 Luke 6:40 A pupil is not superior to his teacher, but everyone [when he is] completely trained (readjusted, restored, set to rights, and perfected) will be like his teacher.
Luke 6:41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye but do not notice {or} consider the beam [of timber] that is in your own eye?
Luke 6:42 Or how can you say to your brother, Brother, allow me to take out the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do not see the beam that is in your own eye? You actor (pretender, hypocrite)! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
Luke 6:43 For there is no good (healthy) tree that bears decayed (worthless, stale) fruit, nor on the other hand does a decayed (worthless, sickly) tree bear good fruit.
Luke 6:44 For each tree is known {and} identified by its own fruit; for figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor is a cluster of grapes picked from a bramblebush.
Luke 6:45 The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.
Luke 6:46 Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not [practice] what I tell you?
God's word tells us "HE" will perfect that which concerns us. He does not want us to strive when HE says HE will go ahead of us and make our pathway straight. When Jesus was teaching He used examples like the earth being our heart and seed being His word, and grapes and trees and sheep. There are many teachers who can not help take the splinter out of those who need guidance, and many students who have wisdom beyond the teacher in understanding how Jesus wanted us to be perfected in His love and obedience. A healthy tree can not produce unhealthy fruit, and an unhealthy tree produce fruit good fruit. Driving past a grape vinyard the scent was wonderful. I noticed between the long row of vines there were piles of branches which had been removed. It is easy (if you see with your eyes those branches,) to imagine how Jesus wants to prune us back and deal with things that contaminate both body and spirit so we will be useful for every good work. A workman who needs not be ashamed, rightfully dividing the word of truth. God's word is true and it is a sword to divide the issues for us so HE can make visable the beam in our eye and reveal to us areas WE are to deal with and change to line up with obedience to His word. Once I was sitting relaxing in my chair praying and my mind started thinking about things I had to do while I was relaxing. The Holy Spirit ministered to my spirit: "Why do you strive so?" I thought, gee, I am just sitting here not doing anything and in the Lord's eyes, I was striving? Once I was invited to a prayer group of Catholic people who had been concentrating too much on the "gifts" of the Holy Spirit and discontented in their church structure, had left their church and had without realizing entered a dangerous cult like private existance. One of the people from my church group asked me to please go with her saying these people have a way for my husband to quit smoking. Right in the middle of this strange ceremony taking place, and not worth mentioning, out of my mouth came the words: "Why do you call me Lord and do not the things I say." I opened my eyes and they were all on the other side of the room starring at me and I was alone praying. When we stray, God finds a way to bring us into truth but it is always our decision to avoid the work and want something more exciting. One day I was driving all over trying to find a sign in a window saying apartment for rent. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said: "I did not tell you to look for an apartment." Admonished and discouraged I went back to my apartment and took a nap. I woke up looking down at the paper on the floor and it said: apartment for rent on the street where the church was and I signed the lease that day. Some times we think God is not leading us when He is. He may say wait and you don't want to. He may say nothing to test your faith in His leading, but HE will always lead you when you concentrate on His word, His love for you, and the peace to rest in whatever state you are in while He teaches you, and perfects the work in you that HE sees. He who has called you is faithful and the work? The tree? The fruit? It will be His perfected work and that takes time we often do not want to wait for. | |
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