We were sitting on the bench, in the shade of a grapevine that was planted a few years ago. It's not a large vine. A small structure with the overhanging canopy for the new shoots to grow against and only 2 plants were planted under it. While sitting there enjoying the bit of shade, looking at the new growth of the stems finding their way across the canopy and the way the stems wind their shoots around the poles and the wire, anchoring themselves, my wife commented on just how "silly looking" the crooked old stems have grown to become. The new fruit forming the clusters of what we hope will grow and ripen into the same (or better), clusters of grapes we enjoyed in the previous season.
It is mid-Spring in South Africa now. A time where the 'deadness' of the passing winter has transformed into new life all around. Everywhere you gaze, plants are shooting. The early peach trees have blossomed and are already bearing their fruit. The apricot tree also has new fruit forming. The old Prickly Pear plants are full of colourful new blossoms on. The giant old mulberry trees - (we have the white and deep red mulberries) - have ripened fruit on them and the lawn has turned a beautiful green, especially after the recent rain we enjoyed.
This brings me today to the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus that are recorded in the Gospel of John, found in chapter 15 and verse 16. Have you read them before? May I quote the verse here for you?
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Firstly what we have to remember is that Jesus was speaking to His disciples. These were of the last teachings He was giving them. Let us look closely at what He said.
1. "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you"
Remember that it was Jesus who called His disciples to follow Him. They chose to follow. They heeded to the Call to follow then they left their trade and became the followers of the Rabbi. Like them, we as born again Children of God, have been called to follow Christ Jesus. We have not chosen Him, but He chose us. Chose us to be followers.
2. "and ordained you"
Not the "every-day-run-of-the-mill-type" followers but disciples that are called and ordained.
ordained, equipped and sent with a purpose. We are pre-destined and destined, on purpose before we were born, to be men and women of God, with a calculated purpose of submitting to a life of total commitment.
In His great plan, God knew where you and I would fit in to fulfil His Purpose and that was:-
3. "..that ye should go and bring forth fruit.."
I almost feel tempted to assimilate the word "Go" as commanded in the mandate of both Matt 28:19 and Mark 16:16 = Go ye...
Go forth into all the world with this message of Hope, Salvation, Deliverance and Love but in going, we need to bring forth the fruit.
Jesus said in the same chapter 15 verse 5
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
We have to remember that Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches. Break any branch on a vine. It doesn't have to broken off completely. Just slightly and see how it dies, dries up and withers away. No life giving sap is able to enter the branch. In exactly the same way that we remain in the Vine, abide in the Vine, His life-giving "sap" passes through us giving growth and eventually forms fruit which is fed by the same "sap". Jesus is not satisfied with you and I only bringing forth fruit but verse 5 speaks of "Much Fruit".
Not only to bring forth fruit or much fruit but:
4. "and that your fruit should remain:
Our bearing fruit should not be as the natural vine and it's fruit here on earth which is only seasonal, but that the fruit should remain.
The Lord tells a parable of how the owner of a fig tree had in vain searched for fruit from the fig tree for 3 years, without avail. Look at what the man said to the vine dresser:
Luke 13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
Luke 13:7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? (italics and bold brought in by me only to stress a point);
Oh, listen to the vine dresser's plea:-
Luk 13:8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
Luk 13:9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down
From this parable, it is clear to me that a tree or vine that bears no fruit, displeases the owner (Father). Read John 15:2 and compare to the verses in Luke and see the same principle. A branch that does not bear fruit, is taken away but, But, BUT the branch that bears...!
John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Praise G-d! We are expected to bear MUCH fruit. Why?
5. "that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
That we can walk in fellowship with G-d through His Son Jesus Christ and by abiding in Him, we can have boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies, into the very presence of G-d, and WHATSOVER we wil ask the Father In The Name of Jesus Messiah, know that G-d will answer our prayers.
Notice a few things here. Guaranteed answers to prayers mean that we have to follow the formula written in G-d's Word. Not by following the handed-down rituals and practices of the tribe you grew up in, of your culture or the teachings of man but according to the Bible. In South Africa and Africa in general, many pray through their ancestors. They believe in ancestral worship. Some African churches even combine the traditional practices into Christianity. I'm not "knocking" your belief system, my friend. I just want you to see the Light through the Blessed Word of G-d. Not our own thinking or perception but the way it is stated in the Bible. I don't know about you friend, how you believe but I believe the Bible to be the Infallible Word of G-d, the 66 canonical books, inspired by G-d. It is history = His Story from Creation to the end of all things, not of evolution and the thoughts and ways of man but the Thoughts and ways of G-d's dealings with man.
Abiding in the Vine - walking in Truth, walking in Love, walking in Faith, walking in the Light, walking in the Word, abiding in the fullness of G-d. Growing and bearing the fruit of the Spirit, becoming more and more Christlike as we live in Him and He in us. Becoming more and more as He pre-destined us to be, in His likeness, His nature, His ability, clothed with His righteousness and equipped with His power through the blessed Holy Spirit to demonstrate His Love and Will to a lost world, the Will of the Father, through the death and Resurrection of His son, Jesus the Christ - that none should perish but that all have life everlasting.
God bless this thought to your heart and quicken it in your life. I want to encourage you to read your Bible. If you do not own a Bible, try getting one. Read it from cover-to-cover.
If you are from a different faith, have never before been a follower of Christ (some say Christian but I say a Child of G-d according to the Christian Faith), and would like to become a child of G-d, open up your heart to G-d, confess your sins by name, as you did them. Repent, be sorrowful of your past sinful life and turn to G-d the Father pleading forgiveness from sin. Believe and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of G-d who became the sacrificial Lamb of G-d, was sacrificed in your stead. Believe that He died (I prefer to say -gave His life) for you and I, but arose triumphant from the grave, victorious over death and death's domain, so that we never need to pay the penalty for our own sins. Accept Him as your own personal Saviour. Thank Him that the Blood of Jesus cleanses from ALL sin. Be washed in His Blood and declare that you are now His child, delivered from every sin and set free from every demonic force and power. If Christ (the Truth) has set you free, you will be free indeed.
If you dabbled in witchcraft, are or were involved in the occult in any way, were or are presently still involved in satanism, was or are a practicing medium and spritualist, you will need to confess your sin and involvement in these dark practices of evil. You will need to get rid of any idols, charms and relics of witchcraft, talismans, any and all things you worshipped and/or prayed to, books etc on the occult and burn them. Break ties with your past and with wrong friends. Break with all old relationships. Turn your back on past practices. Find a Spirit-filled church and minister and fellowship with them to assist you on the path to spiritual growth, Read the Bible every day and night. Memorise the Scriptures that can give you wisdom and insight. Learn to pray and pray everyday as much as you can. Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you through His Word. Tell others, (become a witness and testify) about your conversion. Lastly, please let me know your name and of your decision so that I can add you to our prayer list that we too can pray that your adventure in Christ will make to to become an obedient servant of the Most High God and that you will achieve great heights in Him, finding and fulfilling His purpose in you.
Be blessed
Rodney Spray (Pastor)
This is my e-mail link. To send me an e-mail: Click Here
It is mid-Spring in South Africa now. A time where the 'deadness' of the passing winter has transformed into new life all around. Everywhere you gaze, plants are shooting. The early peach trees have blossomed and are already bearing their fruit. The apricot tree also has new fruit forming. The old Prickly Pear plants are full of colourful new blossoms on. The giant old mulberry trees - (we have the white and deep red mulberries) - have ripened fruit on them and the lawn has turned a beautiful green, especially after the recent rain we enjoyed.
This brings me today to the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus that are recorded in the Gospel of John, found in chapter 15 and verse 16. Have you read them before? May I quote the verse here for you?
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Firstly what we have to remember is that Jesus was speaking to His disciples. These were of the last teachings He was giving them. Let us look closely at what He said.
1. "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you"
Remember that it was Jesus who called His disciples to follow Him. They chose to follow. They heeded to the Call to follow then they left their trade and became the followers of the Rabbi. Like them, we as born again Children of God, have been called to follow Christ Jesus. We have not chosen Him, but He chose us. Chose us to be followers.
2. "and ordained you"
Ordained = Predestined, Intended, Meant, Fated, Designed,
Deliberate, on purpose, calculated
Not the "every-day-run-of-the-mill-type" followers but disciples that are called and ordained.
ordained, equipped and sent with a purpose. We are pre-destined and destined, on purpose before we were born, to be men and women of God, with a calculated purpose of submitting to a life of total commitment.
In His great plan, God knew where you and I would fit in to fulfil His Purpose and that was:-
3. "..that ye should go and bring forth fruit.."
I almost feel tempted to assimilate the word "Go" as commanded in the mandate of both Matt 28:19 and Mark 16:16 = Go ye...
Go forth into all the world with this message of Hope, Salvation, Deliverance and Love but in going, we need to bring forth the fruit.
Jesus said in the same chapter 15 verse 5
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
We have to remember that Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches. Break any branch on a vine. It doesn't have to broken off completely. Just slightly and see how it dies, dries up and withers away. No life giving sap is able to enter the branch. In exactly the same way that we remain in the Vine, abide in the Vine, His life-giving "sap" passes through us giving growth and eventually forms fruit which is fed by the same "sap". Jesus is not satisfied with you and I only bringing forth fruit but verse 5 speaks of "Much Fruit".
