Trying To Understand The "Why" Question In Suffering

Psalms 10:1 ESV  Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? 

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Headline News:

• Bus Crashes On Oregon Highway Killing 9 Injuring 38
• School Shooting In Conneticut - 26 Dead
• Charred Bodies Found After Japan Tunnel Collapse
• Mall Shooting Leaves 2 Dead and 1 Critically Injured
• Divorce Rates In The US Are At An All-Time High
• Iran Intensifies Persecution Of Christians
• Short Rains Intensify Kenya Food Insecurity
• 16,000 Children Die Daily Of Hunger Related Causes
• Natural Disasters Pose Serious Financial Threat To Asia

When we look at the events that are occurring around the world one of the first questions that most of us ask is "why." Why do these terrible things happen to so many people? Why do not only the unsaved suffer, but those who love and follow Jesus as well?

I was recently visiting a church in another state and the day my family and I were attending they had a memorial video for the passing of the daughter of the pastor. She was a beautiful five year old girl. Her big eyes and contagious smile would capture of the heart of anyone who was around her. Her precious little life was stolen from her a few days prior to Christmas of an asthma attack. As I watched the video my eyes welled up with tears. I had never met this precious little saint but I did understand the pain of her passing. After the video, mom and dad came onto the stage and shared their feelings about their grief of loss and their hope for what God is doing through this tragic event in their life. Many wept, many listened in a sort of mesmerized disbelief, and as I listened, I heard hope in their voice.

Why does God allow bad things to happen to His children? That question is often on the minds of many in times of trials and temptations. Why do we go through ugly bitter divorces in the church? Or why do our little ones die too soon? Why does disease strike at the most inopportune times? What about job losses and not being able to care for some of our basic needs?

The Psalmist in Psa 10:1 asks: Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Often it appears that God is far from us when we fall into our deepest need. The waves of the enemy are crashing on our shore and there is no place to escape from drowning. There is no rest from our pain and suffering. The peace that surpasses all understand has eluded our anxieties. Where are you God when we need you most?

David cried out, "How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?" (psa 13:1-2) David, the man after the heart of God cries out to God... "Why?"

There are many Biblical examples of the saints of God asking that same question. "Why, O LORD, have you forsaken your child?" I remember a time several years ago where everything in my own life seemed to be spinning out of control. My marriage was on the rocks, my work load was overwhelming me to the point of major anxiety and panic attacks, my emotional and spiritual health was at its lowest. I remember crying out to God often, "Lord, if you are good then why am I going through such turmoil? I have children and I would never treat them the way I feel like you are treating me right now!" My anger and frustration was directed at God as if He were the cause of my woes. My wife had recently recovered from cancer and now this? "What was God doing to us," I thought.

What was God doing?... That is a really good place to start. And when it is asked with a genuine desire to understand His ways I believe we can find answers in His word. The key words in my question was "to us." As if God was simply trying to punish me or cause me harm. God wasn't doing anything to us, rather, He was doing these things "for us."

When we look at the story of Job we see some similar questions being asked. Job had finally came to a place of frustration in his trials to the point of even asking God, "Why did I not just die at the moment I was born?" (paraphrase Job 3:11) "Lord, why did I not just come out of the womb and die?" It would have been better for me to die than to go through all of these troubles. I have been there. God, please just take me now! All of these things you are allowing me to go through are simply too much for me to bear and I would rather just die than continue to go through them.

