Good morning dear friends. I hope this morning you will have time to sit and just be with God. May your morning be restful, even if you are in the midst of much activity. Note that the reading today is not talking about losing your salvation. It is rather, talking about what Jesus spoke of: the seed that falls on different soil. Seed that falls on good soil will root down and grow. The author is calling to attention the seed that never took root, even if it might have appeared to for a time.
Today’s reading is entitled Withered Branches and the verse is John 15:6
If anyone does not abide in Me he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fires and they are burned. John 15:6
Here are some highlights:
There is such a thing as a withered branch, on in whom the initial union with Christ appears to have taken place, and in whom yet it is seen that his faith was but for a time. What a solemn call to look around and see if there be not withered branches in our churches, to look within and see whether we are indeed abiding and bearing fruit!
With some it is that they never understood how the Christian calling leads to holy obedience and to loving service.// With others it was that the cares of the world, or its prosperity, choked the Word: they had never forsaken all to follow Christ. With still others it was that their religion and their faith was in the wisdom of men, and not in the power of God.
Let us open our eyes and see if there be not withered branches all around us in the churches. //…. ask the Lord whether there is nothing to be done for branches that are beginning to wither. And let the word Abide ring through the Church until every believer has caught it – no safety but in a true abiding in Christ.// …the secret of abiding will become even simpler, just the consciousness of the place in which He has put me: just the childlike resting in my union with Him, and the trustful assurance that He will keep me.
Oh do let us believe there is a life that knows of no withering, that is ever green; and that brings forth fruit abundantly! O my Father, watch over me, and keep me, and let nothing ever for a moment hinder the freshness that comes from a full abiding in the Vine. Let the very thought of a withered branch fill me with holy fear and watchfulness.
Abba, O give to us Your compassion for those who are withering – let us not cast them off, let us not do that to these whom You love. O let us, in Your power and at Your command, go to these precious ones, let us, send us, work through us to warn them of the disease that blocks their vital union with You. O to those who think they are attached to the Vine, but care nothing for fruit… O God, do what You will to save them, to wake them up to see their true condition. And forgive us Lord, for not caring enough to ask about other’s union with Christ, for just assuming that because they are in our church, they must have already placed their faith in Your finished work. O God, may we not be so busy that we don’t have time to listen. Forgive us again for being more concerned with our own agenda during the week, especially Sunday mornings. O let us take time with one another to know how we can encourage our union with You. Abba I am sure those who are reading this, are Your daughters, Your sons. I cannot imagine praying would be something one would do if they did not really know You. Yet O God, if there is one daughter, one son, who thinks they know You but has never really placed their faith in the finished work of Christ, would You even now, right now, reveal Your love to them, draw them to You, speak to them and adopt them as a son, as a daughter? Abba give us ears to hear and hearts to obey Your promptings to listen to one another, and pray for one another as we walk out this walk of faith, I ask in Jesus’ name, amen.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Monday, March 2, 2015
You Can Do Nothing
| Good morning dear sisters. Thank you for sending in your requests for prayer. It’s a joy to pray with and for you, and to ask God to do what only He can do. I’m thankful each of us have this ministry: to pray for one another, to speak truth in love to one another, to encourage one another, and all the more as we see the Day approaching. Today’s reading is entitled You Can Do Nothing, and comes from John 15:5 Apart from me, you can do nothing. John 15:5 Here are some highlights: As Son He did not receive His life from the Father once for all, but moment by moment. His life was a continual waiting on the Father for all He was to do. And so Christ says of His disciples: “You can do nothing apart from me.” He means it literally. To everyone who wants to live the true disciple life, to bring forth fruit and glorify God, the message comes: You can do nothing. // Abiding in Me is indispensable, for, you know it, of yourselves you can do nothing to maintain or act out the heavenly life.” As little as I can give it myself, can I maintain or increase it” every motion is the work of god through Christ and His Spirit. It is as a man believes this, that he will take up that position of entire and continual dependence whichis the very essence of the life of faith. Apart from Me you can do nothing – what a plea and what a call every moment to abide in Christ! // “Abide in Me” – much fruit! “Apart from Me” – nothing! Ought there to be any doubt as to what we shall choose? // The one lesson of the parable is – as surely, as naturally as the branch abides in the vine, You can abide in Christ. “Lord! I am abiding: I will bear much fruit. My impotence is my strength. So be it. Apart from Thee, nothing. In Thee, much fruit.” Lord, I gladly accept the arrangement: I noting – Thou all. My nothingness is my highest blessing, because Thou art the Vine, that givest and workest all. So be it, Lord! I, nothing, ever waiting on Thy Fullness. Lord, reveal to me the glory of this blessed life. Prayer for our Speaker Mandi Cornett 2 Thess 1:11-12 Abba, we pray for Mandi, that You our God may count her worthy of her calling, and that by Your power You may fulfill every good purpose she has, and every act prompted by her faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in her Father, and You in her, according to Your grace and the Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer for us Lord thank You that You are our place of rest. Thank You that apart from You, we can do absolutely nothing. Teach us, like Paul, to glory in our weakness, because when we are weak, You are strong. Lord Jesus, thank You for showing us how to live the abiding life, through Your example, and now Your Spirit. Lord we are dependent upon You, moment by moment, for the breath in our lungs. We are dependent upon You to keep us, as You promised, within Your hand. We can do nothing on our own. We can’t mend relationships, we cannot be faithful to our jobs, our families, our spouses. We cannot deny ourselves. But in You, as You live Your life through us, we can do all things. By the power of Your Spirit who lives within us, we can live a life of abiding. It was Your Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, by the power of Your love. This same Spirit lives in us, who by faith have put their trust in the finished work of Christ. O remind us again, we are crucified with Christ, and we no longer live, but You Christ, live in us. And the life we live in the body, we live by faith in You, who loved us and gave Yourself for us. Our whole heart says Amen… so be it. We desire to live the life You want to live through us. Teach us again, when we are tempted to be anxious, or self righteous, or easily offended, that we have died, and our lives are hidden in You. We abide, for apart from You we can do nothing. But in You! We can do all things, because You are the one who strengthens us. Show us Your agenda today Abba, and give us the grace to rest and follow You in it. In Jesus’ name, amen. |
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Much Fruit
Hello and good morning! My anticipation for what the Lord will do in and through us on retreat is growing. I have the privilege of seeing some of the behind the scenes activity, some of what He is doing in our hearts as you send in your prayer requests, and report His answers. I sense He is zealous for all of us as individuals. He wants our whole heart. May this meditation on John 15 continue to unveil the promise of His joy in you, His joy complete in you. This is a promise you can rest in as you rest in Him.
The reading today is entitled Much Fruit, and is from John 15:5
…he who abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit…. John 15:5
Here are some highlights:
…the fruit is not a demand, but the simple promise of what must come to the branch that lives in the double abiding – he in Chrsit, and Christ in him.
…only life can bear fruit. A law can compel work: only love can spontaneously bring forth fruit.
…the essential idea of fruit is that it is the silent natural restful produce of our inner life…
The fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, joy.// It is only when good works come as the fruit of the indwelling Spirit that they are acceptable to God. Under the compulsion of law and conscience, or the influence of inclination and zeal, men (and women) may be most diligent in good works, and yet find that they have but little spiritual result. There can be no reason but this – their works are man’s effort, instead of being the fruit of the Spirit, the restful, natural outcome of the Spirit’s operation within us.
Let all workers come and listen to our holy Vine as He reveals the law of sure and abundant fruitfulness. “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.” The gardener cares for one thing – the strength and healthy life of his tree: the fruit follows of itself. If you would bear fruit, see that the inner life is perfectly right, that your relation to Christ Jesus is clear and close. //It is not your willing and running, it is not by your might or strength, but – “by my Spirit saith the Lord.” See you to the abiding: He will see to the fruit, for He will give it in you and through you.
…Christ must do all! The Vine provides the sap, and the life, and the strength; the branch waits, and rests, and receives, and bears the fruit. //I pray you, take time and ask the Holy Spirit to give you to realize the unspeakably solemn place you occupy in the mind of God. He has planted you into His Son with the calling and the power to bear much fruit. Accept that place. Look much to God, and to Christ, and expect joyfully to be what God has planned to make you, a fruitful branch.
So be it, blessed Lord Jesus. It can be, for Thou art the Vine. It shall be, for I am abiding in Thee. It must be, for Thy Father is the Husbandman that cleanses the branch. Yea, much fruit, out of the abundance of Thy grace.
Abba, we want Jesus to be our most treasured possession on the horizon of our future. We want to see Jesus, and find in Him all Your promises of being fully known, and fully loved. We cannot do this on our own. We are too easily distracted, willingly distracted. Oh may Your Spirit continue to form in us a longing and desire to see You as our hearts desire. We believe that You alone can bear fruit through us, by Your Spirit. And we are beginning to understand our own frustration in ministry… we have been trying to produce the fruit on our own. We want to produce Spirit led lives in the sphere in which you have planted us, and yet only Life begets Life. So we lay down doing what we think we know to do, and by faith, believe the promise that You desire not just fruit in and through our lives, but much fruit...and You will do it! Oh what a promise Lord! Let us see You as our hearts desire. Show us again Your glory. We want to be with You Jesus where You are, that we may see Your glory. And let this fuel our rest, let this fuel our faith and belief that You will bear much fruit as we walk closely with You. As we rest in relationship with You, being filled by Your Spirit, the natural result will be fruit, more fruit, abundant fruit. May we cease striving to produce fruit, and may You fill our hearts and vision today. Jesus, You are truly the joy of our desiring. We love You. In Your name we pray, amen.
