"Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, in Him walk, rooted and built up in him being strengthened in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."1
Men on the moon. I liken this older generation to men on the moon. They learned good principles to get to the moon, and they see you trying to get there but they just say, nope you can't do that, nope that is wrong, nope, nope, nope... They don't help and will say things like it is part of the learning process. Of course I am a strong believer in experiential knowledge, but many of these men do not facilitate, they do not help others build rockets to get to the moon. So is this truly wisdom and prudence, is such a foundation built upon Christ or the wisdom of men?
I have worked with children from orphanages in Ukraine, in one group there were three siblings, two brothers that were considered problem children, even for orphans. I first met them at the Space and Rocket Center, where I saw them taking liquid coffee creamer packages and straws, what would they do with that, I wondered? I saw them later sucking the creamer out with the straws. It got my attention and it broke my heart, as I learned these kids were street kids, they had no foundation whatsoever.
The fruit we see is surely because of the root or lack of. So to have good fruit we need at first to plant the right seed then to nurture the growing of the seedling so it has deep roots. This is a principle of sowing. I can build walls without a solid foundation, like managing my money well, giving,... then these things become my foundation, I operate to these as core values, though when the storms come the house will not hold up.
In Him walk, rooted and built up. The Bible states that if I build upon sand, my house will fall down. We can break the higher commandments of God in the name of godly principles. Or said another way we can build upon sand. Take for example debt, what did Jesus say about debt and the poor? We should build upon the foundation of Christ. What is the root principle that produces fruit? We should be able to trace fruit to the root.
How does a wall or principle tie into the foundation. A principle based upon giving and tithing should have a root principle. Do I give because it is a first fruit of a grateful heart toward God? Take debt for instance, the root belief will effect the way I look at the poor. Judging is another example, what is the root of how I discern and measure others? do I understand the way I measure others it will be measured back to me, that I will reap what I sow?
Paul writes of the church being made up of living stones and of walls being fitted and framed together. The church was founded on the prophets and apostles with Jesus being the foundational stone. Jesus the Cornerstone, Peter a "living" stone which his new name implies. The church is about the placing of living stones in this temple, growing or building up in faith and love and hope. Jesus came in the fullness of God, of Grace and Truth, these are pillars of the church.
These two orphans were called many things, disobedient, un-disciplined, wild children... People would want them to understand other principles but they have no foundation, no example of trust, abandoned by those who should have had their back, without hope, without love. Evil men would take advantage of this situation. One girl who had been abandoned was found by a woman and she took her somewhere for help, a story very similar to the Good Samaritan. Except she came back to visit only to find they had trained her to serve them cleaning the church, not much else had changed.
This girl lives at another place now, loved. She had been raised by animals, I met her, she would purr like a cat, my friend said to me, pet her. what? no! How inappropriate to do such a thing, I said. My friend said you don't understand she is like a cat, she likes to be petted. One man who thought all they needed was discipline said, "I do not know what these kids see in you." Jesus, Grace and truth, I said. But many do not understand, they would build a house without a solid foundation. Without love the Bible states it is nothing.
Many say they need to learn obedience, discipline, and if they don't know Jesus at least they will be law abiding citizens. Well, the Pharisees were law abiding citizens, they crucified Jesus for breaking their laws. Hitler grew to power as a law abiding citizen, he then changed the laws so as to justify his hatred of other men. Martin Luther King was killed by law by these type of men because he fought the hatred these men had towards other Americans. Vanity, vanity, without God all is vanity, said the wise king, Solomon. The root change will produce the fruit.
Just as you have received Christ.. How did I receive Christ? "by Grace through faith..." Jesus came in the fullness of God, Grace and Truth. The love of Christ changes hearts. Jesus did not say the world will know you are his disciples by how we teach others principles but by our love for one another. This root of Christ produces the fruit; the law of Christ, the Golden Rule... We ask for the fruit of evangelism without the root of loving one another. How is the world convinced?
What is the fruit of loving my neighbor? Jesus gave an example of the Good Samaritan. We can see these leaders pass by the man in the ditch. If they were like the Pharisees who laid heavy burdens on the shoulder of men without lifting a finger, then we can hear them say, You should not have been alone, you should have carried a weapon, you should have not taken money with you... they would condemn him for his wrong and lift not a finger to help. It is like not giving a man fish, nor teaching him how to fish, but condemning him for not knowing how to fish. They turn their hearts from their brother in need.
Agape love would give a man a fish while teaching him how to fish. We see this man before God, a Jew, a child of God called a sinner, he is beating his chest, forgive me. And we see the Pharisee, before God bragging about his tithing. We can imagine this "sinner" before God about debt, maybe he has not tithed as he should, maybe he is about to loose his home because he didn't manage his money well. But now before God he is just. We can see how God measures the heart and how I can sin turning my heart from him, judging his debt against him while God has forgiven him.
Jesus loves little children, especially orphans. These children were persistently disobedience. I found out it was because this is how they tested whether someone loved them. Jesus loves you unconditionally, you do not have to earn such love, I told them. The fruit of a circumcised heart is immediate, but branches need pruning, one needs to facilitate their walk with Christ else the cares of this world will choke out the little seedling.
The foundation of the gospel is that it is a free gift of grace, the unmerited favor of God. You see the light bulb go off in their heads, you see Jesus working in their hearts producing a root change. Ahh, endurance, character, patience... I can build now, because I have a solid foundation. To the moon, ha, I am going to Mars.
