“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”     Acts 1:8NIV
For forty days after Jesus’ resurrection, He spent time with His disciples and spoke about the kingdom of God.  On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5
Later when the disciples met with Jesus, they asked Him if He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel.  He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”    Acts 1:7-8
Basically, Jesus was telling His disciples that they did not need to be concerned about dates or times, they only needed to be concerned about winning people into the kingdom.  We have the same command: “Be my witnesses in Jerusalem, representing where you are, where you live; and in all Judea and Samaria, your entire state and neighboring states; and to the ends of the earth, the entire world, wherever there are humans. We are commanded to be witnesses and are equipped with the power to obey this command by the Holy Spirit.
 
​I confess, I have not been the witness Jesus commands us to be.  I want to be, but I often allow my timidity to take over and the words just won’t come out.  Fear takes over and I miss the opportunity.  It really all boils down to a lack of trust; not trusting the Lord to do what He said He would do, provide the power to be His witness.  Maybe you have experienced the same kind of fear and timidity as I have.  Fortunately, the Lord gives us second chances, and third, fourth, and fifth chances as well.  He will give us other opportunities to be His witness.  Let’s seize those chances and boldly proclaim Christ.  Paul wrote to his son in the faith, Timothy, in 2 Timothy 6-7, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”  When we put our faith in Jesus and follow Him, we receive the power of the Holy Spirit in us to help us. 1 John 4:18 reminds us that “There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear…”. Let Jesus’ perfect love drive out any fear you have and be His witness.
 
Lord, thank you for your Holy Spirit
that gives me the power to obey
your command to be your witness in
my community, my state, across my country
and to the ends of the earth.
 

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 NIV
 
            Several years ago, I had the privilege of going on a mission trip to Mexico along with about 80 other people from South Carolina.  We were divided into teams and worked at a variety of mission sites.  Each team had at least one interpreter since most of us did not speak Spanish.  My husband and I were blessed to be on a team with a wonderful couple, Brunette and Alfredo.  One afternoon several people from our team headed to a local store similar to Walmart.  It was quite a hike from our hotel and our time was limited so we were in a bit of a hurry.  Suddenly Brunette darted into a business, spoke with the woman at the counter and came back out a few minutes later.  Brunette asked me, “Did you see what she was reading?” I hadn’t even noticed a woman in the shop much less what she was reading. Yet Brunette had noticed, went in, spoke with the woman, and gave her a tract about Jesus.  All in just a couple of minutes.  The lady had been reading material from a religion that does not teach the truth of Jesus. Brunette gave her Truth. As she was going, Brunette had her eyes open for opportunities to share Jesus with others, to plant seeds of faith.  She sows as she goes.
          The Great Commission, our marching orders directly from Jesus, tells us to “Go and make disciples of all nations…”  The word translated “go” in this verse is also translated “as you are going”.  As you are going make disciples.  That means as we are going through our busy day to day routines, we are to have our eyes open, be alert, ready to recognize any opportunities to share the gospel and God’s Word.  These opportunities may come in many forms; perhaps a co-worker who needs a friend, a young teenager who needs help, our own children or grandchildren who need attention, even a stranger who crosses our path. Be alert, with eyes and mind open to these opportunities and take advantage of them.  Be ready to plant a seed or harvest fruit. Be a disciple and be ready to make disciples.  A disciple is simply one who learns from another and then teaches others.  Learn from Jesus and then teach others how to follow Him through your words and your actions. And remember, He is always with you.
 
                            Lord, thank you for your Word that teaches us about you                                                              and about your commands to us. Help me to follow                                                                           after you closely and be your disciple.                                                                                    Help me to recognize the opportunities                                                                                         you give me to make disciples.                                                  Thank you for always being with me wherever I go.
 
