Parable of the Fig Tree: Removing the Cancer of Hidden Sin

“And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"”         Luke 13:6-9 NASB

This is the fourth day in our "fig tree" series, although I've written about fig trees before because mine has been such a problem over the years. If you're just joining us, here are the links to the previous posts in the series: The Fig Tree With No Fruit and Living Like a Barren Fig Tree, and Cut It Down, as well as links to other "fig tree" posts: The Come Back Tree, The Lesson of the Fig Tree (One of my fav's), and My Daily Fig. (They'll open in a new tab)

The parable above is being lived out with my own fig tree this week, as it has refused to bear fruit for the last two years. No, that's not completely accurate. It's had a few figs, but they've failed to ripen. The lush harvests of the past years are gone. No fig jam this year. No fig preserves.

Yesterday, I made the decision to cut down the tree. My goal was to remove the diseased part so that the healthy part could make a strong recovery. The further down the trunk we cut, the more we realized the extent of the disease. You can see from the photo above that the trunk has a deep split as a result of disease. It wasn't visible from the outside because the bark covered it.

There was more disease in the tree than I realized. Only severe, radical pruning can save it. 

If we could cut ourselves open and glimpse our hearts, would we see a deep infestation of sin? Would we find that we have carefully disguised sin-sickness inside us, hidden it behind an attractive "bark" exterior? 

Would we find those less-visible sins like critical, judgmental spirit, covetousness, anger, unforgiveness, bitterness? Even when we hide them behind a smiling exterior, hidden sins still do a work of destruction in our lives.

Do we want to bear fruit? If so, we must be sure our "inside" is as healthy, spiritually, as our demeanor looks to the world. A big smile cannot erase the destruction sin can cause. Laughter cannot eliminate the gnawing cancer of bitterness or unforgiveness. 

There is only one treatment. Removal. Those sins to which we cling must go, so let's be done with them. Let's ask the Great Physician to do the work only He can do.

The objective of removal is not to leave a gaping hole. The objective is for the Great Physician to fill that hole, once occupied by sin, with the Holy Spirit's presence so that we can bear good fruit that lasts.

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Our Father, our Great Physician, do your work in me today. Remove the cancer of hidden sin and purify my heart. Make me more like you so I can bear fruit that pleases and glorifies you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#disciple #JesusChrist #Bible #bearfruit #parableofthefigtree

Parable of the Fig Tree: Cut it down

“And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"”         Luke 13:6-9 NASB

This is the third day in our "fig tree" series, although I've written about fig trees before because mine has been such a problem over the years. If you're just joining us, here are the links to the previous posts in the series: The Fig Tree With No Fruit and Living Like a Barren Fig Tree, and links to other "fig tree" posts: The Come Back Tree, The Lesson of the Fig Tree (One of my fav's), and My Daily Fig. (They'll open in a new tab)

Today, we're looking at the phrase "Cut it down!" 

My favorite theologian, Matthew Henry, interprets this quite differently than I do. In his opinion, the owner of the vineyard sees the unfruitful tree and pronounces a judgment on it. "Cut it down!" Henry compares that to a spiritual judgment for the one with no fruit. He opines that the judgment sends the unfruitful one to eternal hell. His interpretation may well be correct, for his commentary has stood the test of time.

On the other hand, Matthew Henry may not have cut down a fig tree before, but I have. 

My experience with cutting down a fig tree is that severe pruning is radical, but can be life-saving for the tree. Several years ago, my fig tree stopped bearing fruit. When I cut my tree down, it came back better than ever. 

We pruned  that same tree (once again not bearing fruit) yesterday. After the pruning, it was obvious that the tree has some diseased branches. Today, we will cut the tree down again. All the diseased branches will be cut away and only that which is healthy (mostly the roots and stump) will remain. With the disease cut away, the tree will have another opportunity to grow and be healthy. I will be shocked if it doesn't bear fruit next year. 

The word translated as "Cut it down" is ekkoptō. In Romans 11:22, 24 this same word is used to indicate a metaphorical"cutting off" that results in removal of spiritual blessing. 

I believe the "cutting down" is a kind of judgment, given with the hope that the tree will respond by becoming what it is supposed to be. There is precedent in Scripture for this, as Israel's sin often precipitated calamitous judgment. When severe judgment came, the people responded by returning to God. 

In an amazing way, judgment can be mercy in disguise.

The tree in the story was planted by the vineyard owner and care was provided by the owner. It was his tree. When the tree failed to produce fruit, he judged it and planned to cut it down, but the vineyard keeper offered mercy instead, with the hope of fruit after additional care. 

Both judgment and mercy for the tree had one goal in mind: FRUIT. 

Our lives are the same as the pitiful tree in the story. The goal for our lives is not showy leaves (physical beauty/fine house/fancy cars/big bank accounts). 

The goal for our lives is FRUIT. 

Our Heavenly Father expects to see evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in us. When we fail to produce fruit in the form of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, we risk a divine fruit inspection with a potentially painful result. 

The treatment for no fruit may be mercy (more fertilizer, digging around the roots) but prolonged lack of fruit will result in judgment. 

God misses nothing. He knows the condition of our hearts and the condition of His church. He knows how much fruit of the Spirit we bear. It may well be that the body of Christ in the U.S. has been "inspected" and found wanting. I have great concern that mercy has been given to us with little change. 

We have chased after inspiring books rather than "THE BOOK". We have sought a purpose-driven life rather than a Spirit-driven life. We have attended church rather than "being" the church.

As disciples, we are to follow our Master, and there is only one Master. Jesus Christ. No one else will do.

We would do well to do a fruit-inspection of our own. How much fruit of the Spirit is evident in my life? In yours? 

I've inspected my heart over the last few days and found serious deficiencies in a few areas. The work of repentance and change is underway. It's time for us as disciples to allow a serious fruit inspection with the goal of becoming fruit-bearers. 

We have a choice. Bear fruit or risk judgment. Which will it be? Time is short. We must choose well.

~~~~~~~

Our Father, forgive us for our fruitlessness. Remove the barren branches in our lives. Strengthen us to bear the fruit of the Spirit and become the church you intended us to be. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#fruit-bearer #FigTree #judgmentormercy #cutitdown #disciple #JesusChrist #Biblestudy

Living like a barren fig tree

“And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"”         Luke 13:6-9 NASB

There was a problem with the fig tree. The landowner had provided excellent soil and an attentive vineyard-keeper. Presumably, the vineyard-keeper had already fertilized the tree and dug around it. For three years, the owner had inspected the tree. There must have been leaves, because the tree appeared healthy. The owner had a reasonable expectation of fruit. 

Instead of bearing fruit, however, the tree had soaked up the environment and the advantages provided for it, but done nothing with its opportunities. It had grown taller and borne leaves, as if that were enough.

The mission of a fig tree is to bear figs. 

Much had been given to the fig tree, and fruit was required.

In a way, the fig tree responded to the care lavished on it as if the care was its just due, with nothing required in return. 

The problem with the tree, and with many of us (myself included) is a sense of entitlement. I am not speaking of our right to something for which we have a legitimate claim. If we order something online, we are "entitled" to receive what we have purchased. 

I am speaking of our impression that we have a right to expect a certain lifestyle or certain comforts, simply because of who we are or where we live. For example, when I attended the CRi conference this past November, I stayed in the "conference center". I expected (and felt entitled to) a comfortable bed, climate controlled environment, and a fully-functional bathroom in my room. Instead, I had a sleeping bag and mattress on the floor, no heat in the building, and a non-functional toilet. 

The circumstances were shocking to me, and my initial (emotional) response was not warm and fuzzy. A conscious choice had been made by ministry leaders to allow the circumstances so that the attendees could experience conditions somewhat reminiscent to the ones experienced in Iraq, should we decide to go there with CRi. They also allowed the circumstances to address the pervasive sense of entitlement in the church today.

Addressing my sense of entitlement changed my life. For the better.

We live in a nation of affluence. We have smart phones, smart cars, and smart watches. We drive fancy automobiles, send our children to expensive private schools, and live in oversized houses that are entirely too expensive to maintain. We enjoy it. We don't want to change. I don't want to change.

One of the problems with this lifestyle is that we can easily begin to believe we deserve it. It's our right.

Who are we kidding? Certainly not God. He never promised us smart cars, smart phones, or big houses. He didn't even promise us "mansions", as is commonly believed. He promised that He would go away and prepare a "dwelling place". 

In Jesus' time, when a groom took a wife, he prepared an "insula", or added a room, to the family home. There is a vast difference between an added room and a separate mansion. If we hold to the "mansion" idea, we may surprised when we enter heaven.

This sense of entitlement has dealt a terrible blow to the church. When we see our blessings as just due, we easily forget that much has been given and much is required. 

We can become like the fig tree. Soaking it all in, but giving nothing back in return. 

Our mission is to bear fruit, not just leaves.

When we choose to live like the barren fig tree, we can expect the Master to be upset and frustrated with us. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. It is impossible to do either of those two things without "doing something", without bearing fruit. 

For today, let us thank God that He has provided generously for all our needs and ask Him to do whatever work in us is needed to produce fruit. People around the world live in circumstances that would defeat many of us. We are blessed beyond compare, and much is required.

Let us live as those who know they have been redeemed and bear fruit.

