SELF-CONTROL
Self-control – the last virtue described in the Fruit of the Spirit. What could be the most definitive verse in the Bible on self-control says: “The grace of God has appeared, offering salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘NO’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:11
God’s grace teaches us to live self-controlled lives in this present age. Society teaches a very different message: Do what makes you feel good! Say yes to ungodliness and worldly passions, and in fact the lines are blurred so craftily that ungodliness is often, in this world’s vernacular, ‘righteous.’
Wikipedia, the online free encyclopedia, says it this way: “Self-control is the ability to control one’s emotions, behavior and desires in order to obtain some reward later, and is the capacity of efficient management to the future.” Wow! The capacity to efficiently manage the future! Self-indulgence offers immediate gratification, but it is momentary and fleeting satiation while self-control is tantamount to the shrewdest possible investing for the future.
Proverbs 16:32 says it is better to be a patient person than a warrior, and a person of self-control than one who conquers a whole city. Said the other way around, Proverbs 25:28 states that a person who lacks self-control is like a city whose walls have been broken through, or in other words one that has been conquered by the enemy. Oh how tempting this world makes it to be the conquering warrior at all costs, at any cost, but the investment of the future is best and most efficiently managed through the Spirit of self-control. Lack of self-control, in the end, is the depletion of integrity and the dissolution of every good thing.
This has got to be the most challenging of the Fruit of the Spirit, for it has the potential to adversely affect every other one. Love becomes lust and self-aggrandizement without self-control. Joy is misconstrued as pleasure in the absence of self-control, and death lies in its wake. Peace, well there really is no peace where self-control is not practiced, rather chaos ensues. Patience is not possible if self-control is a missing part of the equation, for people and circumstances will try our patience until anger gets the best of us. Kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness also require a measure of self-control. Sometimes it’s easy to exercise these virtues, but we are not always thrust into easy situations, and it is in the difficult ones that we are afforded the greatest opportunity to be the most effective servants.
Self-control is not part of our natural self. We teach the importance of self-control to our children from the earliest age, and Titus 2 tells us we never outgrow the need to learn it. “Keep teaching it to older men, older women, and to younger men as well so that in everything we set them an example by doing good . . . .then those who oppose you will be put to shame because they have nothing bad to say about you.” Out of this we glean two basic reasons to exercise self-control; first it sets a good example, and second we cannot be slandered by the opposition because they won’t be able to find anything bad to say about us. I see a third compelling reason -- self-control determines the effectiveness of every other Fruit of the Spirit when challenging circumstances and people cross our paths.
For the joy set before Him Christ endured the Cross, despising its shame, and then He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God where He is ever interceding for us as we serve our world a feast of His gracious love. That’s what Hebrews 12:2 reminds us, and if He had not exercised such self-control we would have no eternity to look forward to. Actually, the Fruit of the Spirit would be a null and void ideology, for ungodliness would then easily quash every good intention. Love, Joy and Peace would not fill our innermost being. But if I fix my eyes on Jesus, who though He despised the shame associated with the Cross, chose redemption for all of mankind over momentary gratification, then I will rock my world with His love, His joy, His peace and the real ‘circle of life’ has the opportunity to change people’s lives – to efficiently and effectively invest our lives today for the sake of the future – for the sake of His honor and glory.
May you walk in the full measure of God’s purpose for your life, so that you experience His Love, Joy, Peace, Provisions and Presence without limit and so you will experience and become what you are purposed to be - His Servant
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Fruit of The Spirit ~ Faithfulness
FAITHFULNESS
“Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.” Psalm 37:3
Whoever heard of feeding on faithfulness? In the natural, what we eat affects every part of us – our skin, our vital organs, our mind, even our attitudes! In my spirit this is true as well. A friend’s or loved one’s faithfulness feeds my soul, replenishes me, fills me up. I want this to be true for my friends, loved ones, the world at-large as well, and it will be so to the degree that I am feasting on God’s faithfulness. If I am depleted of His faithfulness, I have nothing to offer others for feasting on His faithfulness affects me every bit as much as physical food affects my carnal self. “Let your mind dwell on these things” and “out of your innermost being will flow rivers of Living Water.” My attitude about serving others changes dramatically when my serving is from the overflow of God’s own faithfulness towards me . . . my attitude changes, my heart changes, even the air I breathe seems to change!
“Like a tree planted by the water” comes to mind. In the natural trees are crucial to our environment for they transform the very air we breathe by consuming deadly carbon dioxide and transforming it into oxygen. Plants and trees consume light and water for their own energy and survival, and then as a natural by-product oxygen is emitted into the atmosphere. This natural cycle for trees has gone on from time immemorial, and it will continue on until there is a new heaven and a new earth where all God’s created order is transformed to His original design. Likewise, as God’s servant, I take in His light and living waters, and what pours forth is the pure oxygen of His love.
“I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart. I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation.” Psalm 40:10. Once transformed by God’s redeeming love, I cannot keep His faithfulness hidden. It must flow out of me as naturally as the oxygen flows out of a tree. If it were possible for a tree to NOT emit oxygen but just keep it stored within itself I am convinced it would be toxic to the tree. Likewise, feasting on the faithfulness of God and hording it would do the same to my spirit, for I am designed to be a refreshing, free-flowing wellspring of His faithfulness to others. He feeds my very soul with His faithfulness, and I have no choice but to send out this life-sustaining grace.
The Psalms are full of exaltations of God’s faithfulness. Psalm 89:1 says that all generations will know His faithfulness. In fact Psalm 89 mentions God’s faithfulness six different times. It declares that His faithfulness is established in the very heavens. We know this practically as we see the sun rise every morning and set every evening. Verse five says all of the heavens praise God’s faithfulness and verse 8 states that His faithfulness surrounds Him Verse 33 is God’s own declaration that He will not allow His faithfulness to fail.
The scriptures are also repleat with stories of His faithfulness – the Cross the most poignant of all. Even when we sin and suffer the consequences of our own sins, He remains faithful as He waits our return to His arms of love. Faithful to His own integrity, we are free to choose to dwell in His faithfulness, but should we choose otherwise He remains ready to welcome us home. He also, as is true of any faithful father, will discipline those whom He loves. The Psalmist, probably King David, says in Psalm 119:75, “I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” and Hebrews 12 reminds us God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His own holiness, and that His discipline actually validates us as legitimate children.
Isaiah 11:5 says “faithfulness is the belt around His waist.” A belt is symbolic of that which holds everything together. Often translated ‘loins’ instead of waist implies that faithfulness drives every other grace God provides us, and if I am to be effective as His servant, it must be at the core of all I do for others. All the other fruit of the Spirit – patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control would simply be a ruse otherwise, feeding my own carnal nature only which would ultimately suck the oxygen of His grace right out of me.
