Bearing Good Fruit

 Luke 6:43-49

When my children and I were younger, we would occasionally drive a couple hours to go fruit picking in the State of Michigan.  Some of the orchards were small, and had only one type of fruit tree, generally apples.  There was one orchard, though, that was rather large, and it had a variety of different fruit trees.  Apples over here, peaches there, pears that way, and cherries over yonder.  If I wanted peaches, I wouldn’t be looking for them on the apple trees.  Nor would I expect cherries to be hanging from the pear trees.  The tree brings forth the type of fruit that it is.  As we read from the Gospel of Luke today, Jesus has several lessons for us, one being what type of fruit are we bearing.  Let’s look at these lessons.

Our Gospel reading this week continues with Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount.  During this well known extended message, Jesus gave a number of teachings.  One of them was that just as a tree or bush is known by what type of fruit or nut they bear, and flowers by what type of blossom they produce, people can also be known by what type of behavior and speech they show (vs. 43-45).  Just as we could tell where we were in the orchard by the type of fruit and the type of leaves the various trees were bearing, Jesus tells us we can tell what people are like by what they bring forth from their hearts and mouths.  On the outside everything can look good, but the fruit that is produced might not be what we are expecting, nor as pleasant as the outward appearance.  A good and godly life that follows Jesus’s Word will bear good fruit.  One that doesn’t obey Him will bear bad fruit.

The orchard owners and workers would always be inspecting the trees to make sure they were healthy and bearing good fruit.  They needed to be protected from diseases, blight, and invasive insects.  The roots needed to be strong and healthy.  What kind of roots are we putting down?  Are people being drawn to God through us, or are they turned off to Jesus because of our actions and words?  We can only make a difference in this world for Jesus Christ if we are abiding in Him (John 15:5).  Our speech says a lot about us.  What is stored up in our heart will come out.  Is our heart filled with complaints and cursing, or with praise and wisdom?

Sometimes people like to associate themselves with some popular philosopher or religious leader, but then aren’t too keen about sticking to their teachings.  This is often the case with those who claim to be Christians, but their lives, words, and actions show anything but that.  Jesus has told us He has left us an example of what we should be doing (vs. 46).  Those who claim to be Christians should be carrying out His directions, fulfilling His commands, and following His instructions that are found in the Bible.  If we aren’t, then it doesn’t matter how many study groups we go to, or how many Scripture verses we memorize.  If we aren’t doing what Jesus told us to do, then all of our religious rituals mean nothing.

Jesus spoke against those who called Him “Lord” but don’t truly follow Him, obeying His Word (vs. 46).  A “lord” in previous centuries was someone who had authority and power over others.  They were frequently great landowners who had serfs or laborers who were bound by the feudal system to work on the estate.  Later when the feudal system was abolished, many continued to work on the estate for wages, and still called the owner Lord out of respect.  Today, in some societies, noblemen are still called Lord this or that out of respect.  We call Jesus as “Lord” to show we acknowledge Him as our Master, the One who has authority over us.  When we entreat Jesus as “Lord” we must be prepared to obey Him without resistance or pretense.  He is the One who rules over us for our good.

Jesus ends this passage with comparing those who obey His Words as those who build their homes on solid rock, in contrast to those who do not obey God’s Word being like those who build their homes without a good foundation, and the building falls (vs. 47-49).  Occasionally we have seen homes, many in the western part of the U.S., which were built on a scenic cliff.  However when heavy storms came the homes came crashing down.  They might have had a spectacular view, but no solid foundation.   Without Jesus and the Bible as solid foundations in our life, we are just like those homes.  The world system might give us seeming pleasure for the moment, a “spectacular view” so to speak, but then we are left with nothing when it all crashes down.  Lives built without a firm foundation, people who do not heed Jesus’s instructions, cannot weather strong storms.  God’s Word, the Bible, is the only sure foundation for life. 

