Tag: trusting

De-Vine

De-Vine

22 September 2020

Isaiah 5:1–7; John 15:1–8; Romans 11:13–25

If you’ve seen ivy or even “domesticated” wisteria and clematis that have been allowed to run free, you can envision a people out of control. A vine does what it does best…spread. There are other plants like the Western Pacific Northwest’s ubiquitous blackberry vines, or the (what becomes) noxious mint plant.

I like blackberries. I like mint. However, their plants can leave a lot to be desired. If left unchecked, they will conquer a yard (or in the case of the blackberry, the state). I have seen ivy plants choke off and kill beautiful pine trees. I have seen wisteria “worm” its way into decks until the deck is deformed and needs repair.

If left alone, most plants go “wild”. A wise and experienced pruner (or gardener or vinedresser or arborist, etc.) will prune and trim to guide the plant toward optimal growth. Interestingly, the vision of different pruners will result in plants that can look similar or can look wildly different.

A pruner may choose to prune what seems to be good young fruit because they can see that the branch on which that fruit grows may be endangered or will later endanger other branches and fruit if allowed to grow. Even successful fruit growing branches may be pruned.

One of the concerns regarding Christians is that many think that once they are on the vine of Jesus, they’ve arrived. Arrival only happens when we stand before the throne of grace and have to answer for what we have done with the gifts and graces that God had given us.

There are some who think they are like the vines in Isaiah that are secure behind protective bushes and thick walls. Those that think they are so protected often succumb to arrogance and laziness. This can be because they think they are the “city on the hill” or a “blessed nation”.

Others think that because they produce “good” fruit that there will be no trimming or pruning involved. They are firmly based on the “root” (Jesus). They may receive even more trimming and pruning to increase their production of good fruit. The sad part is what fruit might be lost during that pruning. For God’s greater glory, however, such pruning may be necessary.

The last group is a cautionary tale for us all. Paul addresses the Israelites who have been trimmed from the trunk. Paul addresses the Gentiles who have been grafted into the trunk. Over time those grafts are almost as if they were always part of the trunk. Those grafts, however, can be removed.

There is no surety of maintaining one’s grafting except relying fully on God. The arrogance of being the original (the Jews/Israelites) or the grafted (the Gentiles) is a barrier to bring the unbranched (those that do not yet know Jesus as Lord and Savior), and (honestly) is a barrier to one’s relationship with God.

There is the surety in trusting in God and salvation through Jesus. There is the danger when that trust turns into an illness that turns hearts away from God.

※ Questions ※

1) What or where is God pruning in your life?

2) Is God’s pruning where there is fruit, or is God pruning where there is wildness (not conforming to God’s plan)?

3) How does arrogance or presumption affect one’s salvation relationship with God? How does it impact what others hear/see about God?

※ Prayer ※

Lord, may we be aware of what you are pruning in our lives. Help us to be faithfully and hopefully looking for what will happen as a result. Amen.

2020-09-22
Fruit Basket

Daniel 3:8–30; Matthew 7:15–20; Revelation 20:11–15

Thinking about fire is often not comfortable. Homes burn. Forests burn.

On the other hand, metal is purified through fire. Through that fire, many beautiful and amazing things are made.

Just like in our own lives, fire serves different purposes in the Scriptures. The number of times it is mentioned is numerous.

Most of us are familiar with the story of the three companions of Daniel tossed into the fiery “pit”. Nebuchadnezzar (though really those around him) used it to kill the three. Instead, God used it to show God’s power and might, and the protection of those loyal.

This is not to say that we should all jump into fiery pits. On the other hand, the world is full of many other kinds of fiery pits.

There is a thin line between a fire of refinement, and a fire of destruction. Without God’s saving hand Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would have died. That is often the case with us.

Yet, Jesus drew a different picture. Jesus’ picture was that of fruitless lives. For those who view themselves harshly, these words of Jesus are hard. They can even be faith-destroying.

What is good fruit? Is it only the fruits of the Spirit? Is it only disciples? Is it only baptisms? Is it only giving water to the thirsty? Is it only loving the unloved?

The hard question for too many Christians is not what good fruit is, but what is enough good fruit. If a parent has five children, and only 2 follow the Lord, is that enough good fruit?

