“The Power of Faith”

Scripture: Hebrews 11:29-40

Over and over, Jesus told us that faith is all important if we truly want to walk with him. Not just faith that something might happen, but that it will happen, and not that we will have the power, but because he does. I think a lot of folks miss this point – that faith is, first and foremost, based in Christ Jesus.
And in Christ, we are told that all things are possible! (Philippians 4:13) There were many times that Jesus healed simply because people had great faith and it was for Jews and Gentiles alike! And on the flip side, when faith was lacking, he was unable to do much of anything. Unable to heal, unable to restore, unable to cleanse, unable to reach.
And all because of weak or absent faith.

The author Zeb Long writes:
Here, too, is the reason for the terrible dryness of many Western churches. We have our theologies in order. Our rituals flow smoothly. Many of us are sincerely trying to do what pleases God. The reality, presence and power of God are unheard of, and we are grateful for that. We have the form of religion, but lack the power thereof. This is just as we prefer it.
--Zeb Bradford Long and Douglas McMurry, “The Collapse of the Brass Heaven”, (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Chosen Books, 1994), 58.

Are you kidding? Are people really that calloused? That shallow? That narrow minded? Do some actually prefer to have liturgy and worship that is hollow and vacant of all power? Unfortunately, the answer is “Yes”! The power of the Holy Spirit is a frightening thing, and for many, they prefer to rely on their own inadequate abilities and solutions instead of the infinite and glorious power that can come from faith in Jesus Christ.

Read Hebrews 11:29-31

What can the power of faith do? The story of the crossing through the Red Sea is a prime example. I have heard some say that this event can easily be explained as a natural phenomenon. They say that winds that blow though the area are known to move the water around to the extent that shallow areas can be created and you can easily walk across the sea. But they are unable to explain the other aspects of the miracle.
In Exodus 14, we read first that the water was piled up like great walls on both sides of the passage that was created. Wind would have pushed the water in only one direction.
Next, we see that the people of Israel crossed over on dry land. Not shallow water, not firm mud, not even damp ground, but dry ground. Wind would never have dried the sea bed so quickly all on its own.
Third, as the Egyptian army pursued Israel into the sea bed, they lost the use of the wheels on their chariots, they were thrown into confusion, and never could catch up to the fleeing people, who were, by the way, on foot!.
And at just the right time, Moses was told to raise his staff once again, and the waters cascaded back down, drowning the entire Egyptian army, including the horses.
How could this possibly be attributed to nature? This is, without question, the working of the power of faith. But whose faith was it? We read throughout Exodus that the people had little faith – they were constantly nagging Moses to take them back to Egypt, and away from the trials that they were facing. But men like Moses, and Joshua, and Caleb, and most likely a few unnamed individuals, had complete faith in their Almighty God, and in faith, they never allowed the others to turn them back to the oppression and humiliation and slavery that had been theirs for so many years. It was the faith of a few that brought about salvation for the faithless many.

And stories of this power continue throughout scripture – Jericho and Rahab, the early Judges, Job, Esther, Ruth, the prophets, and on and on through the centuries, this power has been at work in the lives of ordinary people.
How can anyone who has read, or even heard, these stories of faith have any doubt as to the power that comes to those who believe?

Read Hebrews 11:32-35a

Stories of victory in battle, perfect justice, salvation in perilous situations, the power of Spirit over the hunger of hatred – even the power of life over the destructiveness of death. In faith, nothing in this world can stand up against the power of God. Nothing!

The list that the writer offers contains one miracle heaped upon the next.
- Nations were beaten back many times during the 40 year trek through the wilderness – every time that Moses, in faith, lifted his staff to the heavens, the power went to work. Jephthah, Deborah, and the other judges lead Israel, not by their own strength and wisdom, but by the perfect power of God. When the elite of Israel were lead into exile, the Spirit of God went with them, and when
those 3 young men were thrown into the fiery furnace, and Daniel spent the night with the pride of hungry lions, and
when the Lord raised Esther up to be Queen of the Medo-Persian empire, for the sole purpose of saving her people from the despicable Haman, who could possibly doubt that God’s hand was in it all?

And the writer of Hebrews had no way of knowing what the people of faith would be subjected to for the next 2 millennia, and even though they would have to go through the worse trials imaginable, the power of faith continued to work.

