About

Jeff

3 Guys driving down Highway 64, a Yankee a Redneck and an African (no, not African-American..just African). The African concludes that he should change his name to Jeff as none of the guys in the truck pronounces his name the same and 2.35million other people out there has their own convoluted pronunciations.

Jeff is such a nice name that all pronounces the same way.

Now if I would change to Bill the Yankee would say “BEIHL”, and the Rednecks “BUHL”. If it is Wim, which by the way my name is, it can be anything from “VIM” to “WHUM” to “Mr Win” or “WILLIAM” – which in North Carolina is pronounced “”WHUM” in any case…..so confusing.

I am sure people get offended when I don’t swing around in surprise when the call my name, I just rarely know they are actually talking to me…….so I think I will call myself Jeff from now on, so much easier…….  ;-)

Wim (a.k.a Jeff), Wim jnr, Hylien

Figs.

First we read John 15:5

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Which is saying that we as Christians should bear fruit. MUCH fruit.

The question is, are we? When Christ looks at our lives, what does He see, and I mean REALLY see.

Love ?

Joy ?

Peace ?

Patience ?

Kindness ?

Goodness ?

Faithfulness ?

Gentleness ?

Self-control ?

How many of these are visible in my life..not just in my own mind, but visible to others?

We like to only look at God in a “He’s my buddy that only wants to bless me” way, while in reality He is very little of that. He spoke a word and man was created. He then spoke a word, the rain came and the earth was covered in water, drowning all. They did not get a slap on the wrist because they were living in sin. They were destroyed, and not in a very “nice” way. You can think of people trying to find the high ground, then trying to swim and eventually giving up and drowning…..I would not call that a “nice” way to go.

God does not like being ignored. Not being taken seriously. Getting the crumbs from our tables.

The Message says this part so nice, “When you’re joined with me and I with you”… which means like peas in a pod, inseparable, then we WILL bear fruit.

The other side of the coin would then also be true, that if we are not bearing fruit, it may be that we are not so “joined” as we should be??

I look at what happened to the fig tree and it scares me a little.

Look at this: Matthew 21:18-19

Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

When the Lord looks at us, what is He seeing, a pretty tree with lots of green leaves…..but on closer inspection, one without any real fruit? I hope not!