Tag Archives: Christ

Apples and Oranges Part 1

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I love Granny Smith apples. There is something about the tang and snap of the delicious green apple that is unrivaled. But as much as I love a juicy tart Granny Smith, I can’t have one whenever I want. The Granny Smith apple comes to maturity in October making it a fall apple. They are to die for in November and December. They are good in January and February. Yet the farther you get from the fall the less desirous Granny Smith apples become. There comes a point when I’m not really interested…because they are out of season.

God created the seasons and I am sure glad he did because it means I get to enjoy Granny Smith apples. But, look closely, and you’ll see that there is a spiritual truth on display in the seasons as well.

The seasons show us that sometimes even “good fruit” is out of season.

I think this is what the Psalmist is saying in Psalm 1:1-3. Here he mentions that the one who delights in the Law of God will be like a tree planted by water. A tree with deep roots. But then he says something quite interesting if you stop to consider it. “That bears its fruit in season.”

The fruit we are called to bear for God sometimes comes in seasons. What’s more, sometimes we shouldn’t be bearing certain types of fruit for God because that fruit is not in season. Now let’s be clear about what the Bible does and does not say. First notice what comes directly after the line we just read…”whose leaf does not prosper.” Just because we are in a season where we do not bear fruit does not mean that we have either fallen away from God or that we have permission to be lazy in our pursuit of Him. In each case this would cause our leaf to wither. Second, not all spiritual fruit goes out of season so it’s important we know what fruit is seasonal.

The first type of seasonal fruit is service to God. You may serve God by helping out in the nursery or youth group at your church. You might lead a Bible study or a small group yet just because you do any of these things it does not mean that God expects you to do this particular job for the rest of your life! Service in a particular role often, not always, has an expiration date. It would be good for some of us who are feeling a little less than fresh to have a conversation with God about whether or not He is leading us to serve elsewhere. Many times God uses a ministry for a season of our life to help us grow and mature. Yet many times God calls us on in order to stretch and grow us. We have seasons of service. The second type of seasonal fruit is found within discipleship. We are all called to disciple others but as we do we need to recognize the different stages our disciples are in. You may go through a season where you see many individuals converted. You may go through a season where you see many people growing. You may go through a season where you see your spiritual children leave the nest. Or perhaps you are gifted to lead people to Christ and you need to let your disciples move into the competent care of another so you can focus on reaching the lost. Each season is different. Each season is important. Each season may come and go in your life.

I challenge you to spend some time today asking God what season you’re in and how you are best serving Him. I encourage you to ask God to help sift through the fruit of your life and together look at the expiration dates. I pray for courage that if you find anything that might be out of season that, with God’s help, you let it go gladly.

Community Questions:

Do you agree that some spiritual fruit has an “out of season”? Why or Why Not?

Does “out of season” mean “no longer important” or “not the best place for me”? Is there a difference? Why or why not?

Does being “out of season” mean we have to lose our passion for a particular area of ministry or focus of discipleship? Why or Why Not?

Out of the Dark

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Growing up, I was sure a monster lived in the dark recesses of my closet…yet in the day time he seemed to be nowhere in sight.

Walking out to the car in a dimly lit parking lot late at night sends a flash of fear deep into the heart of even the most stalwart of office managers…but walking to the car for lunch break is no problem.

The faithful dental assistant who shows up before the sun to “open up” feels the icy clutches of the dark office reaching out at her…yet the moment a co-worker shows up the fear dissipates.

No one likes being alone in the dark.

Yet imagine living in an inescapable darkness. Perpetual ink black darkness always surrounds you. What terror! The Bible tells us this is what it was like before Jesus Christ came. All of humanity was forced to live  in darkness on the border of the “valley of death” (Matthew 4:16).

Sounds pretty bad…BUT…when Jesus came they saw a great light!

The beauty of the story of Jesus is that he came to free us from the fear of darkness. He brought hope into hopelessness. Peace into turmoil. Light into darkness.

I have been rescued from the fear of darkness..have you?

