Sowing and Reaping

Sowing and Reaping

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Galatians 6:7 – AKJV)

This verse is no doubt a warning not to sow evil actions into our lives, for the consequences will be dire. There is, however, a positive message wrapped up in it we would do well to apply to our lives.

The positive message is wrapped up in the word whatsoever.  Can’t the word whatsoever include good things we can sow as well as bad things?

Of course it can; indeed, I believe that is its meaning. The only reason it comes off as a negative statement is because the apostle was using it as a rebuke to those who were withholding their support to those who were teaching them God’s truth. He wanted them to know they would not profit by withholding that support. So it is a firm fact: whatsoever we sow, good things or bad, will reap its reward.

It may seem too obvious to mention, but we can’t do a thing about what we have already sown; we can however, do something about what we sow from this point on. Lamenting about our crop failures of the past is not only useless, but actually discourages us from planting good things in the future.

The apostle Paul declared:  Not that I have already obtained [it] or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that ^[b]for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of [it] yet; but one thing [I do]: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what [lies] ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14 – NASB)

Listening to a message on sowing and reaping, I determined in my heart what I was going to plant in the hope of reaping a crop of blessing in the future. You may have different seeds you want to plant, than I have chosen, but I think no one could do better the choices I have made:

• I have Chosen to plant seeds of PRAYER

Recently I conducted an experiment. After coming out of the preservice prayer meeting, I decided to continue praying through the entire service. I wanted to know if it was possible to be fully engaged in the church service, and at the same time be fully engaged in prayer.

I tried to pray for the pastor, for his anointing, for his inspiration, and for the power of the Holy Spirit to rest upon him. I also prayed for the congregation, that God would open their hearts and minds to the truth.

That first experimental foray into this kind of prayer was quite successful. I found the Holy Spirit’s enabling to stay focussed on both the message and the miracle of prayer. I have since found I sometimes get distracted, and have to pull myself into that double focus. I am now engaged in sharing my vision with others, and increasing the numbers of those doing the same thing.

I consider this a kind of planting. I do not know what kind of crop I will reap from this engagement, but I am planting anyway, assured of the truth of what the Scripture declares: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

• I have chosen to plant seeds of PROPAGATION

Evangelism is not a new endeavour of mine, and by God’s Grace I have seen fruit for my labour. I have decided, however to make a renewed effort. By writing books, by teaching others to engage in personal evangelism, and by grasping every opportunity to explain the Gospel. Forgetting both the successes and failures of the past, I am determined to plant seeds of evangelism wherever I can, assured always of the promise: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

• I have chosen to plant seeds of PASSION

It is said of Amaziah that: And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart.

I have determined that such half-hearted devotion shall never be the manner in which I serve my Lord. I have made up my mind to plant seeds of wholehearted devotion as never before. The declaration in the book of Jeremiah shall be my beacon, my encouragement, and my inspiration:

And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13 – NASB)

No longer will I focus on the negative impact of Galatians 6:7 alone. I will see in the whatsoever clause in that verse the opportunity and inspiration to plat seeds of prayer, propagation and passion in an effort to glorify my Lord. And in due season I shall reap.

I may not always be successful, but by the help of my God I refuse to dwell in the murky world of non-commitment. I am going to plant, plant, and plant; and leave the ultimate results to the Lord of the harvest.

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Tree Planting by Alex Indigo. Copyright. Used under the CC BY-2.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at the license link. We have made no changes to the photo.

 

God Has Made Me Laugh

God Has Made Me Laugh

“And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, [so that] all that hear will laugh with me.” (Genesis 21:6)

What if you have suffered disappointment?

What if that disappointment has endured for twenty, thirty, and even forty years, and what if that disappointment is so deep you hardly have a name for it anymore?

Will the ache ever go away, and will you ever be able to laugh again?

Too many questions, I know, but I have one more for you” “Where has God been in all of this?”

I’ll tell you where. He has been right in the middle of it, working out His purposes, and fulfilling the promise he has made to all his faithful followers: And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose. (Romans 8:28 – NASB)

Sarah had waited till she was ninety years old for the fulfilment of the promise God had made to Abraham – that she would bring forth a son. As far as she could tell that promise would never be fulfilled. At ninety years old her hope for the fulfilment of that promise was almost dead – if not dead already. Better just learn to live with her disappointment.

It all seemed like an impossible dream, but ultimately, In God’s time, “And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, [so that] all that hear will laugh with me.” (Genesis 21:6)

We all suffer disappointments to varying degrees and for varying lengths of time. If you are a believer in Jesus, however, you don’t have to ask, “Where is God in all of this?” You can confidently declare, “God is right slap dab in the middle of it. The time will come when I will be able  to laugh as Sarah laughed  when God wiped away her disappointment and fulfilled her longing.”

God Has Made Me Laugh

© 2nd May 1992 – by Christophe Shennan)

God has made me laugh,

And half the things that brought me grief,

Have been God’s instruments

To bring me joy

Without alloy,

And show me that, at best,

This earthly pain is brief.

The other half of grief has been,

Unseen, a scalpel in God’s Hand –

To slice away the cankered growth,

Or remove

The groove,

In which my wilful thoughts do flow.

God has made me laugh

In spite of crushing loads

That I have borne, not always

With an eye

To lift God high,

Or walk with fortitude – His roads.

God has made me laugh,

By causing fruit to grow

When I had thought the branches

Dead and gone.

He brought me home,

And gave me more

Than heart and mind could know.

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Closeup portrait of a group of business people laughing by Richard Foster. Copyright. Used under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license. We have made no changes to this photo, except possible re-sizing.

Perfection – The Impossible Dream”

Perfection – The Impossible Dream”

I have heard the phrase, “Nobody’s Perfect” so often it has begun to feel like a dentist’s drill boring into my brain.

What I believe to be impossible, I will never reach out for.

“Nobody’s perfect,” is like static on a radio; it prevents clear reception and distorts what the radio is saying.

The oft repeated phrase, “Nobody’s perfect” does the same thing to those seeking to understand what the Scripture  says about holiness of life and what God has promised to do in the human heart.

Let me first establish that absolute perfection is not what we are talking about here. Absolute perfection belongs only to God.

There are, however, perfections that God can work in the human soul. These perfections are clearly taught in Scripture, but we can’t hear them or acknowledge them because “Nobody’s perfect” has drowned them out. The mantra of worldly wisdom has caused us to dismiss the possibility of a higher life.

In an article of this size I can only touch on what Scripture declares is possible for those who believe. Before you continue, however, switch off the “Nobody’s Perfect” button, and consider seriously, just once, what God would have you believe:

You can be FILLED with Righteousness

Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6 – AKJV)

Filled with what? Or, as the New American Standard Bible puts it, satisfied with what. We can be filled of satisfied with what? With RIGHEOUSNESS.

You can share GOD’S Holiness

Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He [disciplines us] for [our] good, so that we may share His holiness. (Hebrews 12:9-10 – NASB)

You may not feel holy in yourself, but you can share in God’s holiness.

You can PARTAKE of the divine Nature

…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. ⁴ For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (2 Peter 1:3-4 – NASB)

According to Peter, who himself had many imperfections, God has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Further, by believing God’s promises we can become partakers of [the] divine nature.

Now let us look at just one me:

You can be made PERFECT in Love

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18 – AKJV)

The one who fears has not been made perfect in love, but what about the one who has overcome that fear.  They could only have done so in one way – by being made perfect in love.

You and I have a choice to make. Either we must wave the “Nobody’s perfect” banner, or cling to the Biblical mandate that what is impossible with man is possible with God.

Nobody’s Perfect?

(1990)

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” (Genesis 17:1)

“Nobody’s perfect,” as the saying goes,

And, “Everyone stumbles,” as everyone knows.

The truth of these statements no one can deny,

And yet, in some senses, that “truth” is a lie.

It’s true when you think of God’s Holy Perfection,

And all of His glory beyond man’s conception.

It’s true when no spot and no wrinkle appears

On the Nature of God in ten million light years.

And when you consider the life of God’s Son,

It’s ludicrous thinking that even just one

Other member of the human race,

Can claim to be perfect – the thought’s a disgrace.

And yet, what God said to this father of faith,

Is enough, or should be, to show you God’s Grace.

God has power to impart, at the whim of His will,

Such “perfection” as pleases His heart to instil.

