Ways to Fruitful Life

“Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.” (Luke 20:10)

Meditation from Luke Chapter 20

Like the man who sought fruit from the people to whom he entrusted the vineyard, the Lord Jesus seeks fruit from our life.

1. Persuaded not Followed –

“But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” (20:6)

Even though the people were persuaded by the truth they did not follow the truth. How often the word of God persuades us to obey; do we heed to it?

Obedience to the persuasion of the word of God is a sign and secret of fruitful life.

2. Person not Prosperity –

“But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’” (20:14)

The people sought the inheritance but not the person who was the reason and the owner. Seeking blessings and not God is a fruitless life. We are called to seek the Person of Jesus Christ.

Because without abiding in Christ we cannot bear fruit (John 15:4,5).

3. Pretense not Pleasing –

“So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous…” (20:20). “who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” (20:47)

Pretending life is not a fruitful life. We are not called to pretend to be righteous but to be true in our life. If we pretend to be spiritual and prayerful and not truthfully practice, we do not please God.

Fruitful life is to obey the truth that persuades us, to pursue Jesus & not prosperity and to not pretend but to truly practice God’s word and righteous living.

Is He Your Lord?

“The Lord has need of him.” (Luke 19:34)

Meditation from Luke Chapter 19

What does it mean to have Jesus as the Lord of our life?

1. Personal Life – “So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.” (19:6) Like Zacchaeus, we need to receive Jesus joyfully in our life and surrender ourselves completely. We also call Jesus “Lord” as does Zacchaus; if He is our Lord our self will be totally surrendered to Him.

2. Family & Friends – And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up [a]and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” (19:5)

When Jesus becomes the Lord of our life, not only our personal life, but our family, friends and every relationship in our life will come under the lordship of Jesus.

3. Possessions – “Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”” (19:8)

When Jesus is our Lord, our possession are His and everything wholly belongs to Him.

4. Time, Talents & Treasure – “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.”(19:15)

Like the nobleman who gave things into the hands of his citizens, Lord Jesus has given us time, talents and treasures and we will have to give account of all that we have received.

The citizens hated him and so did not want him to reign over them (Luke 19:14). If we love Jesus, we will recognize His Lordship over everything in our life and we will be faithful stewards.

5. The Owner – When the disciples were sent by Jesus to bring the colt they were told to tell the owners of the colt that, “The Lord has need of him” (19:34). From the time we commit our life to Jesus, He becomes the owner of our life. When we realize that the Lord needs us, we will not hesitate to surrender ourselves and everything of ours to His Lordship and use.

6. Loose – The colt had to be loosened to be brought to Jesus (19:30). In the same way we need to be loosened from everything that which is holding us to itself or every bondage so that we may belong wholly to Jesus.

Let us loosen ourselves of everything that which is holding us, recognize the ownership of Jesus of our life and surrender our personal life and every relationship and possessions under His Lordship and at His disposal!

I Surrender All by Judson W. Van DeVenter (1855–1939)

All to Jesus I surrender

All to Him I freely give

I will ever love and trust Him

In His presence daily live

All to Jesus I surrender

Humbly at His feet I bow

Worldly pleasures all forsaken

Take me Jesus take me now

I surrender all

I surrender all

All to Thee my blessed Saviour

I surrender all

All to Jesus I surrender

Make me Saviour wholly Thine

Let me feel the Holy Spirit

Truly know that Thou art mine

All to Jesus I surrender

Lord I give myself to Thee

Fill me with Thy love and power

Let Thy blessings fall on me

All to Jesus I surrender

Now I feel the sacred flame

Oh the joy of full salvation

Glory glory to His name

ABCs of Tasteless or Tasteful Life

“Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Luke 14:34,35)

Meditation from Luke 13, 14 & 15

Tasteless salt is Worthless! “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” (Matthew 5:13)

Through the chapters from 13 to 15 let’s see the signs from our life whether it’s like a tasteless salt or tasteful life.

