Roots And Fruit

“That person will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever they do will prosper” – Psalm 1:3

What is it that causes some people to bear so much fruit for the Lord while others are simply “leafy”? What is the reason behind some consistently growing in strength while others consistently struggle in weakness?

Scripture offers the apology of a tree as an example. When we see that healthy plant standing tall even in stormy times and bearing fruit even in harsh conditions, it’s due to the part of the tree we don’t see. The hidden part -the root system.

When we look at a tree, you never see the entire tree. We just see what grows above the ground in plain sight.

But that’s not the important part. It’s the roots that are important. Those are the keys for the trees nourishing. It’s how it accesses life-giving water and minerals.

When these roots are strong the tree thrives and bears fruit. When these roots are shallow or weak, the fruit (if it does appear) is withered and short-lived.

The Tree’s Fruitfulness Can Never Exceed Its Rootfulness

What’s true for trees is also true for you and me. There are two parts to our existence: the part that’s visible to the world and the hidden part that no one can see.

It’s the visible part that manifests the fruit of the Spirit -love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.

It’s the hidden part of our life that taps into that Spirit, communing with Him through time in His Word, moments in prayer, and worship.

No one can see these things. They are done in the secret place, privately, below the surface. But they are absolutely key to fruitfulness. It’s thete we receive spiritual nourishment to bear fruit.

“Your fruitfulness for God will always be proportionate to your rootfulness in God” -Jonathan Cahn

In other words, if we are to become great we need to grow deep.

An interesting fact is that the Hebrew word for “root” is sheresh which is linked to deepness or depth.

In Colossians 2:6-7 Paul writes, “As therefore you received Messiah, Yeshua, the Lord, walk in Him, rooted are build up in Him, and we’re taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.

My guess is that we are no different that we all long to bear fruit for the Kingdom. And you really want your life to count.

That being nth case you need to aim to grow deeper in the hidden and secret places. Drinking constantly in the Spirit of God who is more than willing to offer those who seek Him.

And as you do the promise of Proverbs 12:12 will be yours, …”but the root of the righteous flourishes.”

The Small Things Matter

What’s one small improvement you can make in your life?

One small thing I do every day is wake up with good expectations every day. I expect to find some one to bless. I expect to have an amazing day. I find when I expect good things to happen every day.

There’s a quote a heard many years ago. that says,

“Are you going to wake up a Tigger or a Eeyore today.”

The Light And Dark Within Us

One could argue that there is light and darkness in each of us is constantly at battle. But perhaps one has simply dominated the other, or some sort of balance has been attained.

Each of us has a shady side and a sunny side. There’s an old Native American story about the internal conflict and the way a grandfather explained it to his grandchildren.

One of his grandchildren asked his grandfather, “Why do people fight?“

The grandfather answered and said, we all have two wolves inside of us. These wolves are constantly fighting each other. Everyone has them.

There is a white wolf and a black wolf inside of us.

The black wolf is filled with fear, anger, envy, jealousy, greed, and arrogance.

The white wolf is filled with peace, love, hope, courage, humility, compassion, and faith.

They fight constantly. The grandchild asked his grandfather “which one wins?”

Many people realize how often the works and internal conflict are dominated by the black wolf. Everyone can resonate with the feeding of emotions such as anger, jealousy, and fear. These emotions can at times have power over us. By giving these emotions (the black wolf) headspace we are fundamentally feeding them. It can become hard to snap out of it. Many people have an underdeveloped white wolf.

For some people, while growing up it was not often fed by parents or those people in positions of authority, such as teachers. Certain organizational cultures can encourage the “black wolf.” This can lead their white wolf to be weak, skinny, and small.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not possible to change the focus and attention towards the white wolf and moving forward.

The moral of the “Two Wolves” is that we need to work constantly. It’s true that some people find it more difficult than others to choose the white wolf, but at the end of the day we can choose to stop feeding the black wolf. And choose to feed the white wolf.

It’s that simple. But it isn’t easy,

The black wolf is primarily self serving and mainly interested in staying ahead of the other wolves at any cost. This wolf is the “survivor” within us.

The white wolf, however, is interested in development and sees itself as a mete vehicle to spread love and kindness. It is led by this cause. It doesn’t feel like a choice or an obligation, it just surrenders to the call of this life force -it just feels natural.

It can be tough to get your inner white wold healthy when your black wolf is always eager to steal as much as it can. But by preserving. The day will come when you’ll notice that the white wolf has become equally strong.

While that inner battle may still continue, if you consistently feed the white wolf it will win more fights and get stronger.

When we feed the light instead of the dark, light can overcome the darkness.

People Who Make Positive Impacts

Share a story about someone who had a positive impact on your life.

I have several people who have made a positive impact on me. Beginning with my husband, family and friends but by far the person that has made the most positive impact in is Jesus. I wouldn’t be here to day without Him.

By reading the Bible every day, praying and following His example to how to do life, my personal relationship with Him draws me closer and gives me so much hope, peace and joy regardless of what it happening around me or in the world.

God Rolled Stones Away

The stone that covered the tomb entrance was not the only stone God removed that faithful Sunday morning. He removed the stone of death, the stone of doubt. But God never removed the stone of unbelief.

The resurrection of Jesus is not the only cornerstone of the true believer’s faith it is the capstone. It’s the all-important center stone in the archway of faith that makes the foundation stand. If you remove the center stone from the archway our faith crumbles in a pile of useless rumble.

1 Corinthians 15:17 says, “If Messiah has not been raised, your faith is in vain; you are still in your sin.” So if the resurrection is not a fact then our faith is no more than a fairy tale. Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 15:21, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

The lives and deaths of the apostles and disciples of Jesus cry out loudly and clearly that Jesus has risen. In Genesis 1:1 the Bible doesn’t argue the fact that there is a God it merely proclaims it.

If you read the gospels (John, Matthew, Luke, Mark) you will see that God sent an angel to roll the stone away from the tomb. The stone was rolled not rolled away for Jesus’s benefit. Instead, it was rolled away so that the disciples and the scribes, Pharisees, and the Sadducees could see the place where Jesus was laid. On the day Jesus rose there was more than one stone rolled away on resurrection morning.

  • God rolled away the stone of death

Matthew 28:6 says, “He is not here, for He has risen, Just like He said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.”

Death is the tyrant and terror of many today, You’ve probably heard it said before that the statistics on death are clean 1 in 1 due. Some try to prolong life and prevent death. But all of us must cross through death’s door. The Bible says it that way, “inasmuch as it is appointed unto men to die once, and after this judgment. (Hebrews 9:27).

Everyone must one-day face mortality. Because of one man, Adam, sin entered the world. Adam chose to disobey God and rejected God’s best and His blessing for sin, pain, suffering, sorrow, and death. We are heirs of that sinful nature. David even said the he was a sinner from his mother’s womb. You don’t have to teach a person it lie, cheat, and steal you have to teach them not to. You don’t have to teach a child to bully you have to teach them not to.

Sin is the source of death. Ezekiel 18:20 clearly says the person who sins will die. Physical and spiritual death. Physically our life ends and our spirit returns to God. If we remain as sinners when we die, never accepting Jesus’s atoning death and restoring resurrection we die spiritually. We are separated from God forever.

The good news on that resurrection morning was that God rolled away the stone of death. With Jesus alive the promises of God are alive and available for us today. With the resurrection comes the meaning for this life and the next. If Jesus was just another man then al, we would have to look forward to in this life is death.

The only fear that should dominate this life for a true believer is fear of the Lord. That fear should make us respect Him and obey Him.

God rolled away the stone of death and if you honestly look in the empty tomb He will also roll away the stone of doubt.

In Genesis Satan’s master plan was to call into question what God said about His creation. Has God really said? Maybe you misunderstood what God was telling you. Those stories are just cooked up to keep you from having fun. There isn’t really a God, you will not did when to choose to go your own way. That’s what Satan was saying in a nutshell. Satan’s accusations were for no other purpose than to nullify the truth of God,

Why did the high priest and the Sanhedrin pay off soldiers and spread the false story of Jesus’s body stolen after He had risen? To cast doubt on the truth of God’s Word. The Bible records that 500 people saw Jesus after His resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5.

If doubt can be cast on the resurrection then doubt is cast on who Jesus said He was. It is the resurrection that clearly proves Jesus was who He said He was.

  • God rolled away the stone of doubt

According to John 20, Thomas said that he was not going to believe until he saw Jesus. He doubted the words of his fellow disciples . Jesus however showed up and allowed Thomas to examine Him. God rolled away the stone so we could look at His hands and feet, and His wounded side,

God rolled the stone away so that we could examine Jesus and doubt no more. All we need to do is open the Bible and begin reading and have faith the size of a mustard seed.

But, there is one stone that God will not roll away. Disbelief. It is one thing to doubt but it’s another to be faced with Jesus and still not believe.