 

 

 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33-34NIV
 
Throughout our lives we seek many things, security, necessities, friendship, love, and the list goes on.  What are you seeking?  Jesus said "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own". Matthew 6:33-34
Those two verses are our focus, but verses 25-32 need our attention as well. Read verses 25-32 and hear Jesus speak to your heart.
          This passage is from the “Sermon on the Mount” in which Jesus addresses many aspects of a godly life. Perhaps you would like to read chapters 5, 6, and 7 this week. Don’t rush, read it slowly and allow the words to sink in.
          Jesus tells us several times in verses 25-32 not to worry about our lives, what we will eat or what we will wear.  Wow, those seem to be two of the things that occupy my mind so often.  What will I wear and what will I feed my family? But Jesus reminds us of the birds and the lilies of the field.  God cares for the birds and aren’t we more valuable than they? The flowers of the field grow and are clothed in splendor even though they are here today and gone tomorrow.  Will He not clothe you as well?
  Jesus says to us, do not worry about these things but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and these necessities will be given to you.
          Jesus said our first priority should be to seek the kingdom of God. But what is the kingdom of God and how do we seek it?  The kingdom of God does not fit the human idea of a kingdom. It conflicts with worldly wisdom because unlike any other kingdom the world has ever seen, the kingdom of God has no physical boundaries and no visible king.  The foundation of God’s kingdom is grace, and it advances with compassion.  In His kingdom the throne is a cross and the King reigns with self-giving love.  The kingdom of God is God reigning through His people whose mission is to love others into the kingdom, in a world marred by sin. Seeking the kingdom of God is to seek a relationship with Him through Jesus, accepting His free gift of salvation.  To be saved into God’s kingdom is to embrace His sovereignty and submit every aspect of life to His rule. That is where the second part of the verse comes in; “seek his kingdom and his righteousness”. We seek God’s righteousness as we submit to His rule over our lives, in other words, as we obey Him.  We cannot be righteous on our own.  Isaiah 64:6 says our righteousness is like filthy rags, but when we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, His righteousness becomes our righteousness.  How thankful I am that when God looks at me, He doesn’t see my sin or my man-made righteousness that is like dirty rags, He sees the blood of Jesus that washes me white as snow.
          Jesus goes on in verse 33 to say, “and all these things will be given to you as well.”
When the Kingdom becomes your priority, the Lord will supply what you need. There is no need to worry, take one day at a time, deal with each difficulty or trouble as it comes relying on the Lord for guidance, strength, and provision. God is on the throne. He is faithful and trustworthy. You are safe in His hands.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33-34NIV
 
