As we prepare for our annual Awakening services in August, I have been led to write 21 devotions from my favorite chapter in the Bible, John 15. I started writing this devotional, two years ago in preparation for Easter, but the Lord told me “Now is not the time!” Last year, I picked up my pencil and started writing again in preparation for Easter, but the Lord said, “It’s still not the time!” I felt so compelled in the fall of 2024 to begin writing this devotional because the Lord said, “Now is the time!” However, this devotional was not to prepare us for Easter but our Awakening services in August.

Every thought, word, sentence, and paragraph has been written to lead us toward the Awakening God has chosen to give us for a time such as this. Over the years, we have experienced and enjoyed some wonderful worship, soul-stirring music, and inspirational messages from God’s Word. Lives have been changed through the power of the gospel. But I believe we have not experienced a God Awakening yet. I believe with all my heart and am praying this will be the year when we finally step into what God has prepared for us.

I am believing this will be the season when 1 Corinthians 2:9, becomes our reality. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” I want to see, hear and ponder the things God prepared for GFBC. The results will be things only God can do. The results from a God Awakening will consist of: Repentance – believers repenting from casual Christianity where complacency is replaced with conviction, and lost church members finally call upon the name of the Lord for salvation. Renewal – believers are not satisfied with warming a seat. Every member becomes a Christ – follower who finds their place of service to go across the street and around the world to share the love of Christ. Regeneration – lost people are coming out of the darkness of this city, county, region, and state into the light of God’s kingdom. The Lord will add exponentially to our membership those who are being saved on a regular basis. This is what an Awakening looks like!

During this season of prayer, we will read and examine the truths of John 15. John, one of the twelve apostles, writes this gospel account under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. John, called “The Beloved,” was the youngest of the apostles, possibly a teenager when Jesus called him to follow. John 15 is considered a critical passage in Holy Scripture, so we must be careful with our interpretation, or we will create some theological errors that can and will become detrimental to God’s people, and His people’s service to Him.

It is important and imperative to “rightly divide the Word of God.” To “rightly divide” is a medical term that means “to make precise cuts.” The one remark you do not want to hear your surgeon say as he is performing major surgery on you is “Oops!” We do not want to draw “oops” conclusions from this text that could affect the growth and productivity of the Body of Christ.

In John 15, Jesus explains the marks of one who has been redeemed by His blood. The analogy of the vine and its branches is a picture of biblical salvation and spiritual growth. Salvation is all about an invitation. It is not my invitation for Jesus to come to me as many people believe. Salvation is God’s invitation for the lost to come to Him. Salvation is not the sinner inviting Jesus to come into his life as much as it is Jesus inviting the sinner to come into His life. The phrase, “in Me” is used often in this text. We can clearly see the vine is not in the branches; rather, the branches are in the vine. The basis of our eternal security lies in the fact that every believer is “in Christ.” Paul asked a question while knowing the answer, “What can separate me from the love of God?” The answer is, “nothing or no one!” Romans 8:38-39 Knowing, as a blood bought believer, that I am eternally secure in Jesus Christ changes the way I see life, live life, and enjoy the life Jesus Christ provides.

Chapters 15 and 16 contains the last discourse Jesus had with His disciples in the upper room the night before His betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Let’s examine the last discourse Jesus had with His disciples before He went to the cross to pay the ultimate price for our sin, our salvation, and our sanctification. I pray you will be enlightened, convicted, corrected, and challenged to be more like Jesus until He finishes the work He has begun in and through you. Be blessed as you read!

- Phil Jones

Devotions are available online below and for download using the button above. Limited copies are available at the North Campus Welcome Desks.

Daily Devotions

The Vine and the Vinedresser

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” v. 1

After my dad retired from the steel mill in Northwest Indiana, he and my mom moved back to their hometown in Middle Tennessee. Once they settled in, we drove over from East Tennessee for a visit. While walking their property, I noticed a small plant about two feet high and two feet in diameter in a large, open area. I asked what kind of plant it was. “A Muscadine vine,” my dad replied. I asked why he planted this small vine in a much larger area. He said, “So it will have plenty of room to grow and produce muscadines!” On our next visit several months later, I noticed my dad built a wire fence around this small vine. The fence was ten feet long, four feet wide, and four feet tall. The small muscadine vine sat in one corner outside the fence. Over time the vine began to grow up as well as out. In several years the vine encompassed the entire height and length of the fence. The branches encircled the fence and found their way back to the vine. It was obvious my dad knew how to nurture his muscadine vine. He was the vinedresser who made it possible for the vine to produce many plentiful harvests.

In this verse, Jesus told His disciples He was the vine, but more than “the” vine, He was the “true” vine. The thought of Jesus referring to Himself as the true vine was a new concept for the disciples to understand. The disciples knew Old Testament scriptures referred to Israel as the vine. God said to Israel, “I planted you a choice vine, a completely faithful seed.” Jeremiah 2:21 Jews believed they were the vine because they were God’s chosen people birthed out of Abraham’s Covenant and rooted in Jehovah God through their obedience to Mosaic Law. But Israel proved to be a fruitless, unfaithful vine. Israel became an empty vine void of God’s blessings. As God blinded the eyes of Israel for a season, He turned His attention to the most unlikely people to continue His redemptive plan: the Gentiles. The blessing for man, both Jew and Gentile, to become a branch in God’s vine was and is made possible by the person of Jesus Christ who is the true vine.

Jesus said, His Father was the vinedresser - the person who is responsible for the vine. The Father is a unique vinedresser because His vine has no origin or beginning. His vine always has been and always will be. Nothing or no one can ever uproot or destroy His vine because the vinedresser has sovereign control over the vine. While my earthly dad devoted much of his time to nurturing his muscadine vine, he did not spend all his time doing so. My earthly dad’s eyes were not always fixed on his vine. However, my heavenly Father, the Vinedresser, is always attentive to His vine. He never leaves it or forsakes it. His eyes are always fixed upon His prized treasure. Therefore, He will not allow anyone or anything to tamper with His vine. I don’t know about you, but I take great comfort in knowing My Father continually cares, not only for me, but for every one of His children who are seated and rooted in Christ.

 Are you a branch in God’s vine? Do you know for sure the vinedresser, God the Father, has grafted you into the vine, Jesus Christ? Are you confident in the fact you are in Christ? If you are uncertain today, would you ask the Father to show you if He has grafted you into Christ. Maybe the Holy Spirit has been speaking to you for some time that you are not in Christ. Don’t rest your salvation in a rote prayer, church membership, or good works. Repent of your sin of unbelief and believe that Jesus died for you and rose again. “If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 Have a blessed day!

The Principle of Pruning

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” v. 2

The growth season for muscadines is between late spring to late summer. Reaping the harvest happens in September. I enjoyed helping my parents during the harvest. If I wanted my mother’s muscadine jelly, I had to help with the picking. My method for picking was two in the bucket and one in my mouth. My method worked for me!

My dad checked his vine periodically during the growth season when the branches should have been in full bloom. If he noticed a branch that did not bear a bloom, he would remove it. The bloom was a sign that the branch would eventually produce fruit. After all the muscadines were harvested in September, he would prune choice branches, especially those that produced an adequate amount of fruit so they could produce more fruit the next season. As a result, the next harvest always yielded a greater crop than the previous year.

In this verse, Jesus shares two key and necessary practices of the vinedresser. The first, after the time of reaping the harvest, the vinedresser removed branches that did not, have not, or will not produce fruit – no blooms or fruit. The second, after the time of reaping the harvest, the vinedresser would prune branches that produced fruit so they could produce more fruit. The goal of the vine is not to produce the same amount of yearly fruit. The goal is to increase the amount of fruit from year to year.

As I mentioned in the introduction, John 15 is a critical passage. In verse two, we are presented with the first statement that can easily be taken out of context. Jesus said, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away.” Some theologians (very weak I might add) have drawn two dangerous conclusions from this statement. The first conclusion is the branches Jesus removed are lost people who never knew Jesus as Lord and Savior. The objection to this conclusion is found in the phrase “in Me.” Jesus would never associate the term “in Me” with a lost person. No one is placed in Jesus until he has been born again of God’s Spirit. The second conclusion is the branches Jesus removed lost their salvation because of what they did or did not do. If this were the case, then Jesus contradicted Himself in John 17:12, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom you gave Me I have kept: and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” Jesus cannot and will not lose anyone the Father has given Him in salvation. There is a difference between chosen and given. God chooses for everyone to be saved but only those who have been given to the Son by the Father in salvation are truly His. The son of perdition, Judas, was chosen by Jesus to be a disciple but He was not given to Jesus in salvation by the Father.

