SOLID CHOICES: Who Do You Know

 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

²¹ “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.  Matthew 7:20-21

So yesterday we talked about good trees, bad trees, good fruit, and bad fruit....and how we can identify them.   One of the most discomfiting things is going to the Farmer's Market seeing all the wonderful, colorful and good looking produce, buying it, then getting it home only to realize:

1) They didn't give you the fruit you were actually looking at that was good fruit, or

2) The fruit they gave you looked good, but was spoiling even then or,

3) It only looked good....because once you cut or bit into it.....blah, yuck...you discovered it was rotten to the core.

So Jesus continues on this identification of people....not judging to condemn them, but rather looking at, examining their lives.  So HE really desires that we would GET TO KNOW people.   So He says NOT EVERYONE WHO CALLS OUT TO ME LORD, LORD will enter into Heaven...........now many of you reading this are like....is He saying there are people that think they are His, part of the family, etc that aren't going to be able to enter into HEAVEN?  YES!  Just because you attend church somewhere or even maybe on a regular basis doesn't make  you a follower of Christ, no more than going to Cardinals games make you a player on the team.   Jesus is challenging you the reader to examine not only your heart, but watching out for those that say one thing, and are actually false prophets.

Here's a few questions regarding your walk or that of someone else's:

1) After Sunday services do you spend the week allowing the message to work in you?

2) Do you allow the message to cause a change in how you treat friends, family, and strangers?

3)  Maybe your pastor, minister, or priest had a bad week and the message wasn't communicated well.....can  you still be found doing God's will to your neighbors, co-workers, friends and family?

4)  Fans visit, Fan's cheer, Fan's sometimes fully participate in the wave or ....but players suit up, work out, they make a difference in the game, and are in the game on the playing field......which are you? 

Are you just saying LORD, LORD, or does your life show WHO YOUR LORD IS?  Loving GOD, and Loving PEOPLE requires you to be actually doing something..........LGLP