AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Monday – August 16, 2021, Elul 8, 5781
OBEDIENCE AND FRUIT
Greetings dear friends and partners of Eastern Gate Ministries International, Inc. and The Three Minute Word blog. Welcome back to our powerful study of the wonderful prophetic and Messianic Book of Isaiah. Please take a moment to share these teachings as widely as possible to expand our reach. These teachings contain the very best news anyone will ever hear. The featured picture today is once again from our good friend and man of God, Joe Getchell Jr.
Last week before we delved into our study of Isaiah I talked about the connection between the Fruit of the Spirit, and the parables of the Talents and Pounds. I didn’t realize it when God first brought it to me but these were intimately connected to our study of the first chapter of Isaiah. God is so good. The whole of Scripture is a very interconnected body of Truth. In this first chapter of Isaiah God has been talking to His people through the Prophet Isaiah about the condition of His people. His people on the whole have chosen paths other than His path and He calls them transgressors, sinners, and those who have forsaken Him. They entered into fornication, adultery with other gods and have been unfruitful for the Kingdom of God. They are in a bad way, a place of destruction. Jesus said it like this.
John 10:10 (KJV)
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Many in the Church (Zion) today find themselves being devoured by the devil with stealing, killing, and destroying in their lives. God through the Prophet Hosea (Hosea 4:6) tells us that His people are destroyed because they reject knowledge (revelation knowledge of Him). Saved and on their way to Heaven but wide open to the oppression of the devil, the curse, and his havoc in their lives. We ourselves open the door, first a crack, then it is wide open. The wiles of the devil that take us his direction have not changed over time. He tempts us with the lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eye, pride of life, unforgiveness, and judging.
At the new birth, when we are born again, saved, quickened by the Holy Spirit (Grace) and our spirit man is now alive to God with eternal life. At this moment our fruit of the spirit also spring to life with all the potential of our Father, of Jesus, and of the Holy Spirit. Remember that natural people (unsaved) have a certain capacity for these fruits and we see this in various degrees from one person to another. However, they do not have the supernatural capacity to express or produce these fruits as we do. These fruits produce, develop, and become stronger with use, practice, which we do in faith, powered by love, as led of the Holy Spirit. For example, our capacity to love (agape) as God loves is way beyond that of a natural man. Our capacity, of all of us, to discipline our mind is far beyond the natural man and so on. Why? We have a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who we did not have before salvation and the world has no access to. Fruit is something that did not exist before, a reflection of our creativity or creative nature, which we got from our father.
Unfortunately, since the fall we, the redeemed have lost the image of who we are in Christ Jesus. Adam was created in the image and likeness of God Himself. Adam and those to follow were to function just like God as gods of this world and perhaps beyond. That was lost to a degree, the supernatural degree, but has been restored and more in Christ Jesus. Dear ones I hope as we think and reflect on these things that we can see that we are living way, and I mean way, below our capacity.
As I talked about last week the parables of the talents and pounds revealed those who chose to be fruitful and the one who chose not to be fruitful. The reward of fruitfulness was even more abundance but the reward of unfruitfulness was horrible. Unfortunately, it seems that the Church in large part has made peace, even fashioned doctrines, to become comfortable with poverty, and disease. We see fellow Christians on every side in various stages of destruction, being devoured (consumed) by the enemy. Everything with God is an option dear one, He does not make or force us to do anything. However, not doing things His way will have unpleasant consequences of varying degrees including eternity in Hell, by our choice not His. He will not violate our freewill. Unfruitfulness is never a good option in the Kingdom of God, it is like having an unproductive lazy child in the home. Before I end for today let’s take a moment to meditate on our Isaiah text.
Isaiah 1:28-31 (KJV)
28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.
30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.
31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.
I for one do not want to look back in the judgment and be ashamed of the choices I made or be confused by what I chose. I want to stand before my Lord Jesus when it is my turn at the Bema (Judgment Seat of Christ) and see a pleased look on His face. Let’s get our focus on the pure Word of God dear ones!
Lord willing, I will pick up right here tomorrow.
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Until our next publication, as your Bible Teacher and a Prophetic Voice in your life I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it, believe it, and speak over yourself and your family by faith in Jesus’ name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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