You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me… John 5:39

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Romans 1:20

A few weeks ago in Sunday School we had a brief chat about using nature and the world around us to try to explain the mysteries of God to us humans who are bound in a physical reality and unfamiliar with the spiritual realm. It all started with God and burning bushes, earthquakes and whispers and continued with Jesus and seeds, vines and sheep. Our church fathers continued the tradition in order to reach gentiles and illiterate populations. What would Ireland be without it’s shamrock trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

The truth is that from the very beginning, God’s world and God’s Word were pointing to the Messiah, Jesus. From the first prophecy in the Garden of Eden, to Noah’s salvation by water, to the sacrifice of Abraham’s son, to Noah’s three days in a whale and much, much more, God was pointing us to eternal truths about His plan of salvation. But concepts like eternal life, sin and agape love are just hard to comprehend.

Christmas, in particular, is full of symbols that attempt to bring the reality of Christ into our hearts and minds. Every year at our Hanging of the Greens service, we read about many of these symbols as we decorate the Sanctuary. I picked a few of my favorites when I put together my Christmas Quilt illustration.

THE CANDY CANE – The newest of the symbols is the candy cane, created in the shape of a ‘J’ for Jesus, or a shepherd’s crook to remind us of the first witnesses to Jesus’ birth. The red and white remind us of Jesus’ purity and the shedding of His blood. The peppermint symbolizes the sting of sin, while the sugar symbolizes the sweetness of forgiveness.

HOLLY – An evergreen, holly symbolizes eternal life in Christ. The thorns remind us of Christ’s suffering and the red berries remind us of His blood shed for us. Romans used holly extensively during the Saturnalia festival, offering holly wreaths to honor the god Saturn during the winter solstice, and so it was easy to adopt these traditions to celebrate the True King and God, Jesus.

GIFTS – It’s a bit strange to receive gifts on someone else’s birthday, but Jesus himself is the greatest gift humankind could ever have. The gifts the Magi brought to Him show us just what He means to us: gold for a King of Kings, Frankincense for a Great High Priest and Myrrh for a sacrificial Savior who would die so that we can live.

SNOW – Although we are born stained with sin, Jesus washes us white as snow. Snow is also used as a metaphor in describing the hair and clothing of heavenly beings. Because snow is crystals, it bounces the light around at different angles so that all colors of light are bounced back out. All colors of light mixed together appear bright white.

LIGHTS – What would Christmas be without candles and twinkling lights? These remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. In a bigger sense, light symbolizes good, and darkness symbolizes evil. One tiny candle can illuminate a room and chase the darkness away, just as Jesus brought hope to the world. This symbolism is evident in the date chosen for Christmas. Christmas falls close to the Winter Solstice when the days are the shortest and the dark nights the longest causing the death of plants and cold temperatures. It’s easy to associate this time with our spiritual death without Christ. When Jesus comes at Christmas, light comes to humanity and the days become longer and brighter culminating in the coming of Springtime and new life at the Vernal Equinox when Easter is traditionally placed. Light is also still very much a mystery to us. Coming as both a wave and a particle, it gives heat and illumination. Its speed seems to be the universe’s speed limit, and its concentrated beam (laser) can cut through diamonds. Without it, all life on earth would end. It’s easy to see why Jesus is Light!

This Advent Season, as you move through your shopping, decorating and preparations for the arrival of our Savior, look for the signs and symbols of Jesus and His Kingdom. It’s easy to feel that Christmas has become too secularized but note the symbols all around you! Take a moment to share them with others. It doesn’t have to be hard to keep Christ in Christmas – He’s already there!

Advent blessings,

Jen

The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:34

Strangers, foreigners, others…throughout the history of mankind, these have brought fear and suspicion. And rightly so. Strangers brought war, disease, more mouths to feed, new ideas, and change. But strangers also brought knowledge, skills, new foods, more hands to work, new ideas, and change. Those last two are not always bad, but they are usually scary.

And so, in most cultures, since ancient times, strangers were not treated very well. Perhaps they would be let in, but only at the lowest levels of society without many rights or privileges and usually without the ability to ever become a full member of ‘the tribe.’

