Chapter Six
Bringing The Good Tree To Maturity
Watering the Tree
The mass of the tree which one sees above the ground is a good indication of the size of the root system which is below the surface. For a tree to grow big and tall, its roots must be deep enough to find plenty of water. Therefore, where does the good tree find an abundance of water?
"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth" (Hosea 6:3). Much like the area where I live in Texas, Israel has two rainy seasons. The early rain comes in the fall, beginning in October, and running through December. These rains are light and general and are for the planting of the crop. The latter rains are heavy rains that begin in April and May. They are for the growth and maturing of the crop. In like fashion, the Holy Spirit comes to us as the early rain, for the planting of the seed of the Word, that we may be saved. Then there is the latter rain of the Holy Spirit that comes as a downpour for our growth, maturity, and fruit bearing. To receive the latter rain, we must follow on to know the Lord.
Many people get saved ... get their ticket to heaven ... and think that is all there is to the Christian life. On the day of the Feast of Tabernacles, when the priest stood at the temple and poured out a pitcher of water, Jesus cried, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink" (John 7:37). Every Believer has had a thirst for Christ, received of that water, and taken a drink. Every believer has received of the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). However, Jesus did not stop there! He continued, "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). There is something more than just getting a glass with some water and taking a drink of that water. We also need rivers of water to share Christ with others. We need to get dunked in a river of water ... or rather baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Jesus describes the two aspects when he said, "... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). Every Believer receives life when he is saved. Like the previous illustration, he has water in the glass. However, Jesus goes a step further to talk about the glass being full and running over. The words "more abundantly" literally mean above measure. One can measure the water to the brim of the glass. However, it is difficult to measure the water when the glass is overflowing.
Paul explains the same concept using a different analogy. He says that each Believer has received an earnest of the Spirit (II Corinthians 1:22, 5:5). If someone was to sign a contract to purchase your house, he would probably put some earnest money down to show his sincerity. You would however, expect a full payment later. God has given every Believer an earnest of His Spirit, but we can expect the fullness of the Spirit later. We can see this truth fulfilled in historical biblical events.
After the first ascension, on the day of the resurrection, Jesus returned to meet with his disciples. In brief, he said that peace had been made with the Father and that he was offering them the rebirth experience (John 20:21). "And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith, unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (John 20:22). This was his down payment of the Spirit. However, he told them to wait in Jerusalem until they would be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49). He said that he would baptize them in the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, he told them that they would receive power to be witnesses unto him (Acts 1:5, 8). Then, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon them and filled them (Acts 2:1-4). On the day of Pentecost, they received the fullness of the Spirit. There is a distinct difference between having the earnest of the Spirit and having the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
The Old Testament prophet of Zechariah exhorts, "Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field" (Zechariah 10:1). The key is ASKING! We can see from Scripture that Jesus prayed (asked) for the fullness of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:21-22). When the disciples of Jesus asked him to teach them to pray, as John taught his disciples to pray, he taught them to ask for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:1-13). Jesus said, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" (Luke 11:13). On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were in the upper room for one purpose. They were asking for the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1).
I gave my life to Jesus when I was nine years old. At that time, I was born of the Spirit. I became a child of God. I went to church and was a fairly good Christian. At the end of my second year of college, I felt God's call into pastoral ministry. I switched from a state junior college to a Christian university. There, I got a degree in Bible. Then I studied for three years at a denominational seminary. I received a Master of Divinity degree. Next, I pastured a church for about a year until I got sick and had to resign the church. For several years I did secular work and taught various classes in the local church where my family and I attended. I had a hunger to share the gospel with people, but had little success in winning people to the Lord. I began to read about and thirst for the power of the Holy Spirit in my life. I earnestly desired to have the power of God, that I might share Jesus with others. One Sunday afternoon, as I earnestly cried out to God, asking for His power, I experienced an unusual phenomenon. I was sitting on a couch next to the window in my study. I heard a crackling sound or possibly a wind sound. Then a bright beam of light came through the window. It rested for a second, in the form of a large ball of light, next to my desk. My desk sat about five feet directly in front of me. The ball of light exploded with a loud bang that caused me to throw my arms apart over my head. I actually thought that the room was exploding. In the silence that followed, I heard the Spirit of God, within, say, "If you want my power you will have to die." At that moment, I was not sure that I wanted God's power any more. For about a week I dropped the topic. Then the thirst again arose within me. God directed me to have someone I knew lay hands upon me and pray for me. This time the Holy Spirit came in the form of the Comforter. I sensed the presence of the Comforter in a greater way that day than I had ever before in my life. Since that time, I have had the privilege of leading many to the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul gives us a command! He says, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). He is exhorting each of us not just to live upon a past experience, but to be continually filled with the HOLY SPIRIT. Aaron and his sons were to fill the lamp daily with oil that they might continually burn in the tabernacle before the LORD. "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations. He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually" (Leviticus 24:1-4). We can not depend upon yesterday's filling to carry us through today. Neither can we depend upon today's filling to carry us through tomorrow. We need a fresh filling of the Spirit each day.
I must conclude this topic by sharing with you that the breaking of the generational curses is not a cure-all for overcoming sinful habits. Without exception, everyone has a void in his life that needs to be filled. We may try to fill our lives with any number of things. Some try to fill their lives with excitement, while others look for tranquillity. Some may try to fill the space with marriage, children, or grandchildren. Some try to fill the hole with work, while others try to fill it with recreation. Some try to fill the void with creativity, while others seek a mission. Some try to fill the emptiness with education, while others use folly. Some try to fill the chasm with material possessions, while others look to religions. Some try to fill the abyss with food, while others use alcohol or various drugs.
Whatever we use to fill the void, other than the Holy Spirit, becomes an addiction. Why is this an addiction? It is simple. Nothing is completely filling. The more that we add from the world, the more that we need to add from the world. It is like trying to fill the black hole in space. Nothing quenches the God-given thirst except the HOLY SPIRIT. Furthermore, there are always consequences for using anything other than the Spirit to fill the hole. Even if one tries to fill his life with something that is good, there are severe consequences.
For example, let us say that one is trying to fill his life with his spouse. I often find this is the case in marriages. The person who uses his spouse as a filler, also has a death hold on his spouse. I call it a "death hold" because it will sooner or later bring death to their marriage. Jesus said, "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal" (John 12:25). One could just substitute the word "spouse" for the word "life" in the first two places and see the truth. The more tightly that one holds on to their spouse, the more the spouse will resent it. The spouse that is being held will begin to feel smothered and begin to push away. A tug of war follows. The one pulls; the other pushes away.
Many people not only try to fill their lives with that which is good in itself (like marriage or work), but also that which is destructive in itself. Since many people use alcohol to try to fill the empty space, I have added a special appendix (See Appendix E) on alcohol to the book.
Letting the Trees Clap Their Hands
Isaiah encourages us by saying, "For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12). This is a beautiful picture of praise and worship. Even the trees swing their long branches together allowing the leaves to clap in praise to the Lord.
Since this book is about overcoming the enemy, we should look at praise and worship as a means of overcoming. In the book of Second Chronicles, the LORD gives us a splendid example of overcoming through praise and worship (II Chronicles 20:1-25). The Moabites, the Ammonites, and other enemies joined themselves to come up against Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. Jehoshaphat saw that he was far out- numbered. Therefore, he called for a fast throughout all Judah. They cried unto God for help. The word came back that they should not be afraid. God would do the fighting for them. Jehoshaphat was to get the choir together and send the singers out in front of the army. The singers were to sing, "Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever" (II Chronicles 20:21). The Word declares, "And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten" (II Chronicles 20:22). Judah just came behind to pick up the spoil.
Another example is that of Jonah. Please read the first two chapters of the book of Jonah. Jonah got himself into a whale of a lot of trouble through his disobedience to God. When God told him to go and preach to the wicked, pagan city of Nineveh, Jonah caught a boat going the opposite direction. A bad storm arose on the sea and the sailors threw poor Jonah overboard. However, God had prepared a large fish to pick him up by swallowing him. As Jonah sat in the belly of this large fish with seaweed wrapped about his head, he decided that he would keep his commitment to God. After all, it wouldn't be as bad as dying inside the whale. Right? However, Jonah did something else. He began to praise the LORD. "But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD" (Jonah 2:9). When he did this, God caused the whale to vomit Jonah out upon the dry ground (Jonah 2:10).
