Fighting Words

The late pastor, Tim Keller, taught about sin and the source idols in our desire for power, control, approval and comfort. By God’s grace, I am learning that any one of these idols can act as a source in my life at any time if I’m searching for God in the wrong places. As I hear and reflect on God’s Word, I am drawn to repentance through Christ Jesus that leads to actual spiritual nourishment and fruit in His Spirit as my heart finds ultimately what it was made for in Christ alone.

The enemy of God’s people, Satan, is so deceptive and can work in such subtle ways that feed into our selfish ambitions. The idols that we gravitate toward can appear wicked (Balaam) or wholesome (Nicolaitans). But either way, anything is an idol if it steals our focus from the only One that is worthy of worship. In this letter, Jesus commends Antipas for his faithful witness. Could it be that Antipas stood against all idols proclaiming Jesus Christ as the only rightful claimant to the soul of the church? One thing is for certain, the victory over evil is accomplished through the Sword that Jesus wields.

Scripture describes the word of God as sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. In this letter, Jesus says He is coming for His enemies with His sword. He’s on a seek and destroy mission to battle against Satan and for the soul of His church. His SWORD which is His WORD slays all idols as it confronts the reality of our heart before God and what it holds most dear. Our heart is the throne room of worship. There is no place for divided authority there. Anything less than God alone will leave us unsatisfied and always wanting for something more. When Jesus Christ assumes His rightful place on the throne of our lives, we will find the very thing we were created for in communion with Him.

As I read this week, a familiar Gaither hymn rang in my ears about “kings and kingdoms will all pass away – but there’s just something about that name.” Jesus Christ has the power over all to restore our broken heart as His rightful throne room. What a privilege to hear Jesus’ voice as His Word fights against evil and for His people!

May we be His people that proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ while abiding in His Word. Let us repent of idolatry so that we can live free to worship Almighty God. Let us hold fast to His great name and find faith to endure until the end of our earthly lives.  And may we hope in the promises of His gracious covenant with His people – reclaimed to the pleasure of His eternal glory by Jesus!

Grateful and hopeful in Christ,

Jon

"Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. "

There are things in life that are easy to accept; like the law of gravity on Earth. If I drop something it falls downward. There isn’t a time where if I drop something it will float away or fly upward. There is comfort in that. Knowing what will happen every time, I can prepare for it, and even try to catch it before it hits the floor or brace myself for the shatter that follows. Yet even still, gravity can catch me off guard and tumble me to the ground.

All through the Bible there are warnings and talk of suffering. It is much like gravity in that it is a constant and to be expected. Suffering is one of those things that catches us unaware. We know it will come our way but we are never really prepared for impact. Jesus gives the church at Smyrna a gift in His letter to them. There were no rebukes made nor corrective action given. Instead He praised the church for being rich with faith and then gave them both encouragement and insight into what lie ahead.

“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.

Be faithful even to the point of death.

He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.”

Jesus gave His beloved church the opportunity to prepare for what was to come, and in doing so offered them comfort in their afflictions: Comfort in knowing that suffering is an inescapable part of life. It happens, and is right now happening all around us. Just like gravity, it is to be expected. Yet they were not alone. Jesus came to tell them He sees them in their suffering, and He will reward their endurance. 

When you experience suffering it is not necessarily because you did something to deserve it. The trials that fell upon the church at Smyrna were not a punishment from God, but were inflicted by the devil. Even now, we experience suffering inflicted by the devil and the law of sin, but be encouraged! We don’t have to be shattered by what we suffer. Jesus sees us, and is with us. The devil, who afflicts us, his time is limited. Don’t look at suffering and get discouraged or lose heart. Turn your eyes to our Savior who sees you, knows your pain and will be with you until the end.  

-Nikki Fiedler

Revelation 2:1-7

Imagine you wrote a letter to your loved one which included a list of 10 things that you needed them to do in order to maintain a healthy and growing relationship with each other. The first item on the list had a big star in the margin to denote the importance over the other 9.  Additionally, you had other people call and text your loved one, reminding them of the importance of the first item on the list.  In the beginning, the number one item was always done, but, over time, and with all the busyness of life, your loved one no longer thought much about doing the number one thing. 

Is this what happened to the church of Ephesus? Did they lose sight of the number one thing on the list, the greatest commandant of all: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37 ESV)? My study bible suggests that the church was busy.  Did the busyness of life lead them to substitute labor for love and ignore spending time in fellowship with Christ?  Did they let indifference and complacency seep into their midst? Did they cease to fight for a heart that had grown cold? 

John’s letter does not tell us why the church of Ephesus abandoned their “first love” but we are given the consequences of such action.  Jesus says in Revelation 2:5b: “I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” The role of the church has always been to let the light of Jesus shine through to a dark world but, when the works of the church become mechanical and the love of Jesus is not seen in its members, the church fails. Charles Spurgeon writes: “Adhesion to the truth sours into bigotry when the sweetness and light of love to Jesus depart.” Remember, Jesus commended the church for their hard work, perseverance, their intolerance of wickedness and their steadfast adherence to the truth. They were checking off items on the list, but ignoring the most important.