We even find Jesus asking the Father to remove the suffering He is about to endure. "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." (Luke 22:42) No one wants to walk into a situation that will cause harm, difficulties, and suffering. It isn't a natural place for us to be. But as we see from the prayer of Jesus, we are to desire the will of the Father over our circumstances. Yes, Jesus willingly went to the cross knowing beforehand what the outcome was going to be. What is our end going to look like in this trial? That is a piece to our suffering puzzle we may never fully understand. Never-the-less, God calls us to desire His will over our comfort. Yet, in the midst of our suffering He is always there to bring us comfort when we draw close to Him. One of the ways Jesus will bring us comfort during suffering is to grab hold of the Scriptures. Psalm 119 is a clear example of the connection between our affliction and God's Word:

• Psalms 119:25  My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!
• Psalms 119:28  My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!
• Psalms 119:43  And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules.
• Psalms 119:50  This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
• Psalms 119:61  Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget your law.
• Psalms 119:75-77 ESV  I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.  (76)  Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.  (77)  Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.

Putting our focus on the Word of God is inexplicably tied to our comfort and understanding. As we read through the book of Job we realize some things about his story that we can relate to our own story. Here are just a few:

• We should trust that God is working behind the scenes: We often neglect to see what God might be doing because we are focused so closely on what is happening right in front of us. I often hear well meaning Christians say, "You need to look at this from an eternal perspective." And yes that is good, but often eternity seems so far away. I want to see what God is doing right now... Remember that God is not only doing a work in this trial for eternal purposes, but He is also doing a work in many ways for you today.
• Though it is good to confide in friends, they may not have the right answers: Often we hear from our friends advice that doesn't seem to fit quite right in the situation we are going through. After Job had a conversation with his friends there was more confusion than solution. Yes, it is good to receive sound advice, but the best thing his friends ever did was to sit quietly by his side and walk with him in is suffering.
• We should not turn from God and question His goodness: After Job was done questioning God regarding the trials he encountered, God rebuked Him for his unbelief. One of the most profound cries of forgiveness is contained in the book of Job. Job 42:1-6 ESV  Then Job answered the LORD and said:  (2)  "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.  (3)  'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.  (4)  'Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.'  (5)  I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;  (6)  therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

So why do we go through trials and suffering? Why did Job have to lose his entire family only to have twice what he originally had restored to him? Why did that pastor lose his daughter at such an early age? Those are really good questions... I am not sure we can answer each and every individual "why" question about suffering, but we can find from the Word that there are some universal reasons for it. Trying to answer why to our individual circumstances may be futile. It is probably void of meaning and if you ask ten people why you are going through a particular time of suffering, you may get ten very different answers.

So why does God allow suffering? 

• To Draw Us Closer To Him: John Piper, in a sermon on suffering, says this, "No one every cries out to God for help when they are sitting on a beach, looking at a sunset, drinking a drink with a little umbrella in it." Well, maybe he said it a bit differently, but the meaning is the same. When we go through difficulties we are forced to draw close to Jesus for our comfort, peace, and joy.
• To Bring Him Glory: It may seem a bit strange that suffering brings Glory to God but it does. And it is intended to. When Jesus went to raise Lazarus from the dead he told Mary and Martha, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." And in the story of Jesus healing the blind man he tells the disciples, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." God wants to bring Glory to Himself in our afflictions.
• For Times Of Discipline: God does discipline those He loves. (Heb 12:4-11) We should not make the mistake in assuming all difficulties are because of disobedience. We should, however, spend time in fervent prayer asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to us our sin and see if what we are going through could be a byproduct of our sinful and disobedient behavior. 
• To Refine Us: (Isa 48:10-11; 1Pet 1:6-7) God uses testing and trials to refine His people. Often affliction will come to a person and they will fall away. Difficulties display whether our affection to God is true, even in the difficult times.
• To Make Us More Like Christ: (Phil 3:10) As we enter into a time of suffering and trials we discover things about ourselves, our faith, and our character that may not be revealed at any other time in our walk with Christ. To share in the sufferings of Christ will make us more like Him.

These are just a few examples of why we may go through suffering and trials. Whatever the reason may be in your particular situation, one thing rings true in all we go through... Jesus is no stranger to the struggle we are facing. He has been tempted and tested in every way, yet was without sin. He will comfort us when we are feeling alone in our greatest time of need in ways beyond our understanding. (Heb 4:15-16) He will never forsake us in our trials and promises to provide us with the strength we need to overcome it. The Eternal Son of God suffered to the point of death, even death on a cross.

