The Theology of Fruitology: How To Bear Fruit That Will Last For Eternity

By Franklin Celestine

About the book:
“Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit: so shall you be My disciples." John 15:8.

This is one of the most important and priceless books you will ever read in your entire life time; and be thankful for in all eternity. This message was received from the LORD during a period of 40 days fasting and prayer for the church and Nigeria, right at God’s altar. That people can answer Christians and be bonafide children of God today is because Jesus Christ bore fruit that truly satisfied God’s hunger. This book is on a rescue mission to take believers & unbelievers alike from spiritual barrenness to spiritual fruitfulness; from story to glory, from ashes to beauty, and from zero to superhero. Through this book, God will release unto you the grace to encounter the Living Encounter.
About the author:

Bro Franklin Celestine is a servant of the LORD with strong passion for soul winning, children and glorifying God through the written word.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pencil
• Release date: Apr 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9789354385377

Book preview

Amen".

Chapter One

What Is Fruitology?

Fruitology is simply the study of fruits. We all know about the physical fruits that abound on the earth, so we need not dwell on that.

In the context of this book, fruitology refers to the study of spiritual fruits in all its ramifications.

Now, before we proceed, take a few minutes to clear your mind of every negative thought, grudges, malice, etc. And make sure you forgive anyone that has ever offended you. See yourself as a child that is still learning to walk for the first time; so you can catch a revelation in this chapter that will elevate you to greater spiritual heights.

Have you done that?

Good.

The Triumphal Entry

On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the king of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when He had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, your king comes, sitting on an ass’s colt (John 12:12-15).

Do you know that Jesus didn’t enter Jerusalem sitting on a young ass just to fulfill the prophecy of Zech 9:9?

What was His purpose then?

He came with a coded message!

Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem was to announce to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Israel and the whole world that the time of restoration of their spiritual fruitfulness had come.

Before Jesus appeared on the scene, Israel had become spiritually barren, that is they were not bearing spiritual fruits that bring glory to God.

John the Baptist confirms it:

Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, oh generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come! Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance and begin not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down. (Luke 3:7-9).

John used the word viper to qualify the multitudes that came to be baptized by him.

Do you know why?

The reason is because vipers are one of the most poisonous and fastest members of the snake family.

Another reason is that snakes generally are the favourite vessels of operation used in the marine kingdom.

Now the marine kingdom appears innocent, but they happen to be the most wicked among all the kingdoms of Satan.

So John was trying to let them know that their wickedness has reached the highest level and courageously implored them to repent and prove it also by bearing spiritual fruits that would bring glory to God.

Now the multitude that went forth to meet Jesus had spiritual eyes and spiritual ears, but they were unable to see and hear the coded message that Jesus came with, because they were spiritually blind and deaf. They even took up branches of palm trees to welcome him, but did not realize the symbolism of what they were holding.

In other words, they had the message right in their hands. The palm tree is the most fruitful tree on earth.

Everything that makes up the palm tree is of economic value. The palm tree is also a survivalist, because it can survive winds that pull down or break other trees.

The ass that Jesus rode on, has been bearing fruits that bring glory to God by fulfilling its purpose of being created. Jesus was not only fulfilling prophecy, He was also telling the multitudes, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Israel and the whole world: Look, this ass has not failed to bring glory to God. Therefore, she is qualified to carry me on this all important prophetic trip into Jerusalem, on my mission to restore you all to a place of spiritual fruitfulness.

Now, if you were this ass, would Jesus find you worthy to carry Him today or would you disappoint Him by lying down by the roadside or throwing Him off your back?

THE UNSEEN SIDE OF THE TWO-SIDED COIN

Say you to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Is 3:10.

What you just read above is saying that there is an unseen side to the spiritual fruits you bear whether good or bad.

The word shall implies that you will not encounter that unseen side immediately, but later on.

The book of Genesis 2:16-17 sheds more light on this issue.

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.

God being a God of truth presented Adam with the two sides of the same coin, giving him the opportunity to make an informed choice. One side of the coin made known to him the good fruit he was expected to bear, while the other side of the same coin made known to him the bad fruit he would have to eat if he failed to bear the expected good fruit. But here in Genesis 3:1-6, we read:

Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, yes, has God said, you shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. And the serpent said to the woman, you shall not surely die: For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her and he did eat.

