pruned

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. (John 15:1-8, NRSV)

Jesus is the vine and the Father is the vine grower…

That is all well and good, but all of us will face the sheers…

You see in order to grow grapes, or any fruit for that matter, you have to tend the vine or tree. And when you tend the tree, there is pruning. Even on branches that are producing. Even on fruitful branches there is cutting. This is to help them to keep growing fruit and producing a good crop.

So when you abide in Jesus and His word you will produce fruit, but He is going to cut off the parts that are getting in the way of you being as fruity as He can make you!

So allow Him the space in your life to prune away the stuff that is in the way and allow Him to make you a spiritual fruit that will go into the world and show them the love He has for all of us!

cost of discipleship

Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions. “Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; they throw it away. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” (Luke 14:25-35, NRSV)

If you do not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be His disciple. Some have said to me how can I hate my family?

Well I can tell you there was a time I hated one of my family members, from my paternal family…

They had done all kind of evil things to us, and took things that were not theirs… I really hated them. But I love them as a family member, but I hated the actions they took against the family and myself.

I think that is what Jesus means. Or as I stated this past Sunday, we have to give up what we fear to lose. We have to love Jesus more than these, and have Him first. So that if these things around us go a different direction we will not follow because we love them more than God, but we will stay with God.

Do you dare to let go of everything and cling only to Him?

Proper place

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? (Matthew 16:21-26, NRSV)

I love this verse!

Jesus said to Peter, “ὀπίσω μου,” Which is get behind me…

But do you realize that Jesus said this same phrase to at least 4 men earlier in the gospel of Matthew?

“And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”” (Matthew 4:19)

The call of the disciples which is seen as a nice gesture of invitation to follow Jesus or walk along side Him is actually the same words used when Jesus rebukes Peter for not understanding his place…

You see with Jesus it really is God’s way or the highway, and you can not have it your way… Jesus is not Burger King.

And that is what being a disciple is all about. Following Jesus. If you can’t see the back of Jesus’ head, you are in the wrong place! It is about knowing our place, and that is not leader, but follower. If we do not understand, that is fine, but we still need to do as God is telling us. We are not in control and our way is not better.

So know your place, but know when you are there that Jesus loves you and walks with you through everything we will face.

Fear

“A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household! “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.  “Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:24-39, NRSV)

Fear is sometimes a good motivator…

We will do things out of fear of being punished.

We follow the rules so we do not have to face a penalty of breaking them.

We stay inline and do what is expected even when it is not what we want to do.

Fear is a great motivator…

We can see this in the “turn or burn” evangelism some denominations talk about. As if we are ever completely right with God. We are only brought into the  space of relationship with God through the faith and grace of Jesus Christ. It is not because of anything we have done, but our relationship with Jesus. So our turning, only helps to get us the relationship. Only through Jesus do we get the out on the burn part…

You see though Fear will only motivate so far. We will be dutiful followers for a while if it is about fear, but we will not last. Our own nature will take over and we will fall back to our old ways. Fear is not the answer.

But we fear every day.

And fear is the thing that leads us to do things that are sometimes pure evil… (as the famous Yoda quote goes, “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering…”)

We fear what is different. We fear what we do not know.

But as the quote of Yoda here says, “we must let go of everything we fear to lose.” If we let go of all things except Jesus, there is nothing to fear. Even what we do not know will not hurt us, because Jesus will always be with us.

That is why in the above verses where Jesus discusses the cost of being a disciple, He says do not fear twice in the 16 verses. Actually it has been said that the Bible has the phrase do not fear 365 times. Once for every day of the year. Coincidence? I think that is a God-incidence!

We are not to fear anything but let go of everything and follow after Him, the one thing we should never let go of.

Praise the Lord!

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host! Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created. He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and women alike, old and young together! Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven. He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD!(Psalm 148, NRSV)

Praise the Lord from where ever you are!

Because not only do we praise Him, but all of creation praises Him!

The sun and moon praise Him!

The stars praise Him, especially the shining ones (maybe that is why they shine!)

The waters above the Heavens praise Him (that would be the rain and the snow and all that precipitation stuff…)

The sea monsters and fire and hail, snow and frost, wind and mountains and hills, fruit trees and all peoples everything praises Him!

So Praise the Lord, for he commended and all was created!

You are here because of Him, so give Him praise!

who gets the glory?

In Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet and had never walked, for he had been crippled from birth. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. And Paul, looking at him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And the man sprang up and began to walk. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice. When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, “Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways; yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good—giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them. But Jews came there from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. Then they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the city. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. (Acts 14:8-20, NRSV)

Paul and Barnabas were called gods!

