Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.
Of course, we all know to read the label and follow the directions. But I keep discovering new ways this rule applies. After years of bearing well, my muscadine grapes began, as the Bible describes it, "casting their fruit." This was a major disaster as not only did we and our friends enjoy the fruit, Dene made the only true grape jelly I ever ate. Commercial grape jelly is primarily sweet and only slightly grape. So the county agent came and said it might be Boron deficiency. I immediately ordered some from Amazon and began applying it. The next year, the vines only cast a few grapes so I was eager to continue the program. But, sometime over the winter, my brain sparked across a dried up synapse and I thought to read the label on that laundry staple 20 Mule Team Borax and found it was a boron compound! And guess how much cheaper it is than boron? Then there was Oxyclean Bathroom Cleaner. Did you know that it is ordinary hydrogen peroxide? I can buy a lot of that for the same price and reuse their sprayer. Be careful, not all Oxyclean products are just peroxide, read the label!
So, when Jesus picks you up and reads the label, what ingredients will he see? Will "other ingredients" be the highest percentage? When we introspectively examine ourselves, sometimes we list ingredients that Jesus is not looking for. Surely you have noticed that in the judgment scene where he separates the sheep and the goats, not one of the ingredients had to do with right church or right worship? In fact, it seems that even religious works and deeds count for little (Mt 25:31-46; 7:22; James 1:27).
So, we go to the right church that does Bible things in Bible ways and we even manage to pray more than at meals and study our Bible some. Those things are not high on the list. They are "other ingredients" to build us up and strengthen us so that our faith will lead us to fill ourselves up with God. Worship is whom you become, not what you do (Gal 2:20).
Thus says Jehovah, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glories, glory in this, that he hath understanding, and knows me, that I am Jehovah who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for IN THESE THINGS I DELIGHT, SAYS JEHOVAH (Jer 9:23-24). Knowing God has more to do with who you are than the religious stuff you do, "Did not thy father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? then it was well with him. HE JUDGED THE CAUSE OF THE POOR AND NEEDY; THEN IT WAS WELL. WAS NOT THIS TO KNOW ME? Says Jehovah (Jer22:15-16).
When Jesus reads your label, will it say, "sports, video games, TV bingeing, recreation, vacation…but he went to church."?
Or will it say, "lovingkindness, justice, righteousness, cared for the poor and needy"?
But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him; knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death no more hath dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but the life that he lives, he lives unto God. Even so you reckon yourselves also to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey the lusts thereof: neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Rom 6:8-13)
Keith Ward
Of course, we all know to read the label and follow the directions. But I keep discovering new ways this rule applies. After years of bearing well, my muscadine grapes began, as the Bible describes it, "casting their fruit." This was a major disaster as not only did we and our friends enjoy the fruit, Dene made the only true grape jelly I ever ate. Commercial grape jelly is primarily sweet and only slightly grape. So the county agent came and said it might be Boron deficiency. I immediately ordered some from Amazon and began applying it. The next year, the vines only cast a few grapes so I was eager to continue the program. But, sometime over the winter, my brain sparked across a dried up synapse and I thought to read the label on that laundry staple 20 Mule Team Borax and found it was a boron compound! And guess how much cheaper it is than boron? Then there was Oxyclean Bathroom Cleaner. Did you know that it is ordinary hydrogen peroxide? I can buy a lot of that for the same price and reuse their sprayer. Be careful, not all Oxyclean products are just peroxide, read the label!
So, when Jesus picks you up and reads the label, what ingredients will he see? Will "other ingredients" be the highest percentage? When we introspectively examine ourselves, sometimes we list ingredients that Jesus is not looking for. Surely you have noticed that in the judgment scene where he separates the sheep and the goats, not one of the ingredients had to do with right church or right worship? In fact, it seems that even religious works and deeds count for little (Mt 25:31-46; 7:22; James 1:27).
So, we go to the right church that does Bible things in Bible ways and we even manage to pray more than at meals and study our Bible some. Those things are not high on the list. They are "other ingredients" to build us up and strengthen us so that our faith will lead us to fill ourselves up with God. Worship is whom you become, not what you do (Gal 2:20).
Thus says Jehovah, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glories, glory in this, that he hath understanding, and knows me, that I am Jehovah who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for IN THESE THINGS I DELIGHT, SAYS JEHOVAH (Jer 9:23-24). Knowing God has more to do with who you are than the religious stuff you do, "Did not thy father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? then it was well with him. HE JUDGED THE CAUSE OF THE POOR AND NEEDY; THEN IT WAS WELL. WAS NOT THIS TO KNOW ME? Says Jehovah (Jer22:15-16).
When Jesus reads your label, will it say, "sports, video games, TV bingeing, recreation, vacation…but he went to church."?
Or will it say, "lovingkindness, justice, righteousness, cared for the poor and needy"?
But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him; knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death no more hath dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but the life that he lives, he lives unto God. Even so you reckon yourselves also to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey the lusts thereof: neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Rom 6:8-13)
Keith Ward
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