Ripe Fruit
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles, uncategorized
I love summer best. I don’t even mind the hot dry days of the desert. The best part of summer is the fresh fruit that appears in the stores. The shelves are filled with ripe, luscious, juicy, fruit…. just waiting for my pie or a frothy smoothie.
The Lord speaks of fruit and fruit bearing in Matthew 7:16 NASB. Here the Lord compares lives to fruit….“You will know [recognize] them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?”
Jesus is cautioning his disciples on how to discern false prophets. He is telling them and us to beware of those who preach a type of Christian gospel but whose lives reflect a personal agenda or perhaps take the Lord’s words out of context and misapply them.
Of course, the Lord knows and wants what is best for each of us. This doesn’t always include being happy, or prosperous, or even healthy.
I can’t explain why some people receive direct answers to prayer and others do not. Why some are healed and others are not. If I knew the answers, then I would know the mind of God.
Let no one tell you that they are able to answer those questions. I would have a problem with those who claim to know God’s mind.
If there are those who claim they are given the gift of “discernment,” then how are we to know if they speak on behalf of God?
If what they say is not in keeping with scripture then beware….just as Jesus taught his disciples. If this includes sending money for prayer, or intercession, or special favors, then you can be assured they are speaking falsely.
Beware of “scripture twisting” (2 Peter 3:15-16) to suit personal agendas or a particular mindset….taking words out of context or historical background.
In Acts 17:11 NASB…. “for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” These Berean Jews were searching for the Messiah. Paul was pleased to show them how Jesus fulfilled prophecy. They knew because they studied.
Test the “fruit” (1 John 4:1 NLT)……does it seem too good to be true? Do the words “tickle our ears”? (2 Timothy 4:3 Phillips). Does the sermon draw us nearer to God or the person speaking? Do their lives reflect their speech? Are their words supported in Scripture?
How about us? Does my everyday life reflect the gift of a fruitful spirit? (Colossians 3:8-10,12-14).
—Barbara Hyland, guest writer