In the above quoted scripture, Satan showed Adam and Eve only one side of the coin, (which is what they would supposedly gain by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree).

The other side of the coin He kept for himself alone, because it would not further his secret agenda to reveal it to them.

Now did they die or not?

They did.

Spiritual fruits are two-sided and progressive in nature.

Every spiritual fruit whether it is good or bad, has another spiritual fruit attached to it. This secondary spiritual fruit is not seen immediately, even though it piggybacks on the primary spiritual fruit.

Now let’s see what Jesus says about this:

And, behold, I come quickly: and my reward is with me, to give every man accordingly as his work shall be. Rev 22:12.

What reward is Jesus talking about here?

It is simply the secondary spiritual fruit that piggybacks on the primary spiritual fruit that you bear. Another word that should catch your attention in the above scripture is work. The work Jesus refers to is nothing but spiritual fruit.

Now assuming you had an account in a bank, and nobody including yourself deposits money into this account; if you decide one day to go to the bank or ATM to withdraw some money from this account will the bank or ATM pay you?

I don’t think so.

Let’s bring this a little bit home.

If Jesus returns to the earth as you are reading this book, and unfortunately, your heavenly bank account is reading zero Naira, Dollar, Euro or Pounds because you’ve been bearing bad spiritual fruits; from whose account do you think He will reward you?

The truth remains that when your time on earth is fully spent, however you may have spent it; all the secondary spiritual fruits attached to the primary spiritual fruits you bore will be meticulously calculated and given to you to eat all alone. And if you happen to have borne bad spiritual fruits all the while, I’m sure you would not be enjoying it in heaven but in hell.

This book is sent by God on a major rescue mission to help you make a U-turn, as majority of so called Christians will be surprised by the reward they will receive on that day.

THE PURPOSE OF REWARDS

Every branch in me that bears not fruit He takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. John 15:2.

Purging a tree involves cutting off stunted twigs, dead twigs, diseased twigs, and unfruitful twigs so that all their resources they have been consuming will be redirected to the fruitful and healthy twigs, so they could bear twice or thrice the amount of fruit they are currently bearing. This is also a way to motivate the twigs that are bearing fruit. The reason why Jesus would reward everyone on earth is twofold:

1. To motivate those who are bearing good spiritual fruit, so they could continue bearing more good spiritual fruit for the whole of eternity.

2. To demotivate those who are bearing bad spiritual fruits, so they wouldn’t remain on earth to continue bearing such undesirable fruit.

Now, because there are no bad things in heaven or allowed into heaven, this demotivation is an automatic flight ticket to hell fire where those people would enjoy their reward for the whole of eternity.

Now the purpose of bearing good spiritual fruits is not for rewards per se, but a matter of spiritual duty and worship that is acceptable before God.

The Lord puts it this way:

So likewise you, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. (Luke 17:10).

The issue of rewards is of great importance.

Therefore, we will learn more about it in the last chapter of this book.

Chapter Two

Types Of Spiritual Fruits

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things 1 Cor 13:9-11.

I have always thought that spiritual fruits began with and ended with the nine fruits that made up the fruit of the Holy Spirit, just like most people. But when the Lord removed the veil of ignorance from my eyes I was able to see the unlimited nature of spiritual fruits.

I also realized that spiritual fruits are more diverse than physical fruits and they operate in two unique dimensions: Good/positive fruits and bad/negative fruits.

This chapter is the longest in this book and it is extremely loaded with revelations and encounters that will release to you the grace to encounter the living encounter (Jesus). So cut off every distraction from you, concentrate on the realm of the spirit and be ready to download what God has for you individually.

THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law Gal 5: 22-23.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is one and that is love. The remaining eight are found inside love. Love may be referred to as an aircraft carrier. Many advanced countries of the world have aircraft carriers in their military.

The duty of aircraft carriers are:

1. Transport hundreds of warplanes to their area of responsibility in the battlefield, through the sea, thereby saving fuel.