Read Hebrews 11:35b-40

Torture, fear, separation, divisiveness, and any number of other attacks designed to destroy the faith that sustains God’s people. And through it all, faith has survived; power has continued to strengthen the faithful; and through all, Jesus has been glorified.
Our Hebrews passage lists a number of terrors that we have never experienced and I hope we never do – torture, flogging, ridicule, chained in prison, stoning, being sawed in half, being attacked and torn apart in the Roman arenas, burning, drowning and you name it – if it could damage the human body, if it could muddle the human mind, if it could weaken the human heart, it was used against the faithful.

But the attacks have never ended – they continue to this day, and will continue until the day of Christ’s return. We in America don’t see much opposition other than some limited ridicule and attempts by others to limit the abilities of the church to minister, but people in other areas of the world still get the full measure of hatred. And where is faith the strongest? In those places where the terror is the greatest.
Doesn’t make much sense, does it. The writer of Hebrews tells us that the people had no creature comforts, they were destitute and persecuted and hated, and that the world was not worthy of them! And we know that when the world isn’t worthy of us, it is then that we are, most assuredly worthy of God.

You would think that people who experience very little oppression would be the strongest, but it’s actually the other way around. Those who need the greatest measure of God’s power will also receive the greatest measure of faith – they go hand in hand. Without faith, power will be lacking, and without the need for power, people must be far more intentional in the exercising of their faith.

R.A.Torrey writes:
We must know the power of the blood if we are to know the power of God. Our knowing experimentally the power of the Word, the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of prayer is dependent upon knowing the power of the blood of Christ.
--R.A. Torrey

Where does the power of faith come from? It is in the power that comes to us through the Blood of Christ. And that is another problem for people who have never known the shedding of blood - we don’t understand just what Jesus has done for us! We hear all of the “warm-fuzzies” about the Lord, we hear “turn the other cheek”, we are told to love others however they want us to love them instead of the way that Jesus loved – we get everything except his blood!

As Hebrews tells us, as Torrey tells us, as Jesus showed us – faith in the blood of Jesus is crucial in our faith. Earlier today, we sang the hymn “Power in the Blood”. The hymn reminds us that power is freeing, it is cleansing, its victorious, its enabling.

The power of faith? It’s right there in front of us, and all we need to do it claim it! And that is when faith begins to work for the benefit of all. Have you received it? Have you claimed it? Have you even tried it?

“The Commendation of Faith”

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-16

What is faith and how do we know if we have it? That’s your assignment for this week – to discover the truth of God in you. And next week, I’ll be anxious to hear what you have learned!
The truth is, though, that we don’t always know, and that just may be because faith is something that we can’t develop on our own – it isn’t ours to understand! When we don’t have it, we seldom seek it; when we have it, we seldom can define it; when we know that we have it, we seldom understand it; and when we begin to lose it, it is seldom a conscious decision.
Faith is that one thing that we can’t control, can’t create, can’t even appreciate fully – the only thing we can do is to accept it and let it work in our lives.

Faith is one of those things that we may never quite get a grasp of, and yet, for a Christian, it is not only the most important aspect of our life, it is probably the most difficult thing to hang on to. It requires confidence, assurance, vision, dedication, focus, and many other attributes, but above all else, it requires patience.

The story is told of a man who was pushing a shopping cart through a store. And in the cart was a screaming, bouncing baby boy.
As the man walked up and down the aisles, he kept saying over and over, “Don’t yell, Bobby. Calm down, Bobby. Don’t get excited, Bobby.”
A woman standing next to him noticed what was going on and said, “You certainly are to be commended for trying to soothe your son Bobby.”
The man looked at her and said, “Lady, I’m Bobby!”
- Homiletics Online

There will be those days when we want to scream at the top of our lungs “Lord – where are you and why is this happening to me?” And this may as well be a rhetorical question, because God will seldom give us the answer that we are looking for. Have patience! The answer will come – some day.

Read Hebrews 11:1-3

No wonder we can’t figure out what faith is! We can’t see it, we can’t touch it, we can’t hear it, and yet, we are to be certain of it and confident in it! And God applauds us for receiving it. You see, the Lord rejoices every time someone lets him work in their life. We don’t acquire faith, we receive it; we don’t secure our salvation, we receive it; we don’t understand grace and mercy, we can only receive it. And it all comes about when we give up trying to do it on our own, and let Almighty God do it for us.

And by the way, verse 3 is one of those things that the world has struggled with for ages – where did we come from? There is no way to prove creation, and yet folks continue to try to convince others that God did create. For the unbeliever, it doesn’t make sense that some Great Being put it all together, and for the believer, it isn’t possible to believe otherwise. Creation is a matter of faith – that all there is, seen and unseen, came from the unseen.

