Tag: Jesus is Lord

Jesus Christ, The True Vine Devotional Reading September 4, 2023

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 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.” —John 15:1-2

To understand Jesus’ parable, one must possess knowledge of the growth of grape vines and the process of vineyard management. “The trunk of a mature vine will have arms, short branches…usually trained horizontally along a trellis wire. It should be noted that most basal buds…are generally not fruitful and do not grow out. These are often referred to as non-count buds during the pruning process…only the fruiting spurs that produce grapes are kept on the vine.” https://grapes.extension.org/parts-of-the-grape-vine-shoots/

The pruning severity relies on several factors as determined by the vinedresser whose goal is to produce only the highest quality fruit. The branches [buds] that do not produce fruit are cut away because they serve no purpose.

Jesus is the true vine, God, the Father is the vinedresser, and converted believers are the branches. In this parable, Jesus defines the role of Himself, God, the Father, and Christian believers. Jesus also clarifies that all believers are dependent on Him to receive the spiritual nourishment necessary for spiritual growth and transformation.

God, the Father [The Vinedresser] prunes us to transform our mind, character, and personality into one of righteousness and also to produce the Fruit of the Spirit. “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

Christian believers are the branches that receive pruning to produce the fruit of righteousness. Every day, we receive God’s grace and mercies, spiritual guidance from the Scriptures, continued hope from answered prayers, and revelation of our character deficits. The Holy Spirit empowers us to resist temptation and gives us discernment of the truth.

We will always require Divine Intervention to stay in our relationship with Christ. Without the Holy Spirit, we could never achieve God’s command to “Be holy, for I Am Holy.”

Sanctification is the lifelong spiritual process of our transformation into the likeness of Christ accomplished by the Holy Spirit. Yet, our part requires total surrender and faithful obedience. We are living in the last days of Earth’s history and must take a decisive stand of total commitment to receive the Seal of God before Jesus’ Second Coming.

“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” — John 15:3

What did Jesus mean by “You are already clean?” “You have confessed your sins, and in your heart put them away. You have resolved to give yourself to God. Now go to Him, and ask that He will wash away your sins and give you a new heart.” Steps to Christ, Ellen G. White

Faith, Acceptance, Surrender, Confession, and Repentance is the human effort required to have salvation. Jesus, the Living Water washes away our sins and we live as steadfast followers of Christ who possess the determination to go all the way with Christ who is ready to give us our reward of eternal life [Revelation 22:12].

“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.” —John 15:4.

Many believers do not understand that we do not belong to ourselves once we accept Christ as our Savior. A Christian is a disciple, a follower of Christ who commits to doing the will of God. Our desires change, we do not follow our whims and inclinations, and our spoken words and actions reflect holiness.

To abide in Christ, we must have the mindset of faithful obedience and practice self-denial. Our willingness to surrender and obey is evidenced by much prayer and diligent study of the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit empowers us and gives us strength and guidance to stay in alignment with the will of God.

Jesus’ earthly life demonstrated His desire to always do His Father’s will. Jesus spent hours in prayer each day to faithfully abide in God, His Father. Christ’s Attitude was always, “Nevertheless, not My will, but Your will be done.” And our obedient Savior committed Himself to a heinous death on Calvary’s cross for our redemption— to save us from death, the wages of sin.

“But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross” Philippians 2:7-8, KJV, BSB).

Our relationship with Christ is based on surrender, faith, and obedience. The sacrifice of total surrender and obedience that God requires of us is defined by God. Cain serves as an example that disobeying God and following your own thoughts can lead to rejection and removal from the Vine.

“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. 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.” —John 15:5-6

“The vine and the branches explain how believers are intimately connected to Christ, receiving moral and spiritual power through the Holy Spirit who makes Christ present within.” Katrina B. Blue, Andrews University

Every branch that bears fruit is a living representative of the vine, for it bears the same fruit as the vine…Every branch will show whether or not it has life; for where there is life, there is growth. There is a continual communication of the life-giving properties of the vine, and this is demonstrated by the fruit which the branches bear. Ellen G. White

Scripture: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” —John 15:7-8

Prayer: God, we are praying and asking You to save us from ourselves. We confess that we are half-heartedly serving You and for our disobedience, we ask for forgiveness. Lord, we desire to be thriving branches which bear much fruit. We ask for the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit to give us strength and direct us in our daily lives to do Your will and fulfill Your plans for our lives. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus, Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

The Good Fruit of Righteousness Devotional Reading September 3, 2023

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” —Ephesians 4:32

Studying the Scriptures not only gives us knowledge of God’s Righteous Standards but also teaches us the guidelines for possessing a Christ-like Character. Prayer is the lifeline to Jesus, our Source of life. Pray often during your waking hours, prayer changes us, and we receive spiritual insight and wisdom.

God has given us a Spiritual Team, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to empower us with the ability to change and resist temptation. Our angels protect us physically and from spiritual warfare. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and gives us guidance and the spiritual strength to discard sinful behaviors and to have a righteous character.

Our earthly lives are the only opportunity we have to strive for spiritual change. When Jesus comes, we will be physically changed and receive immortality if we have a righteous character. Because Jesus created us to be free moral agents, we must surrender and ask every day for the Holy Spirit to change our character. Then we put forth the human effort to live righteously.

An individual who failed to experience the spiritual transformation of their unholy character traits in their earthly lives will possess the same character on the day of Jesus’ coming. Eternal life is a reward [Revelation 22:12]. We have the opportunity to become loving, faithful, obedient disciples of Christ who worship Him every day as we will in heaven.

“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?” —1 Corinthians 3:1-3, NIV

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church because of the ongoing conflict between the members. Strife, complaining, anger, jealousy, and judging others are matters of the heart, which reveal a heart that is not spiritually transformed by the Holy Spirit. All disunity between Christian believers is sinful! Can you imagine heaven filled with strife and negative human emotions?

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…” —James 1:19

In today’s Christian community, there are arguments on social media platforms over the Biblical truth. Strife exists between pastors of thousands of Protestant denominations who rely on their human understanding to interpret the Scriptures. Church members judge others and criticize departmental leaders of the church’s internal ministries. In the family homes, bitter words are spoken between husbands and wives, and as a result, unhealthy sibling rivalry arises.

“…aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” —1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Yesterday, I watched a sermon entitled, “Follow Jesus and Mind Your Own Business.” God appointed the Apostle Paul to minister to the Gentiles and start the early Christian church. Although the new members possessed various character traits that caused chaos in the church, Paul remained anchored in Christ.

Paul’s traits of being loving, yet straightforward, and steadfast allowed him to boldly address the many issues regarding their duty of developing a Christian character. And God has the same expectation for today’s Christian believers.

“Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.” —1 Thessalonians 5:15

Minding our own business has its spiritual limits. Believers are to help and encourage other believers! Have you considered that most new Christians do not know the Bible? If you know someone who is living contrary to the Scriptures then it is easy to ask, “Have you read this chapter in the book of ________? It is very interesting. Let me know what you think about it.” We always have the opportunity to witness and uplift others who are in a spiritual struggle.

Reflection: Do others recognize that we are followers of Christ by our smiles and kind words?

In 2023, it is difficult to determine who is a Christian believer! But spoken words and outward behaviors always reveal the status of our righteousness.

“Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits, you will know them.” —Matthew 7:17-20

Although Jesus gave these traits for recognition of false prophets, we can use these spiritual guidelines to measure ourselves by the traits of the Fruit of the Spirit [Galatians 5:22-23]. We are reminded that Christians are to be like trees that possess good fruits.

Carnal characters, minds, personalities, and habits will prevent many from receiving the reward of eternal life. Eliminate slang expressions, secular music that incites sexual desires, and programs with profanity. Self-control prevents speaking emotionally charged words that are delivered in haste and often contain bitter, sarcastic, and angry tones. And who hasn’t been surprised by the profane words that slip out of the mouths of believers in an angry moment?

Our thoughts may never surface as spoken words, but remaining silent does not equate to having righteous thoughts. Deep hatred toward others who have wronged us is often a hidden emotion to everyone else, but we know that hate and unforgiveness are in our hearts and so does God. Remain silent to avoid conflict, but immediately pray and forgive to avoid a hardened heart.

Thankfully, our Loving God knew that we could never determine or define His thoughts for righteous behaviors, so He gave us the Bible with real-life examples of those who fell into sin and repented [the Israelites, David, Zacchaeus…], those who lived righteously [Enoch, Daniel, Job…], and Jesus our Ultimate Righteous example who never sinned.

Studying the Bible is a crucial part of maintaining our relationship with Christ. Without diligently searching the Scriptures, it is impossible to experience spiritual growth and character transformation. Consistent prayer allows the Holy Spirit to teach and speak to us through the Scriptures and in our conscience. Worship places us in the presence of God which we desperately need in these perilous times.

Characteristics that Determine Our Commitment to Christ: Love, Surrender, Faith, Humility, and Obedience

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 2:3-4

Transformation Means Changing Our Mindset and Lifestyle

“But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another…that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.” —1 Thessalonians 4:9, 11

Continual Change is Always Required in the Believer’s Life

We cannot change ourselves! “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil. — Jeremiah 13:23

God can change us! “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17

Spiritual Transformation Requires Daily Surrender and the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit

When the Holy Spirit is absent in your life and the Living Water of Christ is not being poured into your life every day then you cannot live a life that is holy and acceptable to God. You will not have the desire to pray and study the Bible. You will lack self-control. You will not have the strength to resist temptation. You will not have the desire to obey God. And you will mistreat others because the love of God is not in your heart.

Spiritual Meditation is a vital part of worship that is often overlooked. We pray and study the Bible, but fail to allow additional quiet time for the Holy Spirit to speak to us. We will not hear the Voice of God when we do not allow adequate time to receive the Holy Spirit’s response of spiritual enrichment for our souls.

The Fruit of the Spirit Defines the Christian Character

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” —Galatians 5:22-23

We are forever students of Christ! Learning and growing will always be a part of our earthly walk with Christ. With certainty, there are times we will fail, but our love for Jesus causes us to be convicted of our sins and drives us to pray a prayer of genuine repentance.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16

The Love of God is beyond our finite understanding. We never have to feel ashamed or guilty when confessing our sins to God. Who else but those who are created in the image of God can boldly approach the Throne of Grace where we receive love and forgiveness from Christ, our Heavenly Intercessor, Savior, and Redeemer?

Repentance is not regret. Repentance is godly—intense sorrow with the mindset to never repeat the same sinful behavior. Repentance is our response to the Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit who convicts us of our wrongdoing and empowers us with the Spiritual strength for change.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” —Psalm 51:10

The Holy Spirit empowers us to live righteously! Still, we must put forth the effort to be holy. Yes, Sanctification takes a lifetime of countless petitions of prayer, endurance, and perseverance to be transformed into the likeness of Christ and to stay on the Path of Righteousness. Yet, we can do it! We strive to have the good fruit of righteousness. And this is why we persevere, “We love Him because He first loved us” —1 John 4:19

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 25, David, Nabal and Abigail

Prayer: God, we come to You with repentant hearts for the many sins we have committed. We ask for forgiveness. And pray for the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. Please reveal every character trait and habit that is sinful in our lives. Jesus, You are the one we love and adore, You are the One we are living for. We dedicate ourselves to You. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries