The Beloved Disciple: Following John to the Heart of Jesus by Beth Moore

Author:Beth Moore
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Christian Ministry, Spirituality, Christian Life, New Testament, Religion, Biblical Studies, Discipleship, Spiritual Growth
ISBN: 9780805427530
Publisher: B&H Books
Published: 2003-08-01T22:00:00+00:00

Why is a constant awareness of God's love for us so vital in a profusely fruit-bearing life? One reason is that the last thing Satan wants is for our lives to bear much fruit. He will do everything he can to discourage us, accuse us, and try to condemn us. Even the most steadfast among God's servants make mistakes and foolish decisions of some kind along the way. None is worthy to serve the Holy God of all creation. We will always give Satan plenty of ammunition to discourage us. If we don't literally camp in the love of Christ, we will talk ourselves out of untold fruit by dwelling on our own unworthiness. Accept the fact that we are unworthy and we're lavishly loved by a God of redemptive grace. Next notice another great offer. God provides:

A source we can draw from. Among the kinds of things that hold us back from immensely fruit-bearing lives, you might include "a lack of talent or ability." Conspicuously missing in this unparalleled dissertation on lives bearing much fruit is any reference whatsoever to ability. The one requirement for a profusely fruit-bearing life is that we abide in Christ like a branch remains physically attached to the vine. Apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). Christ is telling us that all we have to do is embed ourselves in Him, let the power source flow, and He'll do the work through us. That's the secret!

Picture the attachment between the vine and the branch. One of the most important elements of the branch is that it remains open to the flow of the vine's life. If the branch were simply wound around the vine tightly, it would still die without producing any fruit. The branch must be attached to the vine with an openness to receive its fluid. Do you see the parallel? So often we have our own agendas about how we want to serve God. We spend untold energy and never produce lavish and God-glorifying fruit. We have to be open to the power flow and the purposed work the Vine wants to accomplish.

Often we fall into the trap of making up our own minds about how we want to serve Christ based on human reasoning and personal preferences. Trying to force our own ministries is such a frustrating waste of time. We end up taking on the pained, fretful demeanor of a woman trying her hardest to birth a very big baby.

I spent the first half of my adult life trying my hardest to make something-anything-work for God. After all, He had called me! Nothing worked ... until I gave up in exhaustion and failure and let Him work. We can't force fruit. We can only abide in the Vine. If we're going to produce much fruit, we've got to be open to the life, agenda, and timing of the Vine.

A Gardener we can depend on. You've heard of personal trainers. Our Gardener is so determined for fruitful lives

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