Revelation 19:11 declares the Name of Christ to be ‘faithful and true.’ Revelation 3:14 says He is known to His church (His followers) as “the AMEN, the FAITHFUL and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.” And Revelation 17:14 says those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. Out of Christ’s faithfulness, one day He will make all things new. Life on this planet earth will one day end; a new Heaven and a new Earth will come forth, but until that time I get to be God’s faithful servant, offering a feast of Christ’s own faithfulness to my world. I am human and I will fall short of such perfection, yet I am assured that even if I am faithless at times, “He remains faithful for He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:12-14. In other words, His very nature is faithfulness, and out of His Spirit, filling my innermost being, He will show forth His faithfulness until He comes to call us home.
The fruit of the Spirit is Faithfulness.
“Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.” Psalm 37:3
Whoever heard of feeding on faithfulness? In the natural, what we eat affects every part of us – our skin, our vital organs, our mind, even our attitudes! In my spirit this is true as well. A friend’s or loved one’s faithfulness feeds my soul, replenishes me, fills me up. I want this to be true for my friends, loved ones, the world at-large as well, and it will be so to the degree that I am feasting on God’s faithfulness. If I am depleted of His faithfulness, I have nothing to offer others for feasting on His faithfulness affects me every bit as much as physical food affects my carnal self. “Let your mind dwell on these things” and “out of your innermost being will flow rivers of Living Water.” My attitude about serving others changes dramatically when my serving is from the overflow of God’s own faithfulness towards me . . . my attitude changes, my heart changes, even the air I breathe seems to change!
“Like a tree planted by the water” comes to mind. In the natural trees are crucial to our environment for they transform the very air we breathe by consuming deadly carbon dioxide and transforming it into oxygen. Plants and trees consume light and water for their own energy and survival, and then as a natural by-product oxygen is emitted into the atmosphere. This natural cycle for trees has gone on from time immemorial, and it will continue on until there is a new heaven and a new earth where all God’s created order is transformed to His original design. Likewise, as God’s servant, I take in His light and living waters, and what pours forth is the pure oxygen of His love.
“I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart. I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation.” Psalm 40:10. Once transformed by God’s redeeming love, I cannot keep His faithfulness hidden. It must flow out of me as naturally as the oxygen flows out of a tree. If it were possible for a tree to NOT emit oxygen but just keep it stored within itself I am convinced it would be toxic to the tree. Likewise, feasting on the faithfulness of God and hording it would do the same to my spirit, for I am designed to be a refreshing, free-flowing wellspring of His faithfulness to others. He feeds my very soul with His faithfulness, and I have no choice but to send out this life-sustaining grace.
The Psalms are full of exaltations of God’s faithfulness. Psalm 89:1 says that all generations will know His faithfulness. In fact Psalm 89 mentions God’s faithfulness six different times. It declares that His faithfulness is established in the very heavens. We know this practically as we see the sun rise every morning and set every evening. Verse five says all of the heavens praise God’s faithfulness and verse 8 states that His faithfulness surrounds Him Verse 33 is God’s own declaration that He will not allow His faithfulness to fail.
The scriptures are also repleat with stories of His faithfulness – the Cross the most poignant of all. Even when we sin and suffer the consequences of our own sins, He remains faithful as He waits our return to His arms of love. Faithful to His own integrity, we are free to choose to dwell in His faithfulness, but should we choose otherwise He remains ready to welcome us home. He also, as is true of any faithful father, will discipline those whom He loves. The Psalmist, probably King David, says in Psalm 119:75, “I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” and Hebrews 12 reminds us God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His own holiness, and that His discipline actually validates us as legitimate children.
Isaiah 11:5 says “faithfulness is the belt around His waist.” A belt is symbolic of that which holds everything together. Often translated ‘loins’ instead of waist implies that faithfulness drives every other grace God provides us, and if I am to be effective as His servant, it must be at the core of all I do for others. All the other fruit of the Spirit – patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control would simply be a ruse otherwise, feeding my own carnal nature only which would ultimately suck the oxygen of His grace right out of me.
Revelation 19:11 declares the Name of Christ to be ‘faithful and true.’ Revelation 3:14 says He is known to His church (His followers) as “the AMEN, the FAITHFUL and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.” And Revelation 17:14 says those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. Out of Christ’s faithfulness, one day He will make all things new. Life on this planet earth will one day end; a new Heaven and a new Earth will come forth, but until that time I get to be God’s faithful servant, offering a feast of Christ’s own faithfulness to my world. I am human and I will fall short of such perfection, yet I am assured that even if I am faithless at times, “He remains faithful for He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:12-14. In other words, His very nature is faithfulness, and out of His Spirit, filling my innermost being, He will show forth His faithfulness until He comes to call us home.
The fruit of the Spirit is Faithfulness.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Fruit of The Spirit ~ Gentleness
GENTLENESS
“Your gentleness has made me great” David said to God in 2 Samuel 22:36 and again in Psalm 18:35. It doesn’t say Your power or Your provisions or any other thing. It was God’s gentleness that made him great. David is called ‘a man after God’s own heart’ in 1 Samuel 13:13-14 and in Acts13:22. We don’t often hear that gentleness makes a great person, but consider one like Mother Theresa as she bends down in the gutter and lifts an abandoned, dying child into her arms and it is not hard to comprehend that gentleness indeed makes one great in the eyes of others, and in the eyes of God. We really cannot aspire to true greatness apart from an intimate acquaintance with the gentleness poured into us by our merciful Savior, and then it cannot help but flow into the lives of those Christ calls us to serve.
Paul exhorts the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 10 – “I am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ” and he goes on to speak of the battle we are engaged in on this earth – “for we walk in the flesh but we do not wage war according to the flesh. For our weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into obedience of Christ.” The weapons of our warfare, at the very core, are the fruit of His Spirit operating in and through us. The most effective strategy when facing flesh (carnal) induced battles is to do so out of a full measure of Christ’s own life as we yield ourselves to Him.
Do I plead with others out of the meekness and gentleness Christ has poured into me? Jesus turned the other cheek. Jesus loved the unlovable. Jesus touched the untouchable. Jesus honored the lowly. He offered such gentleness to the woman flung at his feet by a hostile mob. “Does anyone condemn you? No? Neither do I – go and sin no more” He said, releasing her to bear His gentleness to others she would encounter the rest of her life. Because the fruit of Christ’s Spirit fills me, this same Spirit is always here to lead me, to demonstrate His gentleness through me when another has lost their way. Colossians 3:12 says, “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” The woman ‘caught in the very act of adultery’ saw her accusers walk away one by one, none of them casting ‘the first stone.’ I wonder how even their lives were affected by this uncommon outward expression of gentleness. Here was a teacher of the law who could easily have condoned the stoning, but instead proved His own greatness through His gentle spirit. The Spirit of Jesus compels me to do the same: “Let your gentleness be known to all. The Lord is at hand.” Philippians 4:5
Another woman, the one with the alabaster jar full of costly perfume used mostly for burials, likewise experienced the greatness of God as Christ defended her in the home of Simon the Leper. Though Simon had been healed by Jesus, he and the disciples reclining at the table that day attempted to put this woman in her place by reminding Jesus of her past life, and then “The disciples were indignant. Why waste this? It might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” Jesus steps into her life with the true heart of a servant and blesses this woman with great gentleness of spirit: “Why do you bother this woman? She has done a good deed to Me . . . . truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” Still today, when followers of Christ declare His goodness and gentleness this woman’s own spirit of gentleness is remembered. Matthew 26:6-13. “If one is overtaken in any sin, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.” Galatians 6:1. Restoration, after all, is the objective of Christ’s love through in and through us.
One final story of greatness comes to mind. When the lawyer approached Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus told a parable of one who, when others passed an injured man by, stopped and rendered aid and saw to it the man was given everything necessary for his healing and well-being. After finishing the story Jesus asked the lawyer, “So which of these three men was a true neighbor?” The lawyer prudently responded “The one who had mercy on him’ and Jesus replied ‘Go and do likewise’” Luke 10:37
Greatness is summed up by Jesus Himself in Mark 10:43-45 – “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be the servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Now, go and do likewise.
The fruit of the Spirit is Gentleness
“Your gentleness has made me great” David said to God in 2 Samuel 22:36 and again in Psalm 18:35. It doesn’t say Your power or Your provisions or any other thing. It was God’s gentleness that made him great. David is called ‘a man after God’s own heart’ in 1 Samuel 13:13-14 and in Acts13:22. We don’t often hear that gentleness makes a great person, but consider one like Mother Theresa as she bends down in the gutter and lifts an abandoned, dying child into her arms and it is not hard to comprehend that gentleness indeed makes one great in the eyes of others, and in the eyes of God. We really cannot aspire to true greatness apart from an intimate acquaintance with the gentleness poured into us by our merciful Savior, and then it cannot help but flow into the lives of those Christ calls us to serve.
Paul exhorts the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 10 – “I am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ” and he goes on to speak of the battle we are engaged in on this earth – “for we walk in the flesh but we do not wage war according to the flesh. For our weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into obedience of Christ.” The weapons of our warfare, at the very core, are the fruit of His Spirit operating in and through us. The most effective strategy when facing flesh (carnal) induced battles is to do so out of a full measure of Christ’s own life as we yield ourselves to Him.
Do I plead with others out of the meekness and gentleness Christ has poured into me? Jesus turned the other cheek. Jesus loved the unlovable. Jesus touched the untouchable. Jesus honored the lowly. He offered such gentleness to the woman flung at his feet by a hostile mob. “Does anyone condemn you? No? Neither do I – go and sin no more” He said, releasing her to bear His gentleness to others she would encounter the rest of her life. Because the fruit of Christ’s Spirit fills me, this same Spirit is always here to lead me, to demonstrate His gentleness through me when another has lost their way. Colossians 3:12 says, “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” The woman ‘caught in the very act of adultery’ saw her accusers walk away one by one, none of them casting ‘the first stone.’ I wonder how even their lives were affected by this uncommon outward expression of gentleness. Here was a teacher of the law who could easily have condoned the stoning, but instead proved His own greatness through His gentle spirit. The Spirit of Jesus compels me to do the same: “Let your gentleness be known to all. The Lord is at hand.” Philippians 4:5
Another woman, the one with the alabaster jar full of costly perfume used mostly for burials, likewise experienced the greatness of God as Christ defended her in the home of Simon the Leper. Though Simon had been healed by Jesus, he and the disciples reclining at the table that day attempted to put this woman in her place by reminding Jesus of her past life, and then “The disciples were indignant. Why waste this? It might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” Jesus steps into her life with the true heart of a servant and blesses this woman with great gentleness of spirit: “Why do you bother this woman? She has done a good deed to Me . . . . truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” Still today, when followers of Christ declare His goodness and gentleness this woman’s own spirit of gentleness is remembered. Matthew 26:6-13. “If one is overtaken in any sin, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.” Galatians 6:1. Restoration, after all, is the objective of Christ’s love through in and through us.
One final story of greatness comes to mind. When the lawyer approached Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus told a parable of one who, when others passed an injured man by, stopped and rendered aid and saw to it the man was given everything necessary for his healing and well-being. After finishing the story Jesus asked the lawyer, “So which of these three men was a true neighbor?” The lawyer prudently responded “The one who had mercy on him’ and Jesus replied ‘Go and do likewise’” Luke 10:37
Greatness is summed up by Jesus Himself in Mark 10:43-45 – “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be the servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Now, go and do likewise.
The fruit of the Spirit is Gentleness
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Fruit of The Spirit ~ Goodness
GOODNESS
The first time ‘goodness’ shows up in Scripture is when Moses pleads with God: “Please, show me Your Glory” and God replies: “I will make all My GOODNESS pass before you.” Exodus 33:18-18
So much is said today about living for God’s Glory so it’s compelling to me that God equates His Glory with His Goodness. As I live each day if others are to experience His Glory I must be a vessel filled and overflowing with His goodness. People understand goodness towards them and so for me to serve Him effectively the fruit of His goodness must pour forth.
Moses could not see the face of God, but as the Lord passed by him, he proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, patient and abounding in goodness and truth.” Exodus 34:6
He could not see the ‘face’ of God, yet he came face to face with the fullness of God. That will be the experience of others I meet each day as His goodness pours forth through me. They may not see God’s actual face, but through me they should come face to face His goodness.
David said in Psalm 16:2: “O my soul, you have said to the Lord, 'You are my LORD. My goodness is nothing apart from You.'” And so it is with me. My goodness dissipates in my fleshly attitudes and actions, but IN HIM, I live; IN HIM, I move; IN HIM I exist. It is out of this relationship with my Creator and Savor that His Goodness is known to me, and His Glory is visible through me.
Psalm 33:5 says “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” How is this possible, except His servants live in such a way that His goodness is seen and experienced by others.
Psalm 65:4 declares “We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple.” And Psalm 107:9 assures us that “He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Ephesians 5:8-10 reminds me “you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth) finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.”
2 Thessalonians 1:11 exhorts us: “We pray for you that God would count you worthy of His calling, and fulfill the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the lord Jesus Christ.”
As I demonstrate goodness toward others, they experience the fruit of God’s own divine Glory. It is His heart that all walk as children of Light and not darkness. Through His servants, God will quench the thirst and hunger in me and in others because of, and by, and for the sake of His goodness. The outcome – that His Name is made glorious.
May your goodness, Lord, be evident through me today. May my life be a living testimony, an overflowing vessel of Your goodness so that those I come in contact with experience, as Moses did, the full measure of Your Glory.
The fruit of the Spirit is Goodness
The first time ‘goodness’ shows up in Scripture is when Moses pleads with God: “Please, show me Your Glory” and God replies: “I will make all My GOODNESS pass before you.” Exodus 33:18-18
So much is said today about living for God’s Glory so it’s compelling to me that God equates His Glory with His Goodness. As I live each day if others are to experience His Glory I must be a vessel filled and overflowing with His goodness. People understand goodness towards them and so for me to serve Him effectively the fruit of His goodness must pour forth.
