Weeds among the wheat

Following on from the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, we have a short story about a farmer who has sown a crop into his field. As the crop grows, weeds also spring up among the crop. The man’s enemy has crept in and sown a crop of weeds among the good plants.

“Shall we pull out the crop of weeds?” ask the farmer’s workers.

“No leave them alone” says the farmer. “you might damage the good crop whilst pulling out the weeds. They will be separated when the harvest is gathered.”

This story is a parallel of the world, where the people of God, His church, are working and growing in the midst of the ungodly. Satan, the enemy of Christ, is forever sowing his evil seeds into the midst of what Christ is doing. We are to be assured that there will come a time when each person will be judged according to whether they have committed their lives to Christ or not.

The church is not immune to attacks by satanic forces. They can be a source of great division and hurt.  If Satan is unable to destroy the church, he does his best to disrupt its work through petty squabbling, power struggles, sexual sin, gossip, slander, financial mishandling and many other devices sowing seeds of discord. That is why the Bible encourages the church to strive for unity and respectful and honest relationships in the body of believers.

What I believe this parable is teaching is not that we should be unaware of sinful practices, but that we should be cultivating lives rich in the things of Christ.  There’s a quote of Abraham Lincoln’s which describes the need to concentrate on our ministries rather than our troubles or critics:

“If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what's said against me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.”

We should not be disheartened by the presence of evil in this world, but assured that Christ has the victory and will do the winnowing in His time.

Grapevines, Barossa Valley, South Australia

Sowing seeds

A sower goes out to sow seeds. Some fall onto the pathway and the birds eat them up. Some fall onto stony ground and sprout, but wither when the sun scorches them. Some fall where there are thorns growing, and cannot grow because the other plants choke them out. Some, however, fall into good soil and grow strong and healthy and become a good crop.

This little story is recounted in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 13, and the narrator is Jesus, who is speaking from a boat offshore, to a large crowd of people. It’s a simple tale, one that the listeners could easily understand and relate to, in their largely agrarian economy. Yet like all the parables, indeed like all the greatest classics of human literature that have followed in the centuries since, it is symbolic of the greatest struggles of human existence.

Jesus himself explains the meaning of this parable. The seed is the word of God. The places where it falls describe the hearts of men. The seed falls onto the path and the birds eat it up- this describes how the evil one, Satan, can immediately snatch away the effect of God’s word. As a result of the fall mankind is disposed to be evil and love evil things unless a Godly influence has been at work in their lives. There are some hearts which are so hardened by evil that they have built fortresses of resistance to God which require much prayer and spiritual warfare to break down. We remember, however, that Jesus Christ alone holds the victory over sin and death.

The seed which falls on rocky ground describe those who receive the word of God with joy, but fall away when trouble or persecution comes.  Theirs is a faith which may be based on what God can do for them, rather than what they can do for God. For some, church life and its social activities may have taken precedence on developing a relationship with God. This is a challenge for those of us involved in ministry. We have the responsibility to teach God’s word and disciple new converts. Unfortunately, there are charlatans praying on the susceptible by promoting ministries which may be highly attractive to the misinformed. Such ministries may emphasise material prosperity or supernatural manifestations rather than teaching the gospel.

Following on from the rocky ground, other seeds can fall into better soil, but that which is already producing weeds. I think that there is probably no better analogy than this for the western world at present. No wonder the gospel is thriving in countries where life is difficult, where poverty and hunger abound, where the church is persecuted. In the west, we have such a plethora of activities and entertainments and work pressures and financial responsibilities to draw us away from God. We can live a comfortable life without opening the Bible or attending a church service. So much of our media is antagonistic to Christianity. Atheism is promoted as being intellectual. The Bible is described as a collection of antique fairy tales. For someone from an unchurched family to convert to Christianity is to face ridicule.  Yet we know that worldly things in themselves do not produce peace or happiness. Western society experiences unprecedented levels of relationship breakdown, crime and mental illnesses such as depression.

Finally, and thankfully, we have the seeds that fall into good soil, growing and flourishing and producing a fine harvest. This is symbolic of the person who hears the word of God, understands it and develops both personally and in his or her ministry to other people, blessing others and extending the kingdom of God.

How then, do we ensure that we become “good seeds”?

As a gardener, I know that cultivation is not successful by random chance. Good soil is produced by being tended. Plants grow because they are fertilised and watered, their roots protected by mulch in hot weather. Weeds must be rooted up before they choke other plants. Fencing keeps my dogs from trampling on the vegetables. Results take effort and resources.

