385 - Abiding in Christ Will Bear Much Fruit#
385 - Abiding in Christ Will Bear Much Fruit
(JP Text Group - shalom organized)
Dear family, peace in the Lord, and welcome to your arrival.
The topic of sharing is: Abiding in Christ Will Bear Much Fruit.
John 15:5-8
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. 6 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. 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. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for preparing such a wonderful time for us to gather and worship You. Through the truth, renew our thoughts and minds once again. We are people in Jesus Christ. Those who are in Christ will bear much fruit because You will supply us with the strength, authority, power, and glory we need to live out the likeness of Christ. Bless the brothers and sisters who come seeking You, that they may be nourished. All glory belongs to You. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
The topic of sharing is: Abiding in Christ Will Bear Much Fruit.
The Lord Jesus said He is the vine; the original meaning refers to the vine itself, not the root of the vine, but the main trunk of the vine. We are the branches. The fruit is not borne by the raisins, but by the branches connected to the trunk, which will bear much fruit. When we bear fruit, people will say that this vine bears much fruit. We also live out the likeness of Jesus, and the world will give glory to Jesus and to our Heavenly Father because of this. Our relationship with the Lord Jesus is like that of the vine and the small branches, united and connected together.
The first point of sharing: Abiding in Christ.
John 15:5: He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;
What does it mean to abide in Me? Some people explain it as obeying God, serving God, praying often, and gathering often. Do you understand it this way too? In fact, abiding in Me is not related to behavior; the original meaning here is that those who dwell in Christ, Christ also dwells in them. This is a connection of life.
Ephesians 2:11-13:
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Using scripture to interpret scripture, we can understand what Jesus means by abiding in Me, and I in him. It does not refer to our behavior or service, but to our life. Before believing in Jesus, the Jews, in the flesh, referred to us as Gentiles.
God made a covenant with Abraham, established in the flesh, that the children of Israel would be circumcised on the eighth day after birth. By this sign, they were called descendants of Abraham. The Gentiles, lacking this, were referred to by the Jews as the uncircumcised, which essentially meant that they had no relationship with God.
Verse 12 also states that at that time, you were without Christ.
To be without means that we were not on that vine; we might have been on a wild vine or another tree, but in any case, we were not connected to Christ. Outside the gates of Israel, we could not be called God's people. We were outsiders to the covenants of promise. God made a covenant of circumcision with Abraham, which still contained God's blessings. God continuously supplied, cared for, and protected them; this was their covenant with God.
However, the Gentiles, regardless of how many covenants God made, were called outsiders. This is akin to two people signing a contract; a third person cannot enjoy the blessings within that contract. Living in the world without God and without hope, you will find that there is a place for God in the hearts of people. When they do not find the true God, they will seek false gods. Almost every country has its own gods they worship; this is not because God forces them to seek Him, but because of this need in humanity.
The Israelites established a covenant with the true God, while the Gentiles, although they had covenants with their gods, were not recognized by the true God as having hope or life. We were once like this, far from God. Jesus is the vine, but we were not on that vine and could not possess the image of Christ or become children of God.
But now it is different; now we are in Christ Jesus. We enter into Christ not by our behavior, not by our achievements, good deeds, or family background, but by the blood of Jesus. Because Jesus shed His blood for our sins on the cross, He died and rose again on the third day. We are those who believe in the work accomplished by Jesus on the cross. We have made a covenant with the Heavenly Father through Jesus, called the blood covenant, an eternal covenant! This allows us to draw near to God in Christ, Hallelujah!
How do we abide in Me? People believe in Christ, believe in what Jesus accomplished on the cross, and can enter into Christ. God also sends the Holy Spirit into people's hearts, and they become one. Abiding in Christ is not about outward piety but about a change of life. The moment you believe in Jesus, you abide in Christ, and the Holy Spirit also dwells in our hearts forever.
When we accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts and will never leave, connecting us with the Heavenly Father and with Jesus, just as the grapevine and the branches are connected. The branches can absorb and receive the supply, nutrients, and water from the vine, enabling them to bear much fruit, Hallelujah!