If one is joy-filled and generous of heart but doesn’t “see” a single person come to Christ through them, are they still producing good fruit?

If you are one of the blessed that doesn’t view life through the how much is good enough lens, be grateful that you aren’t, and be grace-filled toward those who are.

In a performance-based culture, such as in the United States, how much fruit is not a small question. For many, this may indeed be why they shy away from faith and faith questions. If you will be judge by how much fruit, why walk into a judgmental situation?

The flip side of this is also bad. Not counting the fruit has other issues, such as not equipping, discipling, and holding one another accountable. This flip side has also become an issue in the church. In not counting the fruit, it’s hard to evaluate (including, but not only, self-evaluation) one’s spiritual life.

The fact of fruit (or lack thereof), the quality of fruit, and the quantity of fruit are all valid questions that Christians should ask of themselves and others. Truth must be balanced in love and grace; that way we are all willing to hear and confront the truth.

※Prayer※

Lord Jesus, if our hearts our weighed by the thought of fruit, lighten our load. Holy Spirit, guide and prune us that we produce fruit for God’s glory. Father God, we put our very being into your hands, trusting you with your creation. Amen.

※Questions※

1)Do you ever count your fruit? Why or why not?

2) Evaluate your fruit right now. After “evaluating” your fruit, what is your conclusion?

3) How does the fire of refinement and destruction apply to producing fruit?

2020-07-17
Living Out Love

1 Thessalonians 4:13–14; 1 Corinthians 13:4–13; James 1:22–25 (read online ⧉)

The well-known atheist, Christopher Hitchens, had many debates (philosophical, scientific) with Christians. During at least one (and probably many) of the debates, he was asked what his hope was or what hope his view delivered, and he answered honestly…none.

The world always needs hope. Sermons and devotionals are only to be the groundwork for Christians living out their hope. How one lives out hope is therefore very important. Hope is not just a state of mind or state of being. If we state we have hope and yet live as if we have none, then our hope is a lie and we are hypocrites.

Paul states that love is the greatest of the great three: faith, hope, love. However, love cannot just be said; it must be done. James’ concern was that people said a lot of things, but did little in response. Today is not that different. Christians say love a lot.

One could say, especially in this day and age, that hope is love lived out. Without love, hope is blind optimism for the future. In love, hope finds its ultimate fulfillment in knowing and trusting God.

How this often will work out is helping another person not out of obligation or expectation (especially of reciprocation), but out of hope that they will see Jesus Christ in and through you.

This means that people who are different than us (especially in regards to motivations and situations) will still receive hope through the love we show them when we aid or even simply listen to their story.

Through hope, honest and true hope in the Living God, we are able to be non-judgmental, not because we actually are, but because we trust in the loving and merciful judgment of God. This is also why phrases such as, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” are often so dangerous, for people live out a hope-LESS response for they only know or hear of God’s anger, and never learn about the motivation of God’s anger…love.

As we watch a slower than desired “return to normal”, and as friends, family, and some of us are experiencing financial struggles due to a weakening economy, being overcome by fear, hopelessness, pessimism, and cynicism is easy. Being the hope-filled people that God has made us to be is counter-cultural. This is a good thing.

※※ A Prayer of Augustine ※※
Now it is you alone that I love,
you alone that I follow,
you alone that I seek,
you alone that I feel ready to serve,
because you alone rule justly.
It is to your authority alone that I want to submit.
Command me, I pray, to do whatever you will,
but heal and open my ears
that I may hear your voice.
Heal and open my eyes
that I may see your will.
Drive out from me
all fickleness,
that I may acknowledge you alone.
Tell me where to look
that I may see you,
and I will place my hope in doing your will. Amen

※※ Questions ※※
1) What can you point to in your living (rather than your words) that show you have hope?
2) Is there a difference between optimism and living in hope? How do you tell the difference in a person’s life?
3) How is hope counter-cultural?

2020-05-11
Ways of Speech

Psalm 1; Exodus 13:3–8; Hebrews 1:1–4 (read online ⧉)

There is no one way that God speaks, and no one person by whom God speaks.

The author of Hebrews recalled all the prophets that we have in the Scriptures. In addition, there were the Jewish leaders and teachers that went before that the author also had in mind. Often we think only of the great and lesser prophets (those we have written in the Scriptures), and less about those who guided both the collection of the Scriptures, recognition of God speaking through certain Scriptures, and who guided those that followed after them.

The Christian church really is no different in that regard. Sometimes they are called the Doctors of the Faith (those whose thoughts are foundational of Christian thinking and theology). Sometimes they are called theologians (people who study the work of God). Sometimes they are called philosophers (those think about meaning). Sometimes they are called pastors. Sometimes they are called believers.

Often God speaks through people in a still small voice that we do not recognize as being God until long after they have gone. Sometimes we don’t recognize those that have spoken God into our lives, and we may not until we reach the other side.

Jesus, however, was something altogether different. In the other 2 Abrahamic traditions, Jesus is only a prophet. This is important for prophets are fallible people, just like you and me, even while they are inspired by God. If Jesus is only a prophet, then we have a problem. If Jesus is who he says he is, then we are blessed to know him.

In this age of many voices, we can be drawn away from God at anytime. It is only by knowing and trusting him that we can maintain our walk with him. This is where we often have to choose and it may feel like we are just stabbing in the dark. This is also where we need to walk alongside one another to lift up and encourage one another in the faith.

Precious Father, we give you all the glory and honor we can, even when we feel as if we are not worthy of your love. Jesus, we thank you for the life of love that you lived for us, that we could see God’s love lived out. Holy Spirit, continue to counsel us into the perfect truth that is you, the Triune God.

1) In the current crisis, what doubts do you struggle with? How are you managing them?

2) Who, in your life, has provided the greatest impact regarding your walk with God?

3) What do/would you say to someone that believes that God no longer speaks or that does not believe that God ever spoke?

2020-04-20
Giving and Moving

Genesis 22:1-19; Hebrews 11:13-19; Psalm 105-37-45

The almost sacrifice of Isaac is, for many, one of the hardest passages of scripture to read. Those who are parents cannot imagine being God asking Abraham to do this. Those who are parents cannot imagine being Abraham and being asked to do this. Note the “ask”. In English translations, we often lose a Hebrew grammar article, נָא (na’). It makes the “take” into, “please take.” Then God says, “…your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love…”.

As the child of God’s promise, Isaac is Abraham’s “true” son. There is no other child of the promise. Isaac is not just a child of the promise to Abraham, but also to God. And God knows how much Abraham loves Isaac.

Isaac. We don’t know much about either’s thoughts during their trip to Moriah. Isaac trusted his father. At this point, too, Abraham was quite old—his prime behind him—and Isaac was probably an older teenager—entering his prime. Scripture doesn’t say that Isaac fought his father. Isaac trusted his father and allowed (it seems) himself to be bound and placed on the pile of sticks. Culturally, this was not abnormal. Child sacrifices to harsh and unpredictable gods was normal.

As Christians, looking back, we cannot help but see Abraham as a vision of God the Father, and Isaac as God the Son (Jesus). The loving father sacrificing his son; the loving son trusting his father.

As the author of Hebrews notes, Abraham was promised that his descendants of the promise would come from Isaac. Abraham probably didn’t understand, but he had walked long enough with God, that even in the time of trial, pain, and confusion, he still trusted.

1) Have you, or someone you know, had a crisis of belief, where your choice was to follow God or give up on your dreams or hopes?

2) What did that crisis teach you about God?

3) What did that crisis teach you about others?

4) What did that crisis teach you about yourself?

2020-03-10
Restart and Reset

Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16; Romans 4:13–25; Mark 8:31–38 (read online ⧉)

We celebrate people who reach the 100-year mark (or more). Reporters will ask how they’ve lived so long, and the person will say that they never did such-and-such, or always did such-and-such, or that it is all about perspective. We are amazed at their age. Of course, we are always seeing the once who are out-and-about and doing pretty well.

If you asked any of them if they would like to have a child at their age, I’m sure they would look you as if you were crazy. Start all over again as a parent?

Yet, here God is telling Abram, now Abraham, that he was going to be a dad…again. And 90-year old Sarai, now Sarah, will bear her first child.

To top it all off, Abraham and Sarah would be the ancestors of nations! To see the proof of being ancestors to nations, Abraham and Sarah would either have to live a very long time, or they could trust God. They did live a long time, but neither saw a grandchild from their son. They could only trust God.

Trust and faith. By trusting God, God called Abraham righteous. Abraham trusted God, as God trustworthy, thus Abraham had faith that God’s promise would be fulfilled. While Abraham had a long walk in faith, there were probably many things he questioned as to God’s plan.

Peter opened up with his doubts. He “knew” that God’s plan was wrong. Jesus corrects him swiftly and with brutal honesty. Jesus then takes that and expands upon it. Jesus tells his disciples that there is a “cross” for each of us to bear. Yet it is by carrying our cross that we step in concert with God…a faithful walk.

1) Paul writes about Abraham’s faithful walk with God. Why was Paul so adamant that faith was the driving force, rather than acts? How does this inform your walk with God?

2) When you read about “picking up your cross”, what does that mean to you?

3) As we “walk to the cross” through the time of Lent, is it time for you to lay down the cross you carry now, and pick up a new one?

2020-03-08
Plan Pushing
Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 16:1-6; Romans 4:1-12 (read online ⧉)

The story of Sarai and Hagar is strange. Did Abram not trust God to give him a son through Sarai? Or did they (Abram and Sarai) assume that as Sarai was not conceiving that this would be fulfilled through Hagar? It wasn’t, from their perspective, unreasonable. Yet, as we know by reading further along in Genesis, that this really wasn’t God’s intent for Abram and Sarai.

Abram and Sarai rushed God’s plan. That is not to say that Abram was not being faithful or not trusting God, but that his limited understanding caused him to follow a path that was not God’s intent. Paul suggests that the union of Abram and Haggar was an event of human works. It is only the union of Abram and Sarai that truly fulfills the promises of God to Abram.

Another way to say this is that God blessed Abram’s union with Hagar, because Abram was still in relationship with God. However, the fulfillment of God’s promise and blessing was fulfilled through Abram and Sarai.
1. Have you ever rushed God’s plan?
2. Has God ever honored a decision you made, despite it not being what God revealed to you? If so, once you got back on the path God laid out for you, what happened?
3. Why do we tend to trust that we “know” in the physical world (such as Abram and Hagar having a child), rather than trusting in God’s promises (such as Abram and Sarai having a child)?
2020-03-06
The Tension of Pain and Joy

Job 4:1-21, Psalm 77, Ephesians 2:1-10 (read online ⧉)

Job’s friend, Eliphaz, was one of 4 friends that came to visit Job in his time of trouble. While, ultimately, they misspoke of God, at other times they spoke truth of God and Job. Eliphaz told Job that he was a teacher of God and a faithful believer. Wouldn’t we all want people to say these things of us? Yet, then he lectures Job about Job lamenting his situation. This exact pattern is something we have all experienced, and probably even followed.

There has been a tendency to lecture people who are in emotional, spiritual, and/or physical pain that they need to be more joyful, more trusting, more faithful. When we look at all the woeful, lamenting words of Job, including even his questioning of God (and where God was in all of his troubles), Job did not sin. It is not to say that Job never sinned, but in the words that we have from him, he did not sin. There is something important here. It is okay to mourn, grieve, lament.
Part of Lent is the aura of mourning, grieving, and lamenting. The overarching theme of Lent is that we know what is coming, Good Friday. The reason for Good Friday is worth mourning, grieving, and lamenting. The reason is sin. Sin was so deep and so pervasive only God breaking in could fix it. On the cross, the Son of God died.

Under it all, it wasn’t that Job stopped trusting God, it was that he was hurting. Despite the anguish of Lent, underlying it there still remains truth and joy.

“…God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…”

We must disregard the mourning, grieving, and lamenting of Lent, for when we do, we undermine the truth of Good Friday.

1) Do you find it difficult to be joyful while grieving, mourning, or while in pain?

2) At what point, do you think, our lamenting (grieving, mourning or pain) turns into something that dishonors God?

