Category Archives: Be not conformed to this world

Make That Call??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #732

02 Wednesday Jun 2021

Posted by in A Father's Love, Abiding In Jesus, All About Jesus!, Be not conformed to this world, Bloom Where You're Planted!, Choose You This Day!, Discernment, Doers or intenders?, Don't Wait, Just DO it!, Knowing Or Going?, Obedience, One Day Too Late?

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #732 Make That Call Today???

 

I would like to share a bit of a challenge with you today, one which I’ve been reminded of from time to time throughout the years, and one which I try to practice regularly, even continually: and that’s to “listen” to God’s promptings on our hearts!  As we read our Bibles and pray, God will bring people to our remembrance who have affected our lives—those who have helped us, encouraged us, or taught us some great life lesson, or even challenged us to change in a positive way.  I think God isn’t just prodding our memory but perhaps prompting us to “DO” something!  Maybe we need to write a note—yes, a real pen and paper correspondence, almost a lost art today—or make a phone call (Facebook doesn’t count, I’m talking about real human connection)—or maybe even a visit, or Facetime, Zoom or some other “face to face” connection!  A call to say thanks, I was thinking of you!  Why? You ask!  Because time is fleeting and one day that person won’t be here, or you won’t be here to have that opportunity to “make someone’s day”!  TODAY is all you or I have—let’s use it; and here are some scriptures to help us along our way! God has put people in our path for a reason, let’s fulfill our purpose!

“But exhort one another daily,

while it is called To day;

lest any of you be hardened

through the deceitfulness of sin…

…. 15 While it is said, To day

 if ye will hear his voice,

harden not your hearts,

as in the provocation.”  Hebrews 3:13 & 15

It is so easy to become hardened not only through the “deceitfulness of sin”, but by the crazy hustle and bustle of “busy-ness” today; yet we are called to consider what God has for us to “BE” and “DO” this “day” and not be so distracted by the demands of “tomorrows” which may not come.  We are to be faithful workers for our King and, servants who pay attention to our Lord’s voice.  Not only spreading encouragement, help and correction but also the message of salvation to those who are lost.  It is so easy—so very easy—to be caught up in the demands of ‘living’, the call of the ‘things’ in our life, or just, as Oswald Chambers says, to be distracted by the “mundane”!  Look up>follow!

“For he hath made him

to be sin for us,

who knew no sin;

that we might be made

the righteousness of God

in him…

…..6: 1 We then,

as workers together with him,

beseech you also

that ye receive not the grace of God

in vain.

2 (For he saith,

I have heard thee

in a time accepted,

and in the day of salvation

have I succoured thee:

behold,

now is the accepted time;

behold,

now is the day of salvation.)”.   2 Corinthians 5:21-6:1-2

Who are you thinking about right now?  Don’t just sit there, get up and “DO” something:  make that call, write that note, walk next door, send those flowers, Facetime that loved one, whatever you can do, DO it!  Today!  Oh, the joy of hearing joy in the voice of someone whom you can encourage and lift up; or the smile of that one whom you haven’t checked on in a while, or the response to a note that made “the day” for someone you care about.  There are so many things that we leave undone, so many opportunities missed, let’s get busy today—sharing Jesus in whatever ways HE directs!  Let’s get your/my focus on listening to Jesus and making a difference in other’s lives not just our own!

“Therefore I say unto you,

Take no thought for your life,

what ye shall eat,

or what ye shall drink;

nor yet for your body,

what ye shall put on.

Is not the life

more than meat,

and the body

than raiment?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying,

What shall we eat?

or, What shall we drink?

or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things

do the Gentiles seek:)

for your heavenly Father knoweth

that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first

the kingdom of God,

and his righteousness;

and all these things

shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow:

for the morrow shall take thought

for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day

 is the evil thereof.”   Portions of Matthew 6:25-34

Nuff’ said—GO—BE—DO God’s will for you!  Today-Amen!

Your Attitude Matters! Really??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #728

12 Wednesday May 2021

Posted by in A Father's Love, Abiding In Jesus, Abundant Life In Jesus, All About Jesus!, All Sufficient God!, Amazing Grace, Ask God For Wisdom, Attitude of Gratitude, Be not conformed to this world, Confidence, Consider Your ways, Encouragement, Eyes that SEE HIM, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Growing in Jesus!, Keeping our eyes on JESUS!, Whose Sheep are You?

