Look Where Lost

Look Where Lost

April 23, 2018

Luke 15:8  "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn't she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?"

There is a parable in the Bible of a woman who lost a coin. She searched the house high and low, cleaning it, sweeping every corner of the house until she could find it. When she found the coin she rejoiced greatly, obviously because it was of value to her. While the parable is in reference to the rejoicing in Heaven when a lost sinner repents, the parable has other applications. The woman looked for the coin in her house because that is the last place she remembers having it; that was where it got lost. A sinner is lost, not in heaven, but on earth in his sin. Wherever you lose something, that is the first place you are to look if you intend to find it. The last place you remember having it is the first place you look.

Consider the parallel into other things you may have had in your Christian life that you have lost. Just like you are to the Lord like the coin was to the woman, so you too have things of value to your Christian life. Maybe you had joy once, and lost it. Maybe you had peace once, and lost it. The first place to look for it was the last place you remember having it. For me, peace is easily lost. I get caught up in the business of life, in the pulls and demands of my family and responsibility (even though they are good gifts from the Lord). I can lose myself in them too easily and get caught up in energy of it all. It distracts me and before I know it, I've lost my peace. If I follow the parable in the Bible, I'll look for it the last place I remember having it, in the place I likely lost it. For me, the last place I ever remember having peace is resting in the Lord's presence. I've been there before, and I know you have, too. I have to go back to the last place I had it.

Some of you haven't heard the voice of the Lord in a long time, and think He has been quiet. I would submit to you that you need to go back to the last place you heard His voice. That would either be through reading His word, or going deep into prayer. If you are missing your joy, think of the last time you had it? This is joy, not circumstantial happiness, so think long and hard. Likely, the times you had in the past, experiencing joy, was in service to the Lord, doing His will. If you don't have joy right now, maybe you are serving yourself and not the Lord. Whatever it is of value, that you've lost, it is time to search high and low for it. It can be found. And when you find it, rejoice just like the woman who lost her coin, telling others.

When you rejoice and share your excitement with others, it is an encouragement to them, who may have lost something, too. We all lose things from time to time; it is part of the human condition. Think long and hard, though, making sure you are missing it. It is that deep longing, the recognition of its value, that motivates you into getting it back. It takes word to get it back, that's for sure, but well worth it when things are right in your world.

Don't take my word for it; look it up: Is 55:6-7, Jeremiah 29:13, Matt 13:45-46, Luke 15:8-15

Uneven Growth

Uneven Growth

April 16, 2018

John 1:5  "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

If you look at the growth of any tree or plant or flower, you'll notice it has a physical leaning, possibly misshapen on one side even. All plants grow in the direction of the sun. It is inevitable, as the side of the plant or tree facing the sun gets the most nutrients from photosynthesis. This will give the plant a specific leaning, appearing as if it is reaching for the sun. You can see this throughout the day for a flower. Flowers will actually change directional leaning during the course of the day as the sun moves. Trees, if one side of the tree is blocked from the sun, will grow deep and wide on the side of the tree that has access to the sun, but be hollow and barren on the side shielded from the sun. 

There is so much to this analogy of a plant getting its sustenance from the sun. While you and I do need sunlight for a healthy body, we need the light of the Lord for our spiritual growth and well being. There are many references in the Bible about the Lord being a light. This light is meant to cast out the darkness. Darkness does not go away, it is cast away by shining light into the situation. Jesus is that light for us, His word and all that comes with it. The parts of our lives that have access to the light, those are the parts that see the most growth. The darkness in those areas of our lives is driven out when light is able to come in. As that light changes us, it can and will only change the areas it can access. If we refuse to let the light of the Lord access only portions of our lives, then we will grow in a very uneven manner. It will appear as if we are full and deep and wide with one facet of our Christianity, but hollow and barren in other portions of our lives. Granted, every part of our Christianity cannot grow all at once, all at the same growth rate, but we need to make sure to spin our lives so as to let the light can drive out all the dark areas where growth is not evident.

