You Harvest what you Plant - Part 1

The fields around my house are getting bare. All summer long they have been filled with green plants. In the last month they have turned from green to yellow to brown.

And now the farmers, when it hasn't been raining, are bringing in the harvest. The soybeans and corn are filling the bins.

All of these farmers planted seed expecting a harvest. Those who planted corn, harvested corn. And in the fields where they planted soybeans, they harvested soybeans.

Any farmer who plants corn and expects soybeans to grow should probably get out of farming.

The Bible teaches the same principle in relation to our spiritual lives.

"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life" (Galatians 6:7-8).

Like in the physical world, so in the spiritual world. What we plant will determine what we harvest.

If you are feeding your mind with romantic novels, you will hunger for that type of love. Left unchecked, you will find it. And be disappointed.

If you are feeding your mind with pornography, you will hunger for that type of sex. As you follow that path, you will find it. And be disappointed.

If you are feeding your mind with the latest organizational skills and tools, so that you can have everything under control, you'll get there. You'll have your hours planned out and make check marks on your to-do lists. But you'll be sorely disappointed when a crisis comes, changing your plans.

If you are feeding your mind with the latest deals at Kohl's, you will have no trouble spending that cash back and getting more. Only later will you realize that you were feeding materialism and be disappointed. The piles of stuff at your estate auction won't satisfy - or bring back the money that you planted.

What you reap is what you have sown.

Sow to the flesh and you'll reap corruption. You'll reap disappointment. You'll reap frustration. You'll reap sin.

Keep feeding those sinful desires.

Keep trying to satisfy your lust for love.

Keep trying to satisfy your desire for dreams.

Keep trying to satisfy you passion for position.

And you'll be disappointed with the results. It will never be enough. You will never be satisfied. There will always be something bigger, better and more beautiful that you don't have.

It's a promise from God.

Mutual Confession - Part 3

James has explained to us the value of ongoing confession of sins to one another. Ongoing confession and prayer for one another are necessary for maintaining spiritual health (James 5:13-16).

What biblical principles guide us in our practice?

1. Only God forgives sin.

The Bible never teaches that believers need a human mediator to grant us forgiveness. Forgiveness of sins comes through the completed work of Christ on the cross. It is His blood that cleanses and forgives us (1 John 1:7-9). Only one mediator, Christ Jesus, is necessary (1 Tim 2:5-6).

Therefore, the purpose of ongoing mutual confession is not to grant forgiveness.

2. The penalty for sin has been paid.

The work of Christ on the cross paid the complete penalty for all of our sins (Col 2:13-14). Nothing more needs to be, or can be added to the make up for the sins which we commit (Rom 8:1).

Therefore, the purpose of ongoing mutual confession is not to dole out punishment. Confession of sin is not an act of penance, attempting to earn favor with God, or to appease His wrath.

3. Believers have a mutual responsibility for spiritual needs.

When a believer gives in to temptation, restoration is the responsibility of mature believers (Gal 6;1-4). Part of that restoration involves praying for those who have committed sin (1 John 5:16). Restoration may involve counsel, encouragement and definitely patience (1 Thess 5:14).

Therefore, one purpose of ongoing mutual confession is to restore that individual through prayer and encouragement to a right relationship with God. It may also involve helping to restore relationships with others who have been affected by the sin.

Putting it all together

The obvious parameters need to be established: Honesty. Integrity. Consistency. Keeping confidences. Not mixed genders. Maturity. Hard work. Trust.

Such a setting would take all of those ingredients.

But as two or three believers meet on a weekly, or bi-weekly, schedule, confessing the sins which have weighed them down to one another, the others can speak the truths of God's Word to them. Reminding one another of God's forgiveness, patience, and sovereignty, will bring encouragement toward godliness.

Another advantage will be an awareness of sin. Or, perhaps more aptly put, "positive peer pressure." Knowing that I will be confessing my sins to my brothers in a few days provides one more defense in the battle against sin.

If any readers have had experience with ongoing mutual confession, I'd like to hear about it.

Mutual Confession - Part 2

In the last post, a description was given of a fellow believer who was so spiritually downtrodden due to suffering, that he called the mature believers of the church to pray for him.

One particularly interesting instruction is given for the mature believers in this situation, "anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord" (James 5:14). While some have argued that this is a symbolic anointing with healing powers, the word translated "anointing" is the common, every day word for "rubbing with oil" If James had meant the ceremonial anointing, he would have used a different Greek word.

