Thriving On The Vine

1. Hayden 6-25-16

Growing up in my neighborhood was an absolute blast at times. We had a ballpark right across the street from my house where all of the neighborhood kids would gather to play and find out how much trouble we could get in to. We also had this huge pear tree right in our front yard which became the focus of many an activity as neighborhood kids would work to pluck one of those juicy pears for their spoil! The tree had grown old and so large that there were no low limbs by which small children could begin to climb. Only the oldest and best climbers were able to get to the hanging fruit. Most of us had to wait until pears fell from the tree. One thing we noticed is that if we waited too long, the fruit that made it to the earth, would begin to rot no longer being attached to the source of sustenance, namely the old pear tree. I can remember often going through the old rotten pears on the ground in the hopes of finding a healthy, eatable, deliciously green pear to munch on. It was hit and miss as I spent time navigating all of those rotten pears in search of one that was good.

That is what happens to us when we detach ourselves from the source of our salvation. In the Gospel of John, 15^th chapter, we read what it takes to really thrive as a believer in Christ. John 15:1-5 says this, “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, 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, 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, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” By not remaining in the vine, staying in relationship with Christ, our faith becomes stale, stagnant, and stained with decay.

The “Good News” is that this need not be a picture of us. We can THRIVE by remaining in the vine. Jesus tells us that if we will remain in the vine, we will produce much fruit. And that fruit will be healthy and delicious for all the world to partake of. Have a wonderful time as you continue in His Word and prayer throughout the week…abiding in the Vine! Detached from the vine…we die; attached to the vine…we THRIVE!

Be blessed even more!!

Pastor Chris

Spiritual Warfare for Dummies

First off, “spiritual warfare” or power over the demonic, is reserved for those people who have taken the time to understand what this phrase means. I’m not talking about simply praying occasionally. I am talking about going to war spiritually against principalities, powers and the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6). They study the manual on “Spiritual Warfare for Dummies” or the Bible. That is they are able to understand what Hebrews 5:12-14 is referring to that says, ^“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Not everyone is in the place where they are comfortable dealing in areas that go beyond natural understanding. Maybe it is time that we start serving a little more Spiritual meat!

There was a time recorded in Scripture where the Apostles were not able to cast a demon out. After Jesus’ resurrection, they became masters of it. When asked why they lacked the ability, Jesus told them in Matthew 17:20 that it was because of their unbelief. In Mark 9:29-30, it was because they needed to pray and fast to cast out the entity. So what have we learned by these two Scriptures? That we need to have mature faith that has engaged in, not only ongoing prayer, but fasting by which we might grow spiritually through the practice of these Christian disciplines. And just as important, you must believe. If you lack faith in the practice, or faith in God’s power to do so through you, go no further…you will be unable to be used by God in this area.

Lack of faith and an anemic prayer life seems to be the primary reasons we fail in spiritual endeavors. When Jesus heard that the disciples failed to deliver the demon-possessed person, He lamented, “You stubborn, faithless [or, unbelieving] people! How long must I be with you until you believe?” (Matthew 17:17). Also, when the boy’s father asked Jesus to help him if He could, Jesus responded, “If I can?…Anything is possible if a person believes” (Mark 9:23). In James 5:16 we read, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Do you believe? And more specifically, do you believe God’s Word? Do you have an ongoing prayer life that affords meeting with God regularly? Do you deny your fleshly self through Christian disciplines such as prayer and fasting? If you can answer these questions in the affirmative, you are a candidate to be used by God in these areas of spiritual warfare. If you desire God to use you fully in the things of the Spirit, remember what we found in Mark’s Gospel…”Anything is possible if a person believes.”

Be blessed even more!!

Pastor Chris