Abide in the Vine...Craig Denison Ministries

 Abide in the Vine

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview: 

The absolute, most important single act of the children of God is making space to encounter our heavenly Father in the secret place. Abiding in God is the foundation on which every other aspect of the Christian life finds success. It establishes roots which enable us to receive all that we need to bear the fruit of the Spirit. It guides us to constant refreshment and revival in God’s presence, thereby supplying and sustaining the abundant life God intends for us. My prayer is that you would be marked by wonderful, satisfying, and fulfilling encounters with the presence of God as we look at John 15:1-17 this week. Make room in your heart and mind to rest in the love of your heavenly Father as we look at the different ways we are to abide in true vine of God.

Scripture:“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” John 15:4

Devotional:    

I am amazed at the ways in which all of creation visibly demonstrates important spiritual principles. Romans 1:20 says, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” Job 12:7-9 says,“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?” All throughout the Gospels, Jesus likens spiritual principles to the surrounding creation. From the parables of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32) and pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46) to his teaching on the grass of the field and birds of the air (Matthew 6:25-34), clearly God uses creation to illustrate important spiritual principles we need to adopt as believers.

One such important principle is found in John 15:1-17. In verse 4 Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” Reflect for a minute on the process of a vine bearing fruit. It takes time, patience, and consistent nourishment for fruit to form on the branches of the vine. So it is with you and me in God. We have the most abundant source of life available to us in God. God waits, patiently beckoning us to simply come and abide in him that we might bear the fruit of abundant life. And once fruit is cut off from the vine it loses its source of life. In order to consistently bear the fruit of God, we have to go back to our vine time and time again to receive all that God longs to give us.

You are created for intimacy with your heavenly Father. Just as God designed grapes to only grow in connection to the vine, you are designed for intimacy with God as your one, true source. There is no other supply of true life. There is no other process by which we experience abundant life outside of abiding in him. Spending time resting in his presence and receiving what he longs to give us is the most important thing you can do on a daily basis. The days we try and bear fruit apart from him are the days we will be overrun with the cares and stresses of this life. The Holy Spirit longs to fill you with the fruit of his presence every moment of every day. All that is required of you is to submit to the reality of his presence rather than go your own way. Choose to listen and receive from him rather than leaning on your own understanding.

By God’s grace we can always return to him as our source. It is never too late for us to connect ourselves to the vine and receive the life only God can give. It is never too late to experience the revitalization that can only come through encountering him. And it is never too late for us to bear fruit of eternal value. God has wonderful plans for you that begin today. His mercies are new every morning. The Bible promises in James 4:8, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

Take time to submit yourself to God as your source, receive all that he longs to give you, and find your satisfaction in the reality of his powerful presence.          

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on your need to be continually connected to God, your true vine.

 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” John 15:4

2. Ask God to make his presence known to you. Believe his word that his presence is real and tangible and that you can experience him by his grace.

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

3. Draw near to your God and find life in his presence. Allow his nearness to heal the broken and weary places of your life. Let his Spirit flood the dry areas with his perfect love. Have patience and rest in God. Be slow to speak and move as the Spirit lays a foundation for you to continually bear the fruit of his presence in your life.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

As believers we are created to live, think, act, and feel with the Holy Spirit. We were never intended to do life apart from God’s presence, and through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we don’t have to. We’ve been filled with the very Spirit of God himself who longs to shepherd us into the deeper things of God. May we have the humility to acknowledge our need of God and the faith to believe that he is real and will guide us into a better, more fruitful life in him.

Extended Reading: John 15:1-17

The Impact of Prayer...Dr. Charles Stanley

 The Impact of Prayer

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

Prayer is the lifeblood of an intimate relationship with the Father. But believers often have questions about its power and effectiveness. Don’t hesitate to take your queries to the Lord, dig into Scripture for answers, and seek the counsel of a trusted spiritual mentor. Prayer is too important to neglect.

Will God’s plans fail if I don’t pray? God is not subservient to believers or dependent upon their prayers. The time we invest in speaking with Him involves us in the work that He is doing in our lives and in the world, but He will carry on without us. Laboring alongside the Lord is our privilege.

Does my prayer (or lack thereof) impact God’s work? I believe that Scripture indicates the answer to this question is both yes and no, depending upon the situation. There are times when God’s purpose is set. He is in control and has determined the best course. In the Old Testament, the Lord often prophesied what He would do and then brought those events to pass.

In other cases, “you do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). There are some good things that He holds back until we put out prayerful hands to receive them. But because God is a loving Father, He also pours our blessings that we wouldn’t even think to request.

Believer’s prayers have tremendous impact, particularly on their own faith and life. Do you understand what an awesome privilege it is to kneel before the all-powerful Father and know that He listens and will respond? God loves to be good to His children and answer their prayers.

A Prayer to Remember That Joy Is a Way of Life...By Meg Bucher

 A Prayer to Remember That Joy Is a Way of Life

By Meg Bucher

“Be joyful always.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16

WHACK.

