Sorting Them Out

Have you sat down to separate rotten fruit from good fruit? Have you spent time sorting good product to be boxed and shipped while throwing bad product into a trash heap? Have you considered it will be similar at the end of time?

We sort good from bad all the time. It may be part of our jobs to sort things, but we also sort good from bad in our daily lives. Sometimes, we interpret our preferences to be good and someone else’s preferences to be bad.

Mistakenly counting preferences as good or bad is what causes a lot of dissension in the world today. It becomes an ‘us versus them’ mentality, quickly followed by the ‘I’m better than you’ mentality. When that occurs, we are wrong.

Ultimately, there is only one who can define good and bad, and that is God. Jesus tells us that at His return there will be a sorting of good and bad based on His definition. All the definitions we hear, and we may spout ourselves will be useless unless they coincide with God’s definition. At that point, we will all be in awe beyond comprehension and will have no foundation on which to stand and argue. To prepare for that day, we need to ensure we are on the same page as God and abide by his definition.

I pray we all earnestly seek to understand God’s definition of good. I pray we pursue the goodness of God. I pray each one of us will ask the Holy Spirit to guide us into understanding and to following Jesus in all that we do. Be in sync with God. Know his definition of good. God will do the ultimate sorting. Follow Jesus in all things.

Matthew 13:47-48 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.”

Keep the Tree Growing

Have you ever wondered what the kingdom of heaven is like? Have you considered the kingdom of heaven is not quite the same as heaven itself? Huh? Are you willing to give that a little thought? Will listen to some logical thinking on the subject?

As Christians, we talk a lot about heaven. We even talk about the kingdom of God, which the same as the kingdom of heaven. But do we realize they are not quite the same? I believe we think of them as the same…incorrectly. Hear me out.

Heaven is a place. Heaven can even be a vision. The kingdom of heaven is not just the place, but it includes all angels, the saints, and God himself. Heaven can be a place we long to go to. The kingdom of heaven is something we can belong to. Perhaps that is why Jesus uses so many parables or analogies to describe it.

When Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven being like a mustard see that grows into a large tree, He is talking about the growth of the kingdom. Jesus is the seed. The growth is His church. As more and more people accept Him as their Lord and Savior, the kingdom grows. As the Apostles went throughout the world, big branches spread. As those they taught continued to spread the good news, smaller branches sprouted. More and more branches continue to sprout as we continue to tell people about Jesus, and they become His disciples.

I pray we all see heaven as a place. I pray we understand the kingdom of heaven as Jesus’ church. I pray each one of us continue to spread the news of Christ and keep the tree growing. Seek to go to heaven. Be a part of the kingdom of heaven. Tell others about Jesus. Keep the kingdom growing.

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

Nothing Can Separate

Do you ever wonder if you are loved? Do you experience times in which you doubt that anyone loves you? Are there times when you feel as though you are all alone? Have you heard that God loves you but find it hard to believe? Have you read the Apostle Paul’s words?

As we go through life, we experience a variety of ups and downs. We may experience a period of time in which we feel abandoned and unloved. It can be a very difficult experience. It is also a lie we are being fed by Satan, who is constantly trying to bring us down.

It is important that we read and understand Scripture. We need that foundational understanding to combat the lies Satan uses against us. He can be very convincing. The lies can pile up, one on another, and cause a mountain of pain and disillusionment. Without the foundation of truth found in Scripture, we can tumble into the bottomless pit.

Carefully read today’s passage. Spend a few moments pondering each of the objects and situations Paul states than cannot separate us from the love of Christ. He provides quite a list. Then he wraps it up by including everything else. In other words, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ. No matter what happens. No matter what we do. No matter what anyone else does. Christ will always love us. Jesus also promised He will never leave us, saying He will be with us until “the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Knowing passages such as todays can carry us through those lonely times. Knowing that Jesus will never leave us can give us the courage to face another day. Leaning on His promises and the understanding of the Apostles can provide us a foundation that will never crumble.

I pray we all spend time reading Scripture. I pray we seek to understand the promises of Jesus. I pray each one of us will use the promises of Jesus and the Apostles understanding as our solid foundation. Trust Jesus’ promises. Trust the Apostles’ understanding. Know that you are loved. Know that Jesus will never abandon you.

Romans 8:38-19 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Come Into God’s Presence

Have you ever been at a loss for words? Are there times when you simply do not know what to say? Do you say nothing during those times, or do you ramble on about nothing? Has a loss of words happened when you were praying? Do you know you have Someone who intercedes for you?

There are times when we experience something, and we have no idea what to say. It may be something so amazing we cannot describe it. It may be something so horrible we cannot or do not want to describe it. We are left speechless.

We can experience being speechless when talking with God. We may be in the middle of a medical emergency, whether us personally or a family member or a close friend. We may not know what to ask for. We may not fully understand what is going on. We may be fearful, grieving, in shock, desperate, or otherwise unable to focus.

