Cleans or Prunes?

John 15:1–2 (NIV)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Good morning Zebras,

I recently heard a pastor say the easiest thing you can do to improve your understanding of the Bible is to read multiple translations.  If you are like me you have your favorite version and that is what you tend to read but his point was that even if you don’t know Hebrew or Greek you can gain greater insight into God’s Word by reading the work of others who do.

Today’s verse, John 15:2, is the perfect example.

This is a pretty popular verse and one most of us have learned, but to be honest it is one I have always struggled with.  Because of my own inability to garden the words “cut” and “prune” strike fear in my heart. 

 I remember one particularly horrible incident where I not only butchered the poor bush I was “pruning” I also sliced through the cord of the electric trimmer.

The idea of God coming after me with an electric bush trimmer cutting and hacking away at everything that does not bear fruit is disturbing.

But look how another translation says it:

John 15:2 (ISV)
He removes every branch in me that does not produce fruit, and he cleanses every branch that does produce fruit so that it might produce more fruit.

The Greek word that been translated “prunes” means, according the Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament, to cause something to become clean; to make clean

Now that I like.  Cleaning involves soft cloths and nice smelling products.  Cleaning involves gently removing the dirt from items that we cherish.  Occasionally we may have to use a scrub brush on a particularly difficult stain, but for the most part cleaning is a gentle activity.  And that fits with the context of the passage.

Jesus, as we abide in Him cleans and prunes us, not in a violent hostile manner but with loving care so that we will bear more fruit (NOT do more work) which brings glory not only to Him but to our Heavenly Father.

Love,
Jill

Not In Charge

Philippians 4:5b–7 (ESV)

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Good morning Zebras,

I am having the most pleasant volunteer experience.  I signed up to help with Grad Night at the high school.  In theory, Alicia and I are in charge of setting up, but since I don’t really know what I am doing it is hard to feel in charge of anything.

Instead I just go where I’m told and do what I’m told, and I love it.  No responsibilities, no worries, just the joy of working with others to accomplish a worthwhile goal.

This morning, as I was reveling in the joy of not being in charge of something, I realized God has allowed me to have this experience so I can fully appreciate what life is supposed to feel like.

Jesus promised us a light burden, but when I look around that isn’t what I see.  I see people burdened not only with the cares of the world, but the cares of church as well. And I know that isn’t what God intended  

We know the Bible says that we do nothing in our own strength, instead it is God working through us that accomplishes the task. But is that how we act?  Do we act like we are carefree helpers of God, or do we act like the weight of the world is on our shoulders?

And I’m not just talking about ministry work.  I am talking about everything we do.

If we believe that the very hairs of our head are numbered; that every day we will live has already been written in the Book of Life; that God has promised to work everything for the good of those who love Him; that no plans of His can be thwarted; that He will equip us to do whatever He has called us to do; and all the rest of the amazing promises in the Bible, including that Jesus has promised never to leave us or forsake us.  Shouldn’t we live that way?

The reality is we are not in charge of anything-God is. And that is GREAT, because it means we can live day-to-day in joyful obedience just doing what we are told, leaving the results up to God. 

Love,

Jill

Don't Interfere

1 Kings 17:2–4 (NIV)

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.  You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.”

 Good morning Zebras,

After the retreat in January I shared with you that I thought God was asking me to stand down, to rest and to wait upon His direction.  And I wondered at the time if that was Biblical.  Does God really ask a faithful servant to stand-down?

Ever since then I have been looking for someone in the Bible who was asked by God to stand down and wait.  Not punished and sent to the desert like Moses, or forced to run and hide like David, but someone who had been faithfully serving God and then asked to stop.

Last week I found my example.

Elijah was faithfully serving God as a prophet to the Nation of Israel.  Ahab, an evil king was on the throne.  To punish Israel for their disobedience to God and idol worship, Elijah went to Ahab and said “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”  Right after that God told Elijah to go and hide by the stream.

According to commentaries, there are at least two reasons God told Elijah to leave.

The first is obvious, God was physically protecting Elijah. If Ahab could capture Elijah he most certainly would’ve killed him. 

But it is the second reason I found really interesting. 

If Elijah had remained, not only would he have suffered along with the people of Israel, he might have been moved by human sympathy to pray for the end of the drought, (which according to the text was within his power,) before God wanted him to.   Rather than tempting Elijah to “rescue” Israel, God just sent him away. 

