Living Weed Free 2

In order to learn how to get rid of those pesky weeds, I read, among other books, a book called “Weedless Gardening” this book was not just a book with a few quick fixes, in fact this was a whole new way of looking at weeds. Without getting into the particulars, lets suffice it to say that instead of pulling them out or killing them with herb-aside, this book teaches to suppress them with various natural means, including light tilling, mulch, vigorous growing plants bunched tightly together.

There are some parallels with this way of gardening and our spiritual life. We often dig our sin up and confess it, only to go our way and continue our lives in the same manner which we were living. Why does this happen when we are told in the bible that if we are in Christ we are a new creature? (2 Corinthians 5:17) Is there a better way?

Consider Colossians chapter 3 starting in verse 5: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (v. 5) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. (v. 8)Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; (v. 9) And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: (v. 10) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; (v. 12) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (v. 13) And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” (v. 14)

We as Christians are to first put off the old, then on the new. Just like a garden that is weeded and left alone, would inevitably start growing more weeds, our lives will never be free from a particular sin unless we “plant” good things. This of course takes time and great effort. I have to confess that although these gardening techniques do work and have helped, my garden is over grown with weeds by the end of every summer. Why? Because it is still a lot o f work and I find other things that are more important. In our spiritual lives it is going to be great deal of hard labor. But to be free from the sin, is the most important thing that you could ever do.

I didn't always feel this way. I have come through a journey myself and realize that you will have to come through one yourself. I came to Christ at a young age, even at four years old beginning my journey when my father came to me and asked the pointed question. “Do you want to go to heaven?” of course I did but that simple prayer I prayed that night was only words. I had to realize that I was guilty of sin that kept me away from God. After a few years of prayer and doubt, when I was 9 years old, I got alone with God, at summer camp and gave him my life.

When I ended up in the hospital with appendicitis a month after being baptized, I realized that this was really serous business. And when my baby brother died a few months later, there was no where else to go, but to the arms of Jesus. I had to learn to trust that God was doing what was best for me.

Yet, as I developed into a teenager, I became distracted with playing video games, watching TV, and sports. I got high on lewd pictures of woman. Then I became frustrated with life, I realized that I was wasting my life, but I blamed everyone else including God. I became bitter and angry often running to my room and pounding on the walls. And I did some other things that I am not proud of. When I look back at that time I was right on the door of becoming a complete reprobate and turning from God. I turned back to the time that I had given Him my life.

I was full of pride and I was full of sin. Then I was put in a back brace, in order to correct a curvature of the spine. During this time I was brought to a conference on Basic Youth Conflicts, put on by Bill Gothard. Through out the week, as I applied the biblical principles that were given, I became free from many of the attitudes in my life.

So where are you in the journey? Are you newly saved and looking to get rid of the baggage you have been carrying around, give it to Jesus. Are you suffering with overwhelming circumstances, and there seems to be no hope? You can find hope in the Word of God.

Living Weed Free

When we as a family moved to the country in 2000, I quickly learned some of the difficulties involved in the care of a garden. Our soil is rich clay soil, so I don't have a lot of problems with growing vegetation. Our soil was very rich yet still we were plagued with problems. Bugs, and mold played a part later on. But there was bigger and more pressing problem—weeds!

There was the giant weeds that had had time to put down deep roots and had to be dug out. Then there was the weeds that spread from the edge of the garden and intertwined with everything. Then, thankfully, there was the small seedlings that could easily be quashed, if caught early enough.

It is easy to see the spiritual analogy here. In Luke 8:5-15 Jesus tells a Parable referred to as “The Sower and The Seed”. We see in this parable there are four actions that can be taken when the word of God is preached. They are, listed along with there analogies: (1)By the wayside-turn away/ignore, (2) A Rock-No Root Only lasts a short time, (3)Among thorns-choked by cares (4)Good Ground-take root in the heart.

The weeds in this passage referred to as the cares of this world, are anything that gets in the way of our relationship with God. These are not necessarily sins, and in fact the passage doesn't even make it clear whether or not this person is saved. Yet we do know that Jesus said in a later passage “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

It is clear that we need to let go of everything in this life, in order to hold onto what is everlasting. But those “thorns” are hard for us to get away from. Even when we have excepted Christ, on one level we seek to do his will and make him our all and all. But the circumstances of life come in, we then take our focus off of God, and we get distracted.

This happened to Simon Peter. He was following Jesus, he even told him, “If everyone else forsake you, I will never forsake you.” and within a few hours he found himself denying that he ever new the man Christ Jesus.