However, God Almighty, changed all that when He handed down the Law to Moses. God commanded that His followers treat foreigners with all the love and respect of native-born Israelites, remembering how they, themselves, were treated in Egypt. At this point in the United States, every one of us can trace our ancestry back to foreign lands. Like the ancient Hebrews, we came to a land that was not ours and made it our own. And like Father Abraham and Moses, we established it as a land of freedom, blessed by God and under His Law. We have been a city on a hill attracting foreigners to our melting pot ever since.

War, poverty, injustice, and oppression have caused many millions of people to escape their homelands and head for the ‘land of liberty.’ The cost is great – they leave behind land, inheritances, ancestors, family, language, culture and skills to start over at square one in a new land. Some come for economic gain, some come to do evil, some come unwillingly by force, but the vast majority come for the hope of a better life for themselves and their families. Many have been lied to about the journey and its costs, deceived by their own countrymen.

Illegal immigration has become a huge political issue for us, but our calling is to follow God, not men. And what does the Lord ask us to do?

“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’” Zechariah 7:9-10

As we work our way through this issue and think and talk about it, remember God’s command. True justice should be shown to those who perpetrate evil. Mercy and compassion shown to the poor and oppressed. Our Pilgrim ancestors, escaping persecution and oppression, found compassion and aid among the Native Americans in the New Land. That is what we still celebrate 403 years later.

As we prepare to celebrate a feast with our friends and families with gratitude in our hearts for God’s many manifold blessings on ourselves and our country, let us remember the strangers in our land, for we were once strangers in a strange land. Let our compassion and mercy overflow like our gravy boats. And if you are moved to get involved, check out some of the organizations that work with the State of Maryland to assist immigrants, several of which are faith-based groups: https://goci.maryland.gov/community-partners/

HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING!🙏🦃

Blessed to be a blessing,

Jen

So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

~Genesis 1:27-31

The struggle over the environment continues. When the Pope said that we must care for the Earth and protect it for future generations, quite a few feathers got ruffled. But this was literally God's first command to us. He gave us everything and only asked us to care for it all.

In this month of giving thanks, this is a perfect place to start in your gratitude practice. You can list natural things you are grateful for or go out and experience them - on a trail, up to the mountains or in your own yard. The natural world is full of wonders and evidence of God as Creator and Merciful Father. Just ponder our sense of sight for starters.

Thinking about all He has given us led me to remember my favorite Hymn, "For the Beauty of the Earth" by Folliot Pierpoint, 1864. From the glory of creation to the joy of family and friends, to the wonder of our senses and faculties, to the mystery of salvation and reconciliation with God, this hymn really says it all. And I am especially fond of the last line of each verse, "Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise." After a little research I found that this hymn was originally a poem, and my favorite last line was originally "Lord of all, to thee we raise this our sacrifice of praise." I like it either way. I am profoundly grateful for everything mentioned in the hymn, the earth, the universe, our senses, family, the church and especially Christ Jesus, and it doesn't seem like much of a sacrifice to praise God for all of these blessings. I heard this verse once, though, and it put a new twist on it for me:

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. -Psalm 22:3 (KJV)

God inhabits, or is enthroned in, the praises of His people. Our praise is valuable to Him, and He considers it to be a valuable sacrifice. And it is easy to find things to praise Him for, starting with the beauty of the earth, especially in Autumn when the leaves begin to turn.

I'll leave you with the words of the hymn to meditate on and hopefully you will start to feel that gratitude and hope welling up from within you and pouring over into praise of our great and glorious God!

For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind's delight,
for the mystic harmony,
linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For thy church, that evermore
lifteth holy hands above,
offering up on every shore
her pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For thyself, best Gift Divine,
to the world so freely given,
for that great, great love of thine,
peace on earth, and joy in heaven:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

Blessings of gratitude,

Jen 

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 NKJ

bounty

noun

boun·​ty ˈbau̇n-tē 

1: something that is given generously

2: liberality in giving : generosity

3: yield especially of a crop

Abundance, bounty, overflowing…these Biblical concepts must have sounded nearly magical to an agrarian society scratching out its existence year to year subject to the whims of weather, pestilence and war. Those growing up during the Great Depression craved this kind of assurance of the future.  But these days abundance is more of a problem than a promise for most Americans.