2. Serve as a temporary airport for these planes to take off and carry out missions and land.

3. Serve as a mobile refuel station for all the planes on board.

4. Carry and man these aircrafts and support their operations.

5. Serve as a mobile military hospital to attend to the personnel on board.

6. Carry out bombardment of selected targets on air, sea and land, usually with missiles and guns.

7. Carry out search and rescue missions for downed aircrafts and personnel.

From this analogy, you can see that all the remaining eight fruits depend entirely on love. If someone tells you that he loves you, how do you prove whether the person is speaking the truth or not?

You test the person by providing special opportunities for the person to demonstrate what he says.

The Holy Spirit pours love, which is His primary fruit into believers, which in turn produces the eight secondary fruits. All this is done within the believer. Then the Holy Spirit provides opportunities outside the believer using other people or situations in order for the believer to manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit outside of him. Now majority of believers are not aware of this due to spiritual blindness or simply ignorance. They think that the fruit of the Holy Spirit will manifest outside of them by itself. But that is not true. It is your responsibility as a believer to work out the fruit of the Holy Spirit, by cashing in on the opportunities that God provides to you on an individual basis. But how do you cash in on an opportunity that you don’t even recognize?

That is where spiritual blindness comes in. This book will remove your spiritual blindness, so that you will begin to see and recognize these God-sent opportunities. Now your manifesting the fruit of the Holy Spirit outside of you is the proof that God needs to show that you love Him and your fellow human being, not just saying it with your mouth. If you say you love God and your fellow human being but you are not manifesting the fruit of the Holy Spirit that means you're a liar or an impostor.

Manifesting the fruit of the Holy Spirit outside of you brings glory to God and attracts unbelievers to want to know the God that you are worshipping, not what you say with your mouth. So it is your attitude that distinguishes you as a Believer, not your talks (1 John 3:17-18).

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Eph 3:17-19.

The verses you just read above is trying to let you know that you cannot bear any good spiritual fruit without being established in love. Love is the master key of spiritual fruitfulness.

Why?

The reason is that anything you do outside of love is nonsense to God. And cannot stand the test of time.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life John 3:16.

Jesus Christ is a gift, the gift of love.

God is love (1 John 4:8,16).

Anywhere you see God in the bible, put love there. Jesus Christ is the physical manifestation of God’s love on earth and the physical manifestation of the eight secondary fruits of the Holy Spirit.

He is our perfect example; that is the reason why you need to follow His footsteps by manifesting the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is love and her siblings: joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

Therefore, the remaining eight secondary fruits of the Holy Spirit will focus on Jesus Christ alone. Love is simply pouring yourself out unconditionally in order to care for other people and their good without any motive of personal gain (Read 1 Cor 13; Eph 5:2).

THE FRUIT OF JOY

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:2.

Dearly beloved, if I were to start writing about the scripture you just read above, it will take a whole book, because of the revelations I was receiving by just studying it. I tell you it's a nuclear bomb waiting to explode.

The joy that Jesus saw that made Him endure the cross was a prosperous, victorious and blessed you.

Joy refers to the feeling of gladness based on the love, grace, blessings, promises and nearness of God that belongs to believers.

2 Cor 6:10 puts it this way:

As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

The Master Himself puts it this way:

My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor 12:9.

When I first received the call of God upon my life, with signs following, I experienced the joy of the Lord for the first time. I was on earth, but enjoying what was available in heaven. What I’m telling you here is both from experience and from revelation.

This fruit of the Holy Spirit called joy makes one intoxicated with God, makes you bolder than a lion, makes you very strong, and quite unstoppable. The fruit of joy makes a person to be willing and ready to pass through the fire and through the waters without counting it as anything. Now, one of the mysteries of Hebrews 12:2 which we read above, is that the fruit of joy makes you a finisher.

Jesus Christ was a finisher, as we read in John 17:4:

I have glorified you on the earth: I have finished the work which you gave me to do.

The fruit of joy enables a believer to bear good fruits that will glorify God right here on earth. Apostle Paul was a finisher, as we read in 2 Timothy 4:7:

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.

The fruit of joy also enables a true soldier of Christ to fight a good fight.

What is a good fight?

It is the spiritual fight that is fought in love.

Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation Is 12:3.

This is one of my favourite verses in the Old Testament. But I want to ask you this question: Did you catch any revelation from that verse?

