Happy Thanksgiving!
“…that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”
Romans 7:4
Dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ! I greet you and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!
There are people in the world who seek to serve others from an early age; they choose to carry a weight of responsibility (no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time) and play a role in God’s vast vineyard.
Samuel was one such example. From a tender age, he served in the temple and had a servant’s heart. David, Joseph and Daniel were other examples who, along with many other heroes of the Bible, grew up to be God’s great leaders.
One Christian lady shared with me a heart-warming story from her childhood in the Soviet Union. When atheism was waging war against believers, ministers secretly sought shelter in her parents’ home. At that time, this lady was merely six years old and her responsibility was to give a signal if it was not safe to come to their apartment because the authorities were in the building. She had to hang a towel on the railing of the second story apartment as a warning sign. As soon as the authorities left the building, the little girl would remove the towel from the railing to signal to ministers that it was safe again to enter their apartment. This young child carried out this ministry without fail, never forgetting the responsibility of her secret mission.
It is truly wonderful to develop this ability at a young age: to serve others while participating in the work of the Lord. However, it is never too late to ask ourselves a simple question: am I serving those around me, and am I bearing fruit for the Lord?
Bearing fruit is in the very nature of every living organism, including the heart of a born-again believer. Am I a part of what God is doing today? Am I bearing fruit? These are not pointless questions. Every true believer needs to ask and honestly answer these questions. The Lord clearly explained our purpose: “…I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit…” (John 15:16).
Dear friends, the fruit of a Christian is distinctly different from the fruit of this world. The fruit of a Christian does not perish! Christ Himself spoke about this: “…and that your fruit should remain…” (John 15:16). This is delightful! This is a cause to rejoice! Earthly material possessions, when placed on God’s altar, are transformed into incorruptible treasures.
Everything will pass by quickly in our lives. Earthly treasures will fade and lose their value. At the end of one’s life, when resting on the death bed, surrounding possessions will be meaningless, but those things that we had given to Christ, they will be transformed into precious stones that will adorn our crown in eternity!
May the Lord bless you and may He increase your fruit!
With love in Christ,
Rev. Vladimir A. Okhotin
REM’s Founder and President
San Diego, CA
October 2019
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