UV 3341/10000 Giving God Hundred Per Cent
Keep actively watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing but the body is weak
Matthew 26 v 41
The spirit is hundred per cent willing to obey God while the flesh is hundred per cent unwilling to obey Him and His word. Herein, comes the moral and spiritual dichotomy of man from the beginning of time. There is a struggle between our spiritual nature and our physical or carnal nature. It is reflected in the flawed choices we often make in life, the procrastination adversely affecting our work and schedule, the poor lifestyle habits that affect our health and well being, our lack of control of our tongues and temper, sexual temptations and so on. I recently heard of a senior doctor who owing to an alleged seduction by a servant maid when he was barely twelve was under compulsion to continue acts of adultery with medical students leading to his divorce. Though an avowed believer of Christ, it led to the destruction of his moral fibre, his mental peace and overall well being. By consistently deciding in favour of the flesh over a period of time, the spirit gets weakened. Jesus in this uni-verse asks His disciples, then and now, to watch their flesh and pray for strength to overcome the drag and pull of our inner being, towards the world and away from the Lord.
Jesus Himself, being dual in nature- Son of man and Son of God, living fully in the flesh even as He is Spirit Being from eternity, experienced the struggle between His spirit and His flesh but He consistently chose to go the way of the spirit. In this episode, just before the arrest of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had exhorted His disciples to watch while He prayed. Yet, owing to their physical tiredness, the disciples slept off. Jesus then admonished them and asked them to pray for strength to overcome, to cause the spiritual to overrule the physical. When we pray, the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit will come to our help, strengthen our spirit to overcome the flesh and live in alignment to the will and purpose of God for our lives.
Every day is a battle for the believer in Christ between his inner spiritual being and his physical compulsions. We need to wear a defensive armour of many spiritual elements but we only need to be quiet, still and watch the Holy Spirit in action in our lives. The Holy Spirit is hundred per cent willing and able to help us overcome these compulsions that cause us to live the 3 D life of lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. He can empower, equip and enable us to live the 5 D life of devotion, dedication, determination, diligence and discipline. The 5 D life requires us to surrender the various members of our body and significant parts of our lives to the Holy Spirit. When we yield our otherwise uncontrollable tongues, we become gentlemen and ladies. When we yield our restless sexual organs, we become sanctified vessels. When we yield our invisible egos, we become humble and gentle like Jesus. When we yield our emotions, we become contented and joyful. When we yield our hands, our work is blessed. When we yield our legs, our coming and going are blessed, our feet which are the feet of a messenger become beautiful in His eyes and preserved from stumbling. When we yield our aspirations and plans, He helps us fulfil it.
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Learn By Heart
UV 3340/10000 Learn By Heart
Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you, you are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you.
Isaiah 44 v 21
When we make an effort to remember our follies and meditate on God’s word, our struggles with our own nature and with God will cease. When we so remember, the positive patterns of our lives will get established in our hearts and minds and the negative patterns will be erased. As teachers in primary schools used to repeatedly tell us, “Learn by heart.” We will have victory over our impulses and passions that drive us to error and failures. We have been made with the purpose to serve God. We should deem it the highest privilege to serve God for He is a great, kind, loving, forgiving, noble Master. As servants of Almighty God, if we remember His word and apply it constantly and faithfully in our lives, the Lord will also remember us. If we take Him and His word for granted, He too would take us for granted or ignore us.
We should not rely on our own limited experience, knowledge, understanding and wisdom but lean on the Lord heavily and learn from the Word and the continuing life coaching by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit manifested as a dove over Jesus when God was most pleased that Jesus had remembered His word and obeyed the water of baptism at the hands of a servant of God, John the Baptist. The reason for such spiritual symbolism is that Jesus yearned that His followers eagerly learn two of His personal qualities and practice it constantly- humility and gentleness. The dove symbolizes both these qualities of Jesus- humility and gentleness.
We should therefore, not learn by head or by rote but “by heart” the Word of God. WE learn by heart by remembering and practicing the precepts and principles of Jesus. When we do, we get the wages of a servant of God- namely, the blessings of the Tri-Une God. The Lord commits in the uni-verse never to forget or forsake or leave us. The presence of the Lord will be with us, invisible but palpable. We can continually touch Him not just the hem of His robe as the woman with bleeding did and He will continually touch our hearts and make us whole, healing us of the many hurts, remembered and not remembered by us.
Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you, you are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you.
Isaiah 44 v 21
When we make an effort to remember our follies and meditate on God’s word, our struggles with our own nature and with God will cease. When we so remember, the positive patterns of our lives will get established in our hearts and minds and the negative patterns will be erased. As teachers in primary schools used to repeatedly tell us, “Learn by heart.” We will have victory over our impulses and passions that drive us to error and failures. We have been made with the purpose to serve God. We should deem it the highest privilege to serve God for He is a great, kind, loving, forgiving, noble Master. As servants of Almighty God, if we remember His word and apply it constantly and faithfully in our lives, the Lord will also remember us. If we take Him and His word for granted, He too would take us for granted or ignore us.
We should not rely on our own limited experience, knowledge, understanding and wisdom but lean on the Lord heavily and learn from the Word and the continuing life coaching by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit manifested as a dove over Jesus when God was most pleased that Jesus had remembered His word and obeyed the water of baptism at the hands of a servant of God, John the Baptist. The reason for such spiritual symbolism is that Jesus yearned that His followers eagerly learn two of His personal qualities and practice it constantly- humility and gentleness. The dove symbolizes both these qualities of Jesus- humility and gentleness.
We should therefore, not learn by head or by rote but “by heart” the Word of God. WE learn by heart by remembering and practicing the precepts and principles of Jesus. When we do, we get the wages of a servant of God- namely, the blessings of the Tri-Une God. The Lord commits in the uni-verse never to forget or forsake or leave us. The presence of the Lord will be with us, invisible but palpable. We can continually touch Him not just the hem of His robe as the woman with bleeding did and He will continually touch our hearts and make us whole, healing us of the many hurts, remembered and not remembered by us.
Broken Cisterns
339/10000 Broken Cisterns
For My people have committed two evils: They have abandoned (rejected ) Me, The fountain of living water, And they have carved out their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
Jeremiah 1 v 13
People carve out their own customs, traditions and practices after rejecting the Dayspring Jesus. Jesus revealed Himself to be the fountain of living water, water that will quench our thirst or meet our earthly need for refreshment and renewal as well as give us eternal life. The words of Jesus are the living water. We derive the principles of righteous living from the teachings and example of Jesus. Those principles shape our passion and give it a shape and direction. We will not be broken vessels as we once were when we lived in rejection of God.
We go to a fountain to obtain refreshment. Likewise, when we spend time in the presence of the Living God, we are refreshed and renewed. When our minds- our thoughts, emotions, will- are renewed, our spirits soar in joy. The yoke or responsibilities of this world will rest on our shoulders lightly. Since the Fountain is an inexhaustible source like an eternal spring whose water never dries up, we can return whenever we choose to Jesus. He will never send us away empty handed or dissatisfied. We as vessels appointed by Him carry His message of hope and love to our fellow human beings.
Abandoning God and embracing the ways and truths of man is the greatest evil from the perspective of this uni-verse. To follow the precepts and principles of any man, however good and wise is folly for any human’s wisdom and knowledge is bound to be very limited when compared with the infinite knowledge, wisdom and goodness of God. Though it might have the appearance of light and wisdom, it is a form of darkness. When such limited knowledge and wisdom rules over mankind, the result is faulty decisions, flawed relationships, broken lives, broken families, broken hearts and minds. The Apple Corporations symbol of the partial apple is ironically a symbol of such incompleteness, deficiencies, brokenness. There is something missing or broken in every human’s life but when we hand over this brokenness, incompleteness, lack of purpose and fulfilment to the Lord Jesus, He who has healed every type of brokenness from sin to premature death to incurable diseases, will heal us, too. We will no longer be broken vessels that cannot hold the truth, from which goodness leaks and evil creeps in. Jesus will fill us to the brim with vim.
