Saturday 21 March 2015

ALAS! THE AXE IS LAID UNDER THE TREES



MEMORY VERSE: And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Matthew 3:10

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 56-61. 

Please pay very close attention to coincidences in your walk with Christ. In my personal life, i have come to realise that there are no coincidence in Christ. Matthew 10:29 says: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.” Have you ever pondered on the fact that God can make good come even out of our mistakes? Roman 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Some missionaries went to Argentina for evangelical outreach during the regime of Dictator General Juan Domingo Peron. It was a time of great unrest and parts of the country were in open revolt. As these brothers moved around, from town to town, sharing tracts and preaching the good news, they came to a town with this large notice: ‘Missionaries, keep out!’ In view of the unrest in the nation and the band of armed gangs roaming the streets of this small town, it was prudent for them to withdraw back to their base. 

Now it happened that they had ordered a consignment of tapes consisting of a series of expositions on Romans which Pastor Willie Mullan was delivering. (I will encourage you to get his books.) A tape dealing with a chapter at a time was sent to these missionaries as soon as the message was delivered. They had already received tapes of the first eight chapters and among their possession was a small, unopened parcel supposedly containing a tape on chapter 9. Tired and frustrated, they decided to pass the night by listening to the tape inside the unopened parcel. To their surprise and initial disappointment, they heard the man of God describing the Israelites approaching the Red Sea. Someone back in Pastor Mullan's office, in Ireland, had slipped up and dispatched the wrong tape. This address was based on the words of the Lord,' Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward.' They listened in silence and when it ended the silence deepened. Each of them realised that God had spoke to them that night. Their problem had disappeared. God was telling them to go forward and share tracts! They returned the next morning to that little town with fresh zeal and boldness and began sharing tracts. Guess what... no one said a word to them. God had used someone’s mistake in Ireland to encourage some group of missionaries in far away Argentina!

God, like every farmer, expects fruits. He expects each and every of His child to bear fruits. What type of fruits is He expecting to see? Firstly, the fruit of the lips or praise and worship (Isaiah 57:19). Secondly, fruit meet for repentance (Matthew 3:18). Thirdly, fruit of souls (John 15:16). Fourthly, the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). What will happen if a tree fails to bear fruits? The Lord has said that He will abandon such trees (Isaiah 5:1-7). God will not abandon you in the mighty name of Jesus.  In 1 Kings 13, we see what can happen if God abandons a fellow. A prophet disobeyed God and God abandoned him. A lion came out of the bush and killed him. What if a tree is not bearing good fruits? Well, such trees will be cut down and cast into fire. Matthew 3:10 says: “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” 

QUESTIONS: Are you bearing fruits? What type of fruits are you producing? 

PRAYER POINT: Father, please help me to continue bearing fruits.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

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