is still in season. As far as the hour in which we live and in the think ing of the world, it is not the sea son. It is not fashionable to live a godly life. The characteristics of a true Christian life are not stylish for this modern-day generation. The Lord Jesus said in John 15:2, “Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and ev ery branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." Make no mistake, if your life as a tree is planted by the rivers of water, then you will bring forth fruit, the fruit of the Spirit as appointed and ordained by Cod. The Bible says, "Whatsoever he (that is, this planted man of faith) doeth shall prosper." The prosper ing is of the work and not the per son. Scripture is not talking about outward prosperity. Nowhere in the Word of God is a premium put on making money. Jesus never told men how to make a living, He sim- ly told them how to live. Being poor may be inconvenient and yet, sometimes out of bad situations often come our best things and blessings. Charles Hadden Spurgeon right ly pointed out, "There is a curse wrapped up in a wicked man's mer cies, and a blessing concealed in the righteous man's crosses." This permissive society has failed when it has given everything to its chil dren without work or reason. The best thing you can give to the man who has everything is sympathy. Just because he has all of these possessions does not mean that he is happy, contented or satisfied. He may well be the most miser
able man on the face of the earth. The Italians used to say that the last robe an individual wears in this life has no pockets. That was symbolic of the fact that when we die we certainly cannot take any thing with us. The question comes forcefully, where are we making our investments for eternity? The verse could be translated, "Whatsover it produceth shall come to maturity." Here is the fruit hanging on the tree. It is not going to fall off before it ripens properly. Have you ever had a tree that seems to be loaded with tiny fruit but just at the time when it begins to grow and develop, it falls to the ground. It has no value. God will see to it that your fruit will come to maturity; your love, your faith, your joy, your peace, your long- suffering, your gentleness, your meekness, your temperance, all of these things will produce a beau tiful harvest. Keep in mind that the poorest man in all the world is not the one who has gone bankrupt, losing everything. The one we can rightly pity is the man who is un godly, not having been justified, who is without the Lord and with out hope in this world. The Wall Street Journal carried a little sentence some years ago which has since become a classic. It is a powerfully succinct message which declares, "Money is an article which may be used as a universal provider of everything, except hap piness!" What a true evaluation and how perplexing that it is such a commodity so fought over. Any real prosperity for the soul is that which only God gives.
Rose of Sharon Prayer Chapel
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