The United States discards more food than any other country in the world: nearly 60 million tons — 120 billion pounds — every year. That’s estimated to be almost 40 percent of the entire US food supply.* And for most of us, our closets and drawers are overflowing with clothes, shoes, and linens. Our kids’ closets are filled with toys, games and little doodads and prizes from who knows where. Garages, attics and basements are stuffed to the gills. In fact, we have so much stuff that a new industry of Storage Facilities has grown up and keeps growing, filling suburban commercial areas. And new stuff arrives daily by Amazon, UPS, and more.

This is despite the fact that most Americans will tell you that money is tight, things are too expensive and it’s harder to maintain a household. Perhaps we are not quite the good stewards we think we are. And perhaps we are not as generous as we ought to be. I’m preaching to myself here, but maybe you can empathize.

This Sunday our church will be collecting shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse run by Franklin Graham. I have been participating in this ministry for decades now, and it was a real favorite of my own kids. We would fill a shoebox with hygiene items, cozy socks or gloves, school and art supplies and a “wow item” like a doll, toy truck, ball or a plushie. We included a sheet with information about the kids’ likes and lives and our address so the recipient could write to us (and they did!). We also tracked our shoeboxes to see where in the world they ended up. Our boxes have gone to Togo, Ukraine, South Africa, The Dominican Republic, and a mysterious “hard to reach area”! We enjoyed finding those places on a map and imagining life there. If you have participated, try tracking your own boxes at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/label-options/#fyb.

These days, the ministry has expanded so much that there are many ways to participate and increase your involvement. You can fill a shoebox online at https://build-a-shoebox.samaritanspurse.org/goal/view/0856c565-fe20-4a73-a914-58abea414da4. You can work at their distribution centers. You can bring in your packed boxes to church on Sunday (or the following week at Chick-fil-A). And there are many, many videos you can watch that show how the boxes are delivered and share the testimonies of children who have received them.

And here’s the point – America is a land of abundance. Even our poorest have most of their needs met for shelter, food, clothing, schooling, healthcare, etc. With Dollar Stores on every other block, most can have what they need, if not what they want. However, this is not so in much of the rest of the world. There, the poor and orphaned are not taken care of by the government, and are mostly forgotten if not ignored. But Operation Christmas Child goes to extraordinary lengths to bring Christmas gifts to children in the most remote places of the world. By foot, by mule, by boat, by bicycle, boxes of hope are delivered to children that have never heard of Christmas, never heard of Jesus. Each of our boxes will include a ‘Greatest Journey’ booklet in their language that tells the Gospel story in an engaging way. And the local churches and missions follow up the shoeboxes with Bible study for the kids, AND Bible study for adults. In this way, entire communities are transformed. Watch a few of the short videos – you will be blessed by them! Operation Christmas Child Videos

This weekend, our Sunday School kids packed boxes as part of the lesson. We also watched some of the videos. They voted for this one and it made me cry (not much of a challenge) so I’m attaching it here for you. If you’ve had parents, a church, and a toy at Christmas, you are more blessed than you can ever realize.

Blessings of Generosity,

Jen

*https://www.rts.com/resources/guides/food-waste-america/

May the peoples praise you, God;

    may all the peoples praise you.

The land yields its harvest;

    God, our God, blesses us.

May God bless us still,

    so that all the ends of the earth will fear him. (Psalm 67:5-7)

November is the month of giving thanks. As someone who has been totally transformed by the practice of gratitude, I will tell you that every month should be the month of thanksgiving! It’s no wonder that the Bible mentions gratitude and thanks 229 times and God even set aside a specific Thanksgiving Offering (Leviticus 7:11-15).

In fact, I would say that an attitude of gratitude is absolutely mandatory in this life, especially for Christians. Gratitude is the means by which we sort and order priorities in our life. If we’re doing it properly, we quickly see that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are number 1, and everything else is a distant second and beyond.

As an adult convert, my priorities were so out of whack that the re-ordering process seemed like one of those arrival boards at old train stations: the letters flipped wildly with ‘me’ falling lower and lower on the board and other people and things rising to the top.

As a 20-something, I remember hearing some expert say that ‘happiness is a choice.’ I think I must have muttered ‘not if you grew up in my family, buddy.’ At that time I was completely ruled by emotions. I even took on the emotions of others. I had no idea how to choose to be happy.

I finally discovered that gratitude is the way! At first, thinking about worst-case scenarios shook me out of self-pity and depression. It turns out that it almost always COULD be worse! I could begin to be grateful for that. Eventually I was able to start being grateful for what I did have. This is where a Gratitude Journal comes in handy. Listing just 3 things or people that you are grateful for everyday will yield a list of 1,000 gifts by the end of the year! And going deeper and meditating on those things will yield even more gratitude. For instance, gratitude for indoor plumbing can yield gratitude for CLEAN water, a working pump, an aquifer that is full, weather that replenishes the water cycle, an omnipotent God that created all this and cares enough to provide for us.

As you go on with your list you will find that Almighty God always rises to the top. We, ourselves, control nothing. Everything, from our first breath to our last, is a gift from a very good, very loving Father. All the ways we try to control or arrange our lives are truly ruled by ‘God willing.’ Some people resent this level of God’s influence in our lives. But after an investigation of the blessings in my life, I was able to see clearly that my life is much better with Jesus at the wheel than when I was driving the highway to hell.

God made us. He made the world, the environment and the creatures for us. Our biology, physiology and psychology are all His design. He created us with talents, desires, and dreams all for specific purposes, as any creator or author would. Isn’t it in our best interest to stop fighting against our design and instead lean into it, finding pleasure and joy in our Creator’s plan and what has given us to accomplish it?

By practicing gratitude, we can begin to see the ‘bright side’ first. As a born pessimist and lawyer, I can still quickly list everything that could go wrong and everything that isn’t perfect about any situation. But I choose not to. I choose to first be grateful. And if that’s just too hard, I choose to see how it could be worse. And if I’m still struggling, I choose to think that God is allowing a less bad thing that was sifted through His will, and I choose to have faith “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

This month, I encourage you to start a gratitude journal if you don’t have one already. It truly is a marvelous tool. Add in your answered prayers and you will have a reminder of God’s Goodness and Faithfulness in your life that you can keep, look back on and share for years. If you’re looking for a nice one, I recommend Gratitudes and Beatitudes, but any old notebook will do. Just get to thankin’.

Grateful for you,

Jen

BTW: My illustration is filled with many things that I love and am grateful for: Bible verses, quilts, Fall, farmhouses, sweethearts, Ravens, apples, pie, and coffee. Especially coffee. ☕

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

On November 1 we celebrate All Saint’s Day. In Mexico, they celebrate Dia de los Muertos. This multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pay respects and remember friends and family members who have died. Traditions of the holiday include honoring the deceased using sugar skulls and marigold flowers, building home altars called ofrendas with the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these items as gifts for the deceased.

I remember being a bit horrified by the decorated skulls and the festive way they remembered their dearly departed when I first heard about this holiday. They seemed way too comfortable with death. But I have come to see that as Christians, death is not a period but a comma. It is a temporary separation that will be overshadowed by the immense joy we will feel when we are reunited in heaven. And at the final resurrection we will all receive glorified bodies that will never die! That is certainly something to celebrate.

Additionally, we know that the ‘veil’ that separates this world from the next is very thin. Our faithful loved ones surround us and root for us as we complete our Christian walk. As Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…” In that case, it makes sense to acknowledge those witnesses at least annually.

My father would have been 93 this year. His birthday was one week before All Saints’ Day, and so at this time of year I find myself thinking of him and wondering. I can’t say for sure that he’s in Heaven. I don’t know if he’s surrounding me in that cloud. It is very possible that he is. But the bottom line is that I don’t know for sure. I know this is a pain that many of us share. It’s a pain that motivated me to do everything I could to introduce my mom to Jesus. It’s a pain that motivates me to pray continually for the souls of family members and friends and to be bolder in speaking about my faith with anyone and everyone. I encourage you to join me in that.