I wonder how the church of Ephesus responded when they read the letter from John?  Did they fall to their knees and ask for forgiveness or did the ice surrounding their heart thicken?  Where’s your heart today?  Are you serving in the church so you can check it off a list or are you serving because your heart is full of love for Jesus?  We will fight over a parking space, a place in line to buy sports or entertainment tickets, or the price of a new shiny car but, are we willing to fight for a wandering heart? Are you willing to struggle against indifference, complacency, and the numbing influence of the world in order to love Jesus and others?  I would like to believe the church of Ephesus fell to their knees and began reciting the Psalms: “Search me, oh God, and know my heart.  Try me and know my thoughts.” (Psalms 139:23).  “With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments.” (Psalms 119:10) Will you do the same?

Brenda Wooff

The Jesus We Need

If I asked you to close your eyes and picture Jesus, how would you describe him? Do you see a religious icon? Jesus dying, naked on a cross, or standing revealing his bleeding heart, head encircled with light? Do you see the Jesus of Hollywood? Jesus in anguish as shown in The Passion or the tenderhearted and kind Jesus from The Chosen? Maybe in your mind Jesus looks like you- someone familiar- or maybe he doesn’t. Perhaps you can’t envision Him at all.

The apostle John lived alongside Jesus for three years. He saw Jesus transfigured, crucified and risen, and was there on the day He ascended into heaven. John knew Jesus. Yet exiled on the island of Patmos, it had been sixty some years since John had last seen his Savior and Friend face to face.

While in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, John hears a loud voice behind him. It’s a voice that sounds like a trumpet, one John describes as cascading waters. When he turns around he sees a sight that causes him to fall down like a dead man.

He sees glory unveiled.

He sees the Son of Man, standing among His churches, dressed in priestly garments. Jesus, who established the Church to be a light to the world, now tends to each local church. Just as the priests in the temple made sure the light of the golden lamp stands never burned out, Jesus ensures His light never ceases to radiate throughout the Church.  

The hair of His head white, like wool or snow and His eyes like a fiery flame. Jesus- God eternal, the Ancient of Days. He is pure in holiness, and the righteous judge who sees all. He is omniscient, and able to discern the thoughts of every heart. His feet like bronze, fired in a furnace. He is the One who reigns and His rule can not be diminished or destroyed. With a double edged sword in His mouth, His Word is living and effective. And His face, shining like the sun at full strength, with all the radiance of God’s glory. Of course, John fell at His feet like a dead man. Of course! Who can see God’s glory and live?

But Jesus laid His right hand on John and said “Don’t be afraid.”

“I am the First and the Last,” he said.

Timeless.

I’m the “Living One. I was dead, but look- I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys to death and Hades”.

Oh death, now where is your sting?!

This is Jesus- the Cornerstone. In Him and through Him all things hold together. He holds us together- His Church. He is the One who sustains us and gives each of us life and breath. In Him we live and move and have our being.

This Jesus of Revelation. He’s the One we need.

This is Jesus. Let’s behold Him.

And as we behold Him, may we become like Him- full of grace and truth, and filled with His Spirit, showing forth love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control, until we see Him face to face.

-Natalie

Heavenly Minded

“You’re shinin’ your light, and shine it you should, but you’re so heavenly minded you’re no earthly good”- Johnny Cash

My Grandpa liked Johnny Cash but he really loved old hymns.  I can still hear him loudly singing, slightly off-key and missing the high notes; “This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.” Most of us have experienced the tension of longing for our forever home with Christ, while experiencing the present reality of life in this broken world. How then, can we be heavenly minded and still of earthly good?

In Revelation, the Apostle John records the vision he was given by God “to show His servants what must soon take place”.  In this vision, Jesus Himself gives John a word for seven of His churches and allows him a glimpse into the throne room of heaven before revealing eschatological (future) events that will transpire. Often considered one of the most challenging books of the Bible to understand, John’s revelation is rich with symbolism and imagery found in apocalyptic literature and should be read with this in mind.*

In the introduction Jesus is described as the one “who loves us and has set us free from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father.” While the Gospels record for us what Jesus was like when he lived on earth; what he said, did, and taught, and how he related to people, Revelation will unveil for us our Savior as He is now; risen, ascended, and reigning supreme over all, now and forevermore. 

From Jesus’ words to the seven churches, we will begin to grasp how intimately he knows them. Over and over, he says it. “I know your works”. “I know your afflictions.” Good or bad, their lives proclaimed a message to Jesus about their hearts. For better or worse, their actions declared a message to the world about their Jesus. 

And so do ours. 