Martin Luther tells us that:
God creates out of nothing; and therefore, until a man is nothing, God can make nothing of him. --Martin Luther

The world doesn’t like this one, either. Not only should we never strive to empty ourselves of all that we are, but why should we ever let someone else determine what and who we are to be? In the days when I was growing up - I like to describe it as a time of “Pre-Complication” - schools didn’t have computers or televisions or power point or dry erase boards - we had blackboards and mimeo handouts. The blackboards were used to give us all kinds of information, but after each lesson, it was erased, and after each day of classes, it was washed clean. The cleaning was absolute necessary, because otherwise, the information would be confusing.
It’s the same with God in our lives - before he can begin we have to be emptied and washed clean. Why? Well, that’s one more lesson in faith – we don’t know why, we just know that we have to be.

Read Hebrews 11:4-8

The stories surrounding the earliest faith figures are precious to the Church, but they don’t always make much sense to us. Why was Abel’s offering of fat considered better by God than his brother Cain’s offering of fruit? (Genesis 4:1-18) What was so righteous about Enoch that he was taken into heaven without the benefit of death? (Genesis 5:21-24) And Noah – verse 7 tells us that it was his faith that condemned the world! A faith that condemns others? Some faith! (Genesis 6)

What was there about the faith in these people that earned them God’s favor? Scripture doesn’t give us much of a clue, and quite honestly, I doubt that Abel or Enoch or Noah or any number of other people in the Book of Genesis knew either. There was no law and there is no indication, other than the phrase “He walked with God”, to explain the righteous nature of these people.
How did they know they were walking with God? How did they even know what God’s way was?

I doubt that they actually knew – they just did. What was the big difference between Sarah and Hagar? Jacob and Esau? Hannah and Peninnah? Rahab and her neighbors in Jericho? As well as any number of other characters in scripture? In most instances, we have a hard time finding a good solid reason for the Lord’s choices – not that I’m questioning God’s decisions mind you. But think about it.
It was Sarah’s idea to instigate Hagar’s sleeping with Abraham and she wanted her to get pregnant, but when Isaac was born, she turned viciously against her faithful servant.
Jacob was a conniving liar and, quite honestly, cheated his brother Esau out of his inheritance.
Why was Hannah kept barren for so long, and Peninnah allowed to be so fertile?
The prostitute Rahab and her entire family were spared from death, just because she helped the Israeli spies escape, and her actions brought about the destruction of her own people.

We could carry these comparisons forward throughout history, and still wouldn’t find a good human explanation for the granting of God’s favor to some, and his wrath to others. Suffice it to say that God’s ways are not our ways, and we are called to simply “walk with God”, in faith.

And then there was Abraham.

Read Hebrews 11:8-12

When God called, Abraham went.
When God needed, Abraham did.
The man wasn’t perfect by a long shot, but he listened to the Lord, and he sought the truth of his God, and he followed the path laid out for him the best that he could.
And what was the result? He received the promise of a son when it was no longer humanly possible for him and his wife. His descendants would be the recipients of the Promise made to him hundreds of years before it actually happened. He gained so little personally, and was constantly challenged in his faith, and yet, Abraham ever stopped believing.

Could that be the lesson of faith? That no matter what might come against us in this life, we must never stop believing that God is God, and there is no other hope that we can depend on? Not that the Lord has to constantly prove himself to us, not that his blessings must conform to our definition of goodness, not that his promises must come to fruition on our schedule, but that he is dependable, and that his word is sure. Could that be it? Could it be that simple?

Read Hebrews 11:13-16

What is there about faith that is so important in our relationship with the Almighty? Why isn’t there more that we should be doing to prove our self to him? It wasn’t that these people were so perfect – they weren’t! But they believed, and in their belief, they received praise and reward from their God. They trusted God. They freely admitted that they were strangers and aliens here on earth, that this was not their final destination – this life was simply a stopping off point on their journey to their final Homeland.

There it is! Faith is all about our attitude and vision regarding life! How many people that we know feel that they have to build up security in this place, as if it will last them through eternity? Our vision of life has to extend far beyond what we can know, or do, or understand, or even visualize.
Our hope for life must confess that we can do nothing for ourselves, and that God can not only do it for us, but that he has already done everything for us. Our trust in life can never be in our finite and paltry abilities - it must be in the infinite and omnipotent God.

And when we allow ourselves to be the blank slate, the empty vessel, the surrendered heart and mind and soul, then “God is not ashamed to be called our God”. The faith that is given by the Incarnate God, the faith that we allow to work in and through us, the faith that we can do nothing to win or gain or improve, is the very faith that gives the Lord immeasurable joy.

May he rejoice in you today!!

"The Assurance of Faith"

Scripture: Hebrews 10:19-35
The 6 chapters of Galatians that we have just finished are, basically, about faith. The people were beginning to put their faith in their works, those things that they gleaned from the law. Paul’s letter to them called them back to faith in Christ – the belief that Jesus has done it all for them, and away from trusting in their own abilities.
He wanted them to know that Jesus had to be their focus, and not the things of earth – even when the goodness that surrounded them seemed to be sufficient, they had to understand that they weren’t.

There was a sermon once titled “I Have Kept the Faith”. The preacher's first sentence was: “It was about the only thing Paul had kept.” He then went on to show how Paul gave up this; Paul gave up that; Paul sacrificed this; Paul surrendered that. But he kept one thing: He kept the faith.
We are called to surrender and sacrifice and give up. But we are called to keep one thing: the faith.
- Homiletics OnLine

For the next 4 weeks, we will consider what Hebrews has to say about the importance of our “keeping the faith”.

Read Hebrews 10:19-23

Remembering that Israel was the primary audience is for this letter, we find striking comparisons between Jesus Christ and the temple in Jerusalem – which in and of itself, is a comparison of our respective faiths. Let’s consider these references for a moment:
- “The Most High Place” was the area of the temple that was inaccessible by anyone other than the high priest, and then only on the Day of Atonement. It was the place where it was believed that Jehovah God existed on earth, and no one was allowed to desecrate this holy place by their unholy presence.
Jesus on the other hand, would come to us as God Incarnate, God present on earth, and anyone would be able to come to him, at any time and from any place.
- “The Blood of Jesus” is a comparison to the blood that came from the animals sacrificed on the altar to free the people from their sins. The difference is that the lamb’s blood was from a created being, and was taken without their consent. Jesus’ blood was offered by God and was never created – it is Divine.
- “A new and living way opened … through the curtain, that is, through his body.” The curtain was the fabric that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the court. It was that dividing line which no one could cross. And at the moment of Jesus’ death, the curtain would be torn from top to bottom. (Matthew 27:45-54)
In contrast, the tearing of Jesus’ body allowed a perfect way to be opened for us, that all might approach Almighty God, no longer kept at arm’s length.
- “We have a great priest over the house of God”. The High Priest of Israel was chosen by lot to serve for one year, and was then replaced by another priest.
The High Priest Jesus is chosen by God, and will never be replaced.
- “our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience” – this may be an additional reference to the ritual of sacrifice. The animal or bird’s blood would be sprinkled on the altar as an act of offering to God, and as an act of contrition on the part of the individual. This would be, again, an act committed by the created order, and would have to be done over and over again.
But when Jesus’ blood was poured out on the new altar of Mount Calvary, it was a divine act that would never – could never - be repeated.
- “having our bodies washed with pure water” is about ritual cleansing. For Israel, it was an act that was followed several times each day – before meals, before going to temple, etc. It was a ritual intended to make the person clean and worthy of God’s blessing.
But in Christian baptism, we are washed “in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”, and following the administration of the water, we say “The Holy Spirit work within you, that being born through water and the Spirit, you may be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.” (UM Book of Worship, pg 91)

Washing several times each day, versus one holy washing for all time – routine acts committed over and over by other humans, or a single, holy act provided by God. Which would you choose?

Paul would have us know that the latter is the best option for us, and that we need to hold on to our faith with great hope and with absolute confidence.

Read Hebrews 10:24-25

Faith isn’t just for our own gratification and glorification - it is to help others to come to know the Lord! And if we are to help others, we can’t do it very well in a distant relationship. We need to be close to each other, we need to care for each other, and we need to be available to touch their lives just as Jesus did for us, and then challenged us to do the same for others.

Sometimes we joke about Methodist’s tendency to have covered dish suppers, but quite honestly, it shouldn’t be seen as a joke. Joining together for a meal is a tradition as old as our faith. Believers in the first century church were always getting together for a meal, to share their personal stories of faith, to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and to encourage each other in their daily lives. (Acts 2:42-47)
We still gather for the meals from time to time, but how often do we follow the rest of our tradition?

