"What's Going On In Your Backyard?"

What's your lawn look like? My front lawn is dry and burnt for the lack of rain we have had this year. Plus there are no shade trees to protect it. The rear has way more trees, but the sun can't get in there, so the grass is patchy and mixed with all sorts of crabgrass and weeds. It's a funny thing though, when it gets long and needs cutting it looks terrible with the weeds overtaking the grass. However...when it's mowed...even the weeds look good.

Jesus spoke about stuff like that in parables.

Matthew 13:38-39 (Amplified Bible) - "The field is the world, and the good seed means the children of the kingdom; the darnel is the children of the evil one, (39) And the enemy who sowed it is the devil. The harvest is the close and consummation of the age, and the reapers are angels."

The Church and the devil work the same field. We try to sow good seed (the Gospel), and right along with us, sometimes even under the same church roof, the children of darkness sow an alternate Gospel. One is the Truth, the other a Lie.

The children of the Evil One (weeds) haven't survived all of these years by sticking out prominently and making an open show of the Good Seed. Rather, they have found a way of insidiously implanting themselves among the Children of Promise and keeping a low profile. They know that when they are trimmed and kept in line they might even appear to be as good as the grass.

It takes a watchful eye to see the difference.

In my backyard the weeds always grow faster than the grass does. When that happens the Weeds are easily identified.

But when the lawn is freshly cut (trimmed and taken care of), even the Weeds look good.

Triimed and taken care of to make the Weeds look good?

Hmmm...

I can go on like that for years if I want. As long as I keep trimming and "hiding" the weeds and making them blend in and look as good as the grass, it will "appear", from a distance anyway, that all is well in the backyard.

However...if I want a healthy and thriving green lawn...

...I must get rid of the Weeds.

Your "backyard" represents your life, your church, your workplace, your neighborhood, your city...

What are you doing to cultivate holiness and the Kingdom of God?

Do you work diligently to weed out the disruption? The sin?

Or do you smooth it over, and although you know the Bad Seed is there, simply dress it up and allow it to blend in with the Good Seed?

It takes diligence to do the work of tending God's fields.

Sometimes it's just easier to dress up the weeds and pretend they are not there.

But remember...you run the risk of strangulating any goodness that might be present.

Be diligent. Or one day you may awaken to a field of nothing but weeds.

Keepin' it Real,

Pastor Kevin <><