A Mystery Revealed

I Corinthians 15:50-58

The road you’ve been traveling has grown weary.  It has been long and difficult, and you are longing for the end, when you can lay down the heavy load.  You look up ahead to see if there is any sign that the destination is any closer.  Not only your eyes, but your ears have perked up to listen for any indication.  This scenario can be used both literally with a physical trek we might take, and can also sometimes refer to our life’s journey, and our desire for heaven, when we can lay life’s burdens down.  The Apostle Paul’s life was not an easy one, by any means.  Though he worked diligently and with much zeal at the task the Lord commissioned him to undertake, he did have a deep longing to be in heaven with the Lord.  In our Scripture today, which closes out the chapter in I Corinthians on the resurrection, Paul describes that moment when all believers will be brought to heaven.  Let’s take a look at this passage that describes that glorious moment.

Previously Paul had answered the question that some had asked about what our bodies will be like in heaven.  As our passage opens today, he touches one more time on that, by teaching us that our earthly, flesh and blood bodies, will not be in heaven (vs. 50).  People cannot live in God’s presence, in His glory, the way they are.  We have to be changed.

Paul then reveals a mystery he received from God (vs. 51).  In the New Testament the word “mystery” refers to truths hidden in the past, but have now been revealed in the New Testament.  The rapture of the Church was not revealed in the Old Testament.  Now that mystery is referred to in the New Testament in several passages.  Jesus speaks of it in John 14:1-3.  And Paul teaches it both in I Thessalonians 4:13-18, and here in verses 51 and 52.

“Sleep” is another word in Scripture that has a slightly different meaning than we typically use the word today.  In the Bible, the word “sleep” frequently refers to death.  Paul tells us here that not every believer will experience death, but that everyone will be changed from their physical bodies, both those who have died and those who will be alive, when the trumpet will sound on the day of Resurrection of believers (vs. 51-52).   As is stated here, some of us will be alive on the day when the Lord calls His believers to be with Him, they will not be “asleep” or have died.  That moment will happen suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, and we will be changed, receiving our resurrection, incorruptible and immortal bodies (vs. 53).

This describes a sudden transformation of believers, both those who have previously died, and those who are still alive at that day.  An angelic trumpet, a trumpet of heaven, will sound to herald the end of the Church era here on earth, when all believers will be taken to heaven.  The dead will be taken up first, with the living following immediately behind (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).  This trumpet call is not the last trumpet of the Book of Revelation.  It is the same trumpet that Paul talked about in the passage in I Thessalonians.  It signals the end of the present Church age.  The dead will be raised incorruptible, and the living will be caught up with Jesus in the air, and will be changed from their physical bodies.

Presently, though, we still experience the death of family, of loved ones, and friends.  As Paul teaches us, we need to view death through the lens of Jesus’s resurrection.  Death brings sorrow, but it does not need to bring despair (vs. 54-57).  The tomb could not hold Jesus.  Since He is in all Christians, those who die before the sounding of that trumpet will not remain long in their graves.  The quote that Paul gives here taunts death, as if it were a bee whose sting was removed.  That sting was sin, which was exposed by the Law of God, but was conquered by Jesus in His death.

We frequently acknowledge that Jesus died for us.  We need to remember that He also rose for us.  Because of that, we know that we have victory over death (vs. 57).  The hope of the resurrection makes all of our work for the Lord worth it (vs. 58).  No work done in His Name is wasted in light of our eternal glory and reward.  As we work for the Lord, let us keep our eyes on the goal of an eternity with the Savior, in bodies that never grow weary or sick.  Let us also keep our ears tuned in, listening for that trumpet call that will signal our Savior coming for us!

A Flourishing Believer

Psalm 92 

When planting a garden, it is important that we follow the guidelines for where certain plants should be planted, in order for them to grow best and to flourish.  Some flowers and plants need a lot of sunlight, so a place in the yard that gets full sunlight is best.  If it is a houseplant, a good south-facing window is best.  Other flowers prefer the shade, or only partly-sunny exposure, so care needs to be taken for them.  Some plants like a lot of water, some only minimal.  Different types of soil need to be considered, along with how early or late in the year the plants should be planted outdoors.  For a successful garden, much care is needed in order for your plants to flourish.  In our psalm for this week, we read about flourishing believers, comparing them with two types of flourishing trees.  We will see where best to find a flourishing believer.

