Abiding in Christ, as the Branch in the Vine - Day 4

"I am the VINE, you are the branches." ~John 15:5

I Am the True Vine
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
(John 15:1-6 ESV)

Jesus used this illustration to teach his disciples what it means to Abide in Him.  The union with Christ is a living, permanent and complete one; both the vine and the branches are dependent on each other.  


Without the vine, the branch can do NOTHING.  The life, sap, fatness and fruitfulness of the branch are only possible because of its attachment to the vine.  


As a Christian, only what I do through the power of Christ in me pleases God.  The only good fruit I bear is through the life-sap of the Holy Spirit.  I know this; it is not a surprise to me.  I know that I can only do what is pleasing in God's sight if I do it as I am led by Him.


But there is a surprise in this parable.


Without the branch, the vine can also do NOTHING.  A vine with no branches bears no fruit.


Andrew Murray writes, 

Such is the wonderful condescension of the grace of Jesus; just as His people are dependent on Him, He has made Himself dependent on them.  Without His disciples He cannot dispense His blessing to the world. . . This is God's own doing, giving such high honour to those He has called His redeemed ones!

As neither vine nor branch is anything without the other, so is neither anything except for the other.  


ALL THE VINE POSSESSES BELONGS TO THE BRANCHES!


The vine does not gather the minerals from the soil for itself - all it does in its work of bringing minerals, water, and nutrients from the soil is FOR the branches!


"The glory which You gave Me I have given them." ~ John 17:22

"All that Jesus is in heaven, He is for us.  He has no interest there separate from ours; as our representative He stands before the Father on our behalf!"                                           ~A. Murray

ALL THE BRANCH POSSESSES BELONGS TO THE VINE! 


The branch bears fruit that proclaims the excellence of the vine; it has no reason to exist except to be of service to the vine.


The entirety of the believer's consecration is given for service to his Lord.

• every power of his being
• every moment of his life
• every thought
• every feeling

ONE THING to live for:  the will, the glory, the work, the kingdom of JESUS.

THE OBJECT OF THE UNION BETWEEN VINE AND BRANCHES

To bear fruit.  Only to bear fruit.

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away."

• the leaves of the branch are for the maintenance of its life, for the perfection of its fruit
• the fruit is for others - it is given away

The believer must forget himself and live entirely for others; this is why Jesus came:

• to love them
• to seek them
• to save them

Can you say with Andrew Murray these heartfelt words?

"Jesus is indeed to me the True Vine, bearing me, nourishing me, supplying me, using me, and filling me to the full to make me bring forth fruit abundantly."

"I am indeed a branch of Jesus, the True Vine, abiding in Him, resting on Him, waiting for Him, serving Him, and living so that through me, too, He may exhibit the riches of His grace, and give His fruit to a dying world."

Jesus looks at His people with love.  I can picture Him saying,

"It is my desire to make you a fruitful branch; Only abide in Me.  You are weak, but I am strong; You are poor, but I am rich.  Only abide in Me.

In case you missed it, abiding is nothing but

• the acceptance of my position
• the consent to be kept there
• the surrender of faith, knowing the STRONG VINE will hold the weak branch.

Abiding in Christ - Day 3 - Trust Him to Keep You

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.(Philippians 3:12 ESV)

Is a life of unbroken fellowship with my Saviour possible?  


Or am I...

• distracted by dishes
• worried about washing
• fretting over finances
• plotting perfection
• acquiring achievement?

Andrew Murray says,

"Abiding in Christ is meant for the weak and is beautifully suited to their frailty. . . It is simply weakness entrusting itself to a MIGHTY ONE to be kept, the unfaithful one casting itself on ONE WHO IS altogether TRUSTWORTHY and TRUE!"

We only have to yield, to trust, and to wait.

Jesus is the living home of my soul.

False thinking:  Saved and pardoned by grace, and now working to live as Christians.Praying for help, but considering the work as MY work to do.

"Abide in Me."  


Jesus' words are not words of the law, demanding us to DO.  
They are words of grace, blessing us with belief.

Think about this:

A Father is helping his son climb a steep precipice.  The son has no strength, but he thinks he can do it...but in reality, the Father's strength keeps him on the right path.  The Father's wisdom shows where to go.  The Father's power makes the child's climb successful.

