The tree that is beside the running water is fresher and gives more fruit. (Saint Teresa of Avila)
back it up with bible
John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
Psalms 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Matthew 13:22, 23 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
core christianity
Known by Their Fruit
How do people know that you are a Christian? They can’t see your heart. They can’t see your faith—but they can see the results of it. Jesus said, “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:20). The only way someone can determine whether you are a follower of Jesus is not merely by your profession of Him, but by the evidence they see in your life. And that evidence should be spiritual fruit.
Fruit doesn’t grow overnight. And sometimes the best judge of the growth in your life might be someone else. You can be very introspective and say, “Have I become more like Jesus in the last 24 hours?” But that would be like trying to watch your kids grow. The growth is subtle, yet someone who hasn’t seen your children for several months will notice it. In the same way, you don’t necessarily see spiritual growth in your own life. But someone else might say, “You have really changed. I see you are becoming more like Jesus.”
Spiritual fruit is important, because Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain” (John 15:16). He is saying, “I want there to be fruit in your life.”
But what is this fruit? Galatians 5:22–23 gives us the answer: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” We bear fruit by walking in communion with Jesus, by staying close to Him. And spiritual fruit is a result of that relationship.
What we really need today is to bear spiritual fruit in our lives so that others can say, “Now there is a follower of Jesus Christ.”
previously published
To know if your relationship with Me is where it should be, you have to judge by the fruit, because a true, close walk with Me is reflected in the daily interactions that you have, the way you handle situations, what your priorities are, and the decisions you make. (Beyond Duty, Part 2)
My plan for all of you is for you to grow in spiritual power. You may not go instantly from where you are now to performing showy miracles, but those who are close to Me and faithful in their spiritual lives should see increased spiritual power in their lives, manifested by improvement in their work for Me and their daily lives.
You should find that things are getting easier for you through your faithful use of the spiritual weapons. You should be wiser and make better decisions through your connection with Me. Through your wielding of key power, your work for Me should be going better and more efficiently, be producing more fruit, and you should be making previously unheard-of progress in various areas. As the quote goes, “Expect great things from God, and attempt great things for God.” You should be asking for more and receiving more, and this is an indication of how you’re doing.
The days of greater power are upon you. You’ve trained for years, and those that have paid attention should be seeing the fruit and the signs following. These signs are different in each person’s case, and I don’t want you comparing with others and what signs they’re seeing that you’re not. But you should compare with yourself, and if you’re spiritually healthy you should be able to see that you are doing better than you did in the past. You should be able to see that you are bearing more and better fruit than in the past, that you are more effective than before, stronger than before, and have greater faith than before.
The whole point of strengthening the Family and all that we’ve been through together is that you would move forward, become more fruitful for Me, and see great progress and change in yourself and in the fruit of the Offensive. The point of the spiritual weapons and the days of training and preparation that you’ve been through is that things will not remain the same, that you will see progress and fruit. (Beyond Duty, Part 2)
make it personal
Is my life and ‘walk’ manifesting the fruits of the Spirit? Do my daily interactions, the way I handle problems, my priorities, and my decisions reflect the time I spend with you each day? Do I need to focus more specifically on any of these areas and how can I improve?
