Truth or Opinion

As I took my daily walk this morning I could not stop thinking about Pat Robinson’s statement about Haiti and all the flack it has drawn. He has indeed found himself flying through a barrage of opinions both negative and positive. The following is an attempt to put into words some of the many thoughts I had as I walked. I start with the premise that we do not make Truth, nothing is true because I say it is true and nothing is false because I say it is false. A scholar does not make truth and a primitive native of the Amazon does not make truth. Truth stands on its own feet. One of the problems I have with scholarship is that it is so often the propitiation of bad ideas. I believe that is especially true of moral and ethical concepts. Opinions are not scholarship. We can’t make God who we want Him to be. He is Who He is, the “I AM.” There is certainly nothing wrong with trying to understand what is going on in our world, but we must keep our minds and hearts open or we will find ourselves pointing our fingers in the wrong direction. If we must point an accusing finger lets start by pointing it to the person in the mirror. jfs

The Church

Joh 15:5 says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
When you say the word “Church,” what do you think of—A Building? The Church is not a place but a people. It is a living organism receiving its life from its connection with the One who said, “I am the way the truth and the life.” When He said, “ I am the vine you are the ranches,” He was using the grapevine as an example of His relationship with His Church. It is to be a relationship of LIFE, His LIFE. It is through His life that the Church produces fruit. He made it very plain, “Without me you can do nothing.” It is easy to confuse organism and organization. Think of it this way, if you plant a grape vine in your yard, and I have, you have a living organism, but grape vines do best when they have an arbor to support them. Take a look at any vineyard and you will see that there is a support system for each vine. The arbor can never produce grapes, but it does serve a very important function. It is a servant to the vine. The vine is not the servant to the arbor. Building arbors alone will never produce fruit. Grapes come only from the organism. We must give ourselves to the health of the branches and no amount of organization can take the place of healthy branches. A building is an arbor, Wednesday night suppers are arbors, mission trips are arbors. Any civic organization can do much of what we do in the Church. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it, but it does remind us that we must bring something to the needy world that only we can bring. It is the LIFE OF JESUS. The fruit produced by the vine through the branches is unique. It is the work of heaven brought to earth. Lets not quibble over the methods—arbors or fences—but let us give ourselves to bringing the Life of Christ to a hurting world. Your neighbor needs grapes, not arbors. Jfs
P.S. Next week, God willing, thirty-two of us are taking grapes to Haiti, please remember us in your prayers. Thanks.

Why?

