I was 28 when Genesis became the focus of study in my life.  Now, well…..if I tell you how old I am, you may think I am over the hill and stop reading my blog.  But I guess I will take that chance.  I'm 75.  And science still holds great fascination for me.  But God's word holds my heart.  I am like you.  I want to know the truth.   I've spent my life being sure about what is true and I can truthfully and with total honesty say,  I have never found anything about, in, or concerning the Bible but truth.  Jesus said, "I am the truth."  And he is.  

I had an advantage.  I grew up in a  family of Bible teachers.  Father, mother, grandmother, aunts and uncles.  And on Sunday at dinner, they would all eat together and discuss what they had taught that morning.  Also, what they had learned.  I assumed that everyone grew up on fried chicken and scripture.    And in addition to my family, our pastor was the best Bible scholar I have ever heard.  We cut our spiritual teeth on his sermons.  He spent four hours every morning studying the Bible.  He spent every afternoon ministering to his people and their needs.

He would hang a chart 40 feet long across the front of the church and outline the progression of what he was teaching (with pictures in color for the children) and would have every reference printed for you.  It was so interesting.  He was our pastor from the time I was 4, until I was 9 years old.  And I can still close my eyes and see some of those outlines.  Later, when I was grown and the mother of two little girls, I got to listen to him again--three times a week for four months.  He was so inspiring.  He was also my father-in-law.  I got to live with E. R. and Mary Jane for a short time while my husband was spending a year overseas.  I got to hear him not only as a child but as a grown woman.

So I was doubly blessed.  Not only my family, but my husband's family.  Later on in my life I realized that not everyone had come from so rich a Biblical childhood.  And I was convicted that having been given so much, much more would be required of me by God.   So, I am a teacher.   I want everyone to have the confidence of God's word that I grew up with.

"…unto whom much is given, of him (her, me) shall much be required…"  Luke 12: 48b.  

 

My daughter asked me to go through the Bible and comment on the verses that have had special meaning to me.  So, since I have finished the book of Jude, I think that I might enjoy that.  I'm ready for a break from what I've been writing.  Here goes.

I started the blog because my daughters wanted me to teach them about the first few chapters of Genesis.  If you missed that, go back to the beginning of my blog.  I have spent much of my life teaching the truth of the Biblical account of creation, and rectifying what God had to tell us with what science has found.  Standing on the truth of God's word as the absolute truth.  Because of this, the very first verse in the Bible means a great deal to me.  It is the complete and total account of the beginning of all things.

Genesis 1:1  "In the beginning, God  created the heaven and the earth."  Period.  Done.  Complete.  Finished.  The sequence that follows this verse explains some, but not all, of the process.

What was there, I don't know.  How long it was between verse one and two, I don't know.  God doesn't tell us.

However, science can tell us a great deal, and we shouldn't ignore facts. There were dinosaurs.  Continents were in different places than they are now;  they are moving.  Earthquakes can knock the earth off its axis.  Meteorites can change the face of the land.   New land can appear due to volcanos under the oceans.  But be wary of theories.  Remember that the Bible will never contain error.

Genesis  1:2a  "And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep."
Between verse one and two, something happened.  God doesn't create formless, void, or  darkness.  God is the light and in him is no darkness at all.

We are to the end of Jude's letter.  He is often a forgotten writer, maybe because he was not as prolific as Paul, or Peter, or John.  But he has important things to say to us.

Jude leaves us with a blessing.  Jude 1: 24-25, "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.  To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, and dominion and power, both now and ever.  Amen."

So many great thoughts:

1.  He will keep you from falling.  He saves us.  He keeps us.
2.  He will present us faultless.  What a miracle of grace.
3.  We will be in the presence of his glory.  There is a song that says: "I can only imagine."
4.  We will be filled with exceeding joy.  Joy unimaginable.  What a day that will be.

Jude ends with a benediction.  He glorifies God our Savior and acknowledges God's majesty, dominion and power.