Romans 8:9: But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
This is very clear: you belong to Christ, are in Christ, and have entered into Christ not by behavior but by whether the Holy Spirit is within you. When Jesus Christ comes down from heaven a second time to take us back, He will not look at people's good deeds or how many crosses they wear, but whether there is the Holy Spirit within them. Those who have the Holy Spirit are the ones who belong to Christ. Our Heavenly Father will take such people away; if a person does not have the Holy Spirit, they do not belong to Christ. The moment you accept Jesus, you are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit, Hallelujah!
This has nothing to do with how much we know Jesus; it is primarily about the transformation of life, which is God's work. If a person does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. They may often go to church and discuss Jesus, but if they do not have the Holy Spirit, they are still not saved and do not belong to the Spirit or to the vine. When the Holy Spirit dwells within us, everything about us changes.
2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
The Holy Spirit dwells within you; you are a new creation, and the past you has no relation to you anymore. The old you has died, and now a new person lives before the Father! You no longer live for others or for yourself; you live for the Lord, Hallelujah! You are a new creation! In God's eyes, no matter what you did in the past or how many false gods you worshiped, it is all in the past; God no longer remembers it. All your sins have been washed clean by the precious blood of Jesus.
When you realize that the Holy Spirit is in you and that you are a new person, you can be guided by the Holy Spirit to live out the likeness of Christ and bear good fruit. Good fruit refers to living out the likeness of Christ. Those who believe in Jesus will, to some extent, live out the likeness of Christ. Those who know Jesus more and are willing to live for the Lord will exhibit more of Christ's likeness. God will reward them for this in the future, Hallelujah!
Christ is the good tree, the true vine; we are the branches. As long as this tree is good, the branches will continuously receive moisture and nutrients from the vine, and bearing fruit is inevitable, and it will bear much fruit, Hallelujah! For without Me, you can do nothing. The original meaning is that if you are not in Christ, you can do nothing. If a branch is not on the vine, it cannot bear fruit.
You can try it; if you cut a small branch from the vine, you will find that it cannot bear fruit anymore. Before long, it will wither and completely lose its function. Withering occurs because it has been severed from the vine; having left that vine, it can do nothing. We are the same; if we leave Christ, we are just like a branch that has left the vine.
Before Adam sinned, he was one with God, possessing God's image and likeness, along with God's glory and wisdom. God said to him: You shall have dominion over the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, and the fish of the sea; all things are under your management. When he listened to the devil's words and violated God's law by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, from that moment on, the Holy Spirit left him, and he was severed from God. In God's eyes, he was already dead.
Some may say, but at that time, Adam did not notice anything different! Yes, even if the spirit within a person is severed from God's Spirit, there is no visible difference at that moment. This is like cutting a grape branch from the vine; the branch and the vine truly look the same. After a few days, the situation will change. After Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, their condition began to change; people experienced sickness, aging, and death, all because they were separated from God. In God's eyes, this is what it means to die; eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil will inevitably lead to death, and death in the original meaning is separation.
Here our Jesus says, for without Me, you can do nothing. After leaving Christ, life is destined for death. Adam and his descendants cannot escape this law; from the moment a person is born, it is destined that they will die. No one can change this law, no matter how capable, accomplished, or handsome they are. How many emperors and accomplished people, after gaining fame and prestige, sought immortality, yet all of them died! This is the reality of humanity after leaving God; there is truly no hope in the world, and you can do nothing! After Adam left God, he lived for over nine hundred years, yet he died. As time went on, human lifespans became shorter; this is the true condition of humanity. Leaving Christ means a short existence in this world, just like a grape branch that has left the vine; its life gradually moves toward withering and drying up.
John 15:6: 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.
To emphasize again, when it says, if anyone does not abide in Me, it does not mean to pray, worship God, listen to the word, or serve continuously; it does not refer to behavior. The original meaning is that if a person does not abide in Christ, they are like a branch cast out and withered. The descendants of Adam, from the moment they are born, have not been connected to Christ; therefore, their lives are like that branch thrown outside, gradually withering, and what is the final result? They are thrown into the fire and burned!
So where is our hope? It is to connect with the living vine before we wither; your life will come alive, Hallelujah! If a person does not abide in Christ, it refers to unbelievers who have not connected with Christ, just like a branch that is not on the vine; their life withers, and the end is in hell, where they are picked up and thrown into the fire.