On the other hand, we may be overjoyed to the point of being in awe. We may witness something that takes our breath away. It may be a beautiful sunrise or sunset, seeing the Rocky Mountains for the first time, or experiencing a miracle. All we can do is say “Wow!”

When we experience those times when we do not know what to say, especially those of desperation, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. He knows how to translate our feelings into God’s language. He knows how to express what we cannot. We simply need to allow ourselves to come into the presence of God, sit quietly, and allow the Spirit to speak for us. It is comforting to know that we have such a wonderful Advocate who will speak on our behalf.

I pray we all know the Holy Spirit speaks for us. I pray we trust him to translate our feelings for us. I pray each one of us will simply seek to be in God’s presences in times of desperation. The Holy Spirit intercedes for you. He speaks on your behalf. Trust him to interpret your feelings. Come into God’s presence.

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

Sing Praises

Do you like to sing? Do you sing in your car? Do you sing in the shower? Do you sing in the choir? Do you sing in a band? Do you randomly sing while working in the yard? Do you sing songs of praise? Do you know God likes to hear us sing, whether we are good at it or not?

Some of us like to sing in the car. We drive down the road all by ourselves and sing out. We really put a lot into it. Our faces reflect the joy we feel while singing. We have our favorite songs on which we really cut loose. Oh, what joy we have with those!

Singing is good for the soul. It also pleases God when we sing praises to him. Some of us are not good singers (that’s me). But some of us are wonderful singers. Yet singing to God is wonderful, whether we are good at singing or not. We have amazing old time hymns we can sing. There are new contemporary Christian songs that pull at our heartstrings or cause us to explode with joy. There is no shortage of songs we can sing to praise God.

God loves to hear us sing about his wonderful works. We can sing about how he has worked in our lives or someone we know. We can sing about the beautiful creation God has created. Singing to tell the story of God to others not only pleases God but educates others. Singing is good for us, good for others, and pleases God.

I pray we all sing God’s praises. I pray we randomly sing about all that God has done for us. I pray each one of us will see God’s wonderful creation and sing about it. Sing the old hymns. Sing the new songs. Sing about God’s creation. Sing God’s praises.

Psalm 105:1-2

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, 

make known his deeds among the peoples. 

Sing to him, sing praises to him; 

tell of all his wonderful works.

Customs and Traditions

Do you adhere to cultural customs? Do you like traditions? Do you prefer to buck the norms? How many cultural norms do you regularly disregard? Have you disregarded a cultural custom that has resulted in a bad outcome for you?

Each culture has its customs and traditions. Some of them are written but most are unwritten. Some of them are minor and some are major. In fact, some are so major as to cause you to be a complete outcast of society if you do not follow them.

Not only do we have cultural traditions, but we also have family traditions. Where do all these traditions come from? They have evolved over the years. Someone started something, others thought it was a good idea, and it continues. Often, we do not even know how it all got started nor why. We do know we are expected to follow them.

In Japan, it is a custom to bow to someone when you meet them. The more important the person, the deeper you are to bow. In the western world, you shake hands when you meet someone rather than bow. In much of Europe, it is custom to kiss each other on the cheek when you meet. Not following any of those customs can be offensive to the person from that culture.

Jacob discovered a custom the hard way and it cost him seven years of working for his future father-in-law. He might have gone through with it even had he known ahead of time, but he was caught off guard when he suddenly realized he had been given Leah to marry rather than Rachel.

As Christians we have traditions as well. It is customary to meet for corporate worship on Sunday mornings. We do so to celebrate the day of the week on which Jesus rose from the grave. We have many other traditions that we, unfortunately, do not always know the origin. Might I suggest we learn the reason behind the traditions.

I pray we all choose to abide by the tradition of joining together to worship on Sunday. I pray we seek to understand the traditions of our Christian faith. I pray each one of us celebrate Jesus. Seek to understand tradition. Join others in worship. Choose to celebrate Jesus.

Genesis 29:25-28 When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” Laban said, “This is not done in our country—giving the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.

Fair Dealings

Do you have an understanding of fairness? Do you treat all people with fairness? Do you treat your family with fairness? Do you expect something different from your family than you do others? Have you considered there might be consequences of treating someone unfairly?

We have our own understanding of fairness. It doesn’t always match up with what others consider as fair. We may expect that fairness is an exchange of things of equal value. Someone else may believe their fair share is more than others.

Sometimes we treat our families unfairly. We expect more of them than we do others. We have gotten in the habit of giving to our family members to the point that it is expected, whether we have anything to give or not. Some family members expect their family to always be there, to always bail them out, to always do what they want. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way.

As we see in the exchange between Laban and Jacob, Laban did not expect Jacob, though a kinsman, to work for him for free. Laban fully expected to pay Jacob something for his labors. They agreed upon an exchange that both thought to be fair. Jacob would work for Laban for seven years. Jacob asked for Rachel.

