First the Spiritual Then the Natural Fruit
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In John 6:35 we read, "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." What a revelation to the disciples and the people. They understood the manna and that it was from heaven. But this bold claim by Jesus astounded them. The phrase, "never thirst" means in no way at any time. The only one who can satisfy our thirst is Jesus, the bread of life (John 6: 41, 46, 51). He is the light of the world (John. 8:12; 9:5) the door of the sheep (John 10:7-9) the good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14).; the resurrection and the life (John. 11:25); the true and living way (John 14:6) and the true vine (John 15:1, 5). Only God can satisfy our thirst and if called to do His work, you can't run away from Him. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price " (Isa. 55:1). When you thirst (desire), God bids you to come. He tells us to come and dine at His table, inviting us to partake of the spiritual food. His abundant life is free. Salvation, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit God grants freely. Yet the Holy Spirit is just the earnest or down payment of all the spiritual blessings the Lord desires for us. Ephesians 1:13-14 (NKJV) tells us, " In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." The Master has provided an abundance of the spiritual food for us to partake. To those who hunger and thirst for the Word, the knowledge of the Lord (Phil. 3:10-13) and who thirst (for the Spirit) after righteousness, God provides. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." (Matt. 5:6). Remember that last verse comes from the Sermon on the Mount. We can’t, in our own strength, obey the teaching of Jesus from that Sermon. Rather we conform our walk to His teachings as the Holy Spirit applies them to our everyday life. The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of do’s and don’ts; rather it is a picture of the life we will live and walk when the Spirit of Jesus Christ has His way with us. As we apply this principle to the previous paragraph, the natural man doesn’t hunger and thirst for righteousness. But as a born again (spiritual) believer walks with the Lord, gradually he will hunger for such. Again the scriptures tell us to buy wine (joy) and milk (sincere salvation) (1 Pet. 2:2; Neh. 8:1) without money and without price. Speaking of money here does not mean as we think of money. God freely gives us joy and spiritual wine, also a blessing of God. He gives freely to those who thirst after Him. In the natural, we spend money for things that can't satisfy us, and we labor for things we think we want, such as cars, TV's, and houses, but without the true bread, Jesus Christ, in our life, we work in vain to try to satisfy the true hunger and thirst in our life. As you drink of the true Word (Spirit of God) you no longer thirst for the wine of the world. The natural desires, aside from Christ, bring death, but the spirit of God brings life. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Rev. 22:17). Money can’t buy spiritual things. But once we receive salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we then start to feed ourselves with the Word of God. Isaiah tells us our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isa. 54:6). We have to come to the living water. We have to want to partake of the spiritual rather than the natural. Man is spirit; he has a soul and lives in a body. Man, as a spirit being, basically thirsts for spiritual things. Even the unsaved thirsts for spiritual reality but most of them don’t realize it. Man’s Thirst Throughout the history of man, beginning with Adam, man has thirsted for spiritual reality and satisfaction. But in his lost state, he has channeled his search toward idols, false religions and self-gratification. In much of the world, the unsaved worship other gods. For example, in America, the unsaved search to satisfy their basic thirst through money, entertainment, possessions, leisure time, climbing the corporate ladder, drugs, and humanistic philosophies. God has implanted into every person a spiritual longing that requires fulfillment for each one to achieve true meaning in life. The answer - through the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore the only way to satisfy man’s thirst is by the Spirit. The natural bread (natural food and things devised by the natural mind) won't satisfy man. When we live by the Word, we can overcome the temptations of life just as Jesus did (John 4:14). We have to be willing however, to change. When we drink of the living water, we actually become spiritual refreshment for others. Then as we grow in Him and experience the spirit filled life, we become a well (fountain) of living water. The systems, philosophies and things of the world can't satisfy man's basic hunger and thirst. It takes a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, even beyond our salvation experience, to satisfy our emptiness. "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him." (John 6:63-64). Jesus Christ fulfilled the covenant sacrifice and God’s provision for sustenance. As we feed on His Word, His divine nature within us manifests itself through our life (2 Pet. 1:4). Through the Holy Spirit, we partake of His life and promises (John 5:62). God redeemed us not with earthly money of silver and gold, but paid for us with Jesus' blood that He shed for us.
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About the Book
Based on the Scriptures, First the Spiritual Then the Natural Fruit tackles your questions concerning spiritual fruit and spiritual food and how you can apply them to your daily life. From both the Old and New Testaments, it discusses how some of the saints of old were able to manifest spiritual fruit. In John 15:8, Jesus declared, "Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples." It’s the spiritual food that brings true life. What else did Jesus say about us bearing spiritual fruit and applying these truths? . How can you satisfy that spiritual hunger and thirst, basic to man? If you are born again, walking in the spirit, you hunger and thirst, not for natural food, but for the true manna, Jesus Christ, who only can satisfy that hunger. What are the three experiences of the believer and how can a believer walk in these realms? How do these apply to the fruit we bear? Learn why and how God prunes us to produce more fruit. How do we discern the evidence of fruit in our lives and in others? What are the characteristics of worldly food and how can we avoid them. How can we bear and acquire the fruit of Jesus Christ? The author addresses these and other questions about the fruit in our lives. Finally, concerning "natural fruit," the Mrs. Rundell offers valuable tips on how to change our food buying and eating habits to achieve a healthy body. Nutritious, natural, home-kitchen-tested recipes complement this book
About the Author
Irene Rundell, freelance writer, has authored Healing and Divine Health, From Egypt to Jubilee, and co-authored How to Be Married 50 Years and Love It., and author of two cookbooks. She is active in Redemption Live Tabernacle Church and an ordained minister in the state of Oklahoma.