As Pastor Steven will unpack on Sunday, Revelation teaches us how to live with one eye on heaven and one eye on earth. When we are faced with violence in our schools, rising levels of poverty, political division, racism, classism, disease, and suffering, we don’t have to shrink back in fear or turn a blind eye. 

Johnny Cash finished his song with this exhortation: “If you're holding heaven, then spread it around. There's hungry hands reaching up here from the ground.” There are hungry hands and hurting hearts who need hope for this life and the one to come. Because of Jesus and compelled by His love for the world, may we be a church that's so heavenly minded we can’t help but do earthly good!

Natalie

*For more insight into how to read and interpret Revelation for yourself, check out the following resources.

7 Tips for Understanding Revelation: https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/how-read-revelation

Book of Revelation Summary: https://youtu.be/5nvVVcYD-0w?si=v0SWk0Lw2MeHUBt0

Revelation Study Guide Ebook (with an explanation of four eschatological viewpoints): https://phyliciamasonheimer.com/product/revelation-study-guide-ebook/

When You Pass Through the Water

“Mom. Mom. MOM. Why do I have to get back in the boat?!” It was our first float trip, and the parents fielded this question dozens of times. “Because the river changes quickly, and we don’t want anyone to drown”, eventually gave way to “BECAUSE I SAID SO. NOW BACK IN THE BOAT!”

There came a moment where the river was stronger than expected for one of the children and she learned that when Mom or Dad or one of the other adults said it wasn’t safe to swim, they had a good reason. We were always scanning what was ahead and anticipating possible danger because that’s what parents do. We didn’t expect the kids to do this, because they are children, and that’s not their role. They only needed to trust our judgement and quickly obey when we gave them instructions.

Philippians 4:4-8 is full of imperative statements, or commands. “Rejoice in the Lord always.” “Let your graciousness be known to everyone.” “Do not be anxious about anything.” Do you want the peace of God that comes from the God of peace? Paul says “do these things”. But like petulant children, we don’t want to. Instead we question God’s judgement and goodness based on our very limited vantage point.

I didn’t want my kids to be anxious on the river. I love them and wanted them to know I was watching over them. Our Father doesn’t want us to live lives filled with anxiety either. We are His children and He is watching over us with loving care. We can have peace in every circumstance when we trust in His provision, protection and presence, and obey His commands.

When we doubt, when our hearts are anxious as they inevitably will be, we aren’t meant to find a solution on our own or to remain bound up in fear. Instead, remember that you are a child, and go to your Father. In everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, take your requests to your Dad. He may not give us what we want, but He does promise this: “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

The God of peace is with us. May we find peace in Him.

Natalie

By nature I am a Martha but, because of Jesus I can also be a Mary!

Growing up, each year my family would have a Thanksgiving dinner with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins on my dad’s side of the family. Grandma would prepare the meat, bake the pies, and everyone would bring a side dish. After eating together, it came time to clean up. This was my least favorite time for two reasons. While the women argued over who got to do the dishes like it was some sort of competition, the men got to go outside and play catch or watch TV. I would try to help, since I knew it was my responsibility as a female, but I would never fight to wash dishes! I have seen plates and bowls jerked out of hands and people given the task of “clearing the table” as if it was the bottom of the chore hierarchy. At some point in my teenage years, I was labeled as “the one who never helps”. I didn’t mind. I’d just go on about my business and say, “I’ll be out with the guys, you all have fun.”

It’s no surprise then that the story of Martha and Mary has been one of the hardest for me to understand at times. Now that I am grown and am more like Martha than Mary, I sometimes resent the “Mary” moments. Who will do the work if everyone sits and listens. What about Martha? Doesn’t Jesus see Martha doing all the work? Who will eat if no one prepares the food? I read about Martha and Mary and think of my family’s Thanksgiving Dinners. 

Yet my context is not the same as Martha and Mary’s, sitting in a room with Jesus some 2,000 odd years ago. In Luke 10:38-42, what happens is revolutionary! Jesus is actually giving Mary permission to sit with the men! To learn! To learn what only men were allowed to learn!  He broke a barrier and not only gave permission for a woman to learn but affirmed that it is good for women to learn, and that learning will not be taken away from them. Jesus set women free! 

Today as a Christian woman, I am blessed to walk in freedom given to me by Christ Jesus by his death and by his life and interactions with women. Whenever I get frustrated at the paths that block women today, feel degraded or made to feel lesser than, I remember how Jesus changed the lives of women. He died to set all free, even women. He desires for men and women alike to learn from His word, the Bible and glean all it’s wisdom. What peace we can have in his presence as we learn from our gentle-hearted Savior. I may be a Martha by nature, but because of Jesus, I also have the privilege to be a Mary and for that I am so thankful!

Nikki Fiedler

To learn more about how Jesus changed everything for women, check out the following article: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/jesus-changed-everything-women/

Pride & Peace

Pride is where the lions hang out. 

In our text this week, the Apostle Peter says there is one who prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Peter is speaking of the enemy of God’s people, the devil, also known as Satan. Satan is the slanderer of God’s people and is a complete liar always feeding into our self-exaltation and false persona.  All of the devil’s claims are empty promises and will end in nothing but despair and destruction.  Satan uses our own pride against us because the enemy knows it is to our disadvantage.  Pride leads us away from God and away from others.  Pride steals, kills and destroys and the devil knows it.  This doesn’t give me one bit of peace.

There is another Lion that confronts us in our pride head on because He also knows it will only steal, kill and destroy us.  This is the Lion of Judah, Jesus Christ, who fights for our lives and to defend our honor.  He is the living breathing word of God - full of truth and grace.  All of God’s promises for our eternal welfare are yes and amen in Him.  Jesus builds and establishes our relationship with His Father and His church so that it will work to our advantage and so we can know the truth of God from the lies of the enemy.  The Lion of Judah is greater and He is for us.

This is the only thing that gives me lasting peace in the spiritual battle for our souls.
Each of us has a part to play in this spiritual battle.  If we walk in pride, we truly are our own worst enemy.  This text teaches us how to actively fight against pride (self-exaltation):

• by believing (trusting) in the truth about God’s mighty hand and what He can do for us admitting we are powerless to save ourselves in this spiritual war

• by calling out to him for help because we trust that He cares for us and has the ability to win over any situation

• by staying alert and watchful for the schemes of the enemy to appeal to our pride

• by resisting the allure of pride in remembering we share with others in these war time sufferings thereby doing our part to support them too in this spiritual struggle

• and by being assured in our hearts and minds that full life and lasting peace are ultimately found in the only One who can secure such things – Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah and Prince of Peace. 
  

All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus and there is only one King over all. 

As we suffer in this world, may we remember that pride is where lions hang out. 

May we clothe ourselves with Christian love for others since we all share in the struggle. 

And may we live with confidence in Jesus to meet us in our pride with His complete prowess, amazing kindness, and perfect peace because He cares for us.

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon 

Are You Thirsty?

How was worship this past Sunday?  Have you ever found yourself asking that question?  Often times the answer sounds something like this: "It was great - the worship team played my favorite songs, the sermon was inspiring, I was deeply moved."  Or it may sound like: "It was ok."  Or it may sound like: "I didn't know any of the songs and the sermon dragged on way too long."  It is possible that all three of these answers could be given by three different people in the exact same church service.

But what if worship is more than a song or a sermon?  What if worship has more to do with being in awe of God than songs and sermons?  What if worship happens not just on Sunday mornings but every minute of every day?  What if the problem is not "if" we worship, but "who" or "what" we worship?

I have an ever-growing fear that we often settle for less.  C.S. Lewis said nearly 75 years ago, "Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.  We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.  We are far too easily pleased."  (from The Weight of Glory)

What if worship is supposed to be "more?"  What if we settle for the mud puddle when God wants to show us the ocean?

Jesus' most in depth conversation on the topic of worship was with a 5 timed divorced Samaritan woman.  This woman was a "hot mess."  She was probably dysfunctional and toxic.  She was disliked and shunned by her community, but here we see Jesus intentionally pursuing her.  Jesus knew she was a "hot mess" but Jesus also knew she was thirsting for something "more."

What about you?   Are you thirsty for "more?"

Jesus knew the Samaritan woman had drunk from lots of different wells and each one left her soul dry and desperate.  Jesus comes to give her a different drink - one that "will become in her a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14).

Do you have this spring of water welling up to eternal life?  Jesus is continually pursuing each one of us and offering us this living water.  May we be people who drop our water jar of lesser things and embrace "the more" of worshipping the Father in spirit and truth.

See you Sunday,

Steven

What Are You Seeking Today?

On Sundays I get a weekly notice from my phone about how much time I spent in front of it over the past week and I’m always amazed.  How could I possibly be on my phone that much?  What am I doing?

Our passage this week tells us, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness ...” but that’s not what I’m doing on my phone.  What are you seeking today?  How are you spending your time?  Is your heart filled with gladness because you’ve sought the Lord (1 Chronicles 16:10) or is it filled with anxiety and fear because life is not going as you had planned?

I groaned when I realized I was assigned to write a reflection on this section of Matthew.   Anxiety is an acquaintance of mine, one who visits more frequently than I would like. I often let my fear of heights, flying and traffic/crazy drivers turn me into a crazy person.  When I’m in this crazy place I tell myself that God allows trials in this life and this is your trial so deal with it.  But this is a lie.  Yes, we will have trials and troubles but we are to seek Him, not cower in the corner all alone.  One of the amazing things about our Creator is that he doesn’t just create us and set us loose in the wild.  He’s involved in every step, every breath, every moment of our life (Hebrews 1:3, Acts 17:25).    

I can read “seek first the kingdom of God” and nod in agreement and say yes I must do that but until I really hold myself accountable for my time, I won’t always do it.  I have to intentionally seek to be in His Word, in prayer, in worship and praise.  Will you spend time with God today?  Your heart will be full of His love and righteousness and void of fear and anxiousness when you take the time to “seek first the kingdom of God”.

-Brenda Wooff

“I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.”

I read these verses repeatedly, and I keep coming back to one question. How do I know if Jesus knows me? Many times in my faith walk I have wondered, am I doing it right? Most of the time I feel like I am missing the road sign or messing it all up. In Matthew 7:21 Jesus says, “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” If you stop right there, you may end up with some questions. How do I know if I am doing God’s will and not my own? How do I know if I call to the Lord he will let me enter?

We must continue to look at scripture for answers, for scripture backs up scripture. You will know them by their fruits. Just one verse above. We see an example, but it is not a single fruit, it is plural. That tells us multiple fruitful moments throughout our walk with God. Yet, we see in verse 22, Jesus says “Many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” Wait a minute, these sound like they could be fruitful moments, more than one, yet Jesus says in verse 24, He will declare to them, “I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.” My Bible has that last bit in all caps, Jesus just may be yelling, or loudly declaring this! How are these acts not fruitful? In Isaiah 29:13 “God says, people draw near with their mouth and honor with their lips, while their hearts are far from God, and their fear of God is a commandment taught by men.” They appeared to be following God, but their rituals became mechanical, their hearts are not in it. The will of the Father is for us to know Him, to seek His heart!

Have you ever prayed but your heart wasn’t in it? I have, sadly, more times than I would like to admit. Especially right before dinner. I’m starving, and drooling and this yummy food is before me, if I remember to pray before I take a bite, which is not always the case, I find I am more focused on the food than my thankfulness and praise to God for the food. Sometimes it’s the same prayer always ending with “watch over us and keep us in your care, Christ may I ask this, amen.”  Was my heart more into the food than God? I confess, sadly yes.

Jesus also mentions people who practice lawlessness. Walking through the book of Jude, I have learned that Jude too speaks to lawlessness and ungodly people creeping among unnoticed. Jude chapter 1 verse 4 “certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” How did they creep in unnoticed? They were leaders, profits, scribes doing the motions with no intention of knowing Christ. All of that can seem a bit discouraging if you stop there but we can’t stop there, for the sermon isn’t over yet!

Verses 24-29 comes in with the resolution. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on a rock.” Facts! I want to build my house on rock because look at the example Jesus gives about building your home on rock. You can weather the rain, the floods, and winds, yet your house will not fall! Life is full of storms, but building yourself in a firm relationship with God means you can weather the storm. Jesus didn’t say act and there will be no rain, flooding, or wind, he said the rain fell, the floods came, and the winds slammed! So we can know that storms will come but act on the desire to know Christ in your heart, not because it’s sound logic but for the love set aside for you. After Jesus came down from the mountain the crowds were amazed for they recognized His teaching as one having authority, and not as their scribes. Their hearts recognized Jesus! Fam, we will find ourselves in machinal rituals, for we fall short. My prayer is that when we do, we recognize our lethargic spirit and seek God’s heart, like David, 1 Sam 13:14. May our hearts recognize Jesus, and we will give Him all authority over us. Amen!

-Nikki Fiedler

Look for the Narrow Gate

Toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount, after teaching the crowds what a godly life looks like, Jesus told them “How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.” The narrow gate he spoke of is Jesus Himself. He is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him.

Being a disciple of Jesus doesn’t mean we merely walk through the gate, stop, and wait until He calls us home. We also must follow Him down the road that leads to life, and it’s a difficult road. Take a few minutes to re-read Matthew chapters 5-7. This is how Jesus is calling us to live. It feels impossible! And apart from Jesus, it is.

“Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit because you can do nothing without me.” (John 15:4-5.) As we abide in Jesus, and live by His Spirit, our Father will cut off every branch in our lives that doesn’t produce fruit. Even the fruitful branches He will prune for a greater harvest.

In your life do you see the fruit of the Spirit in ever-increasing measure?

For the one who is in Christ, these words bring comfort. He’s sanctifying us and conforming us to His image. While the road is hard, and the pruning painful, it leads to spiritual abundance.

For the one who is masquerading, Jesus’ words should bring sorrow leading to repentance, and serve as a warning to the rest of us. “Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit…a bad tree produces bad fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

A false prophet will tell you what you want to hear and give you a way off the hard path of obedience by presuming upon God’s love and grace. They will lead you right through the wide gate and straight to the broad road that leads to destruction. We must be on our guard against them by knowing the Word of God, letting it dwell richly within us, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, submitting ourselves to it.

Jesus told the crowd that had gathered to hear him that day, “How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.” Have you found the gate? Will you follow Jesus on even the hardest road? Who will you invite to join you on the path to eternal life? The road isn't easy, but the journey is worth it. 

Natalie

Basic-Information-Before-Leaving-Earth

I was sitting down looking at a blank screen, trying to write this reflection when suddenly I found myself surfing the internet.  I came across the following (edited for the sake of brevity):

“A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, “I know what the Bible means!” 

 “Okay,” said his father. “What does the Bible mean?”

“That’s easy, Daddy…” the young boy replied excitedly,” It stands for ‘Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.’” [i]

Our passage this week (Matthew 7:1-12) is definitely basic information for every Christian. The topics covered have been the subject of vast amounts of sermons, Sunday school lessons, books, devotionals, posters and bumper stickers and yet, familiarity can breed contempt.  We can take the familiar for granted, we know the concepts, we may even be able to quote the verses, but at times our words and actions don’t align with these familiar teachings. 

It’s been my experience that even seasoned Christians have trouble with their words and actions when it comes to the topic of judging (verses 1-5):

One summer, a young mother was helping prep one of her children’s classrooms. She was assigned to a room with a woman employed by the Christian school.  When they were done for the day the young mother turned to the school employee and said, “Good luck with the school year.”  Hastily with a haughty look on her face the worker replied, “There’s no such thing as luck.  We don’t believe in luck!”  Red-faced with embarrassment and near tears, the lady left without uttering a word. 

It’s easy to get this judging thing wrong. The world often labels Christians as hypocritical, judgmental, and unaccepting, and those inside the church often label other Christians as too accepting of worldly behavior.  Who, how, when are we to judge? I think Jesus addresses the who when he refers to “your brother’s eye”.  He doesn’t refer to a spec in a stranger’s eye, he doesn’t say some person with whom you have no relationship.  A brother is a fellow believer, a person whom you've been commanded to love. 

The how and when is also addressed in our passage when Jesus says, “first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Self-examination should be a life-long practice for all Christians. One of my favorite bible verses is Psalms 139:23 which says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” The chances of judging inappropriately are greatly reduced when we are continually asking Jesus to show us where our heart has hardened or where sin may have crept in.

I pray the next time you’re tempted to judge someone’s speech, or judge a life by the worst moments, or judge others before considering yourself in the same circumstances you will stop and reflect upon these verses in Matthew.

Brenda Wooff

[i] https://www.jollynotes.com/christian-humor-christian-jokes-clean-jokes-best-christian-jokes/

The Greatest Thing

What’s the greatest thing in all of your life?  The answer you give to that question reveals a lot about where you will direct your attention, energy, and resources as you live.

In our text this week, Jesus says that we should seek the treasure of His Kingdom and His righteousness.  To some Jesus’ words might appear of little value, I mean, why should you care about someone else’s kingdom or someone else’s righteousness.  Well, the greatest treasure that anybody in this world will ever find is in the assurance that God really loves us and has made a way through Jesus for us to be in good standing with Him and thereby become heirs to the eternal riches of His Kingdom.

In my early childhood days, I was fortunate to have a best friend across the street whose dad owned a junk yard close enough to town that we could ride our bikes out to it.  That place had vehicles lined up for as far as I could see.  It was so much fun to explore that debris field with my buddy and his dad’s pack of Dobermans close by like they were our own personal security detail.  We roamed all over, searching for things inside each cab to play with, or for a battery with enough juice that we could operate the CB radios we sometimes came across.  Years later as an adult, I realized just how much value there really was in that salvage yard.  My friend’s dad used its resources as a start-up for his line of auto dealerships in southeastern Illinois that specialized in conversion van sales.  My childhood friend even became an eventual heir to that auto empire.

While I’m thankful for the memories I have of the people and things of that place in time, the ultimate reality is that even those memories are fleeting.  What if I had found my greatest treasure in any of those things?  Every worldly treasure comes and goes with the elements of time.  God has made you and I for so much more!  The greatest treasure that God offers to each of us is imperishable and revealed to us by His word through the good news of Jesus Christ.

When you experience the teachings of Jesus – do you just see more religious junk or do you find your life’s purpose and meaning in it – to know God and glorify-worship-enjoy Him forever!  God’s Word leads us to keep things in proper priority so we can appreciate his gifts rightly.  Our Father in Heaven gives us all we need and so often blesses us with things that are only for a season of this life but His perspective remains focused on our eternal relationship with Him because God knows His covenant with us is the greatest thing in all of our lives.

Where are you storing your treasure today? 

May it be the treasure kept in the storehouse of our one true King, the righteous One – Jesus Christ!

Grateful & Hopeful in Him,

Jon

"Our Father Which Art In Heaven', This 'Be Thy Name."

"Matthew 6:9 says, 'Our Father Which Art In Heaven', This 'Be Thy Name.'"

Would you be able to buzz in with the answer?

This question on the famous TV game show Jeopardy went unanswered last week. I was a bit surprised no one answered it but even more so that it was a question on Jeopardy. Is a Christian prayer common knowledge? I was never taught the Lord’s Prayer in any of my school classes. I also never attended any religious schools or had any religion classes offered to me. I was taught by my family and in Church. (I still try not to get tripped up on debtors and trespass. I tend to interchange the two words.)

