Produce Fruit

Matthew 3: ⁸ Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. ⁹ And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

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Listening intently in the meeting, I picked through all of the rough parts of the conversation to hear what was needed. I formulated a plan and executed it without flaw.  Observers were impressed and gave me a raise, promotion and a bonus!

• There have been times I when worked hard for the world.
• There have been times I when put a lot of effort into obtaining wealth.
• There have been times I when monopolized my time with helping the rich get richer.

You have had a “fruitful” career someone once said to me, but what is “fruit?” I mean if “fruit” is making people wealthy who could care less about the poor, then yes I did that. BUT GOD’s fruit is quite different.

• GOD wants me to bear the fruit of appreciation of HIS creation.
• GOD wants me to bear the fruit of thoughtfulness of those who are truly seeking HIM.
• GOD wants me to bear the fruit of passion for HIS kingdom.

Recognition that I am here today and gone tomorrow means that I am not trying to leave a legacy to myself, rather I am trying to put people on GOD’s path so they can carry on HIS plan. Bearing fruit is important to GOD. HE loves that I “believe” in HIS existence but wants much more.

GOD wants me to act upon my belief, bearing fruit whenever and wherever HE sends me. HIS kingdom has to be foremost in my mind so HE can draw those HE desires towards HIMSELF.

• Are you bearing human fruit or GODLY fruit?
• Do you spend most of your time working and are too exhausted to mention GOD during your day?
• Can people see GOD in you?
• Will you step back from bearing worldly fruit for just a moment and bear GOD’s fruit today?

Showing the way

Ephesians 5: ⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 

(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰ and find out what pleases the Lord.

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“Let’s see… a potato chip box, some foil, paper clips and rubber bands, that’s what I need” I said to myself. As I started to build my project I became discouraged that I didn’t know what I was doing. These flimsy materials were my ingredients of a robot I was about to build for the science fair.

When I told my teacher what I wanted to build, she smiled and pointed me to a book of science projects. I felt better with this glimmer of enlightenment.

• Many times I have had to deal with being in the dark and I felt alone.
• Many times I have felt “left out” and wanted someone to just point me in the right direction.
• Many times I have been clueless to what was going on and felt inadequate and lost.

GOD said I was “darkness” not “in the dark.” This means I was the cause of people falling away from HIM.  In my sin I was causing people to turn away from GOD so I could get what I wanted. BUT GOD shined HIS light in my eyes and wants me to behave differently.

• GOD wants me to understand what is pleasing to HIM so I can enlighten others.
• GOD wants me to pursue what is right so I can enlighten others.
• GOD wants me to seek the truth from HIM so I can enlighten others.

GOD says “you know the way to MY kingdom so act like it.” In other words “live as children of light” which means showing others the way towards HIM.  It doesn’t mean putting on a façade or acting goody, goody while hiding my sin. GOD wants me to admit my sin to the world and tell everyone “HIS grace is sufficient.”  This is pleasing to the LORD.

• Are you trying to live your life without asking GOD what HE wants?
• Are you so busy with life that you are still in the dark about what HE wants from you?
• Can you open the eyes of your heart and allow HIM to give you direction?
• Will you shine the light HE has given you today and help someone who needs direction?

Keeping in step with the SPIRIT

Galatians 5: ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ^23 24 25 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

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“This party is off the charts!” someone said to me. Yes I said charts. We had the right combination, good music, silly people, drunkenness and lots of women! After a pretty “fun” night, the next morning I slugged to the cafeteria. A person was there trying to persuade me to go to church. “Who are they?” I said to myself.

I believe in JESUS already.  I’m just having “fun.”

• When I do what I want I get out of step with GOD.
• When I ignore GOD I lose my direction.
• When I lose my direction I feel hopeless.

After my “fun” I always seemed to have a sense of loss as if I had an opportunity to please GOD and I let HIM down. Yes I know “once saved always saved” but it seems like there is more to life than just being “forgiven by GOD.”

• GOD placed HIS SPIRIT in me to bear the fruit of love, joy and peace to show others HE cares.
• GOD placed HIS SPIRIT in me to bear the fruit of forbearance, kindness and goodness to show others HE desires a relationship with anyone who wants HIM.
• GOD placed HIS SPIRIT in me to bear the fruit of gentleness and self-control to help others when they are down.

When I am out of step with GOD I don’t feel very fruitful.  I feel like running and hiding, which doesn’t help anyone. GOD wants me to bear fruit.  HE wants me to remain “in step” with the SPIRIT. HE shows me HIS fruitful attributes and desires that I do the same. The more “fruit” I add to my diet the more “fruit” I will bear.

• Are you bearing fruit?
• Do you feel your lifestyle is drawing people to CHRIST or repelling them?
• Can you add one or more items of SPIRITUAL fruit to your actions today?

What am I doing with my life?

Luke 6: ⁴³ “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. ⁴⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

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“Nice or grumpy” are the words that describe the elderly and it takes practice to achieve either title. I guess I want to gain the “nice” title but it requires some work on my part.

• I can fight my enemies and be just like them or I can serve those GOD tells me to serve, it’s my choice.
• I can fulfill all my lusts and desires or I can discipline myself to follow GOD’s ways, it’s my choice.
• I can complain that things aren’t going right or I can practice praising GOD in the middle of the storm, it’s my choice.

Bearing “fruit” is quite important to GOD.  Fruit to GOD is serving HIS humans to the point that they stop rejecting HIS great gift of eternal salvation. I cannot do it without HIM because most times I don’t want to store “good things” in my heart.

I choose to serve GOD even though I sin. HE saved a person like me and I know HE can do the same for anyone else who is willing to make a change. HE gave me a heart filled with compassion even for my enemies and this enables me to bear fruit.

• What are you doing with your life?
• Are you too busy to bear fruit?
• When you get old will you look back on your life wishing you had worked harder?
• When will you take time to be part of “that” person’s life to help them?
• Don’t you know one person who needs to hear GOD’s words of comfort?

What will my legacy be like?

Matthew 7: ¹⁷ Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

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As I sat in my apartment all alone I guess it was a time in my life where I started taking inventory of “where I was in life.” I was single, fresh out of school, on my own and not following the LORD. I mean I was “good” because I wasn’t committing any crimes. 

I just wanted to have some “fun” on the weekends, maybe go to a bar, give my number out, buy some clothes and do it all again next week. Something felt empty about my life. What had I accomplished? Fortunately, GOD had a different answer than humans.

• People tell me to climb the ladder of success and step on others to get there BUT GOD doesn’t like when I mistreat HIS humans.
• People tell me that titles are important BUT GOD isn’t impressed with my humanly title.
• People tell me that it’s alright to live as wild and free as I want BUT GOD tells me I will reap what I sow.

It really never dawned on me that there is more to life than living for my pleasure. That empty hole in my heart could only be filled with “love”, a special kind of love that only comes from GOD.

• The more I serve others the fuller my heart becomes.
• The more I serve others the more my life becomes “abundant.”
• The more I serve others the more exciting my days grow.

GOD said “you will recognize HIS children by the fruit they bear.” I can use and abuse others but that’s not HIS fruit.  HE wants me to serve them in secret and humbly move to the next act of kindness. My wake should leave waves of greatness not splashes of destruction.

Now I guess I live with a certain motto, “leave a person better than I found them.”

• Are you bearing good or bad fruit?
• By not doing anything for GOD, do you think this is “good” fruit?
• Can you do more to serve GOD’s humans strictly as an act of worshipping HIM?
• What will people say about your entire life when you are gone? (Hurt me, helped me, did nothing?)

I’ll take the weeds instead of the fruit today!

Hebrews 6: ⁷ Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. ⁸ But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

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There we were, in the middle of a disagreement. How did we get there? Why were we there? The only thing I could think was that person was wrong and I was right… plain and simple! But it’s not that plain nor is it simple. If it takes two to make an argument, what was I doing?

• Being around humans that disagree with me is actually quite humbling.
• Being around humans that disagree with me shows me that I’m not always right.
• Being around humans that disagree with me helps refine me into something better for GOD.

My goal for my family is to send them out of the house smiling. Missing chores, broken things, misspoken words thwart that goal and in my retaliation I produce “weeds” not “fruit.”

• I produce weeds being impatient, fruit when I wait on GOD.
• I produce weeds being fearful, fruit when I show faith.
• I produce weeds being poisonous in my words, fruit when I speak encouragement.

The Bible has a lot of “rights” and “wrongs” but head knowledge of these things is not enough for GOD. HE wants me to have “heart” knowledge which requires grace, mercy and unconditional love.

Wow, how can I give these things if I feel empty? The answer is “I can’t” at least not on my own.

• In order to show “grace” I must remember the grace JESUS showed me.
• In order to show “mercy” I must be willing to admit when I am wrong especially when I can’t see it.
• In order to show “unconditional love” I must point at the savior who is the only one who can do that.

My heart is supposed to be GOD’s “land.” I can fill it with seeds that produce fruit or weeds. I can fill it with compassion for others or pity for myself. GOD’s heart looks forward not backward and I want to produce the “blessings” HE sows for others.

• What is in “your” heart right now?
• Are you focused on greed, lust, vices, or drugs?
• Can you find out what GOD wants you to plant in your heart today?
• Can you stop waiting on “perfect” conditions before you produce fruit?

I heard about how good you are!

Colossians 1:  ⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,

 ¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

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Orientation was long that day especially since it was a conference call because we lived in different states. When they announced my name several people said “Oh I’ve heard of you! We can’t wait to have you join us on this mission’s trip.”

My sister had told the people of her church about my prior mission’s trips and a good reputation had been established. This trip with her church was headed to China for the purpose of spreading the gospel through teaching English. The prayers for the trip were carefully chosen and I am glad because we did face a spiritual battle.

