Fall and Fruit

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”   Galatians 5:22-23  NKJV

Growing up in Southern California, I was only familiar with two seasons; warm and hot. It took a move to the Pacific Northwest to experience what four seasons was really all about, and actually having four choices as to which one I enjoyed the most. I don’t know about any of you, but my favorite has always been the fall. Just to experience the relief from the long, hot summer, feel the weather changing, doing yard work as the leaves change color and then fall, and looking forward to taking it a little easier in the winter all bring me a sense of enjoyment.  Then, of course, there are the apples on my apple tree finally getting ripe and getting ready to be picked so I can turn them into my favorite homemade apple pie.

I personally think there is nothing so beautiful as a tree full of fruit ready for harvest. As a child in California, I always looked forward to seeing the hills turn orange when all the oranges on the trees would begin to turn color. It is the same now living where I do. Here in the fall, it’s the apple orchards I get to watch as the apples begin to turn red.  When they begin to ripen, the entire orchard changes color and if you have never seen an apple or orange tree full of fruit ready for picking, you have really missed something. I have also always been amazed by just how much fruit one tree can produce, especially on my own tree and how obvious it is when the fruit is ripe.

This past week as I began picking apples, my thoughts turned to the passage from Galatians with which I am sure most of us are familiar, that talks about the fruit of the Spirit. I even have a framed print of it hanging on a wall in my home to remind me of what is expected from me as a believer. “Expected”? Yes, if we accept the fact that being filled with the Holy Spirit is a choice, then it follows that producing the fruits of the Spirit is also a choice. In other words, the ability to produce the fruit of the Spirit is in us, but we must also choose to exhibit them. 

The three fruits of the Spirit mentioned in this passage from Galatians, longsuffering, kindness, and goodness, are ones I would describe as "demonstrative". They describe just how we as believers exhibit our relationship with God by how we interact with others. Just as you can see fruit on a tree and be attracted to it, people should be able to see us practicing our fruits of the spirit, and be attracted by them.

“[Exhort] bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all [things], not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.”   Titus 2:9-10 NKJV

Paul tells Titus that one of his responsibilities is to exhort servants to “adorn” themselves, or in other words, to make the choice to adorn.  As I considered the subject of the fruits of the Spirit this week, I also realized that while my tree may be covered in fruit, it really becomes noticeable when they turn bright red in the fall.  What I think God expects from us as believers is to approach every single day with the thought of “how do I show others the fruit of the Spirit”?  So often we believe that if we arrive at a certain level of maturity in our walk with Christ the fruit will appear “naturally” in everything we do. However if we take a good look around, especially within the body, I think we can see that may not be the case.

I am sure most of you realize and would confess that we as believers sometimes stumble and exhibit fruits not of the Spirit.  At one time or another we all have acted or spoken in a manner which does not show any of the fruit listed in this passage. I am not suggesting that those who do not exhibit the fruits of the Spirit are not true believers, but rather that just as being filled with the Spirit is a choice, producing the fruit of the Spirit is a choice as well. It is one thing to go to church, study, fellowship, and grow as a believer, but it is another thing entirely to choose to put on and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”       Matthew 5:16 NKJV

 

Have you ever really stopped to consider that people are attracted to what they see?  I have always enjoyed the produce section of a market and appreciate the time and trouble they go to in order to present the fruits and vegetables in an attractive display.  It is almost as if they want to tempt you to touch and feel and ultimately purchase what they are displaying.  As believers, how often do we think about how our spiritual makeup can affect, and even attract, the attention of non-believers?  Choosing to put on the fruits of the Spirit, however, is only the first step because like all fruit, our spiritual fruit must be cultivated.

A memory I will always have is waking up at night when the wind machines would turn on in the orchards to protect the fruit from freezing. If you are not familiar with that, many orchards have large airplane propellers with motors mounted on poles high above the trees. When the temperature would approach freezing, these would turn on to circulate the air and prevent frost from forming on the trees. Imagine living next to an airport when 20 or so airplanes start their engines at the same time and you will begin to understand what I experienced. The "outward" fruits are a result of believers growing in the warmth of God's love. The closer you are to God, the greater the warmth and the more you grow.

