Good and Bad Trees (Matthew Ch 7)

May 19, 2012 in Devotions with 0 Comments

Good tree Good fruit

Matthew 7:18 says:

A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.

Jesus said if want to know what sort of tree it is you are looking at, examine the fruit. What he was saying was this, if you want to know what sort of person someone is, examine the fruit of their life.

The fruit of both a tree and a person’s life is the telltale sign for what is really going on in their life. It reveals all because a bad tree won’t produce good fruit and a good tree won’t produce bad fruit.

Sometimes we come across people whom we are unsure whether to trust them, spend time with them, build a friendship with them or enter into a business dealing. How do I make an assessment of this person’s life? How do I decide what to do? I examine the fruit.

What sort of fruit should we examine?

  • Integrity – are they are person of their word? Will they follow through on what they say?
  • Relationships – how do they relate to others? How do they treat their family? Do they have a list of broken relationships behind them?
  • Words – do their words reveal something about their heart? Are they bitter? Are they vulgar? Are they rude?
  • Trustworthy – are they trustworthy? Do they trust others? Do you witness others show ongoing trust in them?
  • Gossip – do they boat mouth others? chances are they will bad mouth you too

And there are plenty more.

If the fruit declares to us what sort of tree we have, how do we go about ensuring the tree is a good one?

Look at Matthew 7:21-23. Verse 23 says

And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

A good tree is one that knows God and is known by God. A good tree is not one who can “do ministry” in Jesus name, but one who is in relationship with Jesus himself. That person will produce good and lasting fruit because the foundation of their life is “the life” Himself, Jesus.

If you want to change the fruit in your life, seek Jesus and walk in relationship with Him.

photo by: Adam E. Cole

Abraham’s Testing (Genesis 22)

May 17, 2012 in Devotions with 0 Comments

the testing of God

Genesis 22:1-2 (NIV) says:

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

When did God test Abraham? “Some time later”.

The testing of God never comes when you expect it to. But it does come.

After the highs of victory and the beauty of the journey through life, just when you don’t expect it, “some time later” the testing of the Lord will come.

“Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied

What does God first call? He calls Abraham by name.

The testing of God always begins with self. God wants your life FIRST and giving our life wholeheartedly to God is what is required to be a follower of Jesus. That is why Jesus says “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Before God tests any other part of your life, first He will test the core of your affections, desires and loyalty. Why? Because He knows, if He doesn’t have ALL of you, He really doesn’t have anything of you.

“Then God said”

Once God has established your obedience and willingness to wholeheartedly follow Him, you are ready for the next test. The challenge is one that never ends, your maturing.

Call it your education, your growth, your process of change – as a Christian disciple, you can expect it. This side of eternity God is never satisfied with you, nor is His love for you so shallow, as to not continually use situations, circumstance, problems and people to shape, mould and mature you more and more into the image of His son.

PRAYER: Lord, I give you my life. It’s yours Lord. I say ‘Here I am I’m yours’. Shape me, mould me, make me more and more like Jesus. I know your way is the best way for my life and I choose it Lord. I trust you and I love you, Amen.

Treasure in Heaven – A Different Economy (Matthew 6)

May 16, 2012 in Devotions with 0 Comments

Economy Treasure in Heaven

Matthew 6:19-21 says:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Where is your treasure? That is a vitally important question to answer!

According to Jesus you have two choices. Earth or heaven. The choice is yours.

Really, Jesus is talking about the economy. Turn on the news and you can be sure to hear something about the economy within a matter of minutes. The economy is a big deal. Why? Because it affects our lives. Job figures, unemployment, interest rates, inflation; it all has impact upon our lives.

But hear the Words of Jesus on the economy. He says there are actually two parallel economies at work here. One is an earthly economy. It is prone to difficulties like downturns, job losses, currency crises, recession, even criminal acts.

That is because the earthly economy, whilst important, is finite. It is limited. In other words, money is spent. Jobs come to an end. Businesses die. Prospect disappear. Nothing is certain, nothing is truly secure.

But there is a parallel economy. It is the heavenly economy.

This economy doesn’t get the media coverage the earthly economy gets, but don’t be fooled into thinking it doesn’t matter. According to Jesus, this is THE economy that matters!

He says, you have a choice – to invest in an economy that is limited, finite, and prone to downturns, losses and even destruction OR you can invest in an economy that is eternal, infinite and will NEVER suffer a downturn, recession or collapse.

Now, if you look at that logically, which would we choose? It shouldn’t even be close.

But I hear you say, “but I’ve got to put food on the table, and pay the bills and the rent”. This is try true and whilst we’re on this earth we can’t opt out of the earthly economy. So, how do we apply this then?

Jesus tells us that the key here is what we “treasure” (verse 21), that is, where our treasure is where our heart will be also.

