Lawn & Garden

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

– John 15:5

Recorded during a time when the livelihood of most people involved agriculture, the Bible is full of references to the planting, harvesting and storage of crops. The crowds that followed Jesus from village to village were certainly familiar with the imagery of fruitfulness in his parable called The Sower. They knew a thing or two about cultivation. After all, their ability to grow a thriving crop each year could mean the difference between starvation and having plenty.

A related theme in the Bible is that of mankind’s need for a thriving

relationship with its Creator. Without him, nothing — spiritual or physical — can grow.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener,” Jesus tells us through John’s Gospel. “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

Christ then added this caution:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Summer is here, and folks are flocking to lawn and garden centers to buy the tools, fertilizers and other supplies to make their gardens thrive. They know that with enough time and effort, the harvest can be both remarkable and satisfying. 
   
The same goes for cultivating our spiritual lives, which also takes time and effort. But unlike a plot of vegetables that eventually withers and dies with the first frosts of autumn, spirit-filled lives rooted in a solid relationship with God will thrive and produce much fruit — and all with eternal benefits.

Are you cultivating a fruitful, personal relationship with your Creator — and are you helping others do the same? Work awaits us in the fields. So as we gather our spiritual gardening tools for the task at hand, let’s be sure to consider these familiar words of Jesus from Matthew’s Gospel:

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”

Blind Man's Bluff

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

– John 14:6

An a-ha moment is that split second when one's eyes are opened to a spiritual truth that changes everything. As Christ-followers, we can have an a-ha when God shows us that we're going the wrong way in some area of our life. Then it's up to us to respond and turn in the right direction.

Then there's the ultimate a-ha: when non-believers finally awaken to their need for Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. That's not just a temporary revelation — it's eternal. When God's light breaks through, we can finally see. But unfortunately, the world still chooses

to remain blind and enjoy the darkness of its existence. In fact, if you're a Believer who's open about your faith, the world won't ignore you. Instead, it will likely accuse you of intolerance or bigotry. Just surf the Web or watch TV these days. You don't have to look hard to find videos, blog posts or news articles featuring celebrities or "progressive" thinkers who point their fingers at "narrow-minded Christians" and use the dreaded "i-word."

But depending on its context, is intolerance always a bad thing? After all, Jesus doesn't turn a blind eye to sin. What's more, he declares himself to be the exclusive pathway to God.

"I am the way, the truth and the life," we read in John's Gospel. "No one comes to the Father except through me."
 
Do you believe Jesus' bold proclamation? As Christ-followers, we have open access to God's truth through the Bible, prayer and even wise counsel from fellow Believers. We should therefore have less trouble than others with walking the straight-and-narrow. But actually doing so is another matter. And this puts Christ-followers in a bind. Since God has revealed The Way to us, it's easy for us to point fingers at others. But when we do, our other four fingers point right back at us.

Let's all take a moment to look in the mirror. Are our words, thoughts and actions beyond reproach? Jesus was right on the mark when he said we must remove the plank from our own eye before we can remove the speck from our neighbor's eye. Is that would-be "sinner" someone who needs God's truth, or is he or she already a Christ-follower? On the other hand, maybe they never signed up for Jesus' walk of faith in the first place.

The answers to these questions should determine our response. Meanwhile, Christ-followers must hold themselves to a higher standard and let God be the judge of others outside the faith. He knows the whole story, and we're hardly in the position to condemn anyone. So let's not turn a blind eye to this a-ha moment.

What If?

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

– John 11:25-26

Several years ago, a well-known insurance company ran a series of television commercials that asked viewers to ponder a simple — yet profound — question: What if ?

What if you get sick and can't work? What if you get married and have triplets? What if you die and your family can't live without your lost income?

These commercials were effective reminders that real-life issues have real-life implications. And if you're not prepared (such as with the right insurance coverage), you

actually might have something to fear. After all, millions of people each year really do experience serious illnesses, injuries and setbacks. Christ-followers have an additional consideration. Unless Jesus returns during our lifetimes, every one of us is guaranteed to face death. The mortality rate is 100%. It's an inescapable fact.

Likewise, check the recent headlines, and they confirm another unpleasant reality: Our society is filled with violence, disease and economic woe. And Believers aren't immune from it. But we do have an answer to the gnawing uncertainties that grip so many who don't know Jesus as their personal Savior. It's his supernatural peace that defies all human understanding.

"I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give," Christ assures us in John 14:27. "It isn't like the peace that this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid."
 
Those insurance commercials have it right: we do indeed live in a world of what-ifs. But Christ-followers have nothing to fear because God is — and always has been — in control in every situation. Even death has lost its sting because Jesus willfully died on the cross to pay the penalty for our lifetimes of sin and failure. Because of his resurrection from the grave, he also fulfilled centuries-old Bible prophecy and proved his claims as being the Son of God. What’s more, his triumph over death means that we can live with eternal hope.

Jesus long ago showed the world that he’s the Resurrection and the Life. And it's through our simple faith in him that the what-ifs of life become fear-nots.

The Good Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

– John 10:11

If you're one of the millions of Americans who are looking for a job these days or considering a career change, how about becoming a shepherd ?

Although the number of job openings for shepherds has dropped over the last several decades, it appears that good help is hard to find. In fact, it's not uncommon for ranchers, farmers and landowners to import experienced shepherds from other nations where sheep-and-goat management is still a thriving enterprise. If you still think that you're up to the task, understand that shepherds are responsible for protecting their flock against vicious predators including

coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, bears and even domestic dogs. They must also monitor their sheep for illness. What's more, an experienced shepherd is expected to shear up to 125 ewes a day without nicking or cutting the animal's skin.

Above all, a shepherd's primary responsibility is the safety and welfare of their flock. And since so many things can happen to the animals under their watch, they need to expect the unexpected, be courageous and do the right thing.

Doing the right thing isn't just the right thing to do, it's also a biblical principle for Christ-followers. As we read in James 4:17, "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

Doing the right thing often calls for bravery. While we may never face a powerful army on the battlefield, we might have to take on figurative opponents like injustice, crime or discrimination. But understand that we have no hope of defeating them on our own. However, we should be encouraged that God specializes in empowering average Joes and Janes like you and me to do the extraordinary against overwhelming odds.

For example, the Old Testament tells us that David — at the time an obscure shepherd boy and musician — protected his nation by killing the Philistine giant Goliath with a stone from his slingshot. It was this same David who eventually became the mighty King of Israel and the one God called "a man after My own heart." Likewise, a fisherman named Peter once quite literally dove into the deep end when he accepted Jesus' call to walk on water. After he began to doubt his own abilities, Peter began to sink. But Christ saved him once his struggling follower called out in faith. This same hesitant follower — who would eventually deny Jesus to others three times — ultimately became a bold preacher of what the Book of Acts described as The Way (the Good News about his Savior, Jesus Christ). Two books of the Bible also bear Peter's name.

As Christ-followers, we can take heart. The world these days is a scary place, but God doesn't expect us to solve all its problems. Instead, it's by seeking and embracing his power in faith that we can make a world of difference. And it all starts when we follow the example of Jesus — The Good Shepherd — and do the right thing.