Category: Book

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Pruning Is Important

Pruning is necessary to the health of every plant. The important thing is to know when and how to prune.

When my flowers are in bloom I am out with my nippers once a week. Sometimes I just remove the dead flowers and leaves and at other times I find it necessary to remove part of a branch that is damaged.

I used to be a vicious pruner. Instead of using a small nipper, I would use the big loppers and before I knew it I had removed 1/2 the plant.

Sad to say but most of the time when I did that I permanently damaged the plant. But God knows how to properly prune so that the branch (us) isn’t damaged.

Yesterday I used the Scripture verses in John 15 where Jesus talks about abiding in the vine. He is the vine, we are the branches and the Father is the one who does the pruning.

“Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch[ of mine that does not produce fruit. He also trims every branch that produces fruit to prepare it to produce even more. 3 You have already been prepared to produce more fruit by the teaching I have given you. 4 Stay joined to me and I will stay joined to you. No branch can produce fruit alone. It must stay connected to the vine. It is the same with you. You cannot produce fruit alone. You must stay joined to me.

5 “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I to you, you will produce plenty of fruit. But separated from me you won’t be able to do anything. 6 If you don’t stay joined to me, you will be like a branch that has been thrown out and has dried up. All the dead branches like that are gathered up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 Stay joined together with me, and follow my teachings. If you do this, you can ask for anything you want, and it will be given to you. 8 Show that you are my followers by producing much fruit. This will bring honor  to my Father.” John 15:1-8 ERV

The KJV of this passage says “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” Vs 7. See it’s the Word…the Word and abiding in the Word, who is Jesus, is what bears fruit in our lives.

Jesus said that we have already been prepared (pruned) by the Word. The Apostle Paul tells us that God’s Word brings correction (pruning) into our lives.

“You have known the Holy Scriptures since you were a child. These Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. 17 Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.” II Timothy 3:15-17 ERV

God uses the Scriptures to make correction in our lives.  We also have the help of the Holy Spirit, our teacher and counsellor. He will prick our hearts when we do things that are wrong. You know what I’m talking about, that feeling you get and you say “I know I shouldn’t have done/said that”. Ya, that’s the Holy Spirit.

“But I tell you that I am going to do what is best for you. That is why I am going away. The Holy Spirit cannot come to help [a] you until I leave. But after I am gone, I will send the Spirit to you.

8 The Spirit will come and show the people of this world the truth about sin and God’s justice and the judgment. 9 The Spirit will show them that they are wrong about sin, because they didn’t have faith in me. ” John 16:7-9 CEV

There have been times that I have gone through a dry place and have felt withered and almost dead inside. During those times I didn’t see much of a harvest – just brittle, dry stubble with no signs of life.  I like the growth times much better and yes, I am the one responsible to keep the Word planted in my heart.

However, in the dry and brittle times, I have learned that the life is still there. It’s in the root. Sometimes the dry branches have to be pruned back for the health of the plant. I learned when we first moved into our AZ home not to prune until water has been applied to the root.

We have two large Ocotillos in our yard. They looked dead when we moved in. We decided to give them it a little bit of water and see what would happen. Only 5 days of water, just a little water each day and they begin to flourish.

The KJV of this passage says “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” It’s the Word…the Word and letting God’s Word, who is Jesus, live in us that bears fruit in our lives.

I’m so glad that I didn’t prune the Ocotillo thinking it was all but dead. My pruning would have killed it for sure. I’m also very glad that I’m not responsible for pruning my life or the life of other believers but it’s the Father, the master gardener, who is responsible to prune our lives. He knows when something is dead and He knows exactly where to cut without causing damage. He also knows when all we need is water, the water of His word, and we will flourish once again.

“I will pour water for thirsty people, and streams will flow through the desert. I will pour my Spirit on your children, and I will bless your family. 4 They will sprout like grass in the spring and grow like trees by streams of water.” Isaiah 44:3 ERV

Are you in a dry place? Let God’s Word water your roots and you’ll begin to flourish once again.

Blessings to you all this day.

