Called to love endlessly!

Reading: 1 Corinthans 12 & 13 chapters

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

We’re living in a time where strife, hate, terror is rampant. Amidst all the chaos, it is Christians, we believers who are called to love; to love unconditionally and endlessly. In the above mentioned chapters, Apostle Paul talks at length about diversity in the Church concerning the gifts of Holy Spirit. There’s one gift among all of them, the lack of which can make all other spiritual gifts incomplete. That’s the gift of love. While Paul encourages everyone to ‘earnestly covet the best gifts’ (1 Cor 13:31), he writes the next chapter and says – ‘I show unto you a more excellent way’. That, friends, is the way of love, which at the end is termed as ‘the greatest of these’.

The gift of love is undoubtedly the greatest but the toughest of all to practice because there are a lot of ‘personal’ factors that hinder us from practicing this gift extensively.
We’re called to love, and we need to live up to it, because, we’re commanded to do so —

• Jesus commanded us “Love one another”, He said “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” John 13:34-35
• “…you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. ” Mark 12:30-31
• We are called to: “Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” Colossians 1:10

When someone did question Lord Jesus “Who is my neighbor?” He illustrated the answer through the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:27-37). The parable implies that at any point, the person next to us is our neighbor, and we ought to show our love to our neighbor.

A sad witness among many Christian believers today is that love is lost within their personal intimate relationships like spouses, families, children, between other believers, between other members of church; forget our love for non-Christians and those who persecute us. We will also find many believers praying for lot of (spiritual / material) gifts, but only a few praying for the ‘grace to love one another more’.

To love, can only be learned from Lord Jesus Christ and none else. Who, knowing that were sinners, and also that we shall still falter in our walk with Him humbled himself to an extent that He left His glory, laid down His life for us even in a shameful death.

So, if you’re still wondering what you’re spiritual gift is, here it is: ‘TO LOVE’!

Simple as they are, here are some ways how we can exercise our gift of love for others today?

• Give up all your grudges against anyone. Pray for forgiveness from God, and if you can, reach out to the person. Mend your relationships. Begin at home.
• Volunteer to assist a friend in need, don’t ignore them.
• Avoid a situation in relationships which might cause you to sin
• Begin sharing the Word of God with friends
• Invite a friend to participate in prayer with you
• Be committed to being honest
• Reach out to your enemies
• Don’t forget to forgive. FORGIVE ALWAYS!

Finally, we can only love endlessly if we experienced the love of Lord Jesus personally in our lives. Only with the support of the Holy Spirit can we live a life worthy of him. So, we ought to:

• Grow in our personal relationship with Lord Jesus
• Spend more time in prayer.
• Study of God’s Word to strengthen our will to love as He loves us.

Repent or Perish

Reading: Luke 13: 1-9
(Sermon preached on March 1, 2009. Rev. Varinder Kumar)

Our God is persistent lover. It is His holy will that no one should perish but all must repent and turn away from their wicked ways. That’s why He sent His prophets, judges, servants and John the Baptist and finally He Himself came down from heaven to earth. He offered His life for our redemption. The Lenten season reminds us when we were still sinners, Lord Jesus Christ died for us and He paid the penalty of our sins. Traditionally, Lenten season is seen as the time of repentance, abstinence, prayer & fasting, seeking faith, studying Word of God, examining ourselves and remembering His suffering and death. Our today’s portion of meditation is related to Lenten season. “Repent or Perish”. In the reading, we see a small parable Lord Jesus Christ spoke with very deep meaning.

Vv. 1-5. Some people told Lord Jesus Christ that Pilate had killed some Galileans when they were sacrificing in the Temple. (Lord Jesus Christ belongs to same region). Lord Jesus Christ added one more example in V.4, that of 18 people who died when tower of Siloam fell upon them. Lord Jesus Christ told them that one day every one has to die. Everyone is mortal. Answers to How? When? Where? are unknown. Therefore, before one dies, s/he must repent before it will be too late, yes, we must repent.

He spoke this parable.

• We are planted by God: - A fig tree was planted by man. This fig tree had an advantage over other fig trees as it was planted in a vineyard, in better soil, had special care, belonged to owner, purchased, paid money to caretaker & for fertilizer. The inference we draw here is that a. God is owner of the vineyard. He is our creator (Jn. 15:1, Is. 51: 1-2). b. Human beings are trees. He has planted us, chosen us to bear fruit of righteousness (Ps. 1, Ps. 37:35, Jn. 15:16). He has purchased us by paying the price of the blood of Lord Jesus Christ. He has planted us with the blood of Lord Jesus Christ. He has given the water of His Holy Spirit and fertilized us with His Word.
  

• God is bearing with us:-Three times owner came and found no fruit. He wasn’t hasty nor greedy, neither did he expect too much. He waited for three years and found none. Through this, Lord Jesus Christ is telling us that God has chosen you, given you special care, special privilege, special advantage than other people. He became human for us. He completed His three years ministry on this earth but people didn’t repent and not show fruit. He expects that we must bear the fruit bearing with repentance. (Luke 3: 8) “
  

• His patience has an limits:- Owner said “V. 7b. Cut it down…..” But Gardner intercedes on behalf of the tree that “V. 8. Lord, let it alone this year also……” a. Lord Jesus Christ is our interceder Rom.8:34. He is interceding to Father for us. We must also intercede for others. b. Fig tree was only wasting time, money, energy and space of the owner. Like a parasite it was taking but in return giving nothing to owner. It was sure that after three years fig tree bears fruit, if not in 1st year or 2nd year but third year was sure.
  

Dear friends, we are planted by God, purchased by the blood of Lord Jesus Christ, watered by His Holy spirit, fertilized by His Holy Word to bear fruit. If we only take from God or always place demands before Him and in return give nothing to Him than we are parasite. He expects that we must bear fruit.

Conclusion: -
Friends, if we are bearing fruits for Him than praise God, But If we are not than this the waking call for us. We are not sure when He will come to judge us.
Because His word says “Cut it down” Jn. 15:2; Math. 3:8, 10; Ps. 1:4-5; Rev. 22:2

Bearing the Fruit

(Notes from the sermon shared on Feb 23, 2009 by Bro. Karunakaran)

The Lord God has set us apart, by redeeming us through the blood of Jesus Christ, so that we may belong to Christ, just as Christ belongs to him (Isaiah 43:1, Acts 4:12, 1 Cor 3:23). To belong to Christ means to be more than being called a Christian – it calls for a closer and deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Now, Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, in 7:4: “My brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ... that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”Also, king Solomon puts it plain: “Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof” (Pro 27:18).

So that we may bear fruit, for whosoever has believed in the name of Jesus; to those who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit, God has promised that there is therefore now no condemnation. He has also made us free from the law of the flesh and set us free by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1-2). A closer look at Job’s life teaches us how God puts a hedge around us so that we are protected in His grace, so much so, that Satan cannot touch us without his permission. (Job 2:3-6).

An incident in the life of Jesus (Matt 21:18-19) shows how Jesus was looking for fruit on a fig tree, but it had none though it was lush green with leaves. Later, Jesus cursed the tree and it immediately withered. Many Christians, too perhaps are lush with leaves by being busy in many Christian and Church activities, but perhaps, if Jesus has to get closer and look for fruit, there may be none. Here’s why we may be hindered in bearing fruit for Jesus, and how the word of God teaches us to overcome them:

• Doing things on your own (Luke 5:4-7)— Here’s Simon Peter who had called it a day after no catch of fish. When Jesus asked him to launch their nets, with a sigh of frustration replies “We have toiled all night, and have taken nothing”. But at the obedience of that one word to the Lord, they had such a great catch that their nets began to brake.
  

• Renew your minds (Rom 12:2)— Paul understood that one’s salvation had to be preserved, and each of us needs to present ourselves to a reasonable service which is to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Therefore, Paul calls for renewing of mind so that we do not seek conformity to this world.
  

• When the worries of life bog you down (Matt 13:22)— Jesus explains to us through the parable of sower, that “the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”But we need to overcome the cares of this world, because Jesus also prayed for us “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are” (John 17:6-26). We need not fear, because we’re kept under the banner of the name of Jesus Christ.
  

• We forego opportunities that God brings our way (Luke 19:14-26)— God has given each of us the measure of faith (Rom 12:3), and expects us to put them to profitable use. As in the parable of ten minas, on his return, He will surely ask for an account of what fruit have we brought forth. As Paul writes to Timothy (2 Tim 4:2),”be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine,” it calls on us to be ever-ready all the time to make the best of the opportunities He brings on our way.
  

• Strong winds shake off the fruit (Rev 6:30)— The verse emphatically puts across that we may be bearing fruit, but when they’re ripe, sudden situations may arise which shake up our faith and steal away the fruit from us. But, God has through the lives of His faithfulness demonstrated to us how he blesses with more if we stand strong in Him. I Sam 30:6-9 illustrates a situation in the life of King David, where he was greatly distressed, however, it is written ‘David encouraged himself in the LORD his God’. Reading further through the passage, it leads us to praise God as we find that David recovered all that he’s lost.

(All Bible verses quoted as in the King James Version)