Category Archives: Abiding In The Vine

Fight Like Jesus??? Really!!! A Word from THE WORD!!! #339

13 Sunday Apr 2025

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, A Witness--Good or Bad???, Abiding IN Jesus or the World?, Abiding In The Vine, Abundant Life In Jesus, Fighting With God's Weapons, Filled With His Spirit, Guard Your Heart, Guard Your Mouth, Holy Living, Holy Spirit, Let This Mind Be In You, Let You Light So Shine, Lifting up Jesus, Living TODAY!, Looking Unto Jesus, Speaking The Truth In Love, Spiritual Procrastination, Spread the GOOD news!

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Fight Like Jesus???  Really!!!  A Word from THE WORD!!! #339

What do I mean “fight” like Jesus?  I mean that like Paul shared in Ephesians 6, we “wrestle not against flesh and blood” but we do have an enemy and we must—must—must be ready to “stand fast” and “withstand in the evil day”!  And oh my friends, we are surely in the evil day.  So how do we fight the battles? With a pure heart, and confidence in our Lord and King.

“A good man

out of the good treasure of his heart

bringeth forth that which is good;

and an evil man

out of the evil treasure of his heart

bringeth forth that which is evil:

for of the abundance of the heart

his mouth speaketh.

46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord,

and do not the things which I say?”  Luke 6:45-46

We must keep watch over our heart; for out of the treasure of our hearts our testimony and our life will be able to make a difference in the world of influence that God brings us to.

“Set a watch, O LORD,

before my mouth;

keep the door

of my lips.

4 Incline not my heart

to any evil thing,

to practise wicked works

with men that work iniquity:

and let me not eat of their dainties.”   Psalm 141:3-4

We must recognize that our life is a mixture of not only our heart choices toward God, but our words, our associates and our choices for righteousness over evil, can and will make a difference!  So what are we to do?  Follow the example of our Lord, who when encountering the devil himself, He fought with the best weapon we can use—Scripture!

“And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights,

he was afterward an hungred.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said,

If thou be the Son of God,

command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said,

It is written,

Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word

that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city,

and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6 And saith unto him,

If thou be the Son of God,

cast thyself down:

for it is written,

He shall give his angels charge

concerning thee:

and in their hands

they shall bear thee up,

lest at any time thou dash thy foot

against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him,

It is written again,

Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

8 Again, the devil taketh him up

into an exceeding high mountain,

and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world,

and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him,

All these things will I give thee,

if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him,

Get thee hence, Satan:

for it is written,

Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,

and him only shalt thou serve.

11 Then the devil leaveth him,

and, behold,

angels came and ministered unto him.”   Matthew 4:2-11

Jesus went toe-to-toe with the devil by refuting Satan’s misuse of scripture with accurate exposition and quoting it contextually!  How about you and me?  Do we know scripture well enough to use it wisely and beneficially?  Or do we simply quote random quotes that we think are scripture, without benefit of contextual integrity or familiarity with The Word of God.  Just because we carry a Bible doesn’t mean that we know its content!  Oh, that we can learn to trust Jesus enough, and love Him enough to dig into HIS WORD to know Him, His truth and His ways, as well as how to share truth with others with grace, seasoned with salt.  Paul said it best.

“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without,

redeeming the time.

6 Let your speech be alway with grace,

seasoned with salt,

that ye may know how ye ought to answer

every man.”  Colossians 4:5-6

And as we think about “fighting the good fight”, may we remember Paul’s challenge to his son-in-the-ministry, Timothy, to be found faithful!

“Fight the good fight of faith,

lay hold on eternal life,

whereunto thou art also called,

and hast professed a good profession

before many witnesses.”  1 Timothy 6:12

Oh, to be found as a faithful soldier of my King, by doing as Jesus said and “abiding” in HIM!

“I am the true vine,

and my Father is the husbandman.

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.

3 Now ye are clean

through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me,

and I in you.

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,

except it abide in the vine;

no more can ye,

except ye abide in me.

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.”  John 15:1-5

Note in verses 4 and 5, that Jesus says that it’s the one who “abideth” in Him and HE in them, who bears fruit.  We can claim to be “in” Jesus but if HE isn’t “in” us we better check out what we think saves us!  Paul made it very clear to the Roman believers; no Holy Spirit within—no salvation!

“So then they that are in the flesh

cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh,

but in the Spirit,

 if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.

Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,

he is none of his.

10 And if Christ be in you,

the body is dead because of sin;

but the Spirit is life

because of righteousness.”  Romans 8:8-10

Oh, to remember what Jesus did for us at the cross, and what He is doing for us through the completed work of the cross by the impartation of His precious Holy Spirit.  Have you bowed the knee before the King of Kings and Lord of lords, Jesus?  I pray that you know Him and are fighting that “good fight of faith”!  And part of that is pursuing the “mind of Christ” as Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 2, as we yield our will to our Lord’s—simple but not easy!  It is the battle field of the mind—the mind of Christ or the “mind of me”!  And just a few verses from this great passage of Philippians 2:5-11!

“Let this mind be in you,

which was also in Christ Jesus:…

8 And being found in fashion as a man,

he humbled himself,

and became obedient unto death,

even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,

and given him a name which is above

every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus

every knee should bow,

of things in heaven,

and things in earth,

and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.” Portions of Philippians 2:5-11

Amen and Amen!!!

Will you bow before Jesus and learn to fight the battles of this life like He did?  We can be overcomers as we yield our life to King Jesus.  How about you?  Today?  If not now, when?

A Friday Prayer of Praise??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #262

20 Friday Sep 2024

Posted by in Abiding In Jesus, Abiding In The Vine, Creator, Creator of ALL, Jesus IS Lord--bow before Him!, Praise Encourages our Heart, Praise God Today!, PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!, Press ON!, Search me O God?, Seasonal or Steadfast?, Thankful, True Friendship, Trust, Trusting God, Trusting Jesus, Truth, Try yourselves

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 A Friday Prayer of Praise???  A Word from THE WORD!!! #262

“I will praise thee;

for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:

marvellous are thy works;

and that my soul knoweth right well.

15 My substance was not hid from thee,

when I was made in secret,

and curiously wrought

in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Thine eyes did see my substance,

yet being unperfect;

and in thy book all my members were written,

which in continuance were fashioned,

when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me,

O God!

how great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them,

they are more in number than the sand:

when I awake,

I am still with thee.

19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God:

depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

20 For they speak against thee wickedly,

and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

21 Do not I hate them, O LORD,

that hate thee?

and am not I grieved with those

that rise up against thee?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred:

I count them mine enemies.”  Psalm 139:14-22

This Psalm of David is an amazing account of David’s recognition of the creator of all things, including us!  How often we forget that we are God’s creation, even as David reminds us in the 100th Psalm:

“Know ye that the LORD he is God:

it is he that hath made us,

and not we ourselves…”. Psalm 100:3a

As David rehearses the wonder of man’s creation and the worth of our God, not just because of what He does, but because of Who He Is!  Even as Paul told the Corinthian believers—because we are so apt to forget in our pride and arrogance as human beings—even as born-again human beings we can be distracted by our own flesh (and of course Satan is right there handing us the fuel!)

“Not that we are sufficient

of ourselves

to think any thing

as of ourselves;

but our sufficiency is of God;” 2 Corinthians 3:5

Jesus said it Himself as He spent the last hours of His life teaching His followers truth; even knowing that they wouldn’t get it until much later!  After His death, burial and resurrection they not only got it, but shared it unto their death.  And many of them died martyr’s deaths!

“I am the true vine,

and my Father is the husbandman.

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.

3 Now ye are clean

through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me,

and I in you.

As the branch

cannot bear fruit of itself,

except it abide in the vine;

 no more can ye,

except ye abide in me.

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.”  John 15:1-5

The bottom line is relatively simple—we must abide in Jesus, praising Him through thick or thin, happy or sad, simple or difficult—for we are the sheep of His pasture.  I am His and He is mine—and He has never failed me!  Ever!!!  This brings us back to the ending of Psalm 139, a prayer that I pray often, and encourage you to pray it, memorize it (if you haven’t already) and ask God to bring it to your heart as often as necessary!  May our hearts be drawn to The Master!

“Search me, O God,

and know my heart:

try me,

and know my thoughts:

24 And see

if there be any wicked way in me,

and lead me

in the way everlasting.”  Psalm 139:23-24

Amen and Amen!!!

