Physical training is of some value, but godliness ...

The tomato plant provides a great analogy for today's meditation. When the tomato plant is young - that is before it has born any fruit, it is one of the most vibrant looking of plants, it is pristine and buzzing with life. It is full of health and attractive. Then it flowers - and again looks good, vibrant and brimming with vitality. The life and vitality, the bushelling growth are all exciting - but it is all about the fruit, the fruit is the really exciting part, it is what the plant is all about. If that plant should bear no fruit for all it's vitality - it is useless, a complete waste. 

However  - all of its strength and energy goes into producing the fruit. As a result, the rest of the plant quickly begins to whither and die. Leaves wilt and hang lifeless, the colour fades and the whole plant becomes a ragged mess, it doesn't look pretty - but it has an abundance of good fruit!  The vitality and life, vibrance and vigour are all gone, gone into bearing much fruit, and that is what pleases the one who will harvest the crop. 

People are like tomatoe plants. Those without Jesus will never produce the smallest bit of fruit, they know nothing of it at all. The best the people of the world can do is put all their energy into trying to stay vital, trying to keep looking young and fit. It is because they know nothing of fruitfulness that aging terrifies them and they do all they can to fight it because it’s all they have. But no matter how hard they try, the onslaught of age is unstoppable, eventually they die -fruitless. This is a sad, sad tragedy. The truth is, like a fruitless tomato plant, their lives have been utterly futile.

But we are Christians. We know that every plant that does not bear fruit is fit for the fire (Matthew 3:10) We know that God has given us health, vitality and vigour - not to be preserved but used to bear fruit. 

But many of us find it easy to slip into worldliness and act as if the vigour, vitality and 'looking impressive' is all we have. Like the world, some Christians put as much energy, money and time on looking and feeling good as people of the world! 

Let’s make the decision to not be like the world. Let’s not spend silly amounts of money on our appearance - trying to look good - it just sin’t that important. Let’s not waste too much time trying to keep ‘age-at-bay’. Let's maintain good health in such a way that speaks to the world that health is not our god - Jesus is. The humble tomato plant - like God's word teaches us, there is a cost to producing fruit - there is a price to pay and a death to die - the vitality of the tomato plant gives way for the sake of the fruit. This is the way of the Spirit.

What is more important to you? Where does the best of your energy, money, time and resources go? How much goes into bearing spiritual fruit? Do you even know what it is?

None of the above is to say we should not look after ourselves. We should, but not for selfish, worldly reasons. Paul says “Physical training is of some value...” (1 Timothy 4:8). This means exercise, diet, hygiene and maintaining good health is good and of real value, but the verse then goes on to say “... but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come”. In fact, the value of ‘physical training’ and maintaining health - is for the sake of the gospel. If I am healthy, I can serve God! To the degree it serves God is the degree to which it is good.

Jim Elliot was a single minded missionary who paid the ultimate price for Jesus but bore great fruit. When at College he was on the wrestling team and was very talented at it. But consider this extract from the biography of his brief life.

"Was Jim enjoying the wrestling? It must have been fun to frustrate the national champion. But this was secondary to Jim. He was not wrestling because he liked wrestling, but because wrestling was a means to keeping his body fit and healthy and strong enough for missionary work ... He wrestled because of the discipline and physical fitness it required-characteristics that had direct relevance to his life goals. Any pleasure the activity may have brought him or anyone else was strictly an extra benefit."

Jim Elliot: Missionary Martyrs (Heroes of Faith) Miller, Susan Martins (pages 25,26)

Jim got it right! Many of us seem to have Paul the opposite way round. We act as though  'godliness is of some value, but physical training has value for all things, holding promise...". That is wrong!

Spend some time now to consider, have you stewarded your physical body well for the sake of the Kingdom? Do you need to begin to do so? Do you idolise your body or appearance over godliness?Does more of your energy go into your own body than godliness? Are you maintaining your body for selfish reasons or for the sake of the Kingdom. Pray and ask The Lord to give you wisdom and grace to make whatever adjustments are necessary that your energy may go into being fruitful for HiM.

Thrown upon the Rock - the best place to be!

This morning consider Colossians 1:23. I have included 21, 22 also for the sake of context.

²¹ And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²² he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, ²³ if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation^[g] under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

In this verse is one very small, very important game changer of a word - did you see it? It is a very small word that has power to completely undo us. It is that little word ‘If”. From verse 21-22 Paul has been speaking about how God has (past tense) reconciled us to Himself through Jesus shed blood - but it all balances on that one little word - ‘if’. It all depends on IF we continue in the faith, not shifting from the hope of the gospel. In other words we don’t just hear the gospel one day and respond and get saved, but we cling to the gospel day after day after day. Clinging to it as a rock amid a tumultuous sea. Clinging onto it for dear life - literally. It is at the same time a rock of comfort and safety, but a rock of terror and fear.

