Originally written 8th March 2008:
I am ashamed to have to admit but the last few months, I have not been showing Good Fruit. I have read Matthew 7 v 15-20 many times but never did it hit me until today what God has been pressing on my spirit for the last few weeks. For four weeks, I had taken time out for fasting and prayer regarding breakthrough in my personal life and regarding Luke 18, Justice in our World. Little did I know God was going to show me what he means by Good Fruit.
Matthew 7 v 15-20
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them
So what is this Good Fruit? Question must ask what does the bible teach? Love. How do we show love? By following the commandments written in our bibles. For example: if we love God we should not take his name in vain...if we love our neighbour we should not steal or lie against them.
So who are we suppose to love? God, Jesus, our brothers and sisters in Christ, Our neighbours and EVEN our enemies. Who are our enemies and some of our neighbours? Sinners, those who do not believe in Christ, those teaching a different doctrine. Are we allowed to rebuke, judge or correct? Yes, to our brother and sister's in Christ but we are not judge those outside the Church for God will judge them accordingly.
So what bad fruit did I produce? Gossiping and inadvertently maligning those very enemies that Jesus tells us to pray for and bless them. But what was I doing? I was not praying for them and blessing them but joining in with other in gossiping thinking I was doing no wrong and fighting the good fight of faith. Yes, we are to preach the word and try to refute those false doctrines and defend the faith...However, Jesus said if that city (or person) does not receive you (or listen to you) to basically to leave and wipe the dust from your feet, if a person refuses to see truth...are we to hound them to death? No, Jesus basically stated to leave and move on to perhaps the next person (who might believe).
Matthew ch. 7 v 21-23, Jesus makes this statement: 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Is he talking about a televised preacher teaching us false doctrine? Perhaps but he is also talking to you and me, the everyday person, the one in the body of Christ. Little did I realise that this statement was talking to me. Here I was fasting and praying looking for a break through in my personal life and Jesus was saying you have done these things yet you sit there breaking the commandments I gave you...this is what he means by lawlessness (not about breaking a traffic ticket)depart from me for I never knew you. If I died tomorrow, and judgement day came Jesus would have told me that I do not know you and shown me what I have done wrong....
Continue in the following blog entry...
I am ashamed to have to admit but the last few months, I have not been showing Good Fruit. I have read Matthew 7 v 15-20 many times but never did it hit me until today what God has been pressing on my spirit for the last few weeks. For four weeks, I had taken time out for fasting and prayer regarding breakthrough in my personal life and regarding Luke 18, Justice in our World. Little did I know God was going to show me what he means by Good Fruit.
Matthew 7 v 15-20
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them
So what is this Good Fruit? Question must ask what does the bible teach? Love. How do we show love? By following the commandments written in our bibles. For example: if we love God we should not take his name in vain...if we love our neighbour we should not steal or lie against them.
So who are we suppose to love? God, Jesus, our brothers and sisters in Christ, Our neighbours and EVEN our enemies. Who are our enemies and some of our neighbours? Sinners, those who do not believe in Christ, those teaching a different doctrine. Are we allowed to rebuke, judge or correct? Yes, to our brother and sister's in Christ but we are not judge those outside the Church for God will judge them accordingly.
So what bad fruit did I produce? Gossiping and inadvertently maligning those very enemies that Jesus tells us to pray for and bless them. But what was I doing? I was not praying for them and blessing them but joining in with other in gossiping thinking I was doing no wrong and fighting the good fight of faith. Yes, we are to preach the word and try to refute those false doctrines and defend the faith...However, Jesus said if that city (or person) does not receive you (or listen to you) to basically to leave and wipe the dust from your feet, if a person refuses to see truth...are we to hound them to death? No, Jesus basically stated to leave and move on to perhaps the next person (who might believe).
Matthew ch. 7 v 21-23, Jesus makes this statement: 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Is he talking about a televised preacher teaching us false doctrine? Perhaps but he is also talking to you and me, the everyday person, the one in the body of Christ. Little did I realise that this statement was talking to me. Here I was fasting and praying looking for a break through in my personal life and Jesus was saying you have done these things yet you sit there breaking the commandments I gave you...this is what he means by lawlessness (not about breaking a traffic ticket)depart from me for I never knew you. If I died tomorrow, and judgement day came Jesus would have told me that I do not know you and shown me what I have done wrong....
Continue in the following blog entry...