The reading today is entitled Much Fruit, and is from John 15:5
…he who abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit…. John 15:5
Here are some highlights:
…the fruit is not a demand, but the simple promise of what must come to the branch that lives in the double abiding – he in Chrsit, and Christ in him.
…only life can bear fruit. A law can compel work: only love can spontaneously bring forth fruit.
…the essential idea of fruit is that it is the silent natural restful produce of our inner life…
The fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, joy.// It is only when good works come as the fruit of the indwelling Spirit that they are acceptable to God. Under the compulsion of law and conscience, or the influence of inclination and zeal, men (and women) may be most diligent in good works, and yet find that they have but little spiritual result. There can be no reason but this – their works are man’s effort, instead of being the fruit of the Spirit, the restful, natural outcome of the Spirit’s operation within us.
Let all workers come and listen to our holy Vine as He reveals the law of sure and abundant fruitfulness. “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.” The gardener cares for one thing – the strength and healthy life of his tree: the fruit follows of itself. If you would bear fruit, see that the inner life is perfectly right, that your relation to Christ Jesus is clear and close. //It is not your willing and running, it is not by your might or strength, but – “by my Spirit saith the Lord.” See you to the abiding: He will see to the fruit, for He will give it in you and through you.
…Christ must do all! The Vine provides the sap, and the life, and the strength; the branch waits, and rests, and receives, and bears the fruit. //I pray you, take time and ask the Holy Spirit to give you to realize the unspeakably solemn place you occupy in the mind of God. He has planted you into His Son with the calling and the power to bear much fruit. Accept that place. Look much to God, and to Christ, and expect joyfully to be what God has planned to make you, a fruitful branch.
So be it, blessed Lord Jesus. It can be, for Thou art the Vine. It shall be, for I am abiding in Thee. It must be, for Thy Father is the Husbandman that cleanses the branch. Yea, much fruit, out of the abundance of Thy grace.
Abba, we want Jesus to be our most treasured possession on the horizon of our future. We want to see Jesus, and find in Him all Your promises of being fully known, and fully loved. We cannot do this on our own. We are too easily distracted, willingly distracted. Oh may Your Spirit continue to form in us a longing and desire to see You as our hearts desire. We believe that You alone can bear fruit through us, by Your Spirit. And we are beginning to understand our own frustration in ministry… we have been trying to produce the fruit on our own. We want to produce Spirit led lives in the sphere in which you have planted us, and yet only Life begets Life. So we lay down doing what we think we know to do, and by faith, believe the promise that You desire not just fruit in and through our lives, but much fruit...and You will do it! Oh what a promise Lord! Let us see You as our hearts desire. Show us again Your glory. We want to be with You Jesus where You are, that we may see Your glory. And let this fuel our rest, let this fuel our faith and belief that You will bear much fruit as we walk closely with You. As we rest in relationship with You, being filled by Your Spirit, the natural result will be fruit, more fruit, abundant fruit. May we cease striving to produce fruit, and may You fill our hearts and vision today. Jesus, You are truly the joy of our desiring. We love You. In Your name we pray, amen.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Ye Are The Branches
Good morning dear sisters… I’ve heard from some of you how the devotionals are hitting home. And some of you have asked for prayer. It is a joy to pray for you, because we get to be a part of what God is doing, and it brings us so much joy to see how tenderly He cares for us and how He is at work in our body of believers here.
Did you know we have an Intercession Team? They are at the ready to pray for you. If you would like prayer, please email me at nicolechapingiven@gmail.com
Let me know two things:
Would you like just me to pray or may I pass your request along to the Intercessors?
Would you like to remain anonymous?
I count it a privilege to pray for you, as does each member of our Intercessory Prayer Team.
The reading today is entitled Ye the Branches and is from John 15:5.
I am the Vine, Ye are the branches. – John 15:5
Here are some highlights:
The relationship He seeks to establish is an intensely personal one: it all hinges on the two little words I and You.//Let us present ourselves before the Lord, until He speak to each of un is power, and our whole soul feels it: “I am the Vine; you are the branch.” Dear disciple of Jesus, however young or feeble, hear the voice. “You are the branch.” You must be nothing less. // Yes, by His grace I will be nothing less than a branch, and all He means it to be, that through me, He may bring forth His fruit.”