God will not roll away the stone of disbelief.

Hebrews 3:19 says. “We see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.

Revelation 21:8 says, “But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

If you take the time to study the gospels you will see that God rolls away the stones of death and doubt. But there is one stone that God will not roll away. It is a stone large enough to crowd out God, yet small enough to fit in your heart.

God will not force Himself on anyone. The stone of unbelief must be followed away by you.

Good doesn’t not want anyone to understand He just wants us go believe.

The power of life is greater than the power of death.

Freedom To Me

What does freedom mean to you?

Life, Liberty, and pursuit of happiness. All people are created equal. We all have our own, thoughts and ideas. I have a right not to have anyone shove their ideas and thoughts down my throat. I don’t do that so I expect people not to do the same to me. I believe in free speech.

The government should not have the right go infringe on my God-given rights. I have the right to defend myself if I am being just or in danger. Many great men have lost their lives defending this nation for us to be free. Today these freedoms are in endanger of being taken away.

It comes down to this as human beings we should treat others how we would like to be treated.

Having Oil In Your Lamp

In the busyness of our daily lives, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the world and forget to take time to think about our spiritual readiness. We often forget to ask ourselves we have oil for our lamps.

This question is simple yet holds profound significance in our relationship with God, and our faith in Him, Matthew 25 says, “For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them; but the wise tool oil in thier vessels with their lamps.

In Biblical times, lamps and oil were essential sources of light. They provided illumination and guidance in the darkness. Oil was the fuel that sustained the lamp’s flame. Without oil the lamp would flicker and go out.

In a spiritual concept, the lamp represents our faith, and the oil symbolizes our relationship with God and our spiritual preparedness. Does your lamp have oil? Our answer to this question should challenge us to examine the state or our faith and closeness to God.

Not having a faithful relationship with God could leave us in a desperate situation in the times before Jesus comes back. Matthew 25, and the Parable about the foolish virgins and their unpreparedness caused them to miss out on a joyful celebration because they neglected to be prepared and have oil in their vessels.

Regularly immersing ourselves in Scripture and seeming a deep relationship with God through prayer and worship is essential to keep our lamps burning brightly.

It’s easy to become complacent in our faith journey, allowing our lamps to run low on oil. Life’s distractions, busyness, and worldly temptations can lead us astray if we are not vigilant. Proverbs 4:23, says:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Guarding our hearts means prioritizing our relationship with God and nurturing our faith continuously. We must be intentional about seeking Him, studying His Word, and surrounding ourselves with other believers who can encourage us on this journey on earth.

The good news is that no matter how depleted our oil may be, God always gives us an open invitation to replenish it. God’s grace and forgiveness are boundless. Revelation 3:20, extends an invitation to us:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door then I will come in to him, and I will dine with him, and he with Me.”

This verse reminds us that Jesus is always ready to rekindle our faith and restore our relationship with Him. All we need to do is open the door of our hearts and invite Him in.

Disagreeing With Someone

What public figure do you disagree with the most?

We all disagree with someone in this life. Just because you disagree with someone doesn’t mean you have to insult me or belittle them. It seems like most people have forgotten that these days.

Treating people right is important and the number one way to treat people right to is respect them as fellow human beings. We don’t have to agree or even support a person’s views.

We need to start agreeing on what we both want, and not disrespect the things we don’t agree on.

Just because I don’t agree with a person doesn’t mean I hate them. or want to ruin their life or reputations.

Light That Dispels Fear

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear” – Psalm 27:1

There is nothing more unsettling than finding ourselves in complete darkness. Our mind can begin to play tricks on us. Our imagination runs wild. We walk carefully, trying no to bump into objects searching for a flashlight or candle (or phone) that will bring a little light to us. And we find that light. The relief if undeniable.

The world can be a dark place, and we all long for something to enlighten us in the darkness. Some listen to news or go to social media etc…

Psalm 27 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear.” These simple words teach us that the most light. The light that is able to cast out all fear, is the light of God.

The Bible teaches us over and over again not to be afraid, and that God is with us. And “if God is for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31). Jesus says “He is the light of the world“ (John 8:12). He is the light that no darkness can overcome (John 1:5). He is the light that casts out all fear. Why? Because He is always with us. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, who walks with us through the darkest valleys, and if He is with us, we don’t have to fear.

Psalm 91 reminds us, that when we live in Him we will not fear the terror of the night or that arrows that fly by day. As the world becomes darker we don’t have to be afraid, no matter where life takes us. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says

“Seeing it is God who said Light will shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Yeshua the Messiah.”