Comfort knowing that on it we are safe, terrifying that we might fall off the rock. So we cling to it - not allowing ourselves to shift from it. This gospel rock is so precious, it is our only hope every single day. Those who have been truly saved will one day be revealed. The light of judgment will reveal it and there will be great surprise. Many we thought were not saved will be. Many we thought were saved will not be. The question is - are you saved? Who is saved? At least one part to that answer is found by looking at who is clinging to the gospel? Who is clinging to the cross? Who is glorying in the gospel? Who is finding all their joy in the gospel - who is reveling in it and worshipping God for it? 

There are those who take it for granted. They said a prayer a number of years ago. They go to church, they even got baptized, so they don’t worry anymore. They say - “God is forgiving and Jesus has died for my sin, I’m not so bad any more - I already put my trust in Him and got that out the way - I live a reasonably squeeky clean life - job done!” But those who truly know and rely on God’s grace tremble. There is the fear of God that drives them again and again to the gospel, to the cross singing in their heart the old prayer ... “Rock of ages, cleft to me, let me hid myself in Thee”. Do you daily glory in the gospel? Does the fear of the Lord cause you to tremble? Have you considered how dreadful a thing it is if your ‘salvation’ is not real? Or are you daily throwing yourself upon the rock, repenting, drinking in free forgiveness, full of praise, joy and thankfulness that He is your Savior and He is keeping you close to Him. 

Take some time now to reflect on your daily walk. What does it tell you about where you are at with Him? Do you have cause for concern? If so, come to Him now and ask Him to give you a heart that loves and values Him and the salvation He gives above all else. Ask the Lord to make Himself the treasure of your heart and keep asking Him until He has answered - and answer He certainly will. (Luke 11:11-13)

The grace of God

Consider the grace of God. For our sin, He - Jesus -  could have banished us to outer darkness in a moment. Most will be. He could have vent His anger and fury upon us for our arrogant rebellion and defiance of Him. But instead, in outrageous humility, He took on human flesh, entered our world of sin and suffering, lived a righteous life demonstrating for us what his Kingdom will be like - and it is truly to die for - and then allowed us to nail Him to the cross, to pay the price for all our sin, so that we could come back to God and find forgiveness, and begin to live in right relationship with Him and be heirs of his magnificent Kingdom.

This is the amazing grace of God! The outrage of God's grace is summed up in this great verse from the bible ...  'God who justifies the wicked...' (Romans 4:5). That is an absolute outrage! How can a righteous God be both righteous and justify the wicked? Only God could do that with integrity. Only Jesus would be willing to do that. Only Jesus does that. And Thank God He does,  because in those few words outrageous words are glorious hope for us all. 

How we should marvel and relish in this magnificent, deep, pure and soul satisfying goodness! How we should drink it in and worship Him for it. Giving Him all glory in all things, remembering the reason He did it.. He did what He did that He might be preeminent in everything! (Colossians 1:18). 

Determine today to return His amazing love for you, by giving Him preeminence in everything. Be a man/woman on a mission today. Make it your aim now, that everything you do today honors Him in the best way possible. Every decision, every attitude, every deed and every word you speak, do it in such a way that makes it as clear as possible that Jesus is your God and not the praise and esteem of men, not money or material things, not people, not education, not family, not career - make it as clear to all as possible that Jesus alone is your God, your savior, your joy, your prize, your passion, your everything. Live in such a way that it is clear to all that in your eyes, compared to Jesus, all other things are rubbish (Philippians 3). If you remember these things today and you will live well for your beloved.

If you don't yet know Jesus - man - you are missing out big time. Ask me and I'll tell you why He is so great and how you can know Him and why you - like everyone else need to know Him too.

Give thanks, There Is a Savior

In the last post we considered the greatness of the Son of God - Jesus. Today we will consider the outrageous reality of how we have related to Him.

We have rebelled against this glorious Jesus. The truth is, as unbelievers we totally disregarded Him or imagined on the day of judgement, that we would have a chance with our own righteousness. Perhaps we imagined we would have a bone or two to pick with Him. It is hard for us to begin to comprehend how ridiculously arrogant we have all been. 

We sinned against Him by disregarding Him and His creation. We have all shattered the first and most important command; "You shall have no other god's before me", yet we have treated God as though He is nothing at all. Or perhaps we treated Him as a servant, expecting Him to come running to our aid when we felt we needed Him, maybe we blame Him for all the wrong in our lives caused by ourselves and others. Whatever, just about everything else has been more valued and had a higher priority to us than God. We have all incurred the might of His anger. 

But this One we have so foolishly angered, is the only one who can save us from the might of His wrath or anger. He did this for us by taking upon Himself all our sin and it's consequences. There is a Savior! Praise God we can know forgiveness. Give thanks that Jesus has shed His blood for you and has taken away your guilt and expunged completely your sin. Come before Him now and even as you breath in, breath in His free grace, cleansing and forgiveness and give Him thanks.

