Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Nazarene Publishing House [The Foundry Publishing House] in Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene for Saturday, 15 July 2017 - "Fruit Tells All" by David Restrick - Matthew 3:1-12

Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Nazarene Publishing House [The Foundry Publishing House] in Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene for Saturday, 15 July 2017 - "Fruit Tells All" by David Restrick - Matthew 3:1-12
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Matthew 3:1 It was during those days that Yochanan the Immerser arrived in the desert of Y’hudah and began proclaiming the message, 2 “Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!” 3 This is the man Yesha‘yahu was talking about when he said,

“The voice of someone crying out:

‘In the desert prepare the way of Adonai!

Make straight paths for him!’”[Matthew 3:3 Isaiah 40:3]

4 Yochanan wore clothes of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Yerushalayim, from all Y’hudah, and from the whole region around the Yarden. 6 Confessing their sins, they were immersed by him in the Yarden River.

7 But when Yochanan saw many of the P’rushim and Tz’dukim coming to be immersed by him, he said to them, “You snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming punishment? 8 If you have really turned from your sins to God, produce fruit that will prove it! 9 And don’t suppose you can comfort yourselves by saying, ‘Avraham is our father’! For I tell you that God can raise up for Avraham sons from these stones! 10 Already the axe is at the root of the trees, ready to strike; every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown in the fire! 11 It’s true that I am immersing you in water so that you might turn from sin to God; but the one coming after me is more powerful than I — I’m not worthy even to carry his sandals — and he will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire. 12 He has with him his winnowing fork; and he will clear out his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn but burning up the straw with unquenchable fire!”

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Fruit trees are prolific in Mozambique where my wife and I served as missionaries. Among the varieties of fruit trees were mango trees, tangerine trees, and one of our favorites, cashew trees! Many of these trees, in addition to producing fruit, also produced great shade that was useful for resting and relaxing and conversing with one’s friends. Many even served as “churches.” On one occasion during a trip into the rural areas of the country, we came upon an ugly sight: a large number of cashew trees had been cut down, allowed to dry and burned. All that was left was ash and the smoldering remains of thick trunks and long branches. Upon inquiring as to the reason, the answer was simple: the trees were no longer bearing fruit. It was not sufficient simply to provide shade. The trees were meant to bear fruit. If they did not, they were of no use.

John the Baptist preached that message to the people of his day, and he preaches it to us. If we claim that we are followers of Jesus, the actions of our lives must agree with our words. We must bear the fruit of Christlikeness.B
"May the Mind of Christ, My Savior" by Kate B. Wilkinson

1. May the mind of Christ, my Savior,

live in me from day to day,

by his love and power controlling

all I do and say.

2. May the word of God dwell richly

in my heart from hour to hour,

so that all may see I triumph

only through his power.

3. May the peace of God, my Father,

rule my life in everything,

that I may be calm to comfort

sick and sorrowing.

4. May the love of Jesus fill me

as the waters fill the sea.

Him exalting, self abasing:

this is victory.

5. May we run the race before us,

strong and brave to face the foe,

looking only unto Jesus

as we onward go. 

Thought for Today:

This is how my Father is glorified — in your bearing much fruit; this is how you will prove to be my talmidim.[Jesus in John 15:8].

Please pray:

That many people in Mozambique will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach Hakodesh.
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