As mentioned, care needs to be given where one plants their garden plants in order for them to flourish.  In like manner, where should a believer be “planted”?  Our psalmist declares that the best place for a believer to be planted is in the house and courts of God (vs. 13).  When our life is in close contact with the Lord we will flourish.  If we find ourselves planted far away from Him, we will find ourselves languishing and wilting.

The amount of sunlight, water, and good soil determines how the plant is fed.  Too much or not enough of any of these will control how well it flourishes.  Our spiritual life is determined by how we spiritually feed ourselves, as well.  In John 7:37-38 we read that the Lord Jesus Christ is living water, the only source of living, spiritual life-giving water.  When ministering to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus promised those who follow Him living water so that we would never spiritually thirst again (John 4:14).

When we forget to water our plants and gardens, the plants begin to wilt, and will eventually die.  Without the Lord Jesus, we will die spiritually, and after our physical death, be eternally lost.  Giving a plant some other liquid, other than water, can kill them.  We would never pour certain chemicals on a plant.  Even pouring sugary soda pop on a plant is not going to help it.  Likewise getting involved in other pagan religions is like pouring toxic chemicals into our liquid and drinking it.  There are some churches which will not spiritually quench the thirst of our souls, and are like pouring Coke on a plant, instead of partaking of the life-giving, living water of Jesus.

Plants also need light in order to flourish and live.  Stick a plant in a dark closet for a few days, and see what happens to it.  When you bring it out, it will either be dead or very wilted.  Plants need varying degrees of sunlight in order to perform photosynthesis in order to live.  Jesus told us that He is the Light of the World (John 8:12; John 9:5).  Without Him in our life, we are in darkness.  Scripture has often equated darkness with evil and Satan.  Some verses that show this are I John 1:5-7; John 3:19-21; I Thessalonians 5:5; and Ephesians 5:8 to name a few.  When we follow Jesus we have His light to guide us in His truth throughout life.

In our psalm, the writer compares believers to a flourishing palm tree or cedar of Lebanon tree, showing permanence and strength (vs. 12).  This is in contrast with the wicked, who are like grass, here today and gone tomorrow (vs. 7).  Palm trees generally live a fairly long life, and can grow quite tall.  The cedars of Lebanon can often reach at least 130’, and can have trunks over 8’ in diameter.  They are massive and strong.  Both are strong and immovable.  As believers, we should be the same as these trees - upright, strong, and unmoved by the winds of circumstance.  Those who place their faith firmly in God can have this strength and vitality.

A tree or plant that is planted in the Lord, not only will flourish, but it will also be fruitful (vs. 14).  Again, in order for a plant to be fruitful, it needs the proper amount of water and light.  When our lives are planted in the Lord, with living water and the light of Jesus, we will be fruitful.  We can proclaim His truth in all we do, and yield a great harvest.  Let’s be sure that we are well planted in the Lord, partaking of His life-giving water and light so that we will flourish.

Remember Shiloh

Jeremiah 7:1-15 

Many of us know someone, or perhaps several people, who feel that their position, status, wealth, or family connections give them special privileges to do whatever they feel like.  “I’m the mayor!”  “I’m the police chief!”  Or “My father owns the factory!”  We also see this inside the Church, as well.  Some people feel that their position in the Church, or their parents position gives them special privileges, even with God.  “I’m the pastor!”  “I teach Sunday School!”  “My grandparents helped found this church!”  “Without my offering this church couldn’t survive!”  These people think that their position or name gives them a free pass to act and behave any way they wish.  The prophet Jeremiah ran into similar people in his day.  His words in our Scripture passage today shows what God feels about this.  Let’s take a look at this Scripture as we begin the season of Lent later this week.

As our Scripture opens, God called Jeremiah to stand at the entrance of the Temple in Jerusalem, where the people entered and left the building.  There God gave Jeremiah a message to give these people (vs. 1-2).   Many of the people of Judah felt just like I described above.  They felt that just by having God’s Temple in their city, that just by being a blood descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that they had special privileges.  They didn’t believe that their actions each day, their sins and disobedience to God’s Word, would matter.  Even some of their religious leaders were preaching this.  God, though, said that this message from their religious leaders was “lying words” (vs. 4, 8).

