Planted

My understanding of the world I live in is shaped by the Bible. I exist as an eternal being, made by God. What tells me that?  His Word. My highest purpose is to know and love God. How do I know? Again, the Word. I see the events of life and the world around me through the lens of the Word.  Before you stop reading, convinced that I’m one of those who hauls out a big, black Bible as a weapon to meet a fearful world, know this – that the Word is wisdom and Truth not a weapon in my hands. 

Life is very complex. Truth is not simple, answers are not always easy to find.  Finding the eternal wisdom of God is an act of faith and requires discipline of mind and spirit.  Yet, I am comforted, corrected, and guided by the wisdom of the Word, which the Spirit brings to my consciousness again and again.  

Jesus says that it is like seed planted in in us!  "What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams."  (Matthew 13:3-9, The Message)   His friends came to Him later on and asked Him, "Why do you tell these stories?  What does a story about a farmer planting seeds have to do with us?"   

And He explained,  "Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. "The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. "The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. "The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams."  (Matthew 13:18-23, The Message)

Will you open your heart and mind to the Word Seed? When we plant a seed we expect a harvest, don’t we? When we plant the truth in our hearts about life’s purpose, about God, about who we are, about eternity … we gain a heart of wisdom. That is why, if we would be godly, we will give ourselves to diligent study.  From that study, we will find that "Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, The Message)

Be like Jeremiah who exclaimed:  "When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty." (Jeremiah 15:16, NIV)

Be careful, my Christian friend, that you are not captivated by “Christian celebrities” who substitute human interest stories for the Word. A great story may inspire but it is not substitute for knowing what the Spirit is saying to the Church. 

As much as we might enjoy our Christian music, make sure that your theology is not shaped by your favorite worship leader alone. The sentiment of an appealing song cannot replace the solid foundation of the Scripture’s truth.  

 Make sure that the Pastor who teaches you loves the Scripture, with a heart and mind that is humble before the revealed Truth. Find a group of people with whom you can open and process the Scripture. 

Read the Bible for yourself every day. Your life will be changed, for the better, by the Word.

Here is a word from the Word. May it be a seed that grows to a harvest of wisdom.

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,
a workman who does not need to be ashamed and
who correctly handles the word of truth.
Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it

will become more and more ungodly." (2 Timothy 2:15-16, NIV)

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Ancient Words
(Micheal W. Smith’s rendition of this great song)

Holy words long preserved

For our walk in this world

They resound with God's own heart

O let the ancient words impart

Words of life words of hope

Give us strength help us cope

In this world where'er we roam

Ancient words will guide us home

Ancient words ever true

Changing me changing you

We have come with open hearts

O let the ancient words impart

Holy words of our faith

Handed down to this age

Came to us through sacrifice

O heed the faithful words of Christ

Martyr's blood stains each page

They have died for this faith

Hear them cry through the years

Heed these words and hold them dear

We have come with open hearts

O let the ancient words impart

O let the ancient words impart

Lynn DeShazo

© 2001 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music [DC Cook]))

CCLI License # 810055

Steady Faith

Marty Sampson wrote songs of worship with the Hillsong Worship ministry that were sung around the world. Earlier this week, he announced that he was leaving Christianity behind. He explained that he was not angry at anyone, nor was there any scandal. He said that he did not believe anymore, that he had found, in science and technology, better answers for life, and that he did not see any evidence of God at work. How tragically misguided he is. Life has disappointments for all of us. The ways of the Lord are not easy for us to understand, but I think he has allowed himself to be deceived, his sight set too low.

