Do you struggle with the feeling that things just aren't the same as when you first accepted Christ as Lord and Savior? Do you feel that your life as a follower of Christ is monotonous or mundane? Do you still feel enslaved to anxiety, depression, anger and addiction?
So many Christians are content with settling for the mundane. So many Christians are content to set the bar really low?
In Jeremiah 33:3 God promises that He wants to show us "great and mighty things" but so many of us are happy with just being just "Sunday Christians". Christ warns us against being one of those "check the box" type Christians. He does so, not just to threaten us into doing what He wants but because when we dare to live all in types of lives for Him we will live absolutely exhilarating lives to the fullest.
Mark 11:12-14 We see Christ's warning to those who dare to live spiritual lives without ever maturing spiritually.
"Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”
And His disciples heard it"
I can only imagine the confusion the disciples felt as they saw this go down, even worse when they saw the next day that the tree had withered. They bring it to the attention of Jesus and He replies with "have faith".
Jesus was using the tree as an object lesson to teach his disciples that they can't just live lives of shallow faith. As Christians we need to bear fruit in line with our faith. The fruit that we need to bear is all the spiritual fruit that the Word of God speaks of.
-Galatians 5:22-23 tell us that the product of someone who spends time in the Spirit of God are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. These are all the weapons that we need when we need to battle with anxiety, anger, depression, temptation to sin and when we need wisdom. These are the things that contribute to us living lives filled with great and mighty things. When we can successfully battle against the different storms of life then the people around us will notice. When people can see you truly live in the power of the Holy Spirit then they will want what you want. When they find themselves in hungry for a spiritual meal then they will come to your tree to find fruit. When someone comes to your tree will they find fruit to eat or will they just find leaves?
I encourage you today brothers and sisters, don't just settle for the ordinary when God has called you to the extraordinary. You were not set free so you could continue to be victims of anxiety, depression, addiction or any other thing of this world. Jesus Christ has set you free so that you could experience joy unspeakable and peace that surpasses all understanding. He has set you free so that you could help someone else experience the same. He who the Son has set free indeed... LIVE FREE! Bear fruit and don't just be leafy! Love you all.
-Pastor Gerson
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