Reflections

He had been living in a place where God had blessed him.  (Notice the past tense)
He had reaped a hundred fold. (Again, in the past.)
And he became very wealthy.

His enemy was not amused for God had made him too powerful.

So, the enemy started to cut off much needed resources. And God allowed it.
Forcing him to move.

One day, he found a place no one else claimed.

“For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.” (Gen. 26:22)

There was room there for all of God’s blessings.

Sometimes, in order for God to bless us, we have to go to be willing to let go of the familiar.

We have to go to another place that is able to handle all of the blessings God has in store for us.
We have to be be willing to go to a place where He has made room for us.  Not where we feel comfortable.

What place are you not willing to let go of?
What is holding you back?
Is it memories of blessings past?
What if God is making room for you elsewhere, so He can bless you in a new place?

Are you willing to go?

There is a war raging.  You can see it each time you turn on the news (or open your Facebook feed if you’re like me and hate the news).

Hurricanes.  Big ones.
Wild fires.
Earthquakes.
Mass shootings.
Social unrest.
Political protests.
Crazy rulers.
Rumors of war on the horizon.
Broken people.
Broken marriages.
Broken souls.

These might be scary times, but they certainly aren’t surprising.

The bible tells us of these times. And you might think I’m crazy right along with everyone else, but that’s OK. I can handle it.

I want to talk right now to those that are sitting in church more Sundays than they aren’t.
I want to talk to the culture Christian.
I want to talk to those who are riding the fence between loving God and loving the world.

Luke 12 is a powerful set of parables Jesus used in his teachings. I honed in specifically last week on verses 35-48 when Jesus uses a parable about servants waiting for their master to return.

I’ll let Jesus take it from here.

Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded… (vs.35-37a)

Let’s get a few things straight right off the bat.

Jesus is the Master.
We are his servants.

Sometimes, we confuse the two.

Jesus goes on to describe two different kinds of servants and the consequences of each.  The two types?

1. The responsible ones.
2. And the irresponsible ones.

The responsible ones.  That’s what we all consider ourselves to be, right?  They are…

• Dressed for battle.
• Wear the armor of God’s righteousness (Ephesians 6:14)
• And the belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14)
• Think clearly (1 Peter 1:13)
• Exercise self-control (1 Peter 1:13)

The responsible ones know there is a battle coming, and they are dressed for it. They are dressed with the knowledge of their righteousness in Christ, and they know what the Bible really says.  If they were soldiers (which we are), they might look something like this:

They have a good spiritual head on their shoulders…
They can think clearly in a war…
They do not let their emotions control them…
They see the bigger picture unfolding…
They are not easily influenced by others…
They are disciplined…
They are strategic…
They are well-trained…
They are faithful to their Master only…
They are sensible…
They know their job…
They know the mission…
They are ready…

…You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. (v.40)

That’s pretty self explanatory.  All. The. Time.

But then Jesus’ description gets a bit tricky and he starts to describe the irresponsible ones.

But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk?’ The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful. And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. (vs. 45-46)

The irresponsible servants are unprepared.

They are distracted by their desires…
They abuse their resources…
They are want only to being entertained…
They are unfocused…
They know what is coming, but they do not care…
They think Jesus isn’t coming back anytime soon…
They mismanage their responsibilities (or do not do them at all)…
They squander their gifts and their time…
They know the truth, but are not changed by it…

So, which one characterizes you the most?

That’s a tough question.  So, take your time, because it is an important one.

A friend sent me a message from Marcus Rogers recently, and it struck a chord because this has been something echoing throughout my week, and honestly for the last several years. In his message, he talks about how the world is craving a Savior.

They are looking for Him in politicians

They are looking for Him in the government.

As believers we have a responsibility to share who the real Savior is no matter what the cost.

Why?

Because Jesus is coming.
And there is a battle for the souls of man.

God is displaying the signs in the heavens and on the earth.

Are you paying attention?
Are you waiting expectantly?
Are you trained for battle?
Have you made God’s priorities your own?
Or are you playing spiritual games?

Remember: An irresponsible servant will be treated like an unbeliever.

This is a war.
And people will perish.

What grieves my soul the most is that there are people sitting in church aisles across the country who will perish because they know Jesus’ name, but they care more for the worries of this life than they do for the next.