So what do we do about these things in our lives? That is what this blog is about. It is about the circumstances that will drive us closer to God or drive us further away from God. It is about what we can do to be conformed to the image of Christ. And ultimately it is about a great and wonderful savior that loves us so much that he cannot leave us where we are.

Believe

We Just got done with the Christmas season, and one thing that I look forward to every year is watching Christmas movies. There is my favorites like It's a Wonderful Life and The Christmas Carol.

Then there is the Christmas specials that feature Santa Claus. They seam to come out with a new one every year and the plot goes something like this: someone doesn't believe in Santa and the fate of Christmas is some how Jeopardized because of it, then at the end Santa is manifested, and everyone believes, and Christmas is saved.

These aren't my favorite movies, but one thing that really Grabs my attention is the emphasis on believing. In our society we are all looking for something to believe in, We all want to trust but everything seams so untrustworthy.

Well, I would like to tell you there is some one who is trust worthy. There is something that we can believe in. Unfortunately, many people Look at Him the same way that they look at Santa Claus.

When we are young we are told stories from the bible, and at first we sort of believe them then we get older either in high school or college and we start hearing conflicting views. We start hearing that God doesn't exist and we look around we see suffering, and want. We have desires in ourselves we cannot fulfill according to Gods law. Then we make our decision.

For many of you that decision is to reject what you have been told. You have grown up in the church and followed that scenario, you may have even excepted Jesus as your savior. Then life got tough and you started doubting everything you have been taught. For others you have never heard the Wonderful story of the redemption of man.

Whether you have grown up in the Church, or never taken one step toward a church. If there is Sin and guilt in your life. You have believed a lie? I know that because I hold in my hand the truth called the Word of God. And the Bible says you can be free. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”it says in John 8:32.

Many of you want to believe, you want to think that you can be free from the law, from the urges that you have to do wrong things, and from the guilt that you have after doing those things. You want it so badly. But you have been living in Bondage so long that you think that is the only way.

I can't read your mind, I don't know your back ground. I would guess that you have had your fair share of hardship and suffering. You may have grown up with out a father in the poorest section of town or maybe life has for the most part gone well for you. Then there comes the deep waters of suffering and you don't know how to handle it.

I want you to know that I have had a little bit of suffering in my life as well. When I was ten years old shortly after giving my life to Jesus and getting Baptized, my appendix burst, and I didn't go to the doctor for five days thinking it was just the flue, by the time my mom brought me to the doctor, I was within 24 hours of death. That same year my baby brother who was only 3 months old died suddenly. When I was in high school I spent 3 years wearing a back brace. I broke my femur bone when I was 19 and spent that spring and summer in bed. I tell you these things because I want you to know that I know “Life is Hard”. But I also know that the hardest things are not the physical suffering.

The hardest things in life are the fractured relationships that we have. The hurts that are hardest to accept are the ones inflicted by others. The times when our friends forsake us, the times when we are abused by the ones we love, the times when we are rejected by the ones we love. These are the the things that really hurt, deep down inside.

Even though I went through all that physical suffering. The hardest thing I ever went through was when I was told by a young lady that I was pursuing, with all my heart, that she didn't have any feelings for me--Rejection hurts. If I have ever been tempted to turn away from God, it was when I had to leave that relationship.

Then there is the inner struggles that plague us even as Christians. Sin that so easily besets us. I have had my share of these as well. Lust, greed, anger, selfishness, laziness to name a few. Sometimes I am so disgusted with myself and I wonder how a just God could love me. How could I ever be accepted , by a holy, perfect God.

So we bring all of our human emotions and our human intellect and then we take advice from other human intellects. No wonder we start to believe the lie. We reject God because he hasn't really done anything for us, then we try to fill the spiritual void in our lives with things, we get busy and pay no attention to the inner longings. We reject everything that is good and embrace the things that make us feel good.

But my question for you today is, Are you willing to take all the baggage that you have and give it to Jesus? Are you willing to come with an open mind and search the scripture? Are you willing to take an honest look at what could be the Truth?

Of course you can choose not to believe it if you want to, but the Truth is available for everyone to grasp. And you will be without excuse if you reject it. Don't take my word for it Search the scripture, with sincerity and with a heart to receive it. “Taste and see that the lord is good.” (psalm 34:8) “Buy the truth, and sell it not;”(Proverbs 23:23)

When we look at the truth we find that we are all sinners according to Romans 3:23. We also find that the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) But we also find that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9

Jesus was often asked about the Kingdom of heaven and on one such occasion he explained it this way: “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)

So make your decision. What are you going to live for? For the things of this world seeking what makes you feel good today. Or are seeking that pearl of great price? Are you willing to give everything up for truth?