For My people have committed two evils: They have abandoned (rejected ) Me, The fountain of living water, And they have carved out their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
Jeremiah 1 v 13
People carve out their own customs, traditions and practices after rejecting the Dayspring Jesus. Jesus revealed Himself to be the fountain of living water, water that will quench our thirst or meet our earthly need for refreshment and renewal as well as give us eternal life. The words of Jesus are the living water. We derive the principles of righteous living from the teachings and example of Jesus. Those principles shape our passion and give it a shape and direction. We will not be broken vessels as we once were when we lived in rejection of God.
We go to a fountain to obtain refreshment. Likewise, when we spend time in the presence of the Living God, we are refreshed and renewed. When our minds- our thoughts, emotions, will- are renewed, our spirits soar in joy. The yoke or responsibilities of this world will rest on our shoulders lightly. Since the Fountain is an inexhaustible source like an eternal spring whose water never dries up, we can return whenever we choose to Jesus. He will never send us away empty handed or dissatisfied. We as vessels appointed by Him carry His message of hope and love to our fellow human beings.
Abandoning God and embracing the ways and truths of man is the greatest evil from the perspective of this uni-verse. To follow the precepts and principles of any man, however good and wise is folly for any human’s wisdom and knowledge is bound to be very limited when compared with the infinite knowledge, wisdom and goodness of God. Though it might have the appearance of light and wisdom, it is a form of darkness. When such limited knowledge and wisdom rules over mankind, the result is faulty decisions, flawed relationships, broken lives, broken families, broken hearts and minds. The Apple Corporations symbol of the partial apple is ironically a symbol of such incompleteness, deficiencies, brokenness. There is something missing or broken in every human’s life but when we hand over this brokenness, incompleteness, lack of purpose and fulfilment to the Lord Jesus, He who has healed every type of brokenness from sin to premature death to incurable diseases, will heal us, too. We will no longer be broken vessels that cannot hold the truth, from which goodness leaks and evil creeps in. Jesus will fill us to the brim with vim.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
All Seasons" Faith
UV3338/10000 All Seasons’ Faith
And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
Genesis 39 v 3
Our relationship with God is reciprocal. If God is with us, we prosper as Joseph did even through events and times of extreme adversity. If we are with God we learn of His goodness, His grace, His power, His love, His mercy, His wisdom. It is a two way process of learning from the Lord in all situations and being blessed to prosper in a holistic sense. Joseph continued to trust God even when his own brothers out of envy sold him as a slave. Therefore, God did not let him remain a slave. He uplifted him out of slavery step by step. Joseph was patient and waiting for the Lord to act. He did not second guess Him and take the initiative into his own hands. He remained faithful and diligent in every situation He found himself in. The result was that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
If the hand of favour of the Lord is to rest upon us, we should be humble and grateful in all circumstances. Our relationship with the Lord should be sustained in rough weather and not only in good times. He is God in our good times as well as our bad times and we should not be found wanting in our personal commitment to Him in either. Some let their faith slack in good times when they have everything they need. Some crib and blame God in times of difficulties and famine. But we are called to be consistent, not fickle or time servers.
To be faithful in all seasons requires a deep and intimate understanding of the character of God. We should know that He is closest to us in our times of hardship. He tests our hearts with trials and troubles. Are we easily discouraged? Do we complain or murmur like the ancient Israelites despite being witnesses of His awesome deliverance from the captivity of the Egyptians? Just as seasons of heat, rain and cold are needed to grow and ripen a fruit, He uses different seasons of our lives to grow and ripen and perfect our faith, both to deepen and strengthen our reciprocal relationship.
And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
Genesis 39 v 3
Our relationship with God is reciprocal. If God is with us, we prosper as Joseph did even through events and times of extreme adversity. If we are with God we learn of His goodness, His grace, His power, His love, His mercy, His wisdom. It is a two way process of learning from the Lord in all situations and being blessed to prosper in a holistic sense. Joseph continued to trust God even when his own brothers out of envy sold him as a slave. Therefore, God did not let him remain a slave. He uplifted him out of slavery step by step. Joseph was patient and waiting for the Lord to act. He did not second guess Him and take the initiative into his own hands. He remained faithful and diligent in every situation He found himself in. The result was that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
If the hand of favour of the Lord is to rest upon us, we should be humble and grateful in all circumstances. Our relationship with the Lord should be sustained in rough weather and not only in good times. He is God in our good times as well as our bad times and we should not be found wanting in our personal commitment to Him in either. Some let their faith slack in good times when they have everything they need. Some crib and blame God in times of difficulties and famine. But we are called to be consistent, not fickle or time servers.
To be faithful in all seasons requires a deep and intimate understanding of the character of God. We should know that He is closest to us in our times of hardship. He tests our hearts with trials and troubles. Are we easily discouraged? Do we complain or murmur like the ancient Israelites despite being witnesses of His awesome deliverance from the captivity of the Egyptians? Just as seasons of heat, rain and cold are needed to grow and ripen a fruit, He uses different seasons of our lives to grow and ripen and perfect our faith, both to deepen and strengthen our reciprocal relationship.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
The Net Was Not Torn
UV 3337/10000 The Net Was Not Torn
So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
John 21 v 11
In our lives, sometimes we get something we desire very much but at the same time, we are not satisfied as there are holes in the net. The different aspects –physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual are inter connected. The spiritual is the invisible thread that connects all the various dimensions and aspects of our lives. But if the spiritual is not strong, true to life, deep and connected to all other aspects, our “nets” are torn and whatever we have caught so far seems to slip through the hole. The other day I heard of an entrepreneur who owned 7000 acres of coffee estate and increased it to 16000 acres and yet was not satisfied and his life ended in tragedy- in suspected suicide. He had everything life could give him in terms of material success but there was a hole in his “net” and he lost all.
When Jesus enters our hearts and lives, He enables us to experience abundance in different dimensions of life but our net will not be torn. The spiritual thread of devotion, dedication, determination, diligence and discipline affects, influences and impacts all areas of our lives. Our focus is not the blessings or the results of our efforts but on the One who so blesses us. The resurrected Jesus who had both tasted and digested death proved that He is the Overcomer. Seven of his (former disciples) who had returned to their profession of fishing had a frustrating experience all night of not being able to catch any fish. They had drawn a naught when the resurrected Jesus whom they could not recognize called out to them to cast the net on the starboard or right side. When they did so, their net was filled with fish to the point of bursting and yet the net did not tear or break. Instantly, the disciples had moved from the economy of “hamartia” or miserable failure to the economy of “hyperbole” or overachieving, the economy of abundance. In our lives, too, the Lord will show us how to change the direction in which we cast our net.
Faith in Jesus is truly a strong net that will not break or tear. It connects all the dots of our lives. Like the internet connects computers and all devices world-wide, our hearts united in faith in Jesus is connected like a net. It is a net that catches and saves souls, gives each a sense of direction as well as salvation or everlasting life. Simple trust in the word of Jesus and immediate, total obedience without hesitation changed the results the seven disciples in the boat experienced. The frustration, misery and sadness they felt was transformed instantly into exhilaration and abundance of joy. Everything we do in life is a casting of the net of faith. We do not know what the end results will be. But we do know the One Overcomer, The Eternal One who knows both our external and our internals. He will help us keep our net from being torn even as we haul in abundance in our lives. Just as Jesus asked the astonished disciples to share some of the fish, we too need to share it with the needy and the hungry.
So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
John 21 v 11
In our lives, sometimes we get something we desire very much but at the same time, we are not satisfied as there are holes in the net. The different aspects –physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual are inter connected. The spiritual is the invisible thread that connects all the various dimensions and aspects of our lives. But if the spiritual is not strong, true to life, deep and connected to all other aspects, our “nets” are torn and whatever we have caught so far seems to slip through the hole. The other day I heard of an entrepreneur who owned 7000 acres of coffee estate and increased it to 16000 acres and yet was not satisfied and his life ended in tragedy- in suspected suicide. He had everything life could give him in terms of material success but there was a hole in his “net” and he lost all.
When Jesus enters our hearts and lives, He enables us to experience abundance in different dimensions of life but our net will not be torn. The spiritual thread of devotion, dedication, determination, diligence and discipline affects, influences and impacts all areas of our lives. Our focus is not the blessings or the results of our efforts but on the One who so blesses us. The resurrected Jesus who had both tasted and digested death proved that He is the Overcomer. Seven of his (former disciples) who had returned to their profession of fishing had a frustrating experience all night of not being able to catch any fish. They had drawn a naught when the resurrected Jesus whom they could not recognize called out to them to cast the net on the starboard or right side. When they did so, their net was filled with fish to the point of bursting and yet the net did not tear or break. Instantly, the disciples had moved from the economy of “hamartia” or miserable failure to the economy of “hyperbole” or overachieving, the economy of abundance. In our lives, too, the Lord will show us how to change the direction in which we cast our net.
Faith in Jesus is truly a strong net that will not break or tear. It connects all the dots of our lives. Like the internet connects computers and all devices world-wide, our hearts united in faith in Jesus is connected like a net. It is a net that catches and saves souls, gives each a sense of direction as well as salvation or everlasting life. Simple trust in the word of Jesus and immediate, total obedience without hesitation changed the results the seven disciples in the boat experienced. The frustration, misery and sadness they felt was transformed instantly into exhilaration and abundance of joy. Everything we do in life is a casting of the net of faith. We do not know what the end results will be. But we do know the One Overcomer, The Eternal One who knows both our external and our internals. He will help us keep our net from being torn even as we haul in abundance in our lives. Just as Jesus asked the astonished disciples to share some of the fish, we too need to share it with the needy and the hungry.
Monday, September 2, 2019
Eternal Life and the 5 D New Life
UV 3336/10000 Eternal Life and the 5 D Life
Now this is eternal life that they may know You, the only true (supreme and sovereign) God, and in the same manner know Jesus as the Christ whom You have sent.
John 17 v 3
Through history, people have sought eternity or immortality in a variety of ways but Jesus in this uni-verse, part of His communication with the Father in heaven just before His crucifixion, defines what is eternal life and how to obtain it. Eternal life, He says, is knowing God, our Father in a personal and intimate way, knowing that He is the one who authenticates our lives which is otherwise a lie. He makes known His sovereignty, His majesty, His power, His grace and love in sending Jesus, the One anointed, chosen to save all mankind who believe in Him. We are now the restored image of God on earth and whatever we think, feel, do, we should realize we are reflecting His image, His glory, His power, His wisdom and grace on earth like a mirror reflects the rays of light from the sun that falls on it. Just as the computer has an ios or internet operating system, we have an iog in us – the image of God leading, guiding, enabling us to fulfil His purpose in our lives.
Other teachers like Buddha taught about the way- the eight fold path but Jesus became the path, the way of salvation and the way to salvation. HE fills the hole in our heart left by the disbelief of man in His Creator-Father and makes us whole. Disbelief in the true Word of God led to death ruling over the earth. Belief in Jesus as the Word of God restored eternal life. Just as life has some necessities like air, water, food, clothing, shelter, eternal life has some necessities provided by Jesus, the Way. Our food is the Word and this is the reason, John refers to Jesus as the Word became flesh. He gives us the full clothing of salvation. He is our spiritual shelter, our refuge in good times and bad times. Prayer in Jesus’s name is the spiritual equivalent of breathing. Jesus identified Himself with the basic necessities of man like He said, He is the light of the world whereby, He provides us inner light, direction, energy , power. He is the Water of everlasting life for when we drink of His presence, we pass from death to eternal life, from darkness to marvellous light. The old life lived in spiritual darkness had only three dimensions, mainly, the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.
The uni-verse does not speak of the third person of the Trinity- the Holy Spirit but it is implied that once we accept Jesus as the Way to salvation or eternal life, the Spirit of God resides in us and equips, empowers, inspires, sanctifies, guides and leads us. In short, eternal life is a complete package, easy to comprehend and experience. We can now affirm in confidence and faith with St Paul, “ My God shall supply all my need according to His infinite riches.” We no longer have a scarcity mentality. We also reflect the omnipotence of God in terms of omni-competence in another assertion of St Paul- “ I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.” With all these internal changes, eternal life is also described as “new life”- we have a change of heart, a change of priorities, a change of attitudes, a change of actions, reactions and habits. The new life is a life pleasing to God, marked by the five dimensions or 5 Ds of Devotion – to God in terms of worship, Dedication to Work, Determination to Goals set, Diligence in learning, studying, understanding His Word, Discipline in habits. Such a Five D life is holistic and good for the spirit, mind and body. Eternal life is not something that starts after our death but it has a "here and now" relevance. It begins now but never ends. It satisfies our desire for love and power now as well as immortality.