1. Away-less (Abiding in God) –

The younger son who goes away from the father, wasted the possessions that his father gave and wasted his life (Luke 15:12-16). Away from the Father our life and what we received from Him goes waste. We need to abide in and with God for our life to be tasteful.

2. Bondage-less –

A woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years comes to Jesus (Luke 13:11). “So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” (13:16)

Addictions are bondages and they make life worthless and fruitless. We need to come out of every bondage and we cannot do through only our strength and we need to seek the Holy Spirit to deliver us from all bondages. A bound life is a tasteless and worthless life.

3. Cross-less –

“…whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:27).

We are called to carry the cross and follow Jesus. What is to carry the cross?

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” (14:26)

“…whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (14:33)

If we truly follow Jesus, there cannot be any relationship or possession or our own life which we love more than Jesus. Bearing the cross is to forsake anything that takes priority over Jesus. Either we carry the cross or we compromise, both cannot go together.

4. Distraction-less –

“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’” (Luke 15:28-30)

The elder son was good for so many years and he gets distracted with an incident that which isn’t even concerning him. We get distracted when we forget our calling (who we are in Christ and what He has given us – Luke 15:31) and when we begin to compare ourselves with others, whom we think are better provided or treated than us.

Distractions will take us away from the plan of God and make our life tasteless.

5. Expectation-less –

“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.” (Luke 14,8,9)

“When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Luke 14:12-14)

Jesus gives an example of being invited to a feast and when we invite people to a feast. The matter is to live without expectations. We should not got to any place with expectation and we should not seek any person with expectation.

6. Fruitless –

Like the man in the parable in Luke 13:6, Jesus seeks fruit in our life. We are created and called to bear fruit. One, the fruit of the Spirit, to demonstrate in our character and the fruit of good works in God’s kingdom works. Both will benefit and bless others. God gives chances for us to bear fruit, but if we fail even after chances, we will be cut down (13:9).

Let us commit ourselves to Jesus – to never stray away from the Father, to be delieverd from all bondages, to carry our cross daily & follow Him, to avoid every distraction, to live without expectations and to not be fruitless but to bear fruit for God’s glory.

Are we Faithful Stewards?

Meditation from Luke Chapter 16

Jesus shares a parable on an unfaithful and unjust steward in Luke 16:1-8. Through this parable and from the context of the chapter we can learn the qualities of a faithful steward.

First, God is the Master and we are called to be Stewards to whom He has entrusted many things.

1. In the Least – “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:10 NKJV)

We need to be faithful even in the least matters. There is always a possibility of missing or compromising faithfulness in little and trivial matters; but God is concerned about those little things. Because faithfulness is not a practice but lifestyle. Only when it becomes a lifestyle we will not overlook even little things to be faithful.

2. In the unrighteous mammon – “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (16:11)

Faithfulness in money, wealth and things of the world that are entrusted to us. This is possible only when we live as a true Christian in all the areas of life and not just be spiritual in matters of spirituality; which is hypocrisy. This is a true test of one’s Christian life – how he reflects Christ likeness in the so called “non-sacred” areas.

3. In what is another man’s – “…if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” (16:12)

We tend be careless when it comes to other’s things that are entrusted to us, to use. They are not merely used, but often, misused. But we are called to be faithful in what belongs to others. Examples of borrowed vehicles, rented space & places, etc.

4. In loving & serving God – “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Luke 16:13).

We cannot be faithful in our love & service to God if we are divided between Him and money / worldly things.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. (1 John 2:15,16 NRSV)

5. In Preaching & Witnessing –

“The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” (Luke 16:16)

“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’” (Luke 16:27,28)

We are called to be faithful in preaching the kingdom of God and testifying God’s word and the gospel. Like the rich man many will be crying out from the hades to God, for their families and friends who have not heard God’s word and the gospel. We who have the Word are called to be the Witnesses! Not just witnesses, but faithful witnesses who will testify to everyone around them.

Let us be faithful even in the least things, in money & world’s things, in what belongs to others, in our love & service to God and in witnessing the word and kingdom of God!