Many of the people were committing sins, and breaking God’s Word (vs. 5-7).  There was no justice in their courts.  The stronger and wealthier were oppressing the weaker and poorer.  Innocent blood was shed.  And very importantly, many of the people were worshiping false gods, sometimes in combination with worship of Yahweh.  The Bible warns that breaking God’s Word will bring judgment.  The people that Jeremiah preached to felt, though, that they had special privileges.  They felt that just because the Temple was in Jerusalem, that was enough to keep them from any judgment (vs. 4).  However, Jeremiah told them otherwise.  The physical presence of the Temple was no guarantee that judgment would not come upon Jerusalem.  Today, just because someone claims church membership or position does not mean God will not judge their sin.  There must be genuine repentance reflected in one’s total life.

The religious leaders of Jeremiah’s day were bringing lying words to the people.  They preached that as long as they had the Temple in Jerusalem, as long as they called themselves “God’s children”, they would be spared His judgment, regardless of what they did, their actions and behavior.  They felt that just because they were God’s “chosen people” they could act any way they wanted, and it was okay (vs. 10).  The Lord, though, said these were lying words.  Merely formal religious attendance in God’s house is condemned (vs. 11).  Jesus also echoed these words (Mark 11:15-17).  Jeremiah called upon the people to amend their ways, change their way of acting, and return to God (vs. 3).

God then called the people to remember Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle once resided (vs. 12-14).  Shiloh was about 30 miles north of Jerusalem.  It was where the Israelites first set up the Tabernacle when they entered the Promised Land.  Shiloh was the main center of worship from the time of Joshua until Samuel.  Because of the sins of the people, God allowed the Philistines to capture the Ark of the Covenant.  When Israel finally did recapture the Ark, it was not returned to Shiloh ever again.  It resided at Kiriath-Jearim for a few decades until David brought it to Jerusalem.  What God did to Shiloh because of their sins, and did to the northern 10 tribes about 100 years prior to these verses because of their sins, He would also do to Jerusalem.  If the people wouldn’t amend their ways, they would also face destruction.  The Temple would not protect them any more than the Tabernacle did for Shiloh.

Just like Jeremiah did millennia ago to the people of Judah, we need to be challenged to wake up and turn away from our sins.  We cannot hide behind the name of “Christian” and continue to live in secret sin.  We often boast that we are Christians and that God loves us, but we do all kinds of evil.  God is loving, but He is also a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).  He will never condone sin.

Can We Really Love Our Enemies?

Luke 6:27-38

Right now in your mind list your friends.  You will think of the friends you have in your church and at work.   You will think of some of the people you went to school with that you might still keep in touch with.  Then perhaps some people in your neighborhood who you are friends with.  These are people who you would invite to your backyard party, send a birthday present to, and would gladly do a favor for.  You are concerned if something happens to them or their family.  Now think of those who you consider your enemies.  Hopefully that is a shorter list.  But there are the people at work who undermine everything you do.  The person who has spread nasty lies about you.  The neighbor who consistently takes your parking spot that you just shoveled out from the snowstorm.  We certainly wouldn’t want to invite them to our parties.  We might be inclined to do back to them what they did to us, and perhaps even gloat when we hear that something bad happened to them or their family.  How does the Lord wish for us to treat those we consider our enemies?  As we look into our Scripture passage from the Gospel of Luke we see how Jesus said we should act towards those we think of as our enemies.

In our very first verse, we read that Jesus tells us to love our enemies (vs. 27).  Love them?!  Sometimes we find it hard not to actively hate them.  Jesus, though, tells us that He wants His children to love them, and to do good things to and for them.  With how we naturally feel towards them, loving our enemies takes an act of the will.  It takes conscious effort.  Loving our enemies means acting in their best interests, thinking of ways to help them, and praying for them (vs. 28).  When we hear that something happened to them, we pray for them, and we pray that our enemies will see God’s way.

In verse 29 we read about “turning the other cheek” to our enemy.  I believe this is to serve as a principle, not to be done literally, where we ask for more mistreatment from others.  When Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin shortly before being crucified, one of the men there struck Him in the face.  Jesus did not offer Himself to be struck again, but rather rebuked that man (John 18:22-23).  However, He did not hit the man back, or strike him down.  The principle is that one should not seek retaliation for anything someone does against them.

