Living and Ministering out of the Tree of Life

One very important lesson we learnt from the Word of God has had a great effect on all our lives as a family. I became aware, as I was reading the Word in my own devotional time with the Lord, of the wonderful truth of what it means to live out of the Tree of Life and not out of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:9, 16-17; 3:1-8, 22-24). The “Tree of Life” represents the Life of God Himself...his nature and character... and as we live and minister out of that, we always minister Life to others. The “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” represents another life-source...living in independence from God, as a “god” ourselves, judging what is right and wrong from our own self-centred perspective and, as the Lord told Adam and Eve, this always ministers “death” to others.

“Lord, may I always live and minister out of the Tree of Life”, I prayed.

Every Wednesday night we held teaching meetings for the Body of Christ in various areas around the city. I was responsible for one of these and one night took a study on the signs of the Second Coming of Jesus...events that the Bible prophesies will take place before He returns. At the end of the meeting a minister from one of the denominational churches came up to me. He expressed his appreciation for the message and said,

“I’m planning to have a seminar on the Second Coming at my church in a couple of week’s time. Would you come and share what you shared tonight.”

I was very happy to go but little did I realize I was about to have a very practical lesson in what I was learning from the Word.

When I arrived at the venue for the seminar it was already filled with people. I sat down at the edge of the crowd. My host pointed over the crowd to a gentleman on the other side.

“That’s the other speaker” he said. “He is a professor from the NSW University”.

It was the first time I heard there was someone else who was going to be ministering. I certainly did not mind but I was curious to know what he would be sharing. He was to speak first so I soon was to find out. As I listened I discovered he was saying the exact opposite to what I was going to say. The basis of his whole message could be summed up in eight words -

“There are no signs of the Second Coming.”

My whole message was what the signs of the Second Coming are! In everything he said there was only one thing I could agree with him about - Jesus is coming back! I began to smile - secretly between me and the Lord - I knew what the Lord was doing. I knew it was a test for me. If I got up and ministered the message I had been asked to share I knew I would be ministering out of the wrong “Tree”. There was no question in my mind - I knew I was right and I knew he was wrong. In my thinking I could have got up with the Word of God and proved him wrong. But I knew I would then be ministering death not life. I would minister confusion and division. The problem was I didn’t have any other message on the Second Coming. I began to turn the pages of my Bible, praying rather desperately as the time went by,

“Lord give me another message.”

With only a few minutes to go before I was due to get up and speak, the gentleman said...

“Turn with me to Luke chapter 17, verses 20 to 21”

...and he began to read...

“Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The kingdom of God does not come visibly [with signs to be observed], nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” (NIV)

He closed his Bible and said....

“There you are...out of the mouth of Jesus Himself....there are no signs of the Second Coming.”

I was so glad he took a few minutes to wind up. I was desperately seeking the Lord. The speaker was right. That’s definitely what Jesus said, but as I read on further in the passage I noticed that the Lord then begins to state what some of the signs will be, and certainly later, in Luke 21, he gives the signs in detail. Then suddenly it dawned on me. Jesus was speaking to two different groups of people and meeting them at their specific need. The Pharisees wanted to know the signs of His coming (verse 20). Jesus was answering them at their need. They had not believed in Him at His first coming,. When He told them there were no signs He was speaking of His first coming. The Kingdom of God was in their midst (the literal meaning), He said. In other words, He was the King of the Kingdom right there now among them. That was what they needed to believe. Then he turns to his disciples (verse 22) and meets them at their need. They had already believed in Him at His first coming. He began to share with them about His Second Coming and what some of the signs would be (verses 22-37).

I couldn’t share that with the people but it was the answer for me. Then it hit me as I looked at the passage...the King who will be revealed at the Second Coming is the same King of the Kingdom that is within us, the believer, now. I quickly jotted thoughts down. The other speaker finished and sat down. I got up and ministered the message the Lord had given me...

“The five revelations of Jesus at the Second Coming is how we, the believers, can know Him now”....

* He’s coming back as the great Judge. We, who have received Him as Saviour, already know Him as the Judge of our sin....He took our judgment for us (Romans 6:23).

* He’s coming back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We who believe in Him already know Him as our King and Lord (1 Timothy 6:13-15).

* He’s coming back to raise the dead to life. We have already been “raised together with Him” (Ephesians 2:6).

* He’s coming back as Victor over His enemies. We have already stepped into His total and complete victory of the Enemy (Romans 8:37).

* He’s coming back as the Bridegroom for His Bride. We are already His beloved ones and we know Him and love Him (Ephesians 5:25-27).

When I finished so many came up to me and thanked me for the message saying how much it had blessed them. Then I met the other speaker for the first time. He came up to me, shook my hand, and said...

“Wasn’t it wonderful how it all fitted together.”

The Lord had given me a practical lesson on how to live and minister out of the Tree of Life. This invaluable truth became a living principle central to our family and ministry.

Bunty Collins