“You are the branch.” You need be nothing more. You need not for one single moment of the day take upon you the responsibility of the Vine. You need not leave the place of entire dependence and unbounded confidence. You need, least of all, to be anxious as to how you are to understand the mystery, or fulfill its conditions, or work out its blessed aim. //You need be nothing more than a branch. Only be a branch! Let that be your watchword….
Dear soul, the character of a branch, its strength, and the fruit it bears, depend entirely upon the Vine. And your life as a branch depends entirely upon your apprehension of what our Lord Jesus is. Therefore never separate the two words: “I the Vine – you the branch.” Your life and strength and fruit depend upon what your Lord Jesus is! Therefore worship and trust Him; let Him be your one desire and the one occupation of your heart.
This word, too Lord! O speak it in power unto my soul. Let not the branch of the earthly vine put me to shame, but as it only lives to bear the fruit of the vine, may my life on earth have no wish or aim, but to let Thee bring forth fruit through me.
Prayer for us:
Abba, there are many things that vie for our attention today. Our to-do list grows, and as it does, so does our sense of failure, of frustration. There are things we know we ought to do, like connect with others, like ask someone for forgiveness, like be still and just be with you… but we don’t, and the weight of that becomes burdensome. There are things we ought not to do, like go to our chosen idols to fill us… idols like FaceBook, or food, or approval. But we have such voids, and these things seem so readily accessible. Oh God, thank You that You alone are the Vine, and all You ask is for us to be the branch. O teach us how to rest and trust…. How to trust that as we rest, as we keep our eyes fixed on You, as we worship You and trust You and walk out that trust by faith in Your promises, as our one desire and the one occupation of our heart is You…. You will be all our heart desires, all we need. And then what we do will flow out of that rest. We are in such need of rest Abba…we don’t know how to keep our gaze steady on You, and in our heart of hearts, are not sure You satisfy as much as our chosen idol. O teach us to taste and see how GOOD You are Father! How You do satisfy, how Your beauty and glory and meditating on Your promises bring us the joy our hearts long for and seek, even in the midst of our circumstances. Lift our chins once again to look You full in the face. Let us believe You today, that You give us the will and power to obey, and as we obey, as we are still and seek Your face, You will meet us there, because You have promised. And let all we do today, be done through us, by Your Vine, by Your Spirit of Life in and through us, and bear the fruit that You will O God. For Your glory and our joy, in Jesus’ Name, amen.
Did you know we have an Intercession Team? They are at the ready to pray for you. If you would like prayer, please email me at nicolechapingiven@gmail.com
Let me know two things:
Would you like just me to pray or may I pass your request along to the Intercessors?
Would you like to remain anonymous?
I count it a privilege to pray for you, as does each member of our Intercessory Prayer Team.
The reading today is entitled Ye the Branches and is from John 15:5.
I am the Vine, Ye are the branches. – John 15:5
Here are some highlights:
The relationship He seeks to establish is an intensely personal one: it all hinges on the two little words I and You.//Let us present ourselves before the Lord, until He speak to each of un is power, and our whole soul feels it: “I am the Vine; you are the branch.” Dear disciple of Jesus, however young or feeble, hear the voice. “You are the branch.” You must be nothing less. // Yes, by His grace I will be nothing less than a branch, and all He means it to be, that through me, He may bring forth His fruit.”
“You are the branch.” You need be nothing more. You need not for one single moment of the day take upon you the responsibility of the Vine. You need not leave the place of entire dependence and unbounded confidence. You need, least of all, to be anxious as to how you are to understand the mystery, or fulfill its conditions, or work out its blessed aim. //You need be nothing more than a branch. Only be a branch! Let that be your watchword….
Dear soul, the character of a branch, its strength, and the fruit it bears, depend entirely upon the Vine. And your life as a branch depends entirely upon your apprehension of what our Lord Jesus is. Therefore never separate the two words: “I the Vine – you the branch.” Your life and strength and fruit depend upon what your Lord Jesus is! Therefore worship and trust Him; let Him be your one desire and the one occupation of your heart.
This word, too Lord! O speak it in power unto my soul. Let not the branch of the earthly vine put me to shame, but as it only lives to bear the fruit of the vine, may my life on earth have no wish or aim, but to let Thee bring forth fruit through me.