The thing is, whether the world acknowledges it or not, God is all powerful and has dominion over the world we live in as well as the world to come.  Someday, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.  Wouldn't it be a blessing if people could do that now rather than when it is too late.  That would be heaven on earth.

In yesterday's blog, Jude explained how we are to grow and build ourselves up in Christ.

In today's blog, he explains our responsibility to the people who don't know Jesus.  It's going to take some maturity in your Christian walk before you are able to engage in all of the methods that Jude suggests.  However, you can be a witness.

If you are a new Christian, stick with your own testimony.  You don't have to know very much to witness.  When you engage a doubter, try this:  "I don't know the answers to all of your questions, I just know how Jesus has changed my life."  And then give your personal testimony.

Remember, you aren't in charge of what the unbeliever choses to do.  You are only charged with the responsibility of sharing Christ.  Quoting from the Living Bible:

Jude 1:22-23  "Try to help those who argue against you.  Be merciful to those who doubt.  Save some by snatching them as from the very flames of hell itself.  And as for others, help them to find the Lord by being kind to them, but be careful that you yourselves aren't pulled along into their sins.  Hate every trace of their sin while being merciful to them as sinners."  There are two points that he makes here.  The first is how to go about witnessing.  Second is a warning.

1.  Help those who argue.
Be merciful to doubters.
Be aggressive with those who are on the verge of disaster; snatch them from the flames of hell.
With others, try kindness.  They might recognize that there is something about you that is different

2.  Be careful.  When you witness, you will sometimes encounter very sinful people.  There is a big     difference between sin and sinners.  Don't get sucked in to what they are doing just because you love them as people.

Now that Jude has described what a false, fake "Christian" prophet acts like, he tells us what the true believers, the true prophets need to be like.  And again, Jude calls this group of Christians to whom he is writing "Beloved".

Jude 1: 20 "But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."

1.  Building yourselves up…………..in your faith
2.  Praying…………………………..in the Holy Ghost
3.  Keeping yourselves……………...in the love of God
4.  Looking for the mercy…………..of our Lord Jesus Christ
…………………….Unto eternal life.

All of those verbs are active.  Although Jesus does all the saving, we are responsible for what comes after salvation.   It takes a day to day walk with him, actively practicing Godly characteristics with faithful dependance on the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the indwelling Christ.

"Christ in you, the hope of glory",   Col. 1:27.

……………………….Unto eternal life.  Isn't it going to be great.  Not only will we see Jesus, but all  of our Christian family and friends, Paul, John, Peter, Ruth, Moses, Abraham…….I have a million questions to ask all of them.  "When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun.  We've no less days to sing His praise, than when we've first begun", is what that old song says.  Well somewhere along the way, I want to meet my great-grandmother, and her mother and her mother, all the way back.  It will take eternity.

Jude tells them to "Hold On" to the simple gospel message.  He says that the sinful do "…ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed."  Double trouble.   Then he lists what the sinful are like.

 In Jude 1:16-19  he lists a few of these ungodly persons:

1.  Murmurers
2.  Complainers
3.  Walking after their own lusts
4.  Boastful, speaking 'swelling' words
5.  Taking advantage.
6.  Mockers
7.  Sensual
8.  Not having the Spirit

What happened to drinkin', smokin', and dancin'?  Just when I think I'm doing pretty good in my walk with Christ, along comes Jude to cut me down.

I'm going to complain less, brag on myself less, etc. etc.  I certainly have some work to do.

You probably do to.  And it is all impossible without Christ.

1.  They deny the inerrancy  of the Bible.
2.  They deny the Deity of Christ and the virgin birth.
3.  They deny the sinless nature of Christ.
4.  They do not accept the substitutionary death of Christ for their sins.  They believe good works are enough.
5.  They do not believe in the bodily resurrection three days after His death.
6.  They do not believe in the  ascension of Christ into heaven..
7.  They do not believe in the literal future return of Christ.
8.  They do not believe in judgment.
9.  They do not believe in hell.

