A Tree and its Fruit

 

You Will Know a Tree by Its Fruit

Jesus tells us plainly that a tree is known by its fruit — not by its claims, appearance, or sincerity.

“You will know them by their fruits.” — Matthew 7:16

Fruit reveals essence. It exposes what is truly at work beneath the surface. In the same way, when we speak of God, discern His voice, or test what claims to be “from Him,” we must begin with this unshakable truth: the essence of God is inseparably tied to His Word.

God does not act outside of His Word, contradict His Word, or evolve beyond it.

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent.” — Numbers 23:19

Scripture is not merely a record of who God was; it is the revelation of who He is. To separate God from His Word is to create a god shaped by emotion, culture, or personal experience rather than by truth. When God speaks, He sounds like Scripture. When He leads, He leads in line with what He has already revealed.

This is why discernment begins and ends with the Word of God — not impressions, trends, or inner conviction.

“Your word is truth.” — John 17:17

Any voice, insight, or direction that produces fruit contrary to Scripture does not come from Him, no matter how convincing it may seem.

Sincerity Is Not Proof of Truth

Sincerity is often mistaken for spiritual credibility. If someone speaks passionately or appears convinced, we assume truth is present. Yet Scripture never uses sincerity as a measure of truth.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” — Proverbs 14:12

Sincerity answers the question, “Do I believe this?”
Scripture answers a far more important one: “Is this from God?”

The heart, when detached from God’s Word, is not a reliable guide.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” — Jeremiah 17:9

Jesus warned that deception would not come in a false appearance. It would sound convincing, appear righteous, and even bear what looks like fruit.

“Beware of false prophets… you will recognize them by their fruits.” — Matthew 7:15–16

God does not sanctify error merely because it is heartfelt. Where sincerity replaces Scripture as the final authority, discernment weakens, obedience becomes negotiable, and faith quietly reshapes itself around preference rather than truth.

Obedience and Fruit Cannot Be Separated

Obedience is not an optional expression of faith; it is its evidence.

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” — John 14:15

Where God’s Word is truly believed, obedience follows — not perfectly, but genuinely. Obedience is the root response to truth; fruit is the visible result. A life submitted to Scripture will, over time, bear fruit that reflects God’s character: humility, repentance, clarity, and love.

When obedience is delayed, selective, or conditional, the fruit may still appear — but it will be inconsistent, compromised, or short-lived.

Scripture teaches that obedience trains discernment.

“…their powers of discernment trained by constant practice.” — Hebrews 5:14

When obedience is ignored or redefined, discernment dulls. What once convicted us begins to feel acceptable, and the shift often goes unnoticed until the fruit of our actions has already ripened.

“…whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” — Galatians 6:7

Fruit is not only what we produce — it is also what we permit. A good tree does not strive to appear fruitful. It simply is.

Pruning for Greater Fruit

Just as God examines our obedience, He also prunes us — removing what hinders growth so that more fruit can flourish. Pruning can feel uncomfortable, even painful, yet it is always a purposeful process. God may remove habits, relationships, or patterns that subtly compromise our alignment with His Word.

“Every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” — John 15:2

Pruning is not punishment; it is preparation. A tree cannot produce abundant, healthy fruit if it carries dead or obstructive branches. In the same way, God’s pruning shapes our character, sharpens our discernment, and strengthens our obedience. What is cut away may feel like loss, but it makes room for growth, clarity, and the fruit that will glorify Him.

Carrying Mistakes and the Weight of the Past

Our mistakes can feel like heavy burdens, lingering long after the moment has passed. They can weigh on our conscience, shake our confidence, and make obedience feel impossible. Yet Scripture reminds us that God’s pruning and refining are not about punishment — they’re about preparation. He does not leave us bound to our past failures; He reshapes us so we can bear more fruit.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” — 1 John 1:9

Mistakes, when surrendered to God, become tools for growth rather than chains of shame. The pruning process often touches the areas where we’ve stumbled — removing pride, impatience, or reliance on our own understanding. The weight of our past is real, yet it does not define our fruitfulness.

Being a vessel of honour does not mean never failing; it means yielding fully to God’s shaping hand and trusting Him to transform even our failures into lessons in obedience, humility, and discernment.