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”     Psalms 34:8  NKJV

My uncle was an orchardist, and I remember accompanying him often while he drove around to different orchards resetting sprinklers and taking care of business. (with five kids, this was probably my mother's answer to daycare) Although it didn't occur to me then, not only did his work require a lot of physical effort, it was necessary for the trees to get the proper amount of water to produce their fruit.  The trees had to be pruned properly, be protected from insects which could harm the fruit, and often weeds would have to be controlled so as to not rob the trees of the water they needed to grow.  A result of cultivating a healthy relationship with God is growth, which occurs when we make the effort to take in the knowledge to be found in His Word which He has provided for us. As a result, our "fruit" will grow in proportion to what we take in.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have [its] perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”   James 1:2-4 NKJV

“let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”     Hebrews 10:22 NKJV

Just like seeing ripe apples on a tree and wanting to pick one, people are attracted by what they see and as believers we are encouraged to adorn ourselves in such a way as to attract others to the source of our fruit, Jesus Christ. May we as believers choose to cultivate our relationship with Christ in such a way as to grow our fruit for the world to see.  

There are many passages in the Word which refer to the “harvest” of believers and especially to the fall as the season of the harvest.  Could this be a clue from our Father that the rapture of the Church will occur in the fall season?  Only God knows but if that were to be the case I believe it is important for us to be ripe in the sense that we are reflecting the fruits of the Spirit as God has intended us to do.

Have you received the free gift of salvation God has provided for you?  Jesus loved you enough that He gave His life in order to have a personal relationship with you. When you believe in Him and accept His death as His payment for your sin, He forgives you and welcomes you into the family of God.  If you are reading this today and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and accept the free gift of eternal life He has offered you, I urge you to do so right now. You can do that by praying this prayer and accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

Dear Father in heaven, I believe in your son Jesus. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose up from the grave, and that my sins are forgiven.  Forgive me of my sin, help me to walk with you, and thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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The Second Judgment

“For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”  2 Peter 3:5-7  NKJV

As we approach the anniversary of the flood of Noah, one of the things I like to remind people of is that in reality, the flood was only the first of two judgments this world is to experience according to the Word of God.  The second judgment is, of course, the tribulation period which will last for seven years and end when Jesus returns to this earth the second time.  This is what the apostle Peter is referring to in the passage above when he tells us that the earth was judged first by water, and in the future tribulation it will be by fire.

Many bible scholars have long felt that there is sufficient evidence to support the proposition that the coming tribulation begins in the fall of the year. Years ago when I first met Chuck Missler and began to study his teachings, one thing he said which has always stuck with me was “your most fruitful investigations will be to probe the insights of the Jewish calendar”.  Another thing he said was that in the Bible, “pattern is prologue”.  Considering those comments as I studied the flood of Noah, it occurred to me that it is entirely possible that we are being given a clue as to when the tribulation period might actually begin.

“Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ “  Isaiah 46:9-10  NKJV

I would be the first to say that I am sure someone could write an entire book expounding these two verses from the prophet Isaiah.  This is my “go to” passage when someone tells me we don’t need to study the Old Testament anymore because we have the New Testament to rely on.  In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth for there is so much to be found in the stories of the Old Testament, especially as it relates to the future of this world in general, and the Church in particular.  Paul even discussed this in his letter to the Corinthian church when speaking about all that happened to the nation of Israel during their history.

“Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”   1 Corinthians 10:11  NKJV

Typology is the term used to describe the study of past events as a picture revealing the truth of a future event.  In essence what this means is that many of the events in the Old Testament were actually a picture of what was going to occur in the future.  Many scholars see the rapture of Enoch, which occurred just before the flood of Noah, as a type or pattern of the rapture of the Church, which will also happen just before the start of the final period of God’s judgment of an unbelieving world.  

Other examples would be the story of Abraham being told to sacrifice his only son Isaac, and God providing a lamb as a substitute. Or Joseph, sent by his father to visit his brothers and being “killed” in a sense by his imprisonment in Egypt only to reappear as second only to Pharaoh as ruler in Egypt. Also, there is Jonah, being thrown overboard allowing the others to survive while he suffers the punishment of God's wrath in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights. There are many more, but hopefully these are enough for you to understand what is meant by the study of typology.

One of the reasons many watch for the feast days of Israel to arrive is the amazing “coincidence” of numerous major events in Israel’s history which have taken place on those particular days over the past 5000 years. It would seem that God, by intent, has chosen to reveal Himself by orchestrating events to occur on the anniversary of many special days throughout Israel’s calendar. Since these occurrences are, according to the odds, almost impossible to explain it would seem that we are faced with the inescapable conclusion that not only is God at work, but He has chosen certain days to do certain things.