Moses could not see the face of God, but as the Lord passed by him, he proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, patient and abounding in goodness and truth.” Exodus 34:6
He could not see the ‘face’ of God, yet he came face to face with the fullness of God. That will be the experience of others I meet each day as His goodness pours forth through me. They may not see God’s actual face, but through me they should come face to face His goodness.
David said in Psalm 16:2: “O my soul, you have said to the Lord, 'You are my LORD. My goodness is nothing apart from You.'” And so it is with me. My goodness dissipates in my fleshly attitudes and actions, but IN HIM, I live; IN HIM, I move; IN HIM I exist. It is out of this relationship with my Creator and Savor that His Goodness is known to me, and His Glory is visible through me.
Psalm 33:5 says “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” How is this possible, except His servants live in such a way that His goodness is seen and experienced by others.
Psalm 65:4 declares “We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple.” And Psalm 107:9 assures us that “He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Ephesians 5:8-10 reminds me “you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth) finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.”
2 Thessalonians 1:11 exhorts us: “We pray for you that God would count you worthy of His calling, and fulfill the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the lord Jesus Christ.”
As I demonstrate goodness toward others, they experience the fruit of God’s own divine Glory. It is His heart that all walk as children of Light and not darkness. Through His servants, God will quench the thirst and hunger in me and in others because of, and by, and for the sake of His goodness. The outcome – that His Name is made glorious.
May your goodness, Lord, be evident through me today. May my life be a living testimony, an overflowing vessel of Your goodness so that those I come in contact with experience, as Moses did, the full measure of Your Glory.
The fruit of the Spirit is Goodness
Monday, May 23, 2011
Fruit of The Spirit - Kindness
KINDNESS
“Don’t you know that it is His kindness that leads us to repentance?” Romans 2:4
I hadn’t considered Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross as being an act of kindness, but it is the ultimate gift, isn’t it. It was His Spirit of Kindness which rose up within Him as He walked that Via Dolorosa and as He said with His dying breaths “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” This act of unselfish love, when fully contemplated, cannot help but compel one to embrace such kindness.
David declared it was God’s kindness that caused him to stand victorious against the enemy that had come against the people of God: “Blessed be the Lord, for He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a city under siege.” Psalm 31:21 God’s kindness is demonstrated still today when we are able to stand against the onslaught of the enemy.
The Psalmist also declares that God’s kindness is a truth we can always rely on: “His merciful kindness is great towards us; the truth of the Lord endures forever.” Is this fruit of His Spirit evident through me? When I know someone is battling, does the spirit of kindness well up within me and cause me to stand in their defense, or in the gap for them in prayer? Is His kindness operating through me something others can count on? It should be, for the fruit of God’s Spirit is demonstrated by kindness.
“Let Your merciful kindness comfort me, according to Your word.” Psalm 119:76. Am I comforting others with the merciful kindness of my Savior? Am I the Proverbs 31 woman – “She opens her mouth in skillful and godly wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness (giving counsel and instruction)” (vs 26 Amplified Bible). Is the law of kindness written on my own heart? Is it Christ’s own kindness, or do I offer it out of legalistic obligation? If the former, oh what joy floods my own soul. If the latter selfish gain will ruin any opportunity for others to know the kindness of my Savior, and such legally-induced ‘kindness’ is really self-deception for in the end it demands reciprocity. Such is not ‘the fruit of The Spirit’.
Jesus ate with ‘sinners’, He welcomed the lavish wastefulness of the woman who anointed Him with costly perfume, He died for sinners like me. It was and is His M.O. Is it mine?
1 Corinthians, chapter 6 says that living out the kindness of the Lord is the way to prove I am His servants: “Laboring together with Him, we beg you not to receive such merciful kindness in vain. We should not put any obstacle in anybody’s way so that His ministry is not discredited. We prove ourselves to be true servants of God . . . . in (our display of) His kindness.” (vss 1-6) Interjected among the list of virtues we are given the keys to how it is even possible for us to operate like Him in this world – by the Holy Spirit, by Genuine Love, by the Word of Truth, by the Power of God. These are intrinsically not of ourselves. God is, as Romans 11:36 says, working in us so that we comprehend and are empowered by the truth that it is FROM HIM, and THROUGH HIM and TO HIM. “Everything comes from Him, and exists by His power, and is intended for His Glory” As I live in Him and through Him towards others on this earth, He is glorified.
Finally, on the subject of kindness found in the incredibly descriptive King James language, we are to “put on, as the holy and beloved elect of God, bowels of . . . . kindness.” Colossians 3:12
Two truths can be gleaned from this verse. First, I am to ‘put on’ kindness, as I would put on a coat to shield myself from the cold, or as I put on shoes to protect and strengthen my feet – purposefully thoughtfully, intentionally. Second, kindness should dwell within my innermost being and be so much a part of me that it simply cannot be negated by my fleshly appetite. Emerging from my ‘bowels’, the seat of emotions according to Greek and Hebrew tradition, kindness is both a choice and an impossibility to deny for I cannot deny my true emotions. Either it is Christ’s kindness or my flesh at work in and through me – both cannot co-exist. I cannot serve two masters.
“Put aside all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. Like newborn babies, crave the pure milk of the Word . . . . if indeed you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” 1 Peter 2:1-2
“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence . . . . In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with kindness, and kindness with love for everyone.” 2 Peter 1:3-8
It is His kindness, through me, that leads others to know His marvelous glory and excellence.
The fruit of the Spirit is kindness.
“Don’t you know that it is His kindness that leads us to repentance?” Romans 2:4
I hadn’t considered Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross as being an act of kindness, but it is the ultimate gift, isn’t it. It was His Spirit of Kindness which rose up within Him as He walked that Via Dolorosa and as He said with His dying breaths “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” This act of unselfish love, when fully contemplated, cannot help but compel one to embrace such kindness.
David declared it was God’s kindness that caused him to stand victorious against the enemy that had come against the people of God: “Blessed be the Lord, for He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a city under siege.” Psalm 31:21 God’s kindness is demonstrated still today when we are able to stand against the onslaught of the enemy.
The Psalmist also declares that God’s kindness is a truth we can always rely on: “His merciful kindness is great towards us; the truth of the Lord endures forever.” Is this fruit of His Spirit evident through me? When I know someone is battling, does the spirit of kindness well up within me and cause me to stand in their defense, or in the gap for them in prayer? Is His kindness operating through me something others can count on? It should be, for the fruit of God’s Spirit is demonstrated by kindness.
“Let Your merciful kindness comfort me, according to Your word.” Psalm 119:76. Am I comforting others with the merciful kindness of my Savior? Am I the Proverbs 31 woman – “She opens her mouth in skillful and godly wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness (giving counsel and instruction)” (vs 26 Amplified Bible). Is the law of kindness written on my own heart? Is it Christ’s own kindness, or do I offer it out of legalistic obligation? If the former, oh what joy floods my own soul. If the latter selfish gain will ruin any opportunity for others to know the kindness of my Savior, and such legally-induced ‘kindness’ is really self-deception for in the end it demands reciprocity. Such is not ‘the fruit of The Spirit’.