So, it is if we want to be fruitful in our ministries. We must cultivate our hearts to develop a relationship with God. We need to be strongly grounded in the word of God, knowing what the Bible teaches us. This is only achieved through daily devotional time. We need to spend time in prayer and worship. We need to edify our souls by listening to music and reading material which glorifies God. We need the strength that comes from meeting with other Christians in a godly church community.

I heard once of the practise in some African communities of hanging a seed bag on the wall of the home. The seed bag contains the seed to be sown for the next harvest. The home will contain other seed which is to be eaten, but that which is in the seed bag holds the promise of food in the future. If, in times of famine, the family needs to resort to eating the seed in the seed bag, all hope is gone.  This reminds me of the need for us to store in our hearts God’s word, to treasure and tend it daily so that it will produce a good crop. If we neglect the things of God we will become lacking and dry in our spiritual life, with nothing to share with others. It’s not an onerous duty to love the things of God, indeed the happiest and most fulfilled people I know are those whose lives are totally committed to His service.

May God bless you throughout this new year and may your life bring gladness to His heart and glory to His name. Amen.

The Gospel and How to become a Christian (reprinted periodically)

The Gospel

In the beginning, God, (God the Father, Jesus Christ his only Son and the Holy Spirit), created the heavens and the earth and everything in it, including the first man, Adam and the first woman, Eve. God created humans to live in relationship with Him, but gave them free will to either obey Him or be disobedient. Satan, the devil, whom the Bible identifies as a fallen angel, tempted Eve to sin by disobeying God and she in turn tempted Adam to also disobey God. For their disobedience Adam and Eve were cast away from God’s presence and the wonderful life God had created for them and through them all their descendents were destined to be born sinful.

Yet throughout history there have been men and women who sought after God. Humanity became so depraved that God destroyed the earth with a global flood, but saved Noah and his family. Through Abraham God established the nation of Israel, who would be God’s favoured people. Moses, Abraham’s descendent, led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt and received the Ten Commandments and many laws of conduct. Because of the sinful nature of man, these laws were not kept, and a system of animal sacrifices was instituted to make atonement for the sins of the people. However, the people both individually and as a nation continued in a cycle of falling away from God and returning to Him.

During the history of the nation of Israel there were prophets who foretold that a Saviour would be born, to save humanity from its sinfulness. Their prophecies were fulfilled when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. Jesus is the only Son of God. He was sent to this earth and lived amongst us as a human, without losing His divine nature. In all things Jesus honoured and obeyed His Father, God. During His ministry on earth, Jesus performed many miracles and taught us regarding God’s nature and way of living. He was tempted by Satan but was without sin. He travelled with a group of disciples who were the foundation of the church – God’s people on earth.

In the same way that animals had been sacrificed to make atonement for man’s sin, it was the purpose of God to send Jesus to earth to become a total sacrifice, once and for all time, for fallen humanity. As was His destiny, Jesus was arrested, tried for heresy and crucified on a hill outside Jerusalem called Calvary. At the time of Christ’s death the curtain in the Jewish temple was torn apart, symbolising that the old system of God only being able to be approached by certain people and in certain places, was finished.

Now all could come into right relationship with God through the shed blood of Jesus, by committing their lives to Him in repentance and faith.

The Bible tells us that Jesus descended into hell and has total dominion over Satan and evil. On the third day Christ rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples and many others on earth. He gave his disciples the “great commission” to go into all nations and preach the gospel. Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven.

After Jesus ascended to heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit to the earth at Pentecost (ten days after Jesus’ ascension). The Holy Spirit is not only alive in the world, but indwells in those who have committed themselves wholly to God and gives such attributes as comfort, counsel, power and discernment. God's temple is now not a building, but the people in whom His spirit dwells. In the same way the church is not a building but the body of Christian believers on earth.

The Bible tells of spiritual battles between good and evil in both earthly and heavenly realms. It includes indications of great tribulation yet to come. We are told that Christ will return to this earth, the second coming, when He will defeat the evil forces raging in the world and will judge the living and the dead.

We who have committed our lives to Christ still struggle in our humanity with temptation to sin, and must choose daily to live in obedience to His will. We grow in our faith through prayer, study and reflection of God’s word, the Bible; and by meeting regularly in fellowship with other Christians.

All this is a fairly factual summary of some of the content of the Bible. But most of all, our lives as Christians are lives that are transformed. We know a love that surpasses anything. We know a deep joy within our spirits springing from God's Holy Spirit within us. We know a power beyond ourselves which touches others and transforms them too. We have a confidence that even when life is difficult and deeply sad and broken and disappointing, we have a relationship which sustains and comforts and gives us hope. God is faithful and He has the best in store. Christianity is not a killjoy set of rules which will spoil your fun. It's the most fantastic life you could ever hope to imagine....and then some more.

How do I become a Christian?

