HOW TO BE FRUITFUL

Most Christians want to know

how to be more fruitful for

God. Not being an expert on

such matters I want to say,

"I don't know how. It beats

me."

However the Lord has drawn

several things to my attention

in the last few days. One is a

thought put forth by Oswald

Chambers. In part he said,

"The people who influence us most are not those who

buttonhole us and talk to us, but those who live their

lives like the stars in heaven and the lilies in the field,

perfectly simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives

that mould us.

"If you want to be of use to God, get rightly related to

Jesus Christ and He will make you of use unconsciously

every minute you live."

-My Utmost For His Highest, p.101

That tree in the top photo

is not real, as you know. And

the "fruit" (Let's call it that.)

obviously is just "stuff" my

wife hung on it. (You know,

just like Religion.)

Not good to eat.

This next photo (Poor as

it and the tree are.) is

the real thing. A real

tree with real fruit.
 And the fruit would be eatable

- if you could stand it.

What did the tree do to produce fruit. Just

existed as a tree and the life of the tree flowed

through it producing fruit. To bear fruit for

God, we simply connect to him and let his life

flow through us. Then the fruit comes.

I want to relate one incident in my life that

illustrates how God can use us without even

trying.

When I was in High School a new boy moved

in the area. His family had been living out

of the country and returned home. So he had

some adjustments to make.

All I remember is I liked the guy. We were both

Christians. He was a nice clean cut fellow. And

when our little group would get together for

Bible study at school (Yes, back then we could.)

he would be, in my estimation, a spiritual

leader - if we even had one.

I had a car. He, didn't. I had a motorcycle, he

didn't. So sometimes I would be taking him to

various Christian functions in my old Ford. We

even cut class together one time. We took my

motorcycle and went up in the mountains. I

think we made it back before the next class. But

my transmission went out in the ordeal. Wow,

what fun for a couple of teenagers.

In short, we were just two Christian teenagers

having a good time together. He went on to

college and got smart. I got married. And of

course our ways parted.

I would hear of him from time to time. He went

on to pastor a church. Then got a doctorate. And

the last I knew was apparently a professor in one

of his denomination's colleges. [I don't know

what he professed. But that's what professors

do, isn't it? Profess.]

Fast forward about thirty five years.

One day leaning against my bench at work a

Christian brother, from another church, came

ambling across my work area. He called this

0ld friend by name and ask if I knew him. Yes.

He ask me if I would be interested in the paper

my friend mentioned my name in. Of course.

I want to quote most of his comment,

"I personally, as a high school student, moved

from the edge of tumbling into the wasteland

of becoming a drop-out into the rich and

productive life I have experienced as a minster

of the gospel, all because a ------ ----- gave me

the most priceless of human gifts - friendship."

Hey! I didn't even try. But God let me be a help.

Jesus said,

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who

abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears

much fruit, for apart from me you can do

nothing."

-John 15:5 RSV

There we have it. Just abide - stay - in Jesus.

Let his life flow through us and grow where

he planted us.

A THOUGHT ON PRAYER

Prayer is breathing

for the Christian.

Without it we cannot

survive. It is the

Christian's life.

For years I have

wanted to be a man

of prayer. Like

everything else, I never made it.
At least to my satisfaction.

Years ago I was reading a book on prayer by a

noted pastor on the west coast. I remember him

saying "that when he set in his chair to pray..."

I thought, no way. Coming before the very God and

creator of the universe. And setting in a chair. No.

The only proper way to come before the King of

Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Potentate of the

universe is prostrated before Him.

Now that I am a older, when I set in my chair

to pray......

Today I was sorting through a few of my books. I

try to keep my books on prayer together as a group.

I have some of the classic books on prayer like

Bounds set and other men of God. And of course a

few of the newer hot shots. No, I have not read all

of them yet. That's so I can always have another to

read, I guess.

As I was sorting I noticed that the pile of books on

prayer was getting larger than several of the other

subjects. And I realized that even with all these

books, I still was not the man of prayer I wanted to

be. There were sixty two books and booklets on

prayer.

Now I'm a simple man. And a very simple thought

came into my mind. With all these books on prayer,

I'm still not the man of prayer I want to be. Wouldn't

I come closer to being a man of prayer by simply

spending more time talking with God?

PROTECTED AGAIN.

I detest calling attention to myself. But you have had

those times that you want to let the world know what God

has done for you. So you will understand, won't you?

As Christians God has called us to be "a chose race, a

royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people,

THAT YOU MAY DECLARE THE WONDERFUL DEEDS

OF HIM who called you out of darkness into his

marvelous light." [Emphasis mine].

-1 Peter 2:9 RSV

So, I'll try.

For the last several years each morning I pray that God

will protect each of us in the family. That "he will give his angels

charge of you to guard you in all your ways."

-Psalms 91:11 RSV

And he has done that lots of times. That is why I am

still alive today. But hear one more.

Yesterday (At the time of this writing.) afternoon I was

at work on my office. I am building it so there is a loft area

above it. That will allow storage of all the stuff we never

should have bought in the first place. And the things that

are used only on occasion, such as luggage.

I was working on the floor of the loft when I tripped. I fell on

my back with my head and shoulders hanging over. I could

feel myself teetering on the edge.

What kept me from falling head first eight feet onto the

concrete and building materials below, I don't know. It had to

be God giving an angel charge over me to protect me.

Praise God and thank you Jesus.

The picture. That's where I would have landed,

if the Lord had not intervened.