Are you good fruit or bad fruit? Think about it.

Next, I felt was extremely important to examine, briefly, the fruit that makes us who we are; a follow-up to ‘Yes or no? Which is it?’ This Scripture comes to us, again from Jesus, in Matthew 7:15-20. Jesus says, “Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matt. 7:17, NIV).

Throughout the entirety of this teaching, Jesus uses very harsh rhetoric to address the crowd. Words and phrases like: false prophets, ferocious wolves, thornbushes, and thrown into the fire, are certainly designed to grab the attention of both the disciples and the crowd – YOU!

From this Scripture, it is implied that from the ranks of even our neighbors – whom we are to love – many will seek to undermine God’s authoritative Word to fulfill their own selfish desires. And those that seek to undermine the Word of God will not do so gently. This passage tells us that we must always carefully evaluate a person’s motives and ambitions; being fully on-guard against teachers that aim to deliver false doctrine. Moreover, we can apply this today, even in the very Body of Christ. While Sunday morning faces and fancy clothes fill the sanctuaries and fellowship halls, from the tongue will spew both slander and gossip that will tear-down the Body like none other. This infilling of ‘fire’ as James describes (Jas. 3:6) is more detrimental to the Body than anything. For this very reason, we must be ready at all times.

Jesus-pod ministering in the Haute?

That’s right folks, at this minute God’s Word may be ministering to a petty thief in the Haute. This morning I walked out to my car – which was sitting on the street – and noticed my glove box open, dome light on, and door slightly cracked open. Short of dusting for prints, I believe this adds up to nothing short of the handy work of a common criminal.

But this servant found the sliver lining through it all. That $149 Jesus-pod (iPod Nano) was chocked-full of nothing but Jesus music, sermons, and inspirational leadership speeches by some of the best writers and speakers of our day. So even though I was robbed, could it be that somebody was saved? Will this common criminal turn my Jesus-pod on and hear something that will bring him/her to the Cross? Rather than being infuriated by this callous act, I will rejoice in the name of Christ and pray that it was God’s will!

Join me in this prayer brothers and sisters. Perhaps I’ll buy another Jesus-pod and leave the car unlocked again!

Yes, or no? Which is it?

“Extra, extra, read all about it!” shouts the newspaper vendor from a corner newsstand in downtown Manhattan. As the world shuffles-bye at break neck speed, today’s headlines are fast-becoming tomorrow’s history lessons. Topics that don the cover of semi news worthy outlets like the New York Times, will typically not survive tomorrow’s oil spill or political fraud in Washington, D.C. However, there was something remarkable that took place nearly two-thousand years ago; a ‘news flash’ was delivered to a land of thousands of people made-up of: fisherman, tax collectors, teachers, and soldiers; just to name a few. It was an event that some scholars say lasted for several days, not mere hours. The event was The Sermon on the Mount, and it was preached not by a typical leader of that day. Instead, it was delivered by a man from Galilee; the son of a carpenter who, to everyone’s amazement, taught a new way to live; a way that nobody had yet conceived.

While The Sermon on the Mount covers many topics of righteous living, as defined by Jesus of Nazareth, there are two I would like to examine here: 1) vows, as taught in Matt. 5:33-37, and 2) Fruit in ones life, as taught in Matt. 7:15-20. Let’s examine vows here:

Throughout Matthew 5:33-37, a common theme – I initially see – is keeping your oath. As Jesus says, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one” (Matt. 5:37, NIV). This statement is very clear cut and does not warrant the need of theologians or biblical scholars to interpret; perhaps this is why it speaks to me! That being said, I can glean from those words, this: when I say I’m going to do something, I need to, and thus should, do it. Our society today covets swearing ‘on somebody’s grave’ or ‘to God’, that we saw this or that; that we really were here or there. Jesus’ words are simply implying that if we are men/women of integrity and sound speech, there should be no reason to promise and/or swear on anything, for we should simply never go back on our word.

Think how our world would look if politicians kept their ‘Yes’ promises, and had the gull to say, “Honestly, that is just not doable sir, or madam.” Talking points and political mantra – combined with promiscuous affairs and deceitful, lewd acts – have forever given politicians a bad name. Even members of the clergy have fallen prey to the evils of the love of money, greed, and sex; casting a shadow on the good that spreads distrust in the hearts of both parishioners and the lost, all over the world.

On my next posting, which may be in a few days, I want to examine Matthew 7:17 a bit. But for the sake of time, considering the thousands of busy people reading this, we’ll conclude.  God bless.