Read Hebrews 10:26-31

The problem with not staying in contact with each other is the very issue that Paul is talking about now. When we are out on our own, making our own way and doing our own thing, sin has a free–for-all with us. Human memories tend to be, from time to time, very limited, and it is in those times that we begin to fall away from faith and into the throws of sin. Paul’s first words in this section should be frightening for every Christian on earth. “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we know the truth, .. no sacrifice for sin is left!”
Now as a personal recipient of the mercy of Christ, I’m reluctant to say that for Christians who turn away from Christ, there is no hope. But Paul’s words certainly seem to imply this – that when we “trample the Son of God under foot”, release from sin is no longer available to us, and the only thing we can expect is judgment and destruction! In Matthew 12:30-32, Jesus tells us that we can speak against him and still be forgiven, but speaking against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven. Paul would have us understand that once we claim Jesus as Lord and Savior, he falls into the same category as the Spirit.
There are all too many people today who are sinfully confident in their faith. It almost seems that their faith is saying “Once you have Jesus in your life, anything goes and nothing else matters.” We all need to remember Paul’s words "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

We are living in an age, not of faith versus doubt, but of faith versus belief. People are believing anything and everything. But they have faith in very little.
- Homiletics Online

Read Hebrews 10:32-35

“Do not throw away your confidence.” Faith in Jesus Christ isn’t a promise that pain will no longer be a part of this life – it is God’s assurance, and our acceptance, that there is no longer any obstacle, any hindrance, any rejection from eternal life with Almighty God. Our Christian faith isn’t about constantly having to prove our worthiness – it is knowing that it has already been done by Christ. Our faith isn’t about our inadequate efforts to gain God’s love over and over – it is about accepting the love that was proven on that rocky hill 2,000 years ago. Faith isn’t about making scripture warm and fuzzy – it’s about letting it warm our hearts and envelope our souls.

Professor and theologian Michael Horton writes:
If we're talking about God's Word, God's Word says that faith is the hope of things unseen. The essence of idolatry is demanding the beatific vision, demanding a direct encounter with the deity. Demanding that God make me happy right here and now, or demanding that God make me holy right here and now. Not being patient. Faith grasps the promise it has heard, whereas passion grasps that which it can feel and experience and see.
--Michael Horton, interviewed by Jamie Lee Rake, Door Interview: Mike Horton, The Door, March-April 1999, 22.

Faith may, indeed, be the hope of things unseen, but it is not the hope of things unproven! Scripture is God’s promise and proof and assurance that a life in Christ Jesus is all that we need, and that we can do nothing to make it any better. Follow the teachings of Jesus, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and allow the plan that the Father has prepared for us to work in and through our lives.

The assurance of faith? You had better believe it!
The hope of faith? It doesn’t get any better!
The love that faith brings to us? There is no doubt!
In Christ, all things are made new and all things are made right. Praise the Lord!

“Part of the Harvest”

Scripture: Galatians 6:1-10

This is our last week in the book of Galatians, and while Paul has been leading the people through a very interesting process of discipline, and encouragement, and offering hope, today he gets to the bottom line – he is telling them just why “faith over works” is so important. He is telling them why they can’t get along without faith. He is telling them why faith is their only true option for both this life and the next.

Paul has left no stone unturned in this letter. He doesn’t just tell them that they were wrong, and here is what you have to do. He doesn’t just offer some gentle and encouraging words, and then some tender suggestions for living in a better way. Paul starts off with letting them know, in no uncertain terms, that they are embarked on a completely inappropriate way, and that they need to get back to the truth. And then, once he has their attention, and they finally understand exactly what they are doing wrong, he begins to put them back on the right track.

He beings his final instructions with thoughts on their obligations as Christians.

Read Galatians 6:1-6

First, he offers 5 words of advice on how they need to relate to each other. In 1 Corinthians 12, he describes what the Body of Christ is all about, and how we all need to work together. He lists the spiritual gifts that we all have received, and he compares the Spiritual Body that we become part of to the human body, as a means of showing how we need to interact with others, and compliment their efforts on behalf of Christ. But now it appears that he feels the need to be more specific with Galatia, as though they have missed the point of being one in the Body of Christ!

The first is a reminder that we all have an obligation to help others in the Body when they have committed a sin. But he is very specific as to who and as to how this is to be done. First, he says that those who are spiritual should be involved in the restoring. I take this to mean that those who are still considering coming into the church, and even those who are brand new to the faith, should seek the help and guidance of more experienced Christians before they attempt to approach someone. Restoration and correction should never be taken lightly, and must never be offered in anger. Paul says that it should be done “gently”, and that is not a natural reaction for most of us!
But he also offers another caveat – be careful as you approach the person, because in the discussion that you have with them, you might be tempted to join in their activity. The other person could be very persuasive in their defense of their actions, and you could fall for it! This another reason that seasoned Christians should be involved when it comes to confronting sinful acts.