Okay, let me help you.

Running the Christian race without the fruit of joy puts you in danger of losing your salvation. It is like a slap on the face, but I have to tell you the truth. The implication of trying to draw water out of the wells of salvation without joy is that all your efforts would be wasted, because your vessel has spiritual leakages. Not bearing the fruit of joy makes a believer a vessel with terrible leakages.

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Ps 30:5.

The fruit of joy enables a believer to endure things that cause weeping. Anybody that is truly committed to following Jesus Christ MUST experience nights and nights of weeping. But joy will most certainly knock on your door when the day breaks.

There are seasons in the life of every believer and just like rainy season and dry season; you cannot escape anyone of them. So is it not better to be prepared for all seasons?

What makes a believer to manifest the fruit of joy is when lack, poverty and things that cause sorrow besiege you and you fall back on God’s love, grace, blessings, promises and abiding presence instead of complaining.

THE FRUIT OF PEACE

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give i unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27.

In the above verse you just read, Jesus is telling you that peace is something that is given to you as a gift. You don’t acquire it like the world teaches. The world teaches that peace is acquired when you have huge amount of money in the bank, a well-paid job or business going for you, a palatial apartment/mansion, good food, good cars, a wife and children. But the opposite is the case in the kingdom of God.

In this kingdom, Jesus Christ is your peace. Therefore, whether you have the things that the world counts as components of peace or not you are quite unperturbed.

The peace of God is given to every believer, but it resides inside of you. Nobody knows that you have it and it doesn’t bring glory to God yet. But when times of troubles, trials and temptations come, then comes also a golden opportunity to manifest what you have on the inside, so that the name of the Lord will be glorified. If you fail to make use of such opportunities, then you are spiritually unfruitful and do not want to grow spiritually.

How did Jesus, the prince of peace manifest the fruit of peace to the glory of God?

Mark 4:37-39 gives us a clue:

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, master, care you not that we perish? And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Dearly beloved, if you are not calm, you cannot calm the storm. I’m talking from experience. Being calm implies having the peace of God inside of you and recognizing and taking advantage of the opportunities that God provides for you to manifest it outside of you, for God’s name to be glorified.

If you are not a believer you cannot be calm, neither can you calm the storm, because you can’t give what you don’t have.

Jesus had the peace of God inside Him. That was why He could manifest it and calm the storm, because you can’t give what you don’t have.

The disciples were amazed and fearful, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him? (Mark 4:41).

Later on, the disciples were to manifest this peace of God, after Jesus had given it to them.

Paul manifested this peace:

But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, you should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship Acts 27: 21-22.

You too can manifest the fruit of peace if you believe. I have manifested this gift of peace on several occasions, to the glory of God.

For example, when I was working as a security guard in Diamond Bank, Orji branch. I usually woke up around 4:00am in the morning in order to prepare for work and trek to the branch before 6.00am, to assume duty by 6:00am.

One day as I was trekking to work in the dark hours of the morning between 4:30am-5.00am, a huge, fierce foreign dog that was probably bigger than me rushed at me from across the road, barking as it came. I had no weapon to defend myself against this lion-like foe.

The peace of God that was inside of me roared like a lion. And I said to the dog Peace, be still in Jesus name.

The dog stopped only a few feet from me when I declared this word of peace to it and wouldn’t come near me. I continued declaring the word of peace to it until I had gone a safe distance, before I stopped speaking and continued my journey.

If you are a believer, I want you to know that God has deposited too much inside of you. It is your duty to manifest it through prayer and action (Is 60:1-2).

Don’t just disappoint Him.

Peace is simply the rest that a believer’s heart and mind enjoys based on the knowledge that all is well between the believer and God, resulting in freedom from anxiety.

Now hear the master:

Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me (John 14:1).

It is your believing that enables you to manifest the peace of God.

There are some believers that have stopped believing, therefore they cannot manifest the fruit of peace. For you to manifest the fruit of peace, you must continue believing. Some people preach that once you’re saved, you’re always saved. But that is a lie from the pit of hell. Every believer must continue to believe, moving from believing to doing what they believe and finally graduate to becoming what they believe.

I must confess that I haven’t yet become what God