Jesus then continues to tell us that even the sinners of the world will love and treat those who are good to them well.  He tells us that being good to our friends is nothing special (vs. 32-34).  God loved us when we were unlovable (Romans 5:8).  Jesus wants us to do the same.

The love that Jesus is talking about here, the love that we are to show to our enemies, requires action, not just trying to tone down the angry feelings we harbor inside of us.  We are to actively show them the love of God (vs. 35).  We are to take the initiative to meet specific needs they may have.  This is easier to do for those we love, but Jesus wants us to do this for everyone, even our enemies.

God has been merciful and forgiving to us, and we are to show the same mercy and forgiveness to others (vs 36-37).  Everything we do is to be based on what He has done for us.  God has called us to forgive, no matter the circumstances, even if they don’t deserve it.  We need to show mercy to those who don’t deserve it, either.  If I want mercy for myself, I had better be a dispenser of mercy to everyone I meet, as well.

When we do so, Jesus tells us that we will be like our Heavenly Father.   Believers should show a family resemblance to God.  We should be kind and merciful, even to the ungrateful and wicked.  However, God wants us to show wisdom, and not put ourselves in a position to be abused (Matthew 10:16).  God’s children should bear the indelible stamp of His moral character.  Since He is loving, gracious, and generous, even to those who are His enemies, we should be like Him.

What Jesus taught here, He also practiced at great cost to Himself.  When we follow the example that Jesus gave us, He promises us in verse 38 that He will repay, and will repay abundantly.  Today, let’s act as Jesus would, showing a family resemblance.

Our Resurrected Body

 I Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50

One does not need to be a botanist, nor even a professional gardener to know some of the basics of gardening.  I am not much of a gardener by any means, but I do know, as most people do, that the seeds of flowers, vegetables, and trees do not look anything at all like the plant that will come forth.  Acorns do not look like the oaks they become.  Nor do poppy seeds resemble poppies, or tomato seeds the tomato plant.   This is knowledge that even a child can understand.  In our Scripture passage today that continues Paul’s teaching on the resurrection, he uses that analogy to teach about a believer’s resurrected body.

For ages people have wondered about what heaven will be like, and what we will look like when we get there.  Will we look like we did when we died, old and wrinkled, or still a child or baby if someone died at that age?  Will we weigh the same as we did in life, or have the scars we got throughout our life?  As the Apostle Paul begins our passage, he immediately teaches us that just as a seed doesn’t look like the plant that will later grow, neither will our glorified body be the same as our body here on earth during our lifetime (vs. 35-38).  Since no one has been to heaven and come back to earth to say for a certain fact what we will look like, Paul could not say what our glorified bodies will look like, just that it will be different.  However, there is some indication in the Bible that we will be able to recognize others.  When Jesus was transfigured in the presence of Peter, James and John, they were able to recognize Moses and Elijah when those two joined Jesus (Matthew 17:2-4).

On a side note, there are some people who believe that when we die we become angels.  Let me say that this idea has absolutely no basis in Scripture at all.  Angels are completely different created beings than humans, and we do not ever become angels, including after death.  People say things like that their deceased mother is now an angel in heaven, or their deceased little child is now an angel.  Their mother may very well be in heaven, but she most definitely did not become an angel.  Humans and angels are two completely different created beings, and one never becomes the other.

As Paul continues on with the second half of our Scripture passage, he teaches us more about the resurrection of our bodies in heaven.  While here on earth our mortal, physical bodies age and wear down.  Then, when we die we are buried, where our bodies will corrupt.  However, our glorified body will never age, break down, or corrupt (vs. 42-44).  Our resurrection bodies will have no more sickness or death (corruption).  There will be no more shame because of sin (dishonor), no more frailty in temptation (weakness), and no more limits to time and space (natural).

