A FRUITFUL LIFE

The goal of Spiritual life is to bear fruits. What happens internally with our relationship with Jesus Christ, will be seen externally by our life. Most of us do the oppsite by focsuing on the external and neglecting the internal- our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

In the Bible Jesus talks about people who did lot of things on the outside but internally, they were far off from God. ). He spoke of those who "honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" (Mark 7:6). He declared, "What comes from your heart is what makes you unclean. Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults, pride, and foolishness. All of these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship God" (Mark 7:20-23). Again he said, "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit...You cannot pick figs or grapes from thorn bushes. Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts. Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your hearts" (Luke 6:43-45).

Most of us are pretty good at putting on a reasonable show on the outside. But what we really are is determined by what is on the inside! It is obvious that if our morality is going to be acceptable to God it must begin on the inside. God comes in the person of his Spirit for this very purpose - to begin a radical make-over job, beginning on the inside. This means that as I begin to grow in my relationship with God through Bible reading, prayer, learning to trust and obey him, and fellowship with others on the same journey, I will become conscious of changes. New desires will replace old - a new love for God and desire to please him, a new concern for others. Old habits will begin to drop off and new ones form. The Bible says, "God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled" (Galatians 5:22, 23). These are qualities that Jesus exhibited perfectly in his own flawless character. 

This transformation doesn't happen overnight. The process will continue till we die, and it depends on our co-operation. But it is God's doing - transformation from within. The day will one day come when God will "present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy" (Jude 24). In that tremendous day of resurrection the process will be complete and we will be seen to be the perfect handiwork of him who died and rose again for our salvation. "We will be like him, because we will see him as he truly is" (1 John 3:2). Claudio Taffarel is a Brazilian soccer player who made the finals of the 1994 and 1998 World Cup. Describing the effects of the realisation that Jesus had died for him, the confession of his sins and his efforts to follow Jesus' teaching, he said: 

The verse in the Bible: 'Draw near to God and he will draw near to you,' really spoke to me. My commitment to Jesus Christ didn't bring big changes at first, but as I looked at myself, I realized that I was gradually changing from the inside. 

Let us live a life focusing on our relationship with Jesus and the result of it would be a life that brightens Jesus!

 

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

A while back, I was planting some seeds. As I was putting them in the soil, I began thinking about my life. God has ordained each step and He knows the plans He has for me. But often I feel like I’m just stumbling along blindly, not sure where He is leading. I’m like the seeds. And sadly, there are times instead of trusting the Gardener’s plans for me, I think that I know better. I think I know the type of soil I need to be planted in, the amount of sun and shade I need to properly grow, the amount of rain that would be best for optimal growth, and the type of plant that I’ll grow to be.
But Jesus as my Master Gardener; however, lovingly shows me that I don’t know these things. I don’t know if I will grow to become a flower or a stalk of corn. I don’t know what I need to thrive because I can’t see the end result. But God knows the plans He has for my life. He provides that the care I need based on what type of plant I am. He planted me where I needed to be. He waters me with the exact amount of rain that I need. He places me in the sun because I need that heat to grow. He does all this because He loves me. He cares for me and weeds the garden of my life and at times prunes my little plant because He wants me to grow and bear Him fruit.
When the harvest time comes, because of His work, I pray that He will be glorified through the growth in me. He is the one who ordained my steps. I can trust in Him.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you that you know the plans for my life. Thank you that I can trust you when I can’t see where you are leading. Thank you for the promise that You are leading. Give me grace to trust in You, whether you plant me, uproot me, bring the sun, rain or shade. Your ways are good and I look to You, the God who called me and planted me, to be the God who will continue to guide me every step of the way.

NEW YEAR 2011

I recently saw this quote, "No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending" (Unknown). I really began to think about that statement. The conclusion was that we don't start over; but we begin again right where we are, making things better in our lives.
As a believer in Christ, it is not about saying I will do this and I won't do that and then dropping the idea or falling short. It is more about asking the Lord to help us each day, to fall deeper and deeper in love with Him. This way our focus will be set on the things of heaven and not on all this earthly stuff.
If I were to make a New Year resolution, it would be to have a deeper commitment, a deeper love, and a deeper worship for the Lord. In the beginning of this past year, He spoke to me in that still small voice in prayer and said, "I am more than enough. I am more than enough in every area of your life." He also said to tell others the same thing.

This year I am determined to make Him my all and all. He wants our undivided attention in spite of the distractions and temptations that lie waiting around the corner. He has to be our main focus.
How we will end this year will be determined by how we started it. Did we want to get more "INTIMATE" with the lover of our soul? I looked up the word intimacy and the meaning is to be close, familiar, very personal and private.

Do you want a new ending this year? How do you want the ending of your life? If you're not a Christian, please know that this could be the best New Year of your life. Your life can be filled with hope and peace. To know what the ending will be is an extra bonus. Why should every year be the same as the one before with nothing really changing? After all, the New Year resolutions may or may not get accomplished.

If you are a Christian and you feel stagnate in your relationship with the Lord, then now is the time to rekindle the love affair with Him. He calls us to Himself and says, "Come away my beloved." Can you hear Him? He is tugging at your heart. The real ending in our life will be when Jesus says well done my good and faithful servant. That statement will be for someone who took the time to get to know Him, love Him, and that obediently followed Him.

Can God change your life?

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