However, there is hope. He overcame the grave and defeated death's sting. That is not to say that we don't grieve during hard times. Of course we do. Jesus defeating death brings us hope. It gives us a purpose and a meaning to all we go through that allows us to look to the things eternal. Our difficulties may bring others to Christ because of how we get through them. They may bring us to our knees in fervent prayer in ways we never experienced before. Suffering will afford us the blessing of seeing His hand work miraculously in and through our situation. Though the pain and sting is there, we are assured of one very important thing:

Our Struggles Wont Last Forever...

Revelation 21:3-5 ESV  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  (4)  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."  (5)  And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." (emphasis added)

I Will Give You Rest... So Come!

I have been spending much time in the Gospel of Matthew over the past three months. This week I am in the eleventh chapter. One of the verses that really spoke to me was verse 28:

Matthew 11:28 ESV  Come to me, all who labor and 

are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
 

Over the past several weeks we have been running kind of crazy because of the holidays. So much to take care of. Shopping for just the right Christmas gift, preparing meals, and spending time with friends and family has been a priority. Then to top it off we had a 5 day road trip covering almost 1500 miles... It is enough to wear you out!

So as I read Matt 11:28, I am compelled to ask a question. "What is this rest he is talking about?" Is Jesus saying He will give me rest from all of my busyness and sometimes overwhelming expectations and pursuits? I think that is exactly what He is saying...

As I break down the verse I see that in order to receive this blessing of rest I am required to do one simple thing. Come to Him. "Come to ME" Jesus says. It is a personal invitation. Jesus has an open door policy. Unlike the boss at our jobs who seem almost untouchable because of their position, Jesus, the creator of the universe invites us to "come."

Are you burdened today? Have you been overtaken by worry, sin, burdens, sickness, temptation, or persecution? Only Jesus can give you the rest you need. He will reassure the worrier, forgive the sinner, take the load off the burdensome, give rest to the sick, help the tempted overcome, and give strength to the persecuted. Jesus is the rest, all we need to do is come.

2012-November CCSE Men's Breakfast

Here is the audio file for our Men's Breakfast this past Saturday.



The message is from Hebrews 12:1-2 featuring our guest speaker Austin Hiatt.

Have a blessed day.
Keith

Here is the direct link if you would like to download the message: (right click and save as)

What Does It Mean To Love Your Enemy?

You have heard that it was said...

One of the greatest teachings of Jesus Christ comes from the Gospel of Matthew. It is often one that is overlooked as we read quickly through the Book. It is an extreme contrast of love and hate, blessing and cursing, friend and foe... It is the teaching on loving your enemies. These three verses are a part of a bigger story. Referred to as the Sermon On The Mount, they play out as a moral law to the hearers. This chapter is not intended to fill our thoughts and minds with good intentions, rather it is here for us to have direction in how we live our life.

What exactly does it mean to love your enemies? For me this is a question I wrestled with for hours as I combed over the verses and looked into each word one by one. I originally started with a current version of the verses and it left me feeling empty. The ESV interprets verse 44 like this; (44)  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

That seems simple enough. But as I looked into the words Love and enemy I was not convinced that it was really intended to be that simple. So I went to another version, the King James. It reads like this; (44)  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; As I looked at the difference in the two versions I began to see a larger command. I then used my Greek interlinear and broke down each word and began to understand just a bit more what I think Jesus is teaching in this verse. It is packed full of so much it would probably take a three part sermon to break down fully. However, I want to share in brief what I see and what it means to me to love my enemies.

There are many ways we can try to look at a verse like this. Individually as in "how does it affect how I live." And in a more global level as in "what would it look like if this was the way of life for larger people groups or even nations." In this post I want to share what it means for me as an individual.

