Dear Christian Believer,

God bless you and your families in the name of Jesus Christ.

  Although the falling snow outside my window reminds me that it is winter, I cannot help myself from thinking thoughts of a rapidly approaching spring. The sights and smell of spring never fails to alert us to the fact that life- new, fresh, flourishing life, is about to manifest around us culminating in an abundance of growth, budding, and the bearing of fruit. Such is God's will for His people, that we manifest fresh flourishing life with the end result that we bear fruit.

Matthew 7:17-20 "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

  It is quite easy to discern who is living their life for the one true God versus those who are not. It is evidenced by their fruit. The godly person bears much good fruit, the unglodly does not. In the parable of the sower Jesus utilizes this reference to fruit to illustrate a believer who has rooted and grounded himself into good soil with the result of bearing fruit. Mark 4:20 "And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty fold, some sixty and some an hundred." You see, the amount of fruit in a person's life can vary as we are all different and are believing and applying God's work at varying levels. However, the end result should always be the same, that we bear fruit. Psalm 92:13 "Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing." Flourishing in verse 24 in the Hebrew means "green.". In plant life a vine or branch when it is green indicates life and that fruit will manifest itself in due time. God sees us growing to old age and still being green with life and manifesting fruit. Why? Verse 15 says, "To shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him."

  Sometimes we do not see the fruit in our lives immediately. Is that any different from the plant world? If we plant a tomato seed today will it spring up, mature and produce fruit tomorrow? NO! It takes patient endurance to nourish that plant, protect and support that plant before we see the evidence of fruit. Luke 8:15 "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. When we wait patiently for trees and plants to produce fruit we often stake them into the ground. A stake is a post sharpened at one end and driven into the ground as a support for that tree or plant against the storms of life. While we grow and mature and bear fruit we too can be staked for support. We can stake our lives to God's wonderful Word. His Word is pure, strong, and able to withstand all the storms of life. God proclaims in His Word that since the first day we heard and received the truth of His Word, that we were capable of bearing fruit. Colossians 1:6 "which is come unto you as it is in all the world;; and bringeth forth fruit as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it." Fruit is the natural by product of the cultivated seed.

  As God set things in order in Genesis, He repeatedly instructs all things to multiply and bear fruit. Genesis 1:22 "Be fruitful and multiply." Genesis 1:28 "Be fruitful and multiply." Genesis 9:1 "Be fruitful..." Genesis 9:7 "Be ye fruitful..."

  It is pretty clear that from the beginning the bearing of fruit has been God's will. I do not see any verses of scripture that encourage us to dry up and wither away on the vine without fruit, do you? So let's stake our lives to God and his Word, let's be that good soil where his seed can flourish and mature and bear much fruit.