The Fruit is Righteousness

One man’s wisdom is another man’s foolishness.
Seek wisdom from above.

Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding;
For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.   ~Proverbs 2:2-5

Wisdom is seen in actions.
Wisdom is the working out of knowledge.
What do you know?

“Actions speak louder than words.”

Who among you is wise and understanding?
Let him show by his good behavior, his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.   ~James 3:15

The fool believes in his heart,
“God has given me great wisdom,”
As he moves among others stirring strife.

The fool boasts, but his actions show the origin of his knowledge. 

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.  This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.  ~James 3:15-16

Wisdom from above leads to peace, gentleness,
And the building up of one another.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.  ~James 3:17

If you’re wondering where you are in life;
Check out the origin of your knowledge.
Are you standing on His Word?
Are you looking to His ways for counsel?
Only in Him will you walk in wisdom.
You may think you’re wise, but look around. 
Your actions are the proof in the pudding. 
What seeds are you sowing? 
The seed which leads to righteousness is sown in peace. 
Wisdom from above is without hypocrisy.

Father, forgive my hypocritical ways. 
Let me see clearly where you are leading; and help me to only sow seeds which will bring forth righteousness.  Let me bring You glory in ALL I say and do.  Open my eyes to see. 
Keep me from foolish ways which so easily entangle. 
Lord, help me follow more closely to You.

Waiting for God

The scriptures have been searched.

The prayers have been spoken…and continue to be.

The results…still waiting.

Hello Lord, it’s me your child
I have a few things on my mind
Right now I’m faced with big decisions
And I’m wondering if you have a minute, cuz
Right now I don’t hear so well
And I was wondering if you could speak up

I know that you tore the veil
So I could sit with you in person
And hear what you’re saying but
Right now, I just can’t hear you.

I don’t doubt your sovereignty
I doubt my own ability to
Hear what you’re saying
And to do the right thing
And I desperately want to do the right thing
But right now I don’t hear so well
And I was wondering if you could speak up

I know that you tore the veil
So I could sit with you in person
And hear what you’re saying but
Right now, I just can’t hear you.

And somewhere in the back of my mind
I think you are telling me to wait
And though patience has never been mine
Lord, I will wait to hear from you
Oh Lord, I’m waiting on you

Right now I don’t hear so well
And I was wondering if you could speak up

I know that you tore the veil
So I could sit with you in person
And hear what you’re saying but
Right now, I think you’re whispering

~Sara Groves

Don’t Run Too Quickly

“Be open to looking at everything in your life. Don’t run too quickly from disturbing events and insights into an affirmation of your faith that’s more contrived than real. Let your mind explore the hard issues that provoke some really unsettling questions in order to provoke a more trusting awareness of Christ.”

~Larry Crabb, Inside Out

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
~Proverbs 3:5-6

To Be Silent

I’m wondering when words will come…

It’s been a while since I’ve felt there’s much to say.

I’m reading, thinking, praying, hoping. I am in communion with God and loving the intimacy of the relationship. And usually that has brought many words spilling forth to share. But, not now.

Now…there is a quietness.
Rest for the weary?

Yeah. I think so.

I keep hearing Him say, ”Be still and know.”

I think I better listen.

I’ll be back when He’s loosened my tongue, but until then…

I’m resting in Him.

There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under heaven…
a time to be silent and a time to speak.

The Vine Life

We moved into our house ten years ago. (Wow, time flies!)

I remember the first night lying in bed talking with Phat, “Can you believe we live here!?!” It was nothing fancy, but very well maintained. The owner didn’t have an eye for decorating or landscaping, but she did believe in having the best quality. So, although I had mega-plans to fix up the place, the bones were already there.

After stripping the kitchen of the old wallpaper (HUGE job!), I decided to paint and stencil. Ten years later I still love the color and design. I won’t be changing it anytime soon. Green on green with flowing vines and the scripture, “I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, shall bear much fruit.”

It’s a life-changing verse.
It’s the main point of life with Christ. 
Abiding…in The Vine.

“All of nature depends on hidden resources. The great trees send their roots down into the earth to draw up water and minerals. Rivers have their sources in the snow-capped mountains. The most important part of a tree is the part you cannot see, the root system, and the most important part of the Christian’s life is the part that only God sees. Unless we draw upon the deep resources of God by faith, we fail against the pressures of life…’I can–through Christ!’ was Paul’s motto.”

Philippians 4:13:
“I am ready for anything through the strength of the One who lives in me.” (JBP)
“I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.” (The Living Bible)
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (NASB)

“No matter which translation you prefer, they all say the same thing: the Christian has all the power within that he needs to be adequate for the demands of life. We need only release this power by faith….

For many years, Hudson Taylor worked hard and felt that he was trusting Christ to meet his needs, but somehow he had no joy or liberty in his ministry. Then a letter from a friend opened his eyes to the adequacy of Christ. ‘It is not by trusting my own faithfulness, but by looking away to the Faithful One!’ he said. This was a turning point in his life. Moment by moment, he drew upon the power of Christ for every responsibility of the day, and Christ’s power carried him through.