Jesus ate with ‘sinners’, He welcomed the lavish wastefulness of the woman who anointed Him with costly perfume, He died for sinners like me. It was and is His M.O. Is it mine?
1 Corinthians, chapter 6 says that living out the kindness of the Lord is the way to prove I am His servants: “Laboring together with Him, we beg you not to receive such merciful kindness in vain. We should not put any obstacle in anybody’s way so that His ministry is not discredited. We prove ourselves to be true servants of God . . . . in (our display of) His kindness.” (vss 1-6) Interjected among the list of virtues we are given the keys to how it is even possible for us to operate like Him in this world – by the Holy Spirit, by Genuine Love, by the Word of Truth, by the Power of God. These are intrinsically not of ourselves. God is, as Romans 11:36 says, working in us so that we comprehend and are empowered by the truth that it is FROM HIM, and THROUGH HIM and TO HIM. “Everything comes from Him, and exists by His power, and is intended for His Glory” As I live in Him and through Him towards others on this earth, He is glorified.
Finally, on the subject of kindness found in the incredibly descriptive King James language, we are to “put on, as the holy and beloved elect of God, bowels of . . . . kindness.” Colossians 3:12
Two truths can be gleaned from this verse. First, I am to ‘put on’ kindness, as I would put on a coat to shield myself from the cold, or as I put on shoes to protect and strengthen my feet – purposefully thoughtfully, intentionally. Second, kindness should dwell within my innermost being and be so much a part of me that it simply cannot be negated by my fleshly appetite. Emerging from my ‘bowels’, the seat of emotions according to Greek and Hebrew tradition, kindness is both a choice and an impossibility to deny for I cannot deny my true emotions. Either it is Christ’s kindness or my flesh at work in and through me – both cannot co-exist. I cannot serve two masters.
“Put aside all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. Like newborn babies, crave the pure milk of the Word . . . . if indeed you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” 1 Peter 2:1-2
“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence . . . . In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with kindness, and kindness with love for everyone.” 2 Peter 1:3-8
It is His kindness, through me, that leads others to know His marvelous glory and excellence.
The fruit of the Spirit is kindness.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
A Servant: The Fruit Of The Spirit ~ Patience
Now the fruit of the Spirit is
LOVE, JOY, PEACE
These 3 are what God wants to do IN US
so that He can accomplish all the others THROUGH us
PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS
FAITHFULNESS, SELF CONTROL
LOVE, JOY, PEACE
These 3 are what God wants to do IN US
so that He can accomplish all the others THROUGH us
PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS
FAITHFULNESS, SELF CONTROL
In a message on 4/27 by Pastor Alex Michelle at New Hope midweek service, he spoke on the difference between SERVING and BEING A SERVANT. Serving can come from a place of self motivation: I need to do this, I like to do this, I’m gifted to do this, others will think well of me if I do this, if I don’t do it no one else will, it makes me feel good to do it, etc. But being a servant is ‘others’ directed, and a servant of God is the vessel through which others see and experience and learn to emulate the patience of Jesus, the kindness of Jesus, the gentleness of Jesus, the faithfulness of Jesus and Jesus’ self control which we witnessed as He chose to go to the Cross for our sake, rather than walking away from the hard choice being a servant required of Him. Being a servant does not come from a work’s ideology, it comes from a heart that sees the needs of others and chooses, out of the overflow of His love, His joy, His peace that fills them, to extend God’s grace. In the spirit of God’s grace I offer meditations, over the next 6 days, on these six Fruit Of The Spirit.
“When you walk in the created purpose of God for your life, you will experience increasing degrees of Shalom – completeness, harmony, fulfillment.”
Pastor Alex Michelle
Pastor Alex Michelle
PATIENCEMark 14:32-41: “Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.” He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?”
Three times Jesus came to find His closest friends sleeping. He’d encouraged them to watch and pray, but they slept. He didn’t lecture them, or preach to them about fidelity to the cause. He didn’t say, “Don’t you know what I’ve been through? Don’t you know how much I’ve endured and will endure for you? Don’ t you know I am about to die for you, and all you can do is sleep!!” No, he simply found them sleeping and only kept encouraging them to pray lest they enter into temptation -- and then went back to praying for them.
Jesus knows our weaknesses and is patient towards us for our own sake. As 2 Peter 2:9 so succinctly states: “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
“Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.” Proverbs 14:29
"A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.”Proverbs 15:18
“Love is patient.” 1 Corinthians 13:4
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2
Developing this spirit of patience causes us to stay calm under pressure, thus creating calm all around us. Because of Christ’s great love for us, because He humbled Himself and became a servant for our sake, we are exhorted to exercise such humility, gentleness and patience toward others. No one sees God in our anger, in our false-humility, in our hot-tempers; they see Him as the fruit of His Spirit is on display through us. Through our own patience others see love in its purest form.
“The Lord is not slow about keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”2 Peter 3:9
When we serve others out of the abundance of this truth, that God is patient towards us, they in turn experience His amazing patience too as He pursues them with His great love.
The fruit of the Spirit is . . . Patience
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Looking Forward to Passover
Similarities\Symbolisms
Between
Passover and Easter
suemccarysargis – updated 2011
Between
Passover and Easter
suemccarysargis – updated 2011
WHY DO THEY COINCIDE?
It seems purposeful that God would choose this particular time in the Jewish year to send Jesus to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, and to die for our sins. Both historical events depict the redeeming hand of God. Passover represents the physical salvation of the Israelites from the hands of Pharaoh. Easter represents God’s eternal salvation for anyone who chooses to believe in Christ the Messiah, Savior and Redeemer.
PASSOVER: The time in history when God brought salvation to Israel by the blood of the sacrificial lamb. As the death angel came through Egypt to kill the firstborn child in each Egyptian family, the Israelites were safe in their homes whose doorposts had been sprinkled with the blood of an unblemished lamb.
EASTER: The time in history when God made salvation possible for all mankind through His Son, Jesus Christ -- “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29)
BOTH SIGNIFY THE SETTING FREE OF GOD’S PEOPLE
PASSOVER: Israelites from slavery in Egypt (physical bondage).
(Exodus 12:31-37)
EASTER: Sinners from slavery to sin (spiritual bondage).