People who do not want to believe in all of Gods' word, but still want to believe in God, will take the part of God's word they like and then they will make up their own version for the rest. It will probably take some form of the 9 points stated above, but there are others I am sure.

It's either true or it isn't.  You can't just pick and choose.  As well validated as the Bible is, you wonder what their problem is.  Maybe it is easier to believe in Star Wars.

So in reference to false prophets, Jude says, "Woe unto them!"

Jude 1: 12-13 "These (people) are spots in yours feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear:  Clouds without water, carried about of winds, trees whose fruit withers, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots.  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever."

Isn't Jude expressive.  He uses every comparison he can think of to describe  a teacher who 'deforms' the gospel and confuses God's people.  I want to discuss the words "Twice dead" tomorrow, but first I want to give you seven marks, or signs of a false prophet.

1.  They deny the inerrancy of the Bible.  They will say things such as: "Well, parts of the Bible may be true, but many parts are not."  Or: "I don't believe the Bible is true.  God didn't inspire it, men wrote it."

2.  They deny the Deity of Christ and the virgin birth.  They say Jesus was a good man, but not God.

3.  They deny the sinless nature of Christ.  They will say untruths about Jesus life and make up stories about what he did.  For instance, that he married, had children, etc. for which there is no foundation whatsoever.  They prefer to speculate rather than accept God's word.

4.  They do not accept the substitutionary death of Christ for their sins, nor the covering of their sins by his blood.  They prefer to say things like: "I've lived a good life.  I've done more good than bad."  They are  trusting in their own works.

5.  They do not accept the bodily resurrection.  They prefer to believe that someone stole his body.  (More about that tomorrow.  Also, points 6, and 7))






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Jude now describes what happens to those who don't believe.  He says "Remember", and states three examples.

1.   Jude 1: 5  The Lord saved the people out of Egypt and "…afterward destroyed those that believed not."

2.   Jude 1: 6  "The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation,…"  (Probably those angels that took sides with Lucifer when he tried to elevate himself over God.)  God says that he has reserved a place in everlasting chains under darkness until the judgement day.  I think that means 'Dead angels walking.'

3.   Jude 1: 7-8   In this verse God describes what happened to Sodom and Gomorrha and will happen to other such cities who give themselves to fornication and "…strange flesh…".  He sets forth an example, damning them to suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.  Likewise, he includes:  1.  Filthy dreamers,  2.  Defilers of the flesh, and  3.  Those who speak evil of 'dignities'.   I don't think I need to spell out what God is saying.  He is warning us that what we 'think' of such things doesn't matter.  What God thinks is what is important.

Jude 1: 9b, 10b, 11a  Jude tells us about a confrontation that the angel Michael had with satan.  "The Lord rebuke you,"  Michael said.  "…they corrupt themselves."  "Woe to them!  for they have gone the way of Cain and ran greedily after of error of Balaam…"   Clear enough.

God calls for purity.  Undefiled purity.  Of the body, and of the soul.   We aren't pure.  But Christ is, and he has taken up residence in our hearts.

In Jude 1:3 Jude stresses that he is 'writing'.  Writing.  he says that it was needful for him to write.  He says that he exhorts them to contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.  He probably felt anxiety that he was far away, that they needed reassurance, and that he couldn't get to them.  He was too far away.  I understand the feeling of being too far away.  I married a Marine fighter pilot.  We had 19 moves in 15 years.  We were always "far away".  From family, from friends, and more than half the time, from each other.  He would jokingly remind me of the old saying, "If the Marine Corps had wanted you to have a wife, they would have issued you one."

This last week I have been going through letters that I have received through the last 57 years.  I think I kept every piece of paper I ever received.  Most of it  is trash that I wonder why I ever kept.  But occasionally I find a letter from my husband, my mother, my dad, or my grandmother.  They are like time capsules and have been pure joy to read again.  I have been transported backwards in time.

That is what we have with the letters of the New Testament.  Time capsules.  Treasures.  Jude was fearful for the people he was writing to.  Jude 1: 4  " For there are certain men crept in unawares..., ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."

Grace.  God's grace.  We are hopeless without it.  We can't possibly deserve it.  We need mercy.  And then Jesus steps into time and sheds His blood for us.  Pure, unadulterated grace.  We can't earn it and we can't buy it.  It is a gift.

But Jude was saying that there were men who would pervert it for their own gain.  They would sell us snake oil for something that God has given us for free.  He wanted these people to contend for the faith.  He wanted them to remember that it was delivered to the saints.  It was given to them.

We know that Jesus had half brothers.  In Mark 6:3-4 we read, "Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses and of Juda (Jude), and Simon?  And aren't his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.  But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house."

And in Gal. 1:18-19 Mark tells us that "Then after three years I (Mark) went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him fifteen days, But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother."

According to scholars, Jude was most probably the brother of Jesus (half-brother--they had different fathers!!).  Maybe Jude didn't feel worthy to identify himself as the brother of Jesus since Jude had most probably not believed in Jesus divinity at first.

John 7-5  "For neither did his brethren believe in him."  So Jude identified himself as the brother of James.  And of more importance, as the servant of Jesus Christ.  In Acts 1:13-14, we find a list of those who were in the upper room waiting on the Holy Spirit. It says, "…and Judas the brother of James."  This is commonly accepted to be Jude.  He had accepted Jesus as the Christ.

Perhaps because of his reluctance to at first accept Jesus as the Christ, Jude is almost driven to proclaim the truth, and to be sure the people he wrote to knew when they were being bamboozled by false prophets.  He wanted them to recognize a traveling salesman who was selling snake oil.  Someone who was trying to deceive them and pull them away from the simple gospel.

Jude 1:1 "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:"

Jude identifies himself in two ways.  As the servant of Jesus and as the brother of James.  He was authentic.  He knew the truth and was getting ready to reaffirm it with the people to whom he was writing.

Note the order of the words I underlined.  You must be sanctified by the blood of Christ before you can be preserved for all eternity.  And then you are called.   Paul said in Rom. 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to the that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."  Sometimes you hear people say, "All things work together for good."  But that is only true if   you love God.  And if you are called--according to His purpose.  Not according to your purpose.

Jude was recognizing that the people to whom he was writing loved God.  They were living their lives according to God's purpose.  Because of this he continued in verse two by giving them a personal blessing:  "Mercy to you and peace, and love, be multiplied."  And then in verse three, he calls them "Beloved".  Jude loved these people.

Jude 1:3 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write to you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write to you, and exhort  you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints."

Jude is about to tell them that they have a war on their hands.  He is going to tell them how to identify false prophets.  This is a very important letter.  It gives us an outline of what will happen to those who mess around with God's plan of salvation by grace.

I have never forgotten the message in the second letter of John, primarily because it is the most explicit scripture we have concerning people who bring a false message, and people who want to argue.  If you are afraid it might be rude to ask them to leave, remember that the apostle John said that this was the way to deal with these people.  Ask them to leave.  Don't receive them.

John ends both his second and third letters by discussing ink and paper verses face to face meetings.

II John 1: 12a  "Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink; but I trust to come to you, and speak face to face…"

III John 1: 13-14a, John also ends this third short letter by saying, "I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write to you:  But I trust I shall shortly see you, and we shall speak face to face."

The two ways the early Christians had to communicate were in letters and face to face.  In the next letter that follows the three epistles of John, Jude begins his letter the same way John ended his.  By speaking of his written words.

Jude is also a one chapter book.  It has twenty five verses.

Jude's main subject is about how to tell a false prophet from a true prophet.  We'll go through the verses of this letter and get the answer to that question.

Both of these men--John and Jude--were very concerned that the early converts knew the truth and were able to tell when someone was not honest about the message of Jesus.

You wouldn't think John could cram so much into thirteen verses, but he did just that.  He addressed four main thoughts about the Christian life.

