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Gleanings From The Word

Tag: Faith

  • The Gospel – Spreading Joy

    The Gospel – Spreading Joy

    Johnny-jump-up (viola tricolor) has a lot in common with the gospel

    If you’ve known me for any length of time, you likely know that my favorite flower is the Johnny-jump-up (Viola tricolor). It seeds prolifically, pops up in unexpected places, grows in rough conditions and brings a smile when you see one. It reminds me in many ways of the gospel, bringing joy.

    Only God knows how many gospel calls have gone out (He sows prolifically). The gospel is seeded through the words of the Bible. The life of Christians calls people. Our testimony calls people.  The Holy Spirit calls out the good news of the gospel in ways we can only imagine. Like Johnny-jump-up seeds, the gospel is being sown everywhere, bringing joy as it grows.

    The gospel takes root in what we might consider the hardest of soils and the worst of conditions. It’s sown into the hearts of the enemies of God, people who love their sin, and people who had no idea that they needed a savior or who at times rejected the concept entirely.

    It happens unexpectedly. Even you and I were transformed by the power of the gospel and God’s incredible, unending grace. The Lord died to cover our sins and bring us to life.

    When the gospel takes hold, the person is changed forever. It’s a beautiful sight to behold. The newborn is far from perfect yet (what newborn is?), but they are undeniably changed.

    A sinner is forgiven. An enemy is now an heir. A former slave to sin is welcomed into the Kingdom of God.

    I have to rejoice and smile every time I see or hear of the gospel bearing fruit. I know it isn’t just me. The Lord rejoices and all the angels in heaven do as well.

    Yahweh your God is in your midst, A mighty one who will save. He will be joyful over you with gladness; He will be quiet in His love; He will rejoice over you with joyful singing. Zephaniah 3:17

    I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:7

    In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Luke 15:10

    My Johnny-jump-ups bring temporary smiles and joy. The fruit of the gospel brings everlasting rejoicing.

    Let us do our part to sow seeds of the gospel and rejoice when we see what the Lord does with them.

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God) 

    Be blessed 

    Kevin 

    Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone) 

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    SUMMARY

    The Johnny-jump-up becomes a picture of the gospel: spreading unexpectedly, taking root in hard places, and bringing lasting joy wherever God causes it to grow. Just as the flower thrives in unlikely conditions, the gospel transforms sinners through God’s grace and produces eternal rejoicing in heaven and among believers.

    KEYPOINTS

    ·  The gospel spreads widely through Scripture, Christian witness, testimony, and the work of the Holy Spirit.

    ·  God causes the gospel to take root even in hardened hearts and impossible circumstances, transforming lives completely.

    ·  Every repentance and changed life brings joy not only to believers, but also to heaven itself.

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    This might be the best news you’ve ever heard. You may also like “Spread of the gospel”

  • Adrift? Find your way back

    Adrift? Find your way back

    “I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts. There they are all floating in a row.” I know that isn’t precisely the wording for the song, but it is what I thought when I saw these coconuts adrift.

    Sometimes, when you walk along the banks of the Fraser, you see things that make you take a second look. A few years ago, it was these six coconuts. 

    My family told me that it is pretty common to find coconuts washed up at this little beach. 

    I have no idea where they come from. It seems unlikely that the nuts came in from the Pacific with the tides. We are too far upstream. It is even more unlikely that there is a grove of coconut palms growing somewhere upriver. 

    Coconuts are sometimes used in Hindu weddings and worship practices. Sometimes they are used as an offering for blessings. It seems most likely to me that is where the nuts come from. I would disagree that their worship is of the true God, but it could account for the nuts on the beach. 

    Ultimately, wherever they come from, there was no denying their presence on the beach. It is a bit of a mystery. In the wild, coconuts frequently end up in the water. They can float around for months on end. 

    They just drift with the wind and tides until they eventually sink, or get washed ashore where they take root, or get picked up and eaten. 

    Like a floating coconut, my thoughts quickly drifted as I walked up the beach. I pondered the way that much of our world just seems to drift along aimlessly with the tides of life.  They are adrift with no goal in mind.

    People just go with the flow, be adrift, so to speak, with no thought for the consequences of their actions or their eternal destiny. It seems such a waste. 

    The Bible cautions Christians about the dangers of allowing ourselves to be adrift in our faith.. Hebrews chapter one speaks of the supremacy of Jesus. 

    Chapter two opens… For this reason, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every trespass and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? That salvation, first spoken by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. Hebrews 2:1-4 

    True believers can never drift in their faith so far that they lose their salvation. We can drift far enough that we impair our witness and can feel quite distanced from our Lord. 

    Typically, it doesn’t happen all at once. A minor distraction here, a moment of neglect there and soon we are further away than we ever imagined. 

    That is one of the reasons that meeting regularly with other believers is so crucial. We can hold each other accountable. We can share our joys and our sorrows. 

    We can learn together and then apply what we have learned in our shared lives.  It seems almost incomprehensible that the love of God and the message of our salvation could become trite or old hat. 

    Yet, in our fallen state, it can happen so quickly. Sometimes we let the glittery illusions of this world distract us from what is truly valuable and long-lasting. 

    We can be adrift long before we realize it. The good news is that if you are drifting, you can turn back to Him. 

    The Lord hasn’t moved away. He is there, more than willing to draw you back into the fold and put you on the right track. I pray that you keep yourself anchored to the Lord. 

    Kevin

    Summary

    Six coconuts washed ashore along the Fraser River, becoming a vivid picture of how people can drift aimlessly through life without considering their spiritual direction or eternal destiny. Drawing from Hebrews 2:1–4, the reflection emphasizes the importance of staying anchored in faith, resisting distractions, and remaining close to God through fellowship and spiritual attentiveness.

    Key Points

    ·  The drifting coconuts symbolize how easily people can be carried along by the currents of life without purpose or reflection.

    ·  Hebrews warns believers not to neglect their salvation or slowly drift away from God through distraction and spiritual neglect.

    ·  Fellowship, accountability, and focus on lasting spiritual truths help keep Christians grounded and faithful.

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