Forever-Fellowship
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Day-by-Day Discipleship
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Located across the
street from Starbucks
in Downtown Milford, MI.
They have these trees in Florida – they call them oak trees. But they can’t be oak trees, because their leaves are different.
It’s kind of strange. The so-called oak leaves, little bitty things, are falling off the trees now. And it’s not even Fall. They’re all messed up here. It probably has something to do with the Central Time Zone.
So I’m not sure why they call them ‘oaks’ when they look so different. But I did notice as I was walking along that there were acorns. Acorns! So, maybe they are oaks after all, with deformed leaves.
And it struck me that Jesus did not say, by their foliage you will know and recognize those who are God’s children, but by their fruit. And it struck me again that I am better at recognizing foliage than fruit.
So what is the fruit of a follower of Jesus? We should not expect that it would be something primarily material, but rather, spiritual; not something primarily outer, but inner. The fruit of the Spirit would fit this description, which is a pretty good summary of the whole character of Christ. That’s the fruit that should be evident in the lives of believers both in the North and the South, the east and the west.
And what might be the foliage that grabs my attention at the expense of the fruit? If it’s the leaf on a tree, well, it can’t be the hair, can it? Who would get caught up using someone’s hair as an indicator of one’s standing and walk with God? It’s not the version of the Bible, nor the lingo of the prayer language, though the Bible and prayer are pretty basic for the Christian. It’s not the latest Christian book that you read, or the preacher that you prefer. Some are better than others, but then, some people actually read and listen to people they disagree with, both to strengthen their own positions, or perhaps even to learn about other people’s points of view. I find that I really like oak leaves. You know, the real ones. Though I find now that the other, little oak leaves are no less real. They’re not necessarily deformed. Just different.
Oh, there is such a thing as bad fruit. I’ve seen it, in myself. And in a world where the religious landscape is continually changing, and when religious convictions are increasingly contested, it would be good if we would learn to look for the fruit, not the foliage. Do you love the Lord Jesus? And are you becoming more like Him? Let’s learn from each other, and learn to love each other.
Dogs and Pigs Our verse for consideration is this: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”(Matthew 7:6 NAS95). These are words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, and they […]
We were designed to become like what we worship. What fills our thoughts throughout the day? What do we love or long for? This book is for those who want to become like Christ–for those who want to meditate on his beauty but who need help to do so. In this devotional work, Kris Lundgaard […]