1-3-2016 weekly message

Meditation of the week: Psalms 133:1-3

Main scripture: 1John 4:7-21

Subject: The fruits of true children born of God

             Apostle John was specially beloved by Jesus, and he even called himself as a beloved disciple. He testified of the children of God born of him that believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, and receives him:

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”(John 1:11-13)

           In the main passage, he testifies of the true children of God who are born of God. He testifies of the fruits of them. he also testifies of them that are not the true children of God very clearly:

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”(1John 4:7-11)

                 He continues to testify saying, if we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love perfected in us. Hereby know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit that is the Holy Ghost. And when we dwelleth in his love, our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of Judgment. And they that dwell in his perfect love dwell in peace without fear, for the love of God casts out fear.

              Jesus spoke of the way to discern between man of God and one of the Devil that is the religious leaders that not believed in him:

 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”(Matt. 7:15-20)

               Apostle Paul wrote the letter unto the Galatians to testify of the fruits of them born of God as well as them that are not born of God:

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affection.”(Gal. 5:19-24)

           Apostle Paul testified of them with the charity(love of God) and of them without it:

 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”(1Cor. 13:1-3)

               In other word, man is able to show himself as a faithful son of God before the eyes of men even though he is not born of God to be the true son of God. But if no love of God in him, in other word, no Spirit of God dwells in him, it profits nothing. He testified of the things that are the hypocritical behaviors to show all kind of false love. He continued to testify of the fruits of them that have the love of God:

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”(1Cor. 13:4-7)

                 Yeah! They that are children of God through receiving his Spirit manifest the characters of God from within. Jesus testified of the fruits of the children of God through the parable of vine tree:

 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”(John 15:4-5)

                   If we suffer long for others, it bring forth no profit for us, but rather mush loss for us at the end. In the same manner, if we do friendly for other without any condition, it will be the same result for us. If we believe all things bearing all things, we could be taken advantage by others. And if we seek not our own, much loss could come back to us. For the last thousands of years, the LORD God has been suffered long for the people of Israel, and children of God and also for the Gentiles; he has been friendly for them always.

                Apostle John testified, God so love the world. God is still suffering long believing and waiting for them to believe in him some day in the future. God is still waiting for the sinners believing them to repent; and he seems to be taken advantage by them in the world. God had been taken advantage by us when we had been sinning not caring of God. The sinners like us have been blessed to be saved, because God had been suffer long for us believing us to the end.

                At this moment in the time receiving a new year, we’d better examine ourselves one again. How the love of God within us has been manifested ? How long have we suffered for others around us praying for them to believe in God? How have we been suffered long for the brothers and sisters with us that consist of the body of Christ? And whether we are still suffer long for them that left this church? Listening the voice of the Holy Ghost in this moment, let this time be the blessing through true repentance in the first time of worship in the new year.

                Apostle Peter testified of God that has been suffer long believing the wicked world to repent:

 “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”(2Pet. 3:8-9)

               Yeah! If the love of God is within us, we have to pray for the fullness of it. Apostle Paul encouraged the saints of Ephesians:

Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light….. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”(Eph. 5:14,18)

Amen! Hallelujah