Matthew 7:17-20 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a corrupt tree bears evil fruit. A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, nor can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. So then you will know them by their fruits.
In Israel, it’s amazing how many trees are being planted all the time. In fact, the green line that you hear about so much in the news isn’t an actual drawn borderline, but it is a visible line you can only see from the air. It’s where Israelis stopped planting trees.
Now suppose I wanted to plant a fig tree — would I go searching for lemon seeds? Of course not! And even if I planted a fig tree next to a lemon tree, it would still only produce figs, no matter how close it was planted to the lemon tree.
So in our lives, though we may be surrounded with sourness, even planted in a “lemon grove”, we are “fig trees” — and the sweetness of our fruit will remain, because we were planted by the Lord Himself, to produce good fruit under all conditions. There is no question that if we are planted in Him the good fruit we bear will come forth in both good times and bad times.
Life is filled with ups and downs, unforeseen circumstances that send our lives in strange loops we weren’t expecting — nevertheless, we were fashioned to be fruit bearers…unconditionally. You may say ” George, you don’t understand, you have no idea what’s happening in my life right now!” You’re right, I don’t — but I do know the Lord who laid down his life unconditionally for you — and that He did it so He could abide in you and you in Him — guess what for…
If life is overwhelming you, then it’s time to reach down deep and draw nourishment from the Root of our lives — Yeshua the Messiah. The sap of His Life will produce… MUCH! GOOD! FRUIT!…despite the lemons!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]The Bible tells us that the last days would be like the days of Noah. As the mass of humanity witnesses the signs of increasing violence and evil manifesting in ways that seemed incomprehensible even just a decade ago, we are focusing on the peace that faith brings through the present storm. Though the ark he built for the flood was perhaps not the most luxurious boat ever made, Noah and his family were able to abide in God’s rest through the most terrible weather in human history.
Continuing from yesterday concerning storms; not sure we can place Noah’s flood, a worldwide conflagration, in that category, but if there really is such a thing as a “Perfect Storm”, that was…and Noah and his family were, anyway, prepared. And it’s been said that we are in the recapitulated, “Days of Noah”; [Matthew 24:37].
Our relationship with the Lord is repeatedly expressed as a marriage. And human marriage has been expressed as a type of the Divine union of Messiah and His Bride. When a man and a woman are joined together in a marital union, the two together acquire a new level of strength according to this word. In that context, here in Israel and elsewhere, it is also said that, “A threefold cord is not easily broken.” But where is the third cord?
People often ask me why I so enjoy Shabbat and the rest it affords and why I preach on it so often. Some people think it’s a “legalistic” attitude, but actually, I’m simply being relational. They need to remember that our relationship with the Lord Yeshua is bridal; it’s a marital relationship. [; ; ]
This story is such a powerful illustration of testing and faith that I can’t help but speak about it over and over again. How the Lord could sleep in a boat in a violent storm speaks volumes about His own self-confidence and His natural capacity to disappear from the scene so He can check how well His disciples have apprehended His miraculous power, and really trust Him. He doesn’t spare them one tiny bit from the sense of real and imminent danger. The storm is ferocious, the waves gigantic, the boat really is being overwhelmed with water, nearly swamped, the situation truly is life-threatening, and He’s out, quietly refreshing Himself in dreamland.
During the past two weeks, I’ve received numerous emails responding to our understanding of Israel in the Bible, clearly indicating a need for a more comprehensive explanation of my point of view. This will require a bit more space than …
Yeshua (Jesus) is described as the “image of the invisible God” [; ], that is, God, manifesting Himself in a visible, tangible form, a human form in whom dwells all the fullness of Deity [; ; ], equal with God before Creation [; ], but choosing to be emptied of His glory for the purpose of incarnating as a flesh and blood human being on Earth; [].