Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

About 25 years ago, my husband built a treehouse for our kids that was fit for Robin Hood himself. He chose a big sturdy hedge tree and began to build the fortress, complete with a trap door, fireman‘s pole, and a basket on a rope to pull up and let down through an opening in the floor. Recently, our daughter and her girls were in the pasture and Lydia Mae and Felicity wanted to go up into the treehouse. Mariam agreed, so she got hammer, nails, and boards to add some steps to make the climb doable. Mariam went up first, and then from the top she instructed each little girl where to put their feet and hands as they made their climb. The girls had never done this before, and it was a little scary for them, but they trusted their Mommy to get them through it. And she did.

Without the help of their mother, who knew all the ins and outs of climbing that tree, Lydia Mae and Felicity could not have accomplished their desire. Their high level of trust was very obvious. I love this scripture, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths“ (Proverbs 3:5,6 MEV). This verse is not just something appropriate to write in a graduation card, it’s an everyday-all-your-life command to put into practice.

It’s a downward crash to the bottom of the tree if you think you don’t need God. Proverbs 3:7 NLT reads, “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.“ Trusting in yourself is pretty worthless and leads to a miserable life; and unless you change your ways and begin to honor God, your afterlife will be way worse than your earth life.

“In God We Trust” is the official motto of the United States of America. It was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1956. The motto was first used on paper money in 1957. Back then, money was handled by most adults every day. I believe that printing this motto on our money was divinely inspired. In fact, the plastic cards should have “In God We Trust“ printed on them too! Sixty-three years ago, our Country’s leaders thought it was important for Americans to put their trust in God — and it still is.

God is absolutely trustworthy. You won’t find a better track record anywhere. Moses and the children of Israel came up to the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army breathing down their necks. God rolled up His sleeves and basically said, “Just watch Me work.” God is not looking at our beloved U.S.A. while wringing His hands and saying, “I don’t know how this is going to turn out.“ No, God’s Word is firm: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning…I say, ’My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please’” (Isaiah 46:9,10 NIV). God knows the future before it even happens. Everything He plans will come to pass. He simply needs His children to trust Him with childlike faith.

I encourage you to stand firm and beef up your trust in God as the apostle Paul instructed pastor Timothy: “…We trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:10 NKJV).

The Key: Quit trying to climb the tree by yourself, and ask for God’s help.

Nine times in the book of Philippians Paul tells his readers to “rejoice.”

Easy for him to write.

He wasn’t dealing with Covid. He wasn’t being told to cancel Thanksgiving. He wasn’t forced to wear a mask. He wasn’t reading about a potential cabinet member (Ezekiel Emanuel) addressing the life of senior citizens: “There are not that many people who continue to be active and engaged and actually creative past 75. It’s a very small number. … These people who live a vigorous life to 70, 80, 90 years of age — when I look at what those people ‘do,’ almost all of it is what I classify as play. It’s not meaningful work. They’re riding motorcycles; they’re hiking. Which can all have value — don’t get me wrong. But if it’s the main thing in your life? Ummm, that’s not probably a meaningful life.” (MIT Technology Review, 2019)

Paul did not have to deal with such foolishness. He had no idea what “troubling times” were all about.

No, wait! Most historians say that Paul and his pal Silas are writing from prison with a sadistic jailkeeper overseeing their cell. Paul’s done it this time! He just can’t stop himself. He continues to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s the same Paul who persecuted Christians not that long ago, deriving great pleasure out of capturing, beating and even killing them…until that is, he had a life-changing encounter with the One who questioned his disbelief.

He met the One who loved him more than anyone. And Paul never again was the same.

So passionate is he that he can’t help but rejoice. No matter what his circumstances are—including finding himself in a first-century, Roman Empire stock. Matt Chandler, author of To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain (clever title since these are Paul’s own words) explains Paul and Silas’s dungeon experience: “These devious contraptions would contort a prisoner’s body into all sorts of excruciating postures, locking limbs and joints in place to the point of making the entire body cramp. The prisoner’s body would sear up with excruciating pain, and then the Romans would just leave the person there for days.”

So, okay, Paul probably did know what being inconvenienced was all about. Things were not working out as he hoped. Still, his response is what blows me away. Instead of complaining, instead of having a “Why me, Lord?” attitude, instead of bribing the jailer to release them from their shackles, he and Silas hold their own little worship service and begin singing and praising God. They have a time of thanksgiving. They rejoice.

