586 - Abiding in Him Will Bear Much Fruit#
(JP Text Group - shalom 整理)
Peace, dear family, welcome to your arrival. Today is Sunday, and we will look at God's word together. The topic of today's sharing is: Abiding in Him Will Bear Much Fruit.
John 15:1-5:
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
Let us first pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Thank you for preparing such a wonderful time for us to explore the truth together. Through the sharing of today's word, may we gain wisdom and strength. We desire to continually experience your great power in our lives and bear much fruit. You give us such strength and revelation, may we receive supply from today's word. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
In the time of Jesus, there was a large cluster of gilded grapes hanging at the entrance of the Jerusalem temple. The metaphor of the vine that Jesus spoke of was likely said after passing through the temple courtyard, where the huge golden grapes shone brightly under the light of the Passover festival. What does this vine symbolize? The Old Testament describes Israel as a vine.
Isaiah 5:7: "The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress."
This passage mentions the vineyard of the Lord Almighty. It is as if our God is the owner of the vineyard, and this vineyard is the nation of Israel. The people of Judah are the vines he delights in. The purpose of God planting the vineyard is for it to bear grapes, but this vine does not bear fruit.
God originally hoped for them to have justice, but instead, they shed blood; He hoped for righteousness, but instead, there were cries of distress, which were not the results God expected. This is similar to planting a vine; you expect it to bear many grapes, but it produces a bunch of wild grapes that are very sour, which is not what you expected.
The people of Israel disobeyed God's words, imitating the world. Although they bore fruit, the fruit they bore had many problems and was not what God expected. Therefore, the Lord Jesus called Himself the true vine, completely fulfilling all the symbols related to the vine, while our Heavenly Father is the gardener.
Can you imagine what use a vine is if it does not bear fruit? Can its branches be used to make furniture or hang things on the wall? Obviously not. The vine is bent and twisted, and when it dries out, it becomes very brittle and breaks easily. It is different from other trees; other trees can be made into furniture, stools, or tables when they grow up, but the vine cannot. So if the vine does not bear fruit, it really has no use at all.
Ezekiel 15:1-4:
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 "Son of man, how is the vine tree better than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? 3 Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? Or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? 4 Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both the ends of it, and the middle of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?"
Ezekiel is also a prophetic book, and all prophetic books have a characteristic: the prophets express God's intentions. In most cases, it is the people of Israel who have disobeyed God's words and gone astray, and at this time, the prophet comes to correct their mistakes. It is obvious that the people of Israel do not listen, which is a characteristic of all prophetic books. The prophets continue to speak, but the people of Israel are unwilling. Some prophets were humiliated and driven away, while others were killed.
Ezekiel encountered such a situation as well. The people of Israel had strayed from God, and God spoke through Ezekiel, saying, "Son of man, how is the vine tree better than any tree?" This indicates that at this moment, God is not referring to the vines on earth but is referring to the people of Israel, saying, "What makes you better than other nations? Are you more numerous than others, or do you have a longer history?" Clearly, they have none of these advantages; God chose them and made them a great nation, different from others in the world. But now they are boasting about their identity while refusing to listen to God's words, which leaves nothing more to say.
So God said, "What is the advantage of the vine over other trees? Can wood be taken from it to do any work? Can it be used to make a pin to hang any vessel? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and the middle of it is burned. Is it useful for any work?"
This indicates that if the people of Israel are not used by God, they are of no use in the world and are looked down upon. If the vine does not bear fruit, what will the gardener do? As we mentioned earlier, if the vine branches are not used by God, they are truly of no use and can only be thrown into the fire to be burned. Now, if the gardener sees that the vine does not bear fruit, what will the gardener do?
In this passage, verses 1-2:
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
The method of vine cultivation provides us with some important references. It involves two processes. The first is that when the vine is just planted, it will grow along the ground, and then the main trunk that bears fruit needs to be propped up with bamboo poles to ensure good ventilation and that it can bear fruit. It is first allowed to grow on the ground for a while, and once the main trunk is identified, it is propped up.
What is the second process? When the vine is first planted, it is propped up with bamboo poles or a trellis to allow it to grow attached. Because the characteristic of the vine is that it cannot stand on its own; it must cling to other trunks to continue growing upward. This also illustrates the weakness of the vine; if it is not bound to something else, it cannot stand on its own.
Isn't our life similar? If we are apart from Jesus Christ, it is difficult for us to stand up and do anything. Unless we are propped up like the vine branches or bound to other branches, the vines that are tied to these supports can continue to bear fruit. There is a very important word here.
