Genesis 4: Honesty with God

Honesty with God

Many of us know the story of Cain killing Abel due to jealousy and shame because Cain did not honor God with his sacrifices. Abel sacrificed his fattest portion to God and Cain sacrificed what fell on the ground. Now, in this time sacrifices were a part of the culture. When you sacrifice to God, it was not what you could muster up, but what was your fattest portion. That means, if you tended to trees and bushes that bore fruit, then you do not sacrifice what is rotted, you give what is the best in honor to God. Abel did that with his livestock. Cain brought forth sacrifices/fruits that fell to the ground. These fruits may be bruised and dirty and essentially not the best to bring forth to God to represent your thanks and sacrifice to Him.

Now, how does that play into your life? When you look at your relationship with God, what is it you are sacrificing? In other words, what are you hanging on to that God would rather have you sacrifice? Is it trust in Him? Is it tangible? Maybe it is money you are hanging on to. How is your tithing? Is your tithing based on a fear that you won't be able to survive?

The funny thing is, we are to trust in God and know that He will provide for us if we do what it is He wants us to do. If we just stay comfortable and make sure we are happy then we are missing out on truly giving up things for God. God doesn't want us to rely on the tangible, but know that He will provide for us. But we can't hold back from Him. We have to sacrifice.

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Friday Focus #30

No Greater Love Than This

Are you a friend of Jesus? How do you know? How do you check that or test that? Are you willing to do as He commands? Are you willing to lay down your life for your friends? You can say yes to all of these things, but the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. In John 15:13, Jesus says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." What did he mean?

In the very next verse (14) Jesus says "You are my friends if you do what I command you." If you think you are a Christian, it may only be in thought. If you are not willing to submit your will to be in accordance with what God says and how Christ taught, lived and commanded, then how can Christ be in any title that you associate with your spiritual perspective? Are you willing to die for you friends? If so, are you willing to stop, slow down and make a phone call? Visit? Before you say you can do the big stuff, are you already doing the small stuff? Or are you too busy?

Remember Jesus was not "some guy" but he was God in the flesh and was also human. He read the scriptures and learned from them. He applied them when applicable. He sacrificed himself for your sins and mine. We can't even sacrifice time for our friends so how can we say we would lay down our lives. We can't even sacrifice parts of us that make others stumble. Are we really friends of Christ willing to sacrifice? Or are we just being selfish and thinking we are doing what we ought to be. 

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Galatians 6: Bearing Burdens and Reaping and Sowing

Bearing Burdens and Reaping and Sowing

Paul tells the church to bear one another's burdens. That means help each other through the tough times. We can't "expect" others to help us as that leads to disappointment and is very self focused. But simply, find a burden that another carries and help them with it (Galatians 6:2). This is is part of the new commandment that Jesus gave us which was to love one another. It can be tiresome when we are loving people as we can expect the same love back when we need it. But Paul tells us not to grow weary of doing good as we will reap in due season (Galatians 6:9). That means when the time is right, just like with a crop, the fruit will be produced.

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John 15- True Vine and Branches

True Vine and Branches

We understand it is not our good deeds that bring us salvation, but salvation does require a action steps of faith like the bleeding woman (Matthew 9:20-22) following Christ unlike the rich man (Matthew 19:16-30) and most importantly over all else is grace from God (Ephesians 2:8). You must believe that Jesus is the son of God and was God in the flesh. And once that has been done, we do as Christ said with being born again of water and spirit (John 3:5).

But then what? After I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior and follow him, can I sit on the couch and watch TV all day? Can I just hang out on social media and keep up with the Kardashians? I don't think that is the best way to serve God, by inactivity. When you love you serve. Serving is a way to show that Jesus is working through us. 

When he said "I am the true vine" Jesus was telling you that when you are connected to him (the true vine) which is cared for by God (the vinedresser) you will be pruned when producing fruit in order to produce more fruit. But if the branch (us) is not producing fruit, God takes it away.

The fruit is the proof that you follow Christ. How do you serve or do you serve at all? Do you love people? That is the fruit. The actions that you do out of love for people by following Christ. We have seen numerous examples of his heart and humility, purpose and service. Follow him and his example.

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Matthew 7:21

Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of  heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." commentary- Jesus here is referring to those  who claim one thing verbally (as it pertains to doing God's will), but in their heart they are not focused on God's will. You can see how others live for God's will  by the fruit they produce. Does the Holy Spirit run their life or is it their own passion & selfish desires?

Matthew 3:8

Matthew 3:8 "Bear fruit in keeping with repentance." commentary- John the Baptist was quite upset with those  who worshiped Abraham over God himself. He warned them to bear fruit with repentance which meant that those who thought their Jewish heritage in Abraham was enough. It wasn't enough. They were getting baptized in preparation for a Messiah but still had not walked away from their sinful lives. We need to do the same as well. We can say we are Christians and Christ followers but the fruit of our repentance can show sin  that we are unwilling to give up.