Now this is eternal life that they may know You, the only true (supreme and sovereign) God, and in the same manner know Jesus as the Christ whom You have sent.
John 17 v 3
Through history, people have sought eternity or immortality in a variety of ways but Jesus in this uni-verse, part of His communication with the Father in heaven just before His crucifixion, defines what is eternal life and how to obtain it. Eternal life, He says, is knowing God, our Father in a personal and intimate way, knowing that He is the one who authenticates our lives which is otherwise a lie. He makes known His sovereignty, His majesty, His power, His grace and love in sending Jesus, the One anointed, chosen to save all mankind who believe in Him. We are now the restored image of God on earth and whatever we think, feel, do, we should realize we are reflecting His image, His glory, His power, His wisdom and grace on earth like a mirror reflects the rays of light from the sun that falls on it. Just as the computer has an ios or internet operating system, we have an iog in us – the image of God leading, guiding, enabling us to fulfil His purpose in our lives.
Other teachers like Buddha taught about the way- the eight fold path but Jesus became the path, the way of salvation and the way to salvation. HE fills the hole in our heart left by the disbelief of man in His Creator-Father and makes us whole. Disbelief in the true Word of God led to death ruling over the earth. Belief in Jesus as the Word of God restored eternal life. Just as life has some necessities like air, water, food, clothing, shelter, eternal life has some necessities provided by Jesus, the Way. Our food is the Word and this is the reason, John refers to Jesus as the Word became flesh. He gives us the full clothing of salvation. He is our spiritual shelter, our refuge in good times and bad times. Prayer in Jesus’s name is the spiritual equivalent of breathing. Jesus identified Himself with the basic necessities of man like He said, He is the light of the world whereby, He provides us inner light, direction, energy , power. He is the Water of everlasting life for when we drink of His presence, we pass from death to eternal life, from darkness to marvellous light. The old life lived in spiritual darkness had only three dimensions, mainly, the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.
The uni-verse does not speak of the third person of the Trinity- the Holy Spirit but it is implied that once we accept Jesus as the Way to salvation or eternal life, the Spirit of God resides in us and equips, empowers, inspires, sanctifies, guides and leads us. In short, eternal life is a complete package, easy to comprehend and experience. We can now affirm in confidence and faith with St Paul, “ My God shall supply all my need according to His infinite riches.” We no longer have a scarcity mentality. We also reflect the omnipotence of God in terms of omni-competence in another assertion of St Paul- “ I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.” With all these internal changes, eternal life is also described as “new life”- we have a change of heart, a change of priorities, a change of attitudes, a change of actions, reactions and habits. The new life is a life pleasing to God, marked by the five dimensions or 5 Ds of Devotion – to God in terms of worship, Dedication to Work, Determination to Goals set, Diligence in learning, studying, understanding His Word, Discipline in habits. Such a Five D life is holistic and good for the spirit, mind and body. Eternal life is not something that starts after our death but it has a "here and now" relevance. It begins now but never ends. It satisfies our desire for love and power now as well as immortality.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
The Multi-Fruit Bearing Tree
UV 3335/10000 The Multi-Fruit Bearing Tree
And he will be like a tree firmly planted and fed by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers and comes to maturity.
Psalm 1 v 3
A tree does not bear fruit for itself but for other creatures. Likewise, we humans who follow Jesus should be fruit bearing trees. We should abound in all types of fruit. Unlike a tree that can only bear one type of fruit like oranges, apples or bananas, we humans can bear a different type of fruit in different seasons like the trees in John’s Revelation that bear a different fruit every month of the year. We are to be fruitful in our work life, our home life, our creative life, our social life and our emotional life. But above all we should bear spiritual fruit of souls committed to God and the fruit of the spirit- of love with all the attributes described in I Corinthians chapter 13, of faith as described in Hebrews chapter 11, of joy as described in I Thessalonians chapter 5, patience as of Jesus, the Shalom or holistic peace of Jesus, the practical kindness of a Good Samaritan, the goodness of the Lord witnessed in His sacrifice on the cross for all humans, humility, brokenness, contriteness of a Moses, the self control or discipline of the Holy Spirit evidenced in Daniel and Joseph.
There are prerequisites or conditions necessary for a tree to bear fruit. It should be planted in fertile soil. Our souls are the soil of planting the seed by the Holy Spirit. The natural seed of our minds should be joined to the supernatural and spiritual Seed of Jesus who is dual in nature so that we can identify with Him and He with us in all our efforts for Jesus is both Son of Man and Son of God. This joining happens when we are born again in the spirit and make a personal commitment of our lives to Jesus. The seed dies to itself and lives to Christ. The tree on which the serpent hung and tempted the first man and woman was also cursed by God. The source of water from below the ground dried up and the earth produced thorns and thistles. That curse was broken when Jesus hung and died on the cross.
Praying is sowing, learning is ploughing, doing is growing. Once the seed dies to itself and lives to Christ, it begins to grow as we pray, learn the Word of God, practice it with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Then the roots have to penetrate downward and outward and spread till its ends are always dipping in the streams of water or the inspiration of the Lord. The deeper our spiritual roots, the greater the winds and storms we can withstand. The wider they spread, the more nourishment we can draw from the ground. When we live by such faith and not merely by our tangible senses or six senses and our limited human reasoning, we grow not just spiritually but holistically in every dimension of life. All our branches of life- work, family, ministry, social network, our influence and legacy will spread in all directions and bear a variety of fruit that is useful for the rest of humanity. Even the words we speak which is similar to the leaves of a tree will not perish and fall to the ground but flourish in the thing we have spoken about. It will grow in the hearts and minds of the hearers to produce faith, hope and love.
And he will be like a tree firmly planted and fed by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers and comes to maturity.
Psalm 1 v 3
A tree does not bear fruit for itself but for other creatures. Likewise, we humans who follow Jesus should be fruit bearing trees. We should abound in all types of fruit. Unlike a tree that can only bear one type of fruit like oranges, apples or bananas, we humans can bear a different type of fruit in different seasons like the trees in John’s Revelation that bear a different fruit every month of the year. We are to be fruitful in our work life, our home life, our creative life, our social life and our emotional life. But above all we should bear spiritual fruit of souls committed to God and the fruit of the spirit- of love with all the attributes described in I Corinthians chapter 13, of faith as described in Hebrews chapter 11, of joy as described in I Thessalonians chapter 5, patience as of Jesus, the Shalom or holistic peace of Jesus, the practical kindness of a Good Samaritan, the goodness of the Lord witnessed in His sacrifice on the cross for all humans, humility, brokenness, contriteness of a Moses, the self control or discipline of the Holy Spirit evidenced in Daniel and Joseph.
There are prerequisites or conditions necessary for a tree to bear fruit. It should be planted in fertile soil. Our souls are the soil of planting the seed by the Holy Spirit. The natural seed of our minds should be joined to the supernatural and spiritual Seed of Jesus who is dual in nature so that we can identify with Him and He with us in all our efforts for Jesus is both Son of Man and Son of God. This joining happens when we are born again in the spirit and make a personal commitment of our lives to Jesus. The seed dies to itself and lives to Christ. The tree on which the serpent hung and tempted the first man and woman was also cursed by God. The source of water from below the ground dried up and the earth produced thorns and thistles. That curse was broken when Jesus hung and died on the cross.
Praying is sowing, learning is ploughing, doing is growing. Once the seed dies to itself and lives to Christ, it begins to grow as we pray, learn the Word of God, practice it with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Then the roots have to penetrate downward and outward and spread till its ends are always dipping in the streams of water or the inspiration of the Lord. The deeper our spiritual roots, the greater the winds and storms we can withstand. The wider they spread, the more nourishment we can draw from the ground. When we live by such faith and not merely by our tangible senses or six senses and our limited human reasoning, we grow not just spiritually but holistically in every dimension of life. All our branches of life- work, family, ministry, social network, our influence and legacy will spread in all directions and bear a variety of fruit that is useful for the rest of humanity. Even the words we speak which is similar to the leaves of a tree will not perish and fall to the ground but flourish in the thing we have spoken about. It will grow in the hearts and minds of the hearers to produce faith, hope and love.
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