The crack echoed from one ear to the other as my head smacked up against the wall. It hurt … so bad. Stopped dead in my tracks, I felt my forehead for a split and a drip of blood and was relieved to find neither. With frozen veggies applied to the place of impact, I went back to survey how I missed a literal wall. I walked into it full force. Ever since my family moved, I continually make wrong turns in the new house, because the daily paths I walked at the old house had become so automatic. Every time I get to the top of the staircase, I turn to the right …but turning to the right no longer leads me to my room …it’s a left-hand turn now. I wish I could say my collision with the wall that day was the only casualty to my adjustment to all the directional changes in my daily path. 

The Bible commands us, “be joyful aways!” But let’s face it, we’re not joyful when we run smack into a wall at full speed. No amount of frozen veggies applied to the place of impact makes us feel better about running into a literal wall. Thankfully, the kind of joy Paul wrote of in this verse, and the Bible commands us to take hold of, isn’t a fleeting feeling. There’s no proverbial wall we can run into in this life that will snatch away the joy we have in the Lord. This joy helps us stagger over to the freezer and grab the bag and endure the pain until it subsides. 

The real walls we smack into and scale in life require a joy bigger and stronger than the fleeting feeling of happiness or the relief of laughter as we roll through our favorite sitcom on Netflix. No, joy in the Lord is our strength, as Nehemiah wrote. Joy is the substance and root of our strength to endure this life on earth. It’s going to be hard and it’s going to be unfair, but it isn’t without joy. That’s because our joy is rooted in the Lord. As we pray today, let us seek the Lord for a fresh perspective on the walls in our lives. 

Let’s pray:

Father, some days are just harder than others. Some days are rolling along just fine until we run smack into a wall we didn’t see. But God, nothing surprises You. You see us, and You know our hearts. When the days are hard, and when they get flipped upside down, help us to remember the joy we have in Jesus. Father, we praise You for Joy! Thank You for designing us to crave more of You, Lord, because it is there we find our hope. Our hope is in You! And You love us, Lord. You have good plans for our lives and are able to work all things for Your good …even when we run smack into walls.

Father, You are the only One who can uphold the promise of “always,” but today we vow to try. Develop in us a deep desire for Your joy. Fill us until we are overflowing, Father, with hope, peace, and joy. God, we want to experience life to the full, as Jesus died so that we could. But there is a very real enemy who intends to steal our joy. Father don’t ever let us forget that our joy is permanently sealed into the core of who we are in Christ. It cannot be stolen! Joy remains, and joy strengthens us when we are weak and weary. Joy helps us stagger to the freezer for a bag of frozen veggies after we run smack into a wall.

Father, thank You for all the ways You heal us and lead us out of bad days and hard seasons. It’s so hard for us to see You clearly when we are in acute pain, God. Bless us with a clear vision of who You are and Whose we are. Embolden us to walk freely in joy, day by day, as we get closer to the number of our days and coming home to You in heaven. Father, we trust in You and You alone.
In Jesus’ Name, amen.

I Will Be with You...By Emma Danzey

 I Will Be with You

By Emma Danzey

Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

When You Pass through the Waters
Sometimes we need to be reminded that life is hard. There will be times when we pass through the waters. This means that there will be difficulties and challenges that we cannot avoid. Just like a sailor on a ship who is stuck in the midst of a storm on the water, we too must face the trials of life. We do not get to escape hardship because we follow Christ. In fact, there is a guarantee that we will have hard times. When implies that everyone is going to go through tough times. We do not ever look forward to this, but the next line in Isaiah 43:2 brings the blessing and the comfort. It says, “I will be with you.” The Holy Spirit’s constant presence in our lives is the greatest gift. He is our great comforter. We find our peace and stability in Him even when life is chaotic around us.

When You Pass through the Rivers
The second part of verse 2 says, “When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.” I cannot help but think about the Israelites coming to two very specific bodies of water, The Red Sea and the Jordan River. Both times, the Lord miraculously parted the waters for them to walk through. The first was in escape from their enemies, the second was in getting them to the promised land. When God makes a way for us in a seemingly dangerous place of uncertainty, we have to trust Him as we walk steps of faith forward. He promises that they will not sweep over you. Although we face trials, they cannot ever take away the faith and the salvation that we have in Jesus. He is our anchor. 

Have you been tempted to believe that your difficulties are so great that you will be overtaken with your grief, pain, fear, or sadness? God reminds us in this verse that He will be with us and the challenges of this sinful world will not overtake us. We are safe in His arms. We can remind ourselves of His presence and His spiritual protection of our souls.

When You Walk through the Fire
Lastly, this verse in Isaiah shares, “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” It is hard not to think about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These three men were going to be thrown into a fiery furnace if they professed faith in the Lord. King Nebuchadnezzar put them in the fire and something miraculous happened. They were not burned and there was a fourth man with them. Jesus was present with them during their hardest moment. 

Daniel 3:24-26 says, “Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’ They replied “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire.”

Hopefully, you will never be in a literal fire like these men, however, we will walk through fiery trials that test our own faith. What I love is that in our “fires,” just like Jesus was walking in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, He is walking still with us in our trials today. I love how none of these three were even barely burned by the fire, they did not perish. 

Whatever waters you are passing through, He is with you, whatever rivers you are going through, they will not overtake you, and whatever fire you are walking in, you will not be burned, He is there.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
How can you find peace today in knowing that the Lord is with you in your trials?

Further Reading:

• Deuteronomy 31:6
• Psalm 23:4
• 1 Peter 4:12-13