(Luke 4:18-19; Luke 24:46-47; Col. 1:12-14)
BOTH REQUIRED AN "UNBLEMISHED" SACRIFICE
PASSOVER: Unblemished young male lamb
(Exodus 12:5)
EASTER: Christ, the sinless Son of God - the “Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
BOTH REQUIRED A "BLOOD" SACRIFICE
PASSOVER: Israelites slaughtered a lamb and sprinkled the blood on the sides and top of their doorframes. (Ex. 12:7; 27)
EASTER: The Cross represents the doorframe and it was Christ’s Blood that dripped from His thorn-crowned head and Nail-pierced hands and feet. Christ is the door through which we pass into eternal security. Just as the Israelites passed into their homes to the safety and protection from the angel Of death, so we pass from death to life through the blood Of Jesus Christ. (Rev. 3:20; John 5:25)
BOTH REQUIRED THE DIRECT INTERVENTION OF GOD
PASSOVER: God sent Moses to redeem the Israelites. The Passover Lamb represents a sacrifice for the sins and salvation of God’s people that must be repeated every year. (Ex. 3:7-10)
EASTER: God sent His Son Jesus, that “whoever believes in Him might be saved.” (John 3:16)
Christ is THE Passover Lamb, and His sacrifice for our sins and salvation was done once for all. There is no need for any other sacrifice. Jesus paid it all. (Hebrews 9:12-14)
PASSOVER: The time in history when God brought salvation to Israel by the blood of the sacrificial lamb. As the death angel came through Egypt to kill the firstborn child in each Egyptian family, the Israelites were safe in their homes whose doorposts had been sprinkled with the blood of an unblemished lamb.
EASTER: The time in history when God made salvation possible for all mankind through His Son, Jesus Christ -- “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29)
BOTH SIGNIFY THE SETTING FREE OF GOD’S PEOPLE
PASSOVER: Israelites from slavery in Egypt (physical bondage).
(Exodus 12:31-37)
EASTER: Sinners from slavery to sin (spiritual bondage).
(Luke 4:18-19; Luke 24:46-47; Col. 1:12-14)
BOTH REQUIRED AN "UNBLEMISHED" SACRIFICE
PASSOVER: Unblemished young male lamb
(Exodus 12:5)
EASTER: Christ, the sinless Son of God - the “Lamb who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
BOTH REQUIRED A "BLOOD" SACRIFICE
PASSOVER: Israelites slaughtered a lamb and sprinkled the blood on the sides and top of their doorframes. (Ex. 12:7; 27)
EASTER: The Cross represents the doorframe and it was Christ’s Blood that dripped from His thorn-crowned head and Nail-pierced hands and feet. Christ is the door through which we pass into eternal security. Just as the Israelites passed into their homes to the safety and protection from the angel Of death, so we pass from death to life through the blood Of Jesus Christ. (Rev. 3:20; John 5:25)
BOTH REQUIRED THE DIRECT INTERVENTION OF GOD
PASSOVER: God sent Moses to redeem the Israelites. The Passover Lamb represents a sacrifice for the sins and salvation of God’s people that must be repeated every year. (Ex. 3:7-10)
EASTER: God sent His Son Jesus, that “whoever believes in Him might be saved.” (John 3:16)
Christ is THE Passover Lamb, and His sacrifice for our sins and salvation was done once for all. There is no need for any other sacrifice. Jesus paid it all. (Hebrews 9:12-14)
Today when Passover is observed, the meal consists of items that remind the children of Israel how God rescued them from the bitterness of slavery in Egypt. The items in the Seder (Passover Feast) also remind us of our own salvation through Jesus Christ:
THE CANDLE: Before the Passover meal (Seder) can begin, the father goes throughout the house with a candle, looking for any trace of unleavened bread. Once he is satisfied there is none, the meal can begin. This is tradition, not scriptural mandate.
As Christians we know that Jesus came as Light into this world.
- John 1:5 says: "In Him was life, and that life was the light of men."
- John 8:12 Jesus says: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."
- And in John 3:19-21 Jesus declares: "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
Shining a candle into every corner of one’s house is symbolic of us allowing the truth (Light) of God’s Word to shine in very part of our life. Just as the Jewish father looks for any trace of leaven, so we are to allow our Father the privilege of looking for any trace of sin in our lives. As we allow His Light to expose our sin and as we confess our sin, His Word says "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
Satisfied that this has been done, we may now enter into the celebration of Passover, for "If we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purifies us from all sin.
(1 John 1:7)
LAMB BONE: A requirement of the Israelites when they prepared for the Feast of Passover was to make sure not one bone of the sacrificial lamb was broken. (Exodus 12:46)
“Now it was the day of Preparation and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs . . . These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of His bones will be broken.’” (John 19:31-36)
BITTER HERBS: Israelites were required to eat bitter herbs along with the meat of the lamb. Eating them would recall the bitter years of slavery in Egypt.
For believers, this is symbolic of mankind’s slavery to sin before coming to believe in Jesus Christ. “Thanks be to God that though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the teachings entrusted to you. You have been set free from sin and are now slaves to righteousness.” (Romans 6:17-18)
The “teachings entrusted” to us is the good news that Jesus Christ came to be our Redeemer. Being a “slave to righteousness” is not bondage. It is a choice that brings total freedom through Christ into our lives.
HAROSET: A mixture of fruit, nuts and wine which symbolize the mortar the Israelites used to make bricks while slaves in Egypt. All they did all day long was make bricks for Pharaoh.
For believers in Jesus this symbolizes the life we lived and the things we did before we accepted Christ as our Redeemer. Those things that use to “hold” our lives together were things that will not last throughout eternity. It is now Christ who holds all things together. (Colossians 1:17; Acts 17:28)
PARSLEY: Greens that represent the newness of spring. At the dinner the family will dip these greens in salt water, representing the Red Se, through which they passed on dry ground -- and in which their enemies were drowned. This is the beginning of their life of freedom from slavery.
For believers in Jesus, this symbolizes our new life in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). The salt water bears witness of Christ’s continuing victory over the enemy on our behalf, even as Israel witnessed their enemy drown in the sea. It also represents the fact that our own sins which use to enslave us, now forgiven through the blood of Jesus our Redeemer King, have been buried in the depths of the sea and we are raised to walk with Him in new life (Romans 6:4; Col 2:12). The fact that it is salt and water combined can be symbolic of the work of Christ through us in this world - the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:17-20). This ministry of reconciliation requires, in the Spiritual sense, the same qualities of salt – purifying, preserving, healing, seasoning; and of water – cleansing, quenching of thirst, the basic necessity for life. The work Christ does in us and through us in the lives of others should bear the same qualities of salt and water. He says we are the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13). He says HE is the living water, and those who believe in Him will be dispensers of His living water (John 7:37-39).
HARD-BOILED EGG: Represents the strength of the Israelites as well as the new life they experienced once they were set free.
As believers we look to the giver of new life, Jesus Christ, and we see His death, burial and resurrection on our behalf. The egg can be a picture of the tomb that was supposed to bury the life of Christ. Instead we know He broke forth from that tomb, leaving it empty and guaranteeing, once and for all, our freedom and new life. It’s also symbolic of the source of our strength: “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). Paul had just finished saying that he had learned the secret of contentment in the midst of various circumstances - wealth or poverty, well fed or hungry for it is Christ who gives strength. In Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul prays that we will really know God’s power in our life, the same power that brought Christ forth from the tomb. "I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being....that you may have power...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ...."
MATZAH: Unleavened bread that was mixed in haste so Israel could leave Egypt just as soon as they were told to pack up and go. They had to be ready so there was no time for the yeast, normally in their bread, to rise. Therefore, God told them to take bread mixed without yeast. (Ex 12:8) Today when Passover is celebrated the Jewish family will spend seven days ridding their homes of any sign of leaven. The Old Testament laws regarding Passover require the death or banishment of anyone in the land who was found with leaven in their homes at the end of those seven days. (Exodus 12:19)
Today yeast is often used to represent sin in our lives. It was the Israelites’ sin against God that took them into slavery in Egypt. Departing Egypt, it might be said that they were being asked to leave their lives of sin behind them, just as we are called to leave our lives of sin and follow Christ (Heb. 12:1-2). In our observances of the Lord’s Supper, or Communion - unleavened bread is used to symbolize the sinless life of Christ, our Redeemer, the “Bread of Life” and the choice we have made to leave our lives of sin behind in exchange for our New Life in Christ Jesus. Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the Bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true Bread from heaven. For the Bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world . . . I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry.” (John 6:32-35)
At the beginning of the meal when the Matzah is served, there are three pieces of the bread. The middle piece is broken in half, and one half of it is hidden. After the meal is finished the children are sent to look for the hidden piece of Matzah. When it has been found, a great celebration follows and everyone enjoys a piece of the missing Matzah.
• Three pieces of Matzah – the Trinity.
• The broken piece – Christ’s body, which was broken for you.
• The celebration once the hidden piece of Matzah is found – the celebration that takes place in Heaven and on Earth when someone finds and receives Christ as their own Redeemer. What once was lost because of sin (a personal relationship with God) is now found in Jesus Christ, God’s Son.
WINE: Wine is an integral part of the Seder. There are usually four cups of wine, plus a fifth that is not consumed because it awaits the coming prophet who will announce the coming of the Messiah. The first four cups, spaced throughout the Seder, are consumed following times of remembering. The first cup is consumed after remembering God’s creation of the world, and specifically His ordination of the seventh day as the Sabbath. The family affirms that, just as the Sabbath was sanctified (set apart for God), so are God’s people. He has sanctified us to be holy just as He is holy, the same as He did when He declared, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." The second cup of wine is consumed after recalling that while the Israelites were in slavery they multiplied from 70 men to a vast nation of people. (Ex. 1:5; Ex. 12:37) They remembered God’s deliverance from that slavery, the plagues sent to Pharaoh’s people because he would not obey God, the parting of the Red Sea, and recalling other times in history when God’s people were oppressed. Then it is time for the third cup, which follows the recounting of God’s mercies. A prayer of thanksgiving is offered: "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Father, Mighty One, Creator, Redeemer, Maker, Shepherd and good King. May You continue to grant us Your grace, kindness, mercy, deliverance, success, blessing, redemption, comfort, support, sustenance, compassion, life and peace." -- and then the third cup is consumed.
The fourth cup follows, once again, a time of remembering and giving thanks. "For the thousands and then thousands of blessings You offered our ancestors and ourselves. You redeemed us, took us out of bondage, fed us, sustained us, saved us, helped us, cured us, and were always there when we needed You. Your grace is with us, Your compassion did not abandon us. And so we all thank You, exalt You, glorify You, and honor and sanctify Your name, our Lord."
As believers we mirror this part of the Seder when we join together in Communion.
"The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ The same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me." (1 Cor. 11:23-25)
As we partake of the bread and the wine in Communion with our God, we too recall and remember that He has set us apart to be holy as He is holy; we remember the time He rescued us from the dominions of darkness and bestowed upon us Eternal Life through the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ; we recall other times in our lives when He was our very present help in times of trouble; we remember His miraculous hand of deliverance; and we rejoice in His continued mercy and grace. We do this, In remembrance of Him. The fifth cup, the one saved for the prophet who will usher in Christ’s coming, cannot be consumed in the Seder. But believers will join Jesus in drinking that fifth cup at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb (Rev. 19:6-9). Until then, Jesus says: "I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom." (Matthew 26:27-29)
There are actually three feasts celebrated in conjunction with Passover: The Feast of Passover (14th day of the first month); the Feast of Unleavened Bread (15-21st days of the first month); and the Feast of First Fruits (16th day of the first month).
Three feasts are reflected in the three days of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection:
The Feast of Passover points us to Jesus, the unblemished Lamb of God, through whose blood we receive forgiveness of sins. “....without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22)
The Feast of Unleavened Bread reminds us of the sinless Son of God who died to take away the sins of the world. “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21)
The Feast of First Fruits reminds us that Jesus rose victoriously from the grave. Because of His resurrection we are assured when we die that we too will rise again to live eternally with our Father. “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through one man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when He comes, those who belong to Him.” (1 Cor. 15:20-23). Christ’s resurrection is our assurance that the entire harvest is God’s and belongs to Him. Christ, who has been raised from the dead, is the guarantee of the resurrection of all God’s redeemed people.
At Easter we remember the sacrifice of Christ for the sake of our own Redemption. We remember what life was like before we knew Him or accepted Him as our Savior. We celebrate His resurrection from the empty tomb, and our New Life in Him. We celebrate the work of the fullness of Christ in our lives, as the Holy Spirit continues to work the works of righteousness in and through us. We celebrate the greatest of all joys - Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have Eternal Life. God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through Him, might be saved. John 3:16-17
Note: Because there are many traditions surrounding the symbolisms of each item in the Seder, the ones used may differ from those found in various books and family practices. Three books used in compiling this material are: Festival of Freedom by Maida Silvermann, @1988 Simon & Schuster; A Passover Haggadah by Elie Wiesel, @1993 Elirion Associates, Inc. & Mark Podwal; and The Story of the Passover, A Coloring Book with Crafts by Barbara Soloff-Levy, @1989 Watermill Press. Many of the ideas are personal applications in light of the Biblical accounts and Scriptures of both Old and New Testaments
suemccarysargis – 3/18/97edited 3/21/2005
edited again 3/9/3011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Genesis can be so disconcerting, can’t it?
I was in a discussion about this yesterday with a colleague who has started studying the Scriptures in earnest this year, and she’d just read how Jacob and his mom lied to ensure he got the main blessing from his dad, Isaac, and basically how people lied and cheated and there seemed to be no consequences. With little time to formulate an astute answer, I responded that we have to take scripture as a whole in order to get the big picture. We didn’t have time for any further discussion, but this morning as I woke and prepared to dig into Genesis again, I think I heard something that could help all of us who come away disconcerted by the incremental chapters in people’s lives we encounter throughout Scripture. It is, after all, about the Big Picture.
