Bible Stories for the Young
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Jesus once said that the world is like a sea and God’s Expression on earth is like a net that is thrown into the sea to catch fish. (“Here, fishy, fishy, fishy.”) The net catches all kinds of fish. Once the net is full, it is pulled to the shore and the good fish are kept and the bad fish are thrown away.
God’s Expression of Himself and His blessings are very attractive to many people. As we’ve said before, it’s smart to follow God, and being good can feel good, just like being yucky feels yucky. So people can find a lot of “good” (but selfish) reasons for following God.
Maybe some people like having good friends or like having help with their lives or children. Or maybe they like to religiously “focus on the family.” Or maybe they like the idea of having their sins erased, but don’t want to “go and sin no more” like Jesus said. Or maybe they like how it feels to stay out of trouble and feel like a “nice” person, or even a “sacrificial” person.
But all those are selfish reasons, and you are not “good” or “nice” in God’s eyes unless you totally give away your natural life to Jesus in exchange for that SUPERnatural life we’ve been talking about.
That’s what Jesus was talking about with the net. Many are drawn to the net (“Here, fishy, fishy, fishy”)… but only those who completely abandon and give up their lives are chosen and get to Live that whole new supernatural life in Him.
Did you remember that Jesus said that the path to trouble and destruction is wiiiiide with many people on it? But the path that leads to life is narrow and difficult, and only a few people find this path because so few people will LET GO of their selfish lives.
Of course, it’s very clear that Jesus wanted all men everywhere to come to Him for life, but it’s also clear that it is very easy for people to trick themselves and pretend they are giving their all for Jesus when they aren’t.
Since that‘s true, how can we tell the “selfish pretenders” who get caught in the net, from the Real-Life-Livers…before all the fishy, fishy, fishy sorting stuff happens? Let’s hear some more things Jesus said.
Jesus said, “Watch out for pretenders, those who dress up like sheep on the outside but who are ferocious wolves on the inside. You’ll be able to tell who they really are by looking at the fruit of their lives. You can’t pick grapes off a thorn tree, right? Or pick figs from a prickle bush? Of course not. In the same way, a good tree only makes good fruit, and a bad tree can only make bad fruit. If a tree doesn’t bear good fruit, it gets cut down and burned in the fire. So, you’ll be able to tell who someone is by their fruit.
Not just anyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” will enter into the kingdom of heaven. It’s only someone who actually takes action to DO what my Father in heaven wants. There will be a day when many people will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we speak in your name and kick out evil things and do many good impressive things in your name?’ But I will tell those people, ‘I never knew you. We were never close. So go away from me.’
You can tell what is True Wisdom by all her children.”
Jesus was letting them know that it’s not just words and not just actions that we’re looking for— We’re looking for lives that produce that supernatural Heaven-life that helps people grow into being more and more like Jesus, every day.
Right after Jesus talked about knowing a tree by its fruit, some religious phonies said, “Jesus, we need some proof that you are who you say you are. If you show us something impressive, then we‘ll believe you.”
Booooo. Jesus is God. He doesn’t have to “prove Himself” to anybody.
But, hadn’t Jesus just answered that by saying you know a tree by its fruit — good or bad? He had already shown them WHO He really was—teaching with authority, lovingly healing the sick, compassionately casting out evil. What more does a person need? If these religious phonies had been willing to leave all their sin behind, they wouldn’t need more “signs” to convince them. Sounds like they just didn’t want Jesus to be the decision-maker of their lives. Boooo.
Later in the Bible it is written: Trouble is coming to those who push away the truth by their wickedness. What may be known about God is clear, because God has made it clear. Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen. It’s understood from all He made, so that all people are without excuse. They know, but they don’t glorify Him as God or give thanks to Him. So all their thinking is useless and their foolish hearts darkened. (Romans 1:18-21)
If all of heaven’s whispers throughout the universe…if all of the scents of the divine aroma of Christ are not enough to “convince” someone- then they are not really listening or not really willing to surrender their life to God.
Jesus told them, “Only a wicked and disloyal people asks for an impressive proof. But, oh, you’ll be given proof alright - the sign of Jonah. Just like Jonah had to go down to the deep dark belly of the fish for 3 days, I’m going down into the heart of the earth for 3 days.”
The sign of Jonah… (His death and resurrection. That’s all you’re getting. Take it or leave it.) He’s letting them know: I AM who I AM. I do what I do. I say what I say. You either Believe, or you don’t (because your heart is hard). But everyone gets a chance to choose Me. Everyone is without excuse. And if a person doesn’t want to hear from heaven and change, then even raising a man from the dead wouldn’t make a difference to them. The difference maker is: Can you hear heaven’s voice? Can you see with Heaven’s eyes? Can you catch the aroma of His Life? And will you surrender your life to your Maker--God? Will you let Him be the King over you?
(You’re going to hear more about this. A New Covenant is coming that involves life from heaven…not mere words and information about heaven… but a portal to heaven itself!)