1.  He affirmed that the truth is critical to Christians and that we must know for sure what the truth is.

2.  He affirmed that love is a commandment.  We must love each other.

3.  He affirmed that doctrine is imperative in the life of believers and that we should know exactly what the doctrine of Christ Jesus is.  We must be personally informed about scripture.

4.  He affirmed that we should not receive or encourage interaction with those who would pervert the simple gospel.  Don't receive deceivers.

The new Christian is at the mercy of charlatans who seek to confuse them.  We must learn, learn, learn what the Bible says so that we know what the truth is.  All scripture is inspired by God.

There are those who know not that they know not.  Teach them.

There are those who know that they know not.  These people may not care and won't listen.

There are those that know not that they know.  They need assurance, encouragement and leadership.

There are those that know that they know.  Follow them.  People like the apostle John.

I hope you know what you know for sure.  I hope you are a Bible reader.

Finally, the forth point that John makes in this short letter is about those deceivers.  He gives a warning and clear instructions about how to deal with those who bring a message that is not true, and is not doctrinal.  He says, "…don't receive them."  But more than that:

II John 1: 10-11  "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed;  For he that bids him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."

We have probably all had one of those "religion groups" that pervert the gospel come knocking at our door.  I used to try and be polite and point out what the Bible says.  I tried to show them why they were wrong according to God's word.

But when I read the book of II John, a letter written for all of us, written for all time, I came to the realization that I was handling the situation wrong.  From that point on, when they came to my door, I would ask them to wait on the porch until I could get my Bible.  Then I would open it to II John 10-11, read it to them and say:

1. You don't agree with the doctrine of the Bible.  You don't agree with the message from the apostles.
2.  I am forbidden by God's word to receive you into my house.
3.  I am forbidden by God's word to encourage you or bless you with "God's speed"
4.  I am told by God's word that if I encourage you that I am a partner in your false, perverted message.
5.  Please leave.  And no, I don't want your literature.  And no, I don't want to argue the subject.

These people are not trying to reach the lost.  They are preying on those who are weak in their knowledge of God's word.  They don't evangelize, they proselytize.  They love to argue.

Don't.

The third topic that John discusses is Doctrine.  II John 1: 7, 9-10a  "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.  This is a deceiver and an antichrist. … Whosoever transgresses and abides not in the doctrine of Christ, has not God.   He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son.  If there come any to you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not…"

These people had two sources of knowledge.  Written letters, and "preachers" who came through their area. The most reliable knowledge was from letters written by the Apostles, which would include Paul. (Remember what I wrote you about Paul's apostleship.)  But there were others who came through saying that they had a "new word" concerning the gospel.  This was very confusing to these people.  Almost all of them were illiterate.  They couldn't read, and they couldn't write.  They were dependent on others to tell them what the truth was.  And the first theme that John emphasized was about truth.

So he reminded the lady and her children to beware of deceivers who changed what John had taught them.  He used very strong words.  Deceiver and Antichrist.

There are always people who want to add something or take something away from the simple gospel.  Which is that God became man.  He lived a perfect life, died as a payment for our sin, rose on the third day and is forever with the Father to intercede as our priest.  Not only are there prople who would change that simple gospel and add to it.  Others would invent a new religion altogether.  Doctrine is important.  You can believe in the wrong thing and end up lost.

You don't need a prayer cloth, a mustard seed, holy water or anything else to be close to God.

Just Jesus.

In this tiny little book of II John,  he has four themes.  The first was 'truth', which I discussed yesterday.

The second is love.  II John 5-6 "And now I beseech you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.  And this is love, that we walk after his commandments.  This is the commandment, That, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it."

John is the apostle that Jesus loved.  And John never forgot what that love meant.  He understood the power in loving people.  He referred to one of the only two commandments that Jesus gave.  Matt. 22: 37, 39b  "Jesus said unto him you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.   …You shall love your neighbor as yourself."   The first was to love the Lord our God.  The second was to love our neighbor.  Love.