Throughout our lives we seek many things; security, necessities, friendship, love, and the list goes on.  What are you seeking?  Jesus said "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own". Matthew 6:33-34
Those two verses are our focus, but verses 25-32 need our attention as well. Read verses 25-32 and hear Jesus speak to your heart.
          This passage is from the “Sermon on the Mount” in which Jesus addresses many aspects of a godly life. Perhaps you would like to read chapters 5, 6, and 7 this week. Don’t rush, read it slowly and allow the words to sink in.
          Jesus tells us several times in verses 25-32 not to worry about our lives, what we will eat or what we will wear.  Wow, those seem to be two of the things that occupy my mind so often.  What will I wear and what will I feed my family? But Jesus reminds us of the birds and the lilies of the field.  God cares for the birds and aren’t we more valuable than they? The flowers of the field grow and are clothed in splendor even though they are here today and gone tomorrow.  Will He not clothe you as well?
  Jesus says to us, do not worry about these things but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and these necessities will be given to you.
          Our first priority should be to seek the kingdom of God. But what is the kingdom of God and how do we seek it?  The kingdom of God does not fit the human idea of a kingdom. It conflicts with worldly wisdom because unlike any other kingdom the world has ever seen, the kingdom of God has no physical boundaries and no visible king.  The foundation of God’s kingdom is grace, and it advances with compassion.  In His kingdom the throne is a cross and the King reigns with self-giving love.  The kingdom of God is God reigning through His people whose mission is to love others into the kingdom, in a world marred by sin. Seeking the kingdom of God is to seek a relationship with Him through Jesus, accepting His free gift of salvation.  To be saved into God’s kingdom is to embrace His sovereignty and submit every aspect of life to His rule. That is where the second part of the verse comes in; “seek his kingdom and his righteousness”. We seek God’s righteousness as we submit to His rule over our lives, in other words, as we obey Him.  We cannot be righteous on our own. Isaiah 64:6 says our righteousness is like "filthy rags", but when we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, His righteousness becomes our righteousness.  How thankful I am that when God looks at me, He doesn’t see my sin or my man-made righteousness that is like dirty rags, He sees the blood of Jesus that washes me white as snow.
          Jesus goes on in verse 33 to say, “and all these things will be given to you as well.”
When the Kingdom becomes your priority, the Lord will supply what you need. There is no need to worry, take one day at a time, deal with each difficulty or trouble as it comes relying on the Lord for guidance, strength, and provision. God is on the throne. He is faithful and trustworthy. You are safe in His hands.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.” John 15:5NIV
           My grandparents had seven grandchildren and would often entertain all seven of us for days at a time when the “Texas” cousins came to Alabama for a visit. One method of entertainment was to load us all up in the back of Pa-Pa’s truck and head for the woods to pick wild plums, huckleberries, blackberries, or muscadines. My grandmother would then make jelly. It was delicious on the biscuits she made almost every morning. I can almost taste them now, hot, fluffy biscuits, split in two, with butter melting in a little pool on each piece. Then, the best part of all, a shiny, beautifully colored dollop of homemade jelly nestled right on top. It was a sight worthy of a magazine photo shoot. It did not matter if the jelly was the rich pinky red of plum, the almost blackish purple of blackberry, or the red violet of muscadine, it was all scrumptious and made with love.  Much fruit is needed to make a batch of sweet jelly as well as a lot of work, but the result is worth the effort.
​
Jesus said if we remain in Him and He in us, we will bear much fruit. What kind of fruit? The fruit of a transformed character, making us more like Him. The fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Also, the fruit of evangelism as we share Jesus with others.  To bear this fruit we must stay connected to Jesus.
We can learn a lot from the grapevine—not the human chain that passes the “news” from person to person—but a literal grapevine.

• Grapevines must be planted where they can receive full sun to provide the heat required to ripen the fruit.  Believers also need the Son to shine on us and in us for spiritual fruit to grow and mature.
• Fruit develops on new shoots.  Therefore, pruning is necessary.  Jesus said in John 15:2 “…every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” The Lord convicts our hearts of wrongful attitudes and actions. He also disciplines His children and by doing so “prunes” us allowing for more and better fruit to develop.
• Grapevines need a sturdy structure on which to grow.  Those wild muscadines we gathered so many years ago grew on large trees.  The cross of Jesus is the support for our faith.  Without the death of Jesus on the cross there is no atoning sacrifice for our sin.  Without the cross there would be no resurrection where death was defeated.  Without the cross there is no salvation.
• Grapevines thrive in deep fertile soil.  Jesus said, as He explained the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:23), “But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it.  He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
• For greatest fruit production, the area around the vine should be kept weed free. Think of the weeds as the worries and temptations of life.  Again, consider the Parable of the Sower. Jesus said in Matthew 13:22, “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” Keep your spiritual garden weeded.
• Finally, grapevines must be watered regularly.  In John 4:14, Jesus answered the woman at the well, “but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Without Jesus, the Living Water, we cannot bear the fruit God intends for us to produce.

 
Let’s learn the lessons of the grapevine and get out and “bear much fruit”.
 
                                Father, thank you for the lessons you show us
                                  in nature. May we seek Jesus, the Light we
                              need to produce fruit for your kingdom.  Thank you
                                     for pruning us when necessary because,
                              while sometimes painful, the result is more and
                              better fruit.  Thank you for that terrible, beautiful
                                cross on which Jesus died, making a way for me
                            to come to You.  Lord help me to hear your Word and                   
                                        understand it that I might yield much
                                    more fruit.  And Lord when the thorns of
                          worry and temptation try to choke the Word in my life,
                              help me to stand strong and dig out those weeds.
                      Thank you, Lord, for being the Living Water that has become
                                               a spring welling up in me. 
                             May it overflow to others today and every day.