In verse 2, it says: "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit."
The original meaning of "cuts off" is to lift up or raise up. If we take the surface meaning, it would mean that if you just planted a vine and it does not bear fruit, you directly cut it off; then it might sprout another branch in a few days, and if it does not bear fruit again, you cut it again, and it will never be able to bear fruit.
As we mentioned earlier, even modern people who plant vines need to lift them up first so that the main trunk can bear fruit. Therefore, the word "cuts off" and "lifts up" in the original text uses the same word. The correct interpretation should be to use the term "lift up." Because as the gardener, He plants the vine to bear fruit, and if the vine branches are lying on the ground, they will certainly not bear fruit. Therefore, the gardener's first action to enable them to bear fruit is to lift them up.
Similarly, our Heavenly Father, in order for us to bear fruit, will lift us up. Our situation is like the vine branches lying on the ground, which will not bear fruit. Therefore, when believers cannot live out God's words and cannot have a good testimony, our Heavenly Father does not reject them and throw them into hell; what our Heavenly Father wants is for them to see Jesus Christ who has already been lifted up.
The Lord Jesus has already been lifted up and has borne much fruit, bringing strength and supply to countless people. The Heavenly Father also wants us to realize that our identity is that we are children of God, already lifted up. When you realize your identity and authority as a child of God, you will bear fruit.
There is a person in the Bible named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and a wealthy man, often defrauding others in his work. The people hated Zacchaeus and likely condemned and insulted him behind his back. The purpose of their actions was to hope that Zacchaeus would change and stop doing evil deeds, but what happened? Zacchaeus seemed to go the opposite way, making people hate him even more.
From Zacchaeus's perspective, he might not want to do what he was doing, but he had no way out. He might not even know what the meaning of his existence was. Like the vine branches lying on the ground, he could only stick to the soil and could not bear fruit or supply others, bringing no edification to anyone. When Jesus came to Jericho, Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. It was clear that in Zacchaeus's heart, he was not an evil person; he just could not live out the form of a righteous person, so he wanted to see Jesus.
Early on, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, and when Jesus came to that place, He said to Zacchaeus, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately! I must stay at your house today." After hearing this, Zacchaeus was very surprised and hurried home to prepare a feast. Indeed, Jesus went and ate with Zacchaeus. For the Jews, a respected person eating with someone looked down upon immediately elevated that person's status.
It seems that in today's world, it is a similar situation. For example, if a celebrity goes to an ordinary person's home, after the celebrity leaves, we immediately think that this family is not simple. The same principle applies; since Jesus entered Zacchaeus's home, he felt that his identity was elevated, lifted up, and valued by Jesus. In fact, Jesus did not ask him to do anything; He just ate with him, but Zacchaeus changed from that point on.
He stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus clearly told him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham."
What do we see as the reason for the change in Zacchaeus's behavior? Because Jesus lifted him up and helped him realize his true identity. Finally, Jesus directly told him, "You are a son of Abraham," affirming him. We also believe that Zacchaeus would no longer defraud others in his life after that, simply because Jesus lifted him up. So, dear family, if you want the people around you to change, you need to discover their strengths and lift them up.
Of course, this does not mean to flatter them with empty praise, as that can sometimes backfire; it means helping them realize their identity and what they are in God's eyes, which is all real. As long as they realize these things, change will occur because it is God who lifts them up. They know they are children of God, and naturally, they will bear fruit, just like Zacchaeus.
So in verse 2, there is a very important phrase: "every branch that bears fruit." That refers to those who belong to Jesus. How do we belong to Jesus? The moment we believe in Jesus, we belong to Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who separates us from the world, who cleanses our sins, who transfers us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, and who gives us new life. Similarly, Jesus gives us strength to live a different life, so the moment we believe in Jesus, we belong to Jesus Christ. However, not all who belong to Jesus will necessarily bear fruit, but at least you are connected to Jesus.
What if you do not bear fruit? Our Heavenly Father will first lift you up, and then you will be able to bear fruit. Thank the Lord, so I hope that brothers and sisters can continually recognize their identity. Today we are doing the same thing; you come to church to hear the word, and I am telling you your true identity and true form, which is equivalent to being lifted up by God again. Then when you return home, continually reflect on your true spiritual identity, and you will be able to live out the form of Christ, Amen, and you will be different from the world.
So if you have believed in Jesus for a long time and still have not experienced Jesus in your life, start by recognizing your identity, affirming your identity, declaring your identity every day, what you have in Christ, what your identity is in Christ. Declare these things first, then affirm them in Him, and then apply these words in your life, and you will surely bear fruit continuously. Amen.
