Forgive us for our rebellion when we want to lead You and want You to follow and bless what we want. Lord, we choose to follow You. Give us a clear understanding of who You are in Your fullness and help us to walk in Your steps. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Family Resemblance *

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

Ephesians 1:5-6 NLT

I'm sure we all know families that look so much alike, you could put them in a room with hundreds of people, and you would still be able to pick out who was in their gene pool. A long time ago, I used to work at an elementary school. As the registrar, I was often amazed by the younger siblings who would come to start school and they would be the spitting image of their older sibling at that age. Strong family genes.

How strong are our genes? 1st John 3:2 tells us, Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

What will we look like? Or more importantly - Who do we look like? I'm reminded of a time, several years ago - it was a gathering of friends at Gringo's with a new waiter who didn't know we'd ever been there. We straggled in, coming from all directions, and when we were finally gathered, the waiter looks at the 7 of us and says, Oh, I get it. It's a family meeting! We all smiled and said, Yup, that's it - a family meeting. Proof positive - adopted into the family of God through Jesus Christ. That's our common gene pool. And it's strong enough through Christ to see our Family Resemblance.

Praise His Holy Name!

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for adopting us into Your family and making us joint heirs with Your precious Son, Jesus. When we grow up, we want to be just like You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen