Economics is all about producing good fruit.
Mat 7:15-18
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
17 “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
In the 1980’s I learned a valuable lesson in understanding the Kingdom of God versus the kingdom of man: fruitfulness. I was in a situation with another person where both of us thought we heard Our Heavenly Father concerning a subject of interest to both of us. However, the other person’s view was the opposite view to mine. We both loved the Lord and sought to walk according to HIS principles but one of us was right and the other was wrong. That was the reality. I sought Our Heavenly Father for an answer to this situation. I didn’t mind being wrong, I just wanted to know the truth of the matter. HIS answer was, “Look at the fruit in both of your lives in this area, the one who has produced good fruit in this particular area has the revelation, the other does not”. Little did I know at the time that this nugget of wisdom was so needful in my walk throughout the following decades. We cannot judge the person but we are to judge the fruit.
Gen 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so
When Our Heavenly Father created this world, HE set a law in place: a tree will yield fruit after his kind. An apple tree cannot yield oranges, you can count on it. This is a simple reality but in human affairs it does require some discernment and often one must take a few steps back and consider the big picture. As Christians we are always looking for a connection with others and hoping that the next connection will bring forth The Kingdom of God thus we place our faith in the future rather than the “now”. Often the connection being sought after has some scarce resource tied to it, usually money, but sometimes it is a prophecy or a vision. If we could just make the connection, our ship of prosperity will come in. Unfortunately that is not how it works.
Hearing from Our Heavenly Father and acting on His Word produces revelation, faith, and fruitfulness. So often, we try to attach ourselves to the revelation of others hoping to enjoy the same fruit as them. We emulate their success expecting the same but it never seems to work out that way. Why? It is because their success is based on their gifts and calling. When we try to attach ourselves to their calling, we become usurpers and receive Our Heavenly Father’s judgment and correction for that action. What we effectively do is substitute “hearing Our Heavenly Father” with another person’s revelation only to find that unfruitful results are produced. When you try to align yourself with another person because of a prophetic word given to him or her, you exalt that person above Our Heavenly Father and that can produce disastrous results. Yes we should appreciate someone else’s gifts but moreover we should focus on the gift giver. The people exalted King Saul and his Pentecostal mentality is alive and well today among the brethren.
We must be quiet in order to hear Our Heavenly Father. We must stop our minds from racing through all of those scenarios that constantly vie for our attention. We must set aside all of those burdens that would redirect our attention. We must declutter our lives in order to hear and we must prepare ourselves for answers that may take us out of our comfort zone. A revelation is an answer to our problem or situation that exists at a higher level of understanding. The solution to the problem is never found at the level where the problem was created. Have you ever wondered why a person who is in the midst of a problem just cannot see the solution when it is so obvious to you? If they could just rise above the problem, the solution becomes obvious. Since Our Heavenly Father operates in the highest realm, why not listen to HIS solution and direction.
Faith requires that once we hear from Our Heavenly Father, we act accordingly. “Faith without works or fruit is dead.” When Our Heavenly Father tells us to do something, our biggest challenge is to be obedient. Obedience does not add to His Word but simply carries it out. Our ego wants to take control of Our Father’s Word and effectively judge it to be insufficient. Isn’t that what happened in the Garden of Eden? Oftentimes Our Heavenly Father will require us to walk by faith knowing that this walk will be tried and tested. We must resist the temptation to add or subtract what Our Heavenly Father spoke to us and walk out His Word as directed. This is overcoming our ego so that we will mature and be given greater things to do for the Kingdom. A good steward faithfully takes direction and fulfills the wishes of his Lord. He does not go back to his Lord and negotiate in an attempt to manipulate the Lord’s plan. If you keep asking Our Heavenly Father the same question, HE will give you the answer according to the idols of your heart. Jesus revealed that there are multiple levels of faith: no faith, little faith, great faith. The soldier of great faith saw no need to negotiate a different “word” from Jesus in order to satisfy his ego.
Once we hear and by faith walk out the revelation given, good fruit will come forth. There will not be a lot of confusion or noise surrounding this fruit. There will be no question whether you heard Our Heavenly Father speak for His Word does not return to Him void. If you are being plagued by problems, hindrances, failures, etc. you must become a fruit inspector and stop the path you are on. Some men rationalize unfruitfulness by assuming they have taken on an Old Testament prophet’s mantle. Did not the Blood of Jesus eliminate the need to operate in the Old Testament fashion? Isn’t our Covenant a better one? Was Jesus required to carry around a wooden yoke to suffer in a prophetic manner on our behalf? The fruitfulness of Jesus should be our standard of comparison, not other men. It is no wonder that there were four Gospels written about His earthly ministry. Each Gospel provided another view of His example.
Are you bearing good fruit, bad fruit, or no fruit at all? Do not be dismayed, it can be easily corrected. Repent, turn from your current path. Be still and listen. I knew one man who waited two weeks after he isolated himself from “the world” before he could hear anything. For each of us it is different. Write down all the issues you are dealing with. In another column, write down your “good fruit”. Be open and truthful. Have you been living a lie? Once you repent, you now open yourself up to start afresh. Our Heavenly Father’s mercy is greater than anything you are guilty of. Quit looking at other men or women when defining your life. Their gifts are not your gifts. Our Heavenly Father may bring you together with others to satisfy a need of the Kingdom but don’t assume that just because they have a calling similar to yours that they will automatically participate with you. Both of you will find peace when the need to work together arises. In the meantime, you should love all men. You should not be a stumblingblock by allowing your ego to hinder their progress. There is plenty of room in the Kingdom for all to participate and be fruitful. When Our Heavenly Father puts you together with another person, be content and focus on the mission at hand. If you are not immediately fruitful, it may be a timing issue. You may need to mature before the fruitfulness comes. Jesus spent 33 1/2 years to complete His earthly calling. Don’t be impatient. If you are operating in your calling, you will produce good fruit. You may require some adjustment in your thinking along the way but be assured as you become a man after GOD’S own Heart, good fruit will come forth.
Are you sharing your good fruit with others or hoarding it for yourself? As you sow good fruit into other people’s lives, more fruit will abound! That is the economic effect of The Kingdom of GOD!