The work of being a Christian is Christ's alone.  

His aim is to have me abide in Him.

• unbroken fellowship
• pardon and peace
• filled by the Spirit
• growing in grace
• holy, fruitful

For this, Christ took hold of me.  

He leads me on the climb.  He shows me where to go.  His strength and power and wisdom are mine as I climb.  Without Him, I cannot do anything.  

Can I trust Him?

He Who sought me and found me?

He Who brought me near?

Can I trust Him to keep me?  To keep me IN HIM, moment by moment, day by day?

Oh, my Jesus, Saviour, Lord, Master, Friend,

Lover of my soul;

You know me.

    And even in the knowing

You love me.

Lift me to the place You bid me to go.

     Like the child who cannot climb the precipice 

              without the strength of his father's power,

I cannot go where You want me to be,

     In THE CENTER OF YOU,

               without Your power.

Lift me there, dear Lord.

Keep me there.

Oh, Lord, keep me.  

I do abide in You.

I know that in You there is peace

                                             and joy

                                             and abundant life

                                             and blessed rest.

Give me the courage to boldly delare,

SAVIOUR, I ABIDE IN YOU.

In Your presence there is fullness of joy.

Abiding in Christ - Day 2 - Finding Rest

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”(Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)

Don't you want to rest?  


In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, don't you want to just stop, and retreat, and run from the chaos, and REST?


Imagine what true rest would look like:

• delivered from every fear
• supplied with every need
• fulfilled by every desire met
• no fear, no need, no desire - just rest

When Jesus calls you to Himself, He welcomes the weary one into His rest.  There is joy and delight initially, but the believer begins to worry, to fret, to work.  He sees his failures and tries harder.  Where is that rest that was promised?  Did Jesus fail to give rest?

Heaven forbid!

Jesus gives undisturbed rest to those who ABIDE in Him. 

He says,

• become My scholars
• yield to My training
• submit to My will

Do you want to know the secret of how to get Perfect Rest?

Surrender!

Entire surrender to Jesus is the secret of perfect rest.  Give up your entire life to Jesus.  Take up His yoke.  Relax in His leading and teaching.  Be what He wills.  Do what He wills.  Abide in Him.

He says, "My yoke is easy."

The soul yields itself to obey, and the Lord gives the strength and the joy to do it.

The soul turns to the Master Teacher to learn; the Lord's gentleness meets every need.

The soul surrenders itself to abide in Jesus, the Lord's almighty love keeps and blesses.

Do not struggle.  Surrender.  Here are two illustrations to think about.

The weary traveller sees the inn, and heads there to rest.  Does he become more weary while resting in the inn?

The fretting child is comforted, resting in his mother's arms.  Does he feel like he is working while he sits on her lap?

The traveller throws himself on the bed, and rests.  The child relaxes in his mother's arms, and rests.  Resistance would not give rest.  Refusing to enter the inn would not bring rest to the weary one.

In the same way, resisting the yoke of Jesus makes life difficult.  He says, "My yoke is easy; my burden is light."

Abide in Jesus by giving yourself to be RULED, TAUGHT, and LED.  Rest in the arms of Everlasting love, and you will receive

• STRENGTH for every duty
• COURAGE for every struggle
• BLESSING in every cross
• and the JOY of LIFE ETERNAL in death itself

Abiding in Christ - Day 1

  Abiding in Christ - Reviews

I'm reading a little devotional book written by Andrew Murray, and first published in 1895.


"Come to Me."  ~Matthew 11:28


"Abide in Me." ~John 15:4


Day 1 explains that Jesus has prepared an abiding dwelling with HIMSELF, where every moment of your life might be spent in joyful communication with Him.  We are to abide IN Him, enjoying unbroken, intimate, complete relationship  moment by moment throughout each day.


This is a command.  "Abide in Me."


What a wonderful thing... to be commanded by Perfection to stay in Him, always.  Why are we contented to dabble in Him, in His palace, before His throne, then walk away and live in slums?


Andrew Murray writes, 

"Who would be content, after seeking the King's palace, to stand in the door, when he is invited in to dwell in the King's presence, and share with Him in all the glory of His royal life?"~p. 15

Who, indeed?