The setting then develops into the mature believers in the church not only praying for the suffering brother, but also providing medical treatment. If we continue the picture of a believer who had been suffering for the sake of the gospel, beatings could very well have been given. The mature believers were to care for the spiritual and physical needs of this suffering brother.

Their ministry was one of encouragement through spiritual and physical support in the name of the Lord - under His authority, as He would have done it if He had been physically present.

As the mature believers pray, their prayer of faith will save, or restore, the weakened brother. Again, James is not using words related to physical sickness, but to spiritual weakness. The weakened brother will be restored to spiritual strength through the Lord's intervention (v 15a). 

The forgiveness of sins underscores that this is a spiritual restoration, not a physical one (v 15b). While there are examples of physical ailment being a result of sin, the Bible does not teach that this is always the case. However, ongoing sin will always lead to spiritual defeat. The mature believers can help the defeated believer recognize his sins and confess them.

With that setting in mind, we arrive at the verse in question: "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (v 16a).

It seems that James is transitioning, using the above example of a spiritually-distressed believer as a warning to the church.

The tense of "confess" is not a one-time act, but an ongoing practice. My paraphrase of this verse would be something like this, "So that this does not happen, keep on confessing your sins to one another and keep on praying for one another that you may stay in a continuous state of health."

Only by keeping short accounts with God and with one another, and by praying for those spiritual struggles and sins of one another, can we maintain spiritual health.

The next post will consider practical ways of confessing sins to one another and praying for one another.

Mutual Confession

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5:16a).

Most of us like the middle part of that sentence. Praying for one another is what we say we'll do.

We're pretty uncomfortable with the confessing of sins to one another. And we're not real sure about how that is all related to healing.

So, we take the middle part and run with it.

But if we look at the verses before and after this command, it makes sense.

Not only that, it provides an excellent avenue of ministry, discipleship and encouragement that should be found among followers of Christ.

James begins, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise" (v 13).

The word "suffering" refers to enduring evil treatment by people, not physical illness (2 Tim 2:9; 4:5). James is addressing those who are suffering at the hands of others. Those who suffer in this way are called to pray.

And if someone in the midst of their suffering is cheerful, he is to sing praise. The one who is suffering prays for strength. The one who is cheerful in the suffering praises God for the strength he has received.

The next person described has moved into a deeper struggle in his suffering. James uses "sick" to describe this person. The word translated "sick" can be translated physical sickness, but in the epistles it is primarily used to refer to spiritual weakness produced by the sufferings of life (2 Cor 12:10).

The Bible often connects physical suffering with spiritual struggles. In Psalm 38, David describes his physical ailments brought on by unconfessed sin. Paul explains that some in the Corinthian church are weak and ill, and some have died, because they have participated in the Lord's Table in an unworthy manner (1 Cor 11:30). And the author of Hebrews connects suffering with God's discipline (Hebr 12:3-13).

The weak brothers, those who are suffering at the hands of others, are to call the elders of the church and ask them to pray for them.

They are so downtrodden that they are no longer able to pray for themselves. The mature believers are called upon to bring them before the throne of grace. This parallels the idea of Galatians 6:1, "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness."

So far, we have a beautiful picture of mature believers coming alongside and praying for their brothers who are spiritually weakened due to extensive spiritual suffering.

We'll look at the rest of this passage tomorrow.

Bad Things Done by Bad People

When bad things happen to us, some people will remind us that God is in control.

God is sovereign, so we can trust Him.

That is a biblical truth, but often in the depth of the crisis, it's hard to see how God is in control. When it's hard to see, we don't want to hear it either.

This week I was thinking of the evil things that women in the Bible had done.

The first one that came to mind was Queen Athaliah. When she realized that her son, Ahaziah, was dead, Athaliah killed the rest of the royal family, so that she could be queen of Judah (2 Kings 11:1-3).

Then Delilah, a prostitute in the land of the Philistines, who whined to Samson until he revealed the secret of his strength. Delilah was paid handsomely and Samson was captured and had his eyes gouged out (Judges 16).

But as I thought through the next chapters of the events, it became clear that God was in control of these evil women and their evil actions.

A nurse had hidden one of the royal sons, who was presented as king seven years later. Athaliah was executed and revival came about under the leadership of Joash. The temple was repaired and the Word of God was honored (2 Kings 11:4-12:21).