Every branch Jesus takes away are believers who, for specific reasons, chose not to bear fruit. Maybe they did bear fruit at one time but have not borne fruit for some time. Only the vinedresser (The Father) knows if they will once again bear fruit. “To take away” means to remove but not destroy. Fruitless branches are removed prematurely and stored away. Oftentimes, believers have met with an “untimely death” before their natural time to go. While we are unaware of the reason, the Vinedresser may have removed them because they were more harm to the vine than good. A fruitless branch refuses to heed the Vinedresser’s warnings of repentance; therefore, the Vinedresser plucks the fruitless branch to prevent it from impeding the flow of life to existing and future branches. The Vinedresser will not sacrifice the entire vine for one or several branches who refuse to bear fruit. The vine is too important to the Vinedresser to allow any branch to stunt its growth. Jesus states every branch the Father gives to Him that does not bear fruit; the Father will remove it. Jesus does not say when He will do it, He simply says He will do it when He chooses to do it.

It is imperative today to look again at your salvation. The question is not are you chosen but has the Father given you to the Son? Have you been convicted of your sin of unbelief? Have you responded to God’s conviction with confession? Have you committed your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Did Jesus save you from your sin and give you eternal life? Are you bearing fruit that reflects your relationship to the true vine? Does Jesus, the Vinedresser, have a rightful cause to remove you from the vine because you are not bearing the fruit of Christ in your life, or you are not bearing more fruit each year? If you are not bearing fruit or more fruit, and you are still living, you should fall on your knees and thank God for His mercy. If this is your testimony; you lack fruit-bearing, would you repent of your faithlessness and begin to allow the grace of God to flow freely and richly through your life. Be blessed as you bear much fruit for God’s kingdom.

I Am Clean in Christ

“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” v. 3

So often, the words of Jesus do not make sense. Either the meaning is too hard to understand or it’s truth just flies over our heads. We must admit, there are times when we say, “I just do not get what you’re saying, Lord!” This was one of those moments when the disciples probably responded with, “Huh?” “What do you mean, ‘We are already clean?’” “Of course, we are or at least our feet are clean because You just washed them!” This truth would indeed register with them later. 

Jesus declared the eleven, minus Judas, to be clean positionally and potentially. They were clean positionally because Jesus had chosen and redeemed them and made them a vital branch in His vine. They would experience times of pruning, but they would never be removed from the vine. They were clean potentially too. The disciples could not see what was ahead for them in ministry, especially Simon Peter. On this night, Peter declared he would never betray Jesus. Little did he know he would eat those bold but bitter words as he would deny his Lord. Peter would feel the guilt and shame of his sin. He would think his opportunity to serve Jesus was over. Would he feel like a failure? Absolutely! Fishing for men would be out of the question. From this point on, fishing for fish would be the only thing he could do. However, Peter did not know he would meet Jesus after the resurrection on the seashore to be forgiven, cleansed, and restored by the very One whom he betrayed. “Peter, you don’t know it yet and you haven’t experienced it yet, but you, My branch, are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you!” A “WOW” goes there!

Two of the consequences of disobedience toward Christ are the feelings of guilt and shame. Oftentimes, we are taught to resist the feelings of guilt and shame. We are told, “Don’t feel guilty or shamed for what you have done!” Heeding this suggestion can be detrimental to your relationship with Christ. Guilt is the feeling and fact that I have sinned; therefore, I must take responsibility for my sin. I am not innocent, I am guilty – this is my confession. I cannot and will not receive forgiveness for my sin until I admit my sin. Once I have confessed and asked the Lord for forgiveness, He will forgive me, and not hold a guilty verdict against me. As a result of the Holy Spirit’s conviction, believers will feel a sense of shame for their sin. We are very much aware of the fact we have sinned and come short of God’s glory. When God forgives us, He removes the guilt and the shame of our sin. We are clean! However, the devil, who is the accuser and instigator, shames us for what we did to our Lord. He questions the Father’s forgiveness. He tries to convince you that you are still guilty and that you are and will always be known by your sin. Whereas, in your guilt, God wants you to take responsibility for your sin, with shame, the devil wants your sin to become your identity. From this point forward, he wants to convince you, you will be known as a drunk, a liar, a thief, or a cheater for the rest of your life. The devil tried to convince Peter he was a denier, but Jesus said he was still His disciple. Ultimately, Peter listened to Jesus and not the devil.

Knowing there will be times when I sin and feel so unclean and unworthy of Christ’s love, He promises to always look at me, not as a dirty branch, but as a branch who has been cleansed by His grace and mercy. He will always see us as branches who have tremendous potential to do great things for His kingdom. This my friends, is one of the blessed benefits of being saved and strategically positioned in the vine of Jesus.

Can you remember a time when you sinned against God? Did you experience His forgiveness after you confessed your sin? Did satan try to shame you? Did He succeed or did you ignore his lies? Please get this truth deep into your soul: “As a child of God, you are already clean so believe it, live it, and enjoy it!” Be blessed today in Jesus’ name!

Abide in Christ

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” v. 4

During my years of following Christ, I have been on numerous mission trips, both domestic and international. Most of my international trips have been to Uganda. One of the most peculiar things I have noticed on each trip is men holding hands with each other. From a western viewpoint, this seems odd and quite perverted to be honest. However, in the African culture it is quite natural for boys, young men, and older men to hold hands as they walk together. Holding hands is a sign of endearment between two close friends – best buddies to be specific. The Bible describes Enoch as a man who walked with God. Enoch and God shared a close relationship with each other. They may have held hands as they walked together throughout the day. In the New Testament, Jesus referred to the Apostle John, as His “beloved.” Jesus and John likewise shared a close relationship with each other.

One of the blessings of being created in the image of God is we are privileged to have a relationship with our Creator. We have the capacity to communicate with God through our words and actions. Nothing else in God’s creation shares this blessing. Also, because we are born with a sin nature that separates us from God, we have a supernatural chance to be brought near to God through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Once we have been redeemed, we have a greater privilege and propensity to relate to the Godhead in a more personal and intimate way – a relationship that far exceeds what the natural man experiences with his Creator. In this verse, Jesus shares the key to having an intimate relationship with Him that is beyond any physical relationship known to man. The key is to “abide” in Jesus. Abiding in Jesus is a command for every believer, not a suggestion.

What does it mean to “abide” in Jesus? If I am saved – I am in Jesus and Jesus is in me, then does it mean I am abiding with Him? Not necessarily, but the good news is you are closer to abiding because you are both in each other. If you were not in each other then there is no possible way to abide in Jesus. A lost person cannot abide in Christ because his life is not in Christ and Christ’s life is not in his. Do not assume because you are in Christ, and you love Christ that you are abiding in Him. An intimate relationship with Jesus cannot be achieved apart from abiding in Him.

To “abide” means “to allow the source of life to flow freely without any restrictions or interference.” Abiding in Christ means you, the branch, allow His Spirit, the life-giving sap of the vine, to flow freely through your life, the branch, without any hesitations, restrictions, or interference on your part. Abiding in Christ means, as a believer, I possess no other relationship that is deeper or more personal than my relationship with Christ. I do not know anyone more intimately than I know Christ. My relationship with my Lord is much deeper and more personal than my relationship to my parents, siblings, spouse, children, or grandchildren. Every love relationship pales in comparison to my love relationship with Jesus. If I love anyone more than I love Christ, then I am not abiding in Him. Abiding not only means I love Jesus more than anyone else, but I trust Him with everything I possess. If I am unwilling to trust Jesus completely, then I am not abiding in Him. If Jesus is not Lord of every ounce of my life, then I am not abiding in Him. Dr. R.G. Lee, the former pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church said, “I love Jesus more than anyone else in this world. I know it and Jesus knows it!” Dr. Lee knew how to abide in Jesus.

Finally, abiding in Jesus means I will obey the Lord’s commands without question or hesitation. A person who abides in Jesus will not refuse to do the Lord’s will or attempt to do the Lord’s will their way. Abiding in Jesus means I will not say, “No, Lord!” The person who abides in Jesus will not fulfill the lust of the flesh, which is doing what satisfies and pleases self. 

There are two obstacles to abiding in Christ. The first obstacle is doing what God says not to do, and the second obstacle is refusing to do what God says to do. If I commit sins He warned me not to commit and I omit the commands of God by refusing to obey Him, then I am not abiding in Him. Although my relationship with Christ is intact, my intimacy “abiding in Him” is put on hold because I have willfully and intentionally stopped the flow of His Spirit in my life because of my un-confessed sin. This is the difference between a Christian and a Christ-follower. A Christian has a relationship with Christ but may or may not follow Jesus while a Christ-follower is a Christian who obeys the will and word of the Father. A Christ-follower abides in Jesus while a believer may or may not. A Christ-follower obeys the commands of Jesus and follows Him wherever He goes.

One of the consequences of not abiding in Christ is that Jesus cannot abide in us. This means He cannot do what He wants to do in and through us. If we are not abiding in Him and He in us, then we cannot and will not produce fruit. A branch cannot produce fruit on its own. A question often asked is, “What is the fruit of a Christ-follower?” While the answer to this question would be a lengthy explanation, I will give you one aspect of the extensive answer. The fruit reveals the nature of the vine. A muscadine fruit reveals the vine is a muscadine vine. The fruit of a Christ-follower is the demonstration and reflection of God’s glory. Our life should reflect the nature and the character of God. People, saved and lost, should look at our life and see clearly, beyond any doubt whatsoever, that we belong to God, because we think, talk, and act just like Christ. The only way to accomplish this is by abiding in Christ.