The second point is that we should help others to deal with their burdens. When a brother of sister is struggling with illness, or a loss, or relationships, or financial hardship, or temptations, or some other issue of life, don’t just tell them that you’re sorry! Walk with them through their fears and struggles and pains. Give them solid Christian companionship! Give them a sense that someone truly cares about them! It’s amazing how comforting your simple presence can be for a friend. You don’t need to have all the answers, or the right piece of advice, or the ability to make everything sunny again. Just be with them.

The third is that no one who is in Christ is special, and no one is worthless, but everyone is worthwhile in the Body. Each of us has been given different gifts to use, each of us is given different tasks to carry out, each of us has a unique place in the Body – NO ONE is told to just sit quietly and let others do all the work of the church, and NO ONE is told that they are indispensable and that they are to do it all! From time to time we will be told to wait patiently until the right time comes, and from time to time we will be given a task of urgency, but there is always something that we are to do for the Lord, and it will always be at his direction!

The fourth is a call for us to consider the reasons, as well as the quality, of our own actions. Are we doing it for the glory of God and for the benefit of others, or are we looking for the glory and benefit to be our own? It’s interesting that this one has a connection of sorts to the second issue – that of helping others carry their burdens. But this one is, I believe, intended to steer us clear of creating burdens of our own. Wrong attitudes, self-serving agendas, self-gratification, and other un-Christ like acts
will always try to sneak into our lives, and we have to be constantly on guard against them. Don’t even let them get started, but if they do, we can’t let them get a toehold on our life.

The fifth is about our relationship with the church’s leadership. I know that scripture says “instructor”, but it includes more than just the person who leads your Bible study. 1 Corinthians 9:7-14 talks about carrying for those who proclaim the gospel for the church. If they are faithful to their call in the church, then the church is to be faithful in caring for their needs. Now as a personal reflection, I will say that this church is very faithful for caring for my needs – my compensation, my benefits, time off, and so on – you ensure that all is in place and that all is enjoyed. And I thank you for that. But I believe that all churches aren’t that faithful, even though they should be. Could Paul be speaking to them, too?

But to move on, Paul continues to give the church advice on how they are to live.

Read Galatians 6:7-10

Paul is closing in on the main point of his entire letter. Remember that at the beginning, he was calling the church to task for listening to, and accepting, false teaching. “Do not be deceived!” he says, and he relates this admonition to the fact that when we are taken in by a lie, it is the same as mocking God. It heaps scorn all that God has done for us, it is disrespectful and insulting, not only of the relationship that the Lord has offered us, but for all that he has done to secure and ensure that relationship.
And Paul tells us that when our intent is focused on satisfying our own desires, that it is sin and can only lead us away from Christ’s Salvation. But when we live and walk in the Spirit, it is then that all good things will come to be, and that we should never tire of serving God in his truth and in his call.
Paul refers to this as a “harvest”. Have you noticed the corn and grain and hay fields in our area recently? Have you noticed the produce at the road side vegetable stands? The harvest is coming in, and there is still much more to come! And what did the farmers have to do to gain all of this? Did they have to figure out how to make the seed germinate? Did they have to make the rains come? Did they have to show the plants how to grow? Did they have to make the grain and vegetables appear on the plants where only buds or blossoms may have been? NO! Not any of it! They simply planted the seed, and trusted that God would see to the rest.

The entire point of Paul’s letter to the Galatians was to prove to them that there was nothing that they could ever do that would please God more than their love and faithfulness would! Not ritual, not the law, not the things that they did – the Lord has already done it all! He left the perfection of heaven to come and live in this imperfect place with us; he was born and grew and lived in a human way; he taught us God’s truths by his words and his own example; he came to know our fears and temptations and losses and pain; he suffered as we suffer; he was hated as we are hated; he died as we must also die; and he rose into new life, not as we do, but as we can.

And what must we do? We only have to accept his gift – his “Seed”, if you will – and respond to his call on our lives and hearts. We have so little to do because Christ has done all the rest. We are to be part of his harvest – not because we have done so much, but because he has.
Have you accepted the gift of Jesus Christ? Have you welcomed him into your life? If not, do so this very day.

Love the things that Jesus has done for you, and forget about trying to fix them
and making them better. Because you can’t!