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” — Romans 5:3–4

A Vessel of Honour

Paul reminds us that in a great house, not every vessel serves the same purpose.

“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honourable use, some for dishonourable.”
— 2 Timothy 2:20

God is sovereign over the house. He determines the setting, the calling, and the authority. That is not ours to decide. Yet Paul does not stop there.

“Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonourable, he will be a vessel for honour, set apart as holy, useful to the Master, ready for every good work.”
— 2 Timothy 2:21

Here is where the weight falls on us. Honour is connected to cleansing. Usefulness is connected to obedience. This is not about perfection, gifting, or position — it is about submission to God’s Word. A vessel of honour is not defined by how visible it is, but by how yielded it is.

Our mistakes do not disqualify us. What we refuse to surrender will limit how we are used. When we allow God to remove what dishonours Him, even through pruning, He reshapes us for a greater purpose. He decides where we fit — but obedience determines how usable we are.

Becoming a Vessel of Honour

Are good intentions enough? Does not God desire vessels prepared to carry His glory? A vessel of honour is not born perfected — it is trained, purified, and yielded through obedience, discipline, and pruning.

“Now flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. … Pursue holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” — 2 Timothy 2:22–21

God’s Sovereignty in Our Placement

Ultimately, it is God who decides where we fit, how we grow, and what purpose we fulfil. He is sovereign, and His plans for us are perfect, even when pruning, mistakes, or trials feel heavy. Our role is not to demand our position or timing, but to yield fully to His Word and guidance, trusting that His hand shapes our fruitfulness and usefulness in His kingdom.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” — Jeremiah 29:11

This reminds us that being a vessel of honour, bearing fruit, and enduring pruning are all God’s work in us. Our obedience and surrender cooperate with His sovereignty; our responsibility is to remain yielded and faithful, whatever the process entails.

A Personal Call to Examination

Before we examine the fruit in others, Scripture calls us to examine our own tree.

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.” — 2 Corinthians 13:5

The question is not whether we sound right, speak confidently, or appear sincere — but whether our lives align with God’s Word.

It is possible to know Scripture and yet resist obedience in quiet ways. It is possible to speak truth publicly while negotiating submission privately. Fruit exposes these tensions, not to condemn us but to call us back into alignment.

God does not ask how strongly we feel; He asks whether we are willing to yield.

“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” — Luke 6:46

So, the question remains simple and urgent: What fruit is my life producing right now?
Not in theory.
Not in the past.
But in this present season.

Jesus’ words have not changed:

“Every healthy tree bears good fruit.” — Matthew 7:17

And the good news is this — when our lives are rooted again in His Word and yielded in obedience, the fruit will follow.

Signing off

Tyrone

666

666 - The Number of Man, Borrowed Power, and Measured Time

“This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”
— Revelation 13:18

The Bible does not present 666 as a puzzle for speculation, but as a truth to be understood. Scripture itself defines the framework. This number is not mystical, technological, or random — it is theological.

It is the number of a man.

 

God Said — and It Was

Before we can understand counterfeit power, we must begin with true authority.

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”
— Genesis 1:3

God speaks, and reality responds.
He does not borrow power.
He does not imitate.
He does not demand allegiance.

He commands creation into existence by His word alone.

Time itself begins the same way:

“And God said… let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years.”
— Genesis 1:14

Time belongs to God because He created it.
Every authority that follows operates within the bounds of what God has already spoken.

 

Why Six Is the Number of Man

Man was created on the sixth day.

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image…’”
— Genesis 1:26

Six represents humanity:

• Created
• Finite
• Dependent
• Always one short of divine completion

Seven is God’s number — rest, fullness, completion.
Six never reaches seven independently; only God completes man.

 

Why 666 Is Not Accidental

666 is not merely repetition — it is intensification.

It is man:

• Exalting himself
• Centralising authority
• Replacing God
• Demanding worship

It is humanism fully enthroned.

Man at his highest possible expression — still fallen, still incomplete, still dependent.

Man multiplied is not God.

Why Some Prophecies Name People — and This One Does Not

A fair question arises: If prophecy sometimes names individuals, why is this man not named?

Scripture names people when the goal is recognition, not discernment. Cyrus, Josiah, and ultimately Jesus are named so faith would know who to follow and what God is doing in history.

When Scripture warns of deception, it deliberately withholds a name.

Daniel gives no name.
Paul gives no name.
John gives no name.

Instead, they give descriptions, patterns, limits, and a number.

God names what we are meant to trust.
God describes what we are meant to test.

A name would narrow the warning.
666 broadens it.

It does not tell us who the man is —
It tells us what he is: man exalted without God, operating with borrowed authority, demanding worship he does not own.

“This calls for wisdom…”
— Revelation 13:18

The danger is not missing the man.
The danger is embracing the mindset.

 

Permission vs Approval — A Lesson from the Ten Commandments

Even in God’s law, the distinction between permission and approval is clear. The Ten Commandments reveal the boundaries God sets — and show that rebellion against those boundaries does not negate His authority.

“You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself a carved image… You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”
— Exodus 20:3–7

God permits mankind to act within free will. He allows choices, even those that break His law. But permission does not equal endorsement.

• A man may act, speak, or even “rule” temporarily.
• That action may be allowed, but it is never approved.
• Ownership or authority over what God commands is never theirs to claim.

The beast in Daniel and Revelation illustrates the same principle on a cosmic scale: he exercises borrowed authority, behaves as though it is his own, but God alone holds true approval and sovereignty.

Permission must never be confused with approval. Allowance must never be mistaken for ownership.

This is the eternal lesson of 666: supernatural power, without God’s commissioning, is always temporary, deceptive, and doomed.

 

Why Scripture Refuses to Name the Man

A common question arises whenever 666 is discussed: Do we know who this man is?
Scripture’s answer is deliberate — no name is given.

This is not an omission. It is a safeguard.

Revelation does not invite the Church to hunt for a personality, but to discern a pattern. The warning is not about identifying a face, but about recognising a spirit, a system, and a posture of man exalted without God.

“Even now many antichrists have come.”
— 1 John 2:18

The Bible speaks in the plural because the pattern precedes the person.

 

Why Naming a Man Too Early Is a Mistake

History confirms this restraint. Every generation has attempted to attach 666 to a ruler, pope, emperor, or modern leader — and every attempt has failed. Not because prophecy was unclear, but because prophecy was never meant to function that way.

If God had given a name, the Church would watch the man.
By withholding the name, God forces us to watch the spirit.

 

What Is on the Radar

Scripture places unmistakable markers before us:

• Man exalting himself above God
• Authority centralised in human hands
• Worship redirected from Creator to creation
• Supernatural power that is real, yet permitted
• Law and time treated as malleable
• Rule confined to a God-assigned window

These traits can be seen long before the final expression appears. They surface in ideologies, systems, and leaders that normalise human sovereignty without divine submission.

 

The Point Scripture Presses Home

The danger is not missing the man.
The danger is embracing the mindset.

666 is not merely a future headline — it is a theological warning. It exposes what happens when humanity crowns itself supreme while borrowing power it does not own.

Permission must never be confused with approval.
Allowance must never be mistaken for ownership.

 

Final Press

Scripture does not ask, “Can you name him?”
It asks, “Can you discern him?”

Because when the final man appears, he will not introduce himself as evil — he will arrive as the solution.

And only those anchored in God’s Word will recognise that six, no matter how multiplied, never becomes seven without God.

 

The Fatal Confusion: Permission vs Ownership

Satan and the man he empowers mistake allowance for entitlement.

Daniel exposes this arrogance:

“He shall think to change the times and the law…”
— Daniel 7:25

He thinks he can control time — because he has power.

But time belongs to God alone:

“He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings.”
— Daniel 2:21

This is why the beast does not seize time — it is assigned:

“…for a time, times, and half a time.”

Three and a half years.
Measured. Limited. Temporary.

 

Why God Allows the Window

This limited authority serves God’s purposes:

• To judge rejected truth
• To expose false worship
• To refine the saints
• To reveal the emptiness of power without righteousness

“Many shall be purified, made white, and refined…”
— Daniel 12:10

What appears to be triumph is actually a countdown.

 

The Final Contrast

Scripture places two voices before us:

God said — and it was.
The beast speaks — and demands.

God creates by command. The beast rules by coercion.

God defines time. The beast is trapped inside it.

“Authority was given to him to continue for forty-two months.”
— Revelation 13:5

Given. Limited. Removed.

