Tag Archives: Jesus

G*d’s Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity, Messiah, Savior

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 6, 2015
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Good Fruit / Bad Fruit — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 6, 2015

“Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil.” Matthew 12:33ff

“Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ” Luke 13:6-9

We have a saying in our society that goes something like this: “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” We usually use this saying when we are talking about the son or daughter of someone we know – and usually when they are following in the footsteps of their parent, in a not-so-good way. In other words, a tree that is bad produces fruit that is bad. The parable of the fig tree is one of the more powerful parables about the Grace of G*d. G*d does not want trees that are bad — and so looks to do all that G*d can to help make the tree good. The tree, speaking of humans of course, makes its own decisions about being fruitful or not, and bearing fruit — the choice to be good or bad fruit — is within our decision-making. But the implication about the parable is that G*d does not give up on us. G*d will continue to give us fertilizer through G*d’s Word, to water us with the spirit, and to provide sunshine through the Son, but it is our choice if we will allow all of this to transform us. The parable allows for either ending — we have no idea if the tree is cut down, and since it is not cut down immediately, we must assume that there are endless opportunities to turn things around, and produce good fruit.

The tree is known by its fruit. What kind of fruit will you be today?

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on June 4, 2015
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Who Needs a Map? — Rev. David J. Schreffler

June 4, 2015

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, through the pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and enjoin abstinence from foods which G*d created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by G*d is good…”   1 Timothy 4:1-4

“Now theology is like the map. Merely learning and thinking about the Christian doctrines, if you stop there, is less real and less exciting than the sort of thing my friend got in the desert (when he felt G*d’s presence while out alone under the stars). Doctrines are not G*d: they are only a kind of map. But that map is based on the experience of hundreds of people who really were in touch with G*d — experiences compared with which any thrills or pious feelings you and I are likely to get on our own are very elementary and very confused. If you want to get any further, you must use the map.” C.S.Lewis (1898 – 1963) Mere Christianity

I wonder how many young people, under the age of 16, have ever seen a “fold-out Map”? Paper maps are good – they give you a two-dimensional picture of a state, roads, counties, landmarks like rivers and mountains, etc. What most people use today are the GPS devices, either separate devices or systems that are available to download on cell phones. The GPS not only finds the most direct route to a destination, but it can tell you down to the minute when you will get somewhere, how far away your destination is, and may even tell you about construction or other possible impediments along the way. And you can also access a satellite picture of any place you might like to see through other means, using that same cell phone. Your fold-out map cannot do that.

So many times we think we have to experience something to appreciate it rather than take someone else’s opinion or description. Or we believe that the newest gadget or “theory” is better than the old ways. This isn’t necessarily true with our understanding of G*d and His son Jesus Christ. The further we get from the Apostolic experience, the more we lose touch with their struggle to understand who Jesus was, and to put that struggle on paper in doctrines, creeds, councils, and theological treatises. When we read their struggles and writings, it helps us and forms our own struggles and experiences. But, first we have to pull out the map and read it before we know where we really are going. A GPS is good, but having the map along to support it is that much better.

Pastor Dave