Prayer for us:
Abba, there are many things that vie for our attention today. Our to-do list grows, and as it does, so does our sense of failure, of frustration. There are things we know we ought to do, like connect with others, like ask someone for forgiveness, like be still and just be with you… but we don’t, and the weight of that becomes burdensome. There are things we ought not to do, like go to our chosen idols to fill us… idols like FaceBook, or food, or approval. But we have such voids, and these things seem so readily accessible. Oh God, thank You that You alone are the Vine, and all You ask is for us to be the branch. O teach us how to rest and trust…. How to trust that as we rest, as we keep our eyes fixed on You, as we worship You and trust You and walk out that trust by faith in Your promises, as our one desire and the one occupation of our heart is You…. You will be all our heart desires, all we need. And then what we do will flow out of that rest. We are in such need of rest Abba…we don’t know how to keep our gaze steady on You, and in our heart of hearts, are not sure You satisfy as much as our chosen idol. O teach us to taste and see how GOOD You are Father! How You do satisfy, how Your beauty and glory and meditating on Your promises bring us the joy our hearts long for and seek, even in the midst of our circumstances. Lift our chins once again to look You full in the face. Let us believe You today, that You give us the will and power to obey, and as we obey, as we are still and seek Your face, You will meet us there, because You have promised. And let all we do today, be done through us, by Your Vine, by Your Spirit of Life in and through us, and bear the fruit that You will O God. For Your glory and our joy, in Jesus’ Name, amen.
Friday, February 27, 2015
I The Vine
Good morning : ) I hope you have time to read through some of these devotionals. I’m trusting that God will give you what you need for this part of your own journey with Jesus. And I’m trusting that God will give us as a people what we need as we walk this walk of faith together.
Please note, today is the last day I'm including the link to the devotional in the post. You can always go back to previous posts to find the link.
Today’s reading is from John 15:5, is entitled I The Vine and can be found on page 8-9 of the link below.
Here are some highlights:
…the only way to obey the command,”Abide in me,” is to have eye and heart fixed upon Himself. // Yea, study this holy mystery until you see Christ as the true Vine, bearing, strengthening, supplying, inspiring all His branches, being and doing in each branch all it needs, and the abiding will come of itself. Yes, gaze upon Him as the true Vine, until you feel what a heavenly Mystery it is, and are compelled to ask the Father to reveal it to you by His Holy Spirit. He to whom God reveals the glory of the true Vine, he who sees what Jesus is and waits to do every moments, he cannot but abide. // How much weary labor there has been in striving to understand what abiding is, how much fruitless effort in trying to attain it! Why was this? Because the attention was turned to the abiding as a work we have to do, instead of the living Christ, in whom we were to be kept abiding, who Himself was to hold and keep us, we though of abiding as a continual strain and effort – we forget that it means rest from effort to one who has found the place of his abode. // Iam the vine, only consent and yield thy all to Me, I will do all in thee. // …Know that thou are in Me; thou needest no more; remain there in Me. //Let each day in our quiet time, in the inner chamber with Him and His word, our chief thought and aim be to get the heart fixed on Him, in the assurance: all all that a vine ever can do for its branches, my Lord Jesus will do, is doing for me.
Blessed Lord, speak Thou that word into my soul. Then shall I know that all Thy fullness is for me. And that I can count upon Thee to stream it into me, and that my abiding is so easy and so sure when I forget and lose myself in the adoring faith that the vine holds the branch and supplies its every need.
Prayer for us
Abba we wait for you… but You have already been waiting for us. You promise that You are already in the secret place, and You wait for us to come in and shut the door, and be with You. Thank You Abba, that You are the With Us God, Emmanuel. Thank You that You are painstakingly unveiling our own hearts to ourselves, and exposing where we just don’t believe You, or where we are so lacking in faith. You do this because You love us, and desire we come in our need to receive from You what our hearts so long for, have so longed for…for so long. Abba continue to release us from our own self protection, from believing the ancient lie, Did God really say? You have promised Jesus came to give us life, abundant life. You are not withholding that from us. You are intricately and deliberately and patiently removing the obstacles we have put up in protection against those things or people that have wounded us. Even You O God, we have put walls of protection up against, because we misunderstand, we have not understood the pruning. O Abba, release us from our own walls of protection, break through what we cannot, and take hold of us and bring us to Your throne to receive the grace and mercy we need. We need You Lord to do in us what we cannot. We abide in You, release to You, believe by faith in You, because You have promised. Thank You that You will do all this and more, more than we could ever ask or imagine, in Jesus’ Name, amen.
The True Vine
Please note, today is the last day I'm including the link to the devotional in the post. You can always go back to previous posts to find the link.