 

 

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Let Peace Grow

We’ve got a good start on our garden. It would be impossible to ever say we have planted enough. Who can have too much love, joy, peace, humility, patience, kindness? A friend reminded me recently that as long as we abide in the vine (Jesus) we will bear much fruit.

““I am the true Vine. My Father is the One Who cares for the Vine. 2 He takes away any branch in Me that does not give fruit. Any branch that gives fruit, He cuts it back so it will give more fruit. 3 You are made clean by the words I have spoken to you. 4 Get your life from Me and I will live in you. No branch can give fruit by itself. It has to get life from the vine. You are able to give fruit only when you have life from Me. 5 I am the Vine and you are the branches. Get your life from Me. Then I will live in you and you will give much fruit. You can do nothing without Me. ” John 15:1-5 NLV

That’s precisely what we are doing with our garden. We are planting God’s word in our lives and so we are living attached to the Vine and we will produce fruit.

Do you know what the plant in the picture above is?  It’s a peace lily. That’s right, peace lily. I had never heard of such a thing but because I want us to plant seeds of peace today I did a search on peace images and this came up. (Now I need to search and see if they will grow in Southern Arizona and get one.)

This is what I found, “Peace lilies are one of the most common houseplants because they are so easy to grow. Most household varieties grow up to 16 inches tall, but larger cultivars can reach 6 feet in height.”

Let’s get started on planting Peace! We can all use more peace in our days right?

“People who are ruled by their desires think only of themselves. Everyone who is ruled by the Holy Spirit thinks about spiritual things. 6 If our minds are ruled by our desires, we will die. But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace. ” Romans 8:5-6 CEV

If we  look at things from a worldly viewpoint and not from God’s we will be filled with selfishness, greed, anxiety, and stress. God’s way brings life and peace, I’ll choose His way!

I wish I could say that I always have a life of peace but that just isn’t true. Sometimes I get so caught up in the demands of the day that I find my mind racing here and there – tossed back and forth in what to do or what to do next. Then I hear that small inner voice, better known as the Holy Spirit, whisper “Peace”.

When I see that I’ve lost my peace I know that I haven’t been focusing on the Lord and waiting on His direction because His Word (our seed) promises “God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3

Did you ever notice that most of the New Testament books begin with greetings of Grace and Peace? If they don’t begin with those two words they generally end with them. Those words aren’t there as space fillers, they have real meaning.  Grace is God’s blessing to us in spite of who we are or what we do. Peace is  inner calm, presence of mind, settled, still.

“Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” I Corinthians 1:3

When we know God’s grace, we can be at peace.

One of the last thing Jesus told his disciples was ““I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid.” John 14:27.

If the disciples could have peace, so can we.

Peace, a true inner peace, will lead us in the right direction and be our compass for making right decisions. When our kids were in school and they would ask if they could go somewhere or do something and we weren’t sure, our answer was always the same. “Let us pray about it and if we have a peace you can go. But if we don’t have peace, it’s a NO GO!” We let God lead in situations where we didn’t have sufficient knowledge and the same has been true in our own decisions about jobs, moving, and other major life decisions.

“So you will go out from there with joy. You will be led out in peace.” Isaiah55:12 CEV

Sometimes we will be overwhelmed with a sense of peace. Everything around us says we should be worried, stressed out or in complete fear but then there comes this peace that goes passed our understanding.

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 CEV

Worry and fear are so prevalent today, they were in Jesus day too. In fact the Bible is filled with verses on peace, don’t fear, don’t be anxious. God gave us the instruction in advance. Plant peace!!

This last verse should be our sleeping pill each night – “When I go to bed, I sleep in peace, because, LORD, you keep me safe.” Psalm 4:8 CEV

Peace, Peace, wonderful peace comes down from the Father above.

 

 

 

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Replant When Necessary

I’ve had times when it has been necessary to replant some of the seeds and flowers in my garden. Either the seeds were planted too deeply or they got too much water but no matter the reason they didn’t come up and I had to replant.

I have to replant some seeds today. It seems the “joy” seeds that I planted yesterday were destroyed by day’s end.

