And He spoke this parable: A certain one had planted a fig tree in his vineyard. And he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vinedresser, Behold, three years I come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and found none. Cut it down, and why does it waste the ground? And the vinedresser said to him, Sir, leave it also this year until I shall dig around it and throw manure; and see if it indeed makes fruit. But if not, in the future you may cut it down. ~ Luke 13:6-9, LITV

Before Jesus told this parable, he had just discussed the guilt of those that recently died in Jerusalem in police actions and accidents. His audience may have desired that Jesus would side with their concerns. Jesus did not specifically condemn those that had died and He didn't comment on the tragedies themselves. His statement that they repent or perish is a bold confrontation of the spiritual condition of his audience. As Jews, they would not appreciate Jesus pointing this out, especially if they were looking for sympathy. Jesus is more concerned with eternal life and told his audience "that if you do not repent, you will all perish likewise." The end result of any that fail to turn aside from unrepentant sin or evil will end up in the same death as those that die by accident or any other way. To avoid a gut reaction and to focus on the truth, Jesus quickly told a parable to continue his point and emphasize the importance of his true concern.

The Holy Spirit is the disciple's counselor and the dresser of Christian souls. He seeks to bring out the best and most beneficial purpose of God's Will through each disciple. Even when a disciple does not bear fruit because of imperfection and backsliding in some way, He seeks to fertilize the roots to create good spiritual health and fruitage, bringing or restoring the disciple to fruit-bearing health. Fertilizing the roots is not always pleasant and may involve trial in the form of chastisement because of disobedience and hard-heartedness. The fertilizing is designed to save the disciple of Christ from destruction. However, in the long term, when the disciple bears no fruit, the disciple must be dug up and separated from God's soil of Truth. If there was no intervention, the result would be the judgment and final destruction at the second death spoken of Revelation 21:8.

History shows that the judging hand of God fell upon the Jewish nation in the form of its destruction in 70 A.D. when Israel was scattered and the temple destroyed by Roman General Titus. The Jewish nation had not repented of the sins of legalism, self-righteousness, and ethnic pride. These sins had combined to bring about the murder of Jesus. The Jews reaped what they sowed. They sowed death and reaped death. As disciples, each one of us needs to be certain of good spiritual health and the good fruitage this brings in each disciple within God's spiritual body. As disciples, we are to bear the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Gal. 5:22: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Even more important, Jesus also gave his disciples the commission to preach to all the nations in Matthew 28:19. This fruitage is very important and often personally neglected by many that consider themselves faithful Christians. Any disciple that lacks spiritual fruit will be fertilized and be given the opportunity to bear fruit before judgment is passed and the final destruction by fire is brought about. The results are permanent and final.      ~ John and Ruth Greene

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"Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means with regard to you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. Do not take usurious interest from him, but revere your God, that your countryman may live with you. You shall not give him your silver at interest, nor your food for gain." ~ Leviticus 25:35-37

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I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for. Then you will call to me. You will come and pray to me, and I will answer you. You will seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart. Yes, I say, you will find me, and I will restore you to your land. I will gather you from every country and from every place to which I have scattered you, and I will bring you back to the land from which I had sent you away into exile. I, the LORD, have spoken.' (GNB, Jeremiah 29:11-14)

     You have a leader that stirs you to move ahead. Someone believes that you can accomplish the task that he has given you and who will be with you all the way. God is that kind of leader. He knows the future and His plans for you are good and full of hope. God knows the course of the future and provides the mission for you. You can have boundless faith in what God has and is providing. This does not mean that you will be spared pain, suffering or hardship. God wants to see you through to a perfect conclusion for you personally. This conclusion may not be what you expect, for do you or I know the mind of God except through His Word? Your God has a greater purpose and refines you as you walk in Him.

     Jeremiah wrote to the captives in Babylon with instruction to move ahead with their lives and to pray for the pagan nation that enslaved them. In an unpleasant or distressing situation, a disciple of Christ must adjust and keep moving forward in faith. You may find it difficult to pray for those in authority if they are evil, but that is when your prayers are needed most. (Jeremiah 29:4-7) 1 Timothy 2:1,2 says that when you enter time of trouble or sudden change, pray diligently and move ahead doing whatever you can rather than giving up because of fear and uncertainty. In the days of Jeremiah, God sent His people to Babylon for a long time, not a short captivity predicted by the false prophets.

     All of us are encouraged by a leader that stirs you to move ahead, to encourage you to believe that you can do what you have been given. He assures you that He will be with you all the way. God is this leader. With your cooperation, God will see you through to a glorious conclusion. Why? God does not forget His people, even in their captivity. The same applies to you! God planned to give them a new beginning and turn them into new people. The same is true of you if you are willing. Times of deep trouble may prepare you as God did the people of Judah for a new beginning with Him at the center. Since God has a plan, you should call on Him in confidence. You can be confident even if you find yourself in a difficult place and time. There is no despair because you have God. You have the power of prayer to strengthen you and the favor of God, God's grace for you. When you feel uncertain, seek Him whole-heartedly. Strange lands, sorrows, frustration nor physical problems can break that communion with Him as long as you stand firm, consistent in your faith.

     Beginning in Jeremiah 29:21, the Lord was clear that the prophets Ahab and Zedekiah should not be confused with the kings who had the same names. Family connections clearly identified them and by their words, the false prophets and teachers clearly identified themselves. Shemaiah, a false prophet protested against and attempted to discredit Jeremiah as he boldly spoke the truth. This same wrestling with God's authority is in place today. True prophets and teachers of God's Word are in a constant battle against those that use people shamelessly while distorting and corrupting God's Truth or corrupting God's Word with teachings of man. The Jews, then God's people, resented Jeremiah because he had told them to make the most of the exile which worked against their pride and desire for control. In like fashion, many will resent God's people today because of their stand for His Truth. Jeremiah's truth from God offered temporary disconnection from the Jewish homeland and long-range benefit. The lies of false teachers and those that supported them offered a delusion of comfort. The same is true with false prophets and teachers today. God's people now in exile must watch what and who they listen to. Only by accurate knowledge of God's Word can God's people be capable of seeing the truth with the help God's Spirit. Accurate knowledge of God's Word is one of the greatest needs of God's people in temporary exile now. God's purpose is the same then as today: for His people to listen to Him. What of the false prophets and those that listen to them? They will be burned with fire because of the outrageous acts and lies that they have spoken in God's name. All this will happen now as in days of old. Why? God's people must be restored to Him. God is bringing His people out of captivity, tearing off the bonds of the nations so that His people will no longer be enslaved by foreigners. Like the restoration in those days, today's restoration will not be easy. As long as His people recognize that they will endure trials for their faith, they can and will persevere in faith! Even though the time now is different from the old, the time of liberation for God's people is upon them! God is with His people.

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