Cutting out
Good Morning all. How is everyone doing today? To be honest I woke up agitated. I don't know why but I did. But I have to claim in Jesus Name that he will change my heart and my mind. Now on to the devotion this morning. God is working in this crisis (if that is what you call it). He is calling us to cut out the things that are not of Him. He is trying to get us to open our eyes to what it means to be living in Him. And this morning he led me to John 15. This is a long one. But here we go, hold on let me grab another cup of coffee. Ok I am back. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. (He cuts out anything and anyone that holds you back from growing closer to Him. And the things and people that are in your life that helps you grow, he prunes them so that the whole will show His glory.) You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you.(That means we have to be connected to Jesus on a daily basis-prayer, fasting, praising,reading, learning.) No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (We can't do this alone.) I am the vine; you are the branches.(How strong are your branches?) If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fired and burned. (There's a lot of if's there. It also shows us that God gives us a choice. We decide. But he also tells us the consequence. So we know what will happen if we decide to not choose Christ.) If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (Don't take that wrong.) This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands (oops there it is again.), you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this:to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (Jesus does not keep secrets. He tells us how to live. The whole Bible is for everyone to understand, read and learn. So are you Jesus' friend or his servant?) You did not chose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit- fruit that last- (See I told you, I told you that he chose you. He handpicked you for a very purpose and no one can do that except you. Jesus chose you!) and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command:Love each other. Are we loving like Jesus? Are we forgiving like Jesus? Are we bearing fruit like Jesus? I hope we can all say yes to all three of these. Here's the kicker, do we do it all the time or just when we feel like it? It's easy to love those that love you but harder to love those that hate you. Have a blessed day!