Christmas Eve 2019: Check the Fruit

There is so much on my mind right now. Yesterday I saw a post about Beth Moore supporting Christianity Today who was calling for the impeachment of President Trump. Now I don't know if what this article said was true or not, but it got me to thinking about the time period we are living in. We have to be able to rightfully discern the difference between the truth and a lie. So I woke up last night thinking about fruit. You will know a tree by its fruit. "A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions." (Matthew 7:17)

I have personally seen and picked and eaten from the fruit that comes from Beth Moore. God has used that woman mightily to advance His kingdom in the hearts of women. I also know that we are living in perilous times and that, if it were possible, even the elect would be deceived, and so I pray for my sister. "LORD, give Your daughter eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart to understand what the Spirit is saying. Set her face like flint to do Your will. Help her to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus, and tear down every stronghold and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Set Your angels around her to keep her safe. Send light and truth and mercy and grace. Send Your unfailing love. Send love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and gentleness and self control. Send wisdom and understanding and counsel and might and the fear of the LORD so that she will not go by what she sees or hears, but with righteousness she will make judgments. Pour out upon her the oil of joy LORD and give her a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. LORD, make her an immovable rock, a flame that sets a woodpile ablaze, and an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their warfare against her. Pour upon this woman the spirit of grace and prayer. Hold her safe. I ask this in the mighty name of Jesus. AMEN

OK, it is not for Beth Moore that I am writing this post. It is for God's people. We can't let ourselves get caught up in what the enemy is doing right now. Just like he has always done, the enemy is attempting to slander and discredit God's people. We must have discernment in this hour. We have to be for one another and not against. Matthew 7:12-23 says it this way:

"DO TO OTHERS WHATEVER YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO DO TO YOU. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life (Treat others like you want to be treated.) is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it."
"Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act." Guys, if we are not treating everyone like we would want to be treated, we are really just vicious wolves in sheeps clothing. OH MY GOODNESS! Jesus, help us! Teach us how to treat others because we don't know how. Teach us to be for people and not against us. Teach us to unite and not divide. A house divided cannot stand. We have to fight for one another not against.

I want you to know that God is drawing near to His people right now to unite. He is making us ONE with His Spirit and ONE with each other. I am watching this happen right before my eyes. Jesus prayed this prayer just before He went to the cross: "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just a You and I are one - as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me." (John 17:20-21)

When this scripture is fulfilled and we become ONE, the world will believe that God sent Jesus. This is how they will know that we know God is when we love one another. This is everything. So according to God's word, if we see a brother or sister in sin, we are to go to them. In the case of Beth Moore, we cannot go to her but the Spirit can, so we pray.

We have to get this one down: TREAT OTHERS LIKE WE WANT TO BE TREATED, because the next scripture is scary. "Not everyone who calls out to Me, 'LORD! LORD!' will enter the Kingdom of heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to Me, 'LORD! LORD! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws.'"

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be a vicious wolf in sheeps clothing. I don't want to say, "LORD! LORD!" on judgment day only to be rejected. God's Kingdom is a kingdom of honor and glory. It is a kingdom of unity and hope. It is a kingdom of joy and peace. It is a kingdom of safety and refuge. If we are not becoming that to others, we are missing the boat. LORD, I am asking for You to do in us what we cannot do for ourselves. Teach us to love one another, and please forgive us because we have failed. We open our heart wide to receive the Spirit who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine. Do Your work in us Holy Spirit. We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus. AMEN

Merry Christmas Eve 2019 everyone from Costa Rica. May this Christmas season bring to us all the gift of love. It is not what we get, it is what we give. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Grace and peace to you all. I love you!
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Terri Tidwell