Are you abiding in Christ and He in you? Do you love anyone more than you love Christ? Be honest! Would Jesus say you love Him more than anyone? If He truly is your first love, then your life is conducive to abiding in Him if your sins are accounted for – forgiven and cleansed by Jesus. Is Jesus Lord of everything? Are you bearing the glorious fruit of Christ indicative by thinking His thoughts, saying what He would say, and living the way Jesus would live? If not, then this is a sign you are not abiding in Him. Our greatest desire and priority should be to glorify Jesus in every aspect of our lives. Would you take a moment and ask the Father to show you where you have failed to abide in Him. Once He reveals it, confess it, ask forgiveness, and ask the Father to fill you freshly with His Holy Spirit so you can begin to abide in Him and He in you. Have a blessed day as you bear the fruit of God’s glory.

Bearing Much Fruit

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” v. 5

When my dad’s muscadine vine was considered a sapling, it didn’t produce fruit. As it grew over the next year it began to produce a few small, firm, faint purple muscadines. As the years passed and the vine grew substantially, the muscadines were larger, more plentiful, deep dark purple, luscious in texture, and delicious to the taste buds. Through his nurturing care, my dad’s muscadine vine produced more fruit, bigger fruit, and much better fruit because nothing impeded the flow of life from the vine to its branches. The vine and the branches abided in each other. The branches could not produce fruit apart from the life-giving vine.

Verse 5 is my life verse. Through the memorization and meditation of this verse, I am reminded daily who I am in Christ. I am a vital branch rooted and seated in Jesus, the vine. If I abide in Him continually, I will bear much fruit for His honor and glory. Bearing much fruit means “the quantity and quality of the fruit is much greater than what is expected to come from the branches of the vine.” Bearing much fruit is the goal of the vinedresser. One would be amazed at the amount and size of the fruit produced from this vine. It would seem impossible for so much to come from this vine. Yet, the vinedresser is not shocked by the harvest because that is what he knew his nurturing care would produce. Anything less than this would be a disappointment. It is what the vinedresser expects to happen during each harvest – much more and better fruit.

Also, in this verse, Jesus makes a profound statement, “for without Me, you can do nothing!” This too is a critical verse that has been taken out of context. Some have stretched this verse beyond its contextual meaning of the total depravity of sinful man. “Depravity” means “the inability of sinful man to know God and be redeemed from sin apart from the atoning work of God through Jesus Christ.” Jesus said I can do “nothing,” zilch, nada without Him. What does this mean? Does it mean I cannot function on my own? Does it mean I cannot feed myself, dress myself, walk and run by myself, drive myself, or go to school and work by myself apart from the power of God? Does it mean I have no concept of living because I am dead in my trespasses and sins? Does it mean I do not have free will to make choices? Does it mean every decision I make is first prompted then directed by God? There are theologians who would answer “yes, you do not” to every question. I strongly disagree. So, what does the word “nothing” mean?

“Nothing” means I cannot do anything in the spirit realm without the Lord’s help. I am never aware of God’s existence without God first revealing Himself to me. I cannot be convicted of sin unless God’s spirit convicts me. I cannot be saved unless God’s power draws me, converts me, and transforms me. I cannot be obedient to the Lord unless the Lord anoints me. I cannot please God unless He empowers me. I cannot serve Him unless he ignites my spiritual gifts and fills me with His Spirit. I cannot understand the scriptures unless He illumines me to His truth. It is impossible to do anything in the spiritual realm apart from God. However, while I can do these things because of my natural talents and abilities, I will do them without the anointing of God, the blessings from God, and the pleasure of God that comes from living in full dependence and obedience to Jesus.

One of the dangers in the church today is to compare success with fruit-bearing. Churches can worship Jesus, witness about Jesus, and work for Jesus with excellence yet lack the anointing power of Jesus. The exercise of these spiritual disciplines appears to be legit – gold, silver, and precious stones but the Father knows they are illegitimate – wood, hay, and stubble. Having a large church, popular programs, and an abundance of money can be considered fruit-bearing ministries to those who participate and to those who envy such feats while the Father knows these are nothing more than products of peoples’ fleshly talents rather than the fruit produced by God’s people who are abiding in Him.

Are you bearing much fruit for Jesus? If so, exactly what fruit are you bearing? Are others amazed at how much the Father can produce from your life? Do you realize you can do nothing apart from the anointing power of God in and through your life? Have you been “doing church” for so long that you have ceased to depend on God’s help? I pray you will spend time with the Father and ask Him for the true, honest answers to these questions. The blessings of God will be given to you today if you bear much fruit!

Cast Out

“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” v. 6

Verse six is shared in contrast to verse two. They are not considered one in the same. In verse two, Jesus emphasized those who are “in Me,” born-again believers. He prunes them from the vine, if He so chooses, because they did not bear fruit. They are removed but not destroyed. These are believers who failed to produce so God takes them home for their sake and for the sake of those who could be influenced to do likewise by these failing branches.

While verse two relates to believers, verse six relates to unbelievers. In verse six, when Jesus said, “If anyone does not abide in Me,” He was referring to someone who never abided in Jesus because Jesus never abided in him. Jesus cuts off the unregenerate false branches from their superficial attachment to the vine. They are gathered with other false branches, thrown into the fire and destroyed. The true branches are distinguished from the false branches. Judas was an example of a false branch who had an attachment to the cause but not to Christ. Judas represented those who attach themselves to the church but who are aliens of Christ. At this point you may wonder “How can a lost person be attached to God’s vine?” They appear as if they are, but they are not. They give every indication they are saved, but they are not.

In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus shared a parable about the wheat and tares. In this parable Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept, the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat. Jesus commanded the wheat and tares to grow together until the harvest. At harvest time, the tares would be gathered, bundled, and burned, while the wheat would be gathered and stored into His barn.

Tare, or darnel, looks exactly like wheat on the outside. The difference is on the inside. The wheat has a kernel, but the tare does not. A tare is a counterfeit wheat. For a counterfeit to be a good counterfeit, it must look like the real thing. Jesus is saying, in the church, there are wheat – people who have committed their lives to Christ, and there are tares – people who look, act, and sound like Christians but they are counterfeits. There is nothing on the inside because the Spirit of God does not dwell within them. They are lost! One day, every tare will be removed from the superficial vine, bundled, and burned for eternity.

You might ask, “How could someone who has spent their whole life in church, be a tare – a counterfeit Christian?” May I suggest three possibilities. First, they experienced a Christian upbringing from godly parents who took them to church. They “joined” the church by baptism. They knew the pastor, but they never met the Master. Second, they consider themselves to be morally good, knowing right from wrong. Since they want to do what is right, they believe they must be a Christian. Third, they have a desire to do good works. Since they love to do good works for the church, they must be saved. The sad truth is this ­­– the church is full of tares, people who look like Christians, but they are not. There are pastors who are tares, staff members who are tares, deacons who are tares, Life Group leaders who are tares, and choir, praise team, and orchestra members who are tares. They look like the real thing, but they are counterfeits.

The big question today is: “Are you a wheat or a tare?” If you are a wheat stalk, what is the proof? If you think you are a tare stalk, would you allow the Holy Spirit to examine your life through the light of His word? Are you holding firm to one of the possibilities I stated for your salvation, or have you committed your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Have you repented of your sin and believed that Jesus gloriously saved you? If you are a tare and you die a tare, the Lord will cast you out, bundle you with all the other tares, and burn you in the eternal lake of fire. But the good news is this, “Today is the day of salvation!” 2 Corinthians 6:2b If the Holy Spirit has convicted you that you are not born again, would you commit your life to Him right now and experience His salvation? I pray that you will. Be blessed!

Abide and Ask

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” v. 7

One of the spiritual disciplines of the church is the discipline of prayer. The word “discipline” implies this spiritual act will not be easy to master or maintain without one’s continual passion and pursuit. Many books have been written about prayer. For example, “Prayer” by E.M. Bounds, “Prayer: Life’s Limitless Reach” by Jack Taylor, “If You Will Ask” by Oswald Chambers, “Alone with God: Discovering the Power and Passion for Prayer” by John MacArthur, “Prayer: The Ultimate Conversation” by Charles Stanley, “How To Pray” by C.S. Lewis, and “The Priority of Prayer” by C.H. Spurgeon to name a few. Prayer Conferences are conducted across the country and in our convention of churches on a regular basis. There is no lack for knowing what it means to pray and how to pray. Yet, if the truth be known, effective prayer seems to be missing in most churches today. Churches are satisfied with being labeled “frequent praying churches” rather than “fervent praying churches.”

In this verse Jesus said, you can ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you if you abide in Me and My word abides in you through obedience. This is a bold statement by Jesus. Jesus said the key to effective prayer is abiding in Him not occasional prayers, attending a conference, or reading multiple books on prayer. This is not an unconditional guarantee that any child of God can make and expect God to grant their requests. J.B. Phillips said, “God is too loving and too wise to put the key to His treasury into the hands of carnal, worldly minded, selfish believers.” The key to answered prayer is abiding in Him.

