The Trousseau

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, a trousseau is:

the personal possessions of a bride usually including clothes, accessories, and
household linens and wares.

On the About.com website, they have an article which states the following.

“According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language(Fourth
Edition, 2000):
trous·seau, n. [French, from Old French, diminutive of
trousse, bundle. See truss.] The possessions, such as clothing and linens, that
a bride assembles for her marriage.
Throughout history, single young women
all over the world have prepared for their change in marital status by
accumulating a trousseau. A traditional trousseau -- stored in a hope chest --
included bridal accessories, jewelry, toiletries and makeup, plus bed linens and
bath towels for her new home.

From Victorian times till today, the
trousseau also has consisted of brand-new outfits to see a woman through her
wedding, honeymoon, and newlywed days.
Oftentimes the garments in a
trousseau were hand-sewn by a mother, aunt, grandmother, or the girl
herself, if skilled with a needle. Wealthier families procured the skills of a
professional seamstress to outfit the bride-to-be.”

In other words, the trousseau contains those things that the bride has been accumulating to prepare for her upcoming wedding and marriage – mostly clothing.

As Christians, we should be preparing ourselves for our upcoming nuptials with our Lord Jesus Christ. In the book of the Revelation, John records the occasion when a great shout of praise could be heard through the heavens.

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing
waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
"Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Rev 19:6-8 NIV

Here we see that the bride, who is the church, the body of believers, (See “The Prepared Bride 1) has gotten herself ready for her wedding by making for herself a robe of fine linen. These vestments are explained in the passage as the righteous acts of the saints. Therefore, part of this bride’s trousseau involves doing the right things.

We can set aside for ourselves treasure as well.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you
the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses
for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be
exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:32-34 NIV

Notice that Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there will your hearts be also.” Your heart follows your treasure, those things that you deem as precious and dear. It is not the other way around!

Paul talks about treasure as well. Read this passage carefully.

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and
someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he
builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid,
which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using
gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for
what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with
fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what
he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up,
he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping
through the flames. 1 Cor 3:10-15 NIV

Paul states that each man’s works will be tested by fire. You can substitute the word “acts” in there to shall that each man’s acts will be tested to reveal the quality. The difference being that wood, hay and straw are consumed by fire whereas gold and silver are purified by fire and costly stones are revealed through fire. If what he has constructed in his life, what he has done in his life withstands the test of God’s presence, he will be rewarded.

Now this is not to say that we are saved through works. We are saved by faith in the Lord Jesus. However, we prepare our trousseau, those things which we will bring to the wedding and the marriage in eternity by that which we do now!

What is in your trousseau? Will it stand the test of fire proving to be made of righteous acts and willing sacrifice or will it be destroyed in the presence of your groom revealing your selfishness and sin?

Everyday, you decide what is in your trousseau!

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A Prepared Bride 16 - Discipleship 2 – Go

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt 28:16-20

As a result of Jesus having received all authority from the Father, He now commissions or sends out his disciples with this same authority.

“Go!”

This word is used dozens of time in the New Testament.

Poreuoo: to lead over, carry over, transfer to lead oneself across; i. e. to take one's way, betake oneself, set out, depart

a. properly: go on one's way Acts 8:39

b. By a Hebraism, metaphorically,

1. to depart from life: Luke 22:22

2. to follow one, i. e. become his adherent Luke 21:8

3. to lead or order one's life*

Simply put, it is the opposite of stay. Go away from where you are to another place.

Some will say, “But didn’t Jesus tell the disciples to stay in Jerusalem?” Yes, He did - for a specific reason!

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Acts 1:4-5 NIV

They were to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the baptism with the Holy Spirit to be exact. But then,

He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:7-8 NIV

Perhaps this is a good time to delineate for you the four different baptisms in which the believer must participate to function fully in the power and demonstration of the Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:4)

• 1. The Believer’s Baptism - Matt 28:18-20; Acts 22:16
• Elements
• Medium - water
• Baptizer - disciple
• Baptized - new convert
• Prerequisite
• Acts 2:38 - Repentance
• Purpose
• Death, Burial & Resurrection - Romans 6:3: Col 2:12
• 2. Baptism in the Holy Spirit - Acts 1:5
• Elements
• Medium - Holy Spirit
• Baptizer - Jesus Christ
• Baptized - Believer
• Prerequisite
• Relationship with God
• Purpose
• Power & life (Jn 7:38-39)
• 3. Baptism by the Holy Spirit - 1 Cor. 12:13
• Elements
• Medium - Body of Christ
• Baptizer - Holy Spirit
• Baptized - Believer
• Purpose
• Edification, Comfort
• 4. Baptism of Fire - Luke 3:16; Matt. 20:22-23
• Elements
• Medium - Fire (tribulation & persecution)
• Matt 13:18f; John 16:33
• Baptizer - Jesus
• Baptized - Disciple

I will go into detail on each of these with later posts. You can read more regarding the Baptism of Fire in an essay entitled “The Crucible”. However, for the time being, we continue with “Go!”

