The Journey Readings: Week 51... and hypocrisy...

Hypocrisy... Jesus doesn't tolerate it... in any of creation...

There was a fig tree... leafed out... looking as if it was full of fruit...
Jesus... being hungry... went to the tree... to be filled...
but there was no fruit in its branches...

And He said to it, Never again shall fruit grow on you!

And the fig tree withered up at once.

Matthew 21:19 Amp

Then... there were these teachers of the Law... Pharisees... scribes...
they looked to all... as if they would bear spiritual fruit to fill the people... but their ways... empty... corrupt...

So He told parables... exposing their hearts...

What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He came to the first and said, Son, go and work today in the vineyard.

And he answered, I will not; but afterward he changed his mind and went. Then the man came to the second and said the same [thing]. And he replied, I will [go], sir; but he did not go.

Which of the two did the will of the father? They replied, The first one. Jesus said to them, Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and harlots will get into the kingdom of heaven before you. ...

Matthew 21:28-31 Amp

Jesus has no patience for those who are hypocrites... posers... self-deceptive...

He longs for integrity of heart...
He hung out with... had grace for...sinners... because they knew what they were... they knew their need...
But the religious Jewish elite... put on a big show... and bore no nourishing spiritual fruit... only burdens of tradition... and the laws of men...

Even though the tax collectors... and harlots... said No to God at first... they did what He asked...

But the Pharisees... those who said Yes with their mouths... did not do God's will...

Like the fig tree... it's not how you look... it's what you bear...

No... Jesus has no use... for those who say one thing... and do another...

He bears it now... for a time... but in the end...

The angels will go forth and separate the wicked from the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God) And cast them into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and wailing and grinding of teeth.

Matthew 13:49-50 Amp

How are you when it comes to hypocrisy...? do you do what you say...? is your life the same in private...? as it is in public...?

Maybe it's time to ask... Am I bearing fruit... for Him...?

There's always something to consider... on this journey... with Him...

This week's readings...
Monday...                 Matthew 23
Tuesday...                 Matthew 24
Wednesday...           Matthew 25
Thursday...               Matthew 26:1-35
Friday...                   Matthew 26:36-75

more evidence... of struggling to abide...

Yesterday... I ran to the dark...  after words... with a loved one... seeking solace... in the dark... a slice of pizza in one hand... a beer in the other... the struggle to abide... clearly evident...

It's been a long time... since I ran to the dark... lights out... door shut... darkness outside the window...

I let it cover me... brooded... about what had been said to me... unfairly...

No tears... just dark...

The one who wounded... entered... turning on the light... not looking for me... but for something else... and out of the darkness... came anger... biting back... getting my say... no patience extended to this one I know does not walk in the Light... the evening continued... the mood gray...

Thank God... He had something to teach... from this experience... in... and with... the dark...

1. When in the dark... light... irritates...
2. Out of the dark... comes only... more dark...
3. Despite the Light... in my life... there is still MUCH dark...

This morning... God began a new lesson... and yes... I apologized... sincerely seeking forgiveness from the one who injured... the loved one who lives in the dark... whose verbal attack... was sparked by the combination of my words shining light on him... but coming out of a heart not completely right... void of respect...

"...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." ---Jesus

John 3:19-21

I choose to come into the Light... let God teach... admonish... discipline... and make the way... for Him...

For you were once darkness,

but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light (for the fruit of light

consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)

and find out what pleases the Lord.

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,

but rather expose them.

Ephesians 5:8-10

Expose the fruitless deeds of darkness... even if they are your own... especially... if they are your own...

abiding... yielding... fruit...

What the Word says about... fruit...

Recognizing... the spiritual fruit... of abiding...

The fruit of righteousness will be peace;

The effect of righteousness will be quietness
and confidence forever.

Isaiah 32:27

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23

...for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness,

righteousness and truth...

Ephesians 5:9

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually

offer to God a sacrifice of praise 

--- the fruit of lips that confess his name.

Hebrews 13:15

Producing... spiritual fruit...