Not only to bring forth fruit or much fruit but:
4. "and that your fruit should remain:
Our bearing fruit should not be as the natural vine and it's fruit here on earth which is only seasonal, but that the fruit should remain.
The Lord tells a parable of how the owner of a fig tree had in vain searched for fruit from the fig tree for 3 years, without avail. Look at what the man said to the vine dresser:
Luke 13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
Luke 13:7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? (italics and bold brought in by me only to stress a point);
Oh, listen to the vine dresser's plea:-
Luk 13:8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
Luk 13:9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down
From this parable, it is clear to me that a tree or vine that bears no fruit, displeases the owner (Father). Read John 15:2 and compare to the verses in Luke and see the same principle. A branch that does not bear fruit, is taken away but, But, BUT the branch that bears...!
John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Praise G-d! We are expected to bear MUCH fruit. Why?
5. "that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."
That we can walk in fellowship with G-d through His Son Jesus Christ and by abiding in Him, we can have boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies, into the very presence of G-d, and WHATSOVER we wil ask the Father In The Name of Jesus Messiah, know that G-d will answer our prayers.
Notice a few things here. Guaranteed answers to prayers mean that we have to follow the formula written in G-d's Word. Not by following the handed-down rituals and practices of the tribe you grew up in, of your culture or the teachings of man but according to the Bible. In South Africa and Africa in general, many pray through their ancestors. They believe in ancestral worship. Some African churches even combine the traditional practices into Christianity. I'm not "knocking" your belief system, my friend. I just want you to see the Light through the Blessed Word of G-d. Not our own thinking or perception but the way it is stated in the Bible. I don't know about you friend, how you believe but I believe the Bible to be the Infallible Word of G-d, the 66 canonical books, inspired by G-d. It is history = His Story from Creation to the end of all things, not of evolution and the thoughts and ways of man but the Thoughts and ways of G-d's dealings with man.
Abiding in the Vine - walking in Truth, walking in Love, walking in Faith, walking in the Light, walking in the Word, abiding in the fullness of G-d. Growing and bearing the fruit of the Spirit, becoming more and more Christlike as we live in Him and He in us. Becoming more and more as He pre-destined us to be, in His likeness, His nature, His ability, clothed with His righteousness and equipped with His power through the blessed Holy Spirit to demonstrate His Love and Will to a lost world, the Will of the Father, through the death and Resurrection of His son, Jesus the Christ - that none should perish but that all have life everlasting.
God bless this thought to your heart and quicken it in your life. I want to encourage you to read your Bible. If you do not own a Bible, try getting one. Read it from cover-to-cover.
If you are from a different faith, have never before been a follower of Christ (some say Christian but I say a Child of G-d according to the Christian Faith), and would like to become a child of G-d, open up your heart to G-d, confess your sins by name, as you did them. Repent, be sorrowful of your past sinful life and turn to G-d the Father pleading forgiveness from sin. Believe and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of G-d who became the sacrificial Lamb of G-d, was sacrificed in your stead. Believe that He died (I prefer to say -gave His life) for you and I, but arose triumphant from the grave, victorious over death and death's domain, so that we never need to pay the penalty for our own sins. Accept Him as your own personal Saviour. Thank Him that the Blood of Jesus cleanses from ALL sin. Be washed in His Blood and declare that you are now His child, delivered from every sin and set free from every demonic force and power. If Christ (the Truth) has set you free, you will be free indeed.
If you dabbled in witchcraft, are or were involved in the occult in any way, were or are presently still involved in satanism, was or are a practicing medium and spritualist, you will need to confess your sin and involvement in these dark practices of evil. You will need to get rid of any idols, charms and relics of witchcraft, talismans, any and all things you worshipped and/or prayed to, books etc on the occult and burn them. Break ties with your past and with wrong friends. Break with all old relationships. Turn your back on past practices. Find a Spirit-filled church and minister and fellowship with them to assist you on the path to spiritual growth, Read the Bible every day and night. Memorise the Scriptures that can give you wisdom and insight. Learn to pray and pray everyday as much as you can. Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you through His Word. Tell others, (become a witness and testify) about your conversion. Lastly, please let me know your name and of your decision so that I can add you to our prayer list that we too can pray that your adventure in Christ will make to to become an obedient servant of the Most High God and that you will achieve great heights in Him, finding and fulfilling His purpose in you.
Be blessed
Rodney Spray (Pastor)
This is my e-mail link. To send me an e-mail: Click Here
Great message. God bless, Lloyd
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