Their withering refers to the end of that person's life. When life has not yet ended, before withering, there is still an opportunity. As long as you accept Jesus, your life will be connected with Jesus, and His eternal life will enter into you; His resurrected life will connect you with Him. If you do not accept Jesus while alive, once life ends, there will be no more opportunity, and you can only be thrown into the fire!
I hope the brothers and sisters can understand this. This is why we need to tell people about Jesus while they are alive, so they can accept Jesus. Once a person's life ends, there is no need for any further effort because the outcome is already determined. As long as the branch withers, it can only be thrown into the fire because there are no other uses for it! But before life ends, God continually reveals Himself to us, through circumstances, through people sharing the gospel with us. As long as you are willing to accept Jesus as your Savior, your life will change!
Romans 11:16-20:
16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.
Here Paul uses two metaphors to illustrate our life issues. If the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. Our original life may be filled with various problems, such as sickness, aging, and death. If we do not connect with Jesus in time, we will remain in that state, very short-lived, gone in a hundred years; but if the root is holy, and we can connect with that root, we become different.
In the Old Testament, during the sacrificial offerings, there was a grain offering; a handful of flour was offered to God, and the rest became holy. Because of that handful offered, the remaining flour became different, and the whole lump became holy! This is what God made them aware of during their offerings, just like our tithes; when you offer the tenth of what you earn to God to support the work of the gospel, the remaining ninety percent also becomes holy. Because of that tenth, the remaining part becomes different, preserved by God, and it will yield much; this is why the Israelites had to offer the first sheaf before God after their crops were ripe, Hallelujah!
Conversely, if a little yeast is put into a lump of dough, the whole lump will become different because of the yeast. What does this illustrate? What is injected into life will determine what it becomes! If you are willing to connect your life with Christ, believe in Jesus, the life of Jesus will enter into you, and you will become holy. The holiness, righteousness, glory, wisdom, and authority of Jesus will continuously supply you, and you will be renewed, becoming different. Therefore, after we connect with Christ, we can bear fruit, Amen!
You cannot say that once your behavior improves, you will no longer sin, and then you will believe in Jesus; this is impossible. As long as the branch is connected to the vine, receiving the supply from the vine daily, life will naturally change. Some people ask me questions, saying they have been listening to the word for a long time, but why have they not changed? It is simple; you must make the word of Christ the standard for your life! Even those who do not believe in the Lord have their own life maxims and standards; they do things with principles, and when faced with situations, they have bottom lines and do things accordingly!
Those who believe in Jesus should not only treat the word as a doctrine to listen to but should make God's word the standard and principle in their lives. Life will definitely change. This is like a grape branch; as long as it is connected to the vine, it continuously absorbs nutrients and water, and bearing fruit is very simple! If you cut it off and try to make it bear fruit, constantly insulting and condemning it, it will not bear fruit, right? This means that the grape branch can change. The important thing is to connect with the vine, becoming holy, righteous, and glorious!
As long as you listen to the correct truth every day and absorb the supply from Christ, life will definitely change. If the root is holy, the branches are also holy. The reason we become holy is not due to our efforts but because we are connected to the vine, and this vine is holy, so we become holy.
In verses 17-20, there is a mention of a few branches being broken off, and we were grafted in. What does this mean? It mainly refers to the Jews.
I just mentioned that they had a covenant of circumcision with God. This means they were originally on the vine, but they did not absorb nutrients, always growing those little branches that do not bear fruit, filled with self-righteousness, unwilling to live according to God's ways, always sprouting their own horns, growing two or three horns on their heads. In Revelation, the beast has ten horns; these are all things of pride, self-righteousness, and humanity. Once those things sprout, there is no energy left to bear fruit, wasting God's resources, and they cannot bear fruit.
What does God do? God prunes the grape branches, cutting off those extra branches, leaving only those that can bear fruit. Initially, the flesh was called the Jews, and when those extra branches were broken off, we Gentiles, because we believe in Jesus, were grafted onto that branch, partaking of the fatness from the root! Because of the supply of fatness, we will continue to bear fruit.
However, some people have a problem; when they bear fruit, they boast about how productive they are, how capable they are! They claim to speak the purest! This is like boasting against those old branches; such people do not know their position. Today, someone might say, why are you stealing my sheep? They do not know their position. If we are not exalted by God, if we are not used by God, what can we do? What you do, who will remember it?
No matter how great the achievement, it is not our merit; it is the root that supports us. If the root is removed, leaving the grape branch, you can do nothing! Jesus is that vine; our Heavenly Father is the gardener. The focus is not on the grape branches but on the root and the vine supplying the grape branches. Without the vine and the root, we cannot bear fruit! So no matter how great the achievement, we have nothing to boast about. You may say you can perform miracles, prophesy, or do many good deeds… that is the strength Jesus gives you; if Jesus does not give you strength, you are severed from Him. Who will remember what you have done?
Before the Jews, we should not boast; before those who are less than us, we need not boast either, because these are all sprouted horns that God will not remember. We should only do one thing: receive from Christ, receive, and then give it out! How does the vine show its value? By bearing much fruit, and fruit is the result of receiving. The more you receive, the more grapes you will naturally bear. The grapes produced are not for the vine to eat; they are for people to eat, for the thirsty to eat, Hallelujah!
As children of God, we bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, self-control, gentleness, etc. These are not for our Heavenly Father to eat; they are for those in need, for those who have not yet accepted Jesus, to see the glory of Christ, and this is bearing fruit! No matter how much fruit we bear, we must not be haughty but fear. Fear what? Fear that we might think too highly of ourselves, fearing that we might feel how great we are! It is easy to sprout side branches that affect our fruit-bearing!
Therefore, Jesus is telling us in this passage that bearing fruit is the vine's work; we are connected to the vine. As long as we receive the fatness from the vine, life will definitely change! Believe in Jesus, and you have already been grafted onto the vine, Hallelujah! Connected together, our God will never cut you off, but remember one thing: fear a little, do not let too many side branches sprout on the grape branch, as they will affect our lives.
Many people, while believing, have many things sprouting out, doing things they think are right; that is not sprouting side branches. God still has to cut that off to truly bear fruit. Some Christians have believed for many years without any change; they need to readjust and see if there are too many side branches, focusing too much on people, on the world, perhaps paying more attention to worldly things. They just need to adjust themselves, focus on the word of Jesus, and try to live according to Christ's words! Understand one thing, live it out, and life will gradually become different, Amen.
The second point of sharing: In Christ, He will supply us with everything.
John 15:7: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
When we are in Christ, His words must also abide in us. Many people have already believed in Jesus; they are in Christ, but their hearts and focus are still on other places. This is similar to the Israelites who left Egypt; they were already saved, having come out of the house of bondage. They left Egypt, but their hearts were still in Egypt! When they encountered a little problem in the wilderness, they cried out to return to Egypt; when they faced a little problem, they complained, and when they faced a little problem, they cursed themselves to die in the wilderness. This means they did not see the supply God provided.
Those who are in Christ must change their thinking; let God's word become the center of their lives, allowing God's word to abide in you, Amen. This means that when the grape branch is grafted onto the vine, it should absorb nutrients abundantly! This is what we need to do, just like a newborn baby loves milk, constantly sucking and eating; it grows differently every day! This illustrates the relationship between supply and growth! If this child is born and does not eat, it would be terrible!
Therefore, those in Christ should listen to God's word more, allowing God's word to take root in their hearts! The more God's word takes root in your heart, the less the disturbances of the world will be. If a person is already in Christ, but the roots in their heart are still based on worldly theories, philosophies, and human relationships, it is like a branch that is grafted onto the vine but does not absorb nutrients. It may appear not to die, but it is not doing well!
This is where many Christians' weaknesses and problems lie. We need to have a determination in our hearts, a resolve to let God's word take root in our hearts. Whatever you desire and pray for will be accomplished. When God's word takes root in our hearts, what we ask of God will definitely be good things; if God's word does not take root within, our prayers to God will also be problematic.
Let me give an example, and perhaps everyone will understand. If a person believes in Jesus and is saved, but there is no word of God in their heart, they do not gather, do not read the Bible, and do not listen to the word. If they have an adversary who constantly harasses and nags them, one day they suddenly remember they have a God; how will they pray to God? "Lord, please deal with him, change him!" Some may pray this way, but the real change needs to happen in that person themselves! Amen.