But I also encourage you to remember and celebrate the lives of those who have gone on before us. Share stories with the younger generations, remember the things that made them unique. Pull out the photo albums. Maybe even have a little feast of their favorite foods. After all, we’ll all be reunited again soon, in the blink of an eye. Then we’ll have eternity to thank them for their steadfast faith, finish all the conversations left unspoken, and rest together in the all-surrounding, overwhelming, infinite love of God Almighty, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. What a fiesta that will be!

Remembering,

Jen

I love to dress up for Halloween (and any other occasion which could possibly require a costume!) It’s fun to pretend to be someone or something else, and to imagine fantastical creatures. However, I was amazed to see just how many of the creatures from fantasy stories actually had their origins in the Bible!

This year, if any of these weird and wonderful creatures show up at your door looking for candy, you can smile knowing that these all had their origins in God’s word. And perhaps it’s worth pondering the awesome mystery and power of God to bring these things into creation, even if some of them are just metaphors and visions.

DANCING SKELETONS

So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. (Ezekiel 37:7)

RESURRECTED MUMMY

Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” (John 11:43-44)

GIANTS

A race of giants called the Emites had once lived in the area of Ar. They were as strong and numerous and tall as the Anakites, another race of giants. (Deuteronomy 2:10)

TALKING DONKEY

Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam. (Numbers 22:28)

UNICORN

But my horn shalt Thou exalt like the horn of a unicorn; I shall be anointed with fresh oil. (Psalm 92:10, 21st Century King James Version)

COCKATRICE (a two-legged dragon, wyvern, or serpent-like creature with a rooster's head)

Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. (Isaiah 14:29 KJV)

BEAST MAN

That same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws. (Daniel 4:33)

SEA MONSTER

In that day the Lord will take his terrible, swift sword and punish Leviathan, the swiftly moving serpent, the coiling, writhing serpent. He will kill the dragon of the sea. (Isaiah 27:1)

DRAGON

Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads… The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. (Revelation 12:3,9)

DINOSAUR

“Take a look at Behemoth, which I made, just as I made you. It eats grass like an ox. See its powerful loins and the muscles of its belly. Its tail is as strong as a cedar. The sinews of its thighs are knit tightly together. Its bones are tubes of bronze. Its limbs are bars of iron. It is a prime example of God’s handiwork, and only its Creator can threaten it.” (Job 40:15-19)

WITCHES & WIZARDS

The woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who have familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?”

Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up to you?”

He said, “Bring Samuel up for me.” (1 Samuel 28:9-11)

GHOST

The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”

The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.”

 “What does he look like?” he asked.

“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. (1 Samuel 28:13-14)

ANGEL

I looked up and saw someone who was wearing linen clothes and a belt of fine gold. His body shone like a jewel. His face was as bright as a flash of lightning, and his eyes blazed like fire. His arms and legs shone like polished bronze, and his voice sounded like the roar of a great crowd. (Daniel 10:5-6)

Wow! There’s a lot of weird and wonderful stuff in the Bible. Who needs Harry Potter? We’ve got enough beasts and supernatural creatures right in God’s Word!

Happy All Hallow’s Eve,

Jen 🎃

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

I’m not a fan of horror films, but I’ve always been interested in the ones with religious themes. I guess it’s a study in the wrong ways this world portrays the other world – the world of angels, demons, devils, hell, and what happens after we die.

It’s easy to scoff at these movies and their villains and pronounce them garbage. But to that I say, not so fast. The Bible is very clear, especially in the New Testament, that demons exist and can possess a person. We learn from Luke 8:30 that more than one demon can possess a person. We see in Acts 19:16 that demons can use superhuman strength. Acts 16:16 tells us that demons can have fortune-telling power. In Luke 9:39 we find that demons can cause the possessed person to convulse and hurt themselves.

The Bible is also clear that Hell exists. “…God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;” (2 Peter 2:4) And speaking of Sodom and Gomorrah, Jude 1:7 says, “Those cities were destroyed by fire. They still speak to us of the fire of hell that lasts forever.” And Revelation 20:14 reveals, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.”

So, no worries, we won’t end up as zombies or vampires roaming the earth eternally. But we can end up extinguished eternally, along with Satan and the demons. Heed the warning in Matthew 10:28: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” That One is God Almighty.

This would be terrifying if there were no way to be saved. Many people in our world today dread death because they see it as the end of everything – and without the saving grace of Jesus Christ, it is! But we know and need to share the Good News. As Paul says, “the love of Christ puts us into action. We are sure that Christ died for everyone. So, because of that, everyone has a part in His death. Christ died for everyone so that they would live for Him. They should not live to please themselves but for Christ Who died on a cross and was raised from the dead for them.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NLV) And even more than that, Jesus tells us in Revelation 1:18, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

Christ has risen from the dead and controls death and Hell. It gets better: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) We can have eternal life if we believe in and live for Jesus Christ!

But wait, should we fear mortal death and Satan and those demons? Well, here’s one of the most reassuring verses in all of Scripture:

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:38-39)

So yes, demons, Satan and hell really do exist. And sadly, people can be tormented by them, even people in our neighborhoods and families. But the love of Christ compels us to share Jesus like Halloween candy – generously and with everyone! Once we have Jesus as our Savior, NOTHING can separate us from God’s love and an eternity in Heaven. THAT is something to celebrate!

Have a Kit-Kat, Jesus loves you!

Jen

**Don’t miss our annual Trunk or Treat So Others Can Eat at Hereford Faith & Life Church on Sunday, October 27 from 2-4pm.

After growing up in Parkville, far from farms and agriculture, I remember being absolutely amazed to see cherries, apples, pears and more just hanging on the branches waiting to be picked at our first fruit tree harvest after we moved to Hereford. What a wonderful thing it is to be able to pick nutritious fruit right off of a tree, vine or bush without a trip to the market!

It’s no surprise that in an agrarian culture, Biblical writers frequently used fruit as a metaphor. Think back to the cursed fig tree, the vine and the branches, the grapes of wrath, and of course, the Fruits of the Spirit. But perhaps it’s a bit of a revelation just how far the metaphor goes, even in our day. Here’s a few things that occur to me:

FRUIT IS HARD WORK – a lot of preparation goes into an orchard. First the sowing, then the growing, then the waiting, usually for years, then the pest removal and chasing away birds and squirrels, then finally, the harvesting.

For us to gain the Fruits of the Spirit it is a similar process. We need to plow up the hardness in our hearts to become tender and responsive, plant the Word of God into ourselves, patiently wait and be tested, resist the old, negative responses, and finally we harvest joy, patience, peace, etc.

FRUIT TAKES GOD – yes, we plant and tend, but it’s God that provides the rain. All our hard work is worthless if a drought, storm, or pestilence comes and takes it away.

The Spirit that causes the Fruits of the Spirit to grow in us is not by our doing. We cannot achieve these on our own in any real, lasting way. We can only grow these qualities when we are fully submitted to God and His Will for us.

FRUIT IS GOOD FOR YOU – fruits contain fiber, vitamins A & C, all kinds of phytonutrients, and special sugars. They are mostly water, so they provide a lot of nutrition for just a few calories.

What could be better for us than a life full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control? Isn’t that what we wish for our children, our neighbors, our country and the world? It would be Heaven on Earth if everyone had these qualities highly developed in themselves!

FRUIT CARRIES THE SEED OF MORE FRUIT IN IT – the idea of exponential growth is used often in the Bible. Each apple has the seeds for at least 4 more apple trees in it. Just ask Johnny Appleseed! The more fruit you produce, the more fruit you have the ability to produce.

The Fruits of the Spirit work the same way, the more you use them, the more capacity you have to continue to use them. The more loving acts you do, the more your love will grow to want to do even more, etc. But also, we can plant seeds of love, patience, joy…in other peoples’ orchards which will hopefully be watered by the Holy Spirit in their lives.

AS YOU CARE FOR YOUR ORCHARD, THE BIGGER THE HARVEST – careful pruning, pest removal, and tending to your trees will lead to a bigger harvest in the future. Remove the branches that bear no fruit, prune some that aren’t fruitful enough, and watch the harvest increase.

Jesus, himself, said He would cut branches that don’t produce and prune others. This refers to testing and chastening us. We know there are some pursuits that diminish our Fruits of the Spirit, or at least don’t increase them. The Lord can send tests to show us just how far along our growth is, or warnings for us to cut out behaviors that are hindering our growth. As He says, this is not pleasant at the time, but our increased yield will be a huge blessing later.

FRUIT IS ATTRACTIVE – fruit comes in so many bright colors, shapes and sizes and the aroma and taste are amazing. Tropical fruits, melons, berries, citrus, stone fruits…juiced, baked in pies, topped with ice cream, chunked up in a salad, or just as a handy snack – fruit is hard to resist.

The Fruits of the Spirit are even more attractive. When someone shows love, patience or kindness towards you, it’s wonderful. These qualities can create lasting bonds between people. But even more importantly, these are the inherent qualities of God, demonstrated powerfully to us through the life of Jesus. He attracted crowds of thousands just by exhibiting these qualities, especially during the most difficult of circumstances. As we live our lives in the world, the fragrance and appearance of our fruits attract others. Someone might ask how you can be so loving to one who is unlovable or be so patient in a difficult situation. Our fruit points to the Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control of God Almighty. Without these magnificent qualities of God, we could not last a day, much less look forward to eternal life in Heaven.

Enjoy your orchard,

Jen

On the first day of the seventh month observe a special day of rest, and come together for worship when the trumpets sound. Present a food offering to the Lord and do none of your daily work.

The tenth day of the seventh month is the day when the annual ritual is to be performed to take away the sins of the people. On that day do not eat anything at all; come together for worship, and present a food offering to the Lord. Do no work on that day, because it is the day for performing the ritual to take away sin. (Leviticus 23:23-28)

This week is very important in Israel, and to Jewish people everywhere. It marks their High Holy Days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, analogous to Christian Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Easter.

In the Bible, Rosh Hashanah, or Jewish New Year, is also called the Feast of Trumpets. The feast begins the Days of Awe with the blowing of the ram's horn shofar, calling God's people to repent from their sins. The celebrations continue for ten days of repentance, culminating on Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. On this final day, Jewish tradition holds that God opens the Book of Life and studies the words, actions, and thoughts of every person whose name is written there. If a person's good deeds outweigh or outnumber their sinful acts, his name will remain inscribed in the book for another year.

Rosh Hashanah is also the traditional anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, as well as the initiation of humanity's role in God's world. Apple slices dipped in honey are served, symbolizing hope for the sweetness of the coming New Year. Rosh Hashanah provides God's people with a time to reflect on their lives, turn away from sin, and do good deeds. These practices are meant to give them a more favorable chance of having their names sealed in the Book of Life for another year.

This year, however, this solemn feast also marks the one-year anniversary of the unprovoked attack on Israel that left 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 230 people as hostages. As the war spreads and violence increases, it is important for Christians to remember that the Jews are still God’s chosen people, Israel is still the Promised Land, and Jerusalem is still God’s city.

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” (Deuteronomy 7:6)

“I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:3-5)

“O Lord, you have chosen Jerusalem as your home: “This is my permanent home where I shall live,” you said, “for I have always wanted it this way.” (Psalm 132:13-14 Living Bible)

It is very true that God gave us all a new and permanent way to salvation in Jesus Christ. As Jesus himself said to the woman at the well, “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” (John 4:22-23) Jesus is the only way to God because he is the incarnation of God. Nevertheless, eventually the Jews will embrace Jesus as Messiah. Paul speaks of this in Romans 11:25-29:

“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;
    he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
And this is my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.”

As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”

As Christians, it is important to remember this overarching principle which should guide all our interactions with and prayers for everyone in the world: “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.” (Colossians 3:1 NLT)

Shalom & Shanah Tovah (Peace and a Good Year),

Jen