Harvest of God’s Work

Jesus taught many parables that related to farming and gardening. The famous parable of the sower teaches us that God’s words need to enter our hearts and produce a change. There is a similar parable where Jesus points out that the farmer doesn’t do anything to make the seed grow and bear fruit. It is God who changes us.

We live in a wonderful world where the earth produces enough food for everyone and more beside. Farmers prepare the soil and plant the crop but then wait for the miracle of growth and harvest. In our lives we need to prepare our hearts and listen attentively to the words of life that God speaks. Then we wait for the hidden work of God that will transform our lives. The same will be true of our friends, family, colleagues and community. We prepare and sow and then give room for God. Then we join in with the harvest.

Over the past years there will have been many hearts prepared and seeds sown. God is at work in transforming lives. Some of those transformations are already apparent. We need to be ready to gather people in the Kingdom of God. We also need to keep preparing the ground and sowing God’s message. Our harvest will come if we are patient and faithful.

High as Kites

Today there is a kite festival held on Heath Common. There will be flying contraptions of all shapes, sizes and colours ‘controlled’ by experts and amateurs alike.

Kites are a suitable metaphor for living like God intends us to. The Spirit of God is often likened to wind. He is the unseen force that holds this planet together and the hidden strength that lifts our lives day by day. Jesus teaches us that we are to imitate his life by relying on the Spirit’s power and doing all things in his strength. Hence we can think of ourselves as human kites...

We need a frame that will withstand the force of God’s power. At the heart of a renewed life is the cross of Jesus. His forgiveness and acceptance is the basis on which we relate to God.

We need a material that can be moved by God. We have been given a new heart that can respond to God’s words and actions.

We need a cord that will hold us on course in the wind of God’s power. We have been anchored in the love of our heavenly Father. He can now guide us and hold us.

Which leaves the tail - perhaps you can come up with your own interpretation for

that...

Seeking what is Lost

In the three most famous parables of Jesus, we are taught that it is good to seek for what is lost. In the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin, the heroes of the parable leave aside all there work and everyday duties to restore the missing sheep and coin. The missing items are valuable and precious to their owners and the effort is worth while.

In the parable of the lost son, we do not find the same heroic search. The father stays at home waiting for news from his youngest son. Where is his active and devout concern that is taught in the previous parables? The search is the key lesson and yet there is no searcher to be found. Or is there?

The oldest brother was supposed to be the one who had his father’s heart. The oldest had the energy and resources to rescue his younger brother. Was he meant to be the searcher?

In our father’s kingdom, we who responded to God’s loving invitation to come home have become older brothers. Are we willing to express the Father’s love and compassion to those who remain distant? We need to consider our responsibility in leaving the fold of 99 safe sheep to find the one that is lost. We need to lay aside the 9 coins in our bank and find the one that is missing. We need to be compassionate older brothers.

Demons

Have you ever wondered what the bible means when it talks about demons and evil spirits? On almost every page of the gospels, Jesus is dealing with people who were troubled with these things. In our enlightened days, some have argued that it is referring to mental health issues or Jesus is using primitive belief systems.

The bible and experience points us to the fact that the world is more mysterious and spiritually layered than a purely materialistic philosophy. The spiritual realm is inhabited by created beings who are loyal or disobedient to their creator. The good are known as angels and the bad are referred to as fallen angels, demons or evil spirits.

As humans, we are both physical and spiritual and so are subject to a certain influence of these beings. The one thing that is very clear from Jesus, is that he has complete authority over them. It is equally clear that he gives his people the same authority. We regularly pray ‘deliver us from evil’ and so our heavenly Father does. We are able to live totally free from their influence in our lives because of Jesus.

Friend of Sinners

Over the past few weeks I have been challenged to define what is the gospel, the good news. How would you attempt it?

The first thing I would say is that it’s the good news of Jesus. It is when people interact person to person with Jesus that they discover something ‘good’. It is not just that people hear good teaching or even are healed but encounter a man full of ‘grace and truth’. Jesus is Good News.

The good news is also for a certain category of person. Those who find themselves to have failed, messed up and lost their way are most blessed. Jesus says that those who have been forgiven much, love much. The heart of this that we need to fully own our need of the forgiveness that Jesus offers. We all can know that we are forgiven much but only on the condition that we come to Jesus in the truth of who we are.

The good news is that we can encounter Jesus as we actually are and not as we pretend to be.

The Hope for New Life

Jesus would have seen and been to many funerals in his life time. They would have been as devastating as they are today, especially for those of young children. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus interrupts the ceremony and does an unparalleled miracle.

If there was a pray that the family might possibly dare to hope that would be answered, it surely would be to have their son back. Jesus grounds a hope for all humanity - power and authority over death.

While Jesus did not raise every son or daughter from the grave, he did show that he had the capability. Hope has been restored to humanity in the face of our ultimate enemy. This sign of hope has been witnessed through the ages since Pentecost with people raised from death in Jesus name. However, the real hope does not reside in our temporary evasion of death, but our permanent place in life through the resurrection. Jesus has the capability, desire and authority to do this. We therefore can be filled with hope.

Empowered to Go

Jesus is my hero. I hope he is yours. He single handedly took on the powers of evil and every tradition and mindset that squashed the purpose of God in the world. There was really no one to show him the way to go.

Characters from the bible gave some insight but not the whole picture. In one living person, we have the perfect example and pattern of the godly life. His achievements are wholly unsurpassed, being culminated in the cross and resurrection.

Now we might be tempted to think that Jesus remains the sole hero in the salvation of the earth but you would be wrong. Jesus not only trained his followers to act as he did, but enabled them to be empowered as he was. Our hero has deposited his power in us in order that we carry on the work.

Clearly all the glory goes to Jesus - it really is his power - yet none the less we are expected to go in his name. The Holy Spirit sent the first disciples to the streets. He is still sending us out in Jesus’ power.