If He is Our Master…

Meditation from Luke Chapter 12

“Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching…. And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward…” (Luke 12:37,42)

Jesus is our Master and we are called to be His stewards. In this chapter, taking the analogy of the Master-Steward, Jesus talks about His second coming. “…the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware…” (12:46).

In this context, Jesus shares the Purpose in our life in respect to His coming and the Punishment for not fulfilling His purpose,

“And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.” (12:47)

A right steward is the one who,

a) Knows the Master’s will

b) Prepares himself

c) Does according to His will

A steward is responsible for everything the master has entrusted him and gives account to the master. In this chapter we can find the signs of being a ‘faithful and wise steward’.

1. Covered Words – “For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.” (Luke 12:2,3)

On the Day of Judgment we need to give account to every word that we spoke; words that we covered and spoke in hiding.

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.” (Matthew 12:36)

How are our words?

2. Confessing Jesus – “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” (Luke 12:8,9)

If He is our Master and we are His steward we will confess Jesus and not deny Him, through our words and life.

Does my words and life confess & demonstrate Christ or deny Him?

3. Covetousness – “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15)

A steward is always satisfied with what he has, for he knows that the giver is the Master and He makes no mistake. “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (12:21).

We should not allow covetousness and greed for money and possessions to creep into our life. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (12:34). Our heart should seek eternal treasures!

4. Cares & Concerns of Life – “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing… If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?” (Luke 12:22,23,26)

A steward is not anxious! For He trusts the Master for his life and of his family and people with him. If I am anxious for everything, then I am not trusting Jesus to be my Lord and Master!

We should not be anxiety-centered or anxiety-driven, but Christ-centered and Christ-driven!

5. Complacency – “But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.” (Luke 12:45,46)

Complacency will rob us of faithfulness and wisdom and will make us evil servants and not good stewards. It is the lack of preparedness and a sign of lack of fear of God.

To summarize need to “…seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.” (12:31).

Let us as faithful and wise stewards, continue to know the Master’s will, prepare ourselves and do according to His will, for we need to give account of everything He gave in our life.

Seek the Trinity

Meditation from Luke Chapter 11

The disciples of Jesus asked Him to teach to pray and He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Luke 11:2-4)

1. Seek the Father – What is to seek the Father? It is to glorify His name, seek His kingdom and to do His will. (Luke 11:2)

If we truly seek the Father whatever we do we will glorify His name and we will not cause defame to God’s name.

If we truly seek the Father we will seek the kingdom of God; that will be our priority in life.

If we truly seek the Father we will seek and do only His will and not live according to our desires and wish.

2. Seek the Son – Jesus taught us to pray and ask the Lord to give us day-by-day our daily bread (Luke 11:3).

Jesus says in Matthew 6:25, “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” If then what bread do we need more importantly?

Jesus said about Himself in John 6:51, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”

Jesus is the Word of God and it is this Word that we need to hunger and seek after every day. Jesus reveals Himself as ‘greater than Solomon’ in Luke 11:31) and that the queen of the South came from the ends of the earth to hear the Wisdom of Solomon (11:31).

If we truly seek the Son, how much hunger we will have for this Living Bread, the word of God!

It is not sufficient that we only seek after the word of God, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28)

3. Seek the Holy Spirit – “…how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13). Jesus exhorts us to pray and receive the Holy Spirit.

In the third portion of the prayer Jesus taught to pray saying, “And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Luke 11:4).

While clearing the people’s doubts about casting about demons Jesus says, “If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.” (Luke 11:18). He makes the people to understand that it is through the Holy Spirit that He is casting the demons.

Next while talking about the unclean spirit leaving a man, Jesus says that when the unclean spirit returns and finds it swept and put in order, he goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked and they enter and dwell and the last state of the man becomes worse than the first. (11:24-26). This delivered man’s life needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit!

We need the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to overcome temptation and to be delivered from the evil one (Luke 11:4).

