March 17- Hindrances in Bearing Fruit

The Lord wants us to bear fruit. As a matter of fact, this is the natural order of creation. On the third day, God created the vegetative world and ordered it to produce after its kind. He placed within each plant, tree, shrub, bush, and flower a seed to bring forth fruit. Throughout the history of the world this has been the divine order. God has designed creation in such a way to be self-producing. Again, the Lord wants us to bear fruit.

I believe it is safe to assume that rational, well-meaning Christians want to bear fruit as well. There is not a farmer or gardener I know who wants to work fervently in his garden without any results. There is not a businessperson I know that wants his or her investment to yield no profit. There is not a parent I know that wants to see their child amount to nothing. There is not a pastor I know that wants his church to be stagnant and indifferent with God. We want to be successful at whatever we do. So why is it we struggle with bearing fruit as believers?

I believe the answer is simple: while God wants us to bear fruit, and we ourselves want to bear fruit, the enemy certainly does not; so he hinders us as we labor in the field for Christ. In Matthew 13, Jesus gave the parable of the wheat and the tares. He illustrated the hindrances used by the enemy to encumber the people of God. Some of these tactics are still in place today. For the next few days we will look at what Satan uses to hinder us bearing fruit.

When the enemy attacks our faith, he is really trying to annihilate our fruit” – Kenneth Kuykendall

March 16- Give Something Away Daily

When you study the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ one thing you will discover is that He rarely received anything from anybody.  Instead, He was always giving of Himself, His time, His words, His gifts, and His blessings.  Christ assumed the position of a servant and constantly invested in the lives of others.

Sometimes He gave healing, sometimes He gave advice, and sometimes He gave empowerment. He gave Simon Peter tax money when he needed it.  He gave the disciples breakfast after His resurrection.  He gave the woman at the well Everlasting Water.  He gave thousands of people lunch one day in the wilderness.  As a matter of fact, He gave His life for all humanity.

Instead of trying to get something from people we should spent much of our time giving to people.  Set a goal to give something to someone every single day.  Is there anyone you know who needs financial assistance?  Is there anyone in your life who needs a word of encouragement?  When is the last time you gave someone your undivided attention?  Determine to give something away every single day of your life, and what you get in return will be a life that closely resembles Jesus Christ.

You have not lived today unless you have done something for someone who cannot repay you” – John Bunyan

March 15- It’s No Time to Retreat

During World War II the Nazi’s were invading and besieging England in grand fashion.  Many of the British troops were ready to retreat because of Hitler’s dominant force.  To rally the troops, Winston Churchill gave a rousing speech with these words, “Wars are not won by evacuation.”

Churchill is correct.  No one can obtain victory over the enemy by passively retreating.  Warfare is about engagement; it is about being on the offensive.

We are in a spiritual battle during these last days.  The enemy invades every area of our lives.  He manipulates us to think we cannot win by using addiction, fear, discouragement, doubt, and a host of other wicked devices.  Many in this generation have submitted to the idea of failure so instead of fighting they flee, which is exactly what Satan wants.

Now is not the time for evacuation.  We must put on the whole armor of God and take the Sword of the Spirit.  Now is the time to choose sides.  Our country, our children, and our churches are worth the fight.  No running back, no retreat, and no regret.  Victory is not won by evacuation.

Many of us are hunting mice, while lions are devouring the land” – Leonard Ravenhill

March 14- Good Impersonations

Have you ever seen someone do an impersonation of someone else?  In order to master the impression one must not only sound like the person he is impersonating, he must mimic his gestures, expressions, and movements.  He has to do something that makes others recognize particular characteristics and traits in the person being imitated.

The apostle Paul told the believers at Corinth, “Be followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”  In the book of Colossians 3:3, he said that our life was “hid in Christ.”  The apostle Peter said “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in his steps” (2 Peter 2:21).

When the world looks at our lives do they see Jesus?  Do they see the traits, characteristics, and attributes of the Savior in us?  It has been documented that the longer you are with someone, and the more time you spend with someone you begin to develop their mannerisms.  The only way the world will be able to see Christ in us is through a consistent life to devotion to Christ.  E.M. Bounds said, “Devotion to God- there is no substitute for this (in our) character and conduct.”

Follow Christ, spend time with Him in devotion and prayer and the world will see Him more clearly through your life.

The unwounded life bears no resemblance to the Rabbi” – Brannan Manning

March 13- Believers and Baseball

It’s amazing what you will find on the inside of a baseball. Have you ever considered the various parts of an official Major League ball?

• Cork Center: 1/2 ounce and 2.86 to 2.94 inches.
• Black & Red Rubber Layers: 7/8ths of an ounce each.
• 4-ply grey wool: 121 yards (brings weight up to 2 7/8 ounces).
• 3-ply white wool: 45 yards (brings circumference up to 8 3/4 inches).
• 3-ply grey wool: 53 yards (brings weight to 3 11/16 ounces and circumference to 8 7/8 inches).
• Cotton yarn: 150 yards (brings weight to 4 5/8 ounces).
• White full-grain cow hide leather with 108 stitches of durable red thread.

Each piece has a significant function.  Although you cannot see every part, it is there nonetheless doing its job.  Each component in and of itself could never be used as a legitimate instrument for sport; but when you put them all together in a specific order with a particular design it becomes a baseball.

The body of Christ is the same way.  There are some parts more notable than others but none nobler.  Each person has a role and responsibility; and each person is needed for the body to work properly.  God has a part for you, are you ready to play ball?

Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is a process, working together is a success” – Henry Ford

March 12- Modern-Day Methods

I recently read an article that documented the top five church-growth practices among new evangelicals.  These practices include in no particular order:

• The cancellation of traditional services so that families can have more leisure time together.
• Targeting your audience and appealing to their likes and dislikes.
• Incorporating entertainment and amusement into the service so that your congregation will not get bored.
• Growing the church through advertisement and marketing campaigns.
• Staying away from Bible language and Bible terminology

I am for church growth; and I am for trying something new as long as it stays within biblical boundaries.  However, these practices are not growing the church, they are accommodating the world.  E.M. Bounds accurately said, “Men are looking for better methods, God is looking for better men.”

Our practices are rooted in our principles- so when our practices give little value to biblical truth, we need to find better principles.  The Lord Himself said He would build His own church- we should let Him.

Men are looking for better methods, God is looking for better men” – E.M. Bounds

March 11- Give Me That Old Time Religion

I remember singing the old song years ago, “Give me that Old-Time Religion, give me that Old-Time Religion, give me that Old-Time Religion- it’s good enough for me.”  There are some groups that believe they have a monopoly on “old-time” religion.  They believe “old-time” religion is pledging allegiance to a particular song or hymn book.  They romanticize about a time when hard-wood pews and out-door plumbing was the norm.  They reminiscent about funeral-home fans, cottage-prayer meetings, and baptisms in the cold rivers.

I must confess- I was raised in such an environment and I love it!  But “old-time” religion is not about those things in particular; it is about what those things represented.  They represented Bible-preaching, Spirit-filled worship, and good, godly fellowship with other people.  “Old-time” religion is bigger than a denomination.  It is bigger than a particular hymn-book preference.  It is bigger than in-door and out-door plumbing.  “Old-time” religion is about the presence of the Holy Spirit of God and His power to convict lost sinners.  “Old-time” religion is about a man of God preaching the Word of God to the people of God.  “Old-time” religion is about soul-stirring, live-changing worship that brings honor to Jesus Christ.  If that is what you mean by “Old-time” religion than I will admit- it’s good enough for me.

I am an old-fashioned preacher of the old-time religion” – Billy Sunday

March 10- Counts the Pants Too!

The son of an immigrant store-owner approached his dad one day and said, “Dad, I don’t understand how you keep this store running.  Your accounts payable are stuck in an old cigar-box; your accounts receivable are on a spindle; and all your cash is in the register.  How do you even know what your profits are?”

The father slowly replied, “Well, son let me tell you a few things.  When I arrived in this land, all I owned was the pants I was wearing.  Today your sister is an art teacher, your brother is a doctor, and you are a CPA.  Your mother and I own our house, car, and this little store.  Add all that up and subtract the pants and there is your profit.”

As the old song goes, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one.”  When we look back over the course of our lives, we are sure to see the many blessings of God.  Every one of those blessings is a gift from God.  You do not have to look very far to see His daily benefits.  God has been faithful through the years and His promises have been true.

Take a few minutes to reflect over His goodness in your life, and go ahead and count the pants, He gave those too!

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving” – W.T. Purkiser

March 9- Serving the Lord is Not Easy

God calls his people to do hard things.  Whoever said serving the Lord was easy lied.  Serving God is not only difficult, it is impossible without the power of the Holy Spirit.  Throughout Scripture we discover men and women of faith who endured great trials of faith in their endeavor to please God.

Noah had to build a large ship, accommodate a majority of the animal kingdom, and endure a world-wide flood- serving the Lord is not easy.  Abraham was called away from his home in the Ur of Chaldees, waited on God for a son for decades, and was asked to sacrifice the very son of promise- serving the Lord is not easy.  Joseph was betrayed by his brethren, accused of rape, and forgotten by the butler in prison- serving the Lord is not easy.  Moses had the impossible task of delivering millions of Jews out of the land of Egypt and led them in the wilderness for forty years without the benefit of modern-day convenience- serving the Lord is not easy.  Daniel was placed in the den of lions, Jeremiah was lowered in the pit, the Hebrew boys were thrown into the fiery furnace- serving the Lord is not easy.

But the one thing I have discovered in my years of serving God is this- it may not be easy, but it sure is good!  The blessings far outweigh the burdens.  The grace far surpasses the grief, and the delight always outshines the difficulty.

Tears are often the telescope through which men see far into heaven ” – Henry Ward Beecher

March 8- The Grace Plan Still Works

A new convert was having trouble with his habit of cussing.  He went to the pastor and asked for some help and advice.  The pastor suggested that the man keep a tally of how many cuss words he said throughout the week.  For each cuss word the man would give $5 to the church come Sunday- to this the man agreed.  When Sunday came the man put in a check for $100.00; the next week was $150.00.  It seemed as though his cussing was getting worse.  Frustrated he went back to the pastor and told him he didn’t think the current system was working.  The pastor agreed and suggested they come up with a different route.   The pastor said, “Instead of you paying the $5 for each cuss word, I will.  You keep a tally of your cussing and let me know each week, and I will pay the expense- we will call it the Grace Plan.”

The first week the pastor had to pay $70, the second week $30, and by the time the third week rolled around the man had completely stopped cussing.  When the pastor called him back into the office to ask about his recent victory the man said, “Preacher, I was able to get victory when I realized how much my sin had cost you- I suppose your Grace Plan works.”

The plan of Grace still works today.  Just because we are saved doesn’t mean we will not sin; but when we realize the price Jesus paid for every single one of our sins it should stir us to live godly in this life.  I am glad the Grace plan still works!

Grace is but glory begun, and glory is but grace perfected” – Jonathan Edwards