Uprooted

I know - 2 days in a row, what has gotten in to me? I just saw something this morning that begged a post. 


I live in Texas. And in texas we have big storms. Many a Bradford Pear in my neighbor hood have split or had severe damage due to the high winds, usually resulting in a tree company (or an ambitious owner) clearing them out. Always a sad day to me when I tree has to die.


This morning however I saw something very interesting. We have a had a bit of rain this week and lots of wind, but not in the last couple days. So, imagine my surprise when I was driving down the street today (well my son was driving, I was riding) and had to swerve around a large tree that had fallen over into the road. What puzzled me ever more is that this tree had come up from the roots. Stump and all. It had not been broken by the wind, like so many others I see, but had just toppled with roots sticking up out of the ground.


This picture brought to mind all the passages in the Bible that talk about the correlation between strong roots and healthy growth. I have listed a few below...

Jeremiah 17:8 NET

They will be like a tree planted near a stream whose roots spread out toward the water. It has nothing to fear when the heat comes. Its leaves are always green. It has no need to be concerned in a year of drought. It does not stop bearing fruit.

Psalm 1:3 NET

He is like a tree planted by flowing streams; it yields its fruit at the proper time, and its leaves never fall off. He succeeds in everything he attempts.

Job 18:16 NET

Below his roots dry up, and his branches wither above.

Ezekiel 31:7 NET

It was beautiful in its loftiness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down deep to plentiful waters.

Romans 11:18 NET

do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Yesterday this tall beautiful gave shade and looked to the observers eye like it was strong and healthy. Today it lies fallen, waiting for the city workers to come and chop it up and take it away to be burned or mulched (or what ever they do with trees that do this.) I am not a tree expert, but my guess is that this trees root system just never fully formed deep down in the soil where it coule thrive and grow. They all probably stayed very close to the surface. 

So it goes with our faith. We can look on the outside to the observer as if we are strong and full of life, but if we are not growing deep in our faith by reading the Word and cultivating our relationship with God - we to, like the tree, will easily topple at the first sign of wind or rain in our lives. And then what will become of you? 

So today ask your self this, how deep do my roots go? Are the roots of my faith in Christ strong enough to help me withstand the storms of life and the barrage of things Satan will throw at me? My prayer for you is that you can easily answer "yes". But if you can't, it's not to late. Begin today. God loves you and is just waiting like a patient gardner to help you grow roots deep into Him. 

  

  

  

  

Innocence Lost

In today's world, innocence is often "lost" well before it should be. This can take on many forms. The cat gets let out of the bag about Santa and the Easter Bunny. A child walks in on a movie way above their "rating level". And things far more serious that I will not get in to in this post. All tragic in their own way. You see, I believe that in the world as it was meant to be by God from the beginning, innocence was never meant to be lost. Sin entered the picture and thus began a downward spiral of humanity into the abyss of innocence lost.


I was at a Good Friday service tonight. It has just been in the last couple years that I have chosen to even go to a service on Good Friday. Traditionally I believe that most Christians like to focus on the celebration of Easter and not dwell on the horror that led up to that day.  For me it has become a tradition that I will never choose to miss. 


Tonight one of the songs that was sung had the lyrics, "where were you when sin stole my innocence?" Great song, but it got me thinking. Always dangerous when that happens. In this phrase that I have heard so many times, I suddenly found a new way to look at it. Christ's perspective...


Sin is responsible for stealing the innocence of every person on this planet in some way shape or form. From the little white lie, to the unmentionable. Well sin stole Christ's innocence too, but in His case, it was my sin and not His own responsible for this tragedy.


Christ was the only truly innocent person every to walk this earth and because of my sin,   He lost his innocence. Not innocence in the way of being jaded and warped by the world, but He became guilty for the first time ever. And He did it for me. He took MY sin. Every one that I ever have and ever will commit. He took them all on Himself because He loves me that much. He loves you that much. 


He willingly became guilty of all the sins of humanity. He was separated for the first and only time from God. He was in hell. All for us!


I really can't even fathom that depth of love. When I begin to try to grasp it... well there are just no words.  He loved me despite my sin then and He loves me despite my sin now. 


I hope as you prepare your heart for Easter, you will take some time and really think about the sacrifice that was made for the love of you. 


Romans 5:8 NET
But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

"God-enomics"

So today, I'd like to tell you a God story.


Once upon a time there was a family with 4 children.  The parents were 2 very hard working people who loved and served Jesus with all that they had and all of the children loved Jesus very much. They were blessed!


One day, the church that they were so very devoted to announced that they felt God leading them to multiply the ministry that they were doing so that others could hear about Jesus. This would take money. Of course this family was going to help, but you all know how expensive 4 children can be, especially when 2 are in college and the teenage boy eats you out of house and home. How much could they "afford" to give?


The pastor of the church challenged everyone to "wrestle with God" and really ask Him to direct their giving to the new adventure they were all on together. So, the mother and the father began to wrestle and asked their children to do the same. To do this well, everyone would have to give something.


The mother and father wrestle separately and the mother came up with one number (that she was comfortable with) and then one night god told her to double that amount. Not having talked to her husband, she was not sure how he would take the news. The husband, however, was doing his own wrestling and when they finally shared their numbers, his was double her doubled number. Quadruple the original number that she was "comfortable" with. With a gulp and a prayer, they committed. If God wanted that much, surely He would provide a way for them to give it.


The family agreed to less meals out, PB&J was their new best friend. They agreed to buying the "store brands" instead of the name brands of food, and to cutting off their over abundance of TV channels. They would make it work and give happily to make sure more people knew the Jesus they loved so much.


The mother pondered how they would ever get out of the debt that they had, when they would be giving to the church the money that would enable them to do so. But God assured her she could trust Him with that as well.


One day, not very long after they committed, the husband called the wife with some news. he told her that even in an economy that was not treating his business well, his bosses had recognized the hard work that we was doing and they wanted to give him a raise. They raise that he received would almost cover the amount that they felt led to give to the movement to multiply.


Well, with tears of joy, she realized that God had a plan all along and had provided a way for them to not only give beyond their means, but to start working on their debt. God-enomics at work again. She praised Him for His goodness and faithfulness in their lives.


So, the moral of this story, trust God with everything that you have. All of it! He can be trusted and has a wonderful plan to be glorified if you will give it all.


And if you are reading this and have been in the wrestling process. Maybe you have come up with a number you are "comfortable" with. God doesn't call those that love him to be "comfortable", He calls them to follow Him with reckless abandon and to trust Him. You might want to wrestle a little more and then be still and listen to how He is calling you to respond.


Not that I'm looking for handouts, but I do want you to experience the blessing that issues from generosity. Philippians 4:17 (the message)