Let's first begin with "Love your enemies."

• To love your enemy means to have a fondness for this person. A sort of benevolence with care and kindness. Though they come at you with hatred and hostility, we are to show them the kindness and Love of God.
• "bless them that curse you." To bless those that curse you means to speak well of people who speak poorly of you. To pour out blessings on them.
• "do good to them that hate you." This means to act rightly with a sort of excellence towards those who hate you.
• "and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." And finally we are to pray for those who mistreat, abuse, and even persecute us.

That is a pretty big command... 

As I summarize it for myself it sounds something like this: 

"Love your enemy. Speak kindly of those who show you hatred. Don't retaliate, rather, show benevolence and mercy towards those that curse you. And even if you are being persecuted and abused, pray for those who are persecuting you."

We have a great example of this in our Lord Jesus. When He was hanging on the cross, it is reported in the Gospel of Luke: Luke 23:34 ESV  And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments.

I will never hang on a cross, nor will I carry the burden of the sin of the world on my shoulders. But there are people I know and encounter often that I could definitely begin putting this into practice with. Defining your enemy isn't all that hard either. An ex-spouse who is being difficult. A boss who might be demanding too much at work. Your neighbor that won't be quiet at night. The guy who cuts you off in traffic... you get the point. I thought I needed to be at war to define a person as my enemy, but as I learned from this study, it can be anyone that I have any form of conflict with.

This verse makes it pretty clear who our enemies are and how we are to treat them.

So what if everyone began to love their enemies? Would the world look a bit different? What does loving your enemies look like?

I pray today that as you read over these verses below and think about what Jesus is saying to you, you are able to begin a life of freedom from bitterness, anger, and hostility. Embrace the challenge to be more like your Savior today and love those who persecute and treat you poorly.

Isn't being like Jesus what being a disciple is all about?

Have an amazing and blessed day!

Keith

Verses used:

Matthew 5:43-45 KJV  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  (44)  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;  (45)  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:43-45 ESV  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  (44)  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  (45)  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Secure In Your Salvation... What Does That Mean?

I often hear the phrase "once saved always saved" thrown around by Christians and it is the subject of much debate. I also hear the phrases such as eternally secure, justified, assurance of your salvation, and more, talked about as well.

Today I want to spend a few minutes diving into the scriptures and not into myths, opinions, or misinterpretations. I know there are two sides to this topic and I know I fall on one of those sides. Such it is with life. There will always be areas of discussion in our faith that both sides will never agree on. However, I see clear scriptural evidence that supports one side alone.

Is a person secure in their salvation? 

That is the question...

Let's begin with the premise that salvation is the work of God and not of man. For the sake of the length of this post I will not include all the verses that support this premise, but if we can come to terms with this then we are on the same track.

Next, man has the opportunity to respond to salvation. Some believe man is chosen by God and his response is simply an answer to the call, while others believe Jesus died on the cross for all and whomsoever chooses to believe will be saved. Great... let's not get into this debate here either. Let's just agree that Jesus died and to be saved man has a responsibility to respond.

Now a bit more challenging question arises at this point. Who keeps us faithful. What I mean by that is this. Is it a work of the flesh to stay believing or is it a work of the Holy Spirit. I often hear Christians say things like "It is all a work of God." And "God directs my path."  I also know that many believe that to stay saved you must do good works. And there are many who feel like they can just leave their salvation if they want. Walk away from it like the power of the cross meant nothing. (The question I have with that one is why would you if you are a new creation with the heart of Jesus in you... and how many times can you come back and forth? One day I am saved the next day I don't want to be... Kind of a weird one for me to buy into) I digressed... The Bible tells us otherwise. Staying in the faith is a work of God and not of our own doing. 1Sa 2:9; Psa 37:23-24, Psa 37:28, Psa 103:17-18, Psa 125:1-2; Pro 2:8; Isa 54:17; Jer 32:40; Joh 4:14, Joh 5:24, Joh 10:28-30, Joh 17:11-12, Joh 17:15; Rom 8:31-39; Phi 1:6; Jud 1:1, Jud 1:24