And then John defined love as walking in Christ's commandments.  Love is not a feeling.  It is a behavior.  Walking in love involves an action.  Doing.  Don't tell me how you feel.  Show me what you are doing.  I know my husband loves me when he says, "Here, let me do that for you".

Jonn uses the word 'walk' twice.  Walking can only be done one step at a time.  You take one step before you can take the next.  And you don't finish.  You just put one foot in front of the other.  And keep on keeping on.  That's love.  It is never finished.

If you think you can change people by telling them what they ought to do, you have erred.  The only thing that changes someone is your love.  You just keep on loving them.  You don't have to agree with someone to love them.

Let's look at the second book of John..  It has only one chapter.  Only thirteen verses.  But when John wrote this letter, he was trying to say something very specific.  First, he wanted the lady to whom he was writing to be reminded that what she and her and her children had heard concerning Christ was true.  He uses the word 'truth' five times in four verses.

II John 1:1-4  "The elder (John) unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all those that have know the truth;  For the truth's sake, which dwells in us , and shall be with us for ever.  Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.  I rejoiced greatly that I found your children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father."

This woman is blessed.  Her children are living in the truth.  Whoever she is, in the apostle John's eyes, she has certainly been elevated to a position of honor because of the life she is living.  He tells her that he, and all those who know the truth, love her in the truth.  John gives her a special blessing of grace, mercy and peace.  Not only from him, but from God the Father and Jesus the Son.

Truth.  We all want to know the truth.  John knew what it was and was busy writing letters, visiting churches and living the rest of his life spreading the truth to anyone who would listen.
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In thirteen verses, John will sum up some important truths for your life, my life, and the life of the lady and her children.  All of us.  The truth never changes.

Like I said, I started chasing a rabbit.  We were in I Tim. 6: 12 and the discussion was about fighting the good fight of faith, laying hold on to eternal life… and then I got off on faith and what it meant to have faith, and about faith that produces fruit. And there was really no good place to stop.  So I will just go back to where we were in Timothy and chase that faith rabbit another day.

Timothy 6:17-19 "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they are not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may hold on to eternal life."   Let's break this up into pieces.

1.  If you are fed, clothed, housed and comfortable, you didn't get there on your own.  So don't get high-minded thinking you are "all that".
2.  It could all vanish in a heartbeat.  God is your supplier.
3.  Enjoy, but share (distribute), do good works.
4.  Communicate that your blessings are from God.  And that blessings are not necessarily "stuff".
5.  Lay up treasure in heaven.
6.  Be sure you have built on a strong foundation, because there is going to be a reckoning, a time to come. Your eternal life will not be based on how much money you made.

The Methodists have a song that they used to sing called "To the Work, to the work".  You are saved to serve.

So I am through looking at I Timothy.
 

So you have a seed:  The Word of God.  If planted by a source of water and in good soil, it will sprout.  And grow.  The Psalms says that we will be like a tree bearing fruit in our time.

Christ expands on this subject in John 15: 5  "I am the vine, you are the branches.  He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit:  for without me you can do nothing."  That's why you don't have to grunt and groan.  He does it all.  You're only responsibility is to abide in him.

Here Christ is talking not about a tree, but a vine.  In this case we are the branches.  Once again--fruit just happens.  Effortlessly.

Now when you have fruit, (love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance), it grows and ripens and drops to the ground.  And it is full of seeds:  God's Word, our testimony, the evidence of Christ in our lives.  And  an amazing thing happens.  New plants appear and grow and produce fruit.  And when it is working like God extended, the growth factor is exponential.  You get a church.

Dawson Trotman wrote a pamphlet called, "Born to Reproduce".  He contends that just exactly like we are physically born to reproduce, in the same way we are born spiritually to reproduce.

When I started this blog, I was in the book of Genesis and reminded you of the first words that God spoke to man:  "Be fruitful and multiply,...".  Now you get the full meaning of that command.  