“Remain in Me, and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 NIV
 
     Gardening is such a relaxing, enjoyable, although labor intensive pastime.  With the first hints of spring, we gardeners hurry outdoors to ready the soil and start planting. A vegetable garden gives great satisfaction when, after weeks of hard work, those first tomatoes and squash come off the vine and an hour later, they are enjoyed for dinner. Jesus uses a gardening theme in John 15:1-17 to make His point.
      Jesus said in John 15:1 NIV, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.”  Jesus is the source of life and fruitfulness.  He also tells us in verse 5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.” Jesus is the vine. The branches are believers.  When we remain in Christ, we bear not just some fruit, but much fruit.  That is the goal of everyone who plants a garden, much fruit.  But what is “remaining in Christ” or “abiding” as some versions translate it, and how do we do it?  The answer lies in three intertwining characteristics of vines and branches.
       The first characteristic is the connection between the branch and the vine. The branch is attached to the vine and the vine is attached to the branch.  If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ and accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, you are connected to Him.  Jesus said, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.”
      The second characteristic is dependence.  The branch is dependent upon the vine, but the vine is not dependent upon the branch.  Like the life-giving sap that carries water and nutrients from the roots, through the vine to the branches, the life-giving power of Jesus flows into believers giving us not only eternal life but also the transforming power to live each day in victory.  Without the vine, the branch is lifeless, useless, and powerless. Without Jesus man is dead in his sin.
      Finally, there is continuance.  To bear fruit, the branch is continually attached to the vine. If the branch is separated from the vine at any point in the developmental process, there will be no fruit. To remain in Jesus, we persevere.  We never stop believing, trusting, and depending upon Him.  We are continually united with Him. 
      How do we remain in Christ? By keeping His words in our hearts and minds so that they are renewing and reviving us daily.  We remain in Him by talking with Him in prayer and by seeking His will in everything we do and by being obedient to His commands.
      Wherever you are on your spiritual journey you can experience more and more of this connection with Jesus to greater and greater degrees. You can be more like Him, bear more fruit, and grow more in your relationship with Him.  Just remain in Him.
 
Lord Jesus, thank you for salvation
                                      that comes by grace through faith in you.                                         My life is in You and I depend upon Your power
to live in victory every day.  Help me
share life-giving words with others today so
that they too, might become connected to
You, the source of everlasting life.
 

It's almost Valentine's Day, when our thoughts turn to love.  So with that in mind, I began to wonder how many times the word "love" appears in the bible.  After all, God is love and the Bible is His Word. The number of times "love" appears varies by translation, but, according to reference.com, the word "love" appears 551 times in the New International Version.  That's a lot of love!
     In John 13:34-35, Jesus told His disciples, "A new command I give you: Love one another."  I wonder why He had to command them to love one another.  Weren't they already friends?  They had been following Jesus for 3 years.  Had there been disagreements or bickering? Or was it that as He prepared to die, Jesus knew the difficult road that lay ahead for these men and that their love for each other would be crucial to their mission.  These men would carry the gospel to the known world.  They would be responsible for propagating the teachings of Jesus to the multitudes.  They HAD to love each other; it was crucial.
     Fast forward 2000 years.  It's still crucial today that followers of Jesus love one another. First of all because we need to set the example for a dark world that is dying it it's sin. Secondly,  countless numbers of people have been turned off to the church and ultimately to Jesus because church members didn't love one another.  That shouldn't happen, but unfortunately it does.  How sad it must make the Lord to see His children hurt each other.  The plain and simple truth is that when we don't love each other, we sin.  Love is the distinguishing mark of followers of Christ.  When we love one another and those around us we show the world not only that we follow Jesus, we show them Jesus and we earn the privilege of introducing them to Him.
    How do we love one another, especially those who are hard to love in a very divided society?  The answer lies in  1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.  In those few verses we find the essence of love, what it is and what it isn't.  Love is patient and kind, it doesn't envy or boast.  It is not proud, rude, or self-seeking.  It is not easily angered and is forgiving.  It doesn't delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.
      Don't be afraid to love one another, even the ones who are hard to love.  If you've been hurt, forgive and love anyway.  We love because He first loved us (1John 4:19)  God has proven His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! (Romans 5:8).  Allow the great love and grace of God to impact and influence your life.  When you do, you will find ways to love others.  Just give them what you have received.  Be the hands and feet of Jesus and love those around you.  By doing this they will know that you are His followers.  Show them Jesus!

"Let brotherly love continue.  Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:1-2 HCSB

What is hospitality? Webster defines hospitality as, “generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests or hospitable treatment.”  Dictionary.com goes further to define it as “the friendly treatment and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.”
The writer of Hebrews reminds us to show hospitality, therefore, we should be welcoming, friendly, and generous to our guests, visitors and to strangers.  That sounds easy, but is it?  I don’t have any problem being hospitable to family and friends that visit our home.  I love to entertain them with good food, a comfortable, homey atmosphere, and a warm welcome.  But what about the strangers that knock on my door?  In today’s societal climate I’m not very welcoming at times.  In fact, I’m downright skeptical and standoffish, bordering on rude.  But the scripture says “Don’t neglect to show hospitality.” That’s a bit of a dilemma.  How do we show hospitality to everyone who lands on our doorstep?  We trust God.  We treat that person standing at the door with kindness, but we also use our heads and listen carefully for the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  We don’t know how the Lord may want to use us to plant seeds for the kingdom.
What about other opportunities to show hospitality?  For instance, at church.  When a visitor walks through the door of your church what do you do?  Welcome them, introduce yourself, tell them you’re glad they’ve come to worship with you, offer to sit with them?  Or do you look at them and wonder why they’ve come, wait for someone else to speak to them, or go on about your business, ignoring them? 
True story...I was visiting a church in another city one time, pre-covid era.  I was alone.  At the time when the pastor invited everyone to greet each other, not a single person spoke to me or even acknowledged my presence except one woman with whom I made eye contact and spoke to first. I felt very lonely that morning but reminded myself that I wasn’t there to interact with those people but to interact with and worship the Lord.  The sad thing is, those people didn’t know who I was, I could have been desperate for Christian encouragement or I could have been seeking a church home or I could have been there for any one of a multitude of reasons, but no one made an effort to learn why I had come.  They were very hospitable with each other but not hospitable at all to me and I left with a poor impression.
Let’s not neglect to show hospitality in our churches, especially to those we don’t know, it’s important.

For the Word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow.  It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 HCSB
 
The writer of Hebrews tells us that the Word of God is living and effective (active) and sharper than any double edged sword. As we are learning passages of scripture we are sharpening our sword, figuratively.   A double-edged sword is sharp on both edges, it cuts both ways.  As you study and learn scripture you will find that it both edifies and convicts.  It teaches what to do and what to avoid doing.  The Word of God penetrates the heart and will change our attitudes and actions if we will allow it.
Logos translated Word in this passage is the same word used in John 1:1-2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.” Here the writer is referring to Jesus as the Word.  Now replace “the Word of God” with “Jesus” in Hebrews 4:12.  For Jesus is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow.  He is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart. That gives a different perspective, doesn’t it?
I'm trusting that as the Word goes into my head and my heart and your head and heart, Jesus is filling those empty dark spaces, digging out the sinful attitudes, thoughts, and ideas and replacing them with His love, grace, compassion and mercy.  I’m trusting the Lord will bring passages we are learning to the surface from the depths of our hearts and minds when it is needed.  In a world filled with lies and half truths, when we wonder if anyone can be trusted, we CAN trust God, the Author and Creator of all truth.  His Word is absolute truth and is trustworthy.
Sharpen your sword this week!