ÒTherefore by their fruits you will know them.Ó(Matthew 7:20)< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Which tree are you in the hand of God? Are you a living tree or a living-dead tree? A living tree is one whose leaves are there and fruits are available to deliver when its creator shows up for need. A living-dead tree is one who has everything like the living tree but without fruit to deliver whenever is creator shows up for a need. What kind of tree are you in the hand of your creator? Are you a fruit-bearing tree or a fruitless tree? John 15:16, ÒYou did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain , that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.Ó Is that clear enough to determine the kind of fruit that you are? The one that created you called you out to serve Him. He expects you to be fruitful always. The creator did not make you for decoration, impressing observers, or being good for the eyes only, all that He wants from you is to be fruitful for His name to be glorified. He wants to be glorified every time people see you or deal with you. Whenever you are ridiculed because of lack of fruitfulness, His name is also ridiculed. There are God-created trees for His name to be glorified today, but the unfruitfulness of  most of the trees are bringing nothing to the creator but shame, ridicule, embarrassment, lack of respect, and lack of fear to the name of the Almighty Creator. What kind of tree are you? You are either a fruit-producing tree or a fruitless tree. The evidence of a fruitful tree are stated in Galatians 5:22, ÒBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law.Ó Where do you stand? Everything contrary to fruit bearing is fruitless. Unforgiveness, bitterness, deception, manipulation, lying, speaking evil of others, envy, selfishness, full of partiality, hypocrisy, pride, and arrogance, are contrary to fruitfulness. Where do you abide? Where you are abiding will definitely determine your fruitfulness. Remember, all you want is to be a fruitful tree. John 15:7-8, ÒIf you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.Ó Your only way of becoming a fruitful tree is to give a careful and proper attention to the word of God. Jesus referred to the seed as the word of God (Luke < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>8:11). All of His words are to give a fruitful life, and the evidence of a fruitful life is joy. To have joy is to abide. John 15:11, ÒThese things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy maybe full.Ó You can be full of life when you abide in the word of God. When you choose not to abide, you become a living dead like the fig tree. Matthew 21:18-19, ÒNow in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was Hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, ÔLet no fruit grow on you ever again.ÕÓ Immediately, the fig tree withered away.Ó A tree that was supposed to be fruitful was fruitless. It was not fruitless to itself alone but also to the creator. The one that gave you life expects you to be a fruitful creation. As a living creation of God, to be unproductive or fruitless for His glory is to be a living dead. Jesus did not curse the tree to die; all that He said was for the tree to remain fruitless since the tree does not have anything to show for at the time He showed up. Mark 11:20, ÒNow in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.Ó Can you take a moment and think if you are being fruitful to the glory of God? The fig tree was a disappointment to GodÕs glory. Have you been a pretender just like the fruitless fig tree? The leaves on the fig tree were rich and attractive, its leaves were inviting, loud, and clear just like a loud ÒAmen!Ó, but it does not have anything to offer for the main purpose of living. The tree has been living a fruitless life up until the Creator requested an account of its fruit. Are you doing the same? You are accountable to the Lord. When Jesus showed up, it was a time of accountability, but the fig tree did not have any fruit to account for. As a result, its life has to be taken back from him. God wants you to be fruitful for His glory at His time of visitation. Your growth in the things of the world without the word of God will qualify you as unfruitful.

ÒAnd who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?Ó(1Peter 3:13)

ÒTherefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.Ó (James 4:17)