Blessed is the man 

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked 

or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, 

and on his law he meditates day and night. 

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, 

which yields its fruit in season 

and whose leaf does not wither. 

Whatever he does prospers.

Psalm 1:1-3

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,

they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

planted in the house of the Lord,

they will flourish in the courts of our God.

They will still bear fruit in old age,

they will stay fresh and green,

proclaiming, "The Lord is upright;

he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."

Psalm 92:12-15

Sow for yourselves righteousness,

reap the fruit of unfailing love,

and break up your unplowed ground;

for it is time to seek the Lord,

until he comes and showers righteousness on you.

Hosea 10:12

God gets the glory...

"...This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit,

showing yourselves to be my disciples. ..."--Jesus

John 15:8

...filled with the fruit of righteousness 

that comes through Jesus Christ

--- to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:11

A prayer... for fruit...

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Colossians 1:9-12

Fruit... love... joy... peace... patience... kindness... goodness... gentleness... faithfulness... self-control... righteousness... truth... praise...

Cultivated... with... discernment... delight... meditation... breaking up unplowed ground...

Glorifying... Him...

Thus by their fruit you will recognize them.

Matthew 7:20

more abiding... branch and vine...

Yesterday's... really...? ...left me with a heart ready... to exercise this truth...

"...I am the vine; you are the branches.

Whoever abides in me and I in him,

he it is that bears much fruit,

for apart from me you can do nothing. ..."

John 15:5

ESV

 (emphasis added)

The idea that without branches... the Vine bears no fruit... caused me to pause... marvel... as the author of Abide in Christ... continued...

There is more: as neither vine nor branch is anything without the other, so is neither anything except for the other.

All the vine possesses belongs to the branches. The vine does not gather from the soil its fatness and its sweetness for itself --- all it has is at the disposal of the branches. ... All His fullness and all His riches are for you, believer, for the vine does not live for itself, keeps nothing for itself, but exists only for the branches. All that Jesus is in heaven, He is for us. He has no interest there separate from ours; as our representative He stands before the Father.

And all the branch possesses belongs to the vine. The branch does not exist for itself, but to bear fruit that can proclaim the excellence of the vine. It has no reason for existence except to be of service to the vine.  This is a glorious image of the calling of the believer, and the entireness of his consecration to the service of his Lord. As Jesus gives Himself so wholly over to him, he feels himself urged to be wholly his Lord's. Every power of his being, every moment of his life, every thought and feeling, belong to Jesus, that from Him and for Him he may bring forth fruit. As he realizes what the vine is to the branch, and what the branch is meant to be to the vine, he feels that he has but one thing to think of and to live for, and that is, the will, the glory, the work, the kingdom of his blessed Lord --- the bringing forth of fruit to the glory of His name.

---Andrew Murray

The exercise to develop... the habit to forge... each moment... of every day... in every place... home...  store... work... school... church...

Picture self... as a fruitless branch... empty...

Ask the Vine... What fruit do You want to bear here... in this place... through me...?

I tried it yesterday... preparing for the 6th grade Bible class... the 30 minutes of controlled (?) chaos... tired of struggling... unsure how to get a message through... desiring to impart a passion for His Word... I emptied myself... surrendered... to the Vine... What fruit do You want to bear...?

I don't know exactly what the fruit was called... I'm not sure it has a name this side of heaven... but a plan came together... inter-action took place... moments of teaching... were scattered...

The victory... from my perspective... was what was planted in me... the patient... calm... trust... in not what I did... but in what He does...

Freedom to serve... through listening... obeying... and releasing the results... to Him...

Freedom in.. abiding...

really...?

This morning... in the margin... I wrote... Really?

An idea... presented as a truth... regarding abiding...

"...I am the vine; you are the branches. 

Whoever abides in me and I in him, 

he it is that bears much fruit, 

for apart from me you can do nothing. ..."

John 15:5

ESV

(emphasis added)

Now this... I knew... and accepted... about abiding... 

but when the author... says...

Without the branch the vine can also do nothing. A vine without branches can bear no fruit. No less indispensable than the vine to the branch, is the branch to the vine. Such is the wonderful condescension of the grace of Jesus, that just as His people are dependent on Him, He has made Himself dependent on them. Without His disciples He cannot dispense His blessing to the world;  He cannot offer sinners the grapes of the heavenly Canaan. Marvel not! It is His own appointment; and this is the high honor to which He has called His redeemed ones, that as indispensable as He is to them in heaven, that from Him their fruit may be found, so indispensable are they to Him on earth, that through them His fruit may be found. Believers, meditate on this, until your soul bows to worship in the presence of the mystery of the perfect union between Christ and the believer.                                                                                      --- Andrew Murray, Abide in Christ (emphasis added)

Without the branch the vine can also do nothing... REALLY...?

So I meditate... and invite you to do the same...

This truth... it hits hard.... just like the fact that we... Believers... are the light... THE ONLY LIGHT... in a dark world...

A great responsibility... a reason to go low... before Him... to empty self... and allow Him space... for His Life... to flow... His Light... to shine... through...

I have been crucified with Christ

and I no longer live,

but Christ lives in me...

Galatians 2:20

Lord... help me to accept my death...

that You might live through me...

that You might be seen... instead of me...

that I might bear fruit... for Your glory...

breathe in... breathe out...

It amazes me how God brings things together... the redefining... of do... and breath... built on one another... connected through His leading... in my reading...

The spiritual practices... exercises... that God calls us to... that seem like nothing to many... are essential to our walk of faith... our walk with the Spirit...

It is through these exercises of meditating on God's Word... eating it... praying it... listening with expectation... submitting... that we grow... in relationship with our Savior... and become forces for God... in a broken world...

As I read over lunch yesterday... wondering what God was telling me about breath... a heading caught my attention... Spiritual Breathing...

The teaching of Bill Bright helped me learn to become a follower who is filled with the Spirit. He teaches a spiritual exercise called "Spiritual Breathing." The basic idea is that you live with a moment by moment awareness of the Spirit until walking in the Spirit becomes as natural --- as habitual --- as breathing. It's just part of who you are. Here's how it works: the moment you become aware of sin in your life you exhale. When you exhale, you breathe out and repent of your sin. Repentance becomes a natural response and clears out space in our hearts for the Spirit to fill us. So the moment you are prideful, jealous, lustful, harsh, selfish, impatient, you exhale and repent of your sin. ... And then you inhale. When you inhale you breathe in and pray to be filled with the Spirit and you surrender control over to him. As you practice this spiritual breathing it teaches you to keep in step with the Spirit. Followers live with a continual awareness of the Spirit's presence and a constant prayer to be filled with his power.

---Kyle Idleman, not a fan.

When we surrender to God's Sovereignty... we no longer just have our breath to attest to His rule over us... we receive His Spirit... the Holy Spirit... who empowers us to do all He calls us to... things we are incapable of on our own... through Him we bear real fruit...

...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

The only way to live a godly life... is by the power of the Spirit...

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25

ESV

Keep in step with the Spirit... one breath at a time... breathe in... breathe out...

James 1: thoughts... part 3

Read James 1

The firstfruits of my sunflower crop...

The only seeds to mature in an attempt to plant a cutting garden... many seeds planted... only a few grew to produce...

In James... a verse to memorize has stuck... gives insight...

By His own choice, He gave us a new birth

by the message of truth so that

we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.

James 1:18

HCSB

(emphasis mine)

How many thousands of years did He wait... for the firstfruits from His planting in the Garden...

Amazing to think... we... Believers in the Son... are firstfruits... His crop...

So many seeds planted... so many failed... but now is the time of harvest...

firstfruits... from a Garden planting... God the Gardener... the One who makes things grow... the One who knows the patience of waiting... for the firstfruits from the Son...

Do you bear the glory of firstfruits...?

Do you see the joy you bring the Father...?

Be glorious... for you are the result of a long awaited crop...