My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father. John 15:8

Today's LivingTranslation     

Pray about TODAY'S urgent needs

 The Spirit of God guides His people into appropriate responses to human need. Loving a neighbor by meeting his need is a spiritual act - a fruit of repentance.
D. E. Stribling

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The principle of "cause and effect" is at work in the spiritual dimension as well as in the physical world. Any dynamic event produces natural results - or fruits.

Fruits Prove Repentance

John the Baptist preached about fruits of repentance prior to the beginning of Jesus' ministry. If you have two tunics and your neighbor has none, sharing with a him shows God that your heart has changed.

Jesus himself spoke about fruits throughout his ministry. In Matthew 25 he dramatically emphasized them. He spoke of giving water, food, clothing, and time as fruits of repentance. James later explained that faith without works is dead.

In our day the importance of fruits may be diminished as believers emphasize other aspects of "being a Christian."

Giving a shirt, sharing groceries, or money, may not seem to be important. Yet, after four hundred years of silence, a prophet emerged.  He taught that fruits proved repentance. This is what was emphasized in Jesus' ministry. And it is just as important for us today.

When a believer has received the new life which Christ promised, there will always be fruits of it. The fruits or lack of them is how we know and how God knows.

No, we do not 'earn' our salvation. That is a free gift.

Our fruits show us and God the authenticity of our conversion.

Since 1983, this theme has motivated In His Name Ministries to reach out to the Oklahoma City community.

The ministry offers people specific cases of human need to which they may respond. Persons whose hearts are open to God may respond to these needs, showing the fruits of their repentant hearts.

Typical cases of need which may be found in any town are a call to action for the Christian community.

• An elderly widow who needs a new water heater, or an overdue utility bill paid.

• An abandoned wife (and mother) who cannot pay her immediate bills.

• A disabled woman who faces six months without income while the Social Security system ponders her eligibility for assistance.