Not me.

Loving Jesus

Go here to read J.C. Ryle's thoughts on Loving Christ practically.

The Crossing of the Red Sea

In our Bible Study yesterday, we contemplated the Crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites.  Gang reminded us to look for three things: 

1. Details (What details jump out at you as you read Exodus 14?)
2. Similar Patterns (What major themes or patterns do you see?)
3. Christ (The Whole Bible is about Christ.  How is He presented here?)

Verse 8:  And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly.

They'd been slaves in Egypt, and they'd seen astounding things.  They watched as the Lord God Almighty systematically destroyed the false gods of the Egyptians.  When it came time to march out of there, they went out defiantly.  

I can imagine them saying, "Ha!  You got what you deserved, you nasty slave-drivers! "  They took the gold and silver and precious things offered to them by the Egyptians, and left.

Ha!  

They were feeling pretty good.  They had a "high hand".  They were on top of the world.

Until they saw Pharoah pursuing them, that is, with 600 chariots.  Oh, No!  They were going to die in the wilderness.  What was Moses thinking, bringing them out there in the desert to die?  What would they do?  What should they do?

Verse 14 holds the Key:  The Lord will fight for you, and you only have to be silent.

The Lord will fight. 

For you.  For all of you miserable people, who'd only known slavery all of your lives.

And all you have to do is shut up and watch.  

Be still, and know that I am God.

Are you still in the face of your enemies?  Do you know, deep down, that God is the one who fights your battles?  Have you learned to stay silent and watch as the Lord fights for you?

But Moses had something to do.  God gave him an order:

"Stretch out your hand."  

"Moses, I am about to do a marvelous thing here, but I want you to do something, too.  Stretch out your hand over the sea."

Remember, it was God's work.  Moses knew this:

[13] And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. [14] The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

(Exodus 14:13-14 ESV)

God did the work, but He required Moses to stretch out his hand to accomplish His purpose.  Did He need Moses' help?  Of course not!  But He graciously gave him a job to do, and validated his leadership before the people.

Pattern:  God does the work.  He builds the church.  He feeds the family.  He accomplishes His purposes, all of the time.  Nothing can thwart His will.  Yet He has work for us to do.  We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  

Are you doing the work God has prepared for you to do?  Are you faithfully stretching out your hand?  Do you acknowledge that any good thing you do is because of the Lord's mercy and grace, for it is His work?  

Pattern:  They could do NOTHING to save themselves.  Pharaoh and his armies were pursuing them, and there was nothing they could do.  They were weak, and helpless, and afraid.

Take a quick peek at 2 Chronicles 20.  You'll see another pattern there.  Jehoshophat cries out to God, overwhelmed by his enemies.  God tells him, "Don't be afraid.  The Battle is the Lord's!"  

Notice that in 2 Chronicles 20 and in Exodus 14, the children of Israel saw the evidence of God battling on their behalf.  They saw the dead Egyptians on the shore; they saw the dead enemies lying on the ground.  

God not only fought the battles, He made it clear that the enemy was defeated.

Do you live as one who has victory over sin?  It's defeated!  

Christ tore the veil.  He fought the Battle for us!  The enemy is defeated.  The old nature is dead.  

Christ is the Rock - the Way - the Path through the sea.

The path through the sea for the Israelites meant life.

The path through the sea for the Egyptians meant death. 

Check out 2 Corinthians 2:15, 16. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,  to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

(2 Corinthians 2:15-16 ESV)

Here's a summary of the Chapter:

[30] Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. [31] Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

(Exodus 14:30-31 ESV)

The Lord Saves! (He'll save you, too!)

Israel saw the enemy defeated. (He fights your enemies, too!)

Israel saw the great power of the Lord.  (His great power never changes.)

Israel feared the Lord.  (He is worthy of our praise.  He's a good lion, but never a tame one.)

Israel believed in the Lord, and in His servant Moses.  (Do you believe in Him?  Do you trust Him to fight your battles, to work on your behalf?  Do you pray for your spiritual leaders?)

Remember:  The Lord will fight for you.

You only have to be silent.

