NO BIBLE NO BREAKFAST DAILY BIBLE REFLECTIONS AND MORE

SCRIPTURE READINGS: EXODUS 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20, PHILIPPIANS 3:4-14, MATTHEW 21:33-46

SUNDAY REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is Producing fruits. Producing fruits means being a productive Christian. It also means demonstrating qualities that pleases of God. We shall deliberate on two facts necessary for producing fruits that pleases God.
1. To produce fruits we must be obedient to God’s commandment.
2. To produce fruits we must have a relationship with Jesus.

Firstly beloved in the Lord, for a believer to produce fruits that a pleasing to God, he or she must be obedience to God’s commandment. Exodus 20:1-17 is the abridged version of God’s commandment popularly known as the ten (10) commandments. Jesus summarized the commandments when he said “The most important one,” … “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31). Beloved in the Lord, our fundamental duty in life is to serve God faithfully and care for His creation most importantly our fellow human beings by respecting the dignity of everyone. We are to see ourselves as stewards employed by God. The day of accountability will surely come. Let us not be the like steward Jesus talked about in Matthew 21:33-46. If we become disobedient to God and refuse to produce fruits, “like the tenants or stewards “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in the their seasons” (Matthew 21:41). In other word Jesus warns us that eternal consequence of our disobedience or fruitlessness is that “…the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.” (Matthew 21:43). Let us bear fruit worthy of the kingdom of God by obeying God’s commandment, “for we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he or she has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Secondly, without a relationship with Jesus Christ, it is impossible to produce fruits that are pleasing to God. Paul confirmed this fact in his letter to the Philippians when he wrote that “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:7-11). Dear friend, after Paul had encountered Jesus he realised that all the fruits he had hitherto produced were in the flesh and had no eternal value but with his newly found relationship and salvation in Christ he has now produced fruits worthy of the Kingdom of God. In John 15:16 Jesus assures us that “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” Beloved in the Lord, do you have a relationship with Jesus? Is He your Lord and Saviour? Are you walking according to His perfect image and examples? There are some people in our lives who have a bad influence on us and are the reason we are not pleasing God. These people do not encourage us to produce fruits that are worthy of the Kingdom of God. When Paul was with the religious leaders of Israel, he did not produce fruits pleasing to God but when he welcomed Jesus into his life, he became productive and through him many Gentiles were saved. Beloved in the Lord, who is your friend, mentor or advisor? We are greatly encouraged to first and for most have a strong bond and relationship with Jesus. Our lives must be greatly influenced by His teaching and examples if we desire to produce fruits pleasing to God. Let us learn to say with Paul that “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” (Philippians 3:12)

In summary, we have reflected on the theme “Producing fruits.” We have discovered that to produce fruits or live impactful lives that pleases God, we must be obedient to God’s commandment or Word and have a transformational relationship with Jesus. May the Holy Spirit empower us to produce fruits that are worthy of the Kingdom of God. Amen.