~~~~~~~

Our Father, forgive our barren spirits and barren lives. Help us to live in keeping with the blessings you have given us and help us to bear much fruit. In Jesus' name. Amen

#bearmuchfruit #barren #parableoffigtree #Bible #JesusChrist #disciples

The Fig Tree With No Fruit

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Our Father, forgive me for my lack of fruit-bearing. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Change what needs to be changed, prune what needs to be pruned. Bring forth fruit in my life, as only You can do. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#disciple #JesusChrist #Bible #vineyard #bearingfruit #fruitoftheSpirit #createinmeacleanheart

Perishing: The Peril of Procrastination

image from thesmartpreppers.com

“Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."”       Luke 13:1-5 NASB

We have studied these verses for the last several days. (Links to previous posts in this series are here: Remembering 9 11, Unless You Repent, The Difference Between the Crowd and Disciples, and What Does it Mean to Repent? Click on the link to read)

Our series winds down with a look at apollymi, the word translated as "perish". apollymi comes from two root words meaning separation and destruction. Vine's clarifies this word as "not extinction, but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being."

"Perish," then, means our existence as a spiritual being does not end. Instead, we are separated from the God who loves us and our well-being is completely destroyed. We spend eternity in torment. It is an ongoing perishing; not a one-time death.

I don't know about you, but neither separation from God nor eternal torment are appealing to me. Either option alone is enough to make me want to change my ways. 

Our refusal of godly repentance (the kind of repentance that results in changed mind and changed behavior) can only result from one of three things. Either we want eternal torment (which seems unlikely) or we do not believe God is serious about hell or we believe a loving God will give us another chance later.

After three decades as a physician, I can say with absolute certainty that life is fragile and length of days is not promised to us. Our lives can end in an instant, when we least expect it, and any hope of another chance will be gone.  

If there is something I hope to do, a goal I want to accomplish, a relationship I hope to restore, now is the time, for I may not have tomorrow.

If we want to have eternal life,    than eternal perishing, now is the time to repent and turn to God, for we have no assurance of tomorrow's ease. Just as the Galileans in the passage above were unexpectedly killed as they stood in the temple, we, too, can meet death when we least expect it. 

I need to live ready, prepared to meet God at any moment.

The "prepper" movement is very popular right now. In anticipation of a coming collapse of life as we know it, people are preparing with alternate energy sources, stored food and water, and survival gear. Prudent preparation is certainly wise, as the American lifestyle may not be sustainable in the long run, but storage of temporal supplies is not the only preparation we need to make.

How tragic it would be to prepare for earthly survival, but fail to prepare for that which matters most of all - eternal survival.

Stop and consider your spiritual condition. If your life ended today, would you be prepared to step into eternity with our Lord? Are you a part of the crowd or one of His disciples? Is our Lord a word in a book or a friend in a precious relationship?

Today is the day. Stop procrastinating about that which matters most. Make sure you're prepared for eternity. 

Live ready.

~~~~~~~

Our Father, forgive us for our procrastination. Help us to repent, changing both our minds and our behavior. Turn us to You and prepare us for eternity. In Jesus' name, Amen.

#disciple #JesusChrist #Bible #procrastination #repent #prepper #eternallife

What does it mean to repent?

What does it mean to repent?

“Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."”       Luke 13:1-5 NASB

We have studied these verses for the last several days. (Links to previous posts in this series are here: Remembering 9 11, Unless You Repent, and The Difference Between the Crowd and Disciples. Click to read)

Before we move on, we will look at Jesus' repeated admonition, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." 

Repentance is a critical element for our eternal destination, so it's important to understand what it is, and what repentance is not.

The word translated as "repent" is metanoeō and literally means "to perceive afterward" with the implication of change. It indicates a change of mind from a previously held view to one for the better, and brings with it the idea that the repentance, or mind change, will be accompanied by a change in behavior.

The problem we often see is that we agree with God about a certain action, ask forgiveness for the action, then do the same thing again and again. All we do is repeat the cycle, not disrupt it. 

Inherent in the idea of metanoeō is CHANGE. 

I'm as guilty as anyone of what I call "Scarlett O'Hara repentance". In the novel Gone With the Wind, Rhett Butler says of Scarlett, "You're like the thief who's very, very sorry he got caught, but not at all sorry he stole." Scarlett O'Hara repentance makes for an interesting storyline and keeps the action moving. It's good fiction writing. It is not, however, godly repentance.

When Jesus calls us to repentance, to metanoeō, He calls us to change both our minds and our behavior. This is not an emotional response to conviction, but an active response of mind and body.

For example, if I repent of adultery, I agree with God that adultery is sin and my actions have been sinful. I ask for forgiveness based on my repentance. In my repentance, my mind's opinion changes. I no longer view adultery as an acceptable behavior. 

In addition, my actions change and I no longer commit adultery. I completely remove myself from the relationship. That's repentance. Asking God for forgiveness on my way to or from my adulterous lover's house is not repentance.

Adultery is an extreme example, but it holds true for every sin, from pride to unforgiveness to a critical, judgmental spirit. "Thought" sins are harder to change, but by the grace of God, true repentance is possible.
"I can't help what I think" is a commonly held opinion in our culture, but that's not what Scripture says. "Take every thought captive," Paul wrote (2 Cor. 10:5). If we take our thoughts captive, when a sinful thought enters our mind, we immediately reject it and turn our thoughts toward those things that are good and pleasing to God.  

For example, when you encounter someone about whom you have ungodly thoughts, train yourself to speak (aloud or silently) only that which would be pleasing to God. Don't dwell on the negative. If you can't think anything positive, pray for the same grace toward them that you want toward yourself.

Repentance is not optional. 

We have two choices concerning eternity. Stay the same and perish. Repent and not perish (i.e. have eternal life). We can't have it both ways, so we must choose wisely. Repentance is the only sensible option. 

We will all decide. Repent or not. Which will you choose?

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Our Father, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Help us to do more than say words, help us to truly repent and change our actions. In Jesus' name, Amen.

