This Week’s Chapters: John 13 -17
Pastor Claire Morton
Without oxygen I can’t breath, without Jesus I can’t live! He is my “oxygen”, my life. John 15 talks about remaining in Him, I prefer the NKJ version which says “abide”. When you abide you live together, you dwell together, you are one.
John 15v4 says “Abide in me and I in you”. This is a two-way relationship. As we abide in Him we get to know Him more and more and as we get to know Him we become aware of the things in our life that do not please Him. That is why it says in verse 2 that “every branch that bears fruit He prunes”.
We often think as fruit being the result of our anointing i.e. people’s Salvations, but Galatians 5 refers to fruit as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”. These are the fruits that we should be bearing in our lives. As we abide with the Lord, as we spend time with Him in prayer and in the Word, if we keep our hearts open, He will show us those areas in our lives that do not bear fruit.
We need to allow God to prune us. Look at verse 2 again “every branch that bears fruit he prunes”. Good vines are pruned back every year so that they produce a good harvest the following year. If we allow Him to prune us then more of Christ will be seen through us.
I want Christ to be seen through my life and I am sure that you do too. That is why it is so important to remain/abide in Him.
Look at verse 7, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you”. If you abide in Him and get to know His heartbeat, then His desires become your desires because you want to please Him; and the more you want to please Him, the more He showers blessing upon you.
So remain/abide in Him continually.
There is so much in these 5 chapters and I would love to hear what God has spoken about to you this week.
Breathing Daily with God is an opportunity for the Pastors to share their thoughts on the chapters we have been reading in our daily bible reading plan.Email this to a friend | Add A Comment | Bookmark | Subscribe
6 Comments So Far
- Petra
- ferdinand bakoshi
- Ann Bowes
- pastor julie
- Chenayi
- april hewitt
Oh! that’s encouraging,and at the same time challenging, especially for me. Thanks Pastor Claire
posted April 28, 2008 at 05:57 PM
True word Pastor Claire.
He is the way, the truth and the LIFE and all living things need oxygen to breathe for life, it’s not just science or a fact but the truth.
I’m not one for the garden, but i know pruning is not a comfortable exercise for plants.
They are lopped, snipped, cut, clipped, cropped, just so they can be well dressed and appear beautiful again.
My bible says purge and that in itself isn’t comforting either.
Be it prune or purge, it’s great to know we’re in the hands of the First and most experienced Garderner the world has ever known, He’s got Eden and Gethsemane on His resume for experience, so i can trust and abide in Him.
Thank you!
posted April 29, 2008 at 01:38 AM
Great word dear Pastor Claire, and may I add you too Ferdinand. Both where a blssing to me and so easy to understand.
Isn’t it wonderful to trust the most Wonderful Gardner to do a perfect and CAREING job. It does hurt sometimes but because He is ABBA Father we know that He will do the precious work so that the life of Christ shines so bright to a World that needs Him and He has priviledged us to be a part of loving and sharing with precious people.
Thank you Pastor Claire and Ferdinand.
posted April 30, 2008 at 10:10 AM
Pastor Claire- beautifully spoken! when u say oxygen then it becomes so real and practical. thank u!
posted April 30, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Thank you pastor Claire, I like the pruning bit that is very deep. Sometimes we think that to get to realise fruit all i have to do is stay as I am but pray more or read the bible more. BUt it is also about me being adjusted/pruned/purged so that I can truly and explicitly bear the fruits of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”
posted April 30, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Excellent word Pastor Claire - you have such a loving heart with a nuturing manner! Thank you!
This is so true, i said to the covenent group on Tuesday that i couldnt live and wouldnt want to live without Christ in me.
Without the pruning we would become stale and comfortable instead of being the driving force that God so wants us to be!
If we give him the driving seat he will prune, snip, cut back all the bits of us that HE wants to at the right time that HE has determined to keep within HIS plan and purpose for us. Its all about YOU God!
posted May 01, 2008 at 01:13 PM
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