It is easy to conclude the reason why the church is powerless, when it comes to prayer, is because the church is not abiding in Jesus. We can blame our ineffective prayers on the statement, “Well I guess it wasn’t the Lord’s will”, when it could have been the Lord’s will if we were abiding in Him. If we abide in Him then we will know the Lord’s will. Abiding in Him eliminates all assumptions as to what we think the Lord’s will is. We will know; therefore, we will ask in confidence knowing it shall be done. Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:19, “Again, I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven,’’ does not mean if they have the same opinion or desire but if they are abiding in Him, then it will be done for them.

What have we failed to see God accomplish through prayer because we failed to abide in Him? Have we not asked God often for a mighty move of His power in our midst? Have we not asked Him for a spirit of revival to flood our church? Have we not asked Him for a spiritual awakening in our city, state, and country? Has it happened? Speaking truthfully, I would say “No!” Should we conclude, “It’s not the Lord’s will that we experience a ‘God movement,’ be touched by an overwhelming spirit of revival, or see a spiritual awakening?” Absolutely not! The abiding life is an abounding life!

The key to answered prayer for our upcoming Awakening is not to put the word “Awakening” on our Life Group Prayer List, spend more time in personal prayer, listen to devotions, or gather in our holy huddles for a moment of prayer. The key to answered prayer is for us, the body of Christ, to desire nothing less than to abide in Jesus. As I mentioned in a previous devotion, as a reminder to us, abiding in Jesus means there is absolutely no restrictions in my life that would prohibit the flow of God’s Holy Spirit in and through my life. Every sin I have committed has been confessed, forgiven, and cleansed by Jesus’ blood. I am willing to do whatever God wants me to do whenever He wants me to do it. I am not saying, “No Lord, I cannot do that,” rather, I am saying, “Yes, Lord, here am I, send me!” I have no grudges against anyone. I do not possess an unforgiving or critical spirit toward anyone. Nothing has stopped the flow of the Holy Spirit in my life. The Psalmist said in Psalm 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” This means God hears but He does not acknowledge or answer you because something has stopped His ability to move in and through you. Is God silent when you pray? There is a reason why! Are you walking in obedience with the Lord Jesus? Do you possess any other relationship more intimate than the one you have with the Lord Jesus Christ? Friends, this is what it means for you and me to abide in Him and His word to abide in us. If I am abiding, then the Lord is answering!

How is your prayer life? Is God answering your prayers? If you are abiding in Him, He will, and if you are not, He won’t! Would you ask God if you are abiding in Him? I would not do anything else at this moment until I know for sure that I am abiding in Him. May the abiding grace of our Lord Jesus Christ flow in and through us today.

How to Glorify the Father

“By this the Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” v. 8

Let me remind you of the text on this eighth day of our devotions. Jesus is in the upper room with His disciples. His death is imminent. He is sharing some parting words with His followers before He suffers and dies on the cross. His theme for this discourse has been the vinedresser, the vine, and the branches. In verse 8, Jesus said the Father, the Vinedresser, is glorified when His followers, the branches, bear much fruit. By doing so, they prove they are disciples of Jesus, the Vine.

I’m sure the disciples were somewhat perplexed to hear Jesus say, they would “be” His disciples if they bore much fruit. Weren’t they already Jesus’ disciples? Yes! Did they not love Jesus? Of course they did! They were His disciples in “position” (chosen by Christ), but they had not proved it in practice (carrying out the commands of Christ). Would everyone else say they demonstrated the character of Christ? Was it obvious to others the twelve talked, lived, and acted just like Jesus? Were they bearing much fruit – more than seemed possible for them to do? The answer at this point would be “No.” The Father would not be glorified in the behavior of the disciples within the next hour. Peter, James, and John would be sound asleep in the garden. The next minute, Peter would be flinging a sword and slashing off an ear followed by some cursing, swearing, and his denial of Christ while the rest of the disciples fled. Why did they act this way? Simple answer – His word was not abiding in them! Why do we act this way? Same answer – His word is not abiding in us! To live a life that brings God glory is a Christian’s highest privilege and duty. Only those who are abiding in Jesus can bring glory to the Father.

So often, believers confuse praise and glory. Praise is what you say that is true and accurate about the Lord. Glory is what you do as a believer that gives evidence of God’s presence and power in your life. Your praise is acceptable only when your life reflects God’s glory. It is extremely hollow to praise God if you are not bringing Him glory. So often, we are applauded when we make the decision to join in corporate worship. However, it is emphasized that our attendance is not enough. We are challenged to make the decision to worship “praise” the Lord. Could I offer at this point another truth? Just because you are present in worship and decide to praise Him, it does not mean the Lord will accept your praise. Everything you say about Him is true, but He does not accept it from you because you are not right with Him. The only way God will accept your praise is if you are a clean vessel who is abiding in Him and bearing much fruit.

Do you praise the Lord? Does the Lord accept your praise? Is He glorified through your life? Is He glorified by you in your home? Is He glorified by you at your job? Is He glorified by you at your school? Is He glorified by you in your car? Is He glorified by you at the store? Is He glorified by you at the game? By this is the Father glorified, if you bear much fruit. The Father is glorified when you look, act, and talk like Christ. When you do not cast any measure of doubt whatsoever that you belong to Jesus Christ wherever you are and with whatever you are doing or saying, He is glorified! I pray that nothing matters to you more today than bringing God glory through your life. Be blessed today in Jesus’ name!

Real Love

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” v. 9

When a baby is born to a couple, the love for their baby is instantaneous. Actually, that bond of love is formed the moment the pregnancy is confirmed. Parents nurture their child as an expression of their undying love. There is nothing they would not do to protect and to provide for their “precious” baby. Notice the emphasis on the word “precious.” Their baby is precious to them because he/she is their very own. “Precious” means “to value someone as the most important person in that respective position.” For example, my wife and I consider our three children “precious” because they are ours. Parents, your children are not precious to us because they are not ours, they are yours. If I called someone else’s children precious, my children would be very upset, and rightly so because I am saying the children, who are not mine, are more valuable to me than my very own. In like manner, the Father’s children are precious because they belong to Him through regeneration by the Son. His children are more valuable than those who are not His.

The love parents have for their baby starts out as a “one way” love. The parents demonstrate their love by clothing, cuddling, feeding, and changing wet and poopy diapers but the baby does nothing in return but cry, wee-wee, and poop. Joy bursts forth from the parents the moment their baby returns that love because God meant for love to be shared and enjoyed. Our Father is pleased when we love Him as we abide in the love relationship of His Son.

In verse 9, Jesus further promised that those who abide in His love will experience His love to a deeper, more intimate level than those who do not abide. Why? Because both Jesus and His abiding followers know their relationship is precious in the heart of God. Also, those who abide in Him will appreciate how much Jesus loves them. Love was never meant to be a “one-way” action. God has always loved His people and He desires or expects His people to love Him in the same way. Jesus draws a comparison to the way He and His Father love each other as being the very same way He loves us and expects us to love Him. Unlike parents, God chose to love us before He created and recreated us. He loved us first! It is obvious that His love was one way until we were drawn to Him by His Son, then we desire to love and please Him as He loves and blesses us. However, the love of Jesus remains “one way” to those who refuse to abide in Him.

The word “love” used in the text is the word “agape” which means “an unconditional love.” The love Jesus describes here is one that is demonstrated simply from one’s desire to obey rather than for what he will get in return. When I love Jesus unconditionally, expecting nothing in return, God is pleased with my love. When I love conditionally, expecting something in return, God is not pleased. The believer who abides in Jesus is the only believer who will understand this and obey it.

Is your love relationship with Jesus a “one way” relationship? Is He loving you, but are you loving Him? Oh, you have feelings for Him, but are you demonstrating your love to Him? Are you worshiping Him? Does He accept your worship because you are abiding in Him? Are you serving Him? What ministries are you involved in at church and through the church? How are you using your spiritual gifts to encourage the saints and equip them for ministry? Are you sharing Christ as the Holy Spirit leads you to lost people? Are you making Him known? Are you actively and consistently on mission for Jesus? If your answers to these questions are “yes,” then you are abiding in Him. If your answers are “no,” then you my friend, are not abiding in Him! If you truly love Jesus, the indication of your confession will be your total obedience to abiding in God’s love.

I cannot stress enough the importance of abiding in Jesus. Abiding in Jesus is the key to knowing Jesus through His word, your worship, your work, and your witness. Would you allow the Holy Spirit to examine your life today to see whether, 100%, you are abiding in Him this very moment? I pray you have a blessed day as you seek Him, serve Him, and share Him!

Why Should I Keep God’s Commandments?

