That’s Just Too Easy

My wife and I love gardening. Not the work so much; but, the reward of all the beautiful flowers, foliage, and hardscape which creates an environment that enriches our lives.

Hard work is the vehicle through which our appreciation and nurturing love is fully comprehended. If all we had to do was just snap our fingers and ‘poof’ it was done; our adoration wouldn’t be as intense and real. That’s just too easy.

This is often how Christians expect their salvation experience to be. Thinking, “Now I live on Easy Street. God will take care of everything.” Many unwilling to put in the necessary work to realize maturity in sanctification.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)

Consider this: Without Jesus our lives are like barren ground full of windswept ways and hail beaten hardships that soils our souls. Barren and desolate until Jesus cultivates the ground preparing our hearts to become fertile lands.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)

Satan’s Perversion

Satan prefers you to live a life blown about by the winds. Luring mankind into a copycat garden full of thistles and poisonous plants. A crowed and hostile environment seeking your destruction. Fighting to hold your ground and constantly striving to reach the sunlight to survive.

that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, (Ephesians 4:14)

And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14)

Satan’s garden is built on deception. Poison ivy has beautiful fall colors, bears fruit, and blooms. That still doesn’t make it a pleasant houseplant. It is best left out of the garden growing wild. Satan plants the seeds of deceit, designed to lead you astray.

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. (Matthew 13:19)

There is ample room in the badlands of Hell’s ways. Answering to no-one, responsible for nothing, spreading seeds of deception in desolate desert sands. Is this really the easy way? That’s just ‘too’ easy.

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. (Matthew 7:13)

Satan lies because he wants to convince the world that being a Christian is no fun, useless, too much hard work, lonely, boring, and complicated. Satan’s lies make it seem that following him is the easiest option. That sinning is more fun and rewarding. If it feels good just do it. That’s just ‘too’ easy.

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44)

Breaking Ground

Jesus must plow under our old man ways and plant the seeds of faith to be nurtured and tended together. The road to sanctification is a mutual journey taken with our Master. Realizing that it is not left up to Jesus alone. That’s just too easy.

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (Romans 6:6)

We are tethered together, spiritually yoked with Jesus as He guides us on life’s quest. Yes! Jesus will clear the path; but, we must be rooted and committed to serving our Savior. This is a garden we grow together that matures into an abundance of contentment, joy, peace, happiness, and love.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30)

Jesus is the Living Water vital to our growth. Refreshing us all the way down to our roots establishing a firm foundation upon which we grow.

but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)

Prayer is the sunshine of His love. It is in this symbiotic relationship between God and man that we bask in the light of His covenant blessings as we bloom in the maturity of His redemptive promise.

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11)

There will be cloudy days and storms along the way. Look at these times as opportunities for growth, as we are strengthened in our resolve to stand against the wiles of the enemy.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)

Correctional Pruning

Inevitability there will come times of severe pruning as we branch out in our self-will. Chasing fleeting rays of light promising to fertilize our fruit that withers away. Teaching us to turn around, doing an about-face to endure the correction found in the Master’s blade. Severing the sin that ruins the beauty in our blossoms and the virtue of our fruits.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. (Revelation 3:19)

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8)

The Master’s hallowed blade is kept clean and sharp to make swift and skillful surgical cuts to shape us into an integral component within His garden.

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (John 15:2)

For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights. (Proverbs 3:12)

The garden is His sanctuary in which we all dwell together. A church of individuals with separate identities and duties. Some will be the roses of exhortation, oak trees of wisdom, flagstone paths for serving/ministering, or the vines of evangelism.

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ (Ephesians 4:11-15)

Each of us has a function and is vital to the health of all who grow in the garden. It takes all of us to complete the landscape into a forever Eden, perfect and pure.

from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:16)

If all we had to do is to throw open the garden gate and plant ourselves into a row of church pews, we would only serve to be a waste of resources; a useless fig tree unwilling to bear fruit. We each bear fruit for the nourishment of others within the body of Christ.

Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”And His disciples heard it. (Mark 11:12-15)

I can guarantee you, that if you do your best to be firmly rooted in the gospel of Jesus, you will bear fruit. Others will see your fruit and taste the goodness of God’s love. Do your part by serving Jesus and you will see the harvest rewards of His covenant promises fulfilled.

He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, (Psalm 105:8)

by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. (Hebrews 7:22)

The Simple Truth

Religion has just gotten way to complicated. We have theologians who theologize each others theology. Religions making rituals, and rituals for the sake of being ritualistic making religions.

Religions have not learned from the past and continue to serve different gods for different times and seasons. Religion has a god whether good or evil for every lust of man. Some religions are even tolerant to Satanic religions and evil ways.

The world in all its efforts to accommodate everyone with everything in total ease and acceptance for anyone to believe, do, and act, as the moral majority calls law; has made spirituality severely complicated. Satan loves it this way because it makes the belief in Jesus seem too simple and archaically stupid.

The simple truth is: It really is ‘just that easy’ and ‘just that simple.’ Just believe in Jesus!

Satan is the one who says,“That’s just too easy.” Jesus says, “It’s just that easy.”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. (John 11:25)

 

Pray Now!! Pray this simple prayer to trust Jesus as your Savior:

“Lord Jesus, I am a sinner and I need a Savior. Right now I will turn away and repent from my sin and accept you as my Lord and Savior. I trust and believe that You are the Son of God, my Lord and Savior for my salvation, I know and believe that You died on the Cross and rose again from the grave to pay for my sins. I thank you for saving me. Amen.”