The Garden

It's time to plant that garden! Are all of your seeds and plants in the ground? Or are you procrastinating like we are?

Jesus spoke a lot about planting seeds and harvesting crops. But He was really talking about the Gospel and you and me.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away. When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.

The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’ ” - Matthew 13:24-30

Gardening is a picture of the Kingdom of God. God planted all the seeds. But then Satan came along and planted weeds in amongst the good plants.

Jesus, the Master Gardener, decided not to have His angels remove the weeds (the bad ones), but instead He had them grow together with the good - not wanting to damage the good when the bad were uprooted.

The only problem with having weeds amongst the desired crop is that the weeds drain half the nutrients out of the soil. That makes it harder for the good crops to grow. And such it is with you and me.

In the end though, at the harvest, we get to go into "the barn" while the weeds get to be burned in the fire. AKA hell.

There is a time for planting and a time for harvesting (according to King Solomon). Don't wait until the harvest to plant YOUR garden. You will be greatly disappointed. 

Keep your eyes open for the Master Gardener. He waters us and looks after us. And it's not long before the harvest!

In The Park?

When Jesus was dying on the cross, he looked over at the thief hanging next to Him and said, "Today you will be with me in paradise." - Luke 23:43. Most people think that Jesus was talking about them both being in heaven. Let's dig a little deeper.

Have you ever heard of an interlinear Bible? They can be pretty handy when it comes to studying the Bible. Like with our word 'paradise' today. We can learn that the Greek word for paradise is 'paradeisO.' It even sounds like paradise. However, the actual word-for-word translation reads like this:

"I am saying to you today, with me, you shall be in the park."

In the park? What?

If we look up the Old Testament Hebrew word for 'paradise' we find out that Hebrew word actually refers to a garden or walled in area. The New Testament word for paradise was used to refer to The Garden of Eden and also Abraham's Bosom - the place where the righteous dead go when they die.

Are Abraham's Bosom and the original Garden of Eden the same? I can't find an answer to that. But tune in on Wednesday for a possible answer to that question.

Thanks for reading!

Paradise - Bible Study Tools

In The Garden - Alan Jackson

The Olive Tree

My wife and I pruned our crabapple tree last night. All this rain and the warmer temperatures have really made it grow. Almost TOO big. But now the tree looks good. Well-shaped and more energy-efficient, it is going to produce much fruit into the future.

The same thing works for you and me. God prunes us through trials t develop our character - fruit. If we don't produce fruit, God cuts us down and throws us in the fire.

Pruning is one thing, grafting in branches is another. Neither my wife nor I have that knowledge or ability. But more on that in a moment.

Have you ever heard of replacement theology? It is the believe that "The Church" has replaced Israel in God's plan. Believers in Jesus (Christians) are the new "Israel." And the Jewish people have been rejected by God in favor of the church. That's the belief. It's not true.

Take a look at Romans 11. Paul explains the truth rather well. We, the Gentiles, have been grafted in to "the olive tree" - Israel. The tree is Jesus. The Gentiles, that's us, are one branch. The Jewish people are still another branch. Those who come to faith in Jesus that is. Other branches, those who don't place their faith in Christ, are "broken off.

You don't want to be broken off.

"17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you." - Romans 11:17-18

We should thank God every day that we have been grafted in. We are blessed to even be part of the tree at all!

Romans 11:11-32

Tending The Garden

Do you ever get those gloomy days when you'd rather stay in bed? Every day, right? I had one of those days this past week. I was alone, it was cloudy and raining. I was feeling kind of depressed. So, what did I do? I wrote to a friend who always makes me smile. The next thing I knew I was smiling and feeling great!

Do you have people like that in your life? I sure hope so. They are a treasure! But those relationships can fade away and even disappear if we don't keep them alive.

Relationships are like plants in a garden. We plant seeds in the spring. That's an effort of hope and faith right there. And once the seeds sprout and a plant begins to grow, it needs some things. Nutrients from the soil, water and sunlight.

