MAKE THE TREE GOOD

MEMORY VERSE: Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Corinthians 15:33

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Acts 11-12

Jesus said, “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit” (Matthew 12:33). There are several lessons to learn from this verse. One of them is you know a tree by its fruit not by its leaves or appearance. You know a man (tree) by his works (fruits) not by his words. Actions, they say, speak louder than words. Another lesson we can learn from this verse is that "the tree" has the potential to be good. Unfortunately, it also has the potential to be bad. No wonder Christ says “either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt.” Every man has the potential to misbehave. Every man has the potential to be proud. Every man has the potential to be rebellious. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” However, every man also has the potential to behave well. Every man has the potential to be humble. Every man has the potential to be law abiding. Proverbs 23:26 says, “My Son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe me ways.” If you give your life to Christ, He will come into your heart and dwell there. He will take away the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh and you become a totally different person (2 Corinthians 5:17). The moment Christ comes into a man’s heart and becomes his personal Lord and Savior, the man realizes his potential to be good. There was a sister who used to argue and fight with her husband all the time. One day she gave her life to Christ and everything change. She changed so much that the husband followed her to church and also gave his life to Christ.

Another lesson we can learn from this verse is that a bad tree can be made into a good tree. Sadly, a good tree can also be made into a bad tree. One of the ways this happens is through association. Proverbs says, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” Association changes people. If a foolish man makes friends with wise men and learns from them, within a short period of time he will become wise too. Just as association can change people from bad to good, it can also change people from good to bad. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” One way to bring about good fruit is sow good seeds which in turn grow into good trees that bear good fruits. Everything you listen to or watch is a seed that goes into your spirit and soul. Unfortunately, whatever goes into your spirit and soul will come out under pressure. Remember, fruits are the physical manifestation of the seeds that have been sown in your heart. If you sow seeds of faith, you will produce a tree that bears the fruit of faith. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” If you read and meditate on the scripture regularly, your faith will grow and you will begin to make confessions of faith. However, if you feast on newspapers, doctor's report on your medical condition, and other articles that causes fear and depression, fear will grow in you and you will begin to make fearful confessions. 

NOTE: Your association will determine your fruit. 

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world