“Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.” Numbers 17:8
This verse is an illustration of how God uses fruit to approve His servants. However, we mostly only accept the miraculous signs and wonders to be the approval of God. Yet the people said of John the Baptist whom the Lord held in the highest regard, “John did NO SIGNS but everything he spoke about this Man is true.” John 10:41 When we bring out the truth from the Scriptures to reveal the wonders of Christ that we might know Him better, THIS IS FRUIT. But we keep mocking or even bringing low anything that has to do with seeking knowledge or understanding of the Scriptures.
When the Lord was raised to life, He walked in a concealed form with two of His disciples and Luke records, “And having begun from Moses and from all the Prophets, He INTERPRETED to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” Luke 24:27 [J.p] uses this verse to teach the importance of seeing the Lord in the word. And the very NEXT thing the Lord did after He was raised was to open the understanding of His disciples that they may comprehend the Scriptures. [Luke 24:45] The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and He is given to us to teach us ALL truth, and the word of God is truth. [John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-14; 17:17] King David said, “Oh, send out Your LIGHT and Your TRUTH! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill. And to Your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.” Psalms 43:3-4 It is through the knowledge of truth we are sanctified, and transformed into the image of Christ. [2 Corinthians 4:17-18]
God ALWAYS sends His word first and the revealed knowledge of that truth brings His wonders. “He sent His word and healed them.” Psalms 107:20 And the Lord said, “The words that I speak to you are Spirit and they are life.” John 6:63 [F.P] used to teach that signs and wonders are to bring a dying world into faith in Christ but the truth of His word in revealing faith is for His church. “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17 not by signs and wonders. The Church is meant to be built up in the knowledge of His GRACE that we may walk in FAITH to obtain ALL His promises. [Acts 20:32; Hebrews 13:9] That is in the knowledge of the FREE working of God in us. Paul links these two concepts together and says, “Therefore it is of FAITH, that it may be according to GRACE, for the PROMISE to be sure to all the seed, not only to that of the Law.” Romans 4:16 Faith is linked to Grace in obtaining promises!
There is GRACE in unburdening ourselves unto God that we may bear fruit in resting in HIM. The life of a Christian is GRACE from beginning to END! Paul asked, “For who makes you any different? And what do you have that you did not receive?” 1 Cor. 4:7 It is MORE fruitful to make people aware how God wants to work FREELY in us, from the Gift HE gave us to the Grace to work in that gift. We need to UNBURDEN the body! Most ministers, in the midst of great opposition cannot imagine doing anything else and the ones that quit are the ones that sought to do it themselves. [J.p] teaches that the Levites when they carried the Ark of the Covenant, it was not burdensome to them, in fact the Ark lifted them up and did not weigh them down. “And so it was, when God HELPED the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord.”1 Chronicles 15:26 And we have a better covenant, Paul says, “For God is the One working in you both to WILL and to WORK according to His good pleasure.” Philp. 2:13 Our responsibility is to help people acknowledge the desire God has placed in their heart and to encourage them in the performance of that duty. [2 Cor. 8:10-11] which is what Ephesians 4:11-16 is speaking about, the body edified in the knowledge of God.
However, we have a preconceived idea of the way things ought to be, because that is the way we have experienced it and we slam shut any door that does not adhere to our way of doing things or the manner God has worked through us. So we chastise the people accordingly, pile on guilt and the body starts to perform in the flesh and becomes unfruitful, “Uzza,” worse still it sees the work of God as a burden. The work of God is easy, it is restful, it is peace, it is joy – it is beyond understanding, when we are in the midst of circumstance that ought to grief us, and we struggle to figure out what is it that we have inputted? The point is to recognize the working of God and remove the blinkers we have put on our eyes, and let the Spirit of God do the multitude of His wonders in the variety of His people to reach a dying world. Each member doing its part according to the desires of the Spirit in peace, love and joy. “Now to EACH one of us GRACE has been given ACCORDING to the measure of the GIFT of Christ.” Ephesians 4:7 EVERYONE has a Gift and EVERYONE has Grace to perform that gift, the purpose is to make people realise that truth, and bring it out of them.
[C.d] teaches what it means to be renewed in the mind, “And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, for you to prove what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 He points out it is not just a matter of storing God’s word or knowing the stories, the renewing of the mind is coming to the knowledge of God’s Grace. Grace is a concept that is alien to the world, it is contrary, it is against the nature of our flesh. Our mind needs to break free from the manner the world operates to know the way God operates, this is being renewed in the mind. The perfect will of God is, God Himself working His purpose in us. King David in Psalms says, “Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.” Psalm 25:12-14 If God teaches us His covenant and we are under a COVENANT of GRACE and then our teaching should reflect this. Paul asks, “Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected in the flesh?” Galatians 3:3 This question addresses every facet of our walk in the Lord, GRACE is ALL encompassing.
[J.p] teaches how it is more important for us to know God loves us, this is GRACE, but the LAW puts the responsibility of loving God on mankind. Paul says, “The Love of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” Romans 5:5 and it is out of this love that we love God and the brethren. [1 John 4:19] Think of it, God’s love in us so that we may love Him and love one another, we have nothing of ourselves to boast of, NOTHING! [1 Peter 1:7-8] The Lord said, “Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Luke 7:47 The true revelation of the love of God towards us, brings an equal response from us to love God and love others. It is in knowing His Love! We need to help each other to understand such truths, in revealing God’s Grace in ALL aspects of our walk in Christ that we may bear much fruit. Our COVENANT is GRACE!
“But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:24
Bread Bait. 
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