FLAMDUNK
Our theme this month is Flamdunktious: which means:
“the mastery of subtleties of technique as a key to fullness of expression”.
We see this as an onomatopoeic F-word glory!!
Now God’s kingdom is all about fullness of expression. To enter God’s kingdom, we need to become like children. Jesus made it clear that childlike, enthusiastic expression is totally encouraged in generating Biblical glory.
His Word tells us, Psalm 100 :1: Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
So I have a children’s book, that we are all going to make some onomatopoeic joy to the Lord with.
Make sure your hearts are engaged, your mind is switched on, your feelings are plugged in, and your vocal volume knob is turned up to 11.
Each time I get to a word, I expect everyone to get flamdunktous!
FLAMDUNKTIOUS!
God commands us to love him with all our; heart, soul, mind, and strength - as Esther says, if we aren’t entirely spent when we give of ourselves in our worship lifestyle, are we being flamdunktious enough?
Over this month, we’ve had:
Phil shared on the F-words of Glory: speaking out those scriptural subtleties that empower us to have an F-word dynamic in our expression without cussing.
Esther then shared on Flower power and biblical motherhood: She reminded us that with the glory of God displayed in creation we are without excuse! Flowers, motherhood, including the process of birth are part of creation and they all generate glory. Despite thousands, possibly millions of years of human life, man still can’t, on his own create life. So even these seemingly simple realities that we so easily take for granted, leave us without excuse as they essentially make it obvious to all God exists and we are accountable to him.
The following week, Esther also shared on faith-filled grace notes: we had both the pianistic and the double kick drum kit demonstrations of musical grace notes. In essence, the grace note happens when there is a main note and an additional subtle note to enhance the fullness of dynamic musical expression, in other words, they help to make the performance and participation, flamdunktious! When it comes to faith, God is the main note and we are the grace note. The scriptures highlight the importance in Biblical faith of little things, which includes us. The narrow way to abundant life is where we see ourselves as little in our own eyes and God as mega. We only need a little of the faith once delivered to the saints that come to us through God’s word by grace, not from ourselves and mega things happen! We exercise faith, God moves the mountains, we exercise faith, God does miracles, signs, and wonders.
Today’s topic, Fruit: from seed to deed. Maghan”
Process and Purpose (Phil)
All aspects of process require technique
Glory is a relational thing
John 17:1-5
1Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He [a]should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5And now, O Father, glorify Me together [b]with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Fruit
Fruit of the vine brings glory: more fruit more glory
John 15: 1-8
1“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He [a]takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Fruit of the Spirit / Fruit of the flesh
Galatians 5: 19-22,
19Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [d]adultery, [e]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21envy, [murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Pruning
Flowers preceed fruit in the process
Need to know the whole process in order to best husband a vintage crop
The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. (Mark 4:28)
Reconciliation: Resolve to resolve: Pip and Fruit: very things that seem bitter or inedible like the peach stone, orange pip/seed, can be the seed that planted in the right soil can produce the result desired all along.
Seed
The seeds are:
- the word of God
- the children of the kingdom
(Create to relate session two)
Mark 4:1-13
1Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.
2And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said, 3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.
8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.”
9Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.
11He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables, 12so that,
‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn
and be forgiven.’a”
13Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
Deed
Another Mega play on words, in this English language-based, flamdunktiousness, glory generating context, in other words, the deed here is both the generation of glory; the glory of God, the glory of the nations (Rev 21:24-26) and the glory of the bride (Eph glorious bride) and the covenant relationship as documented in the scriptures.
Hebrews 8:10
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Hebrews 10:16
16“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18Now where there is [e]remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
Eph 1:13-14
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,14who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.
God wants us all, from every kindred tribe and tongue, to identify, understand and apply the subtleties of Biblical, soul winning wisdom that develop a flamdunktious lifestyle of faith-filled, overflowing, God, nation, and bride glorifying expression.
BID
1) Are you abiding in the vine?
2) Are you living a genuine flamdunktious, Biblical, seed sowing and fruit harvesting, moment by moment, day by day lifestyle?