Next, Paul speaks of the First Adam and the Second Adam (vs. 45).  The First Adam, naturally, is the Adam we read about in the Book of Genesis.  The Second Adam is the Lord Jesus Christ.  He came to undo what occurred at the Fall, when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, and brought sin into the world.  The First Adam had an earthly body, which would age, die, and corrupt, and which we all inherited.  While on earth Jesus had an earthly body just like Adam and each of us.  However, after He rose from the dead, He obtained a heavenly body, one that will not corrupt, and has spiritual abilities (vs. 46-49).  Those who are saved will receive a heavenly body that will never decay, just like Jesus has.  We will bear the image and have the type of body the Second Adam has, fit for heaven, just as now we have the type of body the First Adam had.

As we each get older, many of us have found that our bodies have more and more failings.  If you’re like me, you are looking forward to receiving your heavenly body, one that has no more aches and pains, no more sickness or shortcomings.  This is promised to all those who are believers and followers of the Lord Jesus.  If you haven’t taken Him as your Savior yet, do so today, so that you will not have an eternity of torment and separation from God, but instead a place in heaven with a glorified, resurrection body.

Trust, Delight, Commit, And Rest

 Psalm 37:1-11

How often, when checking up on the news, do we hear of someone who has committed a crime, perhaps several crimes, and they just seem to get away with it, over and over again?  Perhaps we know someone who is just a real rascal of a person, yet their life is just sailing along quite fine.  They get a brand new car every year.  They can afford a nice long vacation every year, and even a second home somewhere warm to go to every winter.  Yet here we are, living our life for the Lord, and we struggle just to keep a roof over our head and something to eat on the table every day.  If we aren’t careful, we may find ourselves becoming envious of the wicked, and how easy their life seems to be.  This was something that David faced, as well.  Being a believer and follower of the Lord, David allowed God to teach him some lessons, which he shares in our Scripture from Psalm 37 today.

Psalm 37 is one of the many psalms written by David, quite probably in his old age as he looked back over all that he had gone through.  Like all of us, he had seen how easy the lives of the wicked seemed to be, yet how the righteous struggled from day to day.  David must have been irritated by what he saw, yet he allowed the Lord to teach him some valuable lessons through this, and here in our psalm he shares them with us.

The Lord taught David, and us through this Scripture, that we should never envy evil people.  What they have will vanish like withered grass (vs. 1-2).  Those who follow God live differently.  We may not have a lot of earthly treasures.  We may not have the nicer house and car, the exciting vacations, and big bank accounts, but in the end, by following and obeying God, we have greater treasure in heaven.  What we get following God will last forever.  The wicked may prosper for a time, but it is only for a time.

David gives us four keys to having this peaceful and victorious life, where we aren’t stressed and worried about how the unsaved are thriving.  They are trust, delight, commit and rest (vs. 3-7).  When we trust in God, and obey His ways, He will provide us with all that we need (vs. 3).  David tells us we also need to delight in the Lord (vs. 4).  To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in their presence.  This would happen only when we got to know that person well.  To delight in the Lord means we must know Him better.  We take pleasure in discovering more about God, and following His will.  We spend time with Him, learning what pleases Him, and praying for discernment to make wise decisions.  When we make the Lord our joy, He promises to give us the desires of our heart.  With God as our delight, the desires that grow in our heart are usually the ones He puts there.  They will bring lasting peace and satisfaction, not necessarily things we think we want, or try to get apart from Him.

To commit ourselves to the Lord means entrusting everything, our lives, families, jobs, and possessions to His control (vs. 5-6).  We need to trust in Him, believing that He can care for us better than we can ourselves.  Committing our way to the Lord is allowing His will and mandates to shape our thoughts, lifestyles, and goals.

The final key is resting in the Lord (vs. 7).  We cause ourselves stress when we take things into our own hands, rather than releasing the circumstances to God.  The Lord does not need our help in getting anything done.  The age-old phrase “God helps those who help themselves” is not in the Bible, and it is not true.  He tells us to rest, to be still, and let Him work (Psalm 46:10).  Seek God’s ways and His timing.

As our psalm passage continues, we see that we should never turn to anger or anything else that is evil to remedy the situation, whatever our situation is (vs. 8-9).  Anger and worry are destructive emotions.  They show a lack of faith that we believe God loves and cares for us.  When we dwell on our problems, we become anxious and angry.  Focusing on God brings peace.  Relax, don’t react.  The Lord’s intervention is imminent (vs. 10).  We need to continue to trust, delight, commit, and rest.