It is never easy to watch anything suffer, whether it is a person or a ministry.  Our natural tendency is to jump in and help.  But sometimes our help is not what is needed.  What is needed is for us to sit by the stream and wait, so that God can work.

Love,
Jill

Lessons from a Camel

Isaiah 53:5–6 (NIV)

But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Good morning Zebras,

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of a zebra striped camel on the Facebook page.  Gary and I had been driving around doing some errands for his work when we saw this camel in someone’s driveway.

I didn’t want Gary to stop and take a picture but now I am glad he did because I keet thinking about it.

Just a few months ago a zebra painted camel would have inspired me to write about the false prophets in the world.  How we need to be careful who we believe because Jesus said there are wolves in sheep’s clothing who pretend to be Christians but aren’t.

But this time that isn’t what I thought at all.

Recently, I have had the privilege of meeting women from different churches and different cities and what I have been struck with is how little and yet how much we have in common.  We may look different and go to different churches, but our love for Jesus Christ gives us an instant bond.

In Ephesians, Paul writes there is one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith.  One and because of that, all of us who claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are united.

I have more in common with a Christian sister from another church or country who is madly in love with Jesus and desires to live a life honoring to Him than I do with the lukewarm Christian I see every day. 

It is our passion for Christ that makes us Zebras.

And perhaps because this camel was in a very wealthy area where I was already feeling uncomfortable and out of place, the impact of seeing a zebra striped camel was intensified, I’m not sure the effect would have been the same had it been a cow or a pig, but since the camel is not an animal I associate with the United States, the other thought I had was that Christ came for all people, not just for people like me

Love,
Jill

Lost and Found

Matthew 16:24–25

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. "

Good morning Zebras,

A few weeks ago I lost my car keys.  I had given them to my daughter and she thought she had given them to her dad.  Nobody seemed to know where they had gone.

Normally, I would have gotten upset and started tearing around looking for them yelling at everyone who had been involved but I had just finished organizing, decorating, and cleaning up the Awana Grand Prix.  The night had been wonderful, God had been honored and my lost keys seemed so insignificant.

We looked around the church and in the car, but we had thrown out so much garbage I figured my keys had just gotten tossed out with the trash.  I counted them as lost and decided I would replace the important ones when I had time.

A week later my son walked into my office carrying my keys. 

And I heard God say “See, when you give things up I can give them back.”

Last night my son went to Scandia, a local arcade, with the youth group.  I had found a bag of tokens earlier in the week and it was one of the reasons I knew Nick was supposed to go.  God had given me the tokens and I knew Nick was supposed to go and share them with the other youth.

But when he came home he had more tokens then when he left.

When it was time to go the other kids saw that Nick had a bag and they gave him all their extra tokens. He laughingly returned them to me knowing he had failed at his task of giving them all away.

 We both agreed it is not possible to out give God.

Jesus told the disciples to give up their lives, to walk away from everything they knew, their families, their jobs, their homes, and follow Him. A radical teaching, but because they did He gave them a life that changed the world.

 Love,

Jill

Last Dying Breath

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Good morning Zebras,

This morning during my quiet time I was reflecting upon the last few months and the spiritual battles I have been facing as I tried to obey God and “finish well” the tasks He had given me to do.

It seems like Satan has been constantly nipping at my heels trying to get me off track or discourage me. Like Paul I have found that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. So I retreated into God’s Word for strength. 

Every year for the last five years my daughter has had a murder mystery party for her birthday.  Each guest is assigned a character and a set of goals they need to accomplish to win the game.

There is no script and because not everyone can win, people goals often overlap.

 Because of that it is sometimes necessary to kill another player.  When that happens the dying character is given a “With Your Last Dying Breath” card which says: You may attempt one last heroic valiant action before your body falls lifelessly to the floor. 

 And I realized this morning that is what has been going on.

Jesus and Satan have conflicting goals and Satan knows Jesus has already won.

He knows that he is a defeated foe, he knows Jesus is going to return and toss him in to the lake of fire, he knows his time of causing havoc is eventually going to end and he is trying, with his last dying breath, to cause as much trouble as he can.

 It is our job not to let him.

It is our job not to give the devil a foothold into our lives by our actions or our thoughts, to practice self-control by taking every thought captive unto Christ, to use the Word of God as the offensive weapon it was designed to be, and to always remember and focus on the fact that He who lives in us is WAY stronger than he who lives in the world.

Love,

Jill