What makes our relationships grow? I think there has to be a healthy dose of love - some kind of bond. My wife has many friends but her closest friends she does stuff with. They'll go shopping of go out to eat. They keep their relationships alive by doing things together.

I recently retired from work but I still go back there. Why? Because I have relationships with the people there that I would like to keep alive and active. I love my friends and want to keep them in my life so I work at it. I water the garden. I try to spread love in THEIR lives and they do the same in mine.

God loves healthy relationships.

Sadly, my relationship with God sputters sometimes when I don't spend time with Him. I'll forget to pray or read and then I wonder why I'm feeling so depressed. It's because one of my most treasured relationships is dying. That's NOT a good thing.

As you go through this day, and you think about one of your friends, send them a message or give them a phone call. Let them know that you care about them and love them. That's the best way to keep your relationship garden alive and thriving.

The day before Jesus died guess what He did? He went for a walk with His friends in a garden. Before the fall guess what Adam and God were doing? Walking in a garden.

^"15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." - Genesis 2:15

If our friends and family are OUR garden, what would God have US do?

In The Garden - Alan Jackson

The Parable of The Master Gardener

I wasn't sure what I was going to write about this morning until I watched my wife transplant a bush in our yard last night. It was quite a chore for her but she was determined to move it. There were lots of roots to be cut and lots of dirt to be dug. But by moving that plant my wife also provided a deeper, more meaningful lesson to be learned about life.

The bush wasn't really producing where is was so my wife bought a new plant for that location and moved the original plant to a new spot in our yard. Painful for the plant being moved I'm sure but my wife moved it to a location where she hoped it would thrive.

God provides so many lessons to be learned in our lives. Many of them can be learned simple by observing nature or the relationships we have.

Have you ever heard the phrase "Bloom where you're planted"? It means to "take advantage of the opportunities we have in life and be grateful in our present situation."

The bush in our yard simply did not bloom where is was planted so it was replaced and moved to a different location where it was given another opportunity to bloom. I am convinced that God does the same thing for you and me.

^"20 Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. ²¹ Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you - although if you can gain your freedom, do so. ²² For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. ²³ You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. ²⁴ Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them." - 1 Corinthians 7:20-24

When I reflect on where God has planted me in my life "when I was called" it is easy to see the Master Gardener's overarching plan in my life.

There have been several times in my life at work when relationships have bloomed because of God's foreknowledge and plan. God planted me at work and He gave me two gifts to help others grow - fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). They are compassion (mercy) and encouragement (exhortation).

This past week I used those gifts and prayed with and comforted a friend at work who was suffering trough the loss of a close friend. The month before I prayed with a life-long friend and co-worker who was undergoing some life-altering surgery. I have prayed with another who was going through a messy divorce and another who struggled with the death of a mentor.

I tell you these things not to brag  but to show you how good God is when He can use even a wimpy, spindly plant like me for His ultimate glory. And God, in the amazing way He does things, has turned each of those "acquaintances" in to dear, precious friends.

Where has God "planted" you? Is there a situation at work or in your life where you could use the gifts God has given you? I encourage you to keep your eyes open. God provides opportunities nearly every day for us to honor Him by our showing His love to the people in our lives.

I have a friend who is a master gardener. She likes to take strolls through her garden and take pictures of her plants for all to see. I that any different from what God does with us?

God is the Master Gardener. We are His plants. The way we bloom is a reflection of The Gardener's skills. May we bloom brightly and beautifully where we have been planted. And may God, the great Master Gardener, continue to water us and nurture us to produce a bountiful crop of fruit in this amazing garden He has made.

I had all
But given up
Desperate for
A sign from love
Something good
Something kind
Bringing peace to every corner of my mind

Then I saw the garden
Hope had come to me
To sweep away the ashes
And wake me from my sleep

The Garden - Kari Jobe