The priests of the temple of the gods they were named brought sacrifices and offered them…

It would have been real easy for them to just soak up the rays of glory and feed the people what they wanted to hear…

Yet Paul and Barnabas knew the real story, or the rest of the story.

They knew and had to share the creation of all things by the one true God who loves us and gives us the power to do the things we do.

It is not of us. It is of God and therefore give God the glory and the credit. He is the one who created all things and works in and through all things. He alone deserves the glory!

You give life

Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.” And Ezra said: “You are the LORD, you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. To all of them you give life, and the host of heaven worships you. (Nehemiah 9:5-6, NRSV)

We are to give blessing and honor and love to the Lord…

Why?

Because He alone gave us and everything around us life. He alone created all living things. He created the heavens and the heavens of heavens, and the hosts of heaven who bless Him…

He gave you life. And that is why we should praise Him!

can we?

“Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, so that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? It is changed like clay under the seal, and it is dyed like a garment. Light is withheld from the wicked, and their uplifted arm is broken. “Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this. “Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? What is the way to the place where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth? “Who has cut a channel for the torrents of rain, and a way for the thunderbolt, to bring rain on a land where no one lives, on the desert, which is empty of human life, to satisfy the waste and desolate land, and to make the ground put forth grass? “Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the hoarfrost of heaven? The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you? Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’? Who has put wisdom in the inward parts, or given understanding to the mind? Who has the wisdom to number the clouds? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, when the dust runs into a mass and the clods cling together? (Job 38:12-38, NRSV)

Can you control the rain?

Can you control the sun?

Can you make the earth move?

Can you make grass grow?

Can you control any part of creation?

God continues His questioning of Job, reminding Him who is really in control…

God controls creation and also justice and judgement. And we do not always see or understand what the Lord is doing.

But we can always trust in the promises… Even when we don’t understand, the promises will always hold true!

questioned

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? “Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb?—when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped’? (Job 38:1-11, NRSV)

How would you like God to question you?

Gird up your loins like a man, because I have some things to ask you…

Who laid the foundation of the earth?

Who determined its measurements?

Or stretched the line upon it?

Who laid the cornerstone for it?

Who told the sea to stop?

Well there is an easy answer to this… Yet who would want to be questioned by God?

God is the answer, not only to all of these questions He asked of Job, but to life.

The meaning of life is not 42… The meaning to life is living the life that God has called you to live, and then when He comes to ask the questions there is no need to fear!

thunder of his power

ZaphonHe stretches out Zaphon over the void, and hangs the earth upon nothing. He binds up the waters in his thick clouds, and the cloud is not torn open by them. He covers the face of the full moon, and spreads over it his cloud. He has described a circle on the face of the waters, at the boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astounded at his rebuke. By his power he stilled the Sea; by his understanding he struck down Rahab. By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent. These are indeed but the outskirts of his ways; and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?” (Job 26:7-14, NRSV)

Zaphon. Now this is a name we all know and love!

How many of you said what is Zaphon?

Well it is 2 different things…

It is a city on the eastern side of the Jordan River, taken from Sihon and given to the tribe of Gad (Josh. 13:27). Later it became a battleground between the forces of Jephthah and Ephraimites who assailed Jephthah for not inviting them to pursue the Ammonites (Judg. 12:1). Zaphon probably appears in the Egyptian records of 18th Dynasty as Dapuna, and in the Amarna Letters as Sapuna.

And it is a high mountain (ca. 1770 m. [5807 ft.]) on the coastal border between Syria and Turkey. It is the divine abode of the weather-god Hadad/Haddu, Lord of Zaphon (Baal-zaphon). The mountain plays a central role in Ugaritic/Canaanite mythological tradition and as such underlies the biblical accounts (Ps. 48:2[3]; Isa. 14:13; cf. Ps. 89:12[13]; Ezek. 1:4) and place names such as Baal-zephon (Exod. 14:2) and Zaphon (Josh. 13:27) may derive from Baal’s mythical abode.

So which one does the Psalmist refer to here?

Really to me it makes no difference!

This psalm tells us of the great power the Lord has. It is saying He took the city or the mountain and stretched it out over the void. He bound up the cloud and it did not bust, He stilled the sea. He has all power over creation to do what ever He wishes to do.

And how small a whisper we hear of Him…

We barely know what He can do. But what we know He will do is shelter us in His wings and watch over us as a mother hen watches over her young!

The promises are true and He will stand by them. So let His power thunder, but always trust in His love!