I was awake this morning at three a.m. thinking about this one word question. I haven’t been able to get any work done for thinking about Haiti. Up until now I have been thinking about the people and what they are going through. For Mary and me it is very personal. As we talked this morning in the dark hours of the day, she was talking about people we have met in Haiti who were victims of the earthquake. There are some questions for which we do not have answers, but they flash like a neon sign in our minds until we are compelled to respond. The atheist has the easy answer, just a matter of cause and effect, nature doing its thing, being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I suppose he would add, that at times we are victims of our own inventions. But for us who believe there is a God, and the evidence is strong if you look for it, we don’t have such simple answers. What I am about to say are my own thoughts, I don’t speak for anyone else but I have spent a lifetime with the neon sign flashing “WHY?” in my head and heart. For me it began with a simple truth and that is, Christianity is a relationship not a religion. My answer also stands on the premise that God is Holy and good, full of grace and mercy. Our view is not the same as His, He has an eternal perspective on life and we have a temporal one. Some people see God as a manipulator of humanity. A button pushing, lever pulling God who controls every aspect of our existence. I do not see it that way.
Now back to the relationship idea. I have three wonderful children and a good relationship with them, but I do not try to control their lives. I am here for them, I will help them when they ask, I will give them advice when they ask, but I did not raise them to be robots. I am sure they are at times victims of their own decisions and I hope they don’t blame me. I am most proud of them when they live by the principle of the Word of God by their own choice. Whatever you may think of God, it is obvious that He does not force people to serve Him or live by the principles of the Christian faith. Much of the world demonstrates this every day. The inconsistency is that when trouble comes these same people want to blame God. They reject the lever pulling God when it comes to their personal lives but embrace Him when tragedy strikes. They want God to be a dictator until He infringes on their personal freedom. It is a kind of “leave me alone attitude, I will call you when I need you.” But when trouble comes they are the first to ask, “where was God and why didn’t He do something?” Well, I have learned that you can’t have it both ways. You can’t have freedom and then blame God for not being there when you have left Him out of your life. Now for a couple of important points. Good people get hurt because our lives are intertwined. We drive on the same roads. We share the same space and we live in a fallen world. The Earth today is not what God intended and it is because of the Free Will issue. God is not looking for robots. Robots cannot love by choice, they cannot serve by choice, but we can and that is the best kind of love. I choose to love God. Rom. 8:21 “because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” This verse says, we live in a world bent out of shape but God will have the final say, and bring it back to what He intended. Until this happens, it will continue to “rain on the just and the unjust.” Now before you jump on my case for what I am about to say, think about it. Back to the tragedy of Haiti, there are two views; the physical view which is devastating, a major disaster by anyone’s standard, and the spiritual view. Simply put, the way man sees it and the way God sees it. We know what He thinks, 2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God the important thing is “everlasting life,” for us it is so often the extension of this life. The important issue is where we go when we leave here. That is what Jesus Christ is all about. He is “The Door” “The Way,” “The Truth” and “The Life.” He took the penalty for sin upon Himself. He paid for our ticket to Heaven, He simply ask us to repent, “turn,” and ask for forgiveness. I think of the two crooks who hung on the crosses beside Jesus. One of them asked to be remembered and Jesus said to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Here is the point, for this man his tragedy turned into the way home. When we dare attempt to see things from an eternal perspective it gives us hope. I believe thousands of Haitians have gone home, buried in the rubble all they could do is ask, “remember me,” and a loving, gracious God has welcomed them home. My faith says they would not come back if they could. What God does not cause, He uses. For the thousands buried in the darkness of crumbled concrete, He was there with open arms. In the end He will have the final say. Like children playing in the back yard, doing our own thing for the moment, we dare not assume that we are not responsible and that God will not have the last word. I have a feeling that “Why” is not about God but about us. jfs

Caught in the Moment

It’s not a bad thing to be caught in the moment, because life is lived one moment at a time. We cannot live in the future or the past. The moment is important, but it is part of a bigger story. It is like one page of a book. You can’t read a page of a book and draw a good conclusion about the whole story. Last Sunday we were studying the fourth chapter of Mark--one event in the life of Jesus and his disciples. After a long day of tiring ministry He says, “let’s get in the boat and go to the other side of the lake.” On the journey he falls asleep, and while he is sleeping a storm arises and almost fills the boat with water. They wake Jesus, and I must admit that is exactly what I would have done. After all what do you do when you encounter a storm too big for your oars? I suggest to you that the disciples had nothing to worry about. This storm was just one page in the book, one part of a bigger picture. Jesus asked them, “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?” Our faith must be bigger than the moment. It must operate on what He has said, “let us go to the other side.” It must see the future of the Divine Purpose for our lives. If you are in the midst of a storm, just remember, it is just one page in the story of your life. Boldly speak to the storm in His Name and keep rowing. Stay in the boat with Jesus, it is unsinkable. Jesus himself is a great example of this truth. Hear this verse, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb 12:2 . Suffering on a Roman Cross was a difficult moment for our Lord, but it is not the whole story. When the winds of adversity blow in our face, it is easy to forget that one page or one chapter does not determine the outcome. Put your faith in what He has said and know that you will make it to the other side. jfs
jfspruill@aol.com

Fig Tree Saga

So the saga of the fig tree continues. Last night a female cardinal spent the night in the fig tree. She found warmth from the cold night under the umbrella. Now I must confess, I went to Home Depot and paid thirty four dollars for thirty feet of heat tape. I wrapped the tree trunk with the tape and plugged it in, voila! a warm tree and a bird smart enough to come in out of the cold. This morning at four a.m. it all began to make sense to me. In the Bible the fig tree is a symbol of Israel, you know, God’s people. The Father went to great lengths to save His people, but He was just too human for them, Jesus was the son of Joseph and Mary. He paid with His life in order to bring His people under the umbrella but they preferred to stay out in the cold. So He invited the rest of us to spend the night under His fig tree. So the tree has become a sanctuary from the cold to all who will come under the umbrella of His redemption. It is now five forty a.m., the coldest part of the night, and my heart is warmed to know there is one bird warmed by my provision. She sits there waiting for the morning sun. My brothers and sisters, stay under the umbrella of His love, don’t leave the fig tree, the Son is coming. Jfs

