04/10/2024
I think we all need to be reminded of this from time to time! We get so caught up in striving, growing, producing, etc. etc., when really what we need to be doing is just abiding! Seeking His presence, instead of His Presents! I was reminded again this week... going forward in life does not mean what the world teaches, always expanding, gaining, obtaining, becoming, receiving... Going forward in life is shrinking, losing, dying, letting go, giving... John said "I must decrease, He must increase".
Going forward is not in getting ahead, going forward is in heading up! I'm not moving forward unless I'm heading up; up towards Heaven!
When I'm losing, then I'm gaining! When I'm dying, then I'm living!
Jesus said "if anyone wants to follow me, they must first "deny themselves", take up their (own) cross, and follow me". Where was He heading? To the hill to be crucified on the cross He Himself carried!
We might think we are gaining by winning, but the truth is, we're not winning until we're losing!
Everything we do... all the working to be counted worthy (good works); all the "seeking" to be this or gain that; all the "striving" for success and excellence; all the "quests" for holiness and the need to be "righteous" in our own, other's, or God's eyes... Jesus said it's all filthy rags that will all be burnt up!
There is NOTHING we could ever do to be made "righteous" in, or be in "right" standing with the Father, except to be covered by the blood of the Lamb of God, His only begotten Son, and to be sanctified and cleansed by Him, by the believing in, and calling on HIS Holy Name: And by accepting, by faith, His free gift of atonement, which was made possible by HIS sacrifice, and by HIS work (and that not that of ourselves) that HE HAS ALREADY DONE at the cross!
Jesus is the ONLY ONE who can make us "righteous" or "holy". WE can do nothing in and of ourselves! Only by believing in HIM and what HE DID at the cross can we be made righteous by receiving, by faith, HIS righteousness, which covers our own sinful righteousness, and makes us sinless and perfect in God's eyes!
"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12)
"For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more." (Hebrews 8:12)
Jesus said, "be perfect, as your Father in Heaven is perfect".
People have been teaching for centuries that He meant to be perfect in your behavior. To never cuss, drink, smoke, covet, lust, steal, lie, or whatever... to never do anything that is sinful or goes against the 10 commandments (or 600 plus in the old covenant, or the 1000 plus in the new depending on what religion you belong to and what day you go to Church), or if you do sin, you better confess it right away and ask for forgiveness (unless you can't remember them all, then you're out of luck (depending on what interpretation of the Bible you read) etc. etc.! There are as many different interpretations as there are Churches and Religions.
However, what Jesus was telling us to do was not to be a "perfect person", but to be MADE perfect by Him! Jesus said, "come to me all you who are heavy laden with sins (carrying all your own sins around with you all the time on your way to the cross you might say) and I will give you rest!
"I AM your rest! I AM the Vine! You are the branches! You just need to ABIDE in (rest in) Me!" He gives me rest for my weary soul! He gives me peace! He IS our peace!
The branch cannot live without the vine, and apart from me you can do what? Some things? A few good things? Only things that matter if you do them on the right day in the right order or say all the right things? No! He said apart from me, you can do NOTHING!
A branch that is not connected to the Vine can produce NOTHING! It's good for only one thing... to be thrown into the fire! And all it's hard work growing, displaying all the pretty shoots and colors, maybe even some shade, or maybe even a little fruit... ALL OF IT IS GOOD FOR NOTHING except to be thrown into the fire and burned up (except maybe feed a few birds or bugs).
No good fruit can come from a bad tree!
He IS the Vine, and He IS the one who did, and continues to do, ALL of the work that enables all of the branches to produce fruit!
The Father is the root, He is the Vine, and the Holy Spirit is the vine dresser, and all the branches are dependent on them all, and the more time the vine dresser has with the branches to trim and prune them, the more fruit they will produce and he better the fruit will become! hallelujah!
The moral of the story is, the sooner we surrender to Him (the Holy Spirit) and let Him have His way with us, the sooner we will be able to produce the fruit which the Root (Father God), and the Vine (Jesus Christ) want us to produce, and the sweeter it will be when it is ripe! Moreover, the better it will taste after the Vine dresser gets done cleaning, pressing, and squeezing it and turning it into wine worthy to be served at the Master's table!!!
So, the sooner the branches surrender, the sooner He can gain access to them: And the easier they are for Him to reach, the more time He will be able to spend dressing them, and the better the fruit they will produce! Hallelujah!!! So again, our job is not to try and do the Vine dresser's work for Him, our job is just to simply abide! Amen?
Lord, I pray that everyone who reads this post, and listens to this woman's vlog, will come to know you with a renewed and deeper understanding, and will find the courage to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow You with a new goal... to grow upwardly towards Heaven (not outwardly towards the paths and gates and all the preapproved destinations; but instead with a desire only to surrender to, and abide in, and be closer to, You!
To produce only the fruit that YOU would have them produce for Your purpose, for your will to be done, for your glory!
God bless you and keep you always I pray, in Jesus Name!
Amen!
https://fb.watch/u-6r5dhdOb/
