APRIL 21 THE JESUS QUESTIONS SRJQ#1-13 (Day 8) >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< SRJQ#1-13 * Summary Review of JESUS Questions JQ#01-01—JQ#13-07 (Matthew 5:1 thru Matthew 12:34)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

APRIL 21  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  SRJQ#1-13 (Day 8) >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< SRJQ#1-13 *  Summary Review of JESUS Questions JQ#01-01—JQ#13-07 (Matthew 5:1 thru Matthew 12:34) 

Daily Prayer to JESUS    

Jesus, the Only Begotten of the Father, Prince of Peace, my Lord and Savior, whatever I do, it never changes who You are. Though I need to be chastened and corrected daily, Your Grace and Mercy abides forever! You spent Your time on earth in Perfect Obedience to the Father who is Eternally Pleased with the Son. Lord I again start today asking forgiveness for yesterday for all I do is but filthy rags compared to You, the Blessed One, that Loves me in spite of my imperfections. I once again ask Your Holy Spirit to take full control of my life and lead me so that I will let Christ live through me that I may die daily to self.       AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

APRIL 21  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  SRJQ#1-13 (Day 8) >>> Lessons, Lifestyle, and Parables of Jesus <<< SRJQ#1-13 *  Summary Review of JESUS Questions JQ#01-01—JQ#13-07 (Matthew 5:1 thru Matthew 12:34)  Jesus has been Teaching us these Lessons in order to guide our “Way” to God the Father and I am totally amazed at how the Holy Spirit confirms that you are on the right road! You know what I’m talking about if you have ever been on a trip and you were thinking you were on the right road and have taken all the right turns but that “worldly doubt” creeps in and you are uncomfortable because the scenery is not familiar and then you look up and there is that great big road sign that confirms you have stayed on the right route to your destination! I’m sure you’ll agree that “being lost” is no fun! Jesus gets us on the right “Way” and then keeps giving us more directions and Lesson 6 is another of those “markers” along the “Way” to tell us we are going in the “Right” direction!

Lesson 6  JQ#6    “What kind of fruit does your tree bear?”       Matthew 7:15-23

The church that Deb and I attend holds an Annual Calvary Baptist Church Children’s Camp in Dayton, TN at Cumberland Springs Bible Camp and the theme for 2016 was “Digging Deep for God’s Treasure”.  Pastor Steve told the kids the Parable of the Sower and the Soils (Luke 8) and the main phrase was “NO ROOT ——— NO FRUIT” and the kids had the Seed of Salvation sown into their tender hearts!  The theme for the 27th Annual Calvary Children’s Camp at Cumberland Springs Bible Camp fits perfectly with JQ#06  “What kind of fruit does your tree bear?” (Matthew 7:15-23)  however, I could easily rename JQ#06 Lesson to  “What kind of fruit does your seed bear?” which would fit right in with the Parable of the Sower and the Soils. Just imagine that if those kids were not at the Bible Camp this weekend there is no telling what “seeds” the world would have planted in their fertile young hearts! I felt like the Holy Spirit threw up a huge road sign  that confirms we had given the kids a great map to guide them through the detours and dead ends of this increasingly secular world when I saw that the review today was on “bearing fruit”. The camp is very exciting for the kids and for every excited kid you have the proportional amount of tired counselors but a refreshing message from the Holy Spirit confirming we were on the right road to keep us and the kids from getting lost in the world made us “Blessed” instead of “tired”! JQ#06 is a serious Question that Jesus asked as He was giving us warning to be aware of “false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves…” (Matthew 7:15) when Jesus asked: “Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16b) Very quickly we can see that “false prophets” are as dangerous as “thorn bushes and thistles” and definitely “false prophets” will direct you down a dead end street. It is only logical to even the secular mind that if you plant thorn seeds you will grow thorns and Jesus made that clear when He said plainly, “You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16a) So the Lesson on “preparing our (soil) hearts” is just as important to us as is the Lesson that we make sure that the “seed” we let grow in our hearts is a “good seed” that will produce “good fruit” and not thorns or thistles! The Lesson Jesus is Teaching is that if you want good fruit you must plant good fruit seeds in your well prepared hearts! The Parable of the Sower and the Soils goes very well with Jesus Teaching us that we must also be careful to make sure that not only is the soil prepared for the seed but we should equally be careful not to let the worldly seeds of thorns and thistles take root in the inward parts of our soul. If we want to bear good fruit then we have to plant the right seed in well prepared soil and it is a good idea to keep a hoe nearby to keep the worldly weeds out that are sure to sprout up and try to choke out the good seeds as they sprout and start taking root in the carefully prepared soil. If Jesus goes to the trouble to Teach us to prepare the soil of our hearts and then plant good seeds, don’t you think it would be wise to follow the advice of The One that has produced such “heavenly” fruit?