Along that line, that is of being planted, a tree has a number of components that must work together to enable fruit to occur.  First, of course, there must be a seed.  Then you must have proper soil.  Then you must have water.  You must have light.  After that, we can make many analogies.

Remember in Matthew 13: 3, when the sower went forth scattering seed. 1.  Some fell by the wayside and the birds ate the seed.  2.  Some fell on stones and the plants sprang up.  But there was no depth of earth to help the plant endure, and when the sun came up they scorched.  3.  Some fell among thorns and were choked out.  4.  Some fell on good ground, took root and brought forth not only sustained growth, but fruit.  Lots of it.

In only one case was there no growth.  That was when the birds ate the seed.  God's word goes out with the good news (the seed) and it is sometimes destroyed before it gets to its intended purpose.  Vultures, blasphemers, liars,  lie in wait to distort  and ridicule it.  They eat it up.

In the other three cases, growth occurred.  In the first case, without the proper soil, some plants died.  We need to surround the new Christian with support, attention, encouragement, the Word of God and love so that they don't get scorched.

In the second case, some fell among thorns and were choked out.  New Christians sometimes fall among the wrong crowd and their new joy gets choked out.  They go back to their old way of living.  Evil lurks out there waiting to destroy them.

But finally, in the third case, the soil and the water were there, and fruit occurred.

I will get back to the rest of Timothy.  But I'm chasing a rabbit right now.

As long as we are talking about faith, and faith that produces fruit, let's look at another verse.

Gal. 5: 22-23a  "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance,…"

Nine qualities that occur when you have the Spirit of God within.  You may not be a giant in all nine areas, but other people should be able to identify all of these qualities at work somewhere in your life.

My weakest area is long-suffering (patience).  I excel in the 'joy' category.  I am sure that you are pretty much the same.  Strong and weak.  But planted.  Fruit trees are planted!!

Psalms 1:1a, 3a "Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly…, he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; …"

If you are planted, walking with those who are living godly lives, you will be like a fruit tree.

What kind of tree are you?  Apple, orange, pear, banana, or peach.  Whatever.  But the distinguishing characteristic necessary for Christian growth is being planted by rivers of water.   Christ says he is the living water.  In him we have the necessary ingredient for growth.  Water.  And producing fruit is an automatic result.

One thing is sure.  Fruit trees don't grunt and groan to produce fruit.  If planted in the right place with plenty of water, they will produce fruit naturally.  That's what people of faith, people filled with God's spirit do.  We don't grunt and groan to produce those nine "Fruits of the Spirit".   They are a natural product.  And on that subject, I have another scripture tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

  

Sorry.  The first half of the week I had the flu.  The last half of the week I had complications from an old surgery (arm) and ended up in the hospital three days.  The only bearable part was wall to wall windows that overlooked a virtual forest of trees that cascaded down a hillside.  And in the distance was a huge (HUGE) white cross that reached for the clouds.  On Easter the fog obscured everything but the cross.  It was beautiful.  So I didn't miss Easter.

My last blog was on fighting the good fight of faith.  Which reminds me of the scripture that discusses the "substance" of faith.  Heb. 11: 1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  One person I heard speak on this verse said that the word ' substance' would better be interpreted as 'title deed'.  Substance being something you can hold, that you can touch.  Something that in our physical world would be called evidence.

I always am amazed that the world looks at our faith as being unsubstantiated.  But the most substantial evidence of the reality of Christ is the evidence that we see in people of faith.  They live differently.  They are a peaceful people.  They are distinguishable from people who have no faith.  If you have been a member of a church for many years, you know what I am talking about.  Some of the people are truly people of faith.  Some aren't--they just go to church.

The Bible says "…by their fruit you shall know them…", and there is fruit, or there isn't.  People are bitter or they are sweet.  They are happy or they are miserable…etc.

Fruit inspectors know a piece of fruit when they see one.  It is not a judgment call.  Faith has substance.  There is evidence for it.