Thursday, November 25, 2004

John 15
and "I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. 2He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. 3You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.
4"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.
5"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. 6Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. 7But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. 8This is how my Father shows who he is--when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.
9"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. 10If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done--kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love.
11"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. 12This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. 13This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. 14You are my friends when you do the things I command you. 15I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.
16"You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.
17"But remember the root command: Love one another.

1 John 2:27 "As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit-just as it has taught you, remain in him."

i think that intimacy with Jesus for most of my life i have substited with church and bible studies and cell groups and big meetings. not really thinking that God really does want to just chill with me and that when He shows up there is no feeling like it. so all these other things can be good but as long as they are second place to the source.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This clicked something inside me. Mind if I link to this from my blog as a reference?

graham said...

link away my anonymus friend, would you put a link to your blog in this space?