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” v. 10

The proof you are abiding in God’s love is that you keep God’s commandments. The commandments are the Ten Commandments, and the specific commands of God mentioned throughout scripture. The reason you would not obey God’s commandments is because you are not abiding with Him. You cannot say you are abiding in Him if you are breaking His laws. The violation of any one of God’s commandments immediately stops an abiding relationship from flowing between the believer and God. The reason why you disobeyed is because you already ceased from abiding in Jesus before you chose to disobey.

The relationship is put on hold and fellowship is broken until you acknowledge your sin, repent, and get right with God through forgiveness and restoration, so God can remove the obstruction and release, once again, the flow of His Holy Spirit in your life. It should be obvious to you when fellowship is broken, and the flow of God’s anointing ceases. There should be the same awareness of this as you would have if the power went off in your house. You would know it immediately because the lights went out, the TV shut down, the ceiling fans did not spin, and the AC stopped blowing cold air. You immediately jump into action to find a flashlight or crank up a generator if you think the power will be out for several hours. Yet, the power can go out in your life, and you never realize it’s out.

You may keep the Ten Commandments and honor them faithfully, yet you are not abiding in the Father’s love. How is this possible? In Luke 18:18-30, a rich young ruler asked Jesus a question, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus told him to obey the Ten Commandments to which he replied, “I have done that since my youth!” This young man admitted with his hand up he was faithful to observe and obey the Ten Commandments. Then Jesus gave him a specific command, “Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come follow Me.” This young man went away sorrowfully because he was unwilling to obey this specific command of Christ. If he had sold everything, given the money to the poor, and followed Jesus, as Jesus commanded, I am confident Jesus would have given him more than he gave away, but he never experienced the goodness of God because he chose to be disobedient. The rich young ruler proved he was unwilling to take Jesus at His word. Jesus knew this young man did not, could not, and would not abide in the love of Jesus because he was unwilling to trust Jesus.

The specific commands of Jesus are always difficult to grasp and to obey. They do not make sense. They are consumed with impossibilities – things that you and I cannot do in our own strength. The specific commands are not suggestions Jesus gives us for our consideration whether we will or will not obey. They are black and white commands we either obey or disobey. The bottom line is – will we trust God, or will we not trust God? We are unwilling to abide in the Father’s love because we are unwilling to trust the Father’s word.

Jesus abided in His Father’s love because He obeyed every single command. Are you abiding in the Father’s love because you trust Him completely? You may obey every single one of the Ten Commandments. Your adherence to them is superb! Or, you may have difficulty with keeping one or several of the Ten. You struggle to obey; therefore, you find yourself unable to shake loose from the grip your disobedience has on you. Do you find it difficult to obey the specific commands of God? Is there something God wants you to do but you cannot fathom how God can use you to accomplish His will. You find yourself saying “No, Lord,” more than you say “Yes, Lord!” Your hesitancy to submit demonstrates to the Lord your unwillingness to trust and obey because you are not abiding in Him. Would you acknowledge your disobedience before the Lord, ask Him to forgive you for your lack of trust, and restore your fellowship so you can begin freshly to obey both His Ten Commandments and His specific commands? Can you imagine what GFBC could do if every member was abiding in Jesus? As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” Have a blessed day as you seek earnestly and diligently to abide in Him!

A Joy That Never Ends

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” v. 11

Jesus shared much truth regarding His kingdom with the disciples in the upper room, more than they could process at this time. Not only was Jesus referring to everything He said in this moment, “these things” also included everything He taught them during His earthly ministry. It is easy to see the subject of this verse is “joy.” The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news of joy.

Jesus shared the gospel, the promise of His kingdom, with the anticipation it would create a sense of joy in the hearts of His disciples, and sure enough, it did! God’s joy produced a contentment they had never experienced before with any other person. Jesus wanted this new, found joy to last forever. He was not inviting them to experience a moment in time; He was creating an eternal movement. He desired for this joy to remain in them. The words “remain” and “abide” are interchangeable. Joy would be the outward evidence of an inward condition. The uninterrupted flow of the Holy Spirit through the disciples’ lives would manifest itself in outward joy. Joy would be proof the disciples were abiding in Jesus. No joy on the outside meant the disciples were not remaining or abiding in Jesus Christ. You can only experience His joy through obedience. However, during His earthly ministry, Jesus shared what it would take to usher in His Kingdom – His death on a cross! Death was not good news. I’m sure this truth took their breath. How can we experience lasting joy if you are dead? Jesus knew joy could only fill the disciples’ lives if He died for them and the world. Jesus taught His disciples no matter whether your circumstances are good or bad, they could have joy. Why? Because joy is found only in a person, Jesus Christ, not in a circumstance whether it be a celebration or a calamity. The disciples could be filled with joy when Jesus died as well as when He resurrected from the grave and ascended back into heaven.

Jesus also said if the disciples abided in Him their joy would be full. It is redundant to use the word “full” with the word “joy” because there is no such thing as “half-filled joy.” Joy is either full or it is non-existent! Joy is one of the Fruits of the Spirit. It is second only to love. Joy is sandwiched between love and peace for a reason. When the love of Christ is demonstrated in the life of a believer, joy will fill his heart because of his obedience, and peace will guard his heart from the fear of the unknown and unexpected responses to his love. No matter the circumstance, love, joy, and peace will prevail.

After God’s plan for redemption was set in motion, the joy of the Lord remained in the disciples. Joy remained in Simon Peter as he stood before the unbelieving multitudes and proclaimed Jesus on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Joy remained in Peter and John while they healed a lame man in the temple and preached Jesus on Solomon’s Porch followed by their arrest by the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees in Acts 3 and 4. No matter the situation, good or bad, the disciples remained full of joy because they were faithful to obey.

Are you joyful in Jesus today? If your answer is “yes,” the reason for your joy is related to your willingness to obey. If you are not joyful, the reason is related to your unwillingness to trust and obey God. If you are not joyful today, would you pray as David prayed in Psalm 51:12, “Lord, restore to me the joy of your salvation.” Have a joyful day in Jesus!

Love One Another

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” vv. 12, 17

The devil is the master at altering words and symbols. One word he has twisted is the word “love.” Through his manipulation of the depraved mind, he has conjured up a definition that in no way resembles biblical love. The world views “love” as the unwavering acceptance or affirmation of a person’s choice. Any questioning of a person’s choice is viewed as hatred. Society says, “I want you to love (accept) me no matter what I do or how I choose to live!” “If you question me or refuse to permit me to live my life the way I want, then you don’t love me!” This is a warped view of biblical love.

Jesus commands us to love one another as He loved us. Love is a very important subject to Jesus, so much so, that He repeats this command in the span of five verses. Jesus loved His disciples corporately, uniquely, equally, and completely. He loved Judas, the one who would betray Him, with the same love He lavished on Peter, James, and John. None of the disciples had a clue as to who would betray Jesus because Jesus loved each disciple equally and very deeply. He loved each disciple in a special way according to their specific needs as He created them. While the disciples longed for Jesus’ love, they never lacked for it.

The phrase “one another” refers to everyone who is in Christ. Believers are commanded to love fellow believers. Does this mean believers should only love fellow followers of Christ? Are believers exempted from loving unbelievers? No, Jesus commanded us to love our enemies too. However, the love between fellow believers is different from the love demonstrated from believers to unbelievers.

The love demonstrated between two believers should be easier to accomplish than the love of a believer to an unbeliever. While this can and should be the case, it is not often the norm. Oftentimes, the ability for believers to love each other is quite difficult. For example, a husband and wife, who are born again believers, can struggle to love each other. The willingness and ability for a believer to love is rooted in the key word of John 15  “abide.” When a believer abides in Jesus, he can love the way Jesus loves. When a believer is not abiding in Jesus, it will be impossible to love others the way Jesus loves them. Abiding in Jesus removes all the selfish desires from one’s life. Nothing inhibits the flow of Christ’s love in and through a child of God’s life. Believers are not focused on what is best for “me” but for others.

As a reminder from a previous devotion, the word translated “love” is the word “agape.” It is the highest form of love. It means to love unconditionally with no strings attached. It means to love without the expectation of receiving love in return. You love because it is what Jesus commands you to do.

Love is both a noun and a verb. It is a state of being and an action. Both the noun and the verb go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. If a person says, “I love you” (noun), but fails to demonstrate love (verb), it causes the recipient to doubt the noun. When a person’s needs are met, they know they are loved.

Jesus commanded the disciples to love others as He loved them. How did Jesus love the disciples? Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The disciples knew Jesus loved them, but it would not be until after His death and resurrection when they discovered how much He loved them. Jesus loved them enough to die for them.

In Christ, how is your love life? Is it easy for you to love fellow believers? Do you live to meet the needs of fellow Christians? Is it easy to love unbelievers or enemies of the cross? Do you live to meet their needs as well? Is there anyone whom you find it difficult to love right now … a friend or family member? If you are not abiding in Jesus, then you will struggle to love like Jesus. Would you confess that your inability to love is rooted in your unwillingness to abide in Jesus? If you confess, I promise Jesus will forgive you and restore your desire and ability to love others like Jesus. Be blessed as you love others today in Jesus’ name.

