Churches United

For a life surrendered to Jesus

“A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.” Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭17‬

Both these Apple trees were on our friend’s property where we recently held a combined Church service with Destination Church.

The fruit on the healthy tree was so abundant and ripe it was falling off the branches. Piles of Apples lay on the ground ready to be gathered and eventually turned into cider. All the work related to this tree, in this season, was connected to its abundance.

The other Apple tree is dead and all the work connected to it revolves around getting rid of it and burning it.

Two Apple trees, but two different experiences.

After the Sunday gathering the Spirit began to speak to my heart and mind about how these two trees speak of two different realities of Gospel ministry and mission in this hour.

On the way to the service one of Jacob’s Well Church members gave a ride from one of the local shelters for people without homes to two young ladies. One is a regular and she invited another young woman she had met recently. On the way the conversation turned to spiritual things and the young lady responded to the questions of the nature of her relationship with Jesus. She shared how she hadn’t fully given herself to Christ but was wanting to take that step.

At the service during some free time Pastor Jon of Destination Church was asked to talk to her. That conversation led to this young woman praying to give her life fully to Jesus and ended with her throwing away her drug paraphernalia.

I was unaware of these events until later in the day. But as I thought about this moving moment I texted Jon that my prayer was that all the ripe fruit laying all about the ground and the ease in which her life was surrendered to Jesus is a sign of the season unfolding for us all.

There’s a kingdom work being done and it will require many hands to do it . Not just one church doing its own thing, but many churches together working to bring in the harvest of the gospel.

God help us give ourselves in ministry and mission to living, not dead things. Help us attend the harvest and not waste time, strength and resources on everything that will only burn.

May He use each of us to bring in the harvest and may we all be a witness of a great harvest in our neighborhoods and nations of the world.