 ÒBut He needed to go through < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Samaria.Ó (John 4:4).< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Conducting oneself according to the word of God is the identity of a believing Christian. You are yet to become a believer of the word of God until living the word inside and outside of the fellowship of the faith becomes your identity and your lifestyle becomes a living Bible. It is one thing for you to claim that youÕre a believer and it is another to be living the Word. Jesus said in John 8:31, ÒThen Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ÔIf you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed.ÕÓ  Questions: Who are you? Where do you stand? If the Lord shows up now will you be found ready to meet with Him? The time and days for playing religion will not prevail. Have you let the Lord go through? Can you identify if you have a need for Him to go through you? John 4:3-4, ÒHe left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria.Ó In the New Testament, Samaria was a region in central Palestine avoided by the Jews. Jews intensely hated Samaritans and often refused to set foot in Samaritan territory. The passing of Jesus through Samaria was a demonstration of GodÕs love for the sinners and not the sin. Jesus came to the world as The Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). How long will it take you to allow Him a passage through you? Could it be that you are not a sinner? Romans 3:23, ÒFor all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.Ó It is not the part of you that your brethrens see every Sunday or at every fellowship gathering that counts, but the part of you that the Lord God Himself sees. Also, it is not how much or how effective you always quote the Word that matters, but it is how you meditate and observe to do the Word of God. Above all, it is not how long you have been going to church that will point you out when He comes it is how you are committed to His Word that will point you out. You can be of great service in the church and not serving God in truth and in spirit. So many are licensed to be a minister of the Word of God but very few have access to the Lord God Almighty. What makes the difference in all the above statements is in your permission to let Him pass through you. It is not a matter of you having a need to have Him pass through, it is a fact that you need to have Him pass through your Samaria. When you allow Him passage inside you, your life will never be the same. Gift: In His passage through Samaria, He gave gift. He offered to whoever will believe and receive a fountain of living water, rather than just plain well water. John 4:14, ÒBut whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.Ó By the grace of God it is simple for you because it was simple for the Samaritan woman to know and accept the water that will never run dry. Will you let Him pass through? You have been passing through inside and outside the church for a while; it is time for you to let Him pass through. Deliverance: When you allow Him to pass through, He will bring you out of your past garbage and filth and lead you to an outlet for future breakthrough. Jesus pointed out to the Samaritan woman how she had changed husbands like a gown. Astonished by what Jesus had said, she perceived this of Him, John 4:19, ÒThe woman said to Him, ÔSir, I perceive that You are a prophet.ÕÓ His passage through Samaria introduced the woman to a new and eternal husband that will forever take care of her. Just as the Samaritan woman allowed Him, when you let Him through, you will be worshipping Him that knows you, because He has known you in His passage through you. In His passing through, He emphasized to the woman and to you, John 4:23-24, ÒBut the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.Ó  He did not only pass through, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed with them two days. John 4:41, ÒAnd many more believed because of His own word.Ó Will you let Him pass through? You never know what or how His changes will affect you. John 4:43, ÒNow after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.Ó His departure will never take away His presence in your life if you will let Him pass through.

Keeping His word is

knowing Him.

When you fail to heed to Him, you have failed in letting Him lead you.

Any time that you are not talking-out, make it a time that you are talking-in with God.

ÒBut seek first the < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things shall be added to you.Ó(Matthew 6:33)< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

When there is a new beginning there should always be a new desire. As a child of the almighty God that has been privileged to see a new day, new week, new month, or a new year, what do you desire of the Lord in this your new beginning? Just as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, the eye of a maid to the hand of her mistress, what is your desire that you look up to God for? As one that loves the Lord and wants to grow in the things of the Lord, your material desires will fall short until you desire more of the things of His Kingdom. Matthew 6:33, ÒBut seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things shall be added to you.Ó What do you desire in your new beginning that you want God to do or add to you besides material things? It does not matter how long you have been in the Lord, there should always be a specific desire for things of the Lord. No one can outgrow spiritual blessings from the Lord. If you have not be asking, or thinking of asking, God for a new thing in your service unto Him, it is indication of spiritual stagnation. God is not a slave master, He is a saving master and He will not add unto you what you do not desire. God is always adding a new thing that empowers those that know their God and desire to be strong to carry out great exploits to the glory of His name. In the parable of the persistent friend, Jesus encourages in Luke 11:9, ÒSo I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; Knock, and it will be opened to you.Ó In His asking and giving, no one will be left without receiving. In Luke 11:10, ÒFor everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be opened.Ó Are you holding on to the anointing of yesterday? The anointing of yesterday will not carry you for today; desire a fresh anointing that will carry you as you progress in the service of the Lord.