People around us are still afraid of the dark. They fear the darkness in their heart. They question their existence. They desperately fear that what’s in the closet is about to jump out and overwhelm them. They need to hear that Jesus came to bring them out of the dark. That Jesus is a great light, able to bring peace, hope, and life.

Jesus brought light into the darkness…..how are we helping people see the light?

Speak Up!

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Once, in Jr. High, I got caught cheating on a math test. In my embarrassment I tried to hide the fact from all of my friends. Conversely when my wife and I got engaged we were ecstatic. We wanted to tell everybody that we we’re getting married and did. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to recognize that we talk about what excites us and minimize what embarrasses us.

The funny thing is we rarely herald a failure. Equally rare is a conversation about something that  might go wrong. We often wait for the best results before we trump up our successes, for few of us want to shine light on our failures.

This may be a natural response to the world around us, but should we treat God this way? Praising Him when He comes through for us and sweeping Him under the rug when we feel He’s let us down? This isn’t a new struggle either.

David was a shepherd. One day, after bringing some supplies to his brothers who were in battle, David steps up big for God and kills the giant Goliath. Pretty awesome. David, with God’s help, delivers. He then goes on to have a very successful, but brief, career in the army of King Saul. But it’s not all roses for David. Soon he finds himself out of favor with Saul. Why? Because God decides that David should be king in place of Saul. With that decision made, David is forced to live the prime years of his life as a fugitive. He’s hunted down, consistently on the run and always in danger. It gets so bad that at one point David even has to fake insanity just to survive.

It may seem to many of us that God did not show up for David. No one would have faulted David if He had just complained about the challenges he faced in life. But listen to the words He wrote in Psalm 71: “As for me, I will wait continually, and will continue to praise God. I will tell about your justice, and all day long proclaim your salvation, through I cannot fathom its full extent. I will come and tell about the mighty acts of the sovereign LORD. I will proclaim your justice -yours alone.”

David’s life was full of highs and lows. But throughout, David consistently praised God and expected God to do great things; and God did. We need to consider two points highlighted in David’s life.

First, circumstances should not dictate how much or how little God comes up in our day-to-day lives. If God is your God then make sure those around you know.  Work hard to ensure the praise of God trumps your daily complaints at the water coolers in your life. Whether you’re dropping off the kids at dance class or taking the car to the repair shop find a note of praise-even if it’s hopeful praise- not criticism, to share with those around you.

Second, we need to expect God to show up. I’m amazed that David wrote this Psalm at all. This is a guy who went through some crazy stuff during his life, yet He always expected God to show up. He lived in such a way that if God didn’t show up He would not have made it. Do we do the same? When life brings us difficulties, do we react by inviting God’s presence and power?

It’s time to start talking more, about what God has done and what we’re trusting Him to do in our daily lives. I hope your praise of God trumps the complaints of life and that your message to others is one of good news.

Community Questions:

Why is it dangerous to trust our response to our immediate circumstances?

What does it look like to live expectantly before God?

Thriving in the Desert

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Have you ever been to the beach at high noon on a hot and sunny summer afternoon?  It’s searing. If you take your sandals off your feet are scorched. As you walk down the beach you feel the heat radiating from the ground. The whole scene, which at first looked inviting, is actually quite oppressive.  In fact, it makes sense that nothing grows out of the sand on a beach, or a desert for that matter, because the heat withers life.

The Bible often uses a desert scene as a backdrop for  spiritual lessons. One of my favorites comes from the prophet Jeremiah. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose trust is in the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought, nor cease to yield fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

I think many of us have experienced what Jeremiah is talking about, whether we know it or not. You see when we experience the forgiveness Jesus offers us it’s like we’ve been made alive. If we picture ourselves as little saplings, we’ve been planted in the best possible spot. We find ourselves right next to the stream and everything is good. But sooner or later we experience hardship. It might come in the form of doubt or trial. We may become sick, lose a loved one, or come under the ridicule of a co-worker.

