Matthew 12:33-36 ~ give account

Revelation 22:1-21

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Matthew 12:33-36

33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.

34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil?

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."




We wonder if all dogs go to Heaven, we know horses are sent to earth from Heaven: it's wonderful to find the Tree of Life from Genesis 1 and 2 is found in Heaven. 

The Garden of Eden was washed away in Noah's flood and the Tree of Life is rejoiced and delighted upon in Heaven.  Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel (the Tigris), and Phirat (the Euphrates) are the rivers of Eden. Most of them disappear forever from the Scriptures. Isaiah 19 and 30 and Isaiah 37 tell of Works of the Lord and the action of the Lord is to make rivers disappear. Psalm 104 also declares rivers are made to vanish.  The Scriptures declare repeat situations. This would be the only explanation for the great rivers to be gone.

  The Book of Tobit is accepted as canonical by the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Oriental Orthodox Church. Uriel is often identified as a cherub and the angel of repentance. Uriel "stands at the Gate of Eden with a fiery sword" or as the angel who "watches over thunder and terror". A fitting hint, worded by the Book of Tobit.

I'm hopeful my extremely giant Oak, toppled by a tornado in Hurricane Ike, is in Heaven now.   

David discussed good trees in Psalm 1 and we know David relied upon the Grace of God, as we all do, to be called righteous. God says He makes even His Enemies to live at peace with Him. And there are times God will take a reluctant 23 year old and make that young woman witness. Because God can do all things. Even when the 23 year old young woman decided Evangelism wasn't her gift and therefore she was exempt. I know, because I was this young woman.





I was at work one day in my cubicle, put right beside the main corridor. I was greeted by a good looking man who said he was waiting on the man on the phone, in the office across the hall. It wasn't a time for me to visit, I was pretty busy.

And he said, "I can tell you are busy, so I will tell you a joke."

Which didn't strike me as a great thing at that moment.




We wonder what Jesus would say as a young man of 30 years old to our culture. We know. Jesus enjoyed vineyards and was known as a drunk and a glutton. Jesus spoke of vineyards 22 or 23 times in the Gospels. Jesus - bounced. Jesus found Joy in life.


So this man who brimmed with health and good cheer told me this joke. It was a joke I had not heard since I was 16 years old.


It's an extremely tacky joke about Jesus being sacrificed, dying on the cross. And Peter being beaten to a pulp twice. And Jesus tells Peter He can see Peter's house from being on the cross. It's a horrid, horrid old joke. And depending on the graphic person, it can be embellished. And be truly grotesque.


I didn't even know what to say and I looked at him. Just sat looking at him.

He said, "It's fun to tell the joke to see the reactions."

We looked at each other. He said, "Tell me your reaction."

I said, "You know usually, even if I am a believer, I say weak 'ha' and move away from a bad joke."

He laughed, and said, "Yeah, that's what I usually get."

I said, "If that's what you usually get, it seems lukewarm to dull."

He said, "I've never had this much conversation over the joke before, I think it's a pretty funny joke."

I looked at him. I was busy and the joke went deeply into my life. He said, with some emphasis, "Maybe it is dull and boring."




I said, "It's like this - a long, long, long time friend of my parents was an attorney and descended into alcoholism. The kind where you have him to dinner for 25 years and realize, suddenly, having him stand up is a precarious proposition. And he tells you the joke when you are 16 years old -  as he can hardly stand. And then tells you how he hates Christians because they don't laugh. They are bigoted. It's funny. Then in 25 minutes, he staggers back into the room and tells the joke, more slurred, again and staggers out. At the age of 16, it's fairly terrifying."

The man asked, "Why did your parents have him in the house?"

"Well, they didn't know it would go that way."

"And so he divorced his wife and she ate my dad."

"What?"

"The wife, of the very drunk man, ended up getting her house payment after her husband became too drunk to make the payment and ran off and divorced her. So, she ended up after 25 years of being friends with my mom, she ended up marrying my father and not putting him on the Mortgage. And realizing even married to him, she doesn't like him. He is sunk. Left the people who loved him."

So the man, who was a visiting vendor said, "This is, this is, the most conversation I've ever had out of this joke."

I replied, "I bet. Do you tell the joke a lot."

A lot. Yes. As you see it forces a conversation usually. Of acquiescence, fake. Because he could push the buttons afterwards.

I said, "Maybe you should stop, because what you are really watching is seeing yourself defined."

He said, "I believe I agree with you. And you are the last person I will tell that joke to."





The joke had a consequence. About two weeks later I was moved. To a quieter cubicle. I rather liked the first cubicle, I could see out the windows. And in being moved, I made new friends and got greater benefits and opportunity from the company. I was moved closer to the CFO. This all played out and I found out within the next year. At first I had hurt feelings. And in the next year, oddly the cubicles were broken down to just be part of that hallway. Seems lots of people offended visitors. But - oddly we - rarely got visitors. Just a few. A vendor. Just about one visitor.



I was Never going to be the one who discussed ethics in work. Ever. But it's hard work to be silent when that one joke changed an entire family.


The joke changed that man. I saw him occasionally and he did not seem so very happy. Apparently he kept telling it.


Father God can do the absolute impossible. Even a mule of a silent Christian can speak up!!! Me.


Numbers 22

26 Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left.
27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff.

28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”
“No,” he said.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn.

So he bowed low and fell facedown.





Father God,

Bless us with the mediation of Jesus as our prayer partner. And in sticky wickets, increase the Holy Spirit to make the conversation.

Let's live the Joy of Life. The adventure of God works all things to Good.

And we will do what we can to please You, knowing You are so very thoroughly pleased with a fleeting life on this earth.


You are Father God - vast and ancient of Days. Gracious and Good. Finding vineyards beautiful and interesting.

You wrap Love around the prayers You hear world wide. The Heavens speak of Your glory.

The nations rely upon Your Glory. Bless this Nation as we trust in You, please.


Bless the seas and all the roar. Quietly we hope.

Strengthen what is weak and do not let it quake.

Come strongly into our Lives Father God. Be with the strengthening of the ones we love to have the Glory of Jesus Christ dwelling within them. Help those who are recovering from storm. Shepherd us and the people You have given us, Jesus Christ. Be our open and strong shelter upon the Rock of Jesus Christ.

We give our cares to You, for You care more for us, far and away more than our fleeting cares and anxieties.
Steadfast Goodness You are.

For the varied and many gifts You give, help us to use them wisely and as a blessing to Jesus. Give us this day. And with Your Grace
we will see all day long - Your mercies Renew.

In Jesus we ask, live and have our being. Amen.
Glad to be the Easter People Amen and Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †