Category: discipleship

Seed-bearing Fruit

In seeking to please and appeal to consumers, man conceived of and “improved” upon that which God created (Gen 1:11-12) and, behold… seedless fruit! … easier to enjoy but serving no other purpose.

Contrastingly, the fruit of the True Vine will always be fruit bearing the Seed of the Vine… the Spirit Himself whereby more fruit can and will be produced as the branch bearing the fruit continues to abide in the True Vine. (John 15:1-5; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9)

May we never be content with seedless fruit! Come, Holy Spirit!

What does my Christian identity look like?

Reading Leviticus 23:37-38 this morning, I had to pause and reflect on what daily Christian living looks like…

“These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the LORD food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, besides the LORD’s Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD.”

In just these two verses from Leviticus, there is a snapshot of how thoroughly the lives of the Israelites were identified with and defined by their covenant relationship with YHWH God. Yet, in this age, Christianity seems to welcome a part-time relationship with the Creator, its Savior and King. Now we are certainly not under the Mosaic law. But, in ignorance and even selfishness, we demonstrate a certain neglect of its purpose and beauty … for it reveals the holiness of God and our rightful place as humble subjects of our King, living in abandonment to any other … our lives utterly saturated with the recognition and worship of the One, the Almighty God, our Lord and Savior Jesus, in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit! Indeed, by the Spirit of adoption, our hearts cry out to God our Father and Jesus our Brother … and at the same time we are a Holy Priesthood unto our God! May every aspect of our daily lives proclaim our identity in Christ Jesus. May our salt and light in this world be a sweet aroma before God … the incense of His Holy Love working in and flowing through us.

Lazy Faith?!

“I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

I’ve often found it easy to relate to — yes, to identify with this passage. Did I say often? … a lot! I’m afraid this passage can be quoted as more of a crutch or excuse than we’d often like to admit. It’s far too easy to get stuck here — to acknowledge the diagnosis and be content. But that is entirely the wrong kind of contentment! This is the kind of diagnosis that calls for holy discontent. As JD Walt puts it, “Jesus waits for a generation who will not be content to live out their lives in the lazy place between belief and unbelief.”

In the greater context of this passage, it wasn’t the father of the demon-possessed boy that was so unbelieving; rather it was Jesus’ disciples — and they are confounded by their spiritual weakness. Jesus gives them the cure — prayer! Not ritualistic, going through the motions, gotta say the right words in the right order with the right emphasis incantations. But the kind of prayer that is born of intimacy — a relationship overflowing with the Spirit of Holy Love.

I don’t know about you, but lazy faith is not a characteristic I want to have my life marked by. May the Spirit of Holy Love be the very breath we breathe today. May the intimacy of this relationship overflow in continual prayer. And may we be so wholly discontent with anything less that we persevere unwaveringly in this pursuit.

Word & Light & Life

This morning my thoughts turned to Scripture — the Word — the Sacred Text. The more I’ve invested time and energy into reading and studying and even simply listening to the Word being read over and over again, the more I find that various passages are illuminated in new ways — further revealing God the Father, Son, and Spirit.

It brings to mind movie scenes of text, often ancient or cryptic, etched in stone or on brittle, aged pages — text that is obscured in some way from the understanding of many or all of the characters in the plot. Then something happens to bring meaning from what had formerly been hidden or confounding — perhaps there are even special effects to emphasize the event … and Bilbo or Harry or whomever receives new and special knowledge that comes with great privilege and responsibility. But there is something more ancient than any magic ever contrived by human minds or hands.

As we diligently search the Scriptures — as we emulate the faithfulness of the Bereans of old and so many more like them down through history — we are drawn ever deeper into relationship with the God Who is Love. We desire to know the all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, eternal One Who is beyond our human comprehension — and He reveals Himself through the illumination of His Word each day in new ways that sometimes leave us stunned to discover a Truth that was always there. And there’s always more — as abundant and boundless and infinite as Him Who is the Living Word!

Lord God, may I never cease to be amazed and filled with joyful desire to be led by You — deeper into Light and Truth. You are the source of all that is good and wonderful and pure. You are the special effects and the special knowledge — You alone are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. May the privilege and responsibility of being the loyal subject of You, my King, make me sincere and earnest in proclaiming the Good News that all may come and drink from this fountain — all may come and be made free and new in Christ — all are welcome to come and receive Jesus Who is the Word & Light & Life!