What He is saying is this – which economy do you TREASURE? Which do you most value and cherish? Which do you concern yourself with most? Which of these two economies is your heart drawn towards?

This is important because the direction of your heart determines the direction of your life (see also Prov 27:19, Prov 4:23)

If you are treasuring the here and now, that’s where your life is headed. But if you are treasuring the eternal Kingdom of God and the heavenly economy, then not only are you investing in an unshakeable, everlasting economy, your life is headed in that direction also.

PRAYER: Lord, I ask you to show me which economy I am valuing the most. I want my heart to be with you, and I ask you to search me and convict of areas where I haven’t trusted you with it. Forgive me and I ask for the grace I need to make the changes you ask of me. Thank you for your provision in every area of my life. Amen

photo by: echiner1

VIDEO: Who’s Leading You?

May 15, 2012 in Devotions, Video with 0 Comments

Here is an edited portion of a sermon I preached a couple of years ago. I am posting it hear because it addresses a very important issue and that is how we follow the voice of the Lord.

Hearing the voice of God is a right for every Christian but if we don’t do this, who is leading us in life? When we make decisions, when we choose the direction of our life, who are we following (or what are we following) if we are not following the leading of the Holy Spirit by the voice of God?

I’d encourage you to listen to this message.

The Call of Abram Part 3 (Genesis 12)

May 13, 2012 in Devotions with 0 Comments

Blessing

Starting the walk of Faith as we learn from the life of Abram, the Father of Faith.

The Call of Abram Part 1
The Call of Abram Part 2

Genesis 12:1-3 says:

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Abram has left his home and ventured out in obedience to God. To where he didn’t know, but he went in faith.

But the Word of the Lord to Abram didn’t end there.

God said “Abram, you do this and I will bless you”. Wow, what a promise!

Whenever, we leave and go in obedience to the Lord we also do so with a promise from the Lord that this will result in blessing. Abram didn’t receive blessing from God immediately, it wasn’t as though he never encountered hardship or difficulty from that point. Far from it! But neither is that true blessing from the Lord.

Blessing comes as a result of God’s face shining upon our lives as they are lived in alignment with Him. As Abram committed to walking in obedience to the call of God upon his life, counting the cost, enduring the difficulty, he was also committing to a course that God has said is blessed. And, as history shows, it was as God said it would be.

When you commit your way to the Lord, to live in alignment with His calling and purposes for your life, you are committing to 1) LEAVE the old and to 2) GO in obedience. And when you do that, you also commit yourself to the promise that accompanies that path and that is a promise of blessing.

If you are already on this path – the way of faith – I want you to be reminded of this promise from God that He will bless you. You need to be reminded of this promise and thank the Lord for it. Because of your willingness, and your obedience, God can and will fulfil that in your life.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for your promise. I align myself to your way of faith today and I declare your promise of blessing over my life and I receive that blessing in Jesus name, Amen.

photo by: BLESS_PICTURES

The Call of Abram – Part 2 (Genesis 12)

May 11, 2012 in Devotions with 0 Comments

Go

How do we start in the way of Faith? We look to the Father of Faith Abram and start where he started.

Click here for Part 1

Genesis 12:1:

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

2. GO

First Abram was told to LEAVE. Next he was instructed to GO.

Going is always part of the call. God never calls you out of one place or situation, without a place to call you to go into. However, being told where that place is is another matter!

Where was Abram instructed to go? To “the place I show you”.

You can imagine how this would go down. Go, Abram. Where Lord? I will show you. Ok, so where is that Lord? I will show you. Can you show me now? I will, but first go.

Now remember, Abram has been told to leave his country, his people, his family everything to follow the Lord. Most of us can get our heads around that, even if it seems tough to do. But to then not know where to go? That’s maybe a bridge too far!

Yet that is the call Abram has and it is the call you and I have.

In my life, if I survey the past decade I couldn’t have guessed where serving and following the Lord could’ve taken me. It has certainly had some twists and turns which I could never have predicted. I didn’t know the path I was going to walk starting out with the Lord, and to be truthful I am glad I didn’t as it would’ve made it that much harder to stick at had I known.

Going without knowing where is matter of radical obedience. The way of faith is a way of radical obedience to the Word of the Lord. When He speaks we obey. We don’t need to understand, we don’t need to know why, we don’t need to have it all mapped out. His word to us is enough.

Taking Him at His Word and going is the way of faith that pleases God.

PRAYER: Make me a person of Faith Lord. Stir me that I may walk in obedience to your Word and follow you where ever you command me to go. Thank you Lord, Amen

photo by: Horia Varlan

The Call of Abram Part 1 (Genesis 12)

May 10, 2012 in Devotions with 0 Comments

Abram's Call and the Way of Faith

Abram’s call is a great template for us to learn the way of faith from the man who would later become the Father of the Faith, Abraham.