Pay attention.
Stay alert.
Be ready.
Do not lose focus.

We have a job to do.
And the Master is coming.

Prepare for battle.

The weather in the mornings has been lovely. It isn’t stifling or too humid. There is a breeze with a nip in the air. It is the beginning teases of Fall. I welcome it with open arms.

It is a mystery why each Fall I reflect on the seasons of life unlike any other.

Perhaps it is because Fall is so obvious in it’s arrival; a welcomed relief from the heat and oppression of Summer. It comes in like a lady: glorious in her dress, gentle, gracious, and making everyone smile with her presence.

Spring makes her entrance as well, but she is more like the popular girl in school: beautiful in her blossoms but demanding, impatient, and entitled to have her way over Winter.

It is a slow fade into the other seasons with no clear sign of their entrance.

Winter – on the wings of Fall – slides into place like an old man slides into his recliner.

Summer eases into place as a toddler slowly evolves into a child ready for happy adventures.

So it is with the seasons of our lives.

Some come in markedly putting up a fight to have their way over us and our routines. Others drift in more gently – steady and silent -until one day we wake up and realize our scene has changed.

Like the seasons – the phases of our lives are temporary (Glory to God!).

Some are happy.
Some are celebratory.
Some painful and oppressive.
Some are grief stricken.
Some are forged in the heat of refinement.

But they all end eventually morphing into the next season to come.

Each one is necessary for growth, and it reminds me of one of my favorite verses: Isaiah 55:10-11

As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty;
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

I’m wondering what season you are in?

Is it happy and joyful?

Or challenging and hard?

Whichever it is, embrace it – because God is growing you.

People will try to convince us that love is not supposed to be painful.

“Love does not hurt,” they will say.

How many of us associate love…

with comfort,
with ease,
with happiness and joy?

And it can be these things, but the Bible says it is more.

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.  Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” – Ephesians 5:1-2

Here is a call for those whose sins have been forgiven by God. It is a call to imitate and to follow.

First, we are to imitate God (to act like Him).
Second, we are to love by following the example of Christ.

Without a doubt, as believers, we would all agree that God is a god of love.

He loved Jesus as his only son.
And Jesus loves God.

Jesus imitates God by only doing what He sees the Father doing (John 5:19), which is love.

God’s love for us called Him to sacrifice His only son so that we might have fellowship with Him.

Did you catch that?

Love caused God to sacrifice.
Love caused God pain.
Therefore, love does not equate to comfort.

God, in his love towards us, sacrificed his only son for our sake.
Jesus, in his love toward the Father, offers himself as THE sacrifice.

Did you catch that?

Jesus was sacrificed.
He was crucified.
Jesus’ love for the Father caused him pain.

I dare anyone to tell me crucifixion is not painful.
But it was not just physical pain Jesus endured for the sake of His Father, it was spiritual and emotional pain as well for…

He bore the burden of every sin in the world – past, present, and future.
He bore the burden of having God turn his back on him because of that sin.

Sacrifice is associated with…

suffering…
yielding…
surrender..
loss…
enduring.

1 Corinthians 13 confirms it:

…It is patient (long-suffering);

…It is not self-seeking. Love sacrifices its desires, its wants, its needs for the desires of the one it loves.

…It keeps no records of being wronged. It forgives. To forgive is to sacrifice what is owed whether it be an injustice, a wrong, or a debt.

…It endures all things. It continues on in the face of trials or opposition. It stands its ground in the face of burdens.

While the world tells us love equates to comfort, happiness, and ease. God tells us, it equates to suffering and pain.

If we are His children…
If we are Co-heirs with Christ…
If we are to imitate God’s love…
If we are to follow Christ’s example…

Our love for others must be sacrificial.

It must hurt.

It must be painful.

Who are you called to love sacrificially?
Who are you called to endure?
Who are you called to forgive?
What are you called to sacrifice for the love of God or the love of another?

Remember, the way we love is the way we show God’s love to the world.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35)

Is yours sacrificial?
Is yours enduring?
Is yours laying down your desires for the sake of another?
Is yours forgiving others their debts and mistakes?

These are hard questions!

Yet we should always remember, the way we love is the way we show God’s love to others and what separates us from the way this world loves.

What does your love look like?