 

The End Was Written Before the Rise

Daniel leaves no ambiguity:

“But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away.”
— Daniel 7:26

The same God who said, ‘Let there be light’ will say, ‘Enough.’

And when He speaks, power will not argue.

 

Final Anchor

666 is man exalted without God.
Supernatural — yet dependent.
Powerful — yet temporary.
Worshipped — yet doomed.

Man at his best without God remains six, never seven.

Borrowed power always shouts. True authority speaks.

God said — and it was.

To God be the glory now and forever more, Hallowed be your name!

 

Signing off

Tyrone

Discernment

Understanding the Voice of God and His Direction

One of the most common questions believers ask is, “How do I know God is speaking to me?” Closely tied to that is another: “How do I know which direction He wants me to take?” Scripture does not leave us guessing. God is not silent, unstable, or evolving — He speaks with clarity, consistency, and authority.

At the heart of understanding God’s voice is this foundational truth: God does not change, and His Word remains the final authority.

God Is Always the Same

Scripture is unwavering on this point.

“For I the LORD do not change.” (Malachi 3:6)
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

God’s nature, character, and purposes are immutable. He does not adapt to culture, emotion, or circumstance. Because God does not change, His voice does not contradict itself. This is why His written Word is the measuring line for all guidance, impressions, and direction.

Any “leading” that conflicts with Scripture is not God’s voice — no matter how spiritual it feels.

The Word of God Is the Final Authority

God speaks in many ways, but never apart from His Word.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

The Bible is not merely a reference book; it is the fixed standard by which all discernment is tested. God’s direction today will always align with what He has already revealed.

God Speaks Through the Holy Spirit

Jesus promised that the Spirit would guide believers into truth.

“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:13)

The Spirit does not introduce new doctrine or contradict Scripture. He illuminates what God has already spoken. His voice often comes as conviction rather than suggestion, clarity rather than confusion, peace rather than pressure.

Obedience and Discernment

Here is a principle many overlook:
Disobedience dulls discernment. Obedience sharpens it.

Jesus Himself said:

“If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God.” (John 7:17)

We do not gain clarity by demanding answers first. We gain clarity by obeying what God has already made clear. Persistent disobedience clouds spiritual hearing: faithful obedience tunes it.

Does God Ever Change His Mind? — The Case of Moses

A common question arises in Exodus 32, when God declares judgment on Israel after the incident with the golden calf, and Moses intercedes. Scripture says:

“And the LORD relented from the disaster that He had spoken of bringing on His people.” (Exodus 32:14)

At first glance, this appears to contradict God’s immutability. But Scripture must interpret Scripture.

God did not change His nature, His holiness, or His covenant promises. What changed was the outcome, not the character of God. From eternity, God ordained both the warning and the intercession. Moses’ prayer was not a surprise to God — it was the very means God chose to display His mercy, justice, and covenant faithfulness.

God’s responses in time reflect His unchanging purposes in eternity.

“God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind.” (Numbers 23:19)

What looks like change is often God engaging relationally with His people while remaining perfectly consistent with His nature.

God’s Voice Produces Peace, Not Confusion

God’s direction may stretch you, but it will not enslave you to fear.

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” (1 Corinthians 14:33)

Fear-driven urgency, manipulation, or panic is not the voice of God. His leading brings steadiness, even when the path is costly.

God Often Guides Step by Step

God rarely reveals the entire roadmap.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

A lamp gives enough light for the next step or a couple of steps — not the entire journey. Trust is formed in obedience, not in full visibility.

Direction Is Confirmed in Godly Counsel

God often confirms His leading through wise, Scripture-grounded counsel.

“In an abundance of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14)

This does not replace personal discernment, but it guards against self-deception.

The Heart Posture Matters

Jesus made this simple and profound:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

Hearing God is not a technique. It is the fruit of a relationship. A surrendered heart hears more clearly than a demanding one.

 

Final Thought

Understanding the voice of God begins with knowing who He is. He is unchanging. His Word is final. His Spirit is faithful. His direction is consistent with His character.

When we anchor ourselves in Scripture, walk in obedience, and cultivate intimacy with Him, His voice becomes clearer — not because He speaks louder, but because we are finally listening rightly. It also establishes faith correctly, faith in His voice, not our selfish wants or our vain imaginations.

Signing off

Tyrone