If we do abide in Jesus, our true vine, we will bear fruit. Jesus was the best example of someone abiding in god. The connection was strong and vibrant. Jesus was in tune with the Father. He w as obedient to the Father put on his heart.
People were healed physically. People rose from the dead. People were healed spiritually, psychologically and emotionally. A foundation for an explosion of faith was laid. (After Jesus returned to the Father, Peter gave a five minute speech and 3000 people chose to follow Jesus. But it was Jesus’ prayer and living that cultivated the earth, in preparation for the disciples seeing this explosion.)
We are not even close to seeing the same fruit that Jesus and the first church saw. Jesus said we would do greater things than he did. I do not know all that means. But one thing it surely means is the flow of God’s spirit and life would affect a greater area and a larger number of people. Indeed, God’s purposes encompass the world. But in the West, churches are closing faster than new ones are planted. The lives of Christians, according to research being done, are the primary motivators for NOT following Jesus. In other words, people watch Christians live, act and speak. The result of that is, they decide it is not worth following Jesus.
We are not doing the things Jesus did. We are not living the way Jesus lived. We are not connected to the Father the way Jesus was connected. If we were, we would see the fruit Jesus saw.
In the final analysis, we cannot live and love as Jesus did. Sin still wages war against us. But it waged war against Paul, Peter, Francis of Assisi, Hudson Taylor and Mother Teresa. They fought with their sin like we do. They failed like we fail. They sinned like we sin. But they bore fruit differently.
It seems to me the only element we have control over is our connection to the Father. We do not control the reputation of the church universal. And we do not control the reputation of the Southern Baptists, the Catholics or the Vineyard. We cannot change our reputations either. We may be able to transform how the world views us, how we engage with it and how we affect it. Usually some like this would involve a transformation of our hearts. And there is only one stronger than our hearts. We need to invite him to heal our hearts with his love and truth. And that healing will flow over our connection. So, we need to give greater priority to that connection. We need to give greater priority to be in a receiving mode. We need to give greater priority to acting on what we receive.
If you always do what you always did, you will always get what have always gotten.
People were healed physically. People rose from the dead. People were healed spiritually, psychologically and emotionally. A foundation for an explosion of faith was laid. (After Jesus returned to the Father, Peter gave a five minute speech and 3000 people chose to follow Jesus. But it was Jesus’ prayer and living that cultivated the earth, in preparation for the disciples seeing this explosion.)
We are not even close to seeing the same fruit that Jesus and the first church saw. Jesus said we would do greater things than he did. I do not know all that means. But one thing it surely means is the flow of God’s spirit and life would affect a greater area and a larger number of people. Indeed, God’s purposes encompass the world. But in the West, churches are closing faster than new ones are planted. The lives of Christians, according to research being done, are the primary motivators for NOT following Jesus. In other words, people watch Christians live, act and speak. The result of that is, they decide it is not worth following Jesus.
We are not doing the things Jesus did. We are not living the way Jesus lived. We are not connected to the Father the way Jesus was connected. If we were, we would see the fruit Jesus saw.
In the final analysis, we cannot live and love as Jesus did. Sin still wages war against us. But it waged war against Paul, Peter, Francis of Assisi, Hudson Taylor and Mother Teresa. They fought with their sin like we do. They failed like we fail. They sinned like we sin. But they bore fruit differently.
It seems to me the only element we have control over is our connection to the Father. We do not control the reputation of the church universal. And we do not control the reputation of the Southern Baptists, the Catholics or the Vineyard. We cannot change our reputations either. We may be able to transform how the world views us, how we engage with it and how we affect it. Usually some like this would involve a transformation of our hearts. And there is only one stronger than our hearts. We need to invite him to heal our hearts with his love and truth. And that healing will flow over our connection. So, we need to give greater priority to that connection. We need to give greater priority to be in a receiving mode. We need to give greater priority to acting on what we receive.
If you always do what you always did, you will always get what have always gotten.
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