Ever Be
Men on the moon. I liken this older generation to men on the moon. They learned good principles to get to the moon, and they see you trying to get there but they just say, nope you can't do that, nope that is wrong, nope, nope, nope... They don't help and will say things like it is part of the learning process. Of course I am a strong believer in experiential knowledge, but many of these men do not facilitate, they do not help others build rockets to get to the moon. So is this truly wisdom and prudence, is such a foundation built upon Christ or the wisdom of men?
I have worked with children from orphanages in Ukraine, in one group there were three siblings, two brothers that were considered problem children, even for orphans. I first met them at the Space and Rocket Center, where I saw them taking liquid coffee creamer packages and straws, what would they do with that, I wondered? I saw them later sucking the creamer out with the straws. It got my attention and it broke my heart, as I learned these kids were street kids, they had no foundation whatsoever.
The fruit we see is surely because of the root or lack of. So to have good fruit we need at first to plant the right seed then to nurture the growing of the seedling so it has deep roots. This is a principle of sowing. I can build walls without a solid foundation, like managing my money well, giving,... then these things become my foundation, I operate to these as core values, though when the storms come the house will not hold up.
In Him walk, rooted and built up. The Bible states that if I build upon sand, my house will fall down. We can break the higher commandments of God in the name of godly principles. Or said another way we can build upon sand. Take for example debt, what did Jesus say about debt and the poor? We should build upon the foundation of Christ. What is the root principle that produces fruit? We should be able to trace fruit to the root.
How does a wall or principle tie into the foundation. A principle based upon giving and tithing should have a root principle. Do I give because it is a first fruit of a grateful heart toward God? Take debt for instance, the root belief will effect the way I look at the poor. Judging is another example, what is the root of how I discern and measure others? do I understand the way I measure others it will be measured back to me, that I will reap what I sow?
Paul writes of the church being made up of living stones and of walls being fitted and framed together. The church was founded on the prophets and apostles with Jesus being the foundational stone. Jesus the Cornerstone, Peter a "living" stone which his new name implies. The church is about the placing of living stones in this temple, growing or building up in faith and love and hope. Jesus came in the fullness of God, of Grace and Truth, these are pillars of the church.
These two orphans were called many things, disobedient, un-disciplined, wild children... People would want them to understand other principles but they have no foundation, no example of trust, abandoned by those who should have had their back, without hope, without love. Evil men would take advantage of this situation. One girl who had been abandoned was found by a woman and she took her somewhere for help, a story very similar to the Good Samaritan. Except she came back to visit only to find they had trained her to serve them cleaning the church, not much else had changed.
This girl lives at another place now, loved. She had been raised by animals, I met her, she would purr like a cat, my friend said to me, pet her. what? no! How inappropriate to do such a thing, I said. My friend said you don't understand she is like a cat, she likes to be petted. One man who thought all they needed was discipline said, "I do not know what these kids see in you." Jesus, Grace and truth, I said. But many do not understand, they would build a house without a solid foundation. Without love the Bible states it is nothing.
Many say they need to learn obedience, discipline, and if they don't know Jesus at least they will be law abiding citizens. Well, the Pharisees were law abiding citizens, they crucified Jesus for breaking their laws. Hitler grew to power as a law abiding citizen, he then changed the laws so as to justify his hatred of other men. Martin Luther King was killed by law by these type of men because he fought the hatred these men had towards other Americans. Vanity, vanity, without God all is vanity, said the wise king, Solomon. The root change will produce the fruit.
Just as you have received Christ.. How did I receive Christ? "by Grace through faith..." Jesus came in the fullness of God, Grace and Truth. The love of Christ changes hearts. Jesus did not say the world will know you are his disciples by how we teach others principles but by our love for one another. This root of Christ produces the fruit; the law of Christ, the Golden Rule... We ask for the fruit of evangelism without the root of loving one another. How is the world convinced?
What is the fruit of loving my neighbor? Jesus gave an example of the Good Samaritan. We can see these leaders pass by the man in the ditch. If they were like the Pharisees who laid heavy burdens on the shoulder of men without lifting a finger, then we can hear them say, You should not have been alone, you should have carried a weapon, you should have not taken money with you... they would condemn him for his wrong and lift not a finger to help. It is like not giving a man fish, nor teaching him how to fish, but condemning him for not knowing how to fish. They turn their hearts from their brother in need.
Agape love would give a man a fish while teaching him how to fish. We see this man before God, a Jew, a child of God called a sinner, he is beating his chest, forgive me. And we see the Pharisee, before God bragging about his tithing. We can imagine this "sinner" before God about debt, maybe he has not tithed as he should, maybe he is about to loose his home because he didn't manage his money well. But now before God he is just. We can see how God measures the heart and how I can sin turning my heart from him, judging his debt against him while God has forgiven him.
Jesus loves little children, especially orphans. These children were persistently disobedience. I found out it was because this is how they tested whether someone loved them. Jesus loves you unconditionally, you do not have to earn such love, I told them. The fruit of a circumcised heart is immediate, but branches need pruning, one needs to facilitate their walk with Christ else the cares of this world will choke out the little seedling.
The foundation of the gospel is that it is a free gift of grace, the unmerited favor of God. You see the light bulb go off in their heads, you see Jesus working in their hearts producing a root change. Ahh, endurance, character, patience... I can build now, because I have a solid foundation. To the moon, ha, I am going to Mars.
Ever Be