Sometimes It Ain’t Easy??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #220

15 Wednesday May 2024

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Call To Look Unto Jesus!, A Form of godliness?, Abiding In Jesus, Abiding IN Jesus or the World?, Abiding In The Vine, Advice for the journey, Follow Jesus, Following Jesus, Following Jesus or the World?, Footprints, For Such A Time As This, Holiness, Holy, Holy Living, Holy Spirit, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Jesus Is Truth, Jesus Knows, Longsuffering, Look up and Praise The Lord, Love, Love Is Action, Never Alone, Purity, Salvation

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Sometimes It Ain’t Easy??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #220

This title kind of says it all, and I want us to consider the truth that we often times try to hedge or compromise; but Jesus calls us to a higher plane.  He calls us to love others as He has, does and ever will love us.  Sounds easy—but it “ain’t”!

“Ye have heard that it hath been said,

Thou shalt love thy neighbour,

and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you,

Love your enemies,

bless them that curse you,

do good to them that hate you,

and pray for them which despitefully use you,

and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children

of your Father which is in heaven:

for he maketh his sun to rise

on the evil

and on the good,

and sendeth rain

on the just

and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you,

what reward have ye?

do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only,

what do ye more than others?

do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect,

even as your Father which is in heaven

is perfect.”  Matthew 5:43-48

Jesus has not only called us to walk a path of hardship but to do it with HIS love in our hearts, and that, my friends can only be accomplished because He has given His precious Holy Spirit to those who are born again.  It’s His Spirit that He promised will bring us into all truth, equip us and fit us for HIS service as well as His kingdom.  Paul talks about this to the Colossian believers.

“Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet to be partakers

of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us

from the power of darkness,

and hath translated us

into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption

through his blood,

even the forgiveness of sins:” Colossians 1:12-14

Also as the Apostle John recorded for us:

“He came unto his own,

and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him,

to them gave he power

to become the sons of God,

even to them

that believe on his name:

13 Which were born,

not of blood,

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man,

but of God.”  John 1:11-13

Even as Jesus told Nicodemus, the religious leader who was seeking the truth, and Jesus introduced him to truth—The Son of God Himself.

“Jesus answered and said unto him,

Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born again,

he cannot see the kingdom of God…

…5 Jesus answered,

Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,

he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh

 is flesh;

and that which is born of the Spirit

is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee,

Ye must be born again.

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth,

and thou hearest the sound thereof,

but canst not tell whence it cometh,

and whither it goeth:

so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”  John 3:3-8

Have you been born of The Spirit of God?  Without the Spirit we can do nothing, and we can’t even belong to God without the new birth which the conviction of the Holy Spirit brings us to and works into us.  As born-again believers we are to go where The Spirit leads, directs and prepares us for! All by “abiding” in Jesus!

“Abide in me,

and I in you.

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,

except it abide in the vine;

no more can ye,

 except ye abide in me.

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.”  John 15:4-5

The Holy Spirit indwelling us, is the evidence that we belong to Jesus, and it should show in all we think, and say, and do.  Our behavior will reveal what’s inside!  Which Spirit is within you?  The Holy Spirit of Jesus or the spirit of the world?

“But ye are not in the flesh,

but in the Spirit,

if so be that the Spirit of God

dwell in you.

Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,

he is none of his.” Romans 8:9

As Jesus said:

“Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth

in at the mouth goeth into the belly,

and is cast out into the draught?

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth

come forth from the heart;

and they defile the man.

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts,

murders, adulteries, fornications,

thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

20 These are the things which defile a man:

but to eat with unwashen hands

defileth not a man.”  Matthew 15:17-20

Paul also makes it as clear as glass for us in his message to the Roman believers; it is our great standing ground of truth.  Will you stand upon it, or will you go your own way and miss the joy, peace and salvation that Jesus died to provide for all who will come to Him in repentance and faith in His substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for sin?  While this is a lengthy passage, it is too valuable to cut short here (and I would encourage you to read the entire 5th chapter –in fact chapters 5-8 are amazing.)

“Therefore being justified by faith,

we have peace with God

 through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith

into this grace wherein we stand,

and rejoice in hope

of the glory of God.

3 And not only so,

but we glory in tribulations also:

 knowing that tribulation

worketh patience;

4 And patience,

experience;

and experience,

hope:

5 And hope maketh not ashamed;

because the love of God is shed abroad

in our hearts

by the Holy Ghost

which is given unto us.

6 For when we were yet without strength,

in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man

will one die:

yet peradventure for a good man

some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love toward us,

in that, while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us.

