A Wise Gardener and His Trees

I love my church SIB Grace… and I honor her pulpit, not because of the height of 9th floor at Crown Tower, but this is a well guided pulpit that only the message on the grace of God can be ministered through this pulpit.

I also respect my Elder… he is a skillful gardener faithfully looking after the trees that are planted by Father God in this garden called SIB Grace. He is not the kind of gardener that emphasize on fruits bearing … He does not stand under the tree, with one hand on his hip, the other pointing to the tree, going from tree to tree, scolding the trees for not bearing fruits. He is more concerned on the roots rather than the fruits. At this point, I just cannot help myself but to add in this phrase… Grace deals with the root while religion deals with the fruit!

Week after week, he would concentrate on loosing the ground and taking away all the “STONE” that are hidden in the ground. He makes the ground loose and gracious for the trees to grow. He would allow the "RAIN" of the Holy Spirit to water the trees and he is also making sure that the trees have sufficient “LIGHT" from the Son of righteousness. As the strong light of Righteousness continue to shine on the trees, the self righteous leaves will dry up and fall on the ground. With these self righteous leaves falling to the ground, they make good fertilizer… because according to Apostle Paul, our self righteousness is nothing but smelly stuff called DUNG! With these elements of gracious soil, sufficient “WATER” and “SON” light, plus the organic fertilizer, the trees just cannot help but grow and bear fruits… thirty fold, sixty fold and hundred fold.

I am one of the trees that grow in this garden. For the past four years, I have grown to be quite a big tree. Why do I know that I am quite a big tree...? This is because from times to times, I can see people coming to me looking for shade as resting place and to be ministered to by my fruits. I have also notice that the Word of God has come to past in my life and I have already been blessed to be a blessing.

I am writing this not to boast about my glory but to boast about what my Father God has prepared for me in this garden. As a tree, if I do not have such a good and gracious environment, I would not be a fruitful tree at all. As a fruitful tree, I am just a witness to the ministry that bring everlasting righteousness.

Before this, I was once a fruitless tree… but then, I was also a witness, a witness to the ministry that brings condemnation. Though that ministry of condemnation has glory, its glory is fast fading away. Therefore, I was a victim of that condemning ministry which glory is fast fading glory.

If that ministry of mixture of law and grace which brings confusion is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of grace that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory from the ministry of grace. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore, since I have such a hope, I am very bold...

Psalm 92
12 ~ The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 ~ Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 ~ They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 ~ To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

So let this fruitful tree who boasts boast in the Lord.