1Co 1:30  But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, 

and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

Then comes evidence of our salvation. The Bible tells us that if we are saved we are a new creation. The old is passed away and the new is come. (2Cor 5:17) It also says that we are crucified with Christ and we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. (Gal 2:20) Therefore, if we are saved then we are a new creation with the Spirit of Christ dwelling in our hearts. We live in Him, by Him, with Him, and for Him... We have been bought with a price and our lives are no longer our own. Because of our new birth there should be evidence of this. The Bible makes it clear...

So a person who is is truly saved should show evidence of their salvation through their obedience to Christ. This is the fruit of salvation, not the method. We, as believers in Jesus Christ, show evidence of our faith by the lifestyle we live and the service we do for others. Gal 5:19-25; John 8:31; 2Tim 2:19; Rom 8:13; 1John 1:8-10; Eph 1:4-5; 1Thes 2:12; Col 1:10... and there are so many more. As you can see, a regenerate person who lives by faith shows it by their obedient lifestyle.

Jas 2:14-26 - Faith without works is dead!

Now the struggle I believe most of us deal with... sin! Oh boy, we just had to bring that one up didn't we. How do we deal with a person who says the "sinners prayer" and then goes on living just like they did before? How do we deal with a person who looks like a Christian in every way and then walks away from the fellowship and says they don't believe in God any more? How do we come to terms with people who try to live a godly life and struggle with addiction to drugs or pornography? How about those who loved Jesus, lost a family member to a tragic death, struggled for ten years and then came back to the faith? How do we deal with a friend or family member who accepted Jesus, was baptized, and now lives enmeshed in the world? So many questions... I am certain you have come to terms with or are trying to come to terms with at least one of these questions.

Can I sin so bad, so long, or so often that I 

walk away from my salvation?

Please remember, this post is not to judge whether or not you or anyone in the circumstances above are saved. That is the work of God. It is to show what the Bible says about assurance in your salvation. So let's move forward...

Now some answers...What does the Bible say about assurance?

Let's start with a couple of verses in Hebrews. Heb 6:4-6

Hebrews 6:4-6 ESV  For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,  (5)  and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,  (6)  and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.

In these verses it appears that there are some who have been "enlightened," tasted the "heavenly gift," and shared in the Holy Spirit and then fell away. How do we contend with that? Matt 13 is a good example of what the writer of Hebrews is talking about. The person in question hears the message of the Gospel, gets excited about it, samples the power of the Holy Spirit, and then decides that the ways of the world are far more pleasurable than following after Jesus. So the question this passage brings up isn't whether or not the person is saved and walks away from their salvation. It begs to ask, "was this person a new creation?" Where they crucified with Christ? Did this person have fellowship with Jesus and abide in Him? Did they bear fruit or just thistles? Verses 7-8 discusses this:

Hebrews 6:7-8 ESV  For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.  (8)  But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

Both the saved and the unsaved drank from the rain but one bore thistles. Not because they were saved and fell away, but because their heart was not fertile soil and they never received the rain.

John tells us in 1John 2:19 that those who depart from the faith were never really one of us. You will hear clever arguments that there is no such teaching in the Bible that states: "If a person walks away from Jesus they were never saved." Well, I beg to differ with those arguments. This verse is very clear that if you depart from the faith you were not one of us. You were never saved to begin with.

1 John 2:19 ESV  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

Jesus tells many that claim to be followers of Christ to "Go away, I never knew you." Then He calls them workers of lawlessness. These people appeared to be doing good things for Jesus. They looked like "good Christians" on the outside but their heart was far from Him. Notice one key phrase in Matt 7:23... "I Never Knew You!"