Again, go means to not stay, to head out. Jesus told His disciples that they would receive power to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, The city where they were, in all Judea which took in the countryside of nearly all Palestine, Samaria, a people with whom the Jews of Judea had a long standing animosity and to the ends of the earth, in other words, to everyone everywhere.

The Apostle Paul posed these questions.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?

And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Rom 10:14-15 NIV

To go, therefore, implies being sent. Jesus was indeed sending His disciples to preach, to teach and to make disciples.

Here is where much of the church has gotten weird. We wrestle with titles. Pastor, reverend, elder, deacon, apostle, prophet, and evangelist – everybody wants a title.

The definition for the word “apostle” for instance –

apostolos,

1. a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders, John 13:16

2. Specially applied to the twelve disciples whom Christ selected, Matt 10:1-4

3. In a broader sense the name is transferred to other eminent Christian teachers; as Barnabas, Acts 14:14*

Jesus was actually the first apostle because He was “sent from the Father” John 17:3 Then followed the 11 (minus Judas) and later were added men like Paul and Banabas. Even today, there are apostles – men sent out to preach, to teach to train. We call them “missionaries”!

In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. Acts 13:1-5 NIV

This is the account of Paul actually being “sent out” or “sent on their way” after having received the call.

There are many today who have received the call, the invitation to be sent and yet they refuse.

Jesus had a few things to say to concerning those who refuse.

For many are called, but few are chosen. Matt 22:14 KJV

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

He said to another man, "Follow me."

But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Luke 9:57-62 NIV

"A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'

"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'

"Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'

"Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'

"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'

"'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'

"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'" Luke 14:16-24 NIV

Do not whine and complain about your situation, your station in life if you received an invitation from the Almighty which you refused for some flimsy reason. It is time to repent and redeem the time!

What is the greatest hindrance to answering the call to missions in the United States today?

It isn’t war or the fear of war.

It isn’t the persecution of the church.

It isn’t a lack of opportunity or need.

It isn’t a scarcity of funds to support the work on the field.

It is DEBT!

Read the article entitled “Debt: the four-letter word that keeps missionaries at home”

Personal and corporate debt has a stranglehold on God’s people and His church. Check your church’s yearly budget. What percent is spent to pay the mortgage? What is the percentage spent on administrative costs including the pastor’s salary? What percent goes out to missions or other ministry outside the church? Very little!

Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent everyday on television and radio broadcasts that have little discernable benefit to the Kingdom of God. What if these millions spent each year were redirected to the mission field, to actually preaching the Gospel and discipling, training new believers face to face?

What if the local church sent as much money to the field as they spent on themselves?

What if we kept the 10% and gave the 90% to see the lost reached for the Kingdom of God not a ministry or TV program with somebody’s name on it?

Many, many, many have received the invitation like Isaiah did.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory."

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

He said, "Go and tell this people… Isa 6:1-9 NIV

But so very few are chosen. So very few cry out as Isaiah did “Here am I. Send me!” So very few answer the call.

There is a passage that is often quoted or should I say mis-quoted because people use it as if Jesus were talking to the unsaved, to the sinner, to the lost but He is actually talking to the church, those of His family, His brethren, the called, the chosen!

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Rev 3:20-22 NIV

Jesus stands outside, hoping to gain entrance to the lives of His bride, His church, the called out ones. He promises that if we let Him back in He will commune with us. He will take what we have, as wretched as it is and give us what He has – life etenal.

I heard it once said,

“Jesus came to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”

If you are comfortable and you have refused the call of God, I pray for your affliction!

If you are in debt, seek counsel, work hard, and cut up your credit cards!

If you hunger for the things of God and anguish over the lost, I pray for clarity of vision, fullness of funding and abundance of opportunity.

*(from Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 2000 by Biblesoft)

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Corruption Hampers Mexican Police in Border Drug War

From the New York Times

By GINGER THOMPSON

Published: July 5, 2005

MATAMOROS, Mexico - A crooked cop is the oldest story in the book in Mexico. But this country has been forced to re-examine its police as it struggles against a devastating crime wave that in the last six months has taken more than 600 lives

At least half those killings have happened in the six Mexican states along the border with the United States, where drug traffickers fighting for control of lucrative drug routes empty their automatic weapons on busy streets in the light of day. Lawlessness has become so brazen, and impunity so complete, that experts on the illegal drug trade have begun comparing northern Mexico to Colombia, where powerful cartels took over large parts of the country by corrupting or killing police officers, politicians, journalists and judges.

Killings and kidnappings happen almost every day in the city of Nuevo Laredo, about 150 miles north of this small town. Matamoros is quiet in comparison. The most common crime here these days, the police say, is robbery. But as recently as three years ago, this, too, was a capital of the drug war. People on the street said they are afraid that it could become one again.

And here, like Colombia, society's first line of defense against the chaos - the municipal police - has proved to be its weakest.

Read the full article here.

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The Fallacy of the American Dream Part 3

...and the Truth of the Father’s Desires

In this country, we judge success with an ungodly measure. Have you seen this bumper sticker?

He who dies with the most toys, wins!

This embodies the attitude that has crept into the Body of Christ as well, only we would say,

He who dies with the most names on the church roll, wins!

God uses an entirely different measure or ruler to judge success. Jesus instructed us to “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”[i] Paul wrote,

“So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” [ii]

We are admonished to be careful not to judge by appearances. On one hand that means that we should not dismiss someone or something said or done because of how it appears. On the other hand, it means that we should not embrace someone or something just because it is producing results Jesus stated that,

"Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' [iii]

In this passage, we see people crying out to Jesus, listing their accomplishments. “Lord, look at my ledger book, or look at my Sunday School rosters, or what about all the miracle-healing crusades that I held or how about all those television or radio stations I owned?” His response in each case is that He did not know them. They had great gifts or great wealth, great accomplishments or great ministries but no relationship. Lots of leaves, no fruit.

The bottom line to all this is simply put, it is not how many but how well. As Jesus stated that the Father is glorified by our bearing much fruit. Do not be drawn away or condemned by the apparent lack of results in or from your life. Produce fruit and leave the results in the Father’s hands. Learn to love without restraint and you can transform nations. Pour out of yourself that good measure that is in you and the day will come when you will hear those words, “ Well done my son, enter into my joy which I have prepared for you”

Judge not yourself or your family, nor the success or failure of your life by the abundance or scarcity of the leaves, but by the quantity and flavor of your fruit.

---

[i] John 7:24

[ii] 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

[iii] Matt 7:21-24

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Celebrate Freedom! Happy Fourth to all!

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The Fallacy of the American Dream - Part 2

To be fruitful, not fruity!

Let’s take a stroll through the New Testament and read a little of what the Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit have to say on the subject of fruitfulness.

Matt 3:7-9 But when John the Baptist saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. NIV

John had a way with words. He didn’t mince them. He was so consumed with zeal to prepare the people for the coming of the Lamb of God that he did not put up with any foolishness especially hypocrisy. If we say that we repent (turn around and away from what we were doing wrong and do what is right), then it should be evident in our life, our walk and our demeanor. It should be easily seen and recognized by those who encounter us. In other words, our lives should bear the fruit of our repentance.

John’s problem with Pharisees, the equivalent of our religious leadership today, was that they wanted to do all the right things to be seen by all the right people who would then in turn think the right thoughts about them even though there was nothing right in them. They were doing and saying all the nice religious things (putting out leaves) but they were filled with death.[i]

Matt 7:15-20 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. NIV

False prophets, wolves in sheep’s clothing, coming to feed upon not feed the flock. The problem here is that they are gifted from the Father. This gifting is not revoked because of their eating habits.[ii] False prophets, false shepherds[iii] and their ilk hone their gifting to perfection because they must operate without anointing. This produces incredible results – large crusades, many healings, even confessions for salvation. But they do not produce good fruit - remember, that stuff that lasts forever. Unfortunately, these men and women seldom allow anyone to get close except for their “inner circle”. For if anyone did take a good, close look, they would be disappointed in the lack of fruit on that tree – lots of leaves (results) but no fruit.

Matt 12:33-37 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." NIV

Luke 6:43-45 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. NIV

There is good news and then there is bad news. First the bad news, whatever is in your heart is going to come out. Now the good news, whatever is in your heart is going to come out. What makes this revelation good or bad is not the revelation but the contents of what is being revealed – the heart. If our hearts are consumed with zeal for the Father’s house as were both John the Baptist and Jesus, when we speak it will be life. It will be fruit that nourishes and reproduces. However, if we are self-absorbed or interested more in what we can get than what we can give, this will reveal itself out of our own mouths as well.

John 15:1-9 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. NIV

Here, again, we see the result of not bearing fruit – you get cut off. Our difficulty with this lies in the timing. We want the cutting off to take place now but the Father has other ideas, which we will get to later. Depending on the condition of our fruitfulness, not fruitiness (Spirituality is not demonstrated in “spookiness”. This is not Casper the ghost.), the Father responds to either eradicate or irrigate. He will either bring the judgment that results in fire or discipline that results in maturity. We cannot bear fruit unless we remain connected to the Vine – Jesus. Connected to the Vine is not a casual, once a week for an hour, greeting as you pass on the way to the restroom kind of thing. It is an all-encompassing, totally absorbing hunger that will not be satiated by anything or anyone other than God.

Another interesting thing about fruit verses leaves: Fruit brings glory to the Father. Leaves or results bring glory to the tree or the one with the gift. Jesus states in this passage in John that it brings the Father glory for us to bear fruit and that we show ourselves to be His disciples if we bear much fruit. Not that we skimp along and just eek out a crop but that we bear much fruit. This puts me in mind of several other principles in the Kingdom of God.

Jesus defines the criteria by which all the world will know that we are His disciples and by which the world will know that He was indeed sent from the Father.

John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." NIV

John 17:20-23 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. NIV

All the world will know that we are the true devoted ones (disciples) of Jesus by our love for one another, not by the size of our sanctuary, or the number of times we are on television or even by the effectiveness of our programs. By the way, as we will see in a moment, love is fruit not leaves. Also, how will the world finally know that Jesus was sent from the Father? Will it be by the number of flyers for an upcoming crusade that we mailed out? Or will it be by the height of our steeple? (I know of a place where the churches actually tried to outdo one another in steeple height.) None of this will do it. Some of it may be useful, eventually, but the only thing that will accomplish this desire of the Father’s heart is the unity of His children. This unity will not be the result of some program or ministerial fellowship, but will occur when God’s people start bearing fruit, the peaceful fruit of righteousness.[iv] This cannot be programmed or legislated, nor will it be the product of a system. It can only be birthed out of relationships, relationships that bear fruit.

Not results but fruit!

In his letter to the church at Galatia…

Let me pause here for just a moment and make this comment. When Paul wrote these letters to the churches in these cities, there was only one church per city though it may have been meeting in a variety of homes or locations. If Paul were to write to the church in our city, first, he wouldn’t know where to send it. Secondly, the chances of a local assembly of people who call themselves Christians sharing that letter with the rest are pretty slim. The exception to that would be that they might schedule a seminar to present their idea of what the author was saying, for a fee. Paul would be appalled.

Continuing where I left off, in this letter, Paul encourages the Christians in Galatia and us, today, to walk in the Spirit as a way to keep from walking in the flesh. As someone put it once, “If you do the dos, you don’t have to worry about doing the don’ts.” He lists for us the works or the results of walking in the flesh and then simply states,

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”[v]

The fruit, the byproduct, of walking in the Spirit and not fulfilling the appetites of the flesh, is a life-giving cornucopia that has eternal benefit. Because it reflects the nature of Christ, it is what we shall ultimately become for when we see Him, we shall be like Him for we will see Him as He is.[vi] Without this fruit, anything and everything that we do is useless in the light of eternity.

Going back to the apostle Paul, he tells us very clearly that we can have all the spiritual gifts operating in and through our lives but unless the results (gifts) are accompanied by love (fruit), it is just a bunch of noise. If I can do the miraculous, and teach the very mysteries of God in a 16 part video series for only $49.95 but do not love, but am not laying down my life for His friends, I am of no importance in the Kingdom. I can even go so far as to establish a citywide feeding program for the homeless out of my own pocket, but unless I am bearing the fruit of love, it is an exercise in futility as far as eternity is concerned.[vii]

At the end of this teaching I have attached a fictitious letter from a missions board responding to the Apostle Paul’s application for appointment with them to the foreign field. I encourage you to read it through, keeping in mind that by the present-day standards of success in America, Paul would not be getting much television time.

---

[i] Matthew 23:27

[ii] Romans 11:29

[iii] Read Ezekiel 34 for a comparison of the false and true shepherds.

[iv] Philippians 1:9-11

[v] Galatians 5:22-23

[vi] 1 John 3:2

[vii] 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

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The Fallacy of the American Dream - Part 1

As the children of God in America, we have applied the measure that this society uses to judge success to the Bride of Christ.

What was, at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, an ideal and a dream for many families in America has become an almost unbearable yoke and ungodly burden. The hope and dream of owning your own land, building a house and home in which to raise a family, being your own man, is now truly available to only a very few. Most of us own nothing but owe much. We owe on our houses. We owe on the “stuff” in our house – TVs, computers, kitchen and laundry appliances, even our living room and bedroom furniture. We owe on our vehicles. Most crucially, as a nation, we owe over $666 billion dollars to credit card companies at an average of 16% interest with some over 24% interest , which amounts to an average of $8000 per household of four. Even the U.S. government is in debt. At the time of the writing, the national debt is in excess of $5.6 trillion or an average of almost $20,000 per U.S. citizen. We are judging our success or failure in this country on how much we have acquired, not on how well our families are growing. As the Apostle James exclaimed, “These things ought not to be.” God the Father is not interested in results. He is looking for fruit.

A Bad Day To B e A Fig Tree

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it… In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"

Jesus had been busy the day before. It had started early with the triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem, all that shouting and proclaiming going on. Next, a stop in the temple to throw out those folks making a profit in the Father’s house and turning over all those tables – quite the adrenaline rush. Jesus followed that with healing those blind and lame that He knew the Father was healing. This was accompanied by the usual confrontation with the religious leadership. He finished the day with a 3-4 mile jaunt over to a nearby city, Bethany, for the night.

In the morning, the Master awakes and sets out for Jerusalem once again. Along the way, He realizes that He is quite hungry. He spots a fig tree in the distance. This tree was lush with leaves that glistened with the dew in the morning sun. It seemed to hold the promise of fruit. Jesus knew that it would not have the full fig that grew later in the season but He was expecting first fruit, those edible figs that are normally an indication of the size of the crop to come. They weren’t the best in the world but they might at least ease that gnawing feeling you can get in your stomach first thing in the morning.

Jesus approaches the tree and reaches in, expecting to find fruit but there is nothing there. He moves around the tree and tries again. Nothing. Finally, He spreads the braches apart and peers into the tree and sees no fruit whatsoever. His response to no fruit – He curses the tree and it dies. This astonishes and frightens the disciples. They cannot figure out what is going on. The Master has given His students an object lesson in the authority and power of faith. He was hoping they would remember a parable He had taught them earlier that year.

Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, `For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' "`Sir,' the man replied, `leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'"
Jesus continues to hope that we will recognize not only the power and authority of and in faith but that the Father is not satisfied with leaves. He wants fruit.

Let’s take a more didactic look at these events:

• Jesus was hungry!
• He came to the tree looking for sustenance.
• The tree looked good from a distance – lots of leaves.
• In spite of its good looks, it held nothing nourishing. Potential, but no produce.
• The result of not producing fruit is death.

Leaves and Fruit, so what’s the big deal?

There is an important difference between a tree or vine flourishing with leaves and that same tree or vine bearing fruit. Understand that leaves are important to the life of the plant. They photosynthesize sunlight. They take in carbon dioxide and leave off oxygen. Leaves provide shade and shelter for an amazing array of critters. They do not, however, reproduce or nourish others.

In terms of God’s economy and kingdom, leaves are those things that have effect on the here and now but will pass when either death comes or Jesus returns. Events or occurrences such as signs and wonders, the miracles and the gifts, are important to us in this time and place but will not be carried into the eternal. For example, when Elisha caused the axe head to float , it was of benefit to them at the time but holds no real consequence in the final future. The gifts of the Spirit in operation in the Body today, speaking and singing in tongues, prophecy, healings, etc., are of great value for us in our growth and maturation as individual and as a Body, but when He who is perfect is come, or we go to Him, these will be done away with. We will no longer have any need of them.

I, also, include in the classification of leaves the incessant need to compare numbers. How many in your service? How many in Sunday School? How many salvations at the Revival? How many “fell out” under the power? How large was the offering? How many buses do you have? How many were healed in your service? Sorry, but in the light of eternity, these things will not count, will not even be considered.

You may be arguing with me at this point but I ask you to continue and listen to the Father’s heart. For what the Father is interested in is not the square footage of your facility or the number of satellites you have in the atmosphere. What the Father is concerned with is fruit. Fruit that gives life to others. Fruit that reproduces itself in others. Things like integrity, character, selflessness, brokenness. Remember that the seed is found in the fruit.

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