When God sent Jesus to the earth, He expected a harvest—a body of believers called Christians—to come out of the seed sown called Christ. Jesus was God’s seed.
Christ was sowed, and Christians are continuing to be harvested. You and I are the very fruit of God, and our lives should be dedicated to sowing our witness within the earth.
Whatever you sow on this earth will follow you into eternity after your death. The fruit of the Spirit is eternal. The fruit that you produce and allow to flow in your life is pure and is the only thing that can rightly be called fruit.
All the good that you think, say and do in this life will follow you into eternity. God will thank you for it during that great Judgement Day. He will bring to account your fruit in this life.
He’ll show you when you did right and when you missed it. When that day comes you’ll see it all from God’s perspective—the strength or lack of faith, the positive or negative thoughts and words, the little or much fruit bearing in your life.
What you pass on to others in this earth is what really matters, because only what bears the stamp of eternity can be called fruit.
Have you heard about sowing and reaping? Sure you have. But that doesn’t just have to do with finances. I believe it has to do with everything in life. Your very life is a seed.
What you put in the ground will come up. If you put what is good in the ground, you’ll see that good come up. If you sow what is bad, you’ll see that come up too.
I am a giver, and I’ve had people ask me, “Brother Jesse, why do you give so much?” My answer is pretty simple. First, I like to give. It’s so much fun. It’s a blessing, and it is the nature of God who lives in me. God is a giver, so I am too.
Secondly, I know that the only thing I’m going to take to heaven is what I give away. That is what I’ll be judged for. I pay attention to how much seed I’ve got in the ground because that is what is going to be talked about up there.
How many people did I witness to? How many people did I bless with joy? How many churches did I help become debt-free? How many people received Jesus because the church was able to spend its money on more evangelism?
How many kids did I send to Bible school to learn the oracles of God? How many heard my testimony of deliverance? How many heard the Word of faith and healing? How many people did I get to lay hands on and pray for?
How many were changed because of the Word of God abiding in my life? How many words did I preach that changed people’s lives? How much of myself did I give away?
These are the types of questions I ask myself when I consider my own fruit. It’s not about me, me and me. It is about others, others and more others. Good fruit bearing is what is most important in life. Touching the lives of others with whatever the Lord gave you is what it is all about.
God gave me a gift. He gave me a calling too. He expects me to use that gift and talents I have to help others grow and produce fruit of their own.
In the world, people could care less about one another. They’re out for their four and no more. But with God, it is different. Although His church is made up of human, fallible beings, we still should be doing more than the world.
We should care more, do more and talk more about changing this world to be a better place than any other group of people. It is our moral responsibility to bear good fruit.
I’m not saying you have to be perfect; I’m just saying you have to care. This Christianity is a gospel of love and caring for mankind.
It is a gospel of truth that cares enough about other people to let them know, “Hey, I know a better way. Let me tell you what Jesus is all about.”
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Jesse Duplantis, minister of the Gospel, motivational speaker, television personality, and best-selling author, has been in full-time ministry since 1976 and is the founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries, located in the Greater New Orleans area of south Louisiana in the United States of America. With over four decades of sharing his unique blend of humor and faith around the world, generations of believers have been inspired by his messages and countless numbers have come to know Jesus Christ as Savior through his ministry.
Known for his unflinching, status-quo-breaking messages and humorous take on experiences in the life of the believer, Jesse continues to draw large audiences of believers through social media, television, and meetings held around the world. With speaking engagements booked years in advance, Jesse Duplantis continues to keep an intense traveling schedule, flying throughout the United States and the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With no booking agents pursuing meetings for him and no set fees imposed upon churches for speaking engagements, Jesse chooses his outreach meetings based on the same two criteria he always has: invitations that come in and prayer over each one. This uncommon way of scheduling in today’s world means Jesse’s many followers may find him speaking in some of the largest churches and venues in America and the world, as well as a great many small and growing congregations, too. No church is too big or small for the Holy Spirit, as he says.
Side by side with his wife Cathy Duplantis, the co-founder and chief of staff of Jesse Duplantis Ministries and the senior pastor of Covenant Church in Destrehan, Louisiana, Jesse continues to fulfill his life’s calling by daily taking up the Great Commission of Jesus Christ: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Through social media, television broadcasts, books, and other ministry products, as well as through many evangelistic meetings, the JDM website, the JDM app, and Voice of the Covenant magazine, Jesse Duplantis continues to see growth in his ministry and expand each year while maintaining his roots. Jesus is the center of his life. The salvation of lost people and the growth of believers is the purpose of his ministry. And for both he and his wife, every day is another day to “Reach People and Change Lives, One Soul at a Time.”