The Bible tells us that there is only one way to relationship with God and that is through Jesus Christ:

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

“Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. (John 14:5-6)

To become a Christian, you need to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross to honour God and for the forgiveness of sin and that He rose again and ascended to His Father God.

You also need to admit or confess that you are a sinner in need of God’s forgiveness through Christ. This is known as repentance. Repentance involves confessing that we have done wrong, saying sorry to God and committing to living a life in obedience to God's ways. Becoming a Christian does not make you suddenly perfect. We all still struggle with temptations and failures in this earthly life and continually need God's grace and forgiveness. Repentance does mean that we look to God for wisdom and guidance to resist temptation.

You then need to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Just as a wedding ceremony begins a marriage, so a prayer of confession and faith can begin, but is just the beginning, of a relationship with God. An ongoing relationship includes learning about God through Bible study; baptism, conversations with God through prayer, and encouragement through Christian fellowship in a caring church.

The following is a prayer which could be used to begin this relationship. You may wish to pray it alone, personally, or you may wish to discuss your decision with a Christian friend or pastor first to fully understand:

Dear Heavenly Father God,

I come before You acknowledging You as the only one God- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Thank You for revealing Yourself to me. Thank You, Father God, for sending Your only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross, honouring You and making a way for sinful people to come back into relationship with You. I acknowledge that I am a sinner. Please forgive my sin and cleanse me I pray. I receive Jesus Christ into my life to be my Lord and Saviour for the rest of my days. May You give me strength through the power of the Holy Spirit to live my life as a Christian. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. Amen

May God bless you with an ever-increasing knowledge of His wonderful presence and endless love as you continue to seek and serve Him.

Ephesians 3:14-20 :

^"For this reason I kneel before the Father,  from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,  and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Ame

Foundations

What's in a story?
Throughout history, stories have been used by people to entertain, to teach, to record events and express the whole gamut of emotions that define us as human. Every culture has its unique stories, handed from generation to generation, either through oral traditions or written down. There is something profound and wonderful about reading words that were written centuries ago in lands far away.
It's no wonder then that Jesus used stories to share with people when He was alive in this world. His audience could relate to the situations that He described, ordinary situations which demonstrated principles of God's love and the way that we should live. We call these stories parables and these tales are often short but frequently deeply meaningful. The physical situations in them are often symbolic of spiritual truths.
What better way to begin a year than by looking at the first parable recorded in Matthew's gospel. Although not necessarily captioned as a parable as other stories in the gospels are, I deem the few verses describing the wise and foolish builders to be a parable, considering the Latin root of the word to be parabola, meaning "comparison".
Matthew 7: 24-27:
A wise man built his house on rock. When the storms came, the house stood firm. Another man foolishly built his house on sand. The storms came and the house was destroyed.
As in many other examples, Jesus explains the meaning of this comparison. The people who hear the words of God and put them into practice are like the wise man. They have a foundation on which their lives are built that is strong and secure. When the storms of life, which symbolise troubles, misfortune, fears and attacks come, they will stand firm.
The foolish man who builds his house on sand is symbolic of those who hear the word of God and disregard it. There foundation is not a relationship with God upon which everything else rests. It could be a variety of many other things- power, prestige, wealth, success, health,  friends, popularity, for example, but without God being Lord of all these, they can all be lost when hardships come.
What is the foundation for your life?
We've just celebrated Christmas Day 2017. What was your state of mind at the end of that day.? Were you drunk? Were you jaded about the money spent on presents? Did you find yourself thinking that an emphasis on food and things had not really brought any lasting happiness? Were you exhausted from the frenzy of preparations for just one day? Or was the day filled with a wonderful sense of God's presence and an appreciation for the gift that we celebrate at Christmas- the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ? Was your heart filled with love and gratitude for the blessings that He pours out on us every single day?
When you build a house, it's important to have solid foundations- ones that are strong and stable, waterproof and termite proof. If the foundations are good the building above will be secure. If the foundations are shoddy the most magnificent structure above them is in peril. There can be no stronger or more trustworthy foundation for life than to build it on the love of God and His ways.

The beginning of a new year is a very appropriate time to take stock of life and make a commitment to God, if you've never done so. Let it be the foundation of this year, a solid rock on which your life will be the best you will ever have.

My husband built the stairs and retaining walls in our garden- built on concrete foundations in 2006 and still standing strong eleven years later.

Merry Christmas 2017

Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas as we celebrate the miracle of God's great love.

A baby born in a stable in Bethlehem was the Saviour of the world, God incarnate, that we might be reconciled to our Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, His Son.

No greater gift has ever been given.
No greater life has ever been lived.
No greater love was ever shown.



He is the Wonderful Counsellor, mighty God,
Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace,
King of all kings forever more.