What is there to be thankful for?

Oh, I dunno. Perhaps that God has not forsaken them. Perhaps that God is in control. Perhaps that they simply love Jesus and will not be deterred, no matter how ugly their situation.

What happens next is no surprise. An earthquake cracks open the cell doors, the missionaries share the gospel with the jailer, and he and his household become followers of Christ. Well, well, well, what do you know? Paul’s purpose was to share Jesus Christ. No matter his age, no matter his predicament. (I think that if Paul lived today, he might have a few words for Mr. Emanuel.)

So, what are we to take from this? Perhaps a little gratitude. I take that back. Perhaps a LOT of gratitude. After all, we have an ample supply of toilet paper. We have funny memes about home-schooling. We have Walmart grocery-pickup. We have clean closets and utensil drawers. (Surely!) Some of us have survived the virus. We have life.

But most of all, should we choose, we have Jesus Christ.

Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

It’s kind of embarrassing to say that I have a knock-down-drag-out with the Saran Wrap every time I try to use it. No matter what I do, it sticks to itself instead of the baking dish. If I had four hands, I think I could do it right. When it just sticks to itself, it’s not doing the job it was designed to do. The last time I had one of these annoying episodes I think I said out loud, “It just sticks to itself and doesn’t do any good.”

Some Christians stick to themselves and don’t want to go out and be a light in the darkness. This is not the way God designed His children to live. Jesus said that believers are the light of the world. I distinctly remember watching President Ronald Reagan’s funeral service as it aired on June 11, 2004. I’ve never forgotten that the following scripture was read: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV).

In the book of John 8:12 NKJV, Jesus says: “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.“ Today, Jesus is not walking on planet earth in bodily form as He was when He spoke those words. However, He has transferred the light to His followers and tells us not to hide it. If Christians only cluster together once or twice a week, how is that helping those stumbling around in the darkness?

We’re to take the light of Jesus and love people with it. And it’s not always necessary to preach a sermon to them either. In fact, your life is a living message to everyone you’re around. My brother, a retired pastor, has worked for God and His Kingdom all of his adult life. He and his wife, both living, have the following quote inscribed on their headstone: “Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary use words – St. Francis of Assisi.”

Country artist Donna Fargo released a great message song in 1974 entitled, “You Can’t Be a Beacon if Your Light Don’t Shine.” A beacon is a fire or light set up in a high position as a warning, signal, or celebration. “There’s a little light in all of us by God’s design” is a true lyrical phrase in the song. Let’s just say that when you’re born again you have the light of a candle. As you grow in Christ and become more and more like Him, your candle grows to a flashlight, then to a blazing torch, and finally a beacon.

It’s up to you how big and bright your light shines into the darkness. It’s up to you whether you’ll put your money where your mouth is. It’s one thing to talk about the love of God, but it’s another to show your love by doing good in the midst of evil. Jesus, our example, went about doing good (Acts 10:38). Christ-followers should have a light burning so hot within them that they can’t keep it to themselves. The world (those without Christ) is in deep darkness and they probably won’t be able to find their way to the church house.

The Key: If you’re hiding instead of shining, Jesus commissions you to get out from under the basket and shine your light on high beam.

As I write this, the election results are a mess. Both presidential candidates have claimed victory, but I refuse to lose sleep over this decision. I refuse to lose sight of who my King really is because the truth is, my leader has nothing to do with politics.

In spite of George Soros saying, “The 2020 U.S. election will determine the fate of the entire world,” God is in charge. Period. And if we think for one minute that whoever lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. is the one running the show, we had better think again.

What I don’t understand is why God would even care about this country since, for the past few decades, we have been hell-bent on pushing Him off of His throne. The only time we call on Him as a nation is when we are desperate. (Think Sept. 11, 2001.) Other than that, out of sight, out of mind.

We don’t deserve God’s help. Oh yes, we profess with our mouths that we are a Christian country; we claim to pray, but there is a huge disconnect with our hearts.

If nothing else, this political charade has proven what a mess we are. Both presidential candidates have embarrassed their parties and shown flaws that have overwhelmed the voters.

Romans 3:23 reminds us that we should not be surprised: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. As Christians, our question during this political process has been, “Which one of the candidates is the most Christlike?” The one who speaks about God but shows no humility or the one who shows humility but disregards what Scripture says?