King David, a giant in the hand of God, carried out great exploits to the glory of God and did not fall short in his constant desires. He could not stop asking from God. He asked in Psalm 27:4, ÒOne thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.Ó

King David knew what he wanted from the Lord and he did not just ask for it, but he also sought after it. He wanted to dwell in the house of the Lord. He wanted to be exposed to the secret of the Lord. It is not possible to dwell in the house of the Lord and not be exposed to the secret of the Lord. If in deed and in truth you dwell in the house of the Lord not by just showing up or passing by or coming in for socialization, or coming for emotional uplifting, you will be exposed to the secret of the Lord. The psalmist wrote in Psalm 91:1, ÒHe who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.Ó Will dwelling in His secret place be your desire? There is so much to gain when you begin to dwell in His secret place. When you dwell in His secret place, His secret will be with you.

Asking or desiring from God should not be approached with a mindset of limitation. God cannot be limited as to what He can give. What do you think you want to be for the Lord in this new beginning? Do you want to be a soul winner for the Lord? Think about it and begin to desire it because as man thinks in his heart so is he (Proverbs 23:7).

< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>By His grace and not by your determination, begin to dwell in the house of the Lord. King David testifies, Psalm 27:5, ÒFor in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall hide me high on a rock.Ó When you end up in the secret place of the most High God, He will endue you with His fear.  Psalm 25:14, ÒThe secret place of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.Ó When you fear God, His eyes will be on you. Have you really asked Him what your desire is? Yes, you do have a desire and you know what you want Him to do in your life; however, it is a different thing to know and not ask, it is also a different thing to know and be asking faithfully and asking with persistency.

Your rest-solution for the New Year is in the word of God not in your word.

The key to prayer is in the word of God.

ÒI beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.Ó (Romans 12:1)< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Satisfaction has taken place over your sacrificial living for God. Being conformed to the world around you has taken over your commitment unto God. What is your destination in the journey of life? Day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year, have you really considered that serving God is why you are alive? Romans 12:1, ÒI beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.Ó The scriptural passage did not say, ÔPresent your bodies a living satisfied.Õ You know exactly what it says. Living satisfied is to have eliminated a sacrificial living for God. In the name of God, and by designed interpretation of the word of God, some believers have found a way out to justify a satisfied living that suits them. Many are being carried away by their way of life rather than by the ways of God. Psalm 145:17, ÒThe LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.Ó God does have a required and specified standard in living for Him. The standard is to serve Him, and to serve God is to love God. Deuteronomy 6:5, ÒYou shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.Ó Agreed, you know about this word, but it is not enough if you know but do not do. Living satisfied with the world around you is to have eliminated a sacrificial life. Until you begin to live a sacrificial life for God, you cannot live a holy life. Living a sacrificial life will take you out of the world of sin because all that is considered as fun and free cannot add up for you. Living a sacrificial life is the only acceptable way before God and there is no lowering of standards. What God sees is reasonable service, not seasonal service.

Conformity to this world will take away your commitment. If being committed to the things and work of God becomes inconvenient, then convenience will take over your commitment to God. Romans 12:2, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.Ó  

Questions: Have you been acting in accordance with current customs and modes of the world around you? Do any of your values correspond in form or character with the world around you? Are you complying or in constant agreement, or accord, with the world around you? The word of God encourages watching and praying. Are you watching for all the signs that can line you up in conformity with the world around you? God will not lower His standard and requirement for salvation. Can you imagine a computer? There will be no amount of effort for you to enter into a file or folder if you lack the right password. There is a password to heaven and that password is to live the ways of God, and you will end up in the will of God. Your battle ground is your mind. The mind is where the enemy targets. The enemy knows that when the mind is taken, you are a done deal. It is evident in the word of God that the mind is the prime target of the enemy. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, ÒBut even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.Ó This clarifies why you should be allowing a constant renewing of your mind, being active by constantly spending time on the word out of your convenience time, also sacrificially being away from the world of sin and being in fellowship with others. Jeremiah 24:7, ÒThen I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.Ó God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Ask Him to give you a heart to know Him, not just to know about Him. He is not a partial God. A heart that knows God will trust Him; a heart that trusts God will obey Him; a heart that obeys God will serve Him; a heart that serves Him will follow Him fully. To follow Him fully is to live a sacrificial life and that is the one that God recognizes, the reasonable one.

The affairs of the world have taken over the fear of God in the heart of man

Tunde S.

ÒWatch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.Ó(Matthew26:41)< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

God is a God of times and seasons. When it was time for Joseph to be promoted from Prime Slave to Prime Minister, no devil under heaven could stop him. The brothers that sold him to slavery in an attempt to deny him his divine schedule on earth were no where to be found. Are you afraid or concerned about the way things are going in your life? As a child of God, fear is not what you need but prayer. Exodus 14:14, ÒThe LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.Ó That is clear enough for your understanding. Let God fight your battle, and the enemy that you have been seeing will never rise again. Hold on to GodÕs timing, it is the best. Ecclesiastes 3:11, ÒHe has made everything beautiful in its time.Ó When His timing for you is around, the whole world will celebrate with you.

~ Time&Season ~

Do you know the time and the season you are living? Pharisees and Sadducees, in their debate with Jesus, were asking for a sign from heaven. Matthew 16:2-3, ÒHe answered and said to them, ÔWhen it is evening you say, ÒIt will be fair weather, for the sky is redÓ; and in the morning, ÒIt will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.Ó Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.ÕÓ  All you have to do is open your ears, eyes, and heart to the word of God. Look around the whole world and see, or get informed with all that is taking place. With understanding, you will identify that the race is not only about you or what you want, but most importantly about where you are going to end up. Are you awake and alive enough to finish the race you have started? If you have started the race, keep your sight on the finish line; that is where the price for the race is waiting–for the finisher, not the beginners.Do you ever think you have the time? Time is not yours; time is in GodÕs hand.  You can control the clock, but not the timing of God.                

~ Ten Virgins ~

Do you remember the parable of the ten virgins? The ten virgins did not understand the time and the season they were in. They slept and missed their purpose in time. Matthew 25:1, ÒThen the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bride-groom.Ó All the ten virgins went with right intention, but lacked the attention it took to meet the bridegroom. Yes, you have the intention to run and finish the race, but to lack attention will deny you in getting to the expected end. All of the ten virgins fell asleep in their waiting. They did not just sleep but they slept and slumbered because of the delay of the bridegroom. Five of the virgins could afford to sleep because they had extra oil, and the five who did not carry extra oil were regarded as foolish. Are you staying awake in watching? If you can discern the time and season you are living, it is important to watch rather than sleep a sorrowful sleep. How are you watching? It is impossible to sleep-watch. Is your sleeping time overriding your watching time? Jesus took some of His disciples to the < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Mount of Olives. Luke 22: 40, ÒWhen He came to the place, He said to them, ÔPray that you may not enter into temptation.ÕÓ Just like the ten virgins, they could not watch; they went to sleep. Luke 22:45, ÒWhen He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.Ó

~Sorrowful Sleep~

As one of His disciples, are you watching in prayer, or you are sleeping in sorrow? When you are spiritually asleep in this age, you will be swept off your feet, and when the trumpet sounds you will miss it just like the ten virgins. Take the parable of the ten virgins to heart today. All went with the intention to attain, but they lacked the attention to prevail. The Bridegroom came without any warning because the sign of the season was all they needed to inform them of His coming. They all slept and slumbered, and nothing woke them up but the noise of the bridegroomÕs arrival. Without any doubt, it is clear that the church today is sleeping, and it is the noise of His arrival that will wake the church up from sleeping a sorrowful sleep. Be awake and alive in the spirit!

It is impossible to be rising early before God and not rise above any circumstances. A believer that cannot rise in serving God will remain rust.

Tunde S.