9 Much more then,

being now justified by his blood,

we shall be saved from wrath through him.

10 For if, when we were enemies,

we were reconciled to God

by the death of his Son,

much more, being reconciled,

we shall be saved by his life.

11 And not only so,

but we also joy in God

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

by whom we have now received

the atonement.” Romans 5:1-11

So, while the commands to love the unlovely aren’t an easy thing, as the title says, “Sometimes It Ain’t Easy”, yet it is doable in Jesus, when we walk in the Spirit not the flesh (See Galatians 5:16 & 25), and that my friends is the catch, if you want to call it that; we must keep in mind that we “can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me”!  (See Philippians 4:13.) I also want to remind you that there is a payday—and while it may not be today, it is coming!  So press on my friends and depend on Jesus through the power of His Holy Spirit to keep on loving like Jesus—not compromise but “speaking the truth in love” we are to press on.  It’s your choice, but choose wisely, there is a test.

“Blessed are they

which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake:

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye,

when men shall revile you,

 and persecute you,

and shall say all manner of evil

against you falsely,

for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:

for great is your reward in heaven:

for so persecuted they the prophets

which were before you.”  Matthew 5:10-12

Remember:

“For it is written,

As I live, saith the Lord,

every knee shall bow to me,

and every tongue shall confess to God.

12 So then every one of us shall give account

of himself to God.”  Romans 14:11-12

Amen and Amen!!!

Nothing Or Something??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #145

18 Wednesday Oct 2023

Posted by in 'Come unto me, A Father's Love, A heart of faith, Abiding In Jesus, Abiding IN Jesus or the World?, Abiding In The Vine, Advice for the journey, All About Jesus!, Almost But Lost, Amazing Grace, Are you clean?, Are You Ready, Are you ready for Jesus' return?, Are you ready?, Grace, Greater is HE that is IN US!, JESUS, Jesus IN You!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Jesus Knows, Jesus Knows YOUR Storm, Jesus Never Fails, Jesus Saves!, Something out of nothing

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Nothing Or Something???  A Word from THE WORD!!! #145

 

I have a relatively brief word for us today—and I say ‘us’, for I need this reminder and encouragement today, and thought you might as well.

Jesus’ message to His disciples just before His death, calls us to devotion with a most solemn statement of truth that we need to be reminded of—or maybe it’s just me?  Either way, let’s dig in.

“I am the true vine,

and my Father is the husbandman.

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.

3 Now ye are clean

through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me,

and I in you.

 As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,

except it abide in the vine;

no more can ye,

except ye abide in me.

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.”  John 15:1-5

Without Jesus, I would be nothing, but HE took this cracked pot—broken in pieces—and made it all anew by HIS blood, HIS love, HIS forgiveness, and HIS grace.  He gave me (and you, if you’ve been truly born again!) HIS indwelling Holy Spirit to guide me into HIS truth, by knowing HIS WORD, to convict, to encourage, to lead and intercede when we have no words!  OH what a Savior Friend is Jesus, and because of what HE has done in/for me, I can truly be one of God’s creations of ‘something out of nothing’, as Paul made clear.

“As it is written,

There is none righteous,

no, not one:” Romans 3:10

Because I was a lost and wandering sinner (even within and active in a church—a good church) Jesus came to me and broke my heart for my own sin and saved me.  I fell on my face before HIM, broken and wretched—I got up redeemed, forgiven and cleansed.  OH, what a Savior– to do for me what no one else could do, not even myself.  And because of what HE has done, I/we can now say “I CAN”!  All because Jesus said…”I AM”…”I can”….”I will”!  And HE did it all for you and me on Calvary!

“I can do all things

through Christ

which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13

Press on my friend, if you know Jesus walk on in power, grace, love, and wisdom; if you don’t know HIM, you can by hearing the voice of God’s Holy Spirit calling to your heart to see your sin as sin, to turn to Jesus in repentance of that very sin—yes all of it—and believing/trusting in HIS substitutionary, atoning sacrifice for your sin and mine!  OH, what a Savior!  Oh, what a friend!!!  I am praying for you even now!

“Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet to be partakers

of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us

from the power of darkness,

and hath translated us into the kingdom

of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption

through his blood,

even the forgiveness of sins:”                Colossians 1:12-14

Amen and Amen!!!