Samson was left in prison, but his hair began to grow out. As the lords of the Philistines mocked this once mighty warrior of Israel, the blind Samson knocked down the pillars of the building, killing more of God's enemies at that time, than he had in any other battle (Judges 16:23-31).

And the longer I thought about it, it wasn't just evil women with evil plans. Evil men with evil plans remained under God's control, bringing about major events displaying God's glory.

So when evil men or women do evil things against us, rather than looking at them and their evil, we can look to God. We can ask ourselves, "What good will God bring out of this?"

I've Got Everything Under Control

I’ve Got Everything Under Control

1 I’ve got everything under control; no worries. I can take care of myself!

2 Everyone, listen to me! Look to me for help! I’ve got it all under control; I’ll tell you what needs to be done.

3 Nothing can move me; I’ve got my life all planned out and ready to go!

4 No one can surprise me with their tricks; I’ve always got an escape plan.

5 I’ve got everything under control. I’m a self-made man and I can do it myself!

6 Religion is for wimps; You’ve got to help yourself!

7 Victory over others is key; don’t worry about the emotions!

8 I’ve gotten myself out of a lot of messes before; I stand on my own two feet!

9 Look at me! I’m victorious. Tired and worn out, but I’ve won again!

10 I’ve left a wake of pain behind me. It’s not been a pleasant life. And I’m getting old and worn out.

11 I don’t have many friends. My neighbors hide if they see me coming. Most people hate me.

12 Most people have forgotten me. Some wish I were dead.

13 I am sure that they are plotting a scheme to take over.

14 But no worries! I’ve beat them at this game before, I’ll do it again!

15 I’ve got my strategy all figured out. They won’t outsmart me!

16 I’ll be happy when I’ve won again!

17 They won’t be able to embarrass me, because I’m the best! Everyone will forget about the other guys, but they won’t forget me!

18 If I have to lie to get my way, that’s okay. And if the good people suffer, that’s alright, too.

19 I’ve worked hard to get to where I am and I’m not going to let anyone get me down.

20 I can protect myself! I don’t need help from anyone else. Let them say what they want! I will overcome!

21 I can remember the victories of the past, reminding myself of how great I am.

22 Even if everyone else forgets me, I’ll still remember myself, my conquests and my victories.

23 Everyone should love me! I’ll help those who help me and crush those who hate me.

24 Come join my side! We are bound to win, because I’ve got everything under control.

Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit (Psalm 31)

1 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me!

2 Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! 

3 For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me; 

4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. 

5 Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God. 

6 I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD. 

7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, 

8 and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. 

9 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. 

10 For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. 

11Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. 

12 I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. 

13 For I hear the whispering of many-- terror on every side!-- as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. 

14 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." 

15 My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! 

  

16 Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! 

17 O LORD, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol. 

18 Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt. 

19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! 

20 In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues. 

21 Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city. 

22 I had said in my alarm, "I am cut off from your sight." But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help. 

23 Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. 

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!

The Light of My Life

My Family is the Light of My Life

1 My family is the light of my life and my reason for living, yet I live in fear. My family gives me a reason to keep on going, yet I am afraid of losing them.

2 When others criticize me, I put up a barrier and justify myself.

3 When my wife criticizes me, I crumble in fear; if the children won’t listen to me, I am afraid that I’m doing something wrong again.

4 But I only want to keep my family together and happy. That’s all I really want. To be able to sit together around the table and talk about the day. To enjoy Christmas dinner with the grandkids.

5 But when trouble comes they abandon me; they go after their own dreams; they build their own families; they don’t even call.

6 So I hang my head in shame, I've got nothing to offer, no reason to rejoice. I’m alone.

7 Why won’t the children tell me what I did wrong?

8 I only wanted to make them happy. Everything I did was to help them.

9 Yet they've turned against me. They won’t talk to me. They won’t answer my calls. I've been abandoned, forsaken by the ones in whom I had placed my hope.

10 I don’t even fit in with my own family.

11 It seems that everyone is looking for a way to trip me up, waiting for me to fall again.

12 I might as well give up to what they want me to do; whatever I do, it’s the wrong thing, and people are just plotting against me.

13 Life is only going to get worse. What’s the point?

14 I’m tired of waiting for my family to come back to me; I’m going to die a weak and lonely old man.


But,

If the LORD is the light of my life...

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 

2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. 

3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. 

4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. 

5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. 

6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD. 

7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! 

8 You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek." 

9 Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! 

10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in. 

11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 

12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. 

13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! 

14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

(Psalm 27)