What happens then? We enter into a “year of drought”. The green grass that once surrounded us begins to wither and become like the sand; hot, dusty…withering. In fact all around us we see evidence that the heat is winning. Maybe you’ve been there, where those who you used to trust , even Christians, have left you. You are all alone. No one likes to go through drought. But it’s in the drought where God proves himself to be faithful.

You see there is a key difference between those who know Jesus and those who don’t. It’s their ability to produce fruit at all times. Jeremiah, more than any other prophet, knew what drought looked like. He was constantly suffering for God. But, even though drought comes, he said confidently the disciple need not get anxious. Why? Because God will still produce fruit through them. In other words, you will not wither in the heat!

Last week we talked about the rain. This week we’re talking about the desert. In each instance we need to see that God has no desire to allow the elements of life to have their way with you. You are not alone. God sustains us through the difficult moments of life. Every day brings a whole new list of unsettling realities. Financial pressures, job pressures, fear of terror plots…all of these things tend to throw us into seasons of drought. But know this, God has planted you deeply into His soil and with God we will never wither. I pray the truth uttered by God’s prophet so many years ago will bring you peace today. You need not be anxious when the drought comes.

Community Quesitons

How can we keep our leaves green in seasons of drought?

Jeremiah makes mention of the fact that trust is an important factor in staying green. What part should trust play for us and in what should we trust?

Splinters

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Once, when I was 10, I was visiting the water park section of a big amusement park and got a 3 inch wood splinter lodged in the bottom of my foot while on their boardwalk. I screamed bloody murder. Splinters are annoying at best and miserable at worst. No one ever likes to get them yet I think everyone around the globe has suffered through at least one. Why else does every drug store cell tweezers?

There’s something about a splinter that’s really lodged…you always know it’s there. You can’t forget it. It keeps reminding you over and over of its presence and if you’re like me you usually stop everything else to deal with it until it’s gone.

Easter is just a few days away and while you are preparing your heart to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus let me offer you a few spiritual splinters I’ve received from the Easter season.

1. The shouts of the crowd were my shouts.

It’s so easy to get comfortable with the Easter story. The people celebrate his coming but then quickly turn on Jesus. They call out for his death. As I read that story I’m tempted to think how foolish those in the crowd were.  But as I begin to walk down that road in my mind I feel a sharp prick in my heart. It’s a spiritual splinter. It’s reminding me that those words were my words. That if I had been there I would have shouted too. In fact, for many years in my life I shouted “crucify him” every day with my actions. That prick hurts. I can’t get around it. But it’s good in the sense that the pain causes us to make sure we’ve dealt with the problem. This week as you read the story don’t forget that apart from the grace given by Jesus we could only identify with the crowd.

2. The cross of Jesus was my cross.

Here I am talking about spiritual splinters when Jesus carried the own means of his execution up the hill to die. Here again we read the story with so much familiarity that we hold ourselves up and think for a moment that, had we been there, perhaps we would have been like Simon. Simon was picked, at random, from the crowd to carry Jesus’ cross up the hill when Jesus could no longer continue on his own. But then there’s that prick in my heart again. Don’t we get it. Jesus was our Simon. The cross he bore on Calvary wasn’t his cross it was mine. My sin had sentenced me to death, but Jesus stepped in and took my place. Jesus died when I should have died. Let’s remember this Easter who died on whose cross and come once again with thankful hearts to the feet of our risen Savior.

Splinters are pesky but sometimes they can be helpful. They remind us to take care of the wounds. I don’t know what kind of wounds you have this Easter but let me encourage you to deal with them. Maybe you are struggling to understand what a real relationship with Jesus is all about or maybe you’re just trying to keep the meaning of Easter fresh in  your life. Either way don’t ignore those pricks in your heart. …Back when I was 10 and I got that really big splinter, you know what happened?… A park nurse pulled it out and patched me up and before I knew it I was as good as new. That’s what Christ wants to do. Pull out the pain, patch up our lives and make us new.

HE IS RISEN!