Jesus teaches this same lesson in the sermon on the vine and branches in John 15. He is the Vine; we are the branches. A branch is good only for bearing fruit; otherwise you may as well burn it. The branch does not bear fruit through its own self-effort, but by drawing upon the life of the Vine. ‘Without Me, you can do nothing’ (John 15:5). As the believer maintains his communion with Christ, the power of God is there to see him through. ‘I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency’ (Phil. 4:13, AMP).”   ~Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Joyful.

Abiding.
It’s the secret of the abundant life.  I placed it on the wall so I would be ever mindful…only in Him who gives me strength.
The Vine Life.

Those Gentiles!

That would be me.
Yes. I am a Gentile.
But, I always wanted to be Jewish.  However, God didn’t see it that way.
And since He is the one who determines who will be…and where…and when…
I’ll leave that alone.

Why, you ask, would I want to be Jewish? 

Who in their right mind would want to be Jewish with all the persecution they have endured throughout the ages?

Me.

Yes, me.  You  see, I understand God chose to reveal Himself to a people He set apart for His purpose.  He chose to work through the Jewish nation.  And to have that rich heritage, to be a part of a chosen people…not through conversion, but through birth…wow.  It’s always been a longing of my heart.

I believe the difference between Christian and Jew is the point of Christ. Jews do not believe Jesus is the Messiah. Christians do. It is that simple. And so, if I were Jewish I would have a better understanding of my Christian faith, by virtue of having learned the Law and the Prophets. The Exodus…the Tabernacle…the Feasts…so many beautiful types (pictures) of Christ are found in Jewish history and heritage.  Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.  Jesus was Jewish.

At this time in History (His story), we are living under Grace, not Law. It is “the time of the Gentiles” as the New Testament describes the Church Age:  the time between Jesus’ life, death and resurrection all the way to “the Day of the Lord” — whenever that may be.

To understand life through the writers of the New Testament, it’s necessary to see that the Gentiles did not believe in One God.  They believed in a plethora of gods.  At that time in history only the Jewish people were monotheistic.

Paul describes the Gentiles this way:

So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. ~Ephesians 4:17-19

Wow. Let me make this clear, in case it didn’t quite sink in:

Their thinking is futile.
Their understanding is darkness.
They are alienated from the life of God.
They are ignorant.
They have hard hearts.
They are callous.
They have given themselves over to indecency.
They want more and more and more of every kind of impurity.

If that is not the definition of “lost” then I’m not sure what is!

He’s talking about my ancestors and yours (unless, of course, you’re privileged to be Jewish).

But, Paul is also talking about anyone who does not, still, know God.
On this side of the cross, we ALL have a chance to know Him. 
He made a way, through His Son, for those of us who were far off from the promises of God to come near. 

We can partake of the goodness of God. 
We can know Him intimately. 
We can walk out of darkness and into light.

And the other point: Christians can live like that description, if we’re not careful. 

Paul said, “So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do.” 

That may have been where we came from, but it’s not where we are anymore. 

Now, we have taken on the name of Christ. 
Now, we have obtained the life of God.
Now, we are to be walking in the light as He is in the light.

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.  The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
~Romans 13:12-13

How He Loves Us

Can’t quit singin’ this song.
I know you’ve all heard it, but it’s all that my heart has to say…

He is jealous for me
Love’s like a hurricane,
I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of
His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great Your affections are for me.

Oh, how He loves us so
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us so.
(x2)

Yeah, He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves.
(x2)

We are His portion and
He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption
by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns
violently inside of my chest
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way

He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
OH, how He loves
(x2)

A Defintion

Grace in not earned.  It’s given. 

We are poor in spirit. 
Nothing good dwells in us. 
We are hopelessly lost without a Savior.

Our poverty of spirit may be seen in the picture of a little girl (or boy) all alone and desperate for help.  She’s been used and abused.  She’s dirty and unable to do anything for herself.  Huddled in a corner of a brokendown alley with garbage scattered about, she’s afraid.  The relentless fear of what may be in the darkness keeps her cowered.  The fear feeds her soul.  She’s crying. Not loud sobs…those have come and gone.  But a steady stream of tears flow down her face as she realizes she can do nothing to save herself. 

Hungry, filthy, worn-out. 
Nothing to give.

BUT, God.

Rich in mercy, compassion, patience, forgiveness.
The epitome of LOVE personified.

But, GOD steps into the alley of despair.  He lifts up the poor child and carries her away.  He cleanses her.  He feeds her food she’s been desperate to eat.  Food which fills and restores her ravaged body.  He holds the child close and cares for her every need…never leaving her alone.

Grace bestowed.

The Cloak of Self-Protection

More thoughtful analysis from the book, Inside Out:

The inside look that brings about real change is unnerving, and it should be. The diagnosis of sin is not a pleasant one, and we tend to resist it whenever we can, preferring to think we’ve come farther than we have. 