What a contrast can be found in the ancient words of Habakkuk (strange name, isn’t it?) Do you know about him?  Eugene Peterson introduces him to us. “Living by faith is a bewildering venture. We rarely know what’s coming next, and not many things turn out the way we anticipate. It is natural to assume that since I am God’s chosen and beloved, I will get favorable treatment from the God who favors me so extravagantly. It is not unreasonable to expect that from the time that I become his follower, I will be exempt from dead ends, muddy detours, and cruel treatment from the travelers I meet daily who are walking the other direction. That God-followers don’t get preferential treatment in life always comes as a surprise. But it’s also a surprise to find that there are a few men and women within the Bible who show up alongside us at such moments.”  Habakkuk is one of those people.

He saw a terrible calamity that was about to befall God's people.  The Babylonians were growing strong and, at the very same time, his nation was abandoning God, Who was their only strength and defense against that enemy.   With terrible sorrow, he knew the end would be awful suffering, death, and destruction.  "Why are you allowing this to happen, Lord?" is his cry.  The Spirit made these ancient laments a comfort to me.  "How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? . . .the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted." (Habakkuk 1:4, NIV)  Could we not cry for the world we live in, too?  Our land is full of violence. Our churches are largely empty. So many hearts of Christians are filled with things other than devotion. What is the answer?

Habakkuk did not get the answer to prayer he desired.  He wanted a spiritual revival and the salvation of his people Instead the Lord told him "I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own. ...they all come bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand." (Habakkuk 1:9, NIV)  Knowing this meant terrible suffering and destruction, the preacher prays a remarkable prayer, full of sorrow and questions - " God, you’re from eternity, aren’t you? Holy God, we aren’t going to die, are we? God, you chose Babylonians for your judgment work? Rock-Solid God, you gave them the job of discipline? But you can’t be serious! You can’t condone evil! So why don’t you do something about this? Why are you silent now?" (Habakkuk 1:12-13, The Message)

Sometimes we don't get the 'happily ever after' answer from Heaven we want! 
Sometimes when we pray for spiritual renewal, people’s hearts only grow more cold to the things of the Lord, the onslaught evil increases like a tidal surge!  

What then? 

There is a choice.  We can curse God, doubt that He cares, or even conclude He does not exist.  OR, we can be faithful.  In that moment, Habakkuk received a revelation that endures for us 3000 years later as we read his little book.  He declared "the righteous will live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2:4, NIV)   Wait for the purposes of the Lord.  God said, "At the time I have decided, my words will come true. You can trust what I say about the future. It may take a long time, but keep on waiting— it will happen! " (Habakkuk 2:3, CEV)

Don't you hate the wait?  I do!  But, I will wait!  I'll declare my faith, raising my eyes higher than the problems of this day, than the disappointments of this moment.

The word from the Word will inspire you to wait on the Lord; steadily,faithfully, until His purpose is fulfilled.

"I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.  Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights." (Habakkuk 3:16-19, NIV)
___________
So Will I (100 Billion X)

God of creation
There at the start before the beginning of time
With no point of ref'rence
You spoke to the dark
And fleshed out the wonder of light
And as You speak
A hundred billion galaxies are born
In the vapor of Your breath the planets form
If the stars were made to worship so will I

I can see Your heart in ev'rything You've made
Ev'ry burning star a signal fire of grace
If creation sings Your praises so will I
God of Your promise
You don't speak in vain no syllable empty or void
For once You have spoken
All nature and science
Follow the sound of Your voice

And as You speak
A hundred billion creatures catch Your breath
Evolving in pursuit of what You said
If it all reveals Your nature so will I
I can see Your heart in ev'rything You say
Ev'ry painted sky a canvas of Your grace
If creation still obeys You so will I
So will I
So will I ooh ooh

If the stars were made to worship so will I
If the mountains bow in rev'rence so will I
If the oceans roar Your greatness so will I
For if ev'rything exists to lift You high so will I
If the wind goes where You send it so will I
If the rocks cry out in silence so will I
If the sum of all our praises still falls shy

Then we'll sing again a hundred billion times
God of salvation
You chased down my heart
Through all of my failure and pride
On a hill You created the light of the world
Abandoned in darkness to die

And as You speak
A hundred billion failures disappear
Where You lost Your life so I could find it here
If You left the grave behind You so will I
I can see Your heart in ev'rything You've done
Ev'ry part designed in a work of art called love
If You gladly chose surrender so will I

I can see Your heart eight billion diff'rent ways
Ev'ry precious one a child You died to save
If You gave Your life to love them so will I
Like You would again a hundred billion times

But what measure could amount to Your desire
You're the One who never leaves the one behind

Benjamin Hastings | Joel Houston | Michael Fatkin © 2017 Hillsong Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
CCLI License # 810055

Reading a script?