2020-03-02
Long Trust

Psalm 25:1-10, Genesis 9:8–17, 1 Peter 3:18–22, Mark 1:9–15 (read online ⧉)

Trusting God, and placing your trust in God, is a major theme of Scripture. Trusting of God is not always obvious in what we read. Scripture doesn’t tell us much about the time between God’s call on Noah (build the ark), and the moment Noah stepped foot on the ark with the rain falling. Noah may not have been the only believer in God, but God had singled him out beyond all others. What does Noah get for being singled out? A 100-year building project.

Many people have a long term project sitting around. Sometimes it is a car sitting in the garage that has been worked on (or not) over the years, and perhaps even been moved when moving houses. It could be that project house that never quite finishes. Imagine Noah’s wife and this project. Her patience, along with Noah’s, must have been tried many times over the years with this building project. Noah’s trust in God would have had to carry him, and probably his entire family, through this building project.

Peter talks about the patience of God during the 100 years of building and the time during the flood. Yet it isn’t just God’s patience, but Noah’s trust as well. Noah’s trust lasted a long time. Peter’s point is that when we are baptized, we are trusting that through putting our faith in Jesus, we will be Heaven with him one day, and that he saves us not just at that point in time, but continually. Jesus himself shows his trust in God as the story in Mark shows. After his baptism, Jesus trusts God in the desert by relying on God for sustenance.

1) If we look at these 3 people—Noah, Peter, Jesus—in the bible, we can question our trust. Do we trust God as much as they did?

2) When have you found yourself not trusting God? What were you putting your trust in at that time?

3) Have you ever experienced a time that you trusted God, and were called crazy or immature for trusting God?

2020-03-01
Trust and Temptation

Genesis 3:1–20, James 1:12–16, Hebrews 2:13–18 (read online ⧉)

The reality is that humanity has a hard time trusting God. The story of Adam and Eve is a great allegory of humanity and trust. Adam, especially, should have trusted God wholeheartedly. Eve, too, should have trusted God and should have trusted Adam. However, Eve listened to the serpent. Adam, in turn, listened to Eve. They who had access to God as they did still trusted someone else over God. Part of this, it seems, is immediacy. The serpent was in their immediate surroundings. This is why the world can be dangerous to our spiritual well-being. We are in it. It has immediacy in our lives. It can pull us away from God. Even when we fully believe that we trust God, the world can still pull us away. Sometimes it will be little things. Sometimes it will be big things.

This awareness becomes important as we go through life. One of our big temptations, as we saw in the story of Adam and Eve is to blame other people. However, if we do that too much, people begin to avoid us. We, needing affection, will often turn to something else to blame. Sometimes we’ll blame political parties or government (yes, it involves people, but generally people who are disconnected from our daily lives). Sometimes we’ll blame chance. As James points out, however, we also blame God. People have blamed God for the temptation of Adam and Eve. “God should have known and prevented it,” they’ll say. “And, since God didn’t prevent it, God cannot be good, and must be evil…” Yes, it goes downhill quickly. James is making that exact point. For once it is God’s fault that we are tempted, the slippery slope down to God is evil comes into play. It’s not that you couldn’t stop there, but that many can’t. There are certain Christian traditions that say (in effect) that while God perfectly controls all things, and while God is not evil, there is still evil, so it’s a mystery.

That doesn’t, let’s be honest, work very well. It also put into doubt as shown by the passage in Hebrews. None of us want to be tempted. So, if Jesus (the Son of God, and part of the Triune God) is tempted, that would mean that God wants God to be tempted. If we, who are fallen and sinful, don’t want to be tempted, why would God want to be tempted? It is here that we have to make a turn. God’s holiness isn’t diminished by temptation, it would be diminished if temptation was succumbed to. As Jesus didn’t succumb to temptation, Jesus’ holiness wasn’t diminished. So, what does this have to do with trust? Jesus, as a man, trusted God’s plan, and leaned on that and his love of God and his knowledge that God loved him. Jesus was tempted in alignment with God’s plan, not because God wanted the temptation to occur, but to show that Jesus was both God and man, showing people that God loved the Creation and was willing to die for it.

1) How do your own temptations inhibit your trust of other people? How about your trust of God?

2) How does temptation and blame go together? Why do you think that is?

3) Other than the basic, “God is not evil,” why is it a dangerous practice spiritually to blame God?

Action: Decide on one (and only one) temptation to place before God. Surrender it. Pray about it and surrender it every day.

2020-02-13