We simply must get to the core of the matter. The kind of change that most delights our Lord will never occur as long as we fuss only with sin in behavior or pain in the heart. Sin in the heart must be uncovered, looked at, and dealt with. When we understand we’re thirsty people who foolishly go in the wrong directions to find water, then we can look at our style of relating with the openness to recognizing a demanding, self-protective motive beneath our actions.

But we won’t see these wrong directions on our own, any more than a coal miner will see where to dig without the help of a flashlight. Disciplined people won’t recognize their protective (and unappealing) rigidity without help. Analytic types will fail to see that their cool logic, far from being admired, discourages those who would like to be close friends. Successful extroverts may go through life thinking everyone enjoys their social noise. Shy people may continue to regard themselves as quiet because of temperament and never see that their quietness is a protective cloak.

We need help to see ourself clearly. When we’re serious about taking an inside look, God provides three sources of light:

1. The Spirit of God,
2. The Word of God,
3. The People of God.

Each resource can be used to replace the blindness of self-deceit with the clear vision of integrity. ~Larry Crabb

Self-protection is an easy place to run to when one has been hurt over and over again.  I’m one of those people who was hurt early in life from abuse (not an excuse just a reason).  This has helped to solidify in my mind that all people are not safe people.  And I have chosen to protect myself.  I hid behind my anger for many years.  Then I turned it inward and became depressed. 

God has done an amazing work in me.  I am learning to become vulnerable.  The Spirit of God works within the heart and mind searching deeply.  He reveals the hidden darkness, the ugly ways of relating.   

And I have learned to love The Word of God.  I’ve delved deeply into the intricacies of His Word to, hopefully, gain more of His mind.  I pray that I will be washed with the water of His word.  And I’m finding more and more His delight in answering that prayer. 

But, getting close to the People of God has not been easy.  That’s where the hurt can begin…again.    

We’re all sinners.  Each one of us on this earth is sinful.  Some of us are redeemed and some are not.  God’s people are redeemed.  But that doesn’t mean that they’re always nice!  I mean, the old saying, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread,” seems to be apropos in the way we deal with one another in the church.  Lots of us think we have been given the title “Holy Spirit” and we choose to speak for Him at will…and I’m not talking about His will!

Hurt people hurt people.
It’s another old saying, but very true and well worth remembering. 

I like what Crabb has to say.  But, that third source of light…hmmmm…it has become harder and harder to trust.  I wonder how much more effective we would be in the church if we would truly follow the exhortations in scripture?

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how you should answer everyone.
Colossians 4:6

Some would quickly answer, “But salt stings!” as an excuse for their biting ways.  To them I say, “Delve deeply into the Word.” 

Gracious:   that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech…good will, loving-kindness, favour

Salt:  salt is a symbol of lasting concord, because it protects food from putrefaction and preserves it unchanged….wisdom and grace exhibited in speech

So…what are the characteristics of gracious speech? 

A sweetness that is delightful to the ears. 
A charm that is lovely, not deceitful. 
A pleasure that gives joy in the hearing.

Words which preserve fellowship.
Wise words full of lovingkindness for all.

I desire an inside look and am actively pursuing that goal, learning how to move past my self-protective ways.  In this walk of sanctification we’re taking together, let’s (the Church) learn to be gracious with one another.  It is hard to be vulnerable.  Some of us are hurting, deeply.  We need gentle care to be able to heal.

Do not tread where angels fear to go.

Time’s A-Wastin’!

I was sleeping so well.  Completely relaxed and having wonderful dreams.  Happy to escape life through a few hours of slumber. 

It’s not a bad thing.  It’s necessary for survival…to rest…relax…regain strength.

However, too much of a good thing can turn to overindulgence. Moderation in all things, right?
The person who sleeps too much is also called lazy. 

I’ve been contemplating the words from Romans 13:

Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that! If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God’s law.  For the commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting––and any other commandment––are all summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God’s requirements.  

Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don’t live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light.  We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don’t participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy.  But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don’t think of ways to indulge your evil desires.

Another reason for right living is that you know how late it is; time is running out.
Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 
The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here.

Sleep allows us to put responsibilities on hold. Sure, I’ll take a nap when my body needs rest. But, sometimes, when I just want to quit thinking, I’ll catch 40 winks. It’s a great way to stop caring for a while, to give myself a break.

Sleep, in this passage, is much the same. It is spiritual apathy. It is possible to fall asleep in our journey of salvation.  We may choose to put “right living” on the shelf and clothe ourselves in darkness for a time, but Paul is calling the Roman Christians (and us) to wake up. To remember.

Remember, we are people of the day. The night is almost over and we need to be ready, clothed in the armor of right living.  As we’re sleeping we’re missing opportunities to be the light He’s called us to be.  If this weren’t the case, then Paul would not have needed to remind Christians to wake up. 

If you’re snoozing, don’t nap long. 
Time’s a-wastin’!

Wake up, O Sleeper!