A few weeks ago I re-discovered The West Wing, an award-winning drama first aired in 1999, that is now showing on Netflix. It is about the fictional Presidency of Jed Bartlett and his senior staff. The production is amazing; the actors are skilled. After all these years it’s still jarring to see Allison Janey in other roles. She became completely identified with “C.J. Cregg,” the Press Secretary in Bartlett’s administration, in my mind.  The thing with actors is that they take on a temporary identity, playing a role.  A person can become a “President” without the rigors of an election, a “doctor” without going to medical school, by learning the lines and using their acting craft and we believe the story.

My question for us this morning is a pointed one. 

How are we living this Christian life?  Are we really disciples of Christ Jesus or are we just playing a role?

The core of Christian faith is that we are being changed from the inside out by the Spirit, ‘born again’ as God’s child. "What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT) We do not merely try to ‘act like’ a Christian, we are Christian.

Jesus reserved His most scathing criticism, not for prostitutes or thieves, but for religious leaders that He called ‘hypocrites.’  The Pharisees were great actors, Jesus said. “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’" (Matthew 23:5-7, NIV) “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to." (Matthew 23:13, NIV)  Hypocrite is an interesting word in that context. It is a direct translation of the New Testament word ‘hupokrites’ which described actors who ‘lived behind a mask.’

Let’s not allow ourselves to put on a mask, to adopt a role, to just learn songs, prayers, and Scripture quotes that allow us to look like a Christian. It can be tempting! Authentic Christians  know the struggle of the school of discipleship. They engage in the spiritual disciplines that lead to transformation of character. It is not at all hypocritical to admit that there is a gap between the ideal to which Christ calls us and our present experience! The ugly side of hypocrisy is the refusal to acknowledge our sin, to cover up those places where we are inconsistent or where our actions contradict what we say we believe. If a Christian does not understand that becoming ‘holy’ is a process, that there are daily choices that allow the Spirit to do His work, that person will become just an actor - inauthentic and an imposter.

We overcome hypocrisy by fully trusting in Jesus Christ, who is our Savior. We cannot perfect ourselves. Oh yes, we have choices to make, but ultimately, we are saved by grace, through faith. Are you committed to knowing Him? Like Paul will you say, "I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead!" (Philippians 3:9-11, NLT) ?

There is great freedom in becoming authentic, not reveling in sin, but acknowledging what is real and true, so that we can grow into the beauty of the Spirit’s life.

Here is a word from the Word. Believe it and live.  "All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—" (Ephesians 2:3-8, NIV)
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Build My Life

(A great song that points us to real faith in the Builder)

Worthy of ev’ry song we could ever sing

Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring

Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe

We live for You

Jesus the name above ev’ry other name

Jesus the only one who could ever save

Worthy of ev’ry breath we could ever breathe

We live for You

We live for You

Holy there is no one like You

There is none besides You

Open up my eyes in wonder and show me who You are

And fill me with Your heart

And lead me in Your love to those around me

I will build my life upon Your love

It is a firm foundation

I will put my trust in You alone

And I will not be shaken

Brett Younker | Karl Martin | Kirby Elizabeth Kaple | Matt Redman | Pat Barrett

© 2016 Martin, Karl Andrew (Admin. by Arkyard Music Services Limited)

Kaple Music (Admin. by Bethel Music Publishing)

Bethel Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055