Tit 2:11-14 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
(NKJV)

Captivity or Freedom

Yesterday I was reading from 2 Timothy and when I got to the last phrase of this passage it was like a light being turned on the world’s problems. Just read and listen to verse 26, “and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” Our world is living the reality of this verse and it is easy to see the devil is up to no good. He does indeed come to, “steal, kill and destroy.” It is really not difficult to tell the difference between the devil’s work and God’s work. One ends in death and the other brings life. One is full of love and hope and the other is driven by hate. It is amazing that sin in man was birthed in his desire to control, to do his own thing. A world seeking to control and force its will on others is a world that has “been taken captive by him to do his will.” Christ Jesus never forces Himself on anyone. He makes us an incredible offer of eternal life at His expense. You don’t have to blow yourself up to make it to heaven, the ticket is on Him. And so it comes down to this simple matter: millions have been taken captive by the devil to do his will and millions have been set free by the blood of Jesus Christ to do His will. Look at the fruit and it becomes easy to tell whether we are held captive or have been set free. Jesus offers freedom, the devil offers captivity.

2Ti 2:23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.
24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,
26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
(NKJV)

Figs

If you came into my backyard today, you would say, “What on earth is he doing?” You would see two brightly colored beach umbrellas deployed over the top of my fig tree. Then you would think, What on earth is he doing with a fig tree in Tennessee?” In case you don’t know, fig trees don’t like cold weather so I am in a big battle with winter’s yearly assault. I have a heater under the umbrella and the trunk wrapped in a blanket, so I am doing everything I know to win over the cold. I love the tree because it reminds me of Jesus. In fact, I call the figs it produces, “Jesus Fruit.” Jesus Fruit is important to all of us, I mean the kind He grows in our lives. Love, joy, peace, gentleness, etc. are all fruit for hungry hearts. Like my fig tree, we live in a hostile environment. The world blows the cold winds of hostility on us all the time, so we need Jesus to keep us spiritually warm. The world wants to freeze us out, but the warmth of Heaven can warm any heart. So the battle goes on. I have been warned of seven degrees tomorrow night. With the help of heaven I shall eat figs this summer.
Joh 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Mt 21:19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again." Immediately the fig tree withered away.
Jas 3:12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. jfs

Mr Al

Dear Mr Al, I was wndern if you new how cold it is in Tennessee? I here tell you been saying hits getting warmer but sompun aint right with yor theromermeter, wes bout to freeze here on the hill. Have you ever heard of a two dog night, that’s a night so cold hit takes 2 dogs on your bed to keep your feet warm. Well last night was a 3 dog night and I here tell tomorrow will be a 4 dog night. problem is we aint got but one dog. Can you help us with a couple more dogs. Sir, your thinking jest don’t make no sense, if hits getin warmer, how com our teeth are chatterin? Can you please send some of that goblewarmin our way.

sincerely cold in tennessee
elmer shiverley

Sawdust Pile

When I was a boy my father was a part time saw miller. He learned the trade from my grandfather. He set up an old mill near the house under some pine trees. It was just one of those many things he did to keep food on the table. I have many fond memories of playing around a saw mill. It was also the place where I got one of my first jobs; we called the job doodling sawdust. When the mill was in operation a chain pulled the sawdust away from the saw and pilled it up in a pile. At he top of the pile was a pulley, and it was there where I worked with a big scoop keeping the pulley from getting clogged. When the mill was not working we often played in the sawdust, climb to the top and slide down. It was Alabama sawdust sledding. It is just one more memory of life in Lamar County, Alabama. Thinking about those huge mounds of sawdust, I now realize it was made by individual grains of wood. So much like life, we tend to see it as a whole measured by hours and days weeks and months and years, but in truth, life is made up of moments. The longer God lets us live the bigger the pile, but in reality it is the moments which count, moments of kindness, moments of appreciation, moments of watching a sunset or holding your wife’s hand, moments when you kiss your child on the cheek and tell them how much you love them, moments when you say to Kerry and Paul, “thanks for being my friend.” I would like to think that when I am gone my children and grandchildren can laugh and play on my pile of moments. Oh! To all my friends, make the most of your moments in 2010. I love you all, I’ve got to go play on the sawdust pile. jfs