I don't want to be a wolf,but I like the taste of sheep.

I am going to just type some of Peter Hietts book--Dance Lessons for Zombie's Ch 15. The bold

"One morning I came to worship with a bucket of wet sheep poop and mud (not figurative but literal). I was giving the children's sermon.

I asked the kids, "would anyone like an apple?" Several hands went up. I said, "Oh, I'll make one." I reached into the bucket, grabbed a handful of goop, formed it into the shape of an apple, put a fake leaf on top, and handed it to my volunteers.

They didn't look pleased, so I said, "What's Wrong? Apples are made of sheep poop and dirt, aren't they?" They said, "No way!" I said, "Yeah way...I have a tree in my back yard. It takes sheep poop and dirt and turns them inot delicious apples...but, you know, this apple I made doesn't smell like those apples. I guess I'm not a very good tree, and that's a problem.

"The Bible says (written) we're supposed to bear fruit; that our good deeds are supposed to be like fruit. I think we normally just take our dirt and garbage and try to make apples, but that's not really apples, just apple shaped poop. We need a tree to turn dirt and poop into fruit.

"Jesus has a tree and is kind of like a tree. We give Him our dirt; He mixes it with light and turns it into fruit. That's why we confess our sins."

The Blog I wrote about losing my trophies was fruit from talking to Doug about my struggles and sins.

I really need a tree to take my wolfishness and turn it into fruit.

Peter then speaks a little about himself and the church and their fruit (good deeds, works, etc.).

Matthew 7:15-20: Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. Asound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad [rotten] tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown inot the fire. Thus you will know them by thier fruits.

(Hiett does point out that there is a big differnce between a jack ass in sheeps clothing and a wolf. So don't get hung up on the false prophet or start a witch hunt.)

"The last two churches where I worked were pastored by high-profile pastors residing over large budgets, big buildings , and extensive growth. At my church, we have a beautiful, new building, and at times we've seen dramatic growth.

Sometimes people will say, "Well, you must be doing something right, Peter. Just look at all these people!" I don't mean to be rude, but sometimes I'll answer, "Well, Hitler was pretty poplular too. And Hitler had a lot of converts." Is that fruit?

At bouth of my past churches, the senior pasters were living boldfaced lies and then couaght in sexual immorality. That's not good fruit.

But at my current church:

1. We don't only have a big crowd and new building, we have an Orthodox confession: "Lord,Lord."
2. We also have a remarkable prophetic ministry team, and people have told me I preach prophetically.
3. "We've cast out demons.
4. We've seen miracles, visions, and even some bona fide healings.

That's got to be some good fruit...from a good tree! Yet...Next verse:
Matthew 7:21-23: Not every one who says to me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven. On that day many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?" And then will I declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you evil doers."

Yikes!

Maybe "lots of people"...
"a good confession"...
"prophecy"...
"casting out demons"...
"mighty workds in Jesus' name"...

maybe that's not the fruit Jesus is talking about.
Maybe it's not fruit at all.

In Galatians 5:22-23 Paul lists some "fruit"--the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (that is, control of self or temperance).

Then Paul lists some "works of the flesh"--our self, our old sin nature: adultery, fornication, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft...then hatred, strife, jealousy, anger, sefishness, dissension, factionalism, envy,drunkenness, orgies. He just lumps them all together, from envy to orgies, from witchcraft to selfishness.

Witchcraft is rather obvious, but gosh, you could build a church, write a book, run amission, and do "many mighty works" all out of selfishness, envy, or a competitive spirit. You could be, like, alive on the outside and dead on the inside...like a zombie...like a whitewashed tomb. Worse than dead on the inside , you could be a wolf on the inside.

I underlined alot of the works of the flesh that I see in my life.
Sheep on the outside, wolf on the inside---a Pharisee!
In Galatians 5, Paul argues that all those "works of the flesh" come from those under the law, those who "bite and devour one another" (those who compete and compare). Here in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has been talking about Pharisees in Israel. In Galatians, Paul is talking about Pharisees in the church.

Well that is all for now. I wrote you more than I normally read at one time of his book. I like to stop and really think about what in the heck! is the fruit! and why am I so f*&%# up!

I am going to write more about this chapter in blogs to come.

matt.