So how does a Christian Bible prayer end up as a Jeopardy question?

-Guinness World Records has the Christian Bible, as the best-selling book of all time with 5-7 billion copies sold worldwide.

-The world population is around 8 billion people as of today.  

-Answers.com states there are about 3 Bibles in an American home.

-Lifeway Research surveyed 1,000 Americans and found that 1 in 5 Americans have read the Bible at least once.

With the stats above you'd think, yes, the odds are in the favor of the contestant; best selling book, several in the home…easy!

When I was talking with a friend about it, she said “most don't see God as holy so how would they know the answer is “Hallowed”, when they see him as their Bro?”

Yet another friend was not surprised at all. 

Are you surprised by this? Do you think this was a fair Jeopardy question? And do you honor God as holy or is He just your BFF?

“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Let’s hallow His name!

Nikki Fiedler

* https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-book-of-non-fiction

https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

https://www.answers.com/Q/Average_number_of_Bibles_in_American_home

https://research.lifeway.com/2017/04/25/lifeway-research-americans-are-fond-of-the-bible-dont-actually-read-it/

Seen

“Mom, play the song from camp!” I scrolled through my playlist and moments later Mimi was singing “God, you know our hearts…beyond the surface.”

Indeed, He does. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God counseled Samuel not to look at the appearance or size of the future king David and said “Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” And now, in Matthew’s gospel, this same God has appeared in the flesh to tell us what kind of heart the Lord is looking for.

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus addresses how we are to give, to pray and to fast. He presupposes these are acts of devotion regularly practiced by those who follow Yahweh, but as in the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks not only of the action but about the disposition of the heart that precipitates the action. He reminds us that our Heavenly Father sees in secret and so there is no reason to draw attention to our own piety. God sees. God knows. It doesn’t matter if others know.

A recent tik tok trend utilizes a split screen. On one side of the screen, a dramatic video plays. On the other, someone watches the video, recording their emotional response for everyone else to see. Why is this popular?

We are a people fixated on being seen. We’ve put our lives on display through carefully cultivated words and imagery intended to impress the masses. But to what end? Whose glory are we living for?

Jesus warned not to live seeking the applause of people, to be noticed, or to receive gain, because that is what the hypocrites do. For the people of God, even if no human sees or knows what good we’ve done, our Father does, and our reward is with Him.

Sisters and Brothers, you are seen; known by the God who searches every heart and understands the intentions of every thought. May we live to magnify Him alone.

Choose Love

Have you ever been thrown in a pit and left to die? Sold to slaves? Stoned by a mob?  Betrayed by a close friend for profit? I’m going to take a guess that the majority of us have not had these experiences. Yet, I’m sure all of us have had an enemy at one time or another. According to Oxford Languages, an enemy is “any person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone; antagonistic to another”. Have you driven on Interstate 270 in North County with all the road construction? I’m pretty sure some of those drivers could be labeled hostile and antagonistic. I’m also sure that when I’m driving and they are present, I’m not loving them.

Our passage this week (Matthew 5:38-48) centers around the topics of “turning the other check” and loving your enemies.  Matthew isn’t the first or the last to write on this subject. The Bible is consistent in its message:

“Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary bless …” (1 Peter 3:9)

“Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them.” (Romans 12:14)

“Repay no one evil for evil…” (Romans 12:17-20)

“When reviled, we bless, when persecuted, we endure.”  (1 Corinthians 4:12-13)

“Do not say I will repay evil, wait for the Lord and he will deliver you.” (Proverbs 20:22)

 “But love your enemies, and do good…” (Luke 6:35)

“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”  (Proverbs 25:21)

 “…Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28)

Years ago I had a boss I didn’t like. He took things away from me that I loved: projects, autonomy and authority. He was my enemy. I did not love him, bless him or pray for him and cursed him behind his back. I handled the situation poorly: I didn’t trust that God was in control of the circumstances and consequently missed the opportunity to display to my co-workers how a follower of Christ handles adversity and enemies. I chose self-pity and misery.

I’ve told you my unflattering story about my boss because it’s situations just like that where Jesus is asking us to apply love when love is not the easiest or most logical choice. The Bible gives us wonderful stories about faithful men of God who forgave their enemies despite the high cost, but the principles taught to us through Joseph and Stephen also apply to the mundane, minute areas of our lives. Maybe it’s your neighbor who lets his dog bark all night or perhaps your cousin who borrowed an expensive power tool and never returned it, or maybe it’s just the drivers on I-270. Jesus wants us to choose love and His Word tells us that we “can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”  (Philippians 4:13) 

Brenda Wooff

The Promise

Ten years ago this month, I committed to be an adult leader in the children’s ministry for our church.  In all that time, I was proud that I had only missed my assignment once with short notice on the morning of my father’s passing.  And then it happened, one Sunday months ago, when it was my turn in the monthly rotation to lead, I missed it.  I wasn’t even gone from the church, I was just sitting in the service and completely forgot that it was my turn to lead that day.  It wasn’t until after the service was over and Natalie Runyon came up to let me know she had covered it in my place that I realized my mistake.  I was embarrassed that I had forgot and had not kept my commitment to the children with other adults also depending on me to remember.  While that was a first for me in that role, it’s really just the tip of the iceberg in so many times that I’ve failed to keep a commitment that I’ve made in my life.  Maybe you can relate.