Oh, not that perfection of the absolute kind,

But “perfect” submission of the will, heart and mind.

And the book of 2 Peter, chapter one and verse four,

Gives the people of God ground to hope for much more.

For it says there so plain that God’s promise is true,

That, by faith, divine nature is imparted to you.

Oh, ne’er must I glory in the wisdom of man,

But to trust in God’s promises? I know I can!

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Hungry for the Top

Hungry for the Top

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Sir Edmund Hilary, who, conquered Everest in the early 1950’s, described himself as “hungry for the summit.” It was to this “hunger” he largely ascribed his success in conquering such a daunting mountain; he could not rest until he had accomplished his goal.

Very few of us would have aspirations climb Everest to and reach the summit of the world; even fewer would have that desperate hunger to reach at goal as Edmund Hilary and a few others had.

And so, it seems, is the case with the Christian church.

There are many who are quite content to wade in the shallows of spiritual attainment, but a mere handful who cannot help but plunge into the deep things of God.

There are many in the church who are happy to claim the many benefits of being a Christian, but few who would risk all to claim the rewards of absolute surrender to Christ as Lord.

Many of us in this current church age are happy to dwell on the lower slopes of God’s mountain, but few who wish to explore the peaks of Christian experience, and even fewer with a hunger to reach the top.

And yet, that is what we have all been called to as Jesus makes clear in His Sermon on the Mount.

Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6 – AKJV)

In the heart of every true disciple is a holy dissatisfaction with mediocrity. They hunger for the top – for the zenith of all that Christ has purchased for His people with His own blood. They will not sully themselves with the pat phrases Christians bandy about, such as, “We know that nobody is perfect.” They see this, and other generalizations as mere excuses not to reach for the highest. They cling to promises such as that in Hebrews:

For they [our fathers] disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He [disciplines us] for [our] good, so that we may share His holiness. (Hebrews 12:10 – NASB)

These true disciple seek to follow in the footsteps of Paul who declared:

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 3:14 – NASB)

These noble souls want to be “made perfect in love.” As depicted in the first letter of John.

The Noble Few

(© Monday 2^nd March 2015 – by Christopher Shennan)

Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6 – AKJV)

Lord, please make me dissatisfied

With a life of languish and ease;

Plant in me a hunger to know

The fullness of Love, and to please.

Don’t let me dwell on lower planes

Of the mountain of Truth and Light;

Make me a part of the noble few

That are willing to join the fight.

They are willing to fight for Truth,

And hunger to reach for the top;

No half-hearted quest can be theirs –

They will give it all that they’ve got.

I want to be part of this band

Of brave souls whose hearts are afire;

They spurn the cool age they live in,

And always want to go higher.

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Photo by Kimberly Casey. Copyright. Used under the CC BY 2.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this link. No changes were made to this photograph.

Friendship

Friendship

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A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17:17 – NASB)

In one of his newsletters Charles F. Stanley shared the following:

“Many years ago, I read a description of a genuine friend. Although I don’t remember who said it, I wrote it down and have kept it all these years.

A friend is a treasure who loves you as you are, sees not only who you are but who you can become, is there to catch you when you fall, shares your everyday experiences, accepts your worst but helps you become your best, understands your past, believes in your future, accepts you today just as you are, and comes in when the whole world has gone out.”

Some may consider this as setting the bar too high, making it an unattainable goal. “All you are doing,” some may say, “is setting us up for a fall. We will end up in discouragement and defeat. Better to aim for something a little more demanding and much for ‘reachable.’ That way we will not be plagued by defeat of failure.”

That kind of thinking totally ignores the incredible provisions God has made for ever true disciple of our Lord. In his second letter, the apostle Peter describes these provisions:

…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (1 Peter 1:3-4 NASB)

Two things stand out in these verses that total destroys the argument made above:

First, God has provided for us everything pertaining to life and godliness. Nothing is denied us in the pursuit of our spiritual goals. If it is the need to be a true friend, God has given us everything we need to attain that goal.

Secondly, He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature. God’s nature operating within is will enable us to manifest the true characteristics of a friend.

The Friend I Want to Be

(© Monday 23^rd February 2015 – by Christopher Shennan

A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity. (Proverbs 17:17 – NASB)

I don’t want to just have a friend,

That is faithful, strong, and is true;

Sticking closer than a brother

Would, and always loving you, too.