Jesus is Preeminent

Jesus is great and Jesus is glorious ... beyond anything we can possibly imagine. He is the image of God. In Him is ALL the fullness of God. He created all things, including the opposing powers of evil*, and all for His glory. All this is telling us about how great He is. (Colossians 1:15-18)

But we easily miss His greatness. To help us understand His greatness we need to see it in context.

At the fall of man, God pronounced judgment upon the serpent. This set the stage for the rest of time, and the scene was one of an ongoing saga - a battle between good and evil with evil having power on its side. (Genesis 3:15)

Through the ages evil would seem to prevail, but in every generation God would raise up a faithful man, who in the face of evil would stand in faith, sometimes as a lone man trusting God like Noah and Abraham, at other times as a great and courageous warrior like David. Sometimes there would be a small number of faithful people - the remnant, whatever, one way or another God would preserve His people through His people. (Genesis 45:7)

But in the end, all these heroes, one way or another were temporarily defeated or tarnished by sin, and without exception, to a man, no matter how great they were, they were all confronted and defeated by the mightiest of foes - death. No-one could beat this merciless enemy. (Romans 5:12)

But at the fall the stage was set. From the outset it was made clear that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent. That means the ‘Head’ of the serpent would be utterly crushed. The head of the serpent represents all the spiritual forces of evil, and includes the whole unbelieving community of humans in Adam. If the head is crushed - then all under the head, all the seed of the serpent, all belonging to Adam are utterly defeated, only to await final judgment. (Revelation 20:7-15)

In the fullness of time, the long awaited seed stepped onto the stage of History - but not in strength and power but weakness and humility - Jesus!

It was as though the great fixture of all time was about to take place - the serpent (and all the powers of darkness) vs the seed of the woman. They step into the ring. Get the picture - in one corner - Jesus, completely alone - even His Father has not showed up to support Him (not that His Father didn't love Him, but this was a battle Jesus had to fight alone - so that we never have to!) (Mark 15:34) -  against - in the other corner Satan Himself, plus all the powers of darkness, the unbelievers, sin and death. They are surrounded by an innumerable crowd all cheering for Satan.

Then just before the fight begins, Jesus says to the opposition - “I can beat you all with my hands tied behind my back!” They all laugh and mock. Jesus says, “Okay, first tie my hands behind my back, then relentlessly flog and beat me - I promise I will not retaliate at all, then tie my hands to a cross - and then nail them to the cross to make it even harder for me, and then do your worst. And without retaliating - I will smash you”. And so it was - just like that!

There, at the cross, in total weakness, all alone, single handedly Jesus smashed it. When He was as weak as He could possibly make Himself, Jesus KO’d all the opposition all at once and without the effort of throwing a single punch! (Colossians 2:15)

To all intents and purposes, this seemed like an uneven match weighted ridiculously against Jesus. But in fact, it was weighted the other way - JESUS, when as weak as He could possibly be, is gloriously greater than ALL other powers combined - FULL STOP!

The Bible tells us that no man can see God’s face (that is the fullness of His glory) and live. (Exodus 33:20) Remember Moses asked to see the Lord’s glory so the Lord protected Moses and then showed Moses just the back of His passing glory. But the Bible also teaches us that the greatest revelation of God’s glory took place at the cross. (John 17:5) 

It is as though, when it came to God revealing to us the greatest revelation of His glory that we could survive, He had to be very careful because to us His glory is very dangerous. So God took the smallest fragment of pure glory possible by appearing in human form and as insignificant as He could be whilst being true to Himself (Philippians 2:6-8) - and BOOM! The forces of evil, sin and death all defeated. (1 Corinthians 1:25)

Just imagine - if Jesus came, not shrouding His glory and power in utter weakness, but instead showing His full power and glory in all His magnificence! Well the Bible tells us He is coming in power and glory. The Bible using imagery tells us that when He does, the earth will shake, the mountains will tremble and split and the people of the earth will beat their breasts in fear, running to the rocks to hide themselves (Revelation 6:12-17). Then, in power and glory He will judge the earth and all on it. No-one will escape, and His judgment will be both terrible and final. 

Those who refused to genuinely repent, trust in Him for salvation and bow to Him in word and deed as Lord, will be cast from His presence, into outer darkness forever and ever. But those who had faith, repented and joyfully bowed before His Lordship in word and deed - will enter the eternal joy of God Himself. (Jude 13, Revelation 21:14,15)

Halelleuia! What a Savior! Take a few minutes now to acknowledge His greatness, put your trust for salvation in Him again. Repent before Him again and bow before His Lordship.

*Jesus did not create the opposing powers of evil as such, but He created them good, like man, but He did create them with the potential to fall, and fall they did - and He knew they would fall.