We also see this principle of praise used to overcome the enemy in the New Testament. Please read Acts 16:16-34. At Thyatira, Paul and Silas cast an evil spirit out of a girl who used soothsaying. The local people, who used the girl to get money, beat Paul and Silas and put them into the inner prison. They also put the feet of Paul and Silas into stocks. Sitting in a dark inner prison late at night with your feet locked in a fixed position is not the Holiday Inn. However, Luke records, "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them" (Acts 16:25). They just began to praise the Lord. James says, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations" (James 1:2). I once heard a pastor preach on this scripture saying, "When you run into problems, have a party!" This is exactly what Paul and Silas did, and God showed up. "And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed" (Acts 16:26). The story does not stop there. Paul and Silas not only got out of prison, but the jailer and his family also got saved. It is no wonder that Paul wrote, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (I Thessalonians 5:18).
David, in the Psalms, gives a magnificent analogy, "Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments unto the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD" (Psalms 149:5-9). Please note that praise is like the two-edged sword used to fight the enemy. When the enemy comes against us, to tempt us to fall back into some old sin habit, we are to praise the Lord. We are to worship the Lord for his mercy and grace and HIS victory.
Living Among Other Trees
David speaks of a man, who meditates upon the Word, as being like a tree (Psalms 1:3). However, Isaiah tells of Believers as being like willow trees (plural). "And they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the water courses" (Isaiah 44:4). Sometimes, we may think it would be really nice to just get away from everyone. I, personally, like to get away from the city, and from people, and go hiking in the mountains. However, God created us to live among people.
As we think of trees, we must also think about all the different kinds of trees. Some trees are tall while others are short. There are broad trees and skinny trees. There are trees that like warm weather and other trees that prefer the colder climate. There are trees that stand upright and there are trees droop like the weeping willow. Some trees are symmetrical like the fir trees and others that are all bent out of shape like the mesquite. Some trees like a wet climate while others prefer the dry weather. Some trees are brown or black in color while others are more shades of green. People are like trees in that they also come in different sizes, shapes, colors, and with different preferences. Also, much like trees, people tend to live with and fellowship with their own kind.
The real difficulty lies in accepting the other trees. First, there must be a common ground upon which we can all accept other people. Second, there should also be a common ground upon which we accept other Believers.
First, we must be willing to accept all men on the basis that God created them. Paul declared in Athens, "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth..." (Acts 17:26). Second, we must accept others on the basis that God so loved them that He sent Jesus to die for them (John 3:16). Note the words of John, "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (I John 2:2). When I ministered in a prison some years ago, I would usually make some opening statements like the following ones. "We don't care where you are from ... We are not concerned about the color of your skin ... We don't care what you have done ... We believe that God loves you and that you deserve to have the privilege of hearing the gospel." You should understand that many of the inmates were illegals from other countries. Most of them were Mexicans from Mexico or Blacks from Haiti. Some of the inmates had committed murder, others burglary, and many had peddled illegal drugs. However, we had to look beyond the natural to see what God had done for them. Guess what? Many heard the Word and received Christ, because by God's love, we had received them. Paul went so far to say, "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (I Corinthians 9:22).
It is even more important that we accept other Believers. However, what is the basis for accepting another person as a Believer? When I share the gospel with others, I usually don't begin by asking, "Are you a Christian?" I generally explain the gospel, then ask, "Have you at any time in your life ever given your life to Jesus as your Lord and Saviour?" If the person respond positively, I try to accept him as a fellow Believer. Paul states, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Romans 10:9).
Furthermore, Paul plainly exhorts, "Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God" (Romans 15:7). How did God receive you? Did you reach a plateau of perfection so God could receive you? No! God received each of us while we were in our own sinful state. He accepted us, based upon what Christ did for us on the cross. Yes, we all were sinners! However, by faith, through the grace of God, He saved us. Now that God has saved us, He calls us saints (I Corinthians 1:2). He has set us apart from the world unto Himself. Therefore, we must receive other Believers as those who were sinners, but have become saints. We are to accept other Believers, not based upon their performance, but upon the grace of God that has been given to them. Of course, we must also understand that God has not finished his work in us, or in other Believers. He is still working on the saving of our souls (our minds, wills, and emotions).
Carrying this one step further, we should accept other Believers as brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul speaks of Believers as being a part of the family of God (Ephesians 3:15). In a family there are children with distinct differences of appearance, character traits, giftings, beliefs, and interests. The same is true in the spiritual family of God.
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