By Pastora Monique Lopez Ong
Time is different nowadays. It just isn’t like before. Many may be asking, “where am I going?,” and “where is God taking me?” If you are asking this question, you need to have God first before you ask those questions. Because is is useless to ask God what He is doing in your life if He is not in your life in the first place. It is very important to have that relationship with Jesus Christ is you want that question to be answered. It is the reason why Jesus came to earth. For everyone to be free of their sins. He is not only saving you from sin but also gives you a purpose. Where are you now? Is God with you? Did the pandemic affect your relationship with God? All the hardships probably steered you away from God. But if you want to know what your life will be like, give it to God first. You do not know what is going to happen tomorrow but He does. He will give you a future and a hope and you can be sure your future has a hope because God is in it.
When you recieve Jesus, that is not the end of the story. While you are now walking in His kingdom, there is more to just receiving Him in your life. You are now an ambassador. All countries have ambassadors representing them. What does an ambassador do? You are citizens of heaven, ambassadors of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Your job is to bring heaven here on earth. If you have Jesus and say you truly follow the Lord, you can be assured today that when that time comes, your destination will be heaven. John 15:16 says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit.” What is that fruit? The fruit is being able to bring more people into the Kingdom of God. You are ambassadors to be the hands and feet of Jesus. He has chosen and commissioned you to go into the world to bear fruit. Fruits that will bring rewards. When you are walking outside, can people see Jesus in you? God chose you. Let His glory shine through you. There is a fruit in the kingdom of God.
God wants you to go and do good works for Him. Matthew 28:18-20 says, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” God wants you to go and not just sit pretty in your houses. You have work to do. Good works, although they will not take you to heaven, are fruits of your faith in Jesus. Only Jesus can take you to heaven. But after that, you are now to do good works because you are His representatives. Colossians 1:10 says, “so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” The good works talked about is leading people to Jesus. When was the last time you brought someone to know the Lord? God wants you to be fruitful. When you do these good works, your knowledge of God increases. Titus 3:14 says, “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives.” God does not want you to go home to Him empty handed. Everytime you do good works on earth, you make a deposit in your name in heaven. Everything is accounted for. Maintain good works and maintain your account balance in heaven. Do not stop doing good works and continue being fruitful. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Philippians 4:16-17 says, “for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.” Everything you do for the Lord will have rewards. Jesus modeled it when He was here on earth. He kept on teaching, healing and telling people about God. 2 John 1:8 says, “Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.” Yes, you can lose your rewards when you become dry and lose faith. In the judgement seat, you lose your rewards. You have to be faithful until the very end. If you do not have Jesus, your good works do not merit anything in heaven.
God wants you to give Him glory by your fruit. Every work you do right now should bring back glory to God. God gives you your assignment for His glory, not yours. Are you willing to be used by God? He gives you the invitation to bear fruit. Do not drag your heels. Ory to God by your fruit. John 15:8 says, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” Do good works and be called God’s disciple. God does not bear fruit. You do. He only invites you to bear fruit in Him. What an opportunity to be able to serve the Lord. Every good work brings glory to God. Acknowledge Him and not yourself. John 4:34 says, ““My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” You can only bear fruit if you follow God’s will, if you fully cooperate with Him and step into your calling. In this war, you are one of God’s soldiers. Your job is to increase the army. Bring more people to Jesus. Do not waste time. Bear fruit. Cooperate with God. You are a child of God. You are the ambassador of God. You are the salt of the earth. Step into your calling.
God wants you to bear fruit. John 15:1b and 5a says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” Jesus is your vine, your rock and your stronghold. He is where you stand. But he does not bear fruit. Your are a branch of the vine. You must bear fruit. God’s job is to maximize your potential. He saved you to bear much fruit. John 15:2, 5-6, 8 says, “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.You will not bear fruit if you are not connected to Jesus. It is your purpose to do good works for Jesus. God wants you to bear much fruit.
God is doing something to increase your fruitfulness. The one that does not bear fruit, He takes away. But this does not happen overnight, for the Lord does not easily give up. The one that bears fruit, he prunes to bear more fruit. When you go through much trial, hold on tighter to God. God disciplines those whom He loves. He fixes you and prunes you so that you can bear more fruit.
What is God doing in your life? He is making ypu fruitful. He is making you mature. He is making you sweet. He is making you precious. You will go through fire and you think you cannot make it. But you will. Because God is holding your hand. You were clay before. Now you are made procelain. You were once a rock. Now you are a diamond. What you do now will matter later. Do not lose your rewards just because the road is not paved. He is your vinedresser. And you can trust that all things work together for good for all those who love the Lord.