The latter half of the verse states: "He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
If you see that the vine branches have been propped up and are already bearing fruit, it will not do to leave them alone. They may initially bear fruit, but later they may not bear much more. Why? Because many new shoots will sprout. Therefore, the vine needs to be pruned; at least twice a year, it needs to be pruned, cutting off the tips of the branches to ensure that it does not continue to grow forward, allowing it to bear fruit continuously.
Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine not only to depict Himself as the true vine and the Father as the gardener but also to depict us. In other words, as disciples of Christ, we are also the vine branches, and as the gardener, the Heavenly Father also prunes us. What is the purpose of this? To increase yield, to enable us to bear more fruit.
This is a good thing for us; the Heavenly Father prunes us to help us bear more beneficial fruit. Which parts are pruned? The self-righteous parts, the worldly parts, the proud parts, or the diseased parts need to be pruned clean, as they are all undesirable. We must admit that there are some things in our lives that are not good, whether influenced by the environment, family, or the people around us, etc. In short, some undesirable things will inevitably arise.
What should we do? When these things affect our ability to bear fruit and our communication with God, if not dealt with in a timely manner, they may hinder us from bearing more fruit. It is like a healthy person suddenly developing a tumor; what should be done? Shouldn't they seek a doctor to have the tumor removed? You cannot say, "But it is still flesh; what a pity to cut it off; let it grow." As long as this tumor continues to grow, it may harm the person and could lead to death, so it must be removed. When our bodies are healthy, we feel comfortable.
The same is true spiritually; those self-righteous parts, diseased parts, need to be continually pruned clean with God's words, so that we can bear more fruit like Jesus. Therefore, everyone must believe that there are some things in our lives that need to be pruned. What do we use to prune? God's words.
Hebrews 12:10-11:
10 "Our human fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful; later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
What does discipline mean? The original meaning is training. Our lives need to be trained by God. If you have a child at home and do not manage them, you will see that they will develop many bad habits. Therefore, children also need training; you must tell them what they can do and what they cannot do; this is training. At the same time, you will teach them knowledge, teach them the truth, and use these things to plan their lives so that they can become successful people. If you do not manage them, letting them do whatever they want will ultimately lead to many dangerous situations.
So it is mentioned that human fathers discipline us according to their own will. When a father disciplines his child, is it not to make the child better? Regardless of whether the method is right or wrong, when a father disciplines his child, he hopes for the best for them.
However, sometimes a father's ability is limited, and his vision is limited, resulting in the child's delay; that is another matter. What we need to know is that a father disciplines his child with the hope that they will be better. Our Heavenly Father disciplines us to train us, is it not also for our benefit? Because if we are not trained by the Heavenly Father, our thoughts and behaviors will act according to our own will, which may not be beneficial to us.
As Paul said: "I have the right to do anything," but not everything is beneficial; "I have the right to do anything," but not everything builds others up. However, God's words, as long as He asks us to do them, will definitely be beneficial to us. The Heavenly Father trains us for our benefit, so that we may share in His holiness, share in God's work, share in God's image, and share in God's glory. This is the fruit that God ultimately wants to achieve through our training.
Of course, the matter of training will not feel pleasant at the time because He will specify what you can do and what you cannot do, and people will naturally be unwilling because everyone likes freedom. What is freedom? People think it is doing whatever they want. This is not freedom; this is indulgence. What is freedom? It is having the strength not to do something when you do not want to do it. For example, if someone says a few unpleasant words today, I can choose not to be angry; that is freedom. But how many people can achieve this freedom?
When God's words train us, it is to remove some bad things from our lives. We will not feel happy about it; instead, we will feel sorrowful. But once we go through this period, we will find that we bear the fruit of peace, the good fruit, which is indeed beneficial to us. Amen.
In verse 3 of this passage: "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you." When Jesus spoke this to His disciples, they were already clean because they had believed in Jesus and followed Him.
Hebrews 1:3: "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."
Who determines whether we are clean? It is determined by Jesus. When we believe in Jesus, He cleanses us from all our sins. Are you sure Jesus has cleansed you? This relates to one's faith. Some people believe that Jesus has cleansed all their sins, and they are now justified by faith, possessing God's glory and the authority of Jesus, and they can live out the form of Jesus in their lives. Although they may not fully live it out, at least they will manifest part of it. Some people believe that Jesus has not cleansed all their sins and that they need to work hard to cleanse themselves; they will rely on themselves, and after achieving something, they will become proud. Which one do you believe?
