“But because of his
great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even
when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God
raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in
Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable
riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus”
(Ephesians 2:4-7).
Because of the resurrection of Jesus and my
belief and acceptance of His offer of salvation:
I am forgiven
I have new life in
Christ
I am a child of God
I have power over sin
I have peace in this
life
I have hope of life
beyond this life
I will have a
resurrected body
I have God’s power
working in me
I am a fellow citizen
with God’s people
I have the Holy Spirit
dwelling in me
I have assurance that
one day I’ll see my loved ones who’ve gone before me
I know my suffering
and disappointments are only temporary
I know God loves me
“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay’”(Matthew 28:5-6).
I pass an old house on my way to one of the schools where I substitute teach. This week it has been a beautiful scene. I couldn’t safely take a picture of it without having to walk a distance so I substituted this picture. The old house I pass has a front porch with sagging roof and rotted steps. The yard is a whole landscape of daffodils rather than just one cluster.
I have wondered about the family or families that once lived in the old house. Who planted the daffodil bulbs? Was it the mother? Did her children help or did she remind them not to trample the flowers? Was there a dog who insisted on digging out her bulbs or deer that ate the plants? How long ago were they planted?
There is a saying about planting trees.
“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.”
According to Google it is a Greek proverb and I think one with a great deal of truth. Trees are planted for the next generation. Those daffodils were enjoyable for the one who planted them, but today they are enjoyed by all who pass by. What beauty! I’m thankful for the person who planted them.
I don’t
know if he or she ever gave a thought to what might become of the daffodils
decades after they were planted. I like
to think that person was more concerned about what was planted in the hearts of
their children. Trees and flowers planted now can be enjoyed for generations to come, but seeds
planted in our children can blossom for future generations as well and will
last forever.
Two important seeds to plant in the hearts of
children are love and truth. Children need love and they need
to know the One who is Love. God is love and He gave us Jesus and His
sacrificial death to prove that love. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). God is
the source of all truth.
Parents are responsible for planting those
seeds with many others helping to water and nurture them along the way. Whether
or not a child’s parents are planting those seeds every adult who interacts
with that child can. We may plant love and truth through our actions more than
through our words. Jesus gave a strong warning about our interaction with
children.
“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:5-6).
Here’s a new saying:
A society grows great when the grownups plant seeds of love and
truth into the hearts of children and nurture their growth for the next
generation.
“Be on your guard;
stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love”
(1 Corinthians 16:13-14).
The Apostle Paul wrote these exhortations to the Corinthian church, but they are just as important today as they were in Paul’s day. The Church must take heed. The world is filled with evil, people are lost and the devil is working overtime to discourage the Church in her task of spreading the gospel.
Be on your guard. The Apostle Peter
reminds us the devil is our enemy and he “prowls around like a lion looking for
someone to devour.” We cannot underestimate the power of Satan. Watch out for
his deception. He wants to divide the Church and weaken her witness.
Stand firm in the
faith. The best way to stand firm in the faith is to be in the
company of others who also are standing firm. A soldier doesn’t fight battles
alone. He fights beside his comrades. Soldiers have one goal-defeat the enemy. Soldiers
are trained so they know how to win against their foes. The Christian soldier
must train often by studying the handbook, the Bible. The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy that a good
soldier doesn’t get involved in civilian affairs because he wants to please his
commanding officer. (See 2 Timothy 2:4) The Church marches to the command of
Christ and not the demands of culture. We can’t give up or become distracted by
the world. So many people need Jesus.
Be men (and women) of courage. Today, more than ever, we must be courageous. When we proclaim the truth of God we may be accused of hate speech, or infringing on someone’s rights. Our own rights may be at risk if we don’t accept everyone’s belief and lifestyle. The Church must be courageous in standing against sin and the lies of Satan. We must use our voice to express the truth of God’s Word. “. . . God our Savior . . . wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).
Be strong. Ephesians 6:10 says, “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” God knows our mortal strength is not enough to resist the forces of evil so He provides the armor: the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, gospel of peace, and the shield of faith. In addition, we have the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. As we read on in Ephesians 6 notice how many times pray or prayer is mentioned-5 times. Our strength comes from God, but do we spend time in prayer asking for it? We are in a spiritual battle. The forces of evil are strong but God is stronger. First John 4:4 reminds us that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” Jesus gives us the Spirit to guide and strength us in this spiritual warfare. Sometimes I think we spend too little time praying about our concerns and too much time complaining about them. There is strength in prayer!
Then Paul says, “Do everything in love.” I like
to think about these things that Paul has encouraged Christians to do as all
the ingredients in a banana split or big ice cream sundae. Then cover the whole
thing with luscious whipped cream! It’s what makes everything else taste so
good. That’s the love. Does the world see the church doing everything in love?