Many times, they may curse others, saying, "Lord, treat my enemy like Peter treated Ananias; let him drop dead!" Why can they curse so viciously, without any compassion? Because they do not have God's word; they do not know Jesus' love and mercy. They do not understand that God's heart is to give these wicked people a chance to repent; God does not wish for anyone to perish! Without God's word, they do not understand God's intentions.
In the Old Testament, there is a book called Jonah. Jonah was a very patriotic person. God said to Jonah, "Go to Nineveh and preach the gospel; if the people there do not repent in forty days, I will destroy them!" Jonah naturally did not want to go. Why? Because Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, which often attacked Israel, and Jonah hated those people, wishing for their destruction! Jonah disobeyed God's will; God told him to go to Nineveh, but he went in the opposite direction to Tarshish. Why did Jonah act this way? Because Jonah knew that God is merciful, slow to anger, and always gives people a chance to repent! Jonah was very clear about this, but he just did not want to see his enemies live!
In other words, Jonah's heart did not allow God's word to take root. He knew God's intentions, but he did not let God's word take precedence. It was not until he spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish that he realized something and was willing to go to Nineveh to preach the gospel. However, his heart still did not take root in God's word. During those days, God continually taught him. God used the life and death of a gourd plant to teach Jonah, saying, "You did not plant that gourd; you had compassion on it. How much more are there twelve thousand children in Nineveh who do not know their right hand from their left!"
There was no conclusion; it did not say what Jonah's reaction was. This conclusion is left for us to ponder: Let God's word take root, and you will be filled with God's love and mercy. Whatever you ask of God will be accomplished. If your heart is filled with bitterness and complaints, asking God for things may not yield good things; it may be more curses. But if God's word abides in you, even what you ask will be beneficial to yourself and even more beneficial to others!
Let’s look at a passage of scripture, 2 Timothy 1:11-14:
11 To which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 For this reason, I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. 13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
As Paul's life was nearing its end, he gave Timothy some teachings. Paul said, "I have suffered many things in my life, but I do not consider it a shame; I know whom I have believed!" Paul knew he was in Christ, and God's word was deeply rooted in Paul's heart! No matter what environment Paul encountered, he knew God would supply him with everything! Even when tribulations came, Paul knew this was his time to experience God's glory; God would not forsake him, nor would He abandon him! Paul deeply knew whom he believed, and he believed that God would keep him until the day of the Lord Jesus' return!
When he encouraged Timothy, he said, "Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus."
In fact, Paul hoped that Timothy would not only receive this word but also keep it in his life, guarding it with faith and love, Hallelujah! And he must keep it by the Holy Spirit, because relying on oneself may lead to bitterness and a lack of hope. But if it is in the Holy Spirit, it becomes simple. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter and our Supplier of strength!
Paul overcame his circumstances time and again by relying on the Holy Spirit. He also hoped Timothy could understand the power of the Holy Spirit and God's heart, Hallelujah. In fact, Paul bore much fruit; what he received from the Lord, he gave out. The love and faith he received from the Lord were continually supplied to others, Hallelujah! This is our example to learn from! Some people only receive grace but do not know where to direct that grace. Ultimately, it is to be given out, to become a help to others, including offering up oneself and one's life!
John 15:8: By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
When it says you bear much fruit, it refers to the grape branches. Some pray, "Lord, You do this thing; Lord, You change that person; You change my child; You change that person in my family..." It is not God who does these things; it is you who must do them, and God will give you strength to walk alongside you! If it is left to God to do, it is equivalent to saying that the grape branch absorbs nutrients and only grows leaves, while the root bears fruit. It only grows leaves and does not need to bear fruit! In fact, it is not about letting Jesus do things; many people treat Jesus as a servant to command, saying, "Jesus, You do this; Jesus, You change him; Jesus, You do that..." It is us! Jesus wants us to bear fruit, and the Holy Spirit is with us. When we bear fruit, we reveal the value of the vine! Hallelujah.
Do not get it wrong, brothers and sisters. We are in Christ, and everything we need, the Heavenly Father will supply us, but it is definitely us who must act. For example, in evangelism, you cannot let the Holy Spirit do it! Many people say, "Holy Spirit, You go change his faith; let him accept You." If the Holy Spirit did it directly, what would you be doing? Right? We pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare his heart, but once prepared, who will do the work? We go and share the gospel with him, and then pray for him, so God has the opportunity to work!