In the passage this week, Jesus is teaching again about the values of His Kingdom in regard to the Mosaic Law as people had heard it and what was truly meant by it.  He teaches about really heavy issues that impact our lives today in dealing with being faithful to marital and civil commitments.  Jesus raises the bar every time to His standard of perfection so that we will look to Him in all things – even the commitments we make to one another.

Each of us has failures and victories in keeping our promises, but in all these things, we can learn to trust Jesus more.  Because Jesus never fails to keep His word.  All of His promises are secure and will be fulfilled.  Some might read this passage and focus on what it speaks against.  But if you keep this teaching from Jesus in good context, you should see that Jesus is saying these things to emphasize who he is for.  Do you know who Jesus is for?  The Bible tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”  May each of us today, make no mistake in remembering this – Jesus is not against us, He promises to be for us!  The Great King our souls long for is on our side and always keeps His promise to lead His followers to life and that more abundantly!

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon

More Than Actions

As I read these verses in Matthew 5:21-30, I hear a battle cry, “It is finished.”

Jesus’ teaching in Matthew is asking us to look deeper; action alone is not the only way we commit sin. Our feelings and thoughts are the root of sin and bring judgment upon us. Therefore, we cannot claim to be sinless merely by lack of sinful action. Christ alone is without sin, and the rest of us are to be judged.

Jesus tells us it is better to cut off an arm or gouge out an eye, if it brings about sin. This language speaks to the laws of ancient Babylonian, Biblical, Roman, and Islamic principles of reciprocal justice: Measure for measure. The measured punishment of sin is for our whole body to be cast into Sheol. Death. 

Death is the just punishment for our sin. But God, rich in mercy, sent His only Son to save us from that death. Jesus cried out “it is finished” on the cross so that we could enter, through him, into a place of peace and love. Not just in heaven above but within the Kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven.

I have had radical change in my life that has felt very much like losing a limb, for the more I walk with Christ the more separated I become from the things of this world, things that feed the flesh and bring about sinful desires. I repent and my heart shifts to desire the holy life that God has for me; fleeing not just outward sinful actions, but for my inner person to be renewed. 

Anger. Murder. Lust. Adultery. When our hearts condemn us, we don’t have to despair. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus! As we battle sin in our own lives, we fight from a position of security. Christ has won the victory! Hosanna in the highest heaven!

-Nikki

I Saw The Lord

There are so many beautiful awe-inspiring things we see every single day.  Sunrises and sunsets, flowers and trees, the sun, moon and stars, rivers and lakes.  It is true - "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." (Psalm 19:1).

In the midst of all of this beauty we often go about our days unaware and therefore unmoved by all the majesty surrounding us.  All the while God is whispering and sometimes shouting - "I am here.  I care.  I see you.  Look around and you will see Me."

Isaiah the prophet had such an experience.  Catastrophe hit.  King Uzziah died.  Israel's future was unknown and God's people felt heartache, fear, pain and grief.   Isaiah goes to the temple (he goes to church), but this is not a "normal" church service.  The Lord gives Isaiah eyes to see the King who never dies and always reigns.  It is a beautiful, holy, awe-filled sight.  Angels flying, the doorposts and thresholds shaking, smoke filling the room, the presence of the Holy One leads Isaiah to cry out, "woe is me!  I am ruined!"

I do not know how you feel about God-encounters.  I hear a lot of people say things like, "I am not worthy.  I am not special.  I do not want to waste God's time with my problems."  But God delights in revealing Himself to the people He created - especially when we are "at the end of our rope."  And God meets us at the very place we feel most unworthy.  When Isaiah saw the Lord he said, "I am a man of unclean lips" and an angel comes with a coal from the altar to touch his lips and says "your guilt is taken away and your sin is atoned for."

Then Isaiah HEARS the Lord say, "whom shall I send and who will go for us?"  "God does not call the qualified, but He qualifies the called."  When we have experienced God's forgiveness and grace and mercy and love He enlists us as His witnesses to share with others just how much He loves us.

This coming Sunday we will hear testimonies from our brothers and sisters from First Fruits Christian Discipleship Training Program.  Their stories will be beautiful and awe-inspiring.  The Lord will bring us hope and healing as they share their experiences.  It is my prayer that as we prepare to gather for Sunday worship - that we will not merely "go to church" unaware and therefore unmoved, but that we would see the Lord high and lifted up and that we would hear and answer His call.

See you Sunday,

Steven