John 15:4

Verse of the Day: John 15:4

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” – John 15:4 

If we have a branch on an apple tree, healthy and vibrant, during the right time we will see fruit on it.  However, if we cut the branch off the tree and take it home because we want to grow fresh apples, we will be disappointed.  You see, the branch does not, on its own, have what it takes to produce fruit.

It is the same with us.  We must abide in Christ and let Him work through us, and then we bear fruit.  It is not what we do, but what we allow God to do through us.  Paul said basically the same thing to the Philippians.  “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13.

God will never leave us alone.  He has a work for each one of us to do.  However, what we need is to submit to Him and He will do it through us.  He will take us where He wants us, give us the words to say and the strength to fulfill it.  We must be in a constant attitude of prayer, always ready to hear what He has to say and follow His lead.  Then we will bear much fruit and glorify God in the process.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Luke 6:43

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 6:43 

“For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit; nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.” – Luke 6:43  

Based on the way this verse starts, this is a continuation of what was said in the prior verse which spoke of specks and logs in the eye.  It addressed the idea of being more concerned with the sins of others with little if any concern for our own sins, even when it is the same sin.  This is the perfect picture of hypocrisy.  And we see the connection in that if we do not see the beam in our own eyes, we would be like the corrupt tree which cannot possibly bring forth good fruit.  The reason is that we do not view the ‘bad fruit’ as bad fruit.

The meaning of this whole passage is, as a tree is known to be either good or bad by its fruit, so a man is known to be either good or bad by his fruit; especially when he speaks of the characters and actions of others. On such occasions he will, either by the charitable and mild constructions which he puts upon the doubtful actions of others, show himself to be a good man; or, by his uncharitable and harsh interpretations, demonstrate the wickedness of his own heart.

Matthew puts it this way.  “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15-20.  Matthew clarifies the idea that Jesus here is speaking of false prophets.  He says good fruits do not come from bad sources.  Grapes do not come from thorn bushes but from grape vines and  figs do not come from thistles but from fig trees.  Therefore, if you see bad fruit in others, then they are not to be trusted in what they say or teach.

Now, Jesus finalizes this idea with the following. “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” Luke 6:45.  This verse applies the analogies of the previous two verses to people and in particular to the human heart. The expression ‘heart’ is commonly used by Luke to refer to the inner being of an individual out of which attitudes and values come. An evil heart produces critical and judgmental attitudes, doubts, and wickedness; but a good heart produces good fruit. For whatever we do will come from our heart, who we really are. 

We must watch our own actions and thoughts, to see where we are in our relationship with God.  And the best way to see where we are is by looking at what is in our heart.  How do we speak of others?  How do we speak to others.  And also, how do we speak to and about others?  This speaks volumes about who we are.  We must take the time to examine our heart.  “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5.  And if we see we do not pass the test, then we should pray to God, repenting of our failure and asking Him to change our hearts.  And if we do and truly mean it, we can do so much by becoming closer to God.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Isaiah 11:1

Verse of the Day Devotion Isaiah 11:1 

“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.” – Isaiah 11:1  

Up to Christmas day, I will be looking at the different prophesies which foresee the coming of the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ.  He came here in order to offer the means of salvation for all.  An important idea to remember is that God knows everything and forgets nothing.  “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, 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 not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,” Isaiah 46:9-10.

Chapter 11 speaks of the emergence of a ruler from the line of David endowed by God with authority to bring about a righteous reign to His people.  It is the Messianic hope first expressed earlier in chapter 7.  “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14. Our focus verse speaks of a towering forest that was laid to waste by the mighty Assyrian army.  However, out of this destruction comes a contrasting picture of the renewal of the house of David and of his kingdom. For from this destruction, a root that is regarded as dead, a sprout will come from it. And this unimpressive green shoot that will sprout from the stump of Jesse is a person from the Davidic royal line of Jesse, apparently the same Davidic son mentioned in chapter 9. “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7.

This sprout, which is from the Davidic line, will be abundantly blessed in His life by the Father.  “As the Spirit of God rested on his servant David in the past, so the divine Spirit will dwell or rest on this new Davidic Branch, enabling God to use him in a special way.” Isaiah 11:2.  In 2 Samuel we read some of the last words of King David, which includes the following, “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.” 2 Samuel 23:2.  Therefore, what is said is the same Spirit that was on David would also be on this new ruler.