If a person does not share the gospel, how can they believe? Therefore, bearing fruit is our duty! Some have received the gospel but have gone astray, saying that people do not need to do anything; they just need to rest and let God do everything, waiting for God to accomplish everything. You must not believe such words; this will lead you to have less and less, and even fail to sprout side branches, which would be troublesome!
John 15:16-17:
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
Isn’t this passage very clear? It is not we who chose God, but God who chose us. What did He appoint us to do? To receive His blessings and go bear fruit, appointing us to bear fruit that remains. How do we bear fruit? Some say they do not know how to do it. How can we become a blessing to others? Brothers and sisters, please remember, you are a channel of blessing. Whatever we receive from Jesus, we give out what we have received. We receive blessings from God and give out those blessings; this is what God wants us to do!
For example, if you receive the truth, turn that truth into love and faith to give out, allowing others to feel God's love, God's power, and God's glory; that is enough. The book of James tells us that if a neighbor comes to you and has guests but has nothing prepared, if he asks you, "I have guests; can you give me something to feed them?" You say, "Go in peace; may you be filled and warm..." This is just shouting slogans.
How do we bear fruit? That is to use what we have at home, with love, to help that person feed their guests; this will show our fruit! If we only shout slogans, it is like saying the vine only grows leaves. If you look for fruit, they say, "I am filled with spiritual fruit; you cannot see it or eat it..." What use is that? We do not want this spiritual fruit; we need to turn spiritual things into worldly things. First, you must have value yourself, and secondly, you will show value before others!
God knows we do not have, so He has given us authority: that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you. Some take this verse out of context, saying, "Rest assured, whatever you ask of God, our Father will give it to you." What is it given for? Is it to be like a foolish rich man consuming it without caring for others? That is not the meaning. Whatever we ask of God, He will give it to you to bear fruit!
In the process of bearing fruit, there will definitely be needs and difficulties. Pray to God, and He will give you strength and wisdom to bear fruit and become a supply for others! Amen. Others will see our Heavenly Father's love through you, and our Father will be glorified because of this!
Unfortunately, some believers do not love one another, attacking and undermining each other. How can you expect them to bear fruit for the world? Then the fruit they bear will be bad fruit! Others will say this tree is bad, and God is not good. Brothers and sisters, Jesus is the true vine; He is the good tree. Why do some bear bad fruit? It is because that part has become diseased and needs our Heavenly Father to prune it, removing the germs.
Let us not be like this. How can we make our lives different? By receiving the supply from the Heavenly Father! Do you know what we need to receive? In the process of evangelism, in the process of giving to others, discover your own lack, come before God and cry out, and God will add to you. Then you give out, which is equivalent to the vine continuously bearing fruit. Today it bears one grape, tomorrow it may lack moisture, so continue to receive, continue to bear, continue to receive, continue to bear; it is always this channel of blessing!
The fruit borne by the channel of blessing, no matter how much fruit there is, will always manifest as love. Because no matter how many works Jesus did, how many people He comforted, He manifested the love of the Father. In Christ, God will supply us with everything, allowing us to give out this love; this is bearing fruit!
Thank and praise the Lord. I hope the brothers and sisters first realize that we are already on the vine, belonging to Christ in Christ. Let God's word take root in our hearts, live out this truth, and become a help to others. Continuously receive and give out, receive and give out; when God's love is manifested, our lives will become different, Hallelujah! May every brother and sister become a grape branch that bears much fruit, Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank You. Thank You for giving us such words. We are already in Christ; through faith, Jesus has washed away all our sins. We are reconciled with the Heavenly Father and connected with Him. You are our Supplier. As a new week begins, I receive the strength that comes from You to live it out! Grant me wisdom and more gifts to manifest this love, allowing those around me to see the love of Christ! Lord, You send me to evangelize and bear this fruit, bringing hope and the glory of Christ to others through the truth!
Heavenly Father, I am a person of hope; You will continuously supply me! Your word is the standard for my life. I am not without support; You never forsake me and have appointed me to bear fruit. With this heart, whatever I ask of You will be given to me, and my heart will be satisfied because of You! In this new week, I am willing to experience You more. Please lead me, and all glory belongs to You. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen! Jesus loves you!