Today’s reading is from John 15:5, is entitled I The Vine and can be found on page 8-9 of the link below.
Here are some highlights:
…the only way to obey the command,”Abide in me,” is to have eye and heart fixed upon Himself. // Yea, study this holy mystery until you see Christ as the true Vine, bearing, strengthening, supplying, inspiring all His branches, being and doing in each branch all it needs, and the abiding will come of itself. Yes, gaze upon Him as the true Vine, until you feel what a heavenly Mystery it is, and are compelled to ask the Father to reveal it to you by His Holy Spirit. He to whom God reveals the glory of the true Vine, he who sees what Jesus is and waits to do every moments, he cannot but abide. // How much weary labor there has been in striving to understand what abiding is, how much fruitless effort in trying to attain it! Why was this? Because the attention was turned to the abiding as a work we have to do, instead of the living Christ, in whom we were to be kept abiding, who Himself was to hold and keep us, we though of abiding as a continual strain and effort – we forget that it means rest from effort to one who has found the place of his abode. // Iam the vine, only consent and yield thy all to Me, I will do all in thee. // …Know that thou are in Me; thou needest no more; remain there in Me. //Let each day in our quiet time, in the inner chamber with Him and His word, our chief thought and aim be to get the heart fixed on Him, in the assurance: all all that a vine ever can do for its branches, my Lord Jesus will do, is doing for me.
Blessed Lord, speak Thou that word into my soul. Then shall I know that all Thy fullness is for me. And that I can count upon Thee to stream it into me, and that my abiding is so easy and so sure when I forget and lose myself in the adoring faith that the vine holds the branch and supplies its every need.
Prayer for us
Abba we wait for you… but You have already been waiting for us. You promise that You are already in the secret place, and You wait for us to come in and shut the door, and be with You. Thank You Abba, that You are the With Us God, Emmanuel. Thank You that You are painstakingly unveiling our own hearts to ourselves, and exposing where we just don’t believe You, or where we are so lacking in faith. You do this because You love us, and desire we come in our need to receive from You what our hearts so long for, have so longed for…for so long. Abba continue to release us from our own self protection, from believing the ancient lie, Did God really say? You have promised Jesus came to give us life, abundant life. You are not withholding that from us. You are intricately and deliberately and patiently removing the obstacles we have put up in protection against those things or people that have wounded us. Even You O God, we have put walls of protection up against, because we misunderstand, we have not understood the pruning. O Abba, release us from our own walls of protection, break through what we cannot, and take hold of us and bring us to Your throne to receive the grace and mercy we need. We need You Lord to do in us what we cannot. We abide in You, release to You, believe by faith in You, because You have promised. Thank You that You will do all this and more, more than we could ever ask or imagine, in Jesus’ Name, amen.
The True Vine
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Except Ye Abide
Good morning! It’s been encouraging to know that many of you are reading at least the highlights, if not the original devotional by Andrew Murray. Many of the dots of my walk with Christ are being connected through these readings… things I’ve pondered or wondered about, and I see the connections as I read what he wrote over one hundred years ago. How amazing that the principles and truths God taught this man, He continues to teach to us, generations later. God's Word truly stands forever.
The reading today is from John 15:4, is entitled Except Ye Abide, and can be found on pages 7-8 in the link below.
Please note. After tomorrow, I will no longer include the links to the reading. If you need it, you can bookmark it in your browser, download the PDF, or just refer back here to previous posts.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless (except) it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless (except) you abide in Me. John 15:4
There is but one way for the branch to bear fruit, there is no other possibility, it must abide in unbroken communion with the vine. Not of itself, but only of the vine, does the fruit come.
Christ knows so well what a renunciation of self is implied in this: “Abide in me:” how strong and universal the tendency would be to seek to bear fruit by our own efforts; how difficult it would be to get us to believe that actual, continuous abiding in Him is an absolute necessity! He insists upon the truth: Not of itself can the branch bear fruit, except it abide, it cannot bear fruit. “No more can ye,except ye abide in me.”
Let me learn the lesson. Abiding is to be an act of the will and the whole heart.// In regeneration the divine life enters us, but does not all at once master and fill our whole being. This comes as matter of command and obedience.//There is unspeakable danger of our giving ourselves to work for God, and to bear fruit, with but little of the true abiding, the wholehearted losing of ourselves in Christ and His life.// We must allow the words, “not of itself,” “except it abide,” to do their work of searching and exposing, of pruning and cleansing, all that there is of self-will and self confidence in our life;//Abiding in the vine then comes to be nothing more nor less than restful surrender of the soul to let Christ have all and work all, as completely as in nature the branch knows an seeks nothing but the vine.
Abide in Me. I have heard, my Lord, that with every command, Thou also givest the power to obey. With Thy “rise and walk,” the lame man leaped. I accept Thy word, Abide in me,” as a word of power, that gives power, and even now I say, Yea, Lord. I will, I do abide in Thee.
Prayer for us
Abba there are many things that make us weary. There are relationships that grieve us because they are broken. There is still unforgiveness that we carry, though we truly do want to forgive, thought we forgave, but the bitterness continues. There are responsibilities that must be taken care of and we are beginning to wonder how they will ever be accomplished. There are good things that we are involved in, things that bring us life and joy, and yet we are beginning to feel like it is all too much. There is too much on our plate, and even the good things are beginning to feel burdensome.
Bring us back to Your word this morning Father. Bring us back to Your call to us through Jesus. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matt 11:28-30 The MSG.
We desire this Lord. Show us how to throw off everything that hinders, and what we are carrying that You never asked us to carry. Lighten our steps and our walk with You, teach us how to live as free daughters of the King. And as we walk in freedom, O give us a voice to call to others on the journey that it is true… we can live the abundant, abiding life You have promised. And this abiding life is not for our joy alone… the abundant abiding life is to produce other disciples, others who will live in the freedom of being adopted by the King. You are the Vinedresser Abba, You are the Vine Jesus, You are our Life Holy Spirit… we are only the branch. O teach us today to desire nothing more than to be the branch. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
The True Vine
The reading today is from John 15:4, is entitled Except Ye Abide, and can be found on pages 7-8 in the link below.
Please note. After tomorrow, I will no longer include the links to the reading. If you need it, you can bookmark it in your browser, download the PDF, or just refer back here to previous posts.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless (except) it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless (except) you abide in Me. John 15:4
There is but one way for the branch to bear fruit, there is no other possibility, it must abide in unbroken communion with the vine. Not of itself, but only of the vine, does the fruit come.
Christ knows so well what a renunciation of self is implied in this: “Abide in me:” how strong and universal the tendency would be to seek to bear fruit by our own efforts; how difficult it would be to get us to believe that actual, continuous abiding in Him is an absolute necessity! He insists upon the truth: Not of itself can the branch bear fruit, except it abide, it cannot bear fruit. “No more can ye,except ye abide in me.”
Let me learn the lesson. Abiding is to be an act of the will and the whole heart.// In regeneration the divine life enters us, but does not all at once master and fill our whole being. This comes as matter of command and obedience.//There is unspeakable danger of our giving ourselves to work for God, and to bear fruit, with but little of the true abiding, the wholehearted losing of ourselves in Christ and His life.// We must allow the words, “not of itself,” “except it abide,” to do their work of searching and exposing, of pruning and cleansing, all that there is of self-will and self confidence in our life;//Abiding in the vine then comes to be nothing more nor less than restful surrender of the soul to let Christ have all and work all, as completely as in nature the branch knows an seeks nothing but the vine.
Abide in Me. I have heard, my Lord, that with every command, Thou also givest the power to obey. With Thy “rise and walk,” the lame man leaped. I accept Thy word, Abide in me,” as a word of power, that gives power, and even now I say, Yea, Lord. I will, I do abide in Thee.
Prayer for us
Abba there are many things that make us weary. There are relationships that grieve us because they are broken. There is still unforgiveness that we carry, though we truly do want to forgive, thought we forgave, but the bitterness continues. There are responsibilities that must be taken care of and we are beginning to wonder how they will ever be accomplished. There are good things that we are involved in, things that bring us life and joy, and yet we are beginning to feel like it is all too much. There is too much on our plate, and even the good things are beginning to feel burdensome.
Bring us back to Your word this morning Father. Bring us back to Your call to us through Jesus. “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matt 11:28-30 The MSG.
We desire this Lord. Show us how to throw off everything that hinders, and what we are carrying that You never asked us to carry. Lighten our steps and our walk with You, teach us how to live as free daughters of the King. And as we walk in freedom, O give us a voice to call to others on the journey that it is true… we can live the abundant, abiding life You have promised. And this abiding life is not for our joy alone… the abundant abiding life is to produce other disciples, others who will live in the freedom of being adopted by the King. You are the Vinedresser Abba, You are the Vine Jesus, You are our Life Holy Spirit… we are only the branch. O teach us today to desire nothing more than to be the branch. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
The True Vine
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Abide
Good morning sweet friends. It is a joy to pray with and for you. Thank you to those who have replied back with words of encouragement and insights into the readings. It’s so good to be sharpened by you and to know He is truly doing His work in us individually, and with hope, corporately.
