A Fortified House

Matthew 7:15-27

A Tree and Its Fruit
15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

The Wise and Foolish Builders
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Bee's Thoughts:

There are more and more false doctrines these days. Even in the churches or in Christian organizations, there are many who professed to be Christians, yet the things they do just do now show forth they are the disciples of Christ. It's very sad.

But who am I to judge others when I myself also at times do not behave like a child of the King. *sigh*

I am reminded tonight that I need to bear good fruits if I were to be able to say I am a good tree. Jesus said that the only way for me to do that is to abide in Him (John 15:4-5):

4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Foundation is important in every aspect of life, be it education, career, marriage, or even spiritual life. Without a good foundation everything that we build upon will crumble. Many things in life do not have short-cut, we need to take time and effort to nurture, to build and to grow. For Christians, we know that our foundation for everything in life is Jesus Christ.


Dear Lord,
Forgive me for the times I don't bear good testimony to Your name. Help me Lord, to build everything my hands get hold of in You and not build on my self-confidence. Tonight, I surrender my all to You, Lord. Please remove all things that are not glorifying to Your name in my life.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.