I've seen Christians who are the best encouragers in the world, loving on everyone with compassion, yet fail to ever attempt at a tithe or volunteer in service. There are multiple sides to our Christianity, and we need to make sure each has the opportunity for growth. It may be easy for one particular person to tithe, but possibly hard for that same person to tell others about Jesus. As Christians we are called to continual growth. Most Christians grow uneven, though, and that is OK. It is OK, as long as the Christian constantly assess the personal growth and realizes there are shortcomings in other areas of their lives. One person may be strong in taking care of orphans or widows but refuses to forgive others.  This is a slap in the face of Jesus, if left to continue unchanged. Of the pastors who have had moral failures in their ministry, my guess is that there was an area of their life they did not allow the light to shine in, to cast away that darkness. 

It is easy to grow unevenly, as we naturally take the path of least resistance. We favor growth in certain areas of our lives, but shun other areas because of difficulty or past pain, or even past failure. But the Lord desires us to be whole Christians, complete and not lacking. If we fail to grow, the Lord will allow hardships and trials to help spur that growth. He will also prune us, of unhealthy growth. The Lord's methods to help us grow are, unfortunately, slightly painful. But the mature Christian, he can reflect on his own life and seek the change and growth needed. Part of maturing in your walk with the Lord, is to identify where you are barren and lean towards the light in those areas. You are likely growing unevenly, but that's OK as long as you turn toward the light.

Don't take my word for it; look it up: Ps 19, Is 9:2 & 42:16, John 3:19-21 & 8:12, John 15:1-17, James 1:4-5, Heb 13:21, 1 Cor 6:19-20, 2 Cor 7:1, 1 Thess 5:2

Apology Accepted

Apology Accepted

April 9, 2018

Matthew 3:8  "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. . . "

We all sin and fall short of what the Lord has asked of us. This is no surprise. We are a sinful, wretched people. This is no excuse, however, not a valid argument for our wrongs. The Bible says we are to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. When we are wrong, or our sin is revealed, we have the opportunity to take full responsibility for it, but according to the Word, we have no viable defense. We cannot claim our fallen nature in a dependable position. We get to own it and move forward with change. The words in the Bible of bearing fruit in keeping in repentance need a little perspective. Those words were not instructions from Jesus, they were from John the Baptist. What's the difference? Well, John was a man, a fallen and sinful person just like you and me. He acknowledged it wasn't a valid defense for himself and it was actually a huge platform of his ministry of baptism.

His water baptism was a ministry of washing away our old life and moving forward with a new one. Repentance isn't just apologizing, although apologies are always accepted. He said that a real follower of the Lord would prove his sin apology with his forward lifestyle, no matter the level of his humanity. John the Baptist had just baptized Jesus and it was an instruction he gave to the religious leaders of the day, most likely in the hearing of Jesus. He said we cannot claim being a sinful person for our sin. He chastised all of us, in a sense, reminding us that if we were/are truly sorry, then we would change. We can be judged by the fruit of our life. If we keep doing the same thing, then we really weren't repentant, just sorry for the moment or sorry we got caught.

Repentance means change. Few of us change as we age, but we should. We should constantly be maturing, looking more and more like Jesus. If you think being Jesus is unattainable, then fine, mature to look more and more like John the Baptist. His life and fruit are certain examples for each of us, despite his sinful nature.  If John the Baptist can live of life of continual repentance, then you and I can do it. The Christian life isn't just one of repentance once, it is a life of continual repentance and change. It is continual repentance for the sin we didn't know was there or the new one that crept up. We are not called to repent for the old sin again, that change should have already taken place. Consider peeling an onion, each layer removed reveals another layer. When you live a life of continual repentance, you uncover the next sin and bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

When John talked about bearing fruit, he was referencing a continual food source. A tree doesn't bear fruit once, it is a continual thing, more fruit each and every year. Each act of repentance is an opportunity to bear additional fruit. If you are repenting for the same thing, over an over again, then you haven't produced an ounce of fruit yet. The Christian life is one of constant fruit, meaning continual repentance. This isn't repenting for old things or for the same things from failing over and over again, the is for the sin you just uncovered. If you are not continually bearing new fruit, then you are not growing as a Christian. The apology is accepted, now bear fruit in keeping with that apology. John said if we do not bear fruit, then we will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Don't take my word for it; look it up: Matt 3:1-22, Luke 3:1-18, Rom 3:23-26, Rom 6:1-14