~~~~~~~

photo courtesy of freeimages.com

#JesusChrist #disciple #repentandbesaved #repent # Biblestudy #ScarlettOHararepentance

The Difference Between the Crowd and the Disciples

“Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."”       Luke 13:1-5 NASB

I intended to move to the next bit of Scripture today, but the difference between the disciples and the crowd has concerned me lately, so we're tapping this passage one more time.

The word "disciple" comes from a root word meaning "to take". The disciple, then, is one who takes the doctrines and teachings of another and makes them their own. Scripture describes multiple "disciples". First,there were the 12 called disciples (eventually known as Apostles). Jesus also sent 70 followers (or disciples) to teach His gospel. Anyone who followed Jesus during His lifetime was a disciple, and any person who follows Jesus today is also a disciple. That's a lot of disciples, isn't it?

There is, however, a marked difference between a disciple and a member of the crowd. A "crowd" is simply a large number of persons gathered closely together. 

Being a member of the crowd means I am in attendance. It does not mean that I am a disciple.

Please don't misunderstand what I'm about to say, because I know many disciples at my church, and I'm sure you know disciples at your church. With that said, it's important to understand that our churches are filled with "the crowd", people who have gathered together. It is not likely a crowd of disciples, because we should have seekers who have come to learn more about the Christ we have demonstrated to them, people who aren't disciples yet. That's a very good thing.

The problem comes when the crowd looks just like the disciples and the disciples act just like the crowd. 

Why is that a problem? If the supposed disciples act exactly like the crowd acts, maybe the supposed disciples are actually just part of the crowd. Does that make sense to you?

Being a disciple of Jesus, by definition, means that I am a pupil, taking the teachings of Jesus and incorporating them into my life. Incorporating His way should make me different, not leave me the same.

I'm a disciple, and often a poor one. I'm very familiar with the apostle Paul's difficulty, for it is my own. Perhaps you've experienced this, too. 

“I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.”

Romans 7:21-23 NASB

The war against sin in our lives is very real, and often a minute-by-minute battle. My sin may not be as obvious as it once was, but it is still as deadly. 

A judgmental, critical spirit may hide behind a big smile and polite words, but it is still sin.

What, then, can we do? How can a disciple be different from the crowd?

“If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.”  Romans 8:10 NASB

If we allow it, the Spirit of God will work in us to convict us of sin and draw us toward righteousness. 

We can be better than we are, if we are willing to change. 

I read those words and know they are true. Equally true is that I can be better than I am, but not if I choose to stay the same. Therein is the problem, isn't it? I like "same". I like my comfortable life, my way of spending, my way of doing. Change means my comfort, spending, doing must be different. 

I resist the change. We all do.

Am I willing to give all, as Jesus did, to save the perishing? Apparently not, because I haven't given all. Thanks be to God, the life of a disciple is one of lifelong learning, lifelong striving, lifelong becoming. 

Although I am not what I want to be as a disciple, I rejoice that I am no longer what I used to be as part of the crowd. I'm farther along the path toward Christlikeness than I once was. 

The first step in being a disciple is recognizing we are one of the crowd. If we find ourselves in the crowd, let's take a step forward. Move out of the crowd and into the life of a disciple. Become what God intended us to be. Allow the Holy Spirit to change us, mold us into the image of our Lord Jesus. 

If we are a disciple, let's take a step closer to Christ and become more like Him. Let's be the people He meant us to be.

Change is rarely comfortable and often difficult. Change that makes us more like Christ, however, is always worth it.

~~~~~~~

Our Father, forgive us for our stubborn refusal to be all You called us to be. Convict us of our sin and help us to become the disciples You intended us to be.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

#disciple #JesusChrist #theBible #change #idontwanttochange #oneofthecrowd #Holy Spirit