Tag Archives: fruit

The Cover Up 3

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As I looked at the burn on my arm; which is getting better, I thought about women.  No, it was not a curling iron accident.  I thought about how women use make up.  Believe me, some of us need make up.  We have friends that when they arrived at Church the lady of the house would remain in the car putting on her make up.  When someone would ask the husband where he wife was today he would tell them, “She is out in the car painting the barn.”  What can you say to that.

This cover up started back in the beginning.  Only three chapters into the Scriptures we have Adam and Eve taking part in the first cover up.  Look at Genesis 3:7-8, “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.”

God had warned them about partaking of the fruit.  When they did things played out just as He had told them.  Their eyes were opened and then they knew they were naked.  Then shame cam flooding in.  How do I know this?  Their attempt to cover up.  They were before Almighty God and tried to cover up their nakedness.  They were trying to cover their sinfulness too.

Is this not the reason that we try to cover up today?  Absolutely, it is.  We have an image in our mind that we want to live up to and when we don’t meet that expectation, we cover up.

It is like the spiritual life.  We do everything we can to cover our sin before God.  Guess what?  He already knows about our sin.  Remember, Jesus died to pay the debt of yours and my sin.  He knows.  Quit trying to cover up and be honest before God.  Trust Him today as your Saviour and you will not have to cover up anymore.

 

So, how are you doing?

 

Farming 4

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As we continue our thoughts on farming we will look at Matthew 13:23, “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

One thing that is important in farming is fruit of your labor.  I mean that is what farming is all about.  Well, the Christian life is much the same.  Before you tune me out give me a listen.

We all produce fruit no matter what.  We either produce good fruit or bad fruit.  Many times growing up I would grab an apple off a tree or something out of the garden only to spit and sputter like an engine that is out of tune.  Bad fruit is just that, bad.

What kind of fruit are you producing?  We must be careful when we define fruit too.  Some people have this idea that “Christian fruit” is winning souls.  This is partially true.  That is one part of fruit.  When we grow and change and become more like Jesus this is fruit too.  It is fruit of our study and time spent with Jesus.  We grow in His likeness.  When you look at me physically, you see my father.  When you look at me spiritually do you see my Heavenly Father?  Penetrating question.

So, how are you doing?

Farming 3

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Yesterday we talked about getting the weeds out so that the Word of God can grow in our lives.  Today we need to look at another aspect of growth.  As Christians we need to be growing and changing spiritually.  If you are not growing then you are dead.  This applies physically and spiritually.

After the ground is broken up and the weeds are killed there must be something put into the soil to help the crops grow.  Chemicals that they need are added to the soil so that the crops can grow and produce the most “fruit”.  If you  grow corn then you want the most kernels as possible on each ear of corn and the most ears of corn possible.  If you grow soybeans then you want the most beans in the pod as possible and the most pods as possible.

In the life of the Christian we are commanded to grow.  Look at II Peter 3:18, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”

Remember, if you are not growing then you are dead.

So, how are you doing?