Destined to Bear Fruit

^"Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28 (NKJV)

Let's first be reminded of God's call for us to be fruitful and multiply. If possible, we shall touch on the reigning and ruling-in-life part on another occasion.

In the following excerpt from Pastor Ulf Ekman's book, "Born to Win" (Chapter 1 on Destined to Bear Fruit), we are reminded of God's will for us to bear fruit:-

"The word "destined" appears more often  in the Bible than the word "revival". The Bible says that we are destined to do good works, which means that we are destined to bear fruit. If you accept this perspective, God's perspective, you will become strong in your inner being. You will become resolute, dedicated and eager. You will not only dream and long, but your dreams and longings will activate you, through the Holy Spirit. to truly bear fruit.

Jesus will look at the fruit. He says that He knows the tree by the fruit -- not by the leaves, the lushness, the commercials, the newsletter, the buildings or the fantastic things that surround it. The tree will be judged by its fruit. This could be the most important thing for you to understand. Fruit glorifies God. Fruit makes you grow and it is what you will be judged by. Everything is about fruit. We cannot fool God. God enjoys you praising Him from the heart. If you stand there yawning and only pretend to worship, He sees that. But His primary interest is not in your worship. He looks to see if you are doing your heavenly Father's will. You will not enter heaven simply saying, "Lord, Lord" but by doing your heavenly Father's will. Obviously you must know what His will is. His will is that you bear fruit."

"What is God's will for me?" is one of the foremost question that Christians ask. And, we have just found the answer in Genesis 1:28. There is more. Consider also Ephesians 2: 10 (Amp.), "For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]."

As my Senior Pastor, Kong Hee, wrote on the church being the expression of Christ in society in his inflection, Called to Connect, for City Harvest Church's bulletin of Nov 3-4, 2012:-

 "Though you may not be of the world, you have been called by God into the world, to be an influence on His behalf. God created this world and He created you with special talents, interests and desires so that you might be obedient to live this life for His glory. Step beyond the four walls of the church and engage culture with your unique talents. In all things, strive to be a relevant, creative and authentic person who boldly lives for the gospel of Christ. Then, through you, the world will experience the love of God in greater measure!"

Be inspired as you listen to this song composed by Teo Poh Heng, a worship leader at City Harvest Church, as performed by the hands of 'braindot':-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDYoOnyj6wg&feature=related

Truly, as Jesus has said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 (NJKV)