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Woven

31 Jul

Woven

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

The parable of John 15 is that of the vine. It speaks of the relationship between the vinedresser (gardener), the vine, and the branch. God is the vinedresser, Christ is the vine, and we are the branch. The verb abide is found 10 times in this parable. What is ‘to abide’ – to remain stable or fixed in a state (Websters). I have also read it in study described as a ‘state of being’, or to stay, or to sink in. But how can we abide in Christ? That word being a verb requires an action correct? That action is found in verse 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. The way to abide is action of obeying.

That action is found in the pursuit of God and the things of God, through prayer and His Word. His Word will begin to shed light into your life, and as your relationship begins to grow you will begin to understand His Will for your life. It is not a life of limitations, but a freedom from the bondages you have endured until He came into your life. God is glorified through you and your changed life because of the testament to others of that freedom and change by following His Word and His Will for your life. Your life will produce fruit as a result of His work through you.  8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

A disciple is a big scary word to some. Your heart has the ability to become a disciple, through the pursuit and abiding in Christ. When you set your heart to follow God, to truly draw near and make a change through the lens of the gospel of Christ, your life will never be the same. It will become a testament to the power of God, the glory of God, and you will truly want to share with others what He has done for you. A disciple simply lives a life of obedience of God’s Will and commandments in a pursuit of that relationship. The fruit is a byproduct of God’s work in their lives. Abiding is clinging to the Vine, and letting the vinedresser direct your path in life. That branch that is intertwined with that vine is your life as a person abiding in Christ.

 
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Posted by on July 31, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Let’s talk God

02 Jul

Let’s talk God

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18   Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I was thinking this morning while I was praying about a ‘little thing’; and of how lucky I was on ‘big things’. I have even found myself praying over service calls more this past week due to the extreme heat and even some nightmare calls. Yes, I do pray over air conditioners for God to help me have the ability to fix them, and to provide comfort to those in need. I ask God for guidance in so many areas of my daily walk seeking His Will.

So many times we only go to God with our pleas and not our gratitude. Does God go, “I wonder what they want this time” when you pray? Is that the only time you go to Him in prayer? He knows what you want before you ask it, but think of the joy He has when you don’t ask for, but pray a prayer of thanksgiving and gratitude. He gave you the very breath of life, and the breath to pray. 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. There is much in that verse, for wherever we are in our lives, God has designed or allowed it. All of it can be used to draw you closer to Him, and to glorify Him as a result of where you are today.

17 pray without ceasing. Does this mean to stop your car, to bow your head at work, or to do nothing else but meditate? No; the Apostle Paul is trying to convey to be persistent and consistent in your prayer. A person who is abiding in Christ will be a person who is not afraid to pray at any time about any thing. The closer your relationship grows to God, the more you will be drawn to talk to Him. You will gain a respect and an ability to open the lines of communication with the One whom created you. How will you ever get to know anybody better if you don’t first talk to them? Start today by giving thanks for the breath He gave you today.

 
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Posted by on July 2, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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A state of being

24 Feb

I would love to recommend a book “The True Vine” by Andrew Murry. It is a short devotional style study of John 15, and the parable of the Vine. It gives a great insight into the term abide which we hear so much of in the bible. I do believe that abiding is progressive and grows in us. I believe that God reveals and draws us closer to Him as we pursue Him, revealing progressively more discernment and growth. I pray that you too will seek Him, seek Him in prayer and time in His word every day. This is truly the only way to abide. Abiding does not come by going to church alone one day a week. Abiding comes from consistently pursuit.

 

 

A state of being

1John 2:24-25    Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us–eternal life.

In the gospel of John 15, the term abiding is spoken much of in the parable of the vine. It is a great passage to study, and ‘abide’ is central in it’s meaning. Abide simply means a state of being. Abiding in Christ is walking with Christ, having Him inside you, that nothing can take away. How can you remove a ‘state of being’? This scripture above speaks of the Good News that dwells inside us, the Gospel of Jesus Christ whom has come to save the world. If we proclaim Him, He abides in us, rests in us, we are in-dwelt with His Holy Spirit. If we truly believe, we have the blessing and assurance of John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

I believe abiding is progressive. I believe the closer you draw to Him, the more you seek Him, the more He reveals Himself to you. We learn in the bible of being fed “spiritual milk” as infants in Christ, then we are spurred on to bigger things as we mature. With our maturity comes a discernment from the Spirit that resides in us. When we diligently seek those things of God, we begin to understand more, we begin to discern more, to understand and recognize false teachings that John was speaking of here. There are many being led astray today with cushy promises of worldly pleasures wrapped up in a soft gospel. The more we seek God alone, the more we begin to discern through the smoke. 1John 2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. The only way to receive this anointing is through the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and all the eternal blessing that flow as a result of it for an eternity.

 
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Posted by on February 24, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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What do you live for? 01/26/12

26 Jan

Good morning everybody. I was praying earlier this morning and felt God speaking to me about this verse. I could have wrote a book expounding on this verse I think. With all Paul had suffered, he understood it was all for Christ glory, He was tired and in prison, and he knew that heaven was not far away and longed for it. But he also knew God was using him while he remained here. He edified the Philippian church, and kept his eyes on Christ. He never wavered, he never lost the focus of his life – to share the love and Christ and bring Him glory. I pray the next trial you endure, your faith is strengthened as Paul, and not weakened as your enemy thinks it will. Press on, for the glory of God.

What do you live for?

Philippians 1:21    For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

A one sentence summary of the apostle Paul. Nothing else in his life mattered but Christ. He describes his life as ‘is Christ’, abiding in Christ, centering on Christ; all other matters simply did not matter. He had come from a leader of religion, in the persecution and death of Christians, to a  death to himself and slave to Christ’s Glory. He was persecuted all his remaining days, but never wavered on his focus or faith. Can you say the same thing about your faith when the going gets rough?

If anyone told you that being a Christian would be easy, they lied. Christ told the apostles in Matthew 10:22 “You will be hated by all for My names sake.” When Christ and that eternal security dwell inside you, people notice that something makes you different. Some are drawn towards you, others rebel against you. Tough times will come as a result of following Christ. But percever in your faith, look for those you can reach as a result of what you are facing. For God has allowed what you are facing to strengthen you, and encourage others. Don’t let the world drag you down, for what you have will be lifted up.

 
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Posted by on January 26, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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