The Mark of a Greater Love

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends.” v. 13

Fruit, once harvested, can be enjoyed in its original form. I could and did pick muscadines from the vine and eat them whole. I must say, they were delicious and satisfying to my taste buds and my stomach too! However, fruit can be used in other ways. Fruit can be cut up and used to bake pies, tarts, or cakes. Fruit can be crushed to make jellies, preserves, and jams. When crushed, fruit tends to go much farther than when it is left whole. While I enjoyed popping a whole muscadine in my mouth, nothing compared to some of my mama’s muscadine jelly on a hot homemade biscuit with some butter! Crushing the muscadines made all the difference. My mama could have easily dropped a half dozen muscadines in a jar, filled the jar with sugar and water, put the lid on it, and called it jelly. However, it is not the same when muscadines are pulverized, cooked down, the fine juice is extracted from the pulp, sugar and perfin are added to enhance the flavor and texture, the mixture is poured into jars, sealed and allowed to set up before opening a jar to enjoy the taste of homemade muscadine jelly! To me, the best usage of muscadines is crushed, purified, and made into jelly.

In this verse, Jesus talked about the great lengths He would go to prove His love for His friends. He said there is no greater demonstration of love than when a person is willing to lay down his life. To “lay down” means not only would a person be willing to die for a friend, the ultimate sacrifice, he would also be persecuted, harmed, or crushed for the sake of his friends.

The same way Jesus was crushed for us is the way we must be willing to be crushed for the sake of those whom we love. Please understand this biblical truth: men did not crush Jesus because men are not strong enough to do so. The Father crushed His own Son when He laid our sin on Him and poured out His wrath on our sin. In Romans 5:6-8, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus did not die for us when we were at our very best. He died for us at our very worst. When we were “yet sinners” means “we had no hope for salvation through our own works.” Jesus redeemed us so He could crush us. This is one of the many complex truths in scripture that is difficult to comprehend. Why would Jesus crush His own and what would be the reason(s) for doing so?

Jesus crushes us to remove everything that does not resemble Him. He crushes us to purify us from sinful desires and practices. He crushes us to remove everything that could hinder our ability to love and serve Him. He crushes us so we can glorify Him through our obedience. He crushes us so we can bear much fruit for His kingdom.

Please do not misinterpret God’s crushing. Job’s friends have descendants living today who will tell you God is punishing you. No, God is crushing you to make you more like Him. Do not resist the refining, righteous hand of God. Embrace it, endure it, and as crazy as it may sound, enjoy it! James said, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4 Consider it a joy and privilege to be crushed by God. He is refining you so you can bear much fruit.

May our prayer today be this verse from the song Have Thine Own Way, “Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way; Thou art the Potter, I am the clay, mold me and make me after Thy will, while I am waiting, yielded, and still.” May the Lord crush us so He can use us sacrificially for His good and glory. Be blessed today under the direction of God’s almighty hand.

Are You a Friend of God?

“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” v. 14

As a child, how often did you hear this statement from your parents, “You are known by your friends.” The people you associate with, particularly your close friends, will reveal a lot about your character and values. Your identity is often perceived through the company you keep. Another familiar statement concerning friendship is, “Show me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are.” Again, the company you keep says a lot about who you really are. Who are your friends?

Being called a friend of God is the greatest compliment a person could receive. However, to a lost and dying world, such a compliment would be considered detrimental to one’s character. “Oh, you’re one of those Jesus freaks!” While the Christian community will embrace you for such a compliment, the world will quickly shame and shun you.

In this verse, it would seem Jesus was putting conditions on being His friend. Would you tell someone, “I will let you be my friend if you do whatever I command!” Probably not. This sounds strange coming from Jesus. Did Jesus imply, “If you do what I command, you can be My friend, but if you don’t do what I want, you cannot be My friend.” Although this verse is conditional in context, there is a deeper meaning we must understand.

Jesus was talking about how we prove through the way we live that we are a friend of Christ. We will be known as a friend of Jesus because we possess and portray to others the character of Christ. What are the marks of being Jesus’ friend? A friend loves at all times. A friend will do unto others as he would have them do unto him. A friend will lay down his life for other friends. A friend will love his enemies.

Being a friend of Jesus means every other friendship you have pales in comparison to your friendship with Jesus. “Friendship with the world is enmity with God.“ James 4:4 This verse is a warning against allowing the world to take precedence over one’s relationship with God. Do you love the world and what it offers more than you love Christ? If you hold anyone in higher regard than the Lord Jesus, then you are in serious conflict with God. You are not a friend but an enemy. Those are strong words.

The greatest proof for being a friend of Jesus is not necessarily demonstrated or determined within the friendly confines of the local church. The real and obvious proof is found amid a lost world. Fellow Christians assume you are a friend of Jesus because you attend church, but the world will know by the way you act at work, school, in traffic, in a long slow line at a store, or a sporting event if you are a friend of Jesus. The disciples believed Simon Peter was a close friend of Jesus when they gathered in the Upper Room but the servant girl in Pilate’s Court questioned his loyalty when she said, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” Peter said, “I am not!” I am sure her assessment of Peter’s friendship with Jesus was extremely weak or possibly non-existent.

Pertaining to the central truth of this chapter, abiding in Christ, if you are not abiding in Jesus as He commands you to do, then you are against Christ. Your “friendship” with Jesus is not what you think it is. Are you a friend of God? “Of course, I am,” is what you would say. What would your boss, your teacher, your co-worker, your coach, the person standing in front or behind you at Wal Mart, or the fan sitting near you at the ballgame say? Would they say you are a friend because you act just like Jesus? Today, will you prove or disprove you are a friend of God? Be aware of “who” and “whose” you are as you live today.

A Servant Friend

“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” v. 15

I grew up in a bustling neighborhood in Hammond, Indiana. At the major intersection of my neighborhood was a massive trailer park, a steel door manufacturing plant, a restaurant, and a gas station. Mr. Fred Stewart owned the restaurant and the gas station. I always rode my bicycle around the gas station in hopes that I could meet Mr. Stewart. I would have ridden around the restaurant too, but my mama would not let me cross the busy intersection! One day, Mr. Stewart stopped me as I rode by. He called me “Little Jonesy” because he knew my dad as “Jonesy!” He said he noticed I rode around his gas station quite frequently. He asked me if I wanted a job cleaning windshields while his attendant filled the cars with gasoline. I’m sure it was his way of getting me off my bike to prevent me from getting hit by a car while zipping through the gas station lot. After I asked my parents if it was okay, I accepted his offer and gladly made a nickel for every windshield I cleaned. I will never forget one day, a customer pulled in for gas and while I was cleaning her windshield, Mr. Stewart came out and asked the lady if she had met his “friend” Phillip Jones? He did not call me his employee; I was his friend. As an eight-year-old boy that impressed me to know I was a friend to one of the most important people in my neighborhood.

While there is nothing more impressive than being called a friend of Jesus, please do not misunderstand the words of Jesus. He is not referring to every believer when He said He no longer calls them servants but friends. First, He was talking to His disciples. They understood they were chosen to serve Jesus. Jesus modeled for them what a servant looks like for three and one-half years. In the upper room, Jesus washed their feet and served them supper. While serving them, He informed them they were more than just servants to Him, He considered them to be His dearest friends. Jesus was not trying to score points; He really considered these men to be His dearest friends. The disciples were friends because they followed Jesus 24/7. I’m sure this was a “wow” moment for the disciples to realize how much Jesus loved and appreciated them. They were Jesus’ friends because they desired to abide in Jesus as Jesus abided in them.

Verse 15 extends beyond the disciples to Christ-followers today. The Christian who abides in Jesus is a “friend” of Jesus because the truth of God’s word has been revealed to him. Jesus wants every child of God to be His friend, but friendship only comes when a believer abides in Jesus. The nominal believer is still a servant who has yet to become intimate with his Master.

In scripture, there are three types of servants, the hireling, the household servant, and the head servant. The hireling was a servant who worked for a day’s wage with no guarantee for employment and the household servant supervised the hirelings. The head servant or bondservant was chosen by the master. He took care of his master’s personal needs. Oftentimes, the relationship between the master and the head servant was more personal than the relationship between the master and his family. The master and his head servant were close friends. In context, Jesus called His disciples “friends” because they were His head servants.

Does Jesus consider you to be His servant or His friend? The answer depends on your relationship. The shocking truth is you may be neither a servant nor a friend. One of the saddest passages in scripture is Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Friend, do you have a personal relationship with Jesus? If so, is your relationship with Jesus the most important of all your relationships? Would Jesus say it is?

Can you imagine what the Lord could do through our church if Jesus considered every member to be one of His friends? GFBC would not only be known in our community and state as a “friendly” church but also as a “Jesus’ friends” church! Would you live today so the world will know you are more than just a servant of Christ, but you are a dear friend of Jesus? Be blessed in Jesus’ name!

Chosen and Appointed

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you.” v. 16

Jesus recounts how the disciples came into His kingdom. He reminds them that they did not choose Him, but He chose them. They did not go searching for Jesus until they found Him. They did not take the initiative to leave their families or their livelihoods to follow Jesus. No, Jesus sought them, found them, chose them, and appointed them to be His disciples. The purpose for their calling was simple: to obey Jesus and bear fruit.

The phrase “that your fruit should remain” is an interesting but somewhat confusing phrase. How can fruit remain? The disciples knew fruit cannot remain on the branch forever. After it ripens, it will eventually rot if it is not picked. “Remain” means the process of continual harvests will occur because the branches, who abide in the vine, are producing much fruit. “Remain” also means the abiding branches will yield new branches from which will come more fruit.

It is important to know the vine and its branches are vessels through which the source of life flows. Branches are not containers in whom the source of life flows to an ending place. Branches do not absorb the source of life for self-preservation or self-satisfaction. Branches do not fill up on the source of life just to produce and eat its own fruit. Branches are not containers, they are vessels. In this verse, bearing fruit means more than just a single branch bearing fruit. Because the branch is a vessel, as the source of life flows through the branch, other branches will develop from this branch. The additional branches will receive the same source of life and will eventually bear fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. The additional branches will also produce more branches.

“Whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you” does not mean God will give you what you want for your self-pleasure, but He will give everything you need to produce more fruit and more branches who will produce more fruit and more branches. Jesus is explaining the Principle of Disciple-Making. As branches, our purpose or function is to bear fruit and produce more branches who bear fruit. Disciple-Making is not the process of teaching Bible lessons to the same students for years and years. It is the process of reproducing more branches by sharing the gospel, seeing sinners converted, and equipping new followers to repeat the process. A branch that abides in the vine will produce fruit and branches who produce more fruit and more branches.

The New Testament illustrates the model of disciple-making. Jesus was the vine (the Master Teacher) who produced twelve branches (the disciples.) His life flowed through them. The Vinedresser (the Father) cut off one of the branches who was superficially attached to the vine (Judas). Jesus nourished the branches so they would produce fruit. Before His ascension into heaven, He commissioned His branches to grow and bear much fruit. Each branch obeyed by choosing disciples (branches) to join them in growing the kingdom of God by producing more fruit. Their branches (disciples) produced more branches who produced more fruit. This process has continued for ages. If you are a follower of Christ, do you realize you are the product of another branch’s (Christ-follower’s) fruit-bearing. If the disciples had not been faithful to fulfill this verse, you and I would not be here!

Are you producing fruit? Are you eating your own fruit or are others enjoying the blessings from your fruitfulness? Are you intentionally sharing your fruit across the street and around the world? Would Jesus say you are one of His branches who has produced much fruit and, to this day, is still producing much fruit? Would He say that out of your branch many branches have been produced that are bearing much fruit and producing more branches who are bearing more fruit? Are you a disciple-maker? If you say, “I am abiding in Jesus,” then the proof will be in the fact that you, a vessel, not a container, will bear much fruit and more branches who will bear much fruit. As Jesus has chosen and appointed you, will you obey Him today by bearing fruit and more branches who will bear fruit? Be blessed today as you live for Him. He is worth it!

Hated by the World

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.” vv. 18-19, 23-24

The image will always be pressed into my memory from February 15, 2015, of 21 Egyptian Christian men, dressed in orange jumpsuits, who were paraded in single file along a beach by 21 Libyan Islamic Militants. The Egyptian brothers in Christ were forced to the ground and beheaded. The militants carried out this act of hate because the Egyptians were “people of the Cross.”

In four verses out of twenty-seven in Chapter 15, Jesus talked about the subject of hate. This hate is specifically the hate the world has for His followers. One of the things a child of God will share with his Lord is the experience of suffering from the world’s hatred. The world will hate us because they hate God, but they will also hate us because they hate anyone who does not agree with them. In scripture, “world” has three meanings. The first is “creation,” the second is “people,” and the third is the “spiritual system that is opposed to everything God favors.” This third meaning is the one to which Jesus refers. This spiritual system consists of religious people who believe their hatred for others pleases their god. It also consists of rebellious people who hate because they despise anyone who would suggest the existence of God. It is difficult for most people to fathom that someone could or would hate them. You may think you have never said or done anything that would make someone hate you, but people do.

The world’s hatred is fueled by the devil’s hatred for God. The devil manipulates and deceives mankind to hate everything associated with God. Why would he do this? There are three main reasons. First, so the world would respond in such ways as to ruin their lives on earth and for eternity. Second, so believers would respond and react to the world’s hatred in such a fleshly way that it ruins their testimony on earth and possibly gives unbelievers an excuse why they choose not to pursue Christ. Third, so the world would be so driven to take the lives of Christ-followers; thus, preventing them from continuing the work of Christ and His kingdom.

As believers, we should hate sin but never the sinner. Jesus commanded us to love our enemies. He told us to do unto others as we would have them to do unto us. I must admit, this is easier to read than to practice. When someone vehemently hates you, your first reaction is to return the hate. Your flesh will persuade you to retaliate while your spirit will convict you to refrain.

Do you realize when Jesus saved you, He chose you and plucked you out of this world system. If He did not, you would not love Him. You would hate Him and everyone whom He loves. You would be just like the world. Don’t ever forget Jesus died for a world who could do nothing more than hate Him. He died because He loves them.

So, how do I love those who hate me? The only way to love those who hate you is by abiding in Jesus. If there are no obstructions to your walk with Jesus, then Jesus will flow persistently and powerfully through your life. The demonstration of love towards a spiritual system that opposes God will not be your love but Christ’s love flowing through you. Today, will you choose to retreat so the world does not know you belong to Christ, will you retaliate in hate to those who hate you, or will you respond in love to those who hate God? I pray we would be bold today as we live for Jesus because the rewards far exceed the risks! Be blessed in Jesus’ name.

God’s Wonderful Plan for Your Life: Persecution!

“Remember the word I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him, who sent Me.” vv. 20-21

Verses 20-21 contain some very gut-wrenching words. They did not appear to be very encouraging words that Jesus spoke to his disciples. Although these verses seem hard to swallow, they are extremely truthful. The fact is and remains, if Jesus loves you and you make this known, then the world will hate you. The world will hate you so much they will stop at nothing to destroy you because they are manipulated and persuaded by the devil who hates everything about God. The very things the world hates you for are the things Jesus asked His Father to forgive when He hung on the cross, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34 We, God’s servants, should not expect to be treated any different or better than Jesus, the Master, was treated by the world.

Christians, especially in the USA, are not experiencing persecution like Christians who live in China, Iran, Turkey, Syria, North Korea, Indonesia, and Northern Africa. Christians around the world are beaten, tortured, and killed. They are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ because they know, firsthand, it is the power of God unto salvation. Christians in America have avoided persecution because our country remains somewhat accepting of religion although it seems to be disappearing quickly. Many Christians avoid any negativity from the world because they do not give the slightest hint that they are Christians. While they speak and worship the name of Jesus in church buildings, they avoid the mention of His name in public. Christians in American do not want to be criticized for their faith much less beaten, tortured, or killed. It is safe to say, we purposefully live in a bubble to avoid conflict much less persecution. But cheer up friends, things will get worse!

I often hear people, pastors, and parents encouraging others, especially new believers, to remember “God has a wonderful plan for your life!” While He does have a wonderful plan, your definition for “wonderful” may not equal His definition. Your definition may include fame and fortune, peace and prosperity, acceptance and acclaim while God’s definition may include sorrow and suffering, trials and tribulation, pain and persecution. God had a wonderful plan for His chosen people. He had a wonderful plan for Moses, while leading God’s children out of Egypt, his own people complained and grumbled night and day. God had a wonderful plan for Daniel, while he exercised the gift of interpreting dreams, he spent the night in the lion’s den. God had a wonderful plan for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, while they refused to bow to the king’s idol, they were thrown into a fiery furnace. Yes, God had a wonderful plan for their lives.

God also had a wonderful plan for his apostles. Peter, while he was privileged to preach on the Day of Pentecost, that wonderful plan included being hung upside down on a cross. John, while he wrote several epistles, that wonderful plan included writing the last one in exile. Paul, while he wrote most of the New Testament, that wonderful plan, amongst many hardships, included death in a Roman prison. For the last prophet, John the Baptist, while he made straight the way of the Lord, that wonderful plan included losing his head. That “wonderful plan” is not always rich and glamorous as many expect. His wonderful plan may include a life of pain, perseverance, or persecution. So, whose version of that “wonderful plan” do you want, yours, your family and friends, or your Abba Father’s?

Our plans and God’s plans can be completely different. We cannot and should not judge God’s plans and our plans by the conditions, good or bad. Our plans may land us in a “good” place, but we may not be in the “right” place. God’s plans may land us in a “bad” place, but it will not be the “wrong” place. So, whose plan will you accept, yours or God’s? A carnal Christian will be content to be in a good place while an abiding Christian will settle for nothing less than being in the right place.

Where are you today? I am not talking about your physical location, per say, I am asking where are you spiritually? Are you smack dab in the middle of God’s plan or are you consumed by your plan? Are you meeting with resistance or is everything peaceful on the home front? You may say, “Well I guess I am in God’s plan because the devil is fighting what he does not like!” Could I suggest maybe the fighting within you is not necessarily the devil but the Holy Spirit who is convicting you that you are not where you should be? If you are in the midst of God’s plan, I say, “Keep on abiding in Jesus!” If you are comfortable living in your carnal plan, I pray the Holy Spirit will hound you until you surrender to His will. Accepting God’s plan for a wonderful life is the only path God can use to revive our church and awaken our community. Be blessed today as you walk in God’s wonderful plan!

No Excuse for Sin

“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.” v. 22

Jesus Christ came to earth as a babe in human flesh for one reason – to die for the sins of all men. During His earthly ministry, He preached a message of repentance. Jesus compelled people to turn from their sin to His salvation. The message and ministry of Christ was an opportunity for hope. However, if God had not created mankind and Jesus had not come and preached repentance, mankind would have never known they committed the greatest sin – rejection. Rejecting Jesus as Lord and Savior is the greatest sin because it is the only sin that will send a person to an everlasting hell. Jesus said those who reject Him will not be excused or exempted from permanent suffering in hell.

Everyone, good or bad, rejects Jesus. Religious and rebellious people reject Jesus. Religious people reject Jesus because they think their good life and good works justifies them before a holy God. Rebellious people reject Jesus because they do not believe He is justified to forgive them of their sin. Notice two examples: The rich young ruler, Mark 10:17-27, a religious man who considered himself to be a good person and the thief on the cross, Luke 23:39, a rebellious man who blasphemed Christ – both rejected Jesus. While both men died without experiencing God’s grace, both men are experiencing God’s wrath continually, eternally.

The laws of Christ are rules given to us to keep us safe. Obedience to the laws of Christ will ensure safety while disobedience will create painful, and possibly permanent, consequences. Fallen man believes life would be much better if laws did not exist. Everyone would live in peaceful coexistence! However, to live without laws, no one would know when they did something wrong. No one would be convicted of their wrongs. No one would desire to make corrections. No one would desire to do what’s right. Without laws, mankind would live in total chaos. For example, if speed laws did not exist and signs were not posted, drivers would drive excessively without the risk of being corrected, reprimanded or punished. No one would drive safely because no one would know what is considered a safe speed. More accidents and deaths would occur from unrestrained behavior.

The laws of God can never forgive or cleanse someone from their sin. When a person disobeys God’s law, the law of God condemns the one who violates any one of His laws. They are without excuse for their disobedience. The consequence for disobedience is death and separation. We all deserve death and separation. I deserve it and so do you!

I don’t want to leave you hanging by pointing out how bad you are, I want you to hear some good news on this nineteenth day. Here’s the good news – God did not want you to be separated eternally from Himself, so He provided who and what was necessary to bring you to Him – grace. The grace of God through Jesus Christ is the only substance that can forgive, cleanse, and bring us to God. Whereas there is no excuse for sin, we are guilty, we can experience the free pardon from sin through the shed blood of Jesus. Paul said, “There is therefore now, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1 The believer can never be condemned to an eternal hell when he sins after salvation. However, “no condemnation” does not mean a believer is excused or never faces a consequence for sins committed after salvation. God will convict us. We must confess our sin and receive God’s forgiveness.

Are you glad Jesus came to you and for you? Are you glad He convicted you of your sin when you broke His laws? Are you glad He saved you from death and separation? Are you glad you are no longer condemned? Remember: as a child of God, you no longer walk according to the flesh, but God’s Spirit so be mindful of this today!

The Fulfilled Word of God

“But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without cause.’” v. 25

While Jesus loves the world, many in and of the world hated Jesus. No group hated Jesus more than those who claimed to love God with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Religious people, Sadducees and Pharisees, hated Jesus more than those who willfully rebelled against God. Jesus said the hatred of mankind for Him would lead to the fulfillment of scripture in just a matter of hours. This hatred would culminate with the religious leaders carrying out their desire to bring Jesus up on charges and have Him crucified.

In John 11:45-57, the raising of Lazarus from the dead was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The Pharisees had enough and were determined to arrest Jesus once and for all. They claimed if they did not stop Him, everyone would believe in Him. Caiaphas, the high priest, spoke prophetically without knowing he did. He said, “It is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish. Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation and not for that nation only, but also that he would gather together in one children of God who were scattered abroad.” The actions and declaration of this religious mafia would fulfill the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Indeed He says, ‘Is it too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation. To the ends of the earth’.” Isaiah 49:6 God used the hatred of men for His Son to fulfill His plan for redemption to those who were at enmity with God, both Jew and Gentile.

People who hate others, feel justified to hate. People whose hate drives them to commit heinous acts towards others feel justified to steal, kill, and destroy. However, there is no reason to hate or an excuse to hate. Jesus did not give us permission to hate others, especially those who hate us. As a matter of fact, Jesus stressed the opposite – love your enemies and do good to those who hate you. Paul said, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance.” Romans 2:4 It is not God’s wrath but His demonstration of love that leads sinful men to profess faith in Christ. Just as God loves His enemies to repentance, we should be instruments of grace through whom God can demonstrate His love for the enemies of the cross. In doing so, we fulfill the will of God as is outlined in scripture. God’s enemies have no justification for their opposition to Him but neither do we, as Christ followers, if we hate those who hate God.

How well do you love those who criticize and mock you for standing with Christ? Are you biblically obedient in your response to them? The key to fulfilling the scriptural mandate to love your enemies is abiding in Jesus. Don’t focus on loving the enemies of the cross, focus on abiding in Jesus and you will supernaturally love every enemy of the cross. Be blessed as you love others today in Jesus’ name!

The Helper

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” vv. 26-27

How do you respond when someone says, “Let me help you!” Are you offended and resentful or are you encouraged and accepting? Admitting you need help is often viewed as a sign of weakness or failure. A strong, capable person should never need help! In the physical realm, this may be true but in the spiritual realm, there is nothing a child of God can do without the help of God’s Spirit. Jesus knows this about us. This is why He told His disciples He would send the Helper to help them to do or accomplish what they could not do together or alone. Even the old saying, “There is strength in numbers” does not apply when it comes to the work of God. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, the most capable people will always fall short of fulfilling God’s plans.

Some people only entertain help when they find themselves utterly helpless. Only when they have tried themselves and failed, do they ask for help. Being above average height, I am oftentimes useful to vertically challenged people at the grocery store. I can sense when someone needs something off the top shelf beyond their reach. That pleasant smile or the look of desperation is a dead giveaway! Some just stare at me, others point upward, and the desperate ones say, “Help Me!” Regardless of how they ask, I am willing to help.

One evidence of the abiding, spirit-filled life is the willingness of a child of God to witness for Jesus Christ. In a court of law, the main task of a called witness is to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help them, God. A nominal, “lukewarm” Christian lacks the desire to share while a spirit-filled, abiding Christian looks for opportunities to share Christ with others. The lukewarm believer does not see the need to depend on the Holy Spirit while the abiding Christian knows he cannot live or succeed without His power. Attempting great things for God with physical strength and talents will always fall short. Every believer needs the help of the Holy Spirit!

This is obvious when you look at Simon Peter. Before the Holy Spirit, Simon Peter could not put two sentences together without stumbling over them. When the Holy Spirit had come, Simon Peter spoke with such a powerful anointing on the Day of Pentecost. His message was proof of Jesus’s declaration in this verse. The Holy Spirit helped Peter in this moment and throughout his entire ministry. With the Holy Spirit’s help, Simon Peter became a powerhouse for God.

As we approach our first Awakening service tonight, we will gather to worship our Lord in Spirit and Truth. In Spirit because there is absolutely nothing that will impede our ability to praise Jesus and would cause Jesus to say He cannot receive our praise. In Truth because we are in tune with God’s Spirit, we will worship our Lord the biblical way God has designed for us to do so. We will worship Him because the Holy Spirit will help us. However, our time to gather will end and we will disperse to our homes to prepare for the rest of our week. The need for the Holy Spirit’s help will not end once we leave the sanctuary. You and I will need the Holy Spirit Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Why do we need the Holy Spirit? We need Him because He has already planned how He wants to use us across the street or around the world. He will create divine appointments where our lives intersect with people who desperately need to know Him. When these appointments happen, He wants us to be ready and willing to open our mouths and share what He has prepared and anointed to come from our lips – the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us through the power of God alone. The results of our conversations will be totally up to Him. He will do His part while we must do our part with His help.

Will you allow the Holy Spirit to help you? I pray you will! I pray the Lord has worked in us for the past 21 days to prepare us for the greater things He has in store for us. I pray to abide in Jesus is our number one desire. I pray we are ready to become useful vessels for the Master, prepared for every good work. I pray the Holy Spirit will empower us in the days ahead to produce much fruit and better fruit for His glory. I pray the best is yet to come, in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Soli Deo gloria!