Getting to the Root of the Matter

Getting to the Root of the Matter
Letters to our boys from Alan/ 08
Dear Sons,

When John the Baptist appeared on the scene to "prepare the way of the Lord and to make straight paths for Him" he had a confrontation with the religious leaders of his day about "root" issues. Matthew recorded John as telling those religious leaders of his day "And even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." 

Evidently all the time before, including the Law of Moses, men had not dealt with the "root". 

Jesus, the Messiah, would be dealing with the root. Jesus knew, because He was filled with the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge that the reason there was so much bad fruit had nothing to do with anything visible. He saw where the real problem was - "the root" of the trees were bad!

 He knew that it was not just this one crop, just a bad year for fruit, NO - He knew the "tree" itself was bad.


The only solution for "bad roots" is to "kill" the roots.We have cut down unwanted trees on our property and they have just grown back.If we really want a bad tree totally out of our way we have
to kill the roots.

What about bad "fruit" in your life? What about that "attitude" mom, Whitney, or I see? How are you dealing with it?


Are you treating it like "it was just a bad day!" I was just "tired!"
When we see the same fruit surface again what should we recognize?

We must realize that you still have not "put the axe to the root" of the problem.


My prayer for you is that you will learn to NOT take the "bad fruit" that manifest in you at times lightly. Bad fruit indicates that there
is a bad "root" that needs an axe laid to it. I can help you recognize
the bad fruit - but you must be the one who takes the axe to the root.


God Himself will not do it for you. Paul wrote the Christians in Rome and said "If by the Spirit YOU put to death the deeds of the flesh." The Spirit will help you, but YOU must have the axe in your own hand and strike the blow yourself. This is why so some men never overcome some of the sins they repent of over and over again. They are always sorry -but they are never overcomers!


I love you sons, and don't want you to have to suffer from lack of
understanding on the danger of dealing with sin lightly. Jesus loves
you, He forgives you when you ask Him to and then - in His love He hands you the axe!


Dad
If you have a moment, listen to this song,  Called To Mount Moriah