The Bible clearly states that Jesus Christ is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being; He has cleansed people's sins. Since God says He has cleansed us, we should believe that He has cleansed our sins and that He is now seated at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
By faith, through God's word, we have been saved and belong to Jesus Christ, so in God's eyes, we are already clean. Thank the Lord. However, after being clean, will other shoots grow again after a while? Yes, that is part of our lives.
But our lives already belong to Jesus; we are already connected to Jesus, and we have already been cleaned up by Jesus. However, after a while, the self-righteousness, pride, and other things inside us will sprout, and we need to continue using God's words to adjust ourselves.
A person who has already believed in Jesus does not mean that their thoughts and intentions are completely aligned with Jesus; the thoughts and intentions need to be continually renewed. Although our identity has changed, we are now all beloved children of God, the renewal of our minds requires us to continually train ourselves with God's words so that we can live out the form of Christ.
Just like the vine branches, they are already connected to the vine, grafted together, and at this time, the vine branches need to continually receive nutrients from the vine. As long as they keep receiving, their lives will change, and they will bear clusters of grapes. The moment you stop receiving, you will also stop bearing fruit.
Verse 4: "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."
A saved believer has already been placed in Christ by the Heavenly Father and is connected to Christ. But here it also mentions, "You must remain in me," referring to the aspect of life. Because we believe in Jesus, although we say we are already citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we still have a hope that while we are on earth, we can also live out the form of Christ to manifest Christ's power and victory.
We hope that our lives are often victorious. Is there anyone who hopes their life is a mess and that they can enter heaven after they die? While entering heaven is good, we hope that even while on earth, we can live out the victorious form of Jesus.
Therefore, Jesus also expects us to live out His image and tells us, "You must remain in me." In life, we cannot sever our connection with Christ; we must rely on Christ's words in everything and live according to Christ. Before we knew Jesus, we might have imitated the traditions of our ancestors or teachings from books, and many times we failed. But now God has given us a path, which is the path of victory, that is, to rely on Christ's words; whatever God’s words say, we should do. By doing so, we are remaining in Him. Therefore, "remain in me" in the original text means "abide in me," referring to believers being united with the Lord Jesus through faith, receiving Jesus's supply, and living according to the standard of Jesus Christ's words.
It continues to say, "I also remain in you." The original text means "I also abide in you," referring to the life of the Lord Jesus continually working within us, guiding us, managing us, teaching us, and leading us forward. In fact, this is a choice for people. After a person believes in Jesus, they still have a choice: whether they are willing to live according to Christ's words. If a person is willing, they choose a path different from the world.
Of course, some believers choose, "I just want to be saved; in life, I want to rely on myself," and that is also fine. God will not force us to change or listen to His words unless we are willing. Therefore, it is mentioned, "You must remain in me." This is an invitation from God; our God never forces us to listen to His words. When people are willing, God will do His work. If you are willing to follow Christ's guidance and leadership, then He can guide you and lead you. How can we remain in Him?
John 15:10 also tells us the answer: "If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love."
Here, Jesus has already told us how to do it: to be like Him. "If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love." If you do not understand, just look at Jesus; He has already lived out a victorious life while on earth, and in His life, He was victorious in everything.
What is His secret to victory? He kept my Father's commands and remained in His love. How did He keep the Father's commands? That is, whatever the Father says, He says; whatever the Father tells Him to do, He does.
And Jesus has fulfilled this point one hundred percent. Jesus Himself said, "The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me."
Jesus achieved one hundred percent obedience to the Father's will, saying what the Father told Him to say. We can set this as a goal, but we can hardly achieve it. The more you imitate, the more victory you will have; the less you imitate, the less victory you will have. This is where the difference lies among believers.
However, as long as you are willing to follow the Father's will and willing to act according to Christ's commands, and if you lack strength, the Holy Spirit can give you strength. Each of us has the Holy Spirit within us; the moment you believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit resides in you. As long as you are willing to follow Jesus's words, the Holy Spirit will be activated to give you strength to accomplish it. Many believers often feel, "I cannot do it; it is not that I am unwilling." In fact, when you have a willing heart and pray, the Holy Spirit will give you the strength to do it. So what is Jesus's command?
John 15:16-17:
16 "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other."
Here, Jesus says very clearly, "You did not choose me, but I chose you." What does it mean to choose? It means to select you among many. This is God's grace upon us.
Some may ask, "Why didn't I choose God?" Because human vision is limited. Indeed, people in this world are seeking God, but the gods they seek are false gods. When people look for God, they often look for a god that meets their own desires, and what they find are all idols, which are false. Only when the true God seeks people does He not look for those who meet His desires; He seeks all sinners whom He wants to save. If you are willing to respond to Him, He is willing to help you.
So there is no such thing as fatalism. What does fatalism mean? It means that God has predetermined everything, and since I was not chosen by God in this life, I am destined to be unsaved; struggling is useless, and being willing is also useless. There is no such thing; that is fatalism. What is God's intention? He has extended an invitation to all people, but not all people respond to this invitation. Just like in our country, most people know about Jesus, but they are unwilling to believe in Jesus. "Knowing" and "believing" are two different concepts. God gives us the opportunity to know Him, but if you are willing to believe in Him, your life will be different.
Similarly, for those who believe in the Lord, it is the same. You have believed in Jesus and are saved; after being saved, whether you are willing to live according to Christ's words and bear fruit is another matter. Some people are unwilling to live according to Christ's words; they think, "I just want to be saved."
In the past, some believers said, "I do not expect to receive any glory in heaven; I just want to sweep the streets in heaven when I die." Look at how humble this thought sounds. But in reality, think about it: how could there be garbage in heaven? This is just a self-righteous idea.
The Heavenly Father gives us the opportunity to be saved, and after being saved, He sends us to bear fruit, which is beneficial for us. It is because some people have their own ideas and are unwilling to listen to God's words. God hopes that we will be sent by Him to bear fruit because this is beneficial for us; we can experience God's great power and receive glory from God, which is eternal.
Looking back at the scripture we just read, God says, "I appointed you to bear fruit that will last." This means you can always supply others. When the vine bears fruit, it is to supply others, not for its own consumption. If you can always supply others, what does that indicate? It shows that you are abundant inside.
It also says that this fruit will last. This means you will always have abundant supply to provide for others, which is the essence of "it is more blessed to give than to receive." If you can always bring supply to others, it indicates that you have it; you cannot give what you do not have. If you have plenty inside, you will continuously share with others. Just like the vine that bears many grapes, it can provide for others, Amen.
Now let us look at what this fruit is. It is clearly stated later: "so that whatever you ask in my name, the Father will give you." Do all believers desire to have such fruit?
Whatever I ask the Heavenly Father, He gives it to me, but the premise is that you must first follow Jesus and imitate Jesus Christ. If you are filled with evil and what you ask the Heavenly Father brings harm to others, the Heavenly Father will not give it to you.
Therefore, it continues, "I command you this so that you will love one another." If you have a heart to love others, a heart of self-sacrifice, a giving heart, and you have such a heart, whatever you ask the Heavenly Father, He will give it to you.
Jesus has already achieved this because He is filled with goodness; what He gives to others is love. Therefore, whatever He asks the Heavenly Father, the Father will give Him because He supplies others with goodness and love. If today we also have such a heart, then you can rest assured that whatever you ask the Heavenly Father, He will give it to you. Thank the Lord.
Some may say, "I have such a heart." If you have such a heart, then pray to the Heavenly Father. Because if you are apart from Christ's love, people can become very frightening; without Christ's love, people will only think of themselves. What is Christ's love? It is self-sacrificing love, sacrificial love, Amen.
If people only think of their own benefits and their own advantages, then it becomes troublesome. Once someone does something that displeases you, you might ask God to destroy them. This is not the love that comes from Christ. Therefore, if we truly want to understand what Christ's love is like, we should read the four Gospels in the New Testament to see how Jesus loved us.
We cannot bear fruit by ourselves. If a person is not constantly connected to Christ, their life will lose strength, become weak, and be unable to bear fruit. Thank the Lord. When we are connected to Christ, first, we are filled with abundance to supply others. If you are lacking inside, you cannot and will not supply others. Therefore, what is the first thing to do? You must first connect with Christ, receive His abundance, and then you will bear fruit to give away continuously.
Verse 5: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
This reiterates the previous words. Jesus says He is the vine, and we are the branches. If the branches are separated from the vine, they are truly of no use and can only be thrown into the fire. We must understand this; we have already been grafted onto the vine, and the Heavenly Father will not cut us off. However, if you remain on it without bearing fruit, it is of no benefit to yourself or others.
So what does the Heavenly Father hope for us? To receive the supply of the vine daily, which means to continually renew our thoughts and intentions with God's words every day, and then our actions will change. Gradually, we will imitate the form of Christ, and without realizing it, we will bear fruit.
Just like the vine branches continuously absorb the supply from the