Hard to Understand

Look around you.  What do you see?  You don't have to look very far to see injustice in this world.  Rioting in the streets of London left innocent people dead - among them an elderly man and a beloved young son.  Greediness and mismanagement has left many national economies in a shambles.  Some countries are controlled by a few outrageously rich and influential families who bribe government officials so they can maintain their power.  The price of a barrel of oil drops and is not reflected at the pumps.  The list goes on.


Worse that that, for you, could be your personal struggles.  Failed relationships, misunderstandings.  Bad communication.  A job that ended with no explanation and no warning.  A terrifying diagnosis.  A feeling of failure.  


You may ask yourself, "Why do others seem to do so well, while my life sucks?"


"I don't understand."


Job's friends insisted time and again that the wicked lived a short life full of inevitable pain and poverty.  They had a simplistic view that the wicked suffer in this world.  Job refutes that claim. (See Chapter 24)


So much wickedness and sadness goes on in the world.  The wicked are friends with the terrors of deep darkness.  Much evil happens in the night.

Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty BY HIS POWER; He gives them security, and they are supported, and His eyes are upon their ways.  They are exalted a little while, and then are gone. They are brought low and gathered up like all the others; they are cut off like the heads of grain.

Do you see?  The oppressor is being supported by the mighty power of God, who holds all things together by the Word of His power!  (Col. 1:17)


Do you see?  He is watching.  Judgment is coming!


Do you see?  The wicked will be brought low and cut off.  They'll bear no fruit.  They'll have no posterity.


Psalm 147 reminds us:


The Lord 

• gathers the outcasts 
• heals the brokenhearted
• binds their wounds
• lifts up the humble
• casts the wicked to the ground

Job didn't always understand.  He had no idea why God ordained that he should suffer so deeply.  Sometimes, he didn't even know if God was there.

Behold, I go forward, but he is not there,and backward, but I do not perceive him;on the left hand, when he is working, I do not behold Him;He turns to the right hand,but I do not see Him.

Do you see that?  Job cannot perceive God, but HE IS WORKING.

Life is confusing and difficult.  The trials we endure seem never-ending, and life is hard to understand.  But God is working!

Job continues, 

But He knows the way that I take;When He has tried me, I shall come out as gold.

Do you see?  We don't know now what God is doing, but we know He is working.  We don't understand why our path in this world leads through thorns and thistles, trials and tribulation.  But we know some day, we shall come out of the fiery furnace, purified.

Farther along, we'll know all about it.  Farther along, we'll understand why.

"Farther Along" - Josh Garrels from Josh Garrels on Vimeo.

Farther along we'll know all about it
Farther along we'll understand why
So, cheer up my brothers, live in the sunshine
We'll understand this, all by and by

Tempted and tried, I wondered why
The good man died, the bad man thrives
And Jesus cries because he loves 'em both
We're all cast-aways in need of rope
Hangin' on by the last threads of our hope
In a house of mirrors full of smoke
Confusing illusions I've seen

Where did I go wrong, I sang along
To every chorus of the song
That the devil wrote like a piper at the gates
Leading mice and men down to their fates
But some will courageously escape
The seductive voice with a heart of faith
While walkin' the line back home

So much more to life than we've been told
It's full of beauty that will unfold
And shine like you struck gold my wayward son
That deadweight burden weighs a ton
Go down into the river and let it run
Wash away all the things you've done
Forgiveness alright

Farther along we'll know all about it
Farther along we'll understand why
So, cheer up my brothers, live in the sunshine
We'll understand this, all by and by

Still I get hard pressed on every side
Between the rock and a compromise
Like the truth and pack of lies fightin' for my soul
And I've got no place left to go
'Cause I got changed by what I've been shown
More glory than the world has known
Keeps me ramblin' on

Skipping like a calf loosed from its stall
I'm free to love once and for all
And even when I fall I'll get back up
For the joy that overflows my cup
Heaven filled me with more than enough
Broke down my levees and my bluffs
Let the flood wash me

And one day when the sky rolls back on us
Some rejoice and the others fuss
'Cause every knee must bow and tongue confess
That the Son of God is forever blessed
His is the kingdom, we're the guests
So put your voice up to the test
Sing Lord, come soon 

Farther along we'll know all about it
Farther along we'll understand why
So, cheer up my brothers, live in the sunshine
We'll understand this, all by and by. ~ Josh Garrels 

43 years of Amazing!!