Matthew 7:23 NASB  "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; 

DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

The thing with salvation isn't about us knowing Jesus. Many claim to know Jesus. James tells us in Jas 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. So salvation isn't about us knowing God, it is about Jesus knowing us. And when He knows you, you will never be cast out. You will be secure in knowing that no one can snatch you from your Fathers hand.

So, back to the last question. What about sin? Can we agree that the Apostle Paul was probably one of the most influential writers of the New Testament and that his work in ministry will span from our generation to the next to the next? Is it safe to say that he will more than likely be a partaker of the heavenly gift of salvation? If we can agree to that, then maybe what he wrote in Romans will give us a little light to what the scripture says about sin and our salvation.

Romans 7:18-21 NASB  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.  (19)  For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.  (20)  But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.  (21)  I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

Paul struggled with sin. I struggle with sin. You undoubtedly struggle with sin. It is in our flesh nature to struggle with sin. The problem isn't do we sin. The issue is do we live a lifestyle of unrepentant sin. Does your sin bother you? Are you, as the late John Owen said, "mortifying sin every day?" Are you taking your sin to the cross and asking God to forgive you or are you in denial of your sin and act like it is no big deal.

How we live is testimony to whether or not we are saved. If we deny our sin and claim to be a Christian then we are deceiving ourselves and calling God a liar. 1 john 4:1-10

So to come to a simple answer about security in salvation. Yes, if you are a follower of Christ and love Jesus you can be assured that as you follow Him and persevere in your faith you will be called home to Glory and spend eternity with Him. If you said the "sinners prayer" and live like the rest of the world you might want to check yourself. The Word makes it clear that salvation isn't about finding a get out of hell free card and once you think your saved you are always saved. There must be evidence... fruit and perseverance.

I hope this blog post is helpful. I know that it is quite long but because of the subject matter it is quite difficult to condense to any less than this. I would welcome your comments or discussion. Feel free to comment and i will try to respond as quickly as I can.

Have a blessed day!
Keith

Works vs. Fruit... Fruit Wins!

I have been impacted lately by the verses in Galatians 5. Especially as I look further down into the chapter around Gal 5:16-26. "The deeds of the flesh are evident." When I am in my human nature I am walking in the flesh. The evidence of this is manifested in my works. The outward and inward things that control me. It is something, that if left unchecked, will turn into habits and become natural ways of being.

However, the fruit of the Spirit is altogether different. I don't have to "work" to acquire the fruit Paul is talking about in verse 22. I just need to abide... Jesus tells us in the book of John to abide in Him:

Joh 15:3-4  "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 

When we are in the flesh we are working toward evil but when we are in the Spirit we become bearers of fruit. Spiritual fruit... So fruit bearing is not about works. It is not about doing the right thing for Jesus. It isn't even about being good. It is about abiding in Jesus and allowing His fruit to be produced in your life.

Have you ever gone to an orchard to pick fruit? One thing I have noticed is there is generally more fruit than there are people to pick it. It is all over the tree, dropped on the ground, and fills basket after basket. And so should it be with you and me. I pray that as we abide in Jesus that our fruit will be so abundant that it will overflow to many.

When it comes to the battle of works of the flesh vs. fruit of the Spirit there is one thing to remember... 

fruit wins.

Back At It? Maybe...

After a bit of a gap in posts I have made the commitment to keep at it. I have recently been in a "writing funk." I have been in a period of just reading the Word and listening to God speak many things in my life through it, but haven't had a whole lot to say...

Maybe the next couple of weeks and months I will be inspired to sit down and write a bit more, but until then I will just write as the Spirit leads and if there is no prompting to say much, then I will remain silent.

There has been so much joy in writing this blog over the past several years and I am excited to see where it goes. The desire is there. The ideas are there. I just get tripped up when I sit down to write and feel like I am falling over my words... not sure if that makes sense!

Feel free to browse around and read through some of my older posts.

Blessings,
Keith