Bad trees produce bad fruit

“Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” —Jesus Christ in the Mathew 7.

Although the words of Jesus are not necessarily commandments they do carry the weight of infallibility. Jesus told us that the words he says unto us are “truth.” Whenever Jesus says anything you can take it to the bank.

Two thousand years ago He warned us about our present situation but we failed to head His advice. Evil trees CANNOT bear good fruit.

Trees are weaved in and out of the imagery in the Holy Scriptures. Trees represent life-bearing roots upon which all living things grow. Some trees bring good fruit and some trees bring bad. Some trees are to be nourished and some trees are to be hewn done.

But one thing that is very clear from the words of Christ is that good trees produce only good fruit and bad trees are only capable of producing evil fruit. There is no wiggle room. Good or bad, you will be able to judge a tree by its fruit. Bad fruit equals a bad tree.

How could those of us who carry the Name of Christ have become so deceived? How have we been so easily tricked into grafting ourselves in to an evil tree? Here is the question of the day and if we answer it honestly we will understand why we find ourselves in such a precarious political position? Are you ready? Here is the question.

Is the Republican Party a good tree or a bad tree?

Stop right there. Don’t try to rationalize your answer away. Simply answer the question. Don’t tell me that the GOP does some good things…or that it is better than the other tree…the lesser of two-evils mantra. Simple question demands a simple answer. Is the Republican Party a good tree?

Of course the obvious answer is no. Just think of the metaphors that we use to describe political activity. “Politics is the art of compromise,” or “politics is dirty business.” If the fruit of the Republican Party is evil then it follows that the Republican Party is also evil. How have “evangelicals” become so deceived? St. Paul warned us…

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”

We have permitted the political parties to renamed us and shove us into a box that is stuffed full of non-believers. The pundits no longer call us Christians…today we self identify as “conservatives.” They have grafted us in as nothing more than one branch of the evil Republican tree…right along side the Log-Cabin Republicans…the homo-branch.

Let me stop right here for a second. There is no one more active in the cultural war than me. I fight everyday of my life for things that I feel are important to My Lord. But I learned a long time ago that the Republican Party was not going to save us. America’s problems are moral…spiritual…and no political candidate can “make America great again!!”

But I watch in frustrated amusement as many of our religious leaders fight to have “one our guys” sitting in the top of the Republican tree. I vote, I fight for moral issues, but we have the words of Jesus to warn us that the Republican Party cannot bear good fruit no matter which “Christian-conservative” might sit in the Republican cat-bird seat.

How did this all happen? When did “the Body of Christ” permit itself to be nothing more than a branch on the evil GOP tree? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Shouldn’t it be a Christian tree with all of the other “conservatives” asking if they could be grafted in to Christ? When did the Christian Church yield its power and authority to the counterfeit-salt known as the Republican Party?

The Republican Party demands compromise in order to be part of the team. As a result the Moral Majority is no longer either moral or the majority. We have simply become the “conservative” branch of the evil Republican tree. Christians have shirked our responsibility and have hired mercenaries…Republican politicians…to fight a battle for Truth that Jesus Himself mandated that His church would fight.

“The gates of hell,” Jesus proclaimed to His disciples, “shall not prevail against the church.” It was HIS church that He charged with storming the gates of hell. But HIS church wanted to be nicer than Jesus. The church wanted to be loved…and appreciated…and tolerant…and affirming. Jesus wanted us to fight for THE TRUTH. The gates of Hell will never be destroyed by the GOP.

Researchers tell us that there are over 240 million Christians in America. That is over 70% of the American electorate. Why isn’t there a CHRISTIAN Party? Why are we content simply being a dead branch on a poison tree?

All of this growling I hear from “Christian” organizations and Christian leaders makes me want to scream. Groups like Focus on the Family, The American Family Association, Eagle Forum, Family Research Council, and a long list of “conservative” organizations have become nothing more than mouthpieces for the evil tree into which they have all become grafted. The Republican Party is evil and God’s people have been relegated to little more than fund-raising branches of this rotting tree.

Let Donald Trump burn both of those evil trees down. There is nothing but rotten fruit falling off of both of them. Jesse Jackson warned us a decade ago.

Christians need to “stay out of the bushes.” It is time to plant our own tree.