Roses

Edging the Garden Bed

/ pastorpete51 / 7 Comments 
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace. 
Galatians 1:15 NLT

The average person who walks through a formal garden, might pause to admire the beauty of the peonies, or bend low enough to inhale the scent of the roses, but almost no one says, “Wow look at the beautiful edge on that bed!” But as a professional gardener I can tell you that the edge of any garden is its lifeline, and I can’t even begin to add up the number of miles my garden-spade has cut to prevent the roots of the surrounding lawn from invading the soil around the flowers. Today’s verse talks about cutting a different kind of an edge: one God had made in Paul’s life. Now to modern Western culture, the idea people being separated from one other is totally foreign and smacks of prejudice. But this kind of separation is not made by man but by the Master Gardener of the universe. From birth God cut an edge between what Paul wanted to do, and what God had called Him to do, and He wants to do the same for you and me. But you might protest, “I thought Jesus came to bring us peace on earth, not separation! Doesn’t He love everyone?” Oh yes, Jesus loves everyone, but He is loving, pure and holy and He will not compromise those things to make people happy. Even within families, sometimes God must make a separation, to prevent roots of bitterness, hatred, or unbelief from creeping in. It might seem appealing to us to grow outside His garden edge, but it breaks His heart and there will be a price to pay when those roots get tangled in our hearts. Some of that envy, a little pinch of sarcasm, a hint of jealousy and on and on, wraps their tentacles around our motives and actions. But even if that has happened, there is good news. When we return to God and His word, His garden-spade, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, will begin to separate us again to Him, and by His grace gives us a chance to bloom again!

The Garden Gate

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments 

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 
Genesis 3:8 Amp

I wonder if they remembered 
Once the garden gate swung closed 
The times they had walked with Father there 
While His light served as their clothes 

When only echoes still remained 
Of the voice their souls once thrilled 
In the silence did they long to hear 
Words of the Fathers will? 

Were they expecting soon the promised day 
And a birth on the blackest of nights 
Of a Child and a Lamb with God’s message for man 
In deep darkness The Word shining bright 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:3 ESV

The Garden Gate by Peter Caligiuri 
Copyright © 2023 
All rights reserved

Meeting Jesus In the Garden

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments

Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. John 20:14 ESV

Did you know that in the old hymn, “In the Garden” the place which Austin Miles wrote of was not just some bed of roses, but rather the garden where Jesus rose. Though many dismiss the lyrics as overly sentimental, I find that, the words “And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own,” actually outline the three elements of communion.

There are many parts of a worship service, but the most important, is neither the singing nor the preaching but rather the presence of Jesus. Jesus has kept His church alive for 2,000 years and He comes most clearly to meet us in the communion. As the lyrics say, “And He walks with me.” Jesus died and rose again and in that moment He walked once again in the garden with Mary. He came while she was alone, weeping and looking for Him. Next the lyrics say, “And He talks with me.” For two thousand years, Jesus has been speaking. “This is my body which is given for you.” and “This cup is the new covenant in My blood.” echo down through time, Every time we receive them, we hear His voice again.

Lastly, Mary falls down to worship. The Bible tells us that at the end of the Last Supper, Jesus sang a hymn with His friends. Just as Mary bowed and the disciples sang, there is a joy filled pause after we have received the bread and the cup. They remind us again that “the joy we share as we tarry there, none other, has ever known!”