Apples and Trees part 2
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Because a seed can only produce after its own kind. That's why its so vitally important for us to know where we come from. To understand our roots. And, listen, I'm talking about the natural here... but even more so I'm talking about the Spiritual. Because things ARE herititary. We do get things--more than just our looks--from our parents. And they got them from their parents. I mentioned yesterday about how sometimes we see things in our children that we don't like in ourselves. But the best part about the cross is that it crossed out a lot of things. Everything, in fact, except love itself. Love HIMSELF. Remember how the gardener cast every tree that didn't bear good fruit into the fire? He cursed the fig tree because it couldn't bear ANY fruit. And it withered and died. So instead of swinging from "good" and "evil" which were both on the same tree, the tree of death... instead of trying to turn over a new leaf... what we really ought to do--and are now equipped and empowered to do through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth that leads and guides us into all truth--is start eating the fruit from the only tree that's left. The Tree of Life. And, by the way, we ARE the fruit of that tree. Because the fruit of the Tree of Life is the fruit of the Spirit. And the fruit of the Spirit is love. Watch this: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (1 Peter 1:23). I like it even better in the NLT, but I wanted to get that phrase "incorruptible seed" out of the KJV. Here it is in the New Living Translation, "For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God." A new life for a New Man. The abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of God. Jesus's life of LOVE. It comes from the living Word of God, right? And that Word is Jesus. That Word is love. God has only ever said one thing, "Let there be light." He has only ever said, "I love you, I love you, I love you. I can't stop loving you!" He said, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." And that's the ultimate truth of the universe: God is love, and He loves you. The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hands. YOU are that Son. Jesus is your true identity. HE IS the Tree of Life. And we are branches on that Tree. The branches that bear the fruit... that we are. When we talk about sharing that fruit with those who need it--feeding those who are hungry, both naturally and Spiritually--we are talking about sharing OURSELVES with each other. Laying our lives down for our friends. Giving everything we have and everything we are to those that we come into contact with. Living forever by loving people with the knowledge that love lasts forever! So we don't need to worry about generational curses. We don't need to worry about the stuff we don't like about ourselves. Because the gardener has pruned us. Washed us. Presented us to Himself without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing. A bride fit for the King of kings. That's our DNA (Divine Nature of the Almighty). Those are our roots. Royalty. Kings and priests to rule and reign on the earth. To rule and reign with love. Through love. For love. Because of love! Its all about love...!