Their sins might be different, but they both still sin, and in God’s eyes, sin is sin is sin is sin. We all are guilty. Dare we point fingers!

By the time this goes to print, hopefully either Donald J. Trump or Joe Biden will be declared president of our country. Of course, whoever doesn’t win will want a recount and will accuse the voting process of being flawed, dragging this on for weeks. Rioters and looters will use it as an opportunity to destroy any city whose leadership allows them such freedoms, news anchors will wear us out making predictions based on their own personal biases, and conspiracy theorists will scream “I told you so.”

Fun. Times. Ahead.

But God still will be in charge. Will the one who wins be the better candidate? I don’t know. If not, maybe we will get what we deserve, or as theologian Warren Wiersbe put it, “God’s greatest judgment may be to let people have their own way.”

Maybe we will learn a little humility. Maybe rethink our priorities. Maybe get on our knees and pray for whoever heads this nation.

Before we get what we really do deserve.

Maybe that will be the best lesson we can learn.

Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

While picking up branches that had broken off the trees after we had those two days of freezing rain, I noticed that nearly all of the branches were dead. Obviously, they hadn’t been receiving the necessary nutrients they needed to stay alive. Somehow, the branches disconnected from the trunk and had become weak and useless. Dead branches don’t have what it takes to survive storms. Obviously, they were just barely hanging on, so when the ice formed they fell to the ground. After gathering up the good-for-nothing sticks, I dumped them into the burn pile.

Jesus taught that believers are like branches and they can‘t remain productive if they separate from their life source. Jesus said to His disciples: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts away every branch of Mine that doesn’t produce fruit. But He trims clean every branch that does produce fruit, so that it will produce even more fruit“ (John 15:1-3 CEV). A vine is the stem of a plant that carries nutrients and water from the roots to the branches. The vine/tree trunk is the center part between the roots and the branches. Jesus is the one-and-only source for true life and He supplies all our needs. By making Him the center of our life, we’ll be equipped to survive the storms that hit us.

Jesus further instructs His disciples: “Stay joined to Me, and I will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to Me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without Me. If you don’t stay joined to Me, you will be thrown away. You will be like dry branches that are gathered up and burned in a fire” (John 15:4-6 CEV).

Believers weren’t designed to be self-sufficient; we simply can’t make it on our own. Without Him, we’re like a big apple tree full of dead and dry branches instead of apples. However, we’re strong and productive as long as we remain in Christ. God needs all of His children to be out and about doing His work. The harvest is great and we need to be bringing in the sheaves (lost and hurting people).

I don’t like dry things, e.g., lips, creeks, pastures, or cornbread. As the Master Gardener, God doesn’t like dead and dry stuff either. If you’re not producing fruit, you’ll be cut off (ouch). If you are producing fruit, you’ll be trimmed so you can produce even more. Dead, dry, and empty go hand-in-hand with thinking you’re smart enough and saved enough to not need to stay joined to Jesus. He is the Way, so if you’re not hanging onto the Vine for dear life, you’re headed for the burn pile.

If you inspect your own fruit basket and find it empty, I want to encourage you with Ezekiel 37:1-14. The Spirit of the Lord set Ezekiel down in a valley of a bunch of very-dry bones. Then God asked him, “Can these bones live?“ He appropriately replied, “O Lord God, You know.“ God then commanded Ezekiel to prophesy and as he did, the bones came together and muscles, flesh, and skin covered them. Then breath came into their bodies and they came to life, stood up on their feet and became a great army. Even when a situation looks hopeless, always remember that with God all things are possible.

The Key: You don’t have to be a dead and dry stick-in-the-mud. Stay alive and connected to the tree trunk and get to baking those apple pies!

This is a photo I took at Costco a few days ago, and yes, it is a roasted chicken sitting on top of a case of beans. Obviously, this is not where the chicken belongs. It appears that someone changed his/her mind while shopping, and instead of returning the warm meat to its proper place, discarded it…well, wherever it was convenient.

L-A-Z-Y!

I imagine this poor chick had to be thrown away. And Costco will pass on the cost to us.

