Bearing Fruit

Spring. This is a special time of year. Not just because of the warmer weather, the budding of the trees, the blooming of the flowers, or the nearness of the last day of school, but also because it's time for gardening. Now, the turning and tilling of fresh earth might not bring joyful tears to everybody's eyes but it does for some. And surely everyone does look forward to the first fresh green onion or homegrown tomatoes!

So what is a garden, really? Is it the broken warm earth, plowed with neatly spaced straight furrows? The seeds that nestle among grains of soil? The plants or sprouts that spring up and then wax and wane according to the sun, wind, rain, weeds, bugs, and fertilizer? Are we satisfied with the full grown stalks, vines, and plants? No, we're looking for something more. Something of value. We're looking for the fruit. For what is a garden that bears no fruit?

God's Word has a lot to say about fruit in our lives, and it's usually not talking about what we eat, but rather what we produce. As we look again and again at the parables Jesus told, we find how individuals were judged because their condition was reflected in the actions of their lives. In Matthew 24 and 25, the evil slave, the five foolish virgins, the unfaithful slave, and the "goats" were not judged by where they were, what they were called, what they planned to do, or what they thought or believed to be true. They were judged according to their condition which was evident in the fruit of their lives. Yet each was SURPRISED by the verdict!

In Matthew 7, Jesus said, 1) few enter the narrow gate to Heaven; 2) they can be known by the fruit of their lives, and 3) many who call Him "Lord" do not really know Him. One of Satan's greatest weapons is the satisfaction we can find in a false sense of security. Are we being deceived by what we "hope," "think," "feel," or "would like to believe" is true in our lives and in the lives of those we love? God's Word ways the truth can be seen in the fruit we bear.

What should we look for? I John 5:13 says, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order tht you may KNOW that you have eternal life." Some of the things John writes about are:

• Fellowship (1:7)
• Obedience (2:3)]
• Christ-likeness (2:6)
• Righteousness (2:29)
• Ministry & service (3:17)
• Sharing of faith (4:15)
• Love for others (5:1)

We are not saved by the works we do, but God's children bear fruit that is characteristic of the change that has taken place in their hearts. Who is a child of God?

"I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing... By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples." John 15:5 & 8)

From May 8, 1990

Thirst and Hunger

As we do thirst and hunger,
our Father more than meets our needs
just like the little sparrows
and others that he feeds
We know His richest blessings--
we receive them day by day.
His gifts are overflowing,
for that is our Father's way.
Just like the multitudes of people
He fed with fish and bread,
our bodies and our spirits
are always richly fed;
with baskets overflowing,
we receive more than we need,
so that by the grace of God
others we can feed.

Let us give thanks to the Lord and praise His name for meeting our needs and "overflowing extra baskets." Let us remember our responsibility for sharing that which God has given us, physically and spiritually.

"And when they were filled, He said to His disciples, 'Gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost.'" John 6:12

Praying with Confidence for One Another

God tells us many things about effective prayers. He encourages us to join together in a bond of prayer (Matt. 18:19-20; James 5:14-16) We must ask according to His will (I John 5:14-15). We must ask in Jesus' name (John 14:13-14). We must ask in faith (Matt. 21:22). We must ASK (Matt. 7:7; James 4:2)!

We can see many examples of what the Lord does in a church where believers bond together in prayer for the same thing, applying the principles mentioned above (Acts 2:42-47; 4:23-35; 6:1-8; 12:5-17). This is the type of unity that Jesus asked the Heavenly Father to give us in John 17. It is the same type of unity that Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 12 & 13.

We can pray for one another by name the same prayer that Paul prayed for the members of the church at Colossae. It is a prayer we know is in accordance with God's will for our lives. This is a prayer we can pray in faith. This is a prayer God will answer:

Lord, May _____ be filled with the knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that he/she will walk in a manner worthy of You, to please You in all respects. May _____ bear fruit in every good work and may he/she increase in the knowledge of You. Lord, strengthen him/her with all power, according to Your glorious might, that _____ might attain steadfastness and patience. May _____ give thanks to You, our Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (Col. 1:9-12)

Needing to be in need

Have you ever been in need? Perhaps you needed a helping hand to do a chore, or a word of instruction or wisdom from someone with experience, or a listening ear from someone who understands. Maybe you've experienced a material or financial need at some time in your life. At one time or another, we all experience the need for help from another person, but most of us find it much easier to offer help than to ask for it. Yet, being in need is a crucial part of our growth in our spiritual lives.

When Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, He was teaching them an important lesson in servanthood. The washing was not just a matter of dirty feet, but more a matter of prideful hearts. In order to minister with humility and sensitivity, we must understand what it means to be served... what it feels like to be in need.

Sometimes when we give or help, we become full of more than joy. We become proud or boastful or in awe of our own goodness! The disciples were a bit reluctant to have Jesus wash their feet, because they suddenly became aware of their own unworthiness. They were embarrassed. Uncomfortable. Humbled. They understood what it meant to be ministered to by the Lord.

As we give and help and minister and serve, let us examine our hearts and our attitudes. Are we meeting the needs of others or our own? Are we being sensitive to their feelings? Can we use the opportunity to meet a spiritual need as well? Are we serving as Jesus served?

"For I gave you an example, that you also should do as I did to you." John 13:15

Stand as an Example

Do we stand in life before others,
representing what Christ stood for on earth?
Can others learn from us about Christ's life:
the miracle of His birth;
His teachings; His loving; His way of forgiving;
His death; His resurrection?
Do we seek to learn more about His Word?
Do we strive to grow toward perfection?
Are we near, to be a good counselor?
Are we near, to be a good friend?
Do we stand firm in our convictions,
faithful to the end?
Do others see in us an example
of what God would have us to be?
In each of our lives have been those we looked up to;
in them, what did we see?
Don't we pattern ourselves after those we admire?
Don't we have the strong leaders we follow?
And mixed with the joy of victory over death
is a personal sadness, a sorrow,
as a leader meet his Maker,
as a follower of Christ leaves to claim his reward,
as we lose a strong Christian pillar,
as person to whom so many looked toward.
We must ask ourselves what we've learned.
What testimony do we have to offer?
Are we living a life that stands strong, faithful, and true?
What example do we proffer?
For someone is looking to each of us
to be the example we've known.
Are our lives reflections of what we've been taught--
reflections of the example we've been shown?

"For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." John 13:15

Peace or Stagnation?

How can we discern a peaceful life from a stagnant one?

Throughout the Bible, God tells us that true peace is a desirable state of heart and mind that can only be found in knowing Him. (Philippians 4:7, Romans 5:1,Ephesians 2: 14). The dictionary defines peace as "a state of tranquility or quiet.... freedom from disquieting or oppressive emotions," and John 14:27 tells us, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." Peace is a wonderful, healthy asset in life. It is always in company with other positive attributes also:

• Romans 8:6 "The mind of sinful men is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.
• Romans 14:17 "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit."
• Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

Stagnation means being inactive or motionless. A stagnant body of water is quiet and tranquil, but its also without a current or flow; it is not troubled. It is without disruption. It is also without life.

Too often we mistake stagnation for peace. We are inclined to be satisfied with a life that is motionless, as long as it is quiet and tranquil. Instead we should have "peace like a river," a life that is in a constant state of forward motion. Flowing. Useful. Moving toward a greater source.

"If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea." Isaiah 48:18.

Filled to the Brim

Jesus' first miracle at the wedding feast is a beautiful example of the changes God makes.

"Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. Jesus said unto them, 'Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.' And they took it to him. And when the headwaiter tasted the water which had now become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, 'Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely, then that which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now." John 2:6-10

Before Christ used the waterpots to meet needs and display his power, He instructed that they be filled to the brim. It's probably also significant that the waterpots were for purification. They already held 20 to 30 gallons each, but for Christ's purposes they needed to be full. How does this reflect the way God works in our lives as well?

If we are Christians, we have partaken of the living water, and indeed, the living water... the Holy Spirit... is within us. However, God's Word tells us that we, too, should be filled in order for God to use us as He wills. Ephesians 5:18 tells us, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit."

Why did Paul contrast getting drunk on wine against being filled with the Spirit? Perhaps because in both situations or conditions something else besides ourselves is in control of our behavior. Both conditions can produce a boldness. In every instance that someone in the Bible was "filled with the Spirit," they were speaking out for God and were bold in their efforts.

Are we wondering why God isn't using us in a might way to exhibit His glory and power? Perhaps we need to ask to be filled! Are we clean? Are we almost empty? What a joy to present ourselves to God as waterpots to be filled and transformed and used to meet a need for God's glory!