The next time you find yourself in a dark place, let God’s light shine in your heart and let this divine light cast out your fear. Jesus is the light that we all like ng for, and the only light we will ever need.

Career Plan

What is your career plan?

My career plan is being a housewife. Society tends to tell women if they aren’t doing something outside if the home they aren’t successful.” I don’t believe that’s true.

I am very blessed that I don’t have to work outside of the home. Most families have to work 2 or 3 jobs just to survive these days.

Putting Emotional Walls Up And Tearing Them Down

We all do it. Putting up walls around our heart to protect ourselves from the pain. And we think we’re doing it to be safe.

The walls that we put up sometimes become our prisons.

What we think we’ve done to protect ourselves has, in reality, caused us to hide behind the walk, curl up in a bank and waiting while we fret and worry and fear the worst.

“Guarding your heart” is a biblical principle but if we don’t gain the right perspective on what that means, we may likely end up with a heart that is controlled by our emotions and feelings. While it’s normal to isolate ourselves from the world out of fear or agitation that feels normal Then pain, sorrow, fear, anxiety and grief can creep in behind that walk of isolation and keep us captive.

So how do we break those walls down? I can tell you from experience that once the walls are up it is hard work to break them down. It’s a constant battle.

How do we guard our hearts when our life depends on it? What is the remedy when emotions and agitation don’t just stop by for a visit but barge in and take over our hearts, and minds?

Ephesians 6:12-13 tells us:

“For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rules of the darkness of this age, and again against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

The enemy we fight is not one to be fought alone. It’s impossible without God. God is the creator of our emotions, and though Satan would love to use them against us (as he sometimes does), this battle that rages in us has a Victor. His name is Jesus, our Savior, our Redeemer, and our Friend. He is the one who conquered evil. He is the one who opens the door to the spiritual realm so He can help us in this battle we face on earth.

Fighting to break down the walls we put up to protect us has to come down to get the prison we so eagerly put up. But breaking the wall takes hard work, preparedness, commitment and stamina.

Jesus told us how to use His armor against the enemy in Ephesians 6:14-17:

“Start, therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace; above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

  • Truth –Your belt. It holds you together when your world is falling apart. We have to stand on the promises of God’s Word, even when we don’t understand why, or when the world tells us something different, (see Philippians 4:8-9).
  • Righteousness –The idea of the breastplate of righteousness is for this armor to protect us when satan throws his fiery darts at you. The key to guarding your heart is to know God’s Word. It is our righteousness that gives us the boldness to stand against Satan (see Romans 3:26).
  • Preparation – having your sandals on, ready to go at any minute. We often let our guard down or get lazy in our relationship with God and satan tries to take advantage of this. I can neglect to clean my house and it won’t do any physical harm, but failing to clean my spiritual house can prove go be detrimental to my spiritual, emotional, and even my physical health. (see 1 John 1:6-9).
  • Faith -While this seems an obvious necessity for battle, the shield of faith is more than that. Why do you think the emotion of fear can creep in so easily and consume us? It’s when we lay down that shield that protects us, we allow fear to move in. When we are grieving the shield of faith will surround us and protect us from being consumed by it. Worry retreats when faith takes over. When we walk in faith we quit allowing our feelings to dictate our actions. With faith, we believe God is truly in control. This doesn’t mean we won’t have emotions, it means that our emotions won’t have us. (see 1 John 5:4-5).
  • Salvation – The battle begins and ends in our minds. When we choose to believe what Jesus did for us on the cross we recognize that the victory has already been won. No circumstance in this life can change the fact that He saved us. He loved us is much that He died for us. If He loves us that much, we can trust us with whatever life throws at us. The Helmet of Salvation protects our brains from getting out of focus when life gets tough. Our thoughts, actions, and feelings come into alignment when we keep our focus on what really matters. (see Romans 5:7-8).
  • God’s Word – Our sword. Our weapon in this spiritual battle. Our words mean nothing. His Words mean everything. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have the Holy Spirit, and He will correct you and guide you, but knowing and applying God’s Word is our fiercest weapon. (see 2 Corinthians 10: 4-5).

This battle isn’t easy, and it’s bigger than us. God-given emotions are a natural part of this life but this gift of emotions was never intended to control us. God wants to fill our hearts and our minds with His truth, but He places that responsibility on us to absorb the truth.

Now you can see how “the armor” that He talks about is for our good. For our protection.

It All Begins With Faith