Now, we read in Matthew the following.  “But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he departed for the regions of Galilee, and came and resided in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, He shall be called a Nazarene.” Matthew 2:22-23.  When Herod died, an Angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph while they were in Egypt to tell them to go back to Israel.  But then later, as we see above, Herod’s son took over and therefore the Angel came again and this time for them to go to Galilee.  So they went and resided in Nazareth in Galilee.  Nazareth was a small town, probably with a population of around 400, where most were farmers.  This was a humble work, and thus He was seen as no one of notoriety.

In fact, when Nathanael learned that Jesus came from Nazareth, he said, “And Nathanael said to him, can any good thing come out of Nazareth?  Philip said to him, come and see.” John 1:46.  And this humility is expressed by Paul when he said, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 4:5-8. This is shown in our focus verse where He paints a similar picture regarding who is the subject of this chapter; by the image of a slender twig or shoot, sprouting up from the root of a decayed and fallen tree. This points to what Paul said, that He came in the form of a bondservant and remained humble in the service He came to fulfil.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 13:6

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 13:6 

“And He began telling this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.” – Luke 13:6

Today we will look at the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.  Here is this parable as found in Luke’s gospel.

“And He began telling this parable: A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?  And he answered and said to him, Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.” Luke 13:6-9.

Jesus told this parable immediately after reminding all who were there about the tower over the Pool of Siloam which collapsed unexpectedly and killed eighteen people. “Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And He answered and said to them, Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered this fate?  I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:1-5.  

This story starts by the vineyard owner showing his disappointment that a tree he had watched for  three years had not produced any fruit.  The three-year period is important because this points to John the Baptist and Jesus who had been preaching repentance and the coming of the promised Messiah for three years throughout Israel.  However, the fruit of repentance was not coming forth, and they thought they were special because they we Jews. “Therefore, bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, we have Abraham for our father, for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. And also the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”  Luke 3:8-9. They had departed from the true faith and the true living God. The Jews created a religion of works based on  righteousness that was not pleasing to God. 

Now, there are three distinct entities in this parable.  The vineyard owner represents God, the one who found the tree with no fruit and justly requesting it be cut down.  The vineyard keeper or gardener is Jesus the Christ, who asks for additional time to see the tree bear fruit, and the tree itself representing the Jewish nation and individuals.  

The lesson in this parable is that borrowed time is not permanent. God’s patience has a limit. In the parable, the vineyard owner grants another year of life to the tree. In the same way, God in His mercy grants us more time; another year, day, minute or second. Christ stands at the door of each man’s heart knocking and seeking to gain entrance and requiring repentance from sin. But if there is no fruit or repentance, His patience will come to an end, and the fruitless, unrepentant individual will be cut down. We all live on borrowed time; judgment is close by. That is why the prophet Isaiah wrote, “Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Galatians 5:22-23

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Galatians 5:22-23 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23

This section of scripture speaks of the dichotomy of the flesh and the Spirit.  It starts with the following, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16.  He is telling Christians they must walk by the Spirit because then they will not focus and fulfil the things of the flesh.  This is so because if the Spirit of God dwells in and rules our heart, then the whole carnal mind will be defeated.  In other word, the only way to overcome the corrupt desires and propensities of our nature is to submit to the influences of the Holy Spirit.  And he goes on in the next verse to describe this dichotomy.  “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” Galatians 5:17.  Paul is saying here that both of these things are in opposition to each other.  As Christians, when we want to do what is right, our flesh wars against us.  But, if we want to do what is wrong, then the Spirit clarifies this wrong to you.  Paul spoke of this struggled in His letter to the Romans.  “For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.” Romans 7:19.  Paul himself struggled, but He fought it off and lived the life devoted to Christ. However, he was not under the law as the devout Jews were, for He was led by the Spirit and therefore was not under the law but was under grace.  “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:14.

Paul then says that the deeds of the flesh are evident, meaning they are well known and plainly seen.  He then lists them in the next three verses.  “immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19b-21.  Note the wording at the end of this verse, ‘inherit the kingdom of God’.  Those who inherit it will enter it.  Jesus tells us who will enter the kingdom of heaven.  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” Matthew 7:21.  It is those who do the will of the Father; those who walk in the Spirit. 

