Devotional 8-31-19

How firm is your root?

Gospel Reading; Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 “Parable of the Sower”

This parable is the first of many that Jesus will be teaching the Disciples and the people concerning the Kingdom of Heaven.  Although the people he is speaking with at the time, for the most part, are rejecting him.  In the parable Jesus uses the actions of a person sowing seeds by broadcast seeding.  On a land that is rocky, dry and where other vegetation may also grow with the sown seeds, not all of the seeds will mature.  In the first illustration, the seeds land on hard ground and are soon eaten by the birds. In the second some of the seeds land in rocky areas with some soil but not enough to sustain growth.  The third example, the seeds fall on soil but the seeds from weeds grow at a faster pace and choke out the farmers seeds.  The seeds that are sown on fertile land will grow and produce good crops some of which will produce great yields.

So how does this parable speak to us today?  Well there are those that hear the spoken Word but may reject it or let the evil one distracts them from understanding the Word.  Others will hear the Word and understood, even rejoicing, but when turmoil enters their life and their roots in faith and understanding the Word are weak and they fall away.  Others have worries of life, other distractions of fame, money and things. These choke out understanding the Word and the call to be Disciples for Christ.  When the Word is heard and understood it will result in fruitfully by bringing others to Christ, “thirty, sixty and even one-hundred-fold, thus leading others to Salvation.  It also means working for Christ by using the fruits of the Spirit that we are all given.

A friend of mine recently told me his story after he accepted Christ.  He was so excited about what he had experienced he wanted to share it with others, to bring them to Christ.  So, he talked with all of his friends and thought that they would attend his church one Sunday.  But when Sunday came not many attended.  He began to doubt himself.  (The Evil one speaking to him).  He prayed and tried again.  But this time he let Christ enter the hearts then he nurtured them and before he knew it some attended, then more and soon others started their journey with Christ.  So, he was sowing the seeds where there was good nurtured soil and watched his friends grow into Disciples of Christ.

As we sow the seeds, nurture the seeds we too can see others grow into Disciples of Christ and then they well become the sower.

Blessings to all,
Fred Herr

Ref. A Christian Apologetics Blog posting by Bill Pratt

Devotional 8-16-19

Discipleship Disturbs Our Peace
Isaiah 5: I-7
Psalm 80: 1-2, 8- I 9
Hebrews I I :29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56

The Old Testament readings offer an allegory of the loving, nurturing Gardener. He has worked tirelessly to prepare the soil for the tender plantings, believing his care will result in a grape harvest worthy of a priceless wine. The time of harvest reveals just the opposite; a grape that is sour, wild, unworthy of the care and precautions he worked tirelessly to provide. Rather than ripping up the vines our Gardener instead removes his protections and destroys the watchtower and winepress.

The Psalmist adds to this allegory the grieving laments of the people, people who have known peace and prosperity, but now are experiencing injustice, vulnerability, and brokenness. They beseech God to restore them; to make His face shine on them again.

The passages from Luke and Hebrews have given me a different perspective, reading them together in light of our current social climate, than I used to think they meant. Have we Christians become, over many years and generations, the bitter, sour fruit so lovingly planted by the Gardener? The change has taken place slowly at times, more quickly at others; but we do find ourselves living in a time when poverty, injustice, lack of compassion, lack of love for humanity, acquiescence, and lethargy have put out the glowing embers of our own Christianity.

The author of Hebrews tells us of many heroes of the faith, but some died gruesome deaths, and many did not receive what was promised in their lifetimes. These are the heroes making up the great cloud of witnesses, cheering us on to the finish line. But what must we be willing to endure, what path must we take, to reach this finish line? Jesus speaks to us in Luke, "I came to bring fire to the earth...Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!  From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three...You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?"

Jesus tells us the life of faith is risky and arduous. Discipleship does not guarantee health, longevity, power or wealth. The great cloud of witnesses stands ready to cheer us on to the finish line of faithful discipleship. The journey to that finish line is compelling, offering some of us pain and loss along the way. The peace Jesus offers is deep life-changing peace that may disrupt our relationships; break in order to mend; upset what we used to believe discipleship means, because His peace is worth the risk.

