John 15:1-5
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

I could write 50 different things on just those five verses but lets talk about one.

Are we living in Him or are we just by Him?
Can we actually consider our selves to be in the vine as a branch? Are we considered as abiding in Jesus or are we just surrounding our selves with all the right “church” and “Christian” things to be considered one of those Jesus people.

That very thought has challenged me for a some time now.
I have sat on the sidelines and have been okay with just doing enough or being enough to be considered a Christian.

We can’t be okay with sitting on the sidelines any longer, we need to be so anxious to share the story of Jesus that we can’t sit idle on our couches or sleeping in our beds, but we are asking the Lord for the right people to come in contact with today that need to be loved.

The world all around us is searching for Love. They are searching for it in every way, from drugs, alcohol, sex, porn. Those are some few ways, but those are real things people try filling themselves with to replace love, and  we all have searched for Love. Maybe in one or more of those ways our selves. We either try and empty away everything inside us to get away from love, or we search and search and search for it. In anyway possible.

We as “Christians” have Love IN us. Who are we to keep it hidden in our hearts?
Who are we to hide the best gift ever given to us? When ever all the world has been searching for is Love?

Christians, the Apostles where first called that in the Acts era of the Bible. They where called this because they where Christ like. They where Jesus like. The world saw and heard and witnessed, the same authority, healing, and Love, that Jesus had while on earth, in and through those Apostles.

We just can’t be okay with sitting on the sidelines any longer. We can’t be okay with keeping Jesus in the church, but to go out and be the light to the world, be the salt to the earth. We can’t keep His love hidden inside the doors of the church.
Its time for us to open the doors and go out and be Jesus to the city’s we live in…

Have We lost sight of where we once where?
Have We lost sight of exactly where we came from?
Without Jesus where would We be?

I have to ask those things in myself often, I get to stuck in my own routine, my own way of life. That I forget this wasn’t and isn’t my life to do anything with any ways. It is all for the sake of Jesus, and His Glory…

May we be branches that truly abide in Jesus and grow in fruit, not just be near Him and see nothing happening or changing in our life’s, but actually that we may bear fruit. Fruit that last in season, and out of season, not just fruit that last when we are on the mountain top but when we are in the valley as well.

That is fruit that last.

Jesus just wants us to abide in Him. He wants the Word to not just be something we quote in our prayers, or quote when we are talking to someone, but He wants us to actually Live in. Live in, and walk out His Word.

When will we come to the realization that its not about that title of Christian, but its about actually abiding in everything God has for us. Abiding in Jesus, and actually walking out His promises and walking out what He has called us to do.

Matthew 22:37-40
And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as your self.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and Prophets.”

If we do not walk and abide in Him that we may receive the Fruits of the Spirit, (Galatians 5:22-23) then how will they know we are any different or have something different. By those fruits, they see Jesus.

I do not want to be considered in a religion by the world, but I want to be considered by the world someone that Loves Jesus and walks like He did. I want to be known as someone that shares and walks in His Love, Power, Freedom, and Peace.

In Him may we Abide.


Joseph III