However, as our focus verse states, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23.  These are the things that the Spirit leads us to do.  Note these are called the ‘fruit of the Spirit’.  Paul is using the analogy of a tree.  Living according to the Spirit of God produces good fruit, and likewise the deeds of the flesh as listed above produce bad fruit.  “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:16-20.

It is important that we, as Christians, focus our attention on being led by the Spirit of God and not our own fleshly desires.  Our flesh leads to all types of sins, while the Spirit leads us to bearing fruit that is pleasing to God.  And, as stated above, the flesh and the Spirit are at enmity with each other, in other  words we cannot be beholden to both.  It is either one or the other.  Therefore, we must decide which we choose.  We may desire to be led by the Spirit, but we may give in to our desires of the flesh.  If we find this is us, we must sincerely repent and turn away from these worldly ways.  We must sorrow for our disobedience to God, for this sorrow leads to repentence.  “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Colossians 1:10

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Colossians 1:10 

“So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” – Colossians 1:10 

The idea in our focus verse is that Christians should walk in a manner that pleases God.  It seems that pagans followed this and had the idea inscribed throughout the provinces of Asia. F.F. Bruce in his commentary on Colossians wrote the following, “If pagans appreciated the importance of rendering worship which was worthy of the deities whose votaries (a person, such as one devoted to the worship of their god, who has made vows of dedication to religious service) they were, much more should Christians render the spiritual service of obedient lives to the living and true God and to His Son Jesus Christ.”  Our hearts, as Christians, should be focused on pleasing the one who gave His life for us, that we might be saved and receive eternal life with God. 

As our verse above says, we must strive to please the Lord in all things.  This does not mean, as obviously stated, that we do this in certain cases, such as during church services or fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  These are the easy things.  What he is saying is in all things, including when we are joking around with friends or going out with them for an evening.  We are to be pleasing to the Lord when in Church, but also during all other times as well.  We must constantly strive to stay away from those things that dishonor God and focus on those things that bear fruit for Him.  I have seen many instances where several Christians have come together and the conversation has drifted to subjects that are improper and should never be discussed; jokes being told that involve indecent activities or words.  And there is to be no weighing of the activities, ensuring that the good stuff outweigh the bad stuff. 

Also, it says that we are to bear fruit in every good work.  John wrote that the way to bear good fruit is to abide in Christ, and Him in you.  “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”  John 15:4-5.  If Jesus abides in us, and we listen to Him, Colossians 1:10 becomes a regular thing in our lives.  And a couple more verses down, we read this, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” John 15:8.  So, by combining the verses, we see that if we walk in a manner that is worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all ways and  bearing much fruit, then we will glorify our Father in Heaven.  And by this we “prove to be Jesus’ disciple.   

And one final thought.  By living a life that pleases God in full view of the lost in our times, we can be a witness of the reality of Christianity and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Let us say we are in church and a visitor comes in and sees us praying, singing to God and lifting our hands in worship.  Then a couple days later they observe us in a situation where cursing and acting in ways that are not pleasing to God.  Will this affect them?  Probably, but not in a positive way.  They would probably think we do not believe what we say we do, for we do not live it outside of the church.  By these actions, we may have turned someone away from accepting Christ, and I am very confident that God would not be pleased with that.  It is absolutely important that we walk in a manner worthy of the Lord 100% of the time; no matter where we are or who we are with.  For if we are not, than how can we bear good fruit?  And if someone sees us acting unchristian like, how can they believe our message? 

So, I want to encourage us all, as Paul lays out so clearly, to  walk in a manner that is pleasing to God, bearing much good fruit, in all respects.  People watch us, especially those who are looking for reality in what we profess in both our words and actions.  When we walk in this manner, God is pleased with us because we are bearing much fruit.  But we cannot do this if God is not in us, helping us bear much fruit for Him.  For in Him, we are “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:11-14.   

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Isaiah 3:10

Verse of the Day Devotion: Isaiah 3:10  

“Say to the righteous that it will go well with them, For they will eat the fruit of their actions.” – Isaiah 3:10  

This verse is part of a prophesy given by Isaiah to the people of Israel and Judah.  Because of the evil done by them, God is using Isaiah to declare judgement on them because of their sins.  “For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, Because their speech and their actions are against the Lord, To rebel against His glorious presence.”

Note all that they will lose.  “For behold, the Lord God of hosts is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah Both supply and support, the whole supply of bread And the whole supply of water; The mighty man and the warrior, The judge and the prophet, The diviner and the elder, The captain of fifty and the honorable man, The counselor and the expert artisan, And the skillful enchanter.” Isaiah 3:1-3.  Everything that was necessary would be taken away.  Food and water as well as warriors and soldiers who protect them from their enemies.  The good judges will be gone, and the prophets will no longer be there.  All that will be left will be the those who have little wisdom or knowledge that would give them the ability to lead the nation properly.  It will come to the point that the people will simply look to anyone who has not lost everything to lead them, with the idea they would provide for their needs from their goods. 

This will be a very difficult time for Israel and Judah.  However, not all of the people will experience all these difficult things.  In verses ten and eleven, we see the dichotomy that is found within this prophecy.  “Say to the righteous that it will go well with them, For they will eat the fruit of their actions. Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, For what he deserves will be done to him.” Isaiah 3:10-11.  The two disparate groups are the righteous and the wicked.  The ones who did not obey God, the wicked, will find themselves in hard times.  As Isaiah said, they will get what they deserve.  However, not all the people did wrong.  There were a segment of the population who obeyed the Lord and did not act or speak evil about Him.  And thus, all will go well with them.  They will be taken care of and will not suffer to the degree the wicked do.    

It is important that we remember our God is a just God.  “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.” Isaiah 30:18.  He will deal with the ungodly in a far different way than the righteous.  If He punishes a nation for their wickedness, He will take care of the ones who remain true to Him.  As things get more difficult as time progresses, we can trust God to take care of us as He punishes the unrighteous.  He will give to all what He deems they deserve.  So, during difficult times, stay strong and continue to look to Him for all your needs.  He will be there to protect the righteous through everything.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

John 15:5

Verse of the Day Devotion: John 15:5 

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

Jesus uses the idea of the vine and the branch to describe how we are to do the work God has for us.  First, he describes which is which.  “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” John 15:1.  First, lets look at what the vine is.  The vine is the main part of the plant, which supports the branches and provides what they need.  All the nourishment of each branch passes through the main stalk, or the vine, that springs from the earth.  The vinedresser is the one who cares for the vineyard.  They are responsible to nurture, trim, and defend the vine, and who of course feels a deep interest in its growth and welfare.  We, as Christians, are the branches that sprout from the vine.  And in our focus verse, we see we are the branches, the ones through whom the vine produces the fruit.

Therefore, we see the three roles laid out in this picture.  Jesus is the vine, the one from whom all His branches, those being us, are nourished and strengthened.  He is the real source of our strength and nourishment, blessings and joy.  And the Father is the one who has the care, maintenance, and defense of the vineyard.  And He also is the one who plants the vine.  “We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” 1 John 4:14

Now, again in our focus verse we read,  “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5.  Jesus is the vine and we are the branches; therefore He is the one that provides us with what we need to do His work.  He nourishes us with His Word, which helps us do what He calls us to do and strengthens us such that we will continue on when it gets difficult.  But the only way we can receive what He provides is if we abide in the vine.  We must be united with Him, living such that He is the provider of all we need.  We must be, as the branch is connected to the vine, be connected to Jesus.  For only then will we be able to produce the fruit He intends us to produce.  “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:9-10. 

However, if we are not united with Christ, if we do not look to Him as the means to do the work He has called us to, then we truly cannot do anything.  We cannot do anything for Him if we are separated from Him.  As the branches, if separated from the vine cannot produce fruit but would wither and die, so Christians, who are separated from Christ, cannot produce fruit.  This shows we are totally dependent on Christ to do what He desires us to do. 

In closing, let us understand our dependence on Him in everything we are called to do.  If we try to accomplish His will without being united with Him; not receiving all we need from Him, in effect, doing it our way, we will accomplish nothing.  It is only when God, working through us, opening their hearts for the work we are doing, that fruit is produced.   If we are here to produce fruit, we need the vine to make it happen.  Without the vine, we will simply dry up and wither.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.