Genesis 12:1 tells us:

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

The Lord calls Abram and gives him three clear instructions. When we too walk in obedience to these 3 things, we are beginning to walk in the way of God-pleasing faith.

1. LEAVE

The Lord’s call to Abram is to get up and leave.

Leave your family, leave your country, leave your people and your Father’s household. Get up and leave. Why did God ask Abram to do this? I believe it was to establish in Abram a complete trust in God.

When we come to Jesus, He asks us to leave behind everything from our old way of life and follow Him. When we make Jesus No.1 in our life, He won’t tolerate competition for that place of affection and commitment in our hearts, so the only option is to choose.

Take Jesus, leave the rest!

When no-one else is around, when all our other comforts and familiarities are removed, when everything we’ve added to our lives has been removed – we find out who we are. God told Abram to leave his familiar, comfortable life because God didn’t want Abram to trust in the stuff he knew – he wanted Abram to trust in Him and Him alone.

In doing this – removing the old, familiar, comfortable things – not only does God establish trust in Abram’s life, He also establishes in Abram His true God-given identity.

Abram was the old identity, Abraham was the identity God created for him to walk in and live out.

If you want to find who God created you to be and discover your God-given identity in Christ, it’s going to take you heeding the call of Christ to LEAVE behind the stuff you’ve accumulated along the way. You are not your job, your friends, your education, your music, your sport, your abilities or your experiences. Leave them behind and embrace who God calls you to be.

PRAYER: Lord, I give myself back to you today. I recommit my way, my heart and affections to you. I choose to lay down my old identity and I choose to put on the identity you’ve given me as your Child. Thank you Lord, Amen.

Loving Your Enemies (Matthew 5)

May 9, 2012 in Devotions with 0 Comments

Father and Son Love your enemies

Matthew 5:44-45 says:

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven…

Loving your enemies is one of those Christian sayings we have heard countless times, we assuredly agree with it as the Word of God and yet most of us probably don’t give it the attention it deserves in our lives.

How do we reconcile these words of Jesus with our lives?

Love my enemies? Really Jesus??

Jesus tells us enemies are real, they are a fact of life, not every one is going to be your friend. This is not some unrealistic, far off, off with the fairies Jesus. This Jesus, God in the flesh of a man, who understands life. I love that!

You’re going to have enemies. How you deal with them is the issue. And how you deal with your enemies is how you’re going to show the world you belong to me.

Jesus says “love your enemies … so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven”

It is when we love our enemies we show we are sons of God.

Everyone has enemies in this world. But not everyone is a son of our Father God, who calls us to a different way of life.

Sons are meant to imitate and carry the attributes of their Father. How does our Father treat us in our failings? Sons of God don’t get what they deserve. Sons of God have access to forgiveness and Grace. Sons of God are pardoned because of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is saying, when you deserved the full wrath of God, I showed you love. Now go and do the same to the people who deserve the same in your life.

Love your enemies, Son.

photo by: Photos by Mavis

How to Change the World 101

May 8, 2012 in Devotions, Video with 1 Comment

Everyone wants to change the world. But how do you even start to do that?

I believe Jesus, 2000 years ago, was ahead of the curve and gives us this simple admonition in order to change our world.

The Inclination of our Heart (Genesis 6)

May 5, 2012 in Devotions with 0 Comments

Noah's Ark Inclination of the Heart

The story of Noah and the ark is well known. It was a human tragedy of horrendous and unimaginable proportions. But it was actually an act of supreme love and redemption.

Why did God wipe out the vast majority of His creation? Because as we are told in Genesis 6:5 says:

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.

Genesis 8:21 tells us the Lord said:

“Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.

In other words, the flood did not fix the inclination of man’s heart. But even so God‘s promise was that He would not ever again destroy all living things, in spite of that inclination towards evil.

The world is no different today because people’s hearts are no different today. Left to our own devices our heart’s incline towards evil. Like a shopping trolley with a busted wheel, we have a bias away from the straight line of God’s ways and towards sin.

The ark is a picture of the covenant that God extends to humankind through Jesus Christ. If you are in the ark, you are safe. If you are in Jesus, he lifts us up out of the final judgment humanity will face when we stand before His great white throne (Rev:20:11).

But the greatest promise we have from this great act of Divine love from God, is that His love can and does change us. When we live life in view of the mercy and love of God, it is possible that the inclination of our hearts are turned away from evil and to the Lord.

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for your great love for me that I see in Jesus. Lord I ask you to change the inclination of my heart from my ways to your ways, from sin to righteousness, from folly to wisdom, from self to You and Your kingdom. Lord I need you and love you, Amen.

photo by: hans s
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