John MacArthur decided 43 years ago to preach through the entire New Testament, verse-by-verse.

Watch the last few minutes as he accomplishes this goal, extolling his Amazing Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ:

Can't Stop Love

"If there is anything I have learned in my life, it's that so very little is within our control. Our passions arise to surprise us. Our loves jump out at us like boogeymen as we round a dark corner or open the closet. We try and we try to make things fit, to steer the events of our lives a certain way, to create boundaries of experience and feeling, to wall ourselves off from one another, to stop love - which should never be stopped, ever - and my dears, it simply cannot be done." ~Quote from Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos.

We are miserable creatures, we humans.  We want to love and be loved, to feel good about ourselves, to see ourselves in the best possible light.  We tend to hang around with those who make us happy, and avoid those who make us uncomfortable.  If we could, we'd wall ourselves off from each other and live in mansions of ease,  interacting only with those who are invited to enter our hallowed halls.


But God designs families His way.  He puts into our lives exactly those people who will sharpen our rough edges and expose our hidden sins.  He causes the man at the gas station, the girl at the grocery store, the truck driver who cuts us off on the highway to behave in such a manner that we react, and spew out what is really inside our hearts.  Wickedness.  Spite.  Hatred.  Pride.  Self-centeredness.


We can't put up walls.  We can't steer the events of our lives a certain way.


All we can do is to flee to Jesus.  We can look to Him, and ask Him to show us where we need to change.  It's not about changing others - it's all about our hearts before God.

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith and love and every grace
Might more of His salvation know
And seek more earnestly His face

Twas He who taught me thus to pray
And He I trust has answered prayer
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair

I hoped that in some favored hour
At once He’d answer my request
And by His love’s constraining power
Subdue my sins and give me rest

Instead of this He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart
And let the angry powers of Hell
Assault my soul in every part

Yea more with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Cast out my feelings, laid me low

Lord why is this, I trembling cried
Wilt Thou pursue thy worm to death?
“Tis in this way” The Lord replied
“I answer prayer for grace and faith”

“These inward trials I employ
From self and pride to set thee free
And break thy schemes of earthly joy
That thou mayest seek thy all in me,
That thou mayest seek thy all in me.”

They have all the answers.

Smart people. 

There are lots of them out there.  They are the ones who can look at another and just know what they ought to do.

Job ran into some of them.  Zophar was one.  I've paraphrased his words:

"You're suffering, Job?  Oh, that's because you've sinned.  Consider the fate of the wicked.  They have a short life fraught with inevitable pain and poverty.  You must be wicked, too... look at the pain you're in!"

Job is weighed down by their words.  He seems to be at the end of his rope in Chapter 21, but he cannot let Zophar's simplistic view stand without refutation.

"Keep listening to my words. . . Bear with me, and I will speak, and after I have spoken, mock on."

Even though he fully expects his friends to keep mocking, Job cannot remain silent.  He gives many examples of the prosperity of wicked people, who have no fear of God.  He concludes that one man dies in full vigour, after a life of fun, food and song, while another dies in bitterness of soul.  Don't tell me the wicked don't prosper.

How then will you comfort me with empty nothings?  There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood.

What I know is this:  I serve an AWESOME GOD.  He really does know.

When I am confused, He knows the answer.  When I am lost, He knows the path.  When I am weak, He fights the battle.  When I am discouraged, He gives me strength.  When I am overwhelmed, He bows the heavens and comes down!

Psalm 144:1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock,

who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,

You are my Rock, O Lord, and I know You design my trials to shape me so that I am a better soldier of Christ.  I know you love me steadfastly, never wavering, never taking Your eye off of me.  You are the One I turn to in all of my distress.   You are the One on Whom I depend.

You know the way that I take.  You plan out my days and order my steps.  I take refuge in You.  I trust You with all my heart, and I follow You fervently.

Everyone but me seems to know all of the answers.

I don't know.

I only know this.  I must love the Lord my God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  I must love my husband, my children, my neighbour... preferring them above myself.
There are people in my life with all of the answers, too.  They know exactly why we are suffering, and they know what to do about it.  At least, they think they know.