Let us be purposeful (Luke 11:2-4) and persistent in prayer (11:8) that we may glorify the Father’s Name, seek His Kingdom, do His Will, hunger the Lord’s Word and overcome the evil one, sin and temptation through the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Choose the Good Part

Meditation from Luke Chapter 10

Life is full of choices and we face with all sorts of choices all the time. How do we make the right choices? Martha was ‘distracted’ and ‘worried and troubled about many things’ (Luke 10:40,41) and Jesus commends Mary in Luke 10:42 that she had ‘chosen the good part’. Many things can cause worry and trouble, but we are called to choose the good part and not be distracted. What is it mean to choose the good part?

1. Among Wolves, With Peace – Jesus says to His disciples, “I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves…” (Luke 10:3). But he sends them with the message of Peace, “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’” (10:5).

We are sent among wolves with the message of peace. We are not called to speak the language of the wolves but of the lambs and the Lamb (of God).

Let’s choose the good part of proclaiming ‘peace’ even among wolves.

2. No Purse, but Provided – Jesus tells His disciples to not carry purse, bag and sandals and also not to go from house to house (10:4,7). He also exhorts them to eat what is set before them (10:8).

We are not called to worry about money while serving God, but to trust Him to provide. We are also not to seek people after people or go from place to place to fulfill our needs, but only to proclaim His message. And whatever He provided we need to be satisfied. Going after money and greed will distract us from truly serving God.

3. Rejoice Not, Rather Rejoice – His disciples returned with joy and narrated to Jesus how even demons were subject to them (10:17). Jesus taught them, “…do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (10:20)

More than the joy we derive from serving God, we need to rejoice in seeking God! Our service will not be pleasing to God, if we do not seek Him! We need to choose the good part of spending time with God and need to prioritize it in our life.

Martha was distracted with much serving… Mary chose the good part of sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to Him.

How is it possible to choose the good part and not give in to distractions?

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

This is possible only when we love God wholly and others as ourselves. Do we truly love God wholly and love others as ourselves?

Let us keep increasing in our love for God and others, that we may be able to choose the good part in all circumstances.

Let the Word Bear Fruit

Meditation from Luke Chapter 8

Opportunity and avenues have become plenty for us to read and hear the Word of God through various means. But does the Word truly bear fruit in our life?

Let’s see what stops the Word of God from bearing fruit.

1. The Devil – “The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.” (Luke 8:12)

When we give space for the devil, he takes away the Word from our hearts. Right after reading or listening to the Word, do we think about the Word or give way for the devil?

2. Time of Testing – “The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away.” (8:13)

How do we respond to difficult situations and people? Do we respond according to the Word of God or according to our feelings? Testing times are opportunities for us to practice the Word!

3. Cares, Riches & Pleasures of Life – “As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.” (8:14)

Do we allow the cares & concerns of life, riches & possessions and pleasures of life to choke the Word? Like Jesus, when tested & tempted, we need to overcome these by the Word of God (Luke 4:1-13).

How do we allow the Word to bear fruit?

Jesus says calls the heart that allows the word to bear fruit as a ‘good and honest heart’ that bears fruit with patient endurance (Luke 8:15).

1. How we Listen – “pay attention to how you listen” (8:18). How much we pay attention to the Word of God?

How not to listen – One, every Word is for us personally and we should not read or listen with a sense that it is for someone else. Two, do we close our ears because we don’t like the person who is sharing? Allow not the prejudice on someone to stop from listening to the pure word of God.

2. Hear & Do – “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (8:21)

We are called not only to read & listen to the Word, but to act upon it. Obedience to the Word is imperative.

In the incident that follows this parable, Jesus’s disciples are in a boat with Him and when there is severe storm and when they were in danger they cry out to Jesus, “They went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”” (8:24) and Jesus chides them for their lack of faith (8:25). Testing times are times for us to demonstrate the Word.

Let’s not allow anything of the devil, the testing times, cares, riches and pleasures of life to choke the word and from stopping it to bear fruit in our life. Let’s pay attention how we read & listen to the Word and let us not only be hearers, but also doers of the Word.