Gracious loving Father,
We offer our prayer to be faithful in completing the journey with courage, demonstrating the love of Christ for everyone, the outrage of Christ at injustice and inhumanity, and the strength of Christ to carry us forward when we fall. Amen.

Linda Summers

Devotional 8-9-19

THE TRUTH ABOUT FAITH

THE 13 BOOKS OF HEBREWS
 Hebrews 11:1-3 NRSV
¹Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ² Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. ³ By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.
Having read the short book of Hebrews for the first time (yes, it’s true) I have discovered It is full of thought- provoking information, supposedly written by an unknown author.  Scholars apparently can’t agree about who may have written it or for whom it was written. But I was fascinated with it! In Chapters one through ten, the writer focuses on many aspects of Jesus and his life, using what I believe is an unusual approach which is very interesting and leaves much to think about. The writer believed his audience was faced with deciding whether they would stick with Judaism or change to Christianity and makes a good case for becoming Christians because of Jesus and his impact on their lives. He compares the Old Testament with life’s advantages to living in the present—the life of those who lived after Jesus’ time.  He maintained it was far better than those who lived during Old Testament times.

Have you thought much about the meaning of faith? In Chapter 11 the writer discusses true faith. He defines it in the above verses, and further examines it by relating the faith of numerous men in the Bible who counted on their faith in order to trust in God’s promises. Some promises were kept, some never materialized, but these people kept their faith.  Some never saw results during their lifetime, but they were fulfilled by God, nevertheless.

In the remaining Chapters 12 and 13, he goes into more details about faith and what these men interpreted as God’s promises, the New Covenant, and more about the vivid contrast between Old Testament Judaism and New Covenant Christianity--why Christianity is so much better for everyone. He writes of the new kingdom and what is required of mankind to be a part of it. So much of what he says can so easily be applied to our present contemporary Christianity and what the future holds for all Christians, when God’s promise to all who are faithful, is fulfilled.

If you, like me haven’t read Hebrews…or it’s been a long time since you’ve read it, please do so! It is written in such a way that you must take the time to think about it and appreciate it as being just a little, or perhaps even a lot different from what we are used to. I enjoyed it!

Diane Feaganes

Devotional 8-2-19

Hope from the Shoot

Being a parent is difficult no matter what the child’s age.  Hosea 11: 1-11 reminds us of God’s love for Israel.  The more He tried, the more they disobeyed.  His love is strong but they do not appreciate that love. He tries many different approaches such as “Tough Love,” but they even begin to worship false idols.  God searches for the delicate balance in order to nurture, teach, instill discipline, and love for one another.

This balance is the greatest goal that any parent must face.  In today’s society, this challenge of being a parent is especially difficult. It can be a heart breaking experience and totally devastating because of the current drug crisis that has attacked our population. Some parents are blessed with that wonderful balance and never have to deal with the worship of the “drug idol.”  I am one of the blessed in raising my daughter, but I have seen close parents “wail” at the total agony in seeing their child being literally swallowed by the addiction of drugs. They struggle to help but to no avail. Any child can succumb, there is no “type.” The worship of this idol means more than family or parent. I saw some parents totally give up.

As a high school counselor, I remember that for quite a while the popular approach of the philosophy of so called “tough love” was recommended.  God tried this with his children but eventually decided that was not the answer.  The answer was not to abandon but to love.  The approach changed in society so that help was love, understanding, and support.

In Colossians 3: 1-11 God wants us to be aware of the following: the power of prayer, the cross, power of forgiveness, the depth of his love, and need for patience.  All of these are characteristics of a Christian. Only through the acceptance of a higher power can we keep that parent’s love strong. I have seen this acceptance eventually give a parent peace in dealing with the devastation.  The child eventually accepting Grace from God in his life. It can sometimes take years but the patience and love of a parent can help it happen.

In Isaiah 11: we learn that the royal line of David will be chopped down like a tree but from the stump will grow a shoot.  This shoot will be Hope of the coming of the Jesus.  He will bring hope and love to the people   What greater love can parent give than the Hope of God’s Grace as God gave the people of Israel?

 

Carol L. Brown