“What the man plants is the Word of God. 15 Those by the side of the road are the ones who hear the Word. As soon as they hear it, the devil comes and takes away the Word that is planted in their hearts. 16 The seed that fell among rocks is like people who receive the Word with joy when they hear it. 17 Their roots are not deep so they live only a short time. When sorrow and trouble come because of the Word, they give up and fall away. 18 The seed that was planted among thorns is like some people who listen to the Word. 19 But the cares of this life let thorns come up.” Mark 4:14-19 NLV

I allowed too many cares, distractions and anxious moments to uproot the joy I had just planted. I know none of you have experienced anything like this so bear with me as I make a fresh start.  Dealing with bureaucracy and incompetence can do that to you if you don’t stay focus on the Scripture.

“But let all who put their trust in You be glad. Let them sing with joy forever. You make a covering for them, that all who love Your name may be glad in You. 12 For You will make those happy who do what is right, O Lord. You will cover them all around with Your favor.” Psalm 5:11-12 NLV

It’s important that we check our heart continually throughout the day. Do we have peace? Are we doing things with a joyful attitude? Do I have a humble spirit and am I giving love to those around me? Once we recognize that something’s missing we need to stop immediately. Pray, protect our crop of godly character and then replant when necessary.

“ Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.” Song of Solomon 2:15 KJV

Join me in replanting some joy.

“Those who plant with tears will gather fruit with songs of joy. 6 He who goes out crying as he carries his bag of seed will return with songs of joy as he brings much grain with him.” Psalm 126:5-6 NLV

“So My Word which goes from My mouth will not return to Me empty. It will do what I want it to do, and will carry out My plan well. 12 You will go out with joy, and be led out in peace. The mountains and the hills will break out into sounds of joy before you. And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. ” Isaiah 55:11-12 NLV

“ And Isaiah says, “There will be One from the family of Jesse Who will be a leader over the people who are not Jews. Their hope will be in Him.” 13 Our hope comes from God. May He fill you with joy and peace because of your trust in Him. May your hope grow stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:12-13 NLV

Today is a new day. God has new and wonderful adventures planned for us. We keep our eyes on Him and He WILL direct our steps. There is so much comfort in that.

If and when we fail, we can always replant!

 

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The Sweet Taste of Joy

By now you’ve probably realized that we are planting a “character” garden. Each of the seeds that grow will produce Christ-like character in our lives.

Do you remember summers when you were a child? The warm weather, playing outside with your friends, the ball games, the picnics, the bar-b-q’s and the watermelon. Oh yes, the watermelon. Big green oblong bladders filled with the most delicious, ripe, red, juicy fruit!

Makes me smile just thinking about it. You barely start the knife to slice it and you hear that crack. You know this is going to be a good one – ruby red inside. You take that first bite and the juice begins to run down your arms and drips from you elbows. You don’t care – this is summer, this is watermelon season.

This is your happy place. Folks all around are laughing and talking and enjoying the fruit of the harvest. There is joy in the air.

Happiness goes with summer fun but happiness is conditional. What we need to plant in our character garden isn’t seeds of happiness but seeds of joy. Joy has deep roots and it is an abiding characteristic that can be present even when happiness eludes us.

It’s important to mention here that when planting seeds, you need to get them from a reputable dealer and that’s why our seeds should always come from the Word of God – those are seeds that are certified pure, weed free.

So before I give you this packet of seeds, let’s take a look at how our garden is coming along.

“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23

That’s a pretty fine looking garden.  These joy seeds are amazing.

“You have given him blessings that will last forever. You have given him the joy of being near you.” Psalm 21:6

“You have changed my sorrow into dancing. You have taken away my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” Psalm 30:11

“Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy the good food and sweet drinks. Give some food and drinks to those who didn’t prepare any food. Today is a special day to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.” Nehemiah 8:10 ERV

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy.” Philippians 4:4

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-4

As I stated above, joy isn’t happiness. I’m sure that Paul, the apostle, wasn’t happy that he had been beaten and was in a dark prison cell but he was joyful that he was serving Jesus and began to sing at midnight in spite of his circumstances.