This behavior troubles me. It’s not the only one. Actually, many behaviors trouble me. The following is my short-list of irksome things people do:

• refuse to use designated, parking lot cart stalls
• tip cheaply
• announce ahead of time that they are paying the restaurant bill as a thanks for you hosting them for two weeks while covering every expense. (Had I wanted a steak, I for sure won’t order one now. “I would like a hamburger patty, water, and no dessert, please.”)
• answer their cell phone in church or a movie theater
• lie about their age to get a senior citizen discount
• don’t give the line call in pickleball
• show up in an express lane with items exceeding the maximum amount allowed
• fail to send some kind of a “thank you” (Unless they are mute and have no hands, there is NO excuse.)
• ignore RSVPs or RSVP to attend but then fail to show
• refuse to give up their seat to an elderly/disabled/pregnant individual
• leave roasted chicken sitting atop a crate of beans

Like I said, my short list.

One of Merriam’s definitions of Integrity is “moral soundness.” It means “doing the right thing.” Every day we are given choices to do just that. We are to put other peoples’ interests ahead of ours. In 2 Corinthians 8:21, Paul reminds us of how that looks: For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.

I’m betting that this Costco culprit made sure no one saw him/her placing a chicken where it did not belong, disregarding the fact that God saw it. Still, I have to wonder how I would have reacted, had I caught the offender in the act (my chance not to act offensive but sensitive to their plight, you know).

I probably would have offered to take the chicken back where it belonged. In love, of course, because I am always thinking about the other person and not myself.

Always.

Yeah, let’s go with that.

Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

My first dog was an adorable little black and white Rat Terrier. We named him Stormy because he was born on a stormy night and Dad brought him home on a stormy night. And then there was Davy, a smart grayish-black Poodle. I hadn’t had him very long when he simply disappeared; we never figured out what happened to him. And then in 2012, the same thing happened to Gus, my son’s beloved fawn Boxer. He was a beautiful and loyal friend, but one day he simply disappeared and we never saw him again.

No one lives forever on planet earth. For everything there is a season — a time to live and a time to die. Living and dying are eternally connected because the way you live determines where you go after you die. Your physical body returns to dust, but your spirit lives on forever in either heaven or hell. And it doesn’t matter whether you believe there’s a heaven or a hell; you will spend eternity in one place or the other because God‘s Word says so. God’s truth will trump man’s false opinion every time.

By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul tells us, “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people“ (Hebrews 9:27,28a NLT). God’s perfect plan is for everyone (who believes in Jesus and obeys His Word) to have an eternal home in heaven (John 14:1-4). You can take it to the bank — God is loving and full of mercy!

Jesus speaks of the judgment that comes after death: “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels‘…And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:41,46 NKJV). It’s important to understand that hell was not made for people. However, when an individual chooses not to become born again and rejects Jesus as Savior and Lord, he has damned himself to spend eternity in hell.

Paul wrote to the Christians in the province of Galatia: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21 ESV). If any of these things are active in your life, then earnestly repent and receive God’s forgiveness now. You may not have tomorrow.

Oh where, oh where will you be after you take your last breath? If you think you’re simply going to disappear and take a long snooze, you’re sadly mistaken. When I was a young girl, I used to play and sing a song in church entitled, “Where Will You Be?” Here’s the first verse: “Just one life to live on earth and it swiftly passes by. From the moment of our birth ’til our time has come to die; God has given us this choice to decide our destiny. In a million years, where will you be?”

The Key: Heaven is as wonderful as hell is horrible. You better get to livin’ like there’s no tomorrow, because at the end of your life there’s only one thing that will matter.

My friend Joyce sent me this meme: “The greatest gift you can give someone is your TIME because when you give your time, you are giving a portion of your life that you will never get back.” I wonder how many of us take our Time for granted.

Sometimes I think I am just busy with…well, busyness, flitting from one trivial thing to the next while there remain so many significant causes that I create excuses to ignore. People who need contacting. Worthy organizations that need volunteers. Neighbors I need to meet. Prayers I need to pray.

You know, worthwhile, God-pleasing things.

I mean, I manage to set aside time to watch the Chiefs or answer a girlfriend-text or play Pickleball or put on makeup or have a pedicure. Priorities. I just hope that when I die, I’m engaged in something a little more spiritual than those actions (although sometimes I am praying for the Chiefs—does that count?).

God gifted us with Time. None of the things I do are bad, but according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, adult Americans average more than five hours of free time a day. Almost a third of their awake-time! And where do they spend those five hours? Entertainment: television; surfing their computers; video games, etc. (Don’t shoot me. I’m just the messenger.)

