Wonder of wonders!  I'm writing twice in one week!  I just wanted to share this new thing that God is doing in my heart.  I was driving home from church yesterday afternoon and a prayer began to rise from my spirit..."Lord, increase my fruitfulness..."  I wasn't necessarily thinking about that; I was actually pretty exhausted, having led worship all morning...but suddenly my spirit was praying this prayer, and soon this prayer began to spill over my lips and in my tears as well.  This morning, after Mark left for work, and before Christian woke up, I stole a few precious moments with the Lord.  I began to pray and seek the Lord about "fruitfulness."  What does that really mean?  What does it look like in my life?  How do I bear more fruit?  How can I be more effective for His kingdom?  I began to "stumble" upon some amazing passages of Scripture that blew me away.  God is so faithful to give us wisdom when we ask for it.  I love Him so!!!  Here are just a few that I wrote down that hit me between the eyes - all verses I've read before, but the Holy Spirit shined His light on them for me this morning:

II Peter 1: 5-8 says:  "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, GOODNESS; and to goodness, KNOWLEDGE; and to knowledge, SELF-CONTROL; and to self control, PERSEVERANCE; and to perseverance, GODLINESS; and to godliness, BROTHERLY KINDNESS; and to brotherly kindness, LOVE.  For if you possess THESE qualities in INCREASING measure, they will keep you from being INEFFECTIVE and UNPRODUCTIVE in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

"Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river.  Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail.  Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them.  Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.  (Ezekiel 47: 12)

John 12:24 " I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.  But if it DIES, it PRODUCES MANY SEEDS..."

"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while EVERY BRANCH THAT DOES BEAR FRUIT, HE PRUNES, so that it will be even more fruitful." (John 15:2)

I confess, usually, when I try to "increase my effectiveness" in my own strength, I tend to order books in the area I want to learn and grow in.  Yes, I confess, I am an www.amazon.com junkie.   I begin to read more about my area of desired growth...ie, leadership principles, worship, working with people, etc...And I still think that's an important and beneficial thing to do!  We can learn so much from those of us who have gone before us and have learned lessons in the areas in which we wish to grow.  However...simply doing these things is not going to increase our spiritual fruitfulness.  It increases head knowledge, but doesn't necessarily increase our potential for fruitfulness.

What the Lord began to show me was that my fruitfulness as a worship leader, as a writer, as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is DIRECTLY related to the way I respond to my son or my husband around the house.  (Did I demonstrate self control and kindness?)  It's directly related to the way that I love and reach out to my neighbor and lay down my life for my brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ.  (Am I selfish with my time or my resources?  Do I show genuine concern and love for others in need?  Am I willing to die?)  And the level to which I POUR MYSELF OUT is the level to which Christ is able to pour into me and use me for His kingdom purposes.  I must die, so that I may produce MANY seeds.  If I am unwilling to die, I will not multiply.  I must flow OUT, so that the water from the sanctuary can flow IN.  Then, and only then, will the fruit of Christ in my life serve as food and my leaves for healing. 

I so want this in my life.  I get so sick of myself sometimes...too much "self" and too little Christ.   I want to be poured out, so that my waters are not stagnate and unuseful for the Master.  I want to continue to be pruned so that I might bear more fruit - fruit that other lives might be encouraged and strengthened by.  "Oh, Father, let that be our prayer as the Body of Christ - to be poured out as a drink offering!  To let the waters of the sanctuary run through every part of our being, so that we might be fully mature and fruitful, able to love others freely, without selfish ambition or pride.  Enable us to desire the good of others above our own good.  Make us driven to seek Your kingdom first, in all things.  Oh, Lord, forgive us if we've tried to build our own kingdom and to be anything in and of ourselves.  ALL that we have comes from You, Lord.  We have nothing that we have not been given!  Lord, may we bear much fruit, not so our fruit might be admired, but so that it might serve as nourishment to those around us who need Your touch.  May our fruit be on display only for YOUR glory!  Forgive me for my selfishness, for the times I've had an agenda that was other than "You."  Teach me TRUE fruitfulness.  Be Thou my vision, Oh, precious Lord." 

OK...well, that's it for now.  That's the beginning of this new thing that God's stirring in my heart.  It's time for the Body of Christ to BE the Body.  And I'm preaching to myself first and foremost.  To love our awesome God and to love others....that's the bottom line.  If we do these two things, pretty soon there'll be fruit showing up all over!