Years ago, I was going through a devastating experience! My relationship with Jesus brought me comfort and joy through the heartache and the pain. I even had one woman tell me “I was going to try and comfort you but you have such a look of joy about you, I guess you’re ok.”

Oh, I needed my friends. I needed their prayers, kind words and even their hugs but I was ok because I was depending on God and His word to bring me comfort and joy in a difficult time. My eyes were on Him and not my own circumstances.

I wasn’t depending on people although good friends are invaluable but I was dependent on God! And “in His presence is fullness of joy”.

Plant some joy today – it will sustain you and give you nourishment in the toughest times!

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An Unending Harvest

I’m sure that I have mentioned before that Dave and I spent a number of years farming alfalfa for an absentee owner. We lived south of Phoenix, out in the desert half way between two very small towns, Buckeye and Gila Bend.

It was there that we really began to study God’s word. Each hour that we were on the farm equipment was another hour spent listening to cassette tapes and receiving faithful teachings. It was our Bible school and it was the place that I gained practical application of God’s word.

The area we farmed was rich, river loam soil. We had 900+ acres of alfalfa which was irrigated. The wells ran day and night providing the much needed moisture to the fields. We got 10 cuttings a year from that ground. In the peak of the summer, we were swathing alfalfa every 21 days. We would water twice, cut, rake and bale. We only stopped in the winter when the frost came and stunted the growth of the plants.

What I learned was that alfalfa was a perineal not an annual plant like cotton or maize, it was a perpetual seed that continued to produce for seven years before it needed replanting. Within one seed was multiplied potential for reproduction and harvest.

I applied that to the seed of God’s word. When planted the harvest potential is immeasurable.

“You have made your souls pure by obeying the truth through the Holy Spirit. This has given you a true love for the Christians. Let it be a true love from the heart. 23 You have been given a new birth. It was from a seed that cannot die. This new life is from the Word of God which lives forever. 24 All people are like grass. Their greatness is like the flowers. The grass dries up and the flowers fall off. 25 But the Word of the Lord will last forever. That Word is the Good News which was preached to you.” I Peter 1:22-25 NLV

God’s word is an incorruptible seed, it is a seed that never dies. What we are planting in our lives today will continue to grow and bring us a harvest beyond compare. It can be thwarted by weeds of worry, unbelief, anger, unforgiveness, strife, gossip, etc. but it will not die.

When we yield our lives to Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to plant seeds in our hearts that will bring a harvest of godly character.

“But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.” Galatians 5:22-23 NLV

We have already planted some of these and today we are going to add one more from this group.

Love.

“”But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.” Romans 5:8 CEV

“We have come to know and believe the love God has for us. God is love. If you live in love, you live by the help of God and God lives in you.” I John 4:16 NLV

“Love does not give up. Love is kind. Love is not jealous. Love does not put itself up as being important. Love has no pride. 5 Love does not do the wrong thing. Love never thinks of itself. Love does not get angry. Love does not remember the suffering that comes from being hurt by someone. 6 Love is not happy with sin. Love is happy with the truth. 7 Love takes everything that comes without giving up. Love believes all things. Love hopes for all things. Love keeps on in all things.

8 Love never comes to an end.” I Corinthians 13:4-8 NLV

So let’s take these seeds and plant them in the soil of our heart today.

Imagine a lifetime of producing fruit from the seeds of love.

 

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Planting Time Ends With Harvest Time

I am attaching a picture today of the garden we are planting. Take a look at the harvest that is coming to our lives.

I  want to encourage you to continue to grow by following these Scriptures.

“Great blessings belong to those who don’t listen to evil advice, who don’t live like sinners, and who don’t join those who make fun of God. 2 Instead, they love the Lord’s teachings and think about them day and night. 3 So they grow strong, like a tree planted by a stream— a tree that produces fruit when it should and has leaves that never fall. Everything they do is successful.” Psalm 1:1-3 ERV

“The man who is right and good will grow like the palm tree. He will grow like a tall tree in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the house of the Lord, they will grow well in the home of our God. ” Psalm 92:12-13NLV

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. Then it gives peace. It is gentle and willing to obey. It is full of loving-kindness and of doing good. It has no doubts and does not pretend to be something it is not. 18 Those who plant seeds of peace will gather what is right and good.” James 3:17-18 NLV