Interesting, isn’t it? If we were invited to hang out with drug dealers, murderers, pedophiles, adulterers or alcoholics, we probably would find an excuse not to join the party. Yet we spend much of our time with them on television, on our iPods or listening to song lyrics about them. We’d be better off meeting them in person where at least we might tell them about Jesus, but if you’re like most Christians, the mere thought terrifies you.

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Garbage in. Garbage out.” Where we spend our time will dictate…well, where we spend our time. (Yes, I made that up.) Where and how we spend our time on earth will determine where and how we spend our time in eternity.

One of the biggest issues with Time is procrastination: “Don’t do anything today that you can do tomorrow.” I typically don’t procrastinate because I don’t like the “me” that surfaces when I am pressed with last-minute deadlines. C-R-A-N-K-Y!!! The trouble is, some people live with this Pinterest philosophy: “From a procrastination standpoint, today has been wildly successful.” I know people who live in delay mode, but when time is finally up, they are panicked. And everyone around them pays the price.

In his book Rise, Tripp Lee writes: “To put it simply, procrastination is pride, because it assumes you know the future. But we don’t know when our health will decline or our lives will end. We don’t even know for sure when life will get busier.”

Hmmm…

When I think of standing in Heaven and God is “dividing the sheep from the goats,” I sure hope Christians don’t have to watch those who never made Jesus their Lord and Savior being banished. To see loved ones and neighbors, knowing that we never used our Time to share the most important message EVER, makes me sad.

Yesterday, I was cleaning out my stationary cabinet and found a beautiful card, telling my mother how, even though “I get so busy that I don’t get a chance to call you,” I’m still “thinking about you and storing up all the things I want to tell you.” It is a lovely card. It would have meant so much to my mother when she was alive…

had I not been too busy to send it.

Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

When I was a kid, occasionally I would watch the 1961-1962 Dick Tracy animated TV show. The alert, “calling all cars” was heard over the police department radio whenever there was a serious situation at hand. Everybody on duty, including the English bulldog, would charge out of the building and work together to catch the bank robbers.

Right now, the United States of America is facing a serious situation. Our beloved Country is at a crossroads, and “calling all Christians” to pray and vote is of utmost importance. Exactly who are the Christians? Just because you go to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a barn makes you a horse. Believers are not a group of neutral individuals by any means. If you’re a true Christian, then you are a born-again Christ-follower and, by faith, you believe that the Bible is the truth and ultimate authority. God’s Word is forever settled in heaven and in earth. Man cannot change what God has set forth. Where I come from, we say “like it or lump it.”

In the words of President Richard M. Nixon, let me make this perfectly clear. This article is about responsibility. My mom was a wise, loving, and godly woman and she told me not to discuss religion or politics with people. No doubt about it, those two topics will stir up a hornet’s nest if one is arguing his opinion to try to persuade the other.

However, believers have the responsibility of praying specifically during tumultuous times. We’ve all heard the common clichés about prayer: “Prayer changes things.” “The family that prays together stays together.” “Seven days without prayer makes one weak,“ etc. One of the most-popular verses regarding prayer is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” What stands out to me is the phrase, “My people.” This message from God is not to the sinners, but to the believers. Christians are to come humbly to God, pray, seek His face, and turn from their sinful/selfish ways. Then they can join together to pray for a tremendous impact. It’s vital that we not shirk our responsibility outlined in this verse.

Our prayers matter significantly. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. God uses our prayer petitions to accomplish His purposes in the earth. This is a critical time for believers to be in agreement and interceding in specific prayer. In the book of Daniel Chapter 9, we see what intercessory prayer accomplished. Daniel prayed for God to lean down and listen to him and then he writes: “I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, pleading with the Lord my God…. As I was praying, Gabriel…came swiftly to me. He explained to me, ‘Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God.’”

The Key: The Founding Fathers are “calling all Christians” to stand strong in their responsibility to pray for the saving and healing of America.

Jesus cursed a fig tree. He was hungry, and when there was no fruit on that particular tree, he put a hex on it so it never again would bear figs.

And even though I’ve never been a friend of figs, I always felt kind of sorry for that tree. But, typical for the Bible, there’s more to this story.

Fig trees are mentioned 60+ times in Scripture. They’re sort of unusual because they can produce up to three crops a year. The first crop appears on the trunk; the second in the branches; and the third in the leaves.