• People should know me as a person of GOD instead of another reputation.
• People should know my good works without me telling them.
• People should know I am consistent with my beliefs no matter the circumstance.

I have to admit I want a prayer like the one Paul gave to the Colossians. Listen to what I desire.

• Pray that GOD fills me with the knowledge of HIS will otherwise I will make my own plans.
• Pray that GOD gives me understanding through HIS SPIRIT otherwise I will jump to conclusions.
• Pray that GOD blesses my life that I may live to please HIM otherwise I will pout and run away from HIM.
• Pray that GOD enables fruit in my life otherwise I will try to control my circumstances.
• Pray that GOD grows my endurance and patience otherwise I will give up too soon.

The LORD should still be praised even through difficult tumultuous times. I have to thank GOD for giving me a great inheritance instead of complaining that I didn’t get my way out of the latest trial. GOD you are awesome and I thank YOU for the blessings You have given me this day!

• Do people know about your love of GOD?
• Can people see HIS light shining through you?
• Are your complaints or helplessness preceding you?
• Can you serve others without bragging about it?

I want to be good but…

Galatians 5:  ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

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Saturday Night Live was very edgy at one time. It was the first place where “dirty” words were used on television. While shocking, it seemed to have an opposite effect, at least on me. Since I craved to fit in, I thought I would give these words a whirl.

After a while I could lace together a tapestry of filth so vile it would make your pigs throw up. I was “in” and people wanted more, BUT GOD wanted less.

• Even the smallest of sins is still sin in GOD’s eyes.
• Small sins give me permission to do more and more sins and a sinful lifestyle.
• Wild lifestyles don’t produce the “fruit” of GOD, no matter what my beliefs are.

When I woke up from fulfilling my voracious appetite for peer acceptance, I looked around and had no GODLY fruit in my life. Time had passed and I had nothing I could point to with GOD’s mark on it. On the contrary, I had plenty of sin and an empty heart.

• GOD’s love in me is shown through actions towards people who don’t deserve it.
• GOD’s joy in me is shown when things go wrong and I’m praising GOD.
• GOD’s peace in me is shown when I should be nervous but a strange calmness overcomes my emotions.
• GOD’s patience in me is shown by hanging on when I should “cut” someone loose.
• GOD’s kindness in me is shown through serving.
• GOD’s goodness in me is shown through following what HE tells me to do.
• GOD’s faithfulness in me is shown by believing things will be fine no matter the circumstance.
• GOD’s gentleness in me is shown when I give mercy to the “guilty” party.
• GOD’s self control in me is shown when I say “NO” to sin that time.

My life is actually not “my life.” GOD made me for HIMSELF and HE desires I follow HIS ways. Since HE gave me freewill, I have a choice to follow HIM or fulfill my sin. When I follow HIM, I produce “fruit.”

• Are you producing GODLY fruit in your life?
• Do other people see your actions and know you are doing them for CHRIST?
• Can you do your actions in front of everyone without having shame?
• Honestly, would GOD be pleased with your actions?

You will be known by your fruit.

Matthew 12:33"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

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I read this several times this morning and it made me think. What kind of "fruit" am I bearing? I look back on my life and I see some days where I had GODLY fruit and other days I had selfish fruit.

The days in which I had selfish fruit I got my way, but I didn't want what I got. There were times when I was quick to accuse and ready to tell the person or people about their wrong. Trust me, ask my family! BUT GOD showed me that this behavior is not GODLY fruit.

I thought I was being careful with my accusations of the past. I mean I had biblical references and I was ready to slay the people who "wronged" me. After stabbing their heart with what I thought was the truth I wonder if they could hear a message of CHRIST from me?

• GODLY fruit isn't easy.
• GODLY fruit doesn't keep count of wrong.
• GODLY fruit doesn't respond to false accusations.
• GODLY fruit leaves the door open to tell people about grace.
• GODLY fruit enables blessings.
• GODLY fruit can only come from GOD through humans.

I look at the poison I have spit at humans. I accuse and I complain about their actions. "Look at that stupid boss" or "look at the way he is dressed" is what I used to say. How about "look at that raggedy car" or "why don't they paint that house?" ""On no, here comes a beggar, I wonder if they are scamming." The list goes on.

These are not proud moments, but I am glad GOD doesn't keep score. HE loves when I say "thank you" for the blessings others give me instead of complaining about the gift. HE loves when I give grace to people instead of the so called justice I think I need to give them. HE adores when I speak of HIS SON and convinces people not to reject HIM.

GOD knows the times in which I am truly bearing fruit and when I want to look good in front of humans. Fortunately for me HE only keeps track of the good!

• What kind of fruit are you bearing today?
• Is there someone who could use GODLY fruit instead of your so called justice?
• Have you looked at your relationships?
• How healthy are they?
• Do you push people away or draw them to you?