“No, we will speak the truth with love. We will grow to be like Christ in every way. He is the head,  and the whole body depends on him. All the parts of the body are joined and held together, with each part doing its own work. This causes the whole body to grow and to be stronger in love.” Ephesians 4:15-16

These verses below are a prophecy about Jesus and the hope he would bring to the world. Look at the end, we are called trees, the Lord’s trees. He has planted us.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The Lord has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free. 2 He sent me to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness, when our God will also punish evil people. He has sent me to comfort those who are sad, 3 those in Zion who mourn. I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. He sent me to name them ‘Good Trees’ and ‘The Lord’s Wonderful Plant.’” Isaiah 61:1-3 CEV

We are always to be in a place where we are growing. Growing in our knowledge and in the character that God wants us to develop.

“…Be careful that you do not fall from your strong faith. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be to him, now and forever! Amen.” II Peter 3:17-18

We still have a few more days of planting ahead but I encourage you to search out the Scriptures and find verses, seeds, that you desire to see grow in your garden and get them planted.

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No Place for Tantrums

We’ve all been there; we’ve either experienced it or we’ve been there to observe it.

You’re out in public. Your child wants something and you’ve said no. Then the begging begins and still the answer is no. The tears start, the voice raises, the feet stomp and the fist pounds. Yes, a full on tantrum – loss of self-control.

It’s one thing when this happens in a child but entirely another when it happens with an adult in a business meeting or between a couple. It can have devastating results.

Society is filled with self-centered folks who want something and want it NOW! If they don’t get what they want when they want it, they claim it’s their right – they’re owed it and take offense when told no. Many of the ills in our culture stem from selfishness or lack of self-control.

We need to get some temperance planted in our gardens. It might even require a double planting since it is so lacking in many lives. Temperance is another word for self-control. But we know that self-control is really Holy Spirit, God-directed control. It’s the strength to hold your tongue when everything on the inside is saying “let ’em have it”. Self-control is what Jesus showed when Pilot asked him for a defense in the judgment hall and it says

“ But Jesus did not say anything, and the governor was greatly amazed.” Matthew 27:14 CEV

Solomon, our teacher of wisdom, gave us this instruction.

“ A gentle answer makes anger disappear, but a rough answer makes it grow.”
Proverbs 15:1 ERV

Temperance is a quality  of those who have matured in life. Knowing when to speak and how to act so that it will be effective and not fall on deaf ears or a hard heart is a skill gained through experience.

“If a nation is not guided by God, the people will lose self-control, but the nation that obeys God’s law will be happy.” Proverbs 29:18

WOW! what a mandate for us as a nation!

“If your thinking is controlled by your sinful self, there is spiritual death. But if your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace.” Romans 8:6

Life and Peace – what a blessing!

“Because you have these blessings, do all you can to add to your life these things: to your faith add goodness; to your goodness add knowledge; to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add patience; to your patience add devotion to God;  to your devotion add kindness toward your brothers and sisters in Christ, and to this kindness add love.  If all these things are in you and growing, you will never fail to be useful to God. You will produce the kind of fruit that should come from your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” II Peter 1:5-8

In the verses above Peter says we will produce fruit and be useful to God. Sign me up!

I want God to be honored by my life and if you are reading this each day, I know you do too! So as we plant these seeds in our garden today the work isn’t over. We still have to water them daily with prayer and let the “Son” shine on them as they grow. We also have to keep the weeds out (cares, anxieties and distractions) and fertilize them (the testimony of others or from God’s word).

“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23 ERV

I love what Paul says at the end of listing the fruit of the Spirit, “against such there is no law.” When these traits are working in our lives we will be fulfilling the law of love, God’s love!

Happy Gardening.

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Seasoned with Humility

Are you ready? This morning’s seeds will season any life.

Meekness: humility, gentleness. Who doesn’t need more humility demonstrated in our lives. Think of how many arguments would be ended before they started if each of us were a bit more humble – if we didn’t feel it was necessary to defend ourselves to those who didn’t understand or to “stand up for ourselves” so we wouldn’t be taken advantage of. Yes, we all need to plant seeds of meekness.

Jesus is our example of meekness and humility. He is the Son of God but he took on the form of a man to come to earth for us. He experienced ridicule and persecution from the very ones he was coming to die for. He didn’t defend himself not even at the judgment hall before his crucifixion. What he did defend was his Father; he stood unflinchingly strong on the Word of God. He didn’t back down and in fact, verbally battled those who came against and spoke contrary to God’s word and His nature.

“Blessed are the meek (humble): for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:10

“Young people, I have something to say to you too. You should accept the authority of the elders. You should all have a humble attitude in dealing with each other. “God is against the proud, but he is kind to the humble.” So be humble under God’s powerful hand. Then he will lift you up when the right time comes.” I Peter 5:5-6

“God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient.” Colossians 3:12

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

When we plant meekness and allow it to grow we will be like Jesus and make of ourselves no reputation but represent and defend the name of Almighty God.

“Think as Christ Jesus thought. 6 Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God. 7 He put aside everything that belonged to Him and made Himself the same as a servant who is owned by someone. He became human by being born as a man. 8 After He became a man, He gave up (humbled) His important place and obeyed by dying on a cross. 9 Because of this, God lifted Jesus high above everything else. He gave Him a name that is greater than any other name. 10 So when the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow down before Him. 11 And every tongue will say Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will give honor to God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11 NLV

You’ve heard the term “stage mom”, well Jesus had a “disciple mom” to deal with. She wanted her sons to have important roles in the kingdom that Christ was setting up. See, many thought that Jesus came to set up a physical kingdom which would overthrow the Roman rule and as such they were looking for places of distinction in this kingdom.

“The mother of James and Johncame to Jesus with her two sons. She knelt down and started begging him to do something for her. 21 Jesus asked her what she wanted, and she said, “When you come into your kingdom, please let one of my sons sit at your right side and the other at your left.”

22 Jesus answered, “Not one of you knows what you are asking. Are you able to drink from the cupthat I must soon drink from?” James and John said, “Yes, we are!” Matthew 20:20-22 CEV

The most important people in the kingdom sat at the king’s right and left side. Jesus, however, knew that His kingdom was a spiritual one and not one on earth. So when he asked the question if they were willing to drink of the same cup as Him he was referring to the suffering of his death. James and John didn’t realize that and so they answered that they were able to do that.

The reason Jesus pushed through fatigue, ridicule, and hardship was because He had put on a coat of humility or meekness.

“And if you want to be first, you must be the slave of the rest. 28 The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescuemany people.” Matthew 20:27-28 CEV

Who is it we can serve today? Serving those we love can at times may be more difficult than serving strangers. When we serve the same people day in and day out we can develop a resentment if we aren’t careful. We begin to ask, “what have they done for me” or “do they even appreciate what I’m doing”. Questions like this are a true sign that there are some weeds in the garden trying to choke off the fruit that grows from the seeds of humility. Pull them out immediately!

How? By thanking God for bringing such wonderful people into our lives and by thanking Him for giving us the opportunity to love and care for them. Recognize and accept the wonderful assignment we have been given, an assignment that no one else in the world has been trusted with nor can they do it any better. God has prepared us for this very thing.

Be grateful for the ability and the opportunity to serve others, it’s what makes us more like Jesus.

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What Are You Going to Plant

What is it that you’re wanting to grow in your garden? At our house, we seem to focus on a “salsa garden”, that means that we grow was is needed to make a good salsa – cilantro, peppers, tomatoes and onions.

So it would only be natural that we would buy pepper, tomato and cilantro starts and that we would plant onion seeds of bulbs, right? You certainly wouldn’t expect to plant zucchini seeds and get onions or carrot seeds and get peppers. It just doesn’t work that way.

“ You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. 8 If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life. ” Galatians 6:7-8 CEV

In life, if we plant seeds of criticism, anger, selfishness, resentment and strife we are going to see those same things grow up and produce a harvest in our lives. Isn’t it better to sow seeds of understanding, love, encouragement, kindness, and joy?  We might not understand exactly how the germination and growing process work but we can be certain of this, we will only harvest what we plant.

“Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like a man who plants seed in the ground. 27 The seed begins to grow. It grows night and day. It doesn’t matter whether the man is sleeping or awake, the seed still grows. He doesn’t know how it happens. 28 Without any help the ground produces grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head. 29 When the grain is ready, the man cuts it. This is the harvest time.” Mark 4:26-29 ERV

This morning let’s plant seeds of faith. The important thing to remember about faith is that it’s not based on us but on God. Faith is simply believing that God is who He says He is and that He can do what He said He could do.

God gives us all “the measure of faith” at salvation. Some people don’t get a larger portion while others get a tiny bit. Paul says in Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

Jesus had much to say about faith while he was here on earth. But I guess a good place to start is to know that “without faith it is impossible to please God.”  Hebrews 11:6 and that “faith works by love” Galatians 5:6 If we want a good crop of faith then we must fertilize it with love.

We get born again by our faith in the grace of God and that’s the same faith that we should apply to every other area of our lives. Our faith is in God’s grace. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2: 8-9

The Apostle Paul tells us that our daily walk with the Lord should be just like our salvation.

“ As you have put your trust in Christ Jesus the Lord to save you from the punishment of sin, now let Him lead you in every step. 7 Have your roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. Your life should be full of thanks to Him.”  Colossians 2:6-7 NLV

The choice is ours, we can plant seeds of worry or seeds of faith. Worry is faith that the wrong things will happen but true faith is confidence that God is bringing about good things in our lives.

“Think about how the wildflowers grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 28 If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? That’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small!

29 “So don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don’t worry about it.” Luke 12:27-29 ERV

Plant these seeds and then watch your faith grow. It’s amazing! Start by trusting God will small things and as your “faith” seeds grow you will find you are trusting Him with the larger things of your life as well.

Remember the adage: Don’t spend time telling God how big your problem is; tell your problem how big your God is!

Good harvest!

 

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Let the Planting Begin

Now that the ground in our garden is prepared, it’s ready to receive seeds. We will be planting a variety of seeds and our garden with have a bountiful harvest.

I have a number of packets of seeds that I have found in Scripture and there may be others that you think of that I have overlooked. Remember it’s your garden and you choose what you would like to harvest. Here’s a few of the seeds that I would like you to consider; gentleness, peace, joy, love, self-control, faith, grace, humility, and discipline. Sounds like a pretty good variety to me.

This morning let’s start with gentleness or kindness.

Gentle, kind people are like Jesus – listening, reaching out, touching, being moved with compassion. They are willing to lay down their interest and well-being for that of those around them. Truly gentle people are willing to let you have the last piece of pie and not remind you of it later. They are content to sit and listen as a child or elderly person go on and on about their day without thinking of what else needs to be done. Truly kind people, like the boy scouts, help little old ladies across the street and rescue kittens out of trees.

O Lord, how I need this packet of seeds to be planted in my garden and to tend it carefully so it grows and matures. There are times I am truly kind and lay aside my own agenda, without forethought, for others but I have to honestly confess that many times, it is an act of will – knowing this is the right thing and not a natural reaction of God’s character flowing through me.

“A kind and gentle woman gains respect, but violent men gain only wealth. 17 People who are kind will be rewarded for their kindness, but cruel people will be rewarded with trouble.” Proverbs 11:16-17 ERV

“As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. 3 Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3 CEV

“God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:12-13 ERV

“A gentle answer makes anger disappear, but a rough answer makes it grow.” Proverbs 15:1 ERV

“Patience and gentle talk can convince a ruler and overcome any problem.” Proverbs 25:15 CEV

“Don’t quit your job simply because the boss is angry with you. If you remain calm and helpful, you can correct even great mistakes.” Ecclesiastes 10:4 ERV

“Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest.” Matthew 11:29 ERV

Now make sure that all those seeds are planted well in the soil of your heart. Water them, make sure they get plenty of “Son shine” and you’ll be bringing in a harvest in no time.

Be a gentle giant today – I’m praying for you!!

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