And therein lies the problem. Let’s look at the passage in Mark 11: The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

Did you catch it? “…a fig tree in leaf…” although “it was not the season for figs.”  Actually, it was just before Passover, about six weeks before the fully-formed fig appears, the time when the leaves are accompanied by “taqsh,” small edible knobs that appear but fall off when the real fig forms. Leaves with no taqsh meant no figs for that year.

Jesus understood that. These leaves failed to do their job. All promise and no follow-through. So, Jesus cursed the tree. Not because he couldn’t create a fig from dirt, should he so choose, but to teach his followers that this tree was an analogy of Israel.

Jeremiah 8:13: I will take away their harvest, declares the Lord. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them.

Those Israelites wouldn’t follow through. They appeared spiritual, but there was no fruit. And they were without excuse. God had given them the Promised Land where bumper crops were the norm, yet they took them for granted. They had prophets telling them how to act, yet they refused to heed their messages. They had been told that one day a Messiah would come. They were seeing miracles and hearing of Baptism and forgiveness and redemption, yet they were in such a spiritual drought, they refused to open their eyes and ears and understand the power of the one walking in their midst.

I just have one question: What’s the manna with those Jews? (I couldn’t help myself.) Probably the same thing that’s the manna with us.

God wants us to be fruitful. Trees are known by their fruit. If we see apples hanging from a limb, we know that we are looking at an apple tree and not a thorn tree. (This is not rocket science.) Christians will be known by how much they produce for God’s kingdom.

In Matthew 7:17, Jesus says that every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Look at what follows: A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.

 Serious stuff. This is no mere cursing. This is a grand finale that calls us to account. We are to be the real deal. We are to represent Christ in the way he deserves to be represented. We are to be fruit-full. Fortunately, as long as we have breath, we have time to make it right, to produce fruit in a way that brings honor to our Savior. So, here’s the good news: We don’t have to wait; no matter what season, now is the perfect time to plant. Apples or thorns? Our choice.

Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker

Several years ago, my husband planted two Bur Oak trees in our yard. When these trees starting bearing acorns, I was elated because I’d never seen such magnificent acorns! Due to their large size and hairy caps, they’re the perfect accent for my autumn decorating. While gathering acorns a few days ago, I discovered that the deer had been brazen enough to come into the yard, eat MY acorns, and poop while they were at it. There were tons of broken and empty caps! Acorns in perfect condition are beautiful and useful, but most of what I found were damaged and useless. I put the debris in a bucket and threw it away.

I think there’s a lot of acorn people out there. Some are sinners with empty and broken lives, and some are believers who have gotten sidetracked and lost their way. There’s a fix for both of these categories. The sinner is to accept John 3:16, and the sidetracked is to act on Hebrews 4:16 NLT: “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” You can’t be too big a mess for God because in His eyes there’s no such thing as “good for nothing.” When God touches your life (as a sinner or believer) you’re good for something.

When a believer realizes he’s not living up to the standards of Jesus’ teachings, he can simply go to the heavenly Father, repent, accept His forgiveness, and keep truckin’. God is loving and patient, kind and caring. He isn’t willing that any should perish (spiritually). There’s no benefit in thinking you need to punish yourself for your waywardness. Jesus died on the cross for you, and that’s enough. It’s ridiculous to think you need to add something to what Jesus accomplished for you. Get up, get going, and get over it. Accept God’s grace and then help someone else find their way to the Throne.

For many years, Jimmy and I have shared the gospel song, “He Didn’t Throw the Clay Away” written by our friend Gene Reasoner. “Empty and broken I came back to Him; a vessel unworthy, so scarred with sin. But He did not despair, He started over again. And I bless the day He didn’t throw the clay away. He is the Potter and I am the clay; molded in His image, He wants me to stay. But when I stumble and fall and my vessel breaks, He just picks up all the pieces; He doesn’t throw the clay away. Over and over He molds me and makes me; into His likeness He fashions the clay. A vessel of honor I am today all because Jesus didn’t throw the clay away. ”

The way of the Cross of Christ is hope. If you’ve failed, don’t throw in the towel — it’s not over ‘til the fat lady sings. As long as you’re breathing, there’s hope. I believe and rely on the truth of this scripture: “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He Himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins — and not only our sins but the sins of the world” (1 John 2:1,2 NLT).

The Key: Don’t be bashful; be like the deer and go boldly to your heavenly Father and receive what you need.