"But as the days of Noah [were], so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, "and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”    Matthew 24:37-39 NKJV

I talked last week about the time of the flood, and the fact that the Bible states clearly that life changed dramatically the day that Noah entered the ark and God shut the door.  We also know that the flood, or judgment began seven days later so the question for today is this, could it be possible to identify the day when the tribulation will begin by looking at when the world was judged by God at the time of the flood of Noah as a typological event? If so, the Bible tells us clearly that the flood began on the seventeenth day of the second month, which is Cheshvan 17 on the Jewish civil calendar. 

“In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.”

Genesis 7:11 NKJV

Many of you know the fall feasts occur during the first month of Tishri, beginning with Rosh Hashanah which began September 23 this year. As the Jewish calendar is lunar rather than solar, each month begins with the first sighting of the new moon. If the new moon is sighted as it should be this October 23, then the seventeenth day of the second month, the anniversary of the flood, should be on November 9 of this year.  Also, and possibly more significant to the Church, the tenth of the month, or the day God shut the door of the Ark is November 2.

“For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.   Malachi 3:6. NKJV

Now considering the fact we know that God has allowed many events to occur on the same day of the year throughout history, and He has clearly stated that He does not change, is it possible that by knowing the exact day the flood began we can assume the next judgment of the world could begin on the anniversary of the first judgment? I believe our answer to that could certainly be “why not”? It would follow the pattern that God has already established, and might, in light of other passages of scripture, be logical when we know that Jesus talked of His return at the end of the age by referring to the time of Noah and the flood.

As we see in the passage from Matthew 24, when Jesus was talking to the disciples about the end of this age, He specifically mentions the time of Noah and the flood and tells them that the two events will be similar. The obvious question for us is, however, “how similar”? Jesus does go on to describe the lifestyle of the world at the time of the flood, but could there be other similarities as well? Some may not know that this was not the only time Jesus talked about the flood of Noah during His ministry, so why not look to the other?

Some time before the Olivet Discourse, Jesus was teaching in Jerusalem and was asked a question by the Pharisees concerning the coming kingdom. In the course of discussing that subject, He looked to His disciples and used the flood of Noah as an illustration much the same as He would later do in the Garden.

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.     Luke 17:26-27 NKJV

In light of the state of the world right now, and the events which many believe are building up to an "apocalyptical" type of event, is it possible we are fast approaching the beginning of that period of time which the Bible tells us so much about? It would probably not surprise anyone who makes it a point to study current events with regards to biblical prophecy, yet as we have seen in the past, the patience of God towards His people could best be described as longsuffering. Yet even God has foreordained a point in time when His judgment will fall on an unbelieving world, and as many believe, it could be very close.

While I want to make it clear that I am not predicting anything, considering the facts outlined above I couldn’t help but ask myself a few interesting questions.

Was the flood of Noah and the judgment of the world a typological event?

Most certainly.  Peter makes it clear there are two judgments of an unbelieving world, one already accomplished and one more in our future.

Could the tribulation period begin on the anniversary of the flood of Noah?

Why not?  We can see that God has orchestrated past events to occur on the same day throughout Israel’s history and God Himself has said He doesn’t change.

Is it possible the rapture of the Church could occur seven days before the start of the tribulation mimicking the day God shut the door of the Ark?

Absolutely.  Yet because the rapture is an “imminent” event it could obviously occur at any time.  I do, however, find it interesting that Paul described the rapture in nautical terms as we have mentioned before referring to the full number of gentiles “coming in” and God also waited until the ark was full and then shut the door.

Again I am not trying to set dates or predict anything other than to point out the possibility that history will repeat itself exactly as it has done before which the Bible clearly reveals.  As always, though, considering what is promised to occur the question we must all ask ourselves is are we ready for that time to arrive?  If you have never opened the door of your heart to Jesus and made the decision to accept His gift of eternal life spent with Him, I would urge you to do it right now.  You can do that by simply praying this prayer and asking Him to come in.

Dear Father in heaven, I believe in your son Jesus. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose up from the grave, and that my sins are forgiven.  Forgive me of my sin, help me to walk with you, and thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Keep watching.

Missing the Boat

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah [were], so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.     Matthew 24:36-39 NKJV

These verses from the Olivet Discourse are probably familiar with many, if not most believers today. Jesus is talking about His return and He describes that time as being like the times of Noah. Like with many of you, I always seem to find there is more than meets the eye when studying scripture. Just when I think I have figured a passage out, something else, another question or idea pops out of nowhere and forces me to look even deeper. This passage is no exception. 

The subject of the flood of Noah has always been a favorite of mine. Years ago I spent a great deal of time and resources researching possible resting places of the Ark using clues from the Bible, ancient accounts of sightings, and early maps  from the sixteen and seventeen hundreds that showed the location.  I eventually obtained satellite imagery of the geographical area where I felt it had landed and, if you click on the photo above to enlarge, you will see the result.  Contrary to what you might expect, however, no one was very interested in what I found so all my work sits in a box gathering dust.

At this time of the year, though, when the rest of the world is preparing to celebrate Halloween, I am always especially reminded of the flood because the Bible tells us it occurred on the seventeenth day of the second month on the Jewish calendar. That puts it around the same time of the year as Halloween, All Hallows Eve, The Day of the Dead, and all the other names it has gone by throughout history. ( celebrated at the same time of the year the flood occurred is, of course,  just another coincidence )

So to be sure, this week I was studying this passage yet again when something came to mind that I had not considered before, and that is what I want to share with you today. If you look closer at the passage, notice something Jesus said. He said that people in Noah's day went about their lives doing what they did "until the day that Noah entered the ark". So I decided to look closely at the passage in Genesis that talks about that particular day.

“Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth.For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made." Genesis 7:1-4 NKJV

What these verses tell us is that God told Noah to go into the Ark because in seven days the flood was going to begin.  Matthew tells us that the normal, everyday life of the unbelievers of Noah's day continued until "the day" Noah entered the Ark. If the flood did not begin until seven days after Noah entered the Ark, what happened on that day that got their attention to the extent they changed what they had been doing? Since Noah had been going in and out of the Ark for 150 years while he built it would mean something different had to have happened this particular day. Considering this, the only answer I could come up with is found in the following verse. 

“So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.”    Genesis 7:16 NKJV

To put it another way, after everybody went in, it was God who shut the door. As I began to think more about that statement my train of thought turned to the door itself and eventually to "just how big was that door"?  It obviously had to be big enough for the largest animals on the earth to walk through making it a very sizable door.  With a background in construction, my next thought was how was it engineered taking into account the size and weight, especially considering the forces it was going to have to endure during the flood. Made of wood thick enough to withstand the pressures it would face from the sea, and treated with pitch which would make it even heavier, this door must have been massive. 

It would have taken an incredible effort on the part of Noah and his sons to even put that door in place, yet the Bible tells us that it was God who shut the door. What exactly did the people outside see and hear when God shut it? Did they see it closing seemingly all by itself? Did it close slowly or slam shut with a loud noise? Is it possible at that moment the people came to the realization that what Noah had been talking about for a hundred years was true? Whatever happened, the fact that people changed their behavior when that door shut, there must have been a message that they heard loud and clear.

What might that message have been? Did they suddenly realize that door was not going to open again?  I wonder if it was a sense that no matter if they changed their minds or not, they had lost their chance to get in? Thinking about this led me to a couple of other passages where God talks about closing a door.

“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'    Matthew 25:10-12 NKJV

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' “    Luke 13:24-25 NKJV

I think the message God intends for the world is clear. In order to escape the judgment that is coming, you must enter before the door is shut. In Noah's day, I believe the people of the earth had a good idea what was coming when they saw the door shut, and realized they had lost their chance to escape. I truly believe it is logical to assume that when the rapture occurs, those left behind will realize exactly the same thing.  My prayer is that you have made the choice to enter in before that door shuts. The day that Noah entered the Ark, the tenth day of the second month, is just a few weeks away and this story always makes me wonder what will go through people’s minds when the rapture occurs and that particular door slams shut?  Have you made your choice? Jesus said this;

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 NKJV

If you have never opened the door of your heart to Jesus, I would urge you to do it right now.  You can do that by simply praying this prayer and asking Him to come in.

Dear Father in heaven, I believe in your son Jesus. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose up from the grave, and that my sins are forgiven.  Forgive me of my sin, help me to walk with you, and thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I pray you have asked Jesus to come into your heart, and have given your life to Him. If you have, we will walk through that door together. Hopefully soon.

Keep watching.