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #728  Your Attitude Matters!  Really???

 

I just want to share a relatively brief word of encouragement with you this morning that I hope will lift your heart, mind and eyes heavenward.  It’s so easy to become so bogged down with earth’s seeming drudgery, that we so often miss the very real presence of our Lord.  Like Paul, and while I fall so far short regularly, I desire to reflect Jesus—no more, no less.

“But God forbid that I should glory,

save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,

by whom the world is crucified unto me,

and I unto the world.”  Galatians 6;14

We had a little crisis last evening, when we couldn’t find the charger to my husband’s portable oxygen device, and we knew we’d need to charge it to be out of the house today.  Well, last night we hunted and fretted (yes, I know Jesus said, “fret not”, but sometimes it just jumps up on me, like a dog on a bone!) and couldn’t find it.  It was late and I was tired, so I told my husband, ‘I’ll check the car in the morning’, for I wasn’t going to get dressed again to go out to the car!  I really did rest well, because I had asked God to help us; and this morning I prayed again, for I knew I couldn’t fix this problem alone, and sure enough there it was in the car (probably having fallen out of the bag), but it was there and it’s charging as I write this now.  I just praised God for all HIS amazing grace in the “small stuff”—but you see, when we truly learn to walk with Jesus—there “ain’t no small stuff” for we are HIS child, and even more than you and I, HE loves HIS children and wants the best for us.  I’m thinking of the wonderful song by the Collingsworth Family, “If It Matters To You, It Matters To The Master!” (Written by Sarah McCutcheon), for its message is so true (if you haven’t heard it, check it out on the music services or YouTube—you’ll be blessed) and so needed in our culture today!

My point is, we had a choice—and so do you—we could have spent our time “doubting, pouting and dropping outing” (as my former Pastor Brad was wont to say), or we could choose to trust “The Master”—HE who holds us in HIS hands!  And when we will learn to know HIM, we will come to trust HIM more and more each day, trusting Him with greater and greater parts of our lives!  And that, my friends, is the thing that God desires from us—our total trust and devotion.  But remember it is a choice!  We can choose to fill our lives with gratitude, focusing on the cross and our risen LORD; or we can allow the things of this world to crowd HIM out!  Me?  I’m going to do my best to join Paul and make the cross my focal point.

“And I, brethren,

when I came to you,

came not with excellency of speech

or of wisdom,

declaring unto you the testimony of God.

2 For I determined not to know any thing

among you,

save Jesus Christ,

and him crucified.

3 And I was with you in weakness,

and in fear,

and in much trembling.

4 And my speech and my preaching

was not with enticing words

of man’s wisdom,

but in demonstration of the Spirit

and of power:

5 That your faith

should not stand in the wisdom of men,

but in the power of God.”  1 Corinthians 2:1-5

I simply ask that you ponder these things today—in light of whatever crises you are facing.  Who will you run to?  Friends?  Relatives?  TV and modern philosophies?  Will you choose Jesus as your counselor, strength, and confidence?  Or will you settle for the world’s garbage heap?

As I’ve said before, it’s your choice, but choose wisely, there is a test!  And I can’t help but believe it’s very near!

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself for me.”   Galatians 2:20

And in closing, the words of our Lord:

“My sheep hear my voice,

and I know them,

and they follow me:

28 And I give unto them eternal life;

and they shall never perish,

neither shall any man pluck them

out of my hand.

29 My Father, which gave them me,

is greater than all;

and no man is able to pluck them

out of my Father’s hand.

30 I and my Father

are one.”  John 10:27-30

Whose sheep are you?  Whose voice are you heeding?  Food for thought.  Amen and Amen!

 

God’s Still On HIS Throne??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #727

07 Friday May 2021

Posted by in Abundant Life In Jesus, All About Jesus!, All Sufficient God!, Are You Ready, Be not conformed to this world, Blessed by God, By Him We Live, Choices And Consequences, Choose You This Day!, Commitment Or Convenience, Compromise, Confessing Sin, Consider Your ways, Darkness or Light?, Erasing The Lines?, Faith, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Family, Follow Jesus, For Such A Time As This, Forgiveness, God Bless America, God Is In Charge, God Knows His Own, God Who Sees, Godly Women, Good News, Healing, Holy, In The Beginning, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Jesus Saves!, Lies, Light In The Dark, Marriage, Mothers, No Sin No Need?, One Foundation, Only Jesus, Only One Way, Our God Reigns

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #727  God’s Still On His Throne???

 

As we approach Mother’s Day, my heart is often grieved for our nation and the sad state of families and the world’s degraded opinion of mothers.  The world around us is trying to erase the lines of God’s creation, morality and the gift of children is the saddest of all.  We have made children disposable—we have not only denied the blessing of children but have approved of and even promoted the killing of children because they are “unwanted”!

It makes me sad that we have bought the lies of the enemy and are killing our children on the altar of convenience.  And not only the lives of the unborn are at stake, but even the children that have lived are often neglected and mistreated to a degree that is unconscionable and yet we just go on like there is no tomorrow.  This situation is addressed in scripture—God’s Word tells us that this kind of disregard of God, His Word and human life would become rampant in the last days.

“This know also,

that in the last days

perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves,

covetous,

boasters,

proud,

blasphemers,

disobedient to parents,

unthankful,

unholy,

3 Without natural affection,

trucebreakers,

false accusers,

incontinent,

fierce,

despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors,

heady,

highminded,

lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness,

but denying the power thereof:

from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they

which creep into houses,

and lead captive silly women

laden with sins,

led away with divers lusts,

7 Ever learning,

and never able

to come to the knowledge

of the truth.”  2 Timothy 3:1-7

Reading this list is like reading a current newspaper—yet it seems to me as though we are reaping what we have sown!  We have denigrated the import of God’s design for mankind—for God created “male and female” and established marriage and the home as the foundation stone of society—not this crazy mixed-up circus that we see today!

“And God said,

Let us make man

in our image,

after our likeness:

and let them have dominion…

… over every creeping thing

that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man

in his own image,

in the image of God

created he him;

male and female

created he them.

28 And God blessed them,

and God said unto them,

Be fruitful,

and multiply,

and replenish the earth,

and subdue it:

and have dominion

over the fish of the sea,

and ….. over every living thing

that moveth upon the earth…

…2: 22 And the rib,

which the LORD God had taken from man,

made he a woman,

and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said,

This is now bone of my bones,

and flesh of my flesh:

she shall be called Woman,

because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man

leave his father and his mother,

and shall cleave unto his wife:

and they shall be one flesh.”                      Portions of Genesis 1:26-28 & 2:22-24

And yes, before you ask, I believe in the Genesis account of creation—it is the foundation on which all other scripture stands, for if there was no creation, there was no Adam and Eve; if there was no Adam and Eve, there was no sin; and if there was no sin, there is NO NEED for a Redeemer!  Yet, Jesus IS The Redeemer of all who will come to Him in repentance and faith, for “all have sinned”! And Jesus Himself confirmed the truth of this Genesis account, and God’s design for mankind, marriage and the home!!!  (See Romans 3:23 & 6:23)

“And he answered and said unto them,

Have ye not read,

that he which made them

at the beginning

made them male and female,

5 And said,

For this cause

shall a man leave father and mother,

and shall cleave to his wife:

and they twain shall be one flesh?

6 Wherefore they are no more twain,

but one flesh.

What therefore God hath joined together,

let not man put asunder.”  Matthew 19:4-6

God established marriage, the home and the important priority of parents, yet we have abandoned all of the above today.  Many, if not most, choose to live together without benefit of marriage—for marriage is seen as unimportant–, and if they marry it’s with a swinging door (and I know what it means to believe those lies, as I made some of those same mistakes in the past—and I praise God that HE does forgive, cleanse and restore through Jesus, when we come to HIM!) powered by divorce.  We leave children fatherless or motherless or often today, parentless.  Then we wonder why our culture is falling apart!  We wonder why our children are in distress!  We can’t figure out why our children and young people are committing heinous crimes.  Well, when we reject God and His Word, we will suffer the consequence.

What can we do?  We must come to God in humility and repentance for our part in this mess we have created in our land.  We must face our own sin, turn from it and cling to the cross and HIM who died for us!  We must once again cling to and stand for the righteous truth that God IS GOD, and we need to seek HIS face and HIS truth and live by it.  And we moms must cling to God’s truth NOT the world’s lies!

“In the LORD put I my trust:

how say ye to my soul,

Flee as a bird to your mountain?

2 For, lo,

the wicked bend their bow,

they make ready their arrow upon the string,

that they may privily

shoot at the upright in heart.

3 If the foundations be destroyed,

what can the righteous do?

4 The LORD is in his holy temple,

the LORD’S throne is in heaven:

his eyes behold,

his eyelids try,

the children of men.

5 The LORD trieth the righteous:

but the wicked and him that loveth violence

his soul hateth.

6 Upon the wicked

he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone,

and an horrible tempest:

this shall be the portion of their cup.

7 For the righteous LORD

loveth righteousness;

his countenance

doth behold the upright.”  Psalm 11:1-7

God sees and HE knows!  Our job is to confess our own part—without pointing fingers at everyone else but ourselves—then Jesus can and will respond with “healing in HIS wings”!  And oh, I can’t express the joy of knowing Jesus and the healing and restoration HE brings to my heart, soul, mind and life!

“But if we walk in the light,

as he is in the light,

we have fellowship one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son

cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin,

we deceive ourselves,

and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just

to forgive us

our sins,

and to cleanse us

from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned,

we make him a liar,

and his word is not in us.”  1 John 1:7-10

And just as the key word above is “IF”, the “key word” in another passage we often quote, is “IF”; may we who are “HIS” truly repent, receive HIS forgiveness and be cleansed to walk forth in HIS light and glory?  May we sincerely ask GOD to bless America once again, and be willing to obey?

“If my people,

which are called by my name,

shall humble themselves,

and pray,

and seek my face,

and turn from their wicked ways;

then will I hear from heaven,

and will forgive their sin,

and will heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14

And if you’d allow me, “then and only then”!!!

Amen and Amen!!!

(And I’m taking Sunday off for Mother’s Day—so Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms and women of godly influence!  May God bless you and yours!)

 

Ignoring The Manufacturer??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 17 No. 04

25 Sunday Apr 2021

Posted by in Abiding In Jesus, Abundant Life In Jesus, Be not conformed to this world, Bibe Study, Blessed by God, By example, Choices And Consequences, Choose You This Day!, Confidence, Discernment, Discipline, Encouragement, Faithful, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Family, Father's Way!, Follow Jesus, God Is In Charge, God Knows His Own, He Died That We Could Live, If not now? When?, Inspiring Others, It's Your Choice, Jesus Saves!, Knowing God's Word, Living Right, Manufacturer's Warranty

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Bible Ballistics: Vol. 17 No. 04 Ignoring The Manufacturer???

 

We all buy things these days, and most of the things that we purchase come with a manufacturer’s instructions and usually a warranty (Some even call virtually every day to remind you of your car warranty!  Ha ha ha), but the warranty is usually dependent on the fact that we have followed the instructions for the item.  We have a personal, human manufacturer who has also given us perfect instructions for ‘operation’; but the choice is ours—will we follow HIS instructions and heed to HIS warnings for prime operation, or will we choose to go our own way without regard to HIS instructions but choose wisely there will be a test.

“Now therefore

fear the LORD,

and serve him

in sincerity

and in truth:

and put away the gods

which your fathers served

on the other side of the flood,

and in Egypt;

and serve ye the LORD.

15 And if it seem evil unto you

to serve the LORD,

choose you this day whom ye will serve;

whether the gods which your fathers served

that were on the other side of the flood,

or the gods of the Amorites,

in whose land ye dwell:

but as for me and my house,

we will serve the LORD.”  Joshua 24:14-15

When we choose to “serve the LORD”, we have aligned ourselves with The One who loves us more than anyone else in this world!

“A new commandment I give unto you,

That ye love one another;

as I have loved you,

that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know

that ye are my disciples,

if ye have love

one to another.”  John 13:34

And what does God’s love look like?  That’s clearly stated in God’s Word.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent

in the wilderness,

even so must the Son of man

be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him

should not perish,

but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish,

but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son

into the world

to condemn the world;

but that the world through him

might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him

is not condemned:

but he that believeth not

is condemned already,

because he hath not believed

in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation,

that light is come into the world,

and men loved darkness

rather than light,

because their deeds

were evil.”  John 3:14-19

God loved us so much that HIS plan was always that HE would pay for our sins through HIS own Son, The “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”!

He painted a most amazing picture of this for Abraham in Genesis 22.

“And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said,

Behold the fire and the wood:

but where is the lamb

for a burnt offering?

8 And Abraham said,

My son,

God will provide himself

a lamb for a burnt offering:

so they went both of them together…

…. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him

out of heaven, and said,

Abraham, Abraham:

and he said,

Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand

upon the lad,

neither do thou any thing

unto him:

for now I know that thou fearest God,

seeing thou hast not withheld thy son,

thine only son from me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked,

and behold behind him a ram

caught in a thicket by his horns:

and Abraham went

and took the ram,

and offered him up for a burnt offering

in the stead of his son.”                               Portions of Genesis 22:7-13

And Abraham went on, I think, to let us know that he caught a glimpse of what God was promising:

“And Abraham called the name of that place

Jehovahjireh:

as it is said to this day,

In the mount of the LORD

it shall be seen.”  Genesis 22:14

Historians say that the mountain where God took Abraham and Isaac is the same mountain where God offered “HIS only begotten son” to pay the price for our sin with HIS own blood!

“Husbands,

love your wives,

even as Christ also loved the church,

and gave himself for it;

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it

with the washing of water

by the word,

27 That he might present it to himself

a glorious church,

not having spot,

or wrinkle,

or any such thing;

but that it should be holy and without blemish.”  Ephesians 5:25-27

And one of the most beautiful pictures of what Jesus did for us out of “His great love”, is painted by Peter in his first letter to believers.

“For this is thankworthy,

if a man for conscience toward God

endure grief,

suffering wrongfully.

20 For what glory is it,

if, when ye be buffeted for your faults,

ye shall take it patiently?

but if, when ye do well,

and suffer for it,

ye take it patiently,

this is acceptable with God.

21 For even hereunto

were ye called:

because Christ also suffered for us,

leaving us an example,

that ye should follow his steps:

22 Who did no sin,

neither was guile found in his mouth:

23 Who, when he was reviled,

reviled not again;

when he suffered,

he threatened not;

but committed himself

to him that judgeth righteously:

24 Who his own self

bare our sins

in his own body

on the tree,

that we,

being dead to sins,

should live unto righteousness:

by whose stripes ye were healed.

25 For ye were as sheep going astray;

but are now returned

unto the Shepherd

and Bishop of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:19-25

So, my question for today is, are we willing to follow the life-warranty instructions that God gave us for passing the baton to those who follow behind us—especially our own children.  For if we lose those we love the most, how grieved we will be.  But let me also add this caveat, we can only lead our children to see and recognize truth; they must choose for themselves to follow or not; but when we fail to live truth and pass it on by our life and our words, we will always regret our failure!  Here’s the passage that defines the HOME’s job! (not the church’s, or the school’s or the government’s job—but the parents!).

May God speak to our hearts and may we hear and heed The Word of God, The Great Manufacturer!

“Know ye that

the LORD he is God:

it is he that hath made us,

and not we ourselves;

we are his people,

and the sheep of his pasture.”  Psalm 100:3

Be sure not to invalidate the warranty—God won’t call on your cell phone; but HIS WORD is calling us to HIS truth continually—and it’s never a wrong number!  It’s what the Psalmist was referring to:

“With my whole heart

have I sought thee:

O let me not wander

from thy commandments.

11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart,

that I might not sin against thee.

12 Blessed art thou,

O LORD:

teach me thy statutes.”  Psalm 119:10-12

“Take heed unto thyself,

and unto the doctrine;

continue in them:

for in doing this

thou shalt both save thyself,

and them that hear thee.”  1 Timothy 4:16

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy;

whereunto ye do well

that ye take heed,

as unto a light that shineth

in a dark place,

until the day dawn,

and the day star arise

in your hearts:”  2 Peter 1:19

And one of the warrants HE has promised:

“The steps of a good man

are ordered by the LORD:

and he delighteth

in his way.

24 Though he fall,

he shall not be utterly cast down:

for the LORD upholdeth him

with his hand.”  Psalm 37:23-24

May it ever be so in our lives!

Amen and Amen!!!

What’s On Your Tree??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #721

14 Wednesday Apr 2021

Posted by in All About Jesus!, All Sufficient God!, Are You Ready, Be not conformed to this world, Believe IN Jesus, Born Again, Faith, Fruit of the Spirit, JESUS, Jesus IN You!

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #721  What’s On Your Tree???

 

Jesus gives us a great measuring tool for our lives, and I’d like us to consider what kind of “fruit” we are exhibiting before the world.  As I’ve talked about before, we can be like the “egg trees” that we see all around us at this spring season—where people will hang plastic-colored eggs on their bare tree and call it an “egg tree”; but we all know there is no such thing as an “egg tree”!  Yet many people who claim the name of Jesus have no fruit, just plastic eggs hanging on their tree/lives.  What about you and me?

May we ponder the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and measure our lives by what HE has to say rather than using popular standards—even the standards of many churches.  After all—there is only one “right” way and that is Jesus, and God’s Word will stand as the measuring stick/plumb line!

“Enter ye in at the strait gate:

for wide is the gate,

and broad is the way,

that leadeth to destruction,

and many there be

which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate,

and narrow is the way,

which leadeth unto life,

and few there be

that find it.

15 Beware of false prophets,

which come to you in sheep’s clothing,

but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 Ye shall know them

by their fruits.

Do men gather grapes of thorns,

or figs of thistles?

17 Even so every good tree

bringeth forth good fruit;

but a corrupt tree

bringeth forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree

cannot bring forth evil fruit,

neither can a corrupt tree

bring forth good fruit.

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth

good fruit

is hewn down,

and cast into the fire.

20 Wherefore by their fruits

ye shall know them.”  Matthew 7:13-20

There is only one thing that makes a “good tree”—being born again of The Spirit of God—born again through the blood of Jesus, by repentance and faith in Jesus’ substitutionary, atoning, sacrifice for our sin.  Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection for sin IS the “strait gate”—the only “gate” to God!  (See John 1:11-13)

“Jesus saith unto him,

I am the way,

the truth,

and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father,

but by me.”  John 14:6

Jesus IS the only way to have a relationship with God, and when we receive HIS salvation, we are being made like HIM (see Romans 8:28-29)!

“Hereby perceive we the love of God,

because he laid down his life

for us:

and we ought to lay down our lives

for the brethren.”  1 John 3:16

John used a different example of darkness and evil in contrast to The Light of God!

“If we say that we have fellowship with him,

and walk in darkness,

we lie,

and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light,

as he is in the light,

we have fellowship one with another,

and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son

cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin,

we deceive ourselves,

and the truth is not in us.”  1 John 1:6-8

Paul paints one of the most profound pictures of the difference between what Jesus does to make the flesh able to produce good fruit, and the corrupt fruit of the flesh—and there is a difference!  (Also see 2 Corinthians 5:21)

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;

Adultery,

fornication,

uncleanness,

lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry,

witchcraft,

hatred,

variance,

emulations,

wrath,

strife,

seditions,

heresies,

21 Envyings,

murders,

drunkenness,

revellings, and such like:

of the which I tell you before,

as I have also told you in time past,

that they which do such things

shall not inherit

the kingdom of God.”  Galatians 5:19-21

And the contrast—which we should all take note of–(I would encourage you to put this fruit of The Spirit to memory!):

“But the fruit of the Spirit is

love,

joy,

peace,

longsuffering,

gentleness,

goodness,

faith,

23 Meekness,

temperance:

against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ’s

have crucified the flesh

with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit,

let us also walk in the Spirit.”   Galatians 5:22-25

What’s on your tree?  Spiritual gifts or fleshly lusts?  Is Jesus IN you?

“Ye are of God, little children,

and have overcome them:

because greater is he that is in you,

than he that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

It’s your choice, but choose wisely, there is a test!  Amen!!!