Issue 945 – Sand Roses – December 30, 2022
Kathy and I are both down with nasty cold bugs, so I opted to open the archives and rerun a past issue. I don’t have a number for this one, but it dates back to the first incarnation of Gleanings, so it is before 2010, likely around 2003. Enjoy.
The sand rose, or desert rose, is a wondrous thing to behold. It has a delicate beauty that is hard to imagine. There is no fragrance to the desert rose because while it may look like a flower, it is a mineral concretion.
There are many such “flowers” and “plants.” Gypsum crystals form a variety of flowers which at one time were believed to be actual petrified flowers. Under the right conditions, aragonite can form beautiful shapes that remind me of white Christmas trees.
These mineral formations look like flowers and trees, but they are not. They are pretty imposters.
I see a similar thing in the church. The church is full of people who attend regularly and would call themselves Christians. In fact, from a quick outward glance, anyone looking might think that’s what they are, but their hearts are still stone. They are still dead in their sin.
Belonging to a church, doing churchy things or having a Christian heritage can all be good things, but they are not the hallmark of being a Christian. A Christian is a person whose heart of stone has been transformed by Christ. A Christian is a person who was dead in the spirit because of sin but has been born again through Jesus Christ.
Much baggage accompanies the words born again, but the truth is simple: we cannot be Christian without having a born again experience. Jesus tells us that we must be born again in John’s gospel.
How can we tell them apart if there are real and false Christians in the church?
We watch for their spiritual fruit; all believers will exhibit growth in this area over time. We also watch for their love. We are told in the Scriptures to love.
Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together. And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test him: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-39 NET
“I give you a new commandment – to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-45 NET
Stone “flowers” have no fragrance, and stone “Christians” have no love.
Until next time may your love shine brightly, so all the world knows that you belong to Him.
With New Year’s Eve tomorrow, we will take a break and return on January 2. May the Lord bless you with the best year yet!
Be Blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
__________________________________________
Please like and share this post with friends and your circle of influence. Also, feel free to comment.
Did you know that we have an email version? Same great content but in a different format.
Subscribe today https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/ gleanings-1
_____________
We also have a website
https://gleaningsfromtheword.com
______________________________
All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2022 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
___________________________________________
#Gleanings #theWord #devotional #encouragement #Biblestudy #faith #dailyBible #verseoftheday
#GleaningsFromTheword #KevinCorbin #bible #jesus #god #faith #christian #love #Christ #Father #pray #Holyspirit #YHWH #yahweh #Jehovah #bibleverses #jesuschrist #church #prayer #christianity #scripture #gospel #hope #truth #godisgood #worship #believe #blessed #amen #grace #Word#sandrose #desertRose #aragonite #minerals #love #spiritualFruit