IT was a Sunday school in D—, where the following occurred in the Primary Department. All the children were singing—
"Sunbeams, Sunbeams!
Cheery and bright."
One little fellow was singing at the top of his voice loud and clear. The teacher did not think he was singing it quite right, so she listened carefully, and what do you think he was saying? Instead of
"Sunbeams, Sunbeams! Cheery and bright"—
He was singing:
"Sunbeams, Sunbeams!
Cherries are ripe!"
He thought they said, "Cherries are ripe," and that they were singing about fruit. Well, of course, they all had a good laugh, and taught the dear little fellow to sing it right.
But this was not the end of the story, for one day I was telling the story to some other children, and one little nine-year-old girl, who was a Christian said,
"But, Mr. T—, he was almost right, wasn't he? for sunbeams make cherries ripe, and if Christians have the sunbeams of God's light in them, they should bear fruit, too, don't you think so?"
This was fine and I was so glad this little girl thought of it, and she made a good point, you all must agree!
Certainly Christians should bear fruit. The Bible says so. But some of them don't.
There is a place in the Bible where it tells about the fruit the Christian should bear. So let us go to God's wonderful orchard for awhile, and see the different kinds of fruit we can find.
The fruit of the Spirit
1. Love 5. Gentleness
2. Joy 6. Goodness
3. Peace 7. Faith
4.Longsuffering 8. Meekness
9. Temperance.
Now just look at the fruit each Christian should bear. Of course, "Cherries ought to be ripe." All of these things should be in our life as fruit hangs on a tree. Apple trees should bear apples; peach trees peaches, and cherry trees cherries, and Christians ought to bear all the fruit that is listed above.
The next time you see a Christian, look for this fruit, and if it is not there, there must be something wrong.
"I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My
Father glorified that ye bear much fruit." John 15:5-85I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. (John 15:5‑8).
Messages of God’s Love 9/21/1930