As we live and work with our families, perhaps we, too, can think about what is fair for everyone involved. We might consider if we are treating our family as fairly as we would a co-worker or a client. Maybe we should rethink how we approach and treat our families.

I pray we all think about how we treat our families. I pray we seek to treat everyone we meet fairly. I pray each one of us will ask God to enlighten us and guide us in our dealings with one another. Treat your family fairly. Treat everyone you encounter fairly. Ask God to help you. Ask guide to guide you in all dealing with others.

Genesis 29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?”

Good Seed

Have you wondered what it will be like at the end of time? Do you ask yourself if you will be one of the chosen? Do you wonder where all the evil in the world comes from? Do you know Jesus answered that question?

We hear a lot of people talking about the end times, although the talk has calmed down a little with the pandemic having relented. But all that talk may have conjured up questions in our minds. We may be searching for answers of our own.

Jesus answered the question in a parable. Later, He explained the parable to His disciples. He is sowing good seed throughout the earth. Those who accept Him are those who grow and produce fruit. If we accept Him and follow Him, we will without a doubt produce good fruit.

The devil sows the seeds of weeds. He desires to choke out the good seed. He wants to kill off the good seed before it can grow and produce good fruit. Even though he knows he has been defeated by Jesus, he wants to take as many down with him as possible.

We should have no doubt about our salvation. We should have no worries about the end times. Our confidence in our Savior keeps us from worrying about it. We continue to grow and produce good fruit for as long as we are given on this earth.

I pray we all know we are good seeds. I pray we continue to mature and grow in our faith. I pray each one of us will focus on producing good fruit rather than worrying about evil. Focus on Jesus. Remain committed to Him. Continue to grow and mature. Produce good fruit.

Matthew 13:37-39 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.”

Resisting Temptation

Have you ever grown a garden? Have you planted a flower bed with multiple flowers? Have you spent time tilling the ground to prepare it to be planted? Have you pulled the weeds that grow in the flower bed? How frustrating is it that they seem to keep coming back?

Weeds and grass seem to grow everywhere. It pops up in some of the least expected and desirable places. We pull weeds from the flower bed. We spray our gravel driveways, the cracks in the sidewalk, and maybe even our flower beds to kill the weeds. They keep coming back.

We know the seeds float on the wind and get blown everywhere. All it takes is a little moisture and just enough nutrients for the seed to sprout…and the weeds show up. The same paradigm applies to our human nature. All it takes is the seed of a negative thought to enter our minds and it isn’t long before it sprouts into a bad attitude. It only takes someone to suggest going out for a conversation and a drink to sprout into a drunken night out. It only takes the tender touch of someone else’s hand on ours to start us down the road of infidelity.

It is not until we have the attitude of Jesus that we can resist these temptations. Only when we realize Satan is planting those seeds and remain committed to Jesus that we have the strength to say no, to turn away from the temptations. Jesus knows all Satan’s tricks. He knows we need Him to resist. He knows we will fail sometimes. He came so that we might have forgiveness for those failures.

I pray we all realize Satan continually sows bad seeds in our minds. I pray we commit to Jesus. I pray each one of us will lean on Jesus to resist the temptations Satan sends our way. Recognize the seeds Satan sows. Commit to Jesus. Ask Him to help you resist the temptations. Stand in the strength of Jesus.

Matthew 13:24-25 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away.”

Biblical Hope

What do you hope for? Do you hope for a new car? Do you hope for a new house? Do you hope for a new relationship? Do you hope for better health? Are you really hoping or just wishing? Do you know what real hope is? Do you know what Biblical hope is?

We hope for a lot of things. Far too often, nearly always, those hopes are merely wishes. We have a wish list full of material things. Our wish list may include relationships. It may also include job promotions. But make no mistake about it, they are wishes rather than hopes.

Biblical hope is not a wish list. In fact, wishing has no part of the Biblical hope we are called to. Hope is a confidence in the promises of God. It is trusting in his mighty power and knowing he will fulfill his promises. Our hope is not foolish, nor does it falsely assume. Our hope is not in material things but in the promise of eternal life.

As the Apostle Paul writes, hoping for what we see is not hope. It is either wishful thinking or we develop a plan to acquire it with earthly wealth. Hoping for what we cannot see requires us to put our faith in God. It requires us to trust him. It also means we must wait with patience. The eternal life we hope for will only come when this life is over.

Real hope, Biblical hope, is far more powerful than any wish. We know with certainty we will receive what we hope for. Yes, we have a physical life to live. But we no longer need to think this life is all there is nor that this life is as important as the rest of the world makes it out to be.

I pray we all put our hope in God’s promises. I pray we make our wish list a lower priority to pursue. I pray we have Biblical hope in what we cannot see, which is eternal life spent with God. Put your hope in God. Trust in his promises. Hope for eternal life. Have Biblical hope.

Romans 8:24-25 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.