We Can Do All Things

When we quote the first half of Philippians 4:13, we usually put the emphasis on our self. We can do all things. We stop there, feeling rather smug with our self and overly confident in our own ability to accomplish great works for God.

We need to quote the verse in its entirety: "I can do everything, which God asks me to do, through the power of Christ in me, who gives me the ability and the strength."

This verse is actually telling us that apart from Christ, we can do nothing (John 15:5). He is the vine, we are the branches. Apart from the vine, the branch is useless and dies.

A branch bears no fruit apart from the Vine. The Vine gives us the ability and strength to produce only that fruit, which the Vinedresser predispositions us to bear (John 15:1).

God's perfect plan, orchestrated for each life, yields a beautiful symphony. We do not do works for God, but the works of God, which He called us to do before we were ever born (Ephesians 2:20).

This way we cannot take any credit for our accomplishments nor should we feel that we are incapable of obeying the Holy Spirit's direction. Christ is within every authentic Believer, every step of our life (Matthew 28:20).

God's Spirit directs and supports us in each situation, which life throws our way (Isaiah 41:10; Daniel 3:24-25). We gain our identity and power from Christ in us (Colossians 1:27).

Prayer:

Father God, we find rest for our soul - our mind, choices and emotions, when we realize that we no longer need to figure everything out and to plan for ever contingency. We rest in the realization that Jesus is our way, truth and life (John 14:6).

As we know You in a deeper relationship, Christ is also our wisdom and strength (Philippians 3:20; 1 Corinthians 1:30). We completely surrender to You and Your direction of our thoughts, words and deeds according to Your perfect will for us (Romans 12:2).

Thought for the Day:

Nothing will occur in our life, which is not already part of God's plan for us, unless we are reaping the consequences of our disobedience or self-will.

Abiding Fruit - Part 1

Vineyards are a way of life in many countries around the world. A vine and branch are a common symbols of the intimacy of our relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 5:1-7, 27:2-6).

No branch can bear fruit unless it is connected to the Vine, with the nutrients from the roots and leaves flowing into each branch through the Vine (John 15:4).

The only way to bear fruit for God's Kingdom is by abiding in the Vine. In Christ, we bear much fruit (John 15:5). He puts us in the right place, at the right time, with the right people to impact lives.

God's abiding fruit gives us a new personality, prunes the decaying negative characteristics from our life, and nurtures the positive aspects, which He birthed in us.

He replaces hatred with love, discontentment with peace, irritation with patience, criticism with gentleness, backbiting with goodness, worry with faith, pride with meekness, and depression with true joy as He controls and guides us by His Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

The branch has no responsibility but to allow the life of the Vine to produce fruit through it. The branch is securely attached to the Vine, an integral part of the makeup of the Vine.

To abide in the Vine means to be so unified with the Vine that there is no difference between the two. We flow out of the Vine, reaching up to God's life-giving Son and basking in the refreshing later rains (John 15:2; Joel 2:23).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that the Vine and branch are one entity, created for the purpose of bearing fruit to sustain a famished world dwelling all around us. Without this union, the branch dies and is pruned, discarded and burned in the fire.

Help us to enter into Your rest and to patiently hang out with the Vine, enjoying the cooling winds of the Spirit and the warming rays of Your Son. Encourage us to continue in Christ throughout our lifetime (Hebrews 4:10).

Thought for the Day:

If a branch is torn from the Vine by the storms of life, it no longer bears fruit and it withers and is thrown into the fire to be burned; yet, if we weather the storms of life by clinging to the Vine, we remain in the Vine and bear even more fruit. 

- John 15:6

There is More to Salvation

There is more to salvation than escaping hell. Salvation and happiness in this world are not our ultimate goals either. God’s salvation enables us to flourish in our victory over sin and to live in absolute obedience to His Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. In order to fully succeed in life, we daily repent of our sins and submit our life to God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. As we abide in Christ we grow in our ability to hear His Spirit leading us each moment of the day.

Abiding in Christ, we also bear the burdens of our brothers and sisters, and we share a passion for souls to come to Calvary’s cross and to repent, just as we did. Christ in us gives us the courage and strength to share His love with the unsaved world, in spite of any difficulties along the way. We love each person with God’s agape love, regardless of his or her behavior. We are able to impart His life to others as they open their hearts to His Word.

We cannot live without the Vine. The vine cannot bear fruit by itself. It needs branches in order to bear its fruit. The Master Gardener prunes us as a branch of the eternal Vine; and we bear much fruit that blesses others when they feast from it. As we abide in Christ, completely and fully, we bear the fruit of His Spirit, which is the nature of God.

We bear His love for the world, His joy which is our strength, His peace in our circumstances, His patience in tribulation, His gentleness toward irritating people, His goodness in the face of adversity, His meek in submission to our superiors, His self-control in temptation and His faith in God’s faithfulness.

As we submit our life to Christ, we admit our weakness and find His power in place of our strength. We are mighty instruments in the hand of the Father, because His Spirit dwells within us. His strength is perfected in our weakness as we fully admit our need for all of Him in our life. Then we can rest assured that He is working through us, according to His purpose, timing and way. As we lift Him up, Jesus uses us to draw all men to Himself, giving them the opportunity to accept or to reject Him.

The key to abiding in Christ is the realization that we are empty of all ambition and abilities, but that He fills us with all the fullness of His divine power and spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). We live in childlike faith in His faithfulness. We walk in confidence that God is using our body, soul and spirit for His Kingdom and glory. We do greater works than Christ (John 14:12), because He dwells in us by His Spirit. His Spirit within us draws all men to Him.

Prayer:

Father God, our humility comes from realizing that without You, we can do nothing; and that in You, Christ can do all things through us (Philippians 4:13). Help us to walk in Your Spirit, to influence those in our life for You, and to walk in the calling that You prepared for us before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 2:8-10). Let others see our resemblance to the Vine, as a branch full of Your Spirit’s fruit.

Thought for the Day:

May we live so that the holiness and love of God within us shines His light into the darkness of the world around us.

Bridge Over Troubled Waters

 

Have you ever felt restless, on edge, worried, troubled, even stressed? Don’t we all! There is a quick remedy for these negative emotions, however. Once we have faith in God’s faithfulness, we can enter into His rest (Hebrews 4:1). He loved us so much that he died for us while we were still sinners, He keeps His promises and He hides us under the shelter of His wings (Psalm 91:4; Romans 5:6-11). He is able to keep safe whatever we commit to Him (2 Timothy 1:12). We access these benefits by casting all of our cares on Him and abiding in His love, peace and rest (1 Peter 5:7).

The more we yield our will to God’s and submit our spirit, soul and body to Him, the more we enter the security of His place of rest. Surrendering to His Kingship and direction allows us to rest for eternity in His everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33: 26-28). His Spirit is in our heart to guarantee our union with the triune God (Galatians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 5:5). His peace protects our mind, choices and emotions. As we take His yoke upon us, He deals with life in us, through us and instead of us (Galatians 2:20).

We are grafted as branches into the Vine, and we bear fruit as the direct result of the life of His Spirit within us (John 15:5). We are one with Him (John 17:21-22). This life-producing union gives us rest and peace as His grace and mercy work out everything in our life for our good (Romans 8:28). Without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). Regardless of our circumstances, we push forward by His Spirit to capture all that Jesus has in mind for us when He redeemed us (Philippians 3:12-13). He is a safe dwelling place, in which we find complete rest for our soul (Isaiah 32:18; Matthew 11:29).

The vine cannot produce fruit without the branches and the branch cannot produce fruit without its connection to the vine. We are totally dependent upon Christ as He sends His nourishing life in and through us. Once the Spirit births His fruit in us, He brings along others who need the fruit we have to nourish their soul. We bring joy to our Father only as we submit to His Spirit’s leading each moment of our day and walk in His will for us (Zephaniah 3:17; Galatians 5:16, 25). This only occurs as we enter His rest and abide in the Vine (John 15:4-5).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You are our bridge over the troubled waters of life. We are inseparably connected to You as long as we stay connected to the Vine. We bear the fruit Your Spirit produces in us. If we refuse to stay connected we will wither up and die. If we decline to bear fruit, God will prune us and cast us into the fire to be burned. We will abide in You, our Vine. We give our self wholly to You to use for Your glory. We are in You and You are in us, keeping us holy and acceptable to You (Romans 12:1). You give us Your strength and wisdom to live each day in You, as You encourage and bless us.

Thought for the Day:

Due to God’s glory and excellence, he gave us great and precious promises. Through these promises He enables us to share His divine nature and to escape the world's corruption caused by sinful, human desires. - 2 Peter 1:4, Living Bible