What fruits are you producing?

Sitting on the porch the other night, I talked with my dad about many things, as we sometimes do. We were talking about how you can never know a man's heart, only G-d can. Then, I brought up that we could know a man by the fruits he produced, as the Bible says.

To this my dad replied with something that dumbfounded me... "What fruits have you produced?"

I didn't know what to say... I was racking my brain for something... anything... I eventually named off a few things I could think of and we continued our conversation. However, this stuck with me. I think it is a question that we should daily be asking ourselves. "What fruit am I producing?" and maybe even with every action, "what fruit will this produce?"

The Bible says "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew5:14-16) and 2 Corinthians 5:20 calls us "Christ's representatives." If we are looked at as representatives of Christ, we need to be aware of what fruit we are producing and showing to the world.

I found myself at a lack of words with this question and realized, a plant producing no fruit is just as bad as one producing bad fruit, both are worthless and will be pulled up. I could eventually think of some fruit I had produced, but I realized this is not something I have ever had to think of before.

Remember to ask yourself "What fruit am I producing?"

John 15:2
"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes"

Matthew 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."

Are you being persecuted?

John 15:18-25
18 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'

Christ says if we belong to the world it will love us, but if we belong to Him, it will hate us. Are you hated by the world? Do you live a life that shines G-d's light so brightly, that the world is blinded by it? Or are you living a dully lit life, so that the world can't see how you follow G-d and therefore does not persecute you.

Paul says in 2 Tim 3:12
"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted"

An old-time evangelist once said, if I preach in a town and dont get chased out, I wonder whether I preached the right gospel or not. If we are preaching, and not facing persecution and hatred, it may be wise to seek G-d on whether we are preaching His true Word or not.

Matt 5:11-12
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

And remember brothers and sisters, when you are persecuted, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse" - Rom 12:14

It's not how much you make. It's how much of it you give away.

There is a lot of talk of how much money Christian's make and even some presumptions on whether a person is a so-called "true Christian" by how many zeros are on his paycheck. But I submit that it not how much one makes but how much of it one gives away that shows where their heart is. Money is not the root of all evil, but it can be held and used very selfishly.

Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” G-d says in Job 41:11 , “Everything under heaven belongs to me.” Haggai 2:8 says, “'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty.” Psalm 50:10-12, “All the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. Every bird of the mountains and all the animals of the field belong to me. If I were hungry, I would not mention it to you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.”

It's pretty clear G-d is saying, He owns everything. It is all His. It's not a new thing for people to forget this, in the first chapter of Isaiah G-d says, “The ox and the donkey know their owner, but my people do not know who owns them.” Obviously as Christians we believe that G-d created us, and if that's not proof enough of His ownership then, think of Jesus and the price He paid for us, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says “You are not your own. You were bought at a price”

So G-d owns everything, including us, but we're only expected to give a tenth and then we're good right? Wrong. G-d owes us nothing. As a matter of fact we owe G-d a debt we can never repay. The Bible says we are to pay a tithe (10% of our income) This is to be a representation of our submission that all we have is G-d's. When we make money, it is a blessing, a gift from G-d. He blessed us with the job and the ability to do it, then He blessed our employer with the money to pay us. We are to be stewards of G-d's money that He bestows upon us and be in constant prayer over what He wants us to do with it.

G-d could bless a person with a million dollars and that person could give it all away, wisely praying about where to give it. He could then give another person twenty dollars and that person could go buy beer, cigarettes and gamble the rest away, without a thought or prayer of what G-d wants. Who do you think is in the right? The Christian who brought home a million or the one who brought home twenty dollars? 1 Corinthians 10:31 says “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” I believe this means, we should always be prayful about what we do with all our resources, dying to ourselves and our desires. For everything we do, we should do for G-d by His good and perfect will.

I leave you with a passage in Mark, where the opposite side of the story is seen, but the same lesson is taught. It's not how much you make. It's how much of it you give away.

Mark 12:41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”