No, I want to be such a friend,

By the working of God’s great power;

By believing in His promise –

Be a true friend every hour.

I don’t want to make excuses,

Saying, “The bar is set too high.”

I’d rather believe His promise,

And refuse to question why.

I know God’s plan for me, dear friend,

Is to be a friend, just Like Him,

For he’s granted all that’s needed,

So that I this great race can win.

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“Friendship,” by Mathias Klang. Copyright. Used under the CC BY 2.0 license; please note the Disclaimer at this link. No changes were made to this photo.

Superpowers

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Superpowers

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do; because I go to the Father. (John 14:12 – NASB)

If you could choose for yourself any superpower from those fictional superheroes you’ have ever heard of, which would you choose?

Would you choose those of Superman, man of steel, and able to fly at lightning speed?

Or would it be Spiderman, fighting for justice while clinging to the walls of high rise buildings and swinging through the streets to apprehend criminals?

This discussion arose in one of our family gatherings and family members chose a number of different options. I chose none of the superpowers discussed that day. My heart hungers for superpowers of a different order. I choose the superpowers Jesus said would belong to those who believe in Him. I quote his words again:

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do; because I go to the Father. (John 14:12 – NASB)

This verse is so stunning that many of God’s people choose not to take it seriously, or re-interpret to mean something mundane and non-spectacular. I choose to take the words of Jesus at face value: He said what he meant and he meant what He said. How God means to work it out in your own life is between you and God. As for me, the poem below expresses what I am expecting to receive from His hand:

Super Powers

(Monday 30^th April, 2012 – by Christopher Shennan)

While sitting around the table,

At a family dinner at noon,

One spoke up and asked a question

That got us thinking, and soon

The buzz of conversation

Could be heard for quite some time,

To try to find the answer

To the question, and I found mine.

The question was, “If you could be

A super hero, what are the powers

You would want to call your own?”

We talked of this for hours.

One chose to be a Superman

With his power to fly though air;

A Man of Steel to vanquish all

The evil men out there.

Another spoke of Batman

And his fight to stamp out crime,

Who vanquished the arch villain;

Whose rescue was in time

Now Spiderman was mentioned,

With his will to right defend;

To champion all the weak ones,

And cause all terror’s end.

But the super powers I’m craving

Are the ones’ that will not die;

Those that come from Heaven,

And are sent by God on high

They’re not earned, but freely given

To those souls who hunger, thirst,

Who by faith can claim the promise –

Though they’re last, they’ll come out first.

No, the super powers I’m craving

Are Faith that’s pure and true –

And Love sent down from Heaven,

That will other hearts renew.

These are super powers, friend,

That are worthy of the name –

They’re powers that last forever –

They’re the only ones I claim.

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Parroting or Partaking?

Parroting or Partaking?

He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (2 Peter 1:4 – NASB)

Parrots are famed  for being able to speak words and phrases taught to them by their owners. While parrots can learn to say all kinds of words for our amusement, it is certain they have little or no comprehension of what they are saying – hence the term “parroting.”

We use the term to refer to someone who, while able to quote all kinds of wise sayings, have no real understanding of the passages so easily rolling off their tongue. They are like parrots, speaking words without comprehension.

I suspect we have many “parrots” in the church. These are people who can quote chapter and verse from the Bible, but are not bearing much fruit in their lives; they have no concern for evangelism, live worldly life-styles, and have little use for prayer. They have a form of godliness, but have never experienced the power of it.

Our text tells us we need to be partakers. God has given us magnificent promises so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature. True faith is being able to have God’s nature living and working within us. His life becomes our life.

He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (1John 5:12 – NASB)

Christianity is more than just learning its teachings by rote; it involves partaking of the very life of God in our inmost beings.

His Life is Mine

(© Tuesday 10^th June 2014 – by Christopher Shennan)

I don’t want to be a parrot,

Having learned to speak fine phrases –

But lacking the life and power

You’ve promised throughout the ages.

 

I don’t want to be an actor

In a performance on a stage,

Or be known for having wisdom,

Or to be honoured as a sage.

 

I want to be a partaker

Of the nature that is divine;

I want to believe the promise,

And discover that – His life is mine.

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