All of Scripture points us to the immeasurable gifts God has given us – His grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, redemption and restoration. Stories in Scripture are not written to show us exact examples of perfection on the part of the patriarchs and matriarchs of old. These stories are about REAL people, not perfect ones; people who, just like us, can easily be tempted and led astray by fleshly desires. They are stories about people, just like us, who are disciplined by God in ways that drive us headlong into His immeasurable gifts, for God’s discipline is always for the purpose of redemption and restoration. The very fact that restoration happens between Laban and Jacob, and between Jacob and his brother Essau are amazing glimpses into these immeasurable gifts of God.
As Jacob spent those 20 years estranged from his homeland and safe from Essau’s threat to kill him for stealing his blessing from their father, Jacob was being humbled. He got to experience first-hand what it felt like to be cheated when he awoke in the arms of Leah instead of the arms of Rebecca – the one he worked seven years for. He was further humbled as he worked another seven years for the right to marry Rebecca, only to be continually short-changed by his father-in-law’s conniving schemes. Ten times, we are told, Laban changed the wages he’d promised Jacob. After 20 years Jacob was told by God to go back to his homeland, and Jacob was more than willing to face whatever consequences awaited him.
I’m impressed with the thought that all the time God was working on Jacob’s character, God blessed him and multiplied everything for him and his family. And unbeknownst to Jacob God was also at work in Essau’s heart during those 20 years. We know this because when Essau learned his brother was on his way home, Essau arranged a grand welcoming party – 400 people went out to welcome Jacob home, not to kill him as Jacob speculated could happen. Bitterness had not overtaken Essau. Instead those immeasurable gifts of God were in full operation as he reached out with grace, mercy, forgiveness and arms of love to this brother who had deceived their father and robbed him of a blessing. In this big picture we see God at work all along, restoring and redeeming what otherwise the fleshly nature would have completely destroyed. As we take hold of this big picture, we are given the opportunity to look at our own lives – at the struggles, the injustices, the years of frustration – and we get to see, as Jacob did after spending the night wrestling, the very face of our God. All along He has been FOR us. His redeeming love sustains us, matures us, graces us as He disciplines us to embrace his immeasurable gifts, instead of and in spite of our fleshly nature.
All along our own life’s journey we get to build altars of worship following those awful nights of wrestling with the ‘strong man’, and we get to declare with Jacob, “I have seen the face of God and my life is preserved.” (Gen 32:30) Likewise, when we witness the redeeming grace, the undeserved and freely bestowed grace of God as Jacob did in Essau’s embrace, we come to understand that we behold the face of God in the faces of others. Jacob declared to his brother “I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me.” (Gen 33:10)
A life disciplined by such a loving God, a God who understands our human weaknesses and struggles, is a life where peace reigns in the darkest of those struggles; it reigns when we feel like we have battled a strong man all night long, only to awaken to the face of God. It reigns even when we survive life’s experiences with a slight limp. It is precisely because we are human, not perfect – just as those patriarchs and matriarchs who have gone before us – that we comprehend the peace of God, knowing it is He who has stood guard over our hearts and minds all along, and in such moments we know it is always His great desire to pour upon us His immeasurable gifts of grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, redemption and restoration – and then to see us living lives that grace others in the same way.
Human, forgiven, redeemed, restored.
God’s heart . . .
God’s intention . . .
God’s immeasurable gifts
May God grant us the grace to see this for ourselves and for all the Jacobs and Labans and Leahs and Rachels and Rebeccas and Essaus that come in and out of our lives. As we do, we too will know we have seen the face of God, who has preserved our lives, and we will know that it is, after all, about the big picture.
All of Scripture points us to the immeasurable gifts God has given us – His grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, redemption and restoration. Stories in Scripture are not written to show us exact examples of perfection on the part of the patriarchs and matriarchs of old. These stories are about REAL people, not perfect ones; people who, just like us, can easily be tempted and led astray by fleshly desires. They are stories about people, just like us, who are disciplined by God in ways that drive us headlong into His immeasurable gifts, for God’s discipline is always for the purpose of redemption and restoration. The very fact that restoration happens between Laban and Jacob, and between Jacob and his brother Essau are amazing glimpses into these immeasurable gifts of God.
As Jacob spent those 20 years estranged from his homeland and safe from Essau’s threat to kill him for stealing his blessing from their father, Jacob was being humbled. He got to experience first-hand what it felt like to be cheated when he awoke in the arms of Leah instead of the arms of Rebecca – the one he worked seven years for. He was further humbled as he worked another seven years for the right to marry Rebecca, only to be continually short-changed by his father-in-law’s conniving schemes. Ten times, we are told, Laban changed the wages he’d promised Jacob. After 20 years Jacob was told by God to go back to his homeland, and Jacob was more than willing to face whatever consequences awaited him.
I’m impressed with the thought that all the time God was working on Jacob’s character, God blessed him and multiplied everything for him and his family. And unbeknownst to Jacob God was also at work in Essau’s heart during those 20 years. We know this because when Essau learned his brother was on his way home, Essau arranged a grand welcoming party – 400 people went out to welcome Jacob home, not to kill him as Jacob speculated could happen. Bitterness had not overtaken Essau. Instead those immeasurable gifts of God were in full operation as he reached out with grace, mercy, forgiveness and arms of love to this brother who had deceived their father and robbed him of a blessing. In this big picture we see God at work all along, restoring and redeeming what otherwise the fleshly nature would have completely destroyed. As we take hold of this big picture, we are given the opportunity to look at our own lives – at the struggles, the injustices, the years of frustration – and we get to see, as Jacob did after spending the night wrestling, the very face of our God. All along He has been FOR us. His redeeming love sustains us, matures us, graces us as He disciplines us to embrace his immeasurable gifts, instead of and in spite of our fleshly nature.
All along our own life’s journey we get to build altars of worship following those awful nights of wrestling with the ‘strong man’, and we get to declare with Jacob, “I have seen the face of God and my life is preserved.” (Gen 32:30) Likewise, when we witness the redeeming grace, the undeserved and freely bestowed grace of God as Jacob did in Essau’s embrace, we come to understand that we behold the face of God in the faces of others. Jacob declared to his brother “I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me.” (Gen 33:10)
A life disciplined by such a loving God, a God who understands our human weaknesses and struggles, is a life where peace reigns in the darkest of those struggles; it reigns when we feel like we have battled a strong man all night long, only to awaken to the face of God. It reigns even when we survive life’s experiences with a slight limp. It is precisely because we are human, not perfect – just as those patriarchs and matriarchs who have gone before us – that we comprehend the peace of God, knowing it is He who has stood guard over our hearts and minds all along, and in such moments we know it is always His great desire to pour upon us His immeasurable gifts of grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, redemption and restoration – and then to see us living lives that grace others in the same way.
Human, forgiven, redeemed, restored.
God’s heart . . .
God’s intention . . .
God’s immeasurable gifts
May God grant us the grace to see this for ourselves and for all the Jacobs and Labans and Leahs and Rachels and Rebeccas and Essaus that come in and out of our lives. As we do, we too will know we have seen the face of God, who has preserved our lives, and we will know that it is, after all, about the big picture.
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