Today’s reading is from John 15:4, and is entitled Abide, and can be found on page 7 in the link below.
Abide in Me, and I in You …. John 15:4
Here are the highlights:
When a new graft is placed in a vine and it abides there...the graft shoots its little roots and fibers down into the stem and the stem grows up into the graft, and what has been called a structural union is effected/// (Then) ...the sap of the vine enters the new structure.
Many believers pray and long very earnestly for the filling of the Spirit and the indwelling of Christ and wonder that they do not make more progress. The reason is often this, the “I in you “ cannot come because the “abide in me” is not maintained.
It is as in lowly obedience we follow Christ, even in external things, denying ourselves, forsaking the world, and even in the body seeking to be conformable to Him as we thus seek to abide in Him, that we shall be able to receive and enjoy the “I in you.”
The words “Abide in me and I in you” just tell us to believe it, this divine mystery, and to count upon our God the Husbandman, and Christ the Vine to make it divinely true.Let us, in the faith of His working, abide and rest in Him, ever turning heart and hope to Him alone. And let us count upon Him to fulfill in us the mystery: “Ye in me, and I in you.”
Blessed Lord, Thou dost bid me abide in Thee. how can I, Lord, except Thou show Thyself to me waiting to receive and welcome and keep me? I pray Thee show me how thou as Vine undertaketh to do all. To be occupied with Thee is to abide in Thee. Here I am, Lord, a branch, cleansed and abiding - resting in Thee, and awaiting the inflow of thy life and grace.
Prayer for us.
Lord we cannot do what You ask, if You will not first do it in us. Lord teach us to keep our eyes fixed on You, show us how to abide, without striving to abide. Lord it seems so elusive and yet You command, Abide in Me and I in You. How is it that You would abide in us O God? We grow weary of our own anxiety, grow weary of our own lack of faith. And we hear the command to abide and we know we cannot, we cannot. Teach us again what it means Lord… Command what You will, O grant what You command. Infuse us again with a longing for You, to be with You, to simply be with You. As our brother Andrew prayed so long ago, teach us to rest from our own efforts to abide, keep our eyes off of ourselves, and be occupied only with You. You are true beauty Lord, and the radiance of Your beauty is Your glory. Let us with unveiled eyes see the beauty and the glory of You in the face of Christ. We pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.
The True Vine
Today’s reading is from John 15:4, and is entitled Abide, and can be found on page 7 in the link below.
Abide in Me, and I in You …. John 15:4
Here are the highlights:
When a new graft is placed in a vine and it abides there...the graft shoots its little roots and fibers down into the stem and the stem grows up into the graft, and what has been called a structural union is effected/// (Then) ...the sap of the vine enters the new structure.
Many believers pray and long very earnestly for the filling of the Spirit and the indwelling of Christ and wonder that they do not make more progress. The reason is often this, the “I in you “ cannot come because the “abide in me” is not maintained.
It is as in lowly obedience we follow Christ, even in external things, denying ourselves, forsaking the world, and even in the body seeking to be conformable to Him as we thus seek to abide in Him, that we shall be able to receive and enjoy the “I in you.”
The words “Abide in me and I in you” just tell us to believe it, this divine mystery, and to count upon our God the Husbandman, and Christ the Vine to make it divinely true.Let us, in the faith of His working, abide and rest in Him, ever turning heart and hope to Him alone. And let us count upon Him to fulfill in us the mystery: “Ye in me, and I in you.”
Blessed Lord, Thou dost bid me abide in Thee. how can I, Lord, except Thou show Thyself to me waiting to receive and welcome and keep me? I pray Thee show me how thou as Vine undertaketh to do all. To be occupied with Thee is to abide in Thee. Here I am, Lord, a branch, cleansed and abiding - resting in Thee, and awaiting the inflow of thy life and grace.
Prayer for us.
Lord we cannot do what You ask, if You will not first do it in us. Lord teach us to keep our eyes fixed on You, show us how to abide, without striving to abide. Lord it seems so elusive and yet You command, Abide in Me and I in You. How is it that You would abide in us O God? We grow weary of our own anxiety, grow weary of our own lack of faith. And we hear the command to abide and we know we cannot, we cannot. Teach us again what it means Lord… Command what You will, O grant what You command. Infuse us again with a longing for You, to be with You, to simply be with You. As our brother Andrew prayed so long ago, teach us to rest from our own efforts to abide, keep our eyes off of ourselves, and be occupied only with You. You are true beauty Lord, and the radiance of Your beauty is Your glory. Let us with unveiled eyes see the beauty and the glory of You in the face of Christ. We pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.
The True Vine
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