The Believer And Fruit Bearing (1) – Redemption Daily Devotional 1 July 2021

On Jul 1, 2021

Redemption Daily Devotional 1 July 2021 Message

Topic: The Believer And Fruit Bearing (1)

Scriptures Gen.1:28; Prov.11:30; Matt.21:17-20; John 9:4-5

Key Verse: “And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he HUNGERED And when he saw a FIG TREE in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but LEAVES only, and said unto it, Let no FRUIT grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.” Matt. 21:18-19.

Message: God’s expectation for every believer is to bear fruits. The analogy illustrated in Matt.21:17-20 clearly depicts that Jesus is still looking HUNGRY for Christians He can depend on for the harvest of souls, display of Christian character and genuine representatives of heaven here on earth.

A Christian who walks into the church with a young convert he has invited or followed up is fruitful and a likely candidate for Jesus’. commendation while the other one that walks in as usual without any soul is like the fig tree with leaves without fruits and rather needs to be reprimanded by Christ

GOD’S REPRESENTATION OF THE BELIEVER

Ps.1:1-3; Jere.17:7-8; Dan. 4:10-12,20-22

God often likens a believer’s life and activities to that of a fruit bearing tree. No tree owner glories or rejoices at its production of plenty fresh and green leaves without yielding corresponding fruits. Most fruit bearing trees have leaves that are not edible hence why keep a tree that only produces leaves?

It is a natural phenomenon for a tree to bear fruits and not leaves only. Trees that specialize in deceiving people with the freshness of their leaves year in and out without fruits are often angrily cut down by their owners. . The deceitful fig tree that specialized in bearing leaves rather than fruits did not meet the expectation of Jesus. The fact that it was not Its season to bear negates the truth that we are to bear fruits in season and out of season ( Mark 11:13). Hence the decision of the owner ( Christ ) to curse it.

Similarly too, as Christians, Christ’s expectation for us far exceeds our gorgeous flashy appearance with the latest design ( all classified as leafy Christians) without bearing fruits ( character, righteousness, holiness, number of souls won and monitored to ensure they are stable and rooted in Christ etc).

We must also make a distinction here that in as much as leaves are essential to the survival and fruiting of the tree, clothing of believers is also an essential aspects of our Christian calling but must be backed up with the fruits mentioned above. It is the thought of the heat that determines the outward appearance

” A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good ; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh ” Luke 6:45

What you are putting on as clothes now was determined by your pure or impure heart either to represent and present Christ to others unto glory or lure men to sin.

In the same way that our Lord and Savior had expectations for the fig tree, His expectations for us cannot be less.

It is possible to manifest your talents in the Church and receive men’s applause including that of the Pastor without being a treasure to heaven.

It is possible to display and mesmerize the entire church with your charisma and yet be bereaved of character and conduct.

Are you not the brother or sister that is almost always ready to fight and quarrel at the slightest provocation ?

Where are your fruits oh ye fig tree believer?

Hymn 454 – I lift my heart to Thee

I. I lift my heart to Thee,
Savior Divine,
For Thou art all to me,
And I am Thine;
Is there on earth a closer bond than this,
That my Beloved’s mine, and I am His?

2. Thine am I by all ties,
And chiefly Thine,
For through Thy sacrifice
Thou, Lord, art mine;
By Thine own cords of love, so sweetly wound
Around me, closely I to Thee am bound.

3. To Thee, Thou Bleeding Lamb,
I all things owe,
All that I have and am,
And all I know;
All that I have is now no longer mine,
And I am not my own: Lord, I am Thine.

4. How can I, Lord, withhold
Life’s brightest hour
From Thee; or gathered gold,
Or any power?
Why should I keep one precious thing from Thee,
When Thou hast given Thine own dear Self for me?

5. I pray Thee, Savior, keep
Me in Thy love,
Until the world Thou sweep
And me remove
To that fair realm, where, sin and sorrow o’er,
Thou and Thine own are one for evermore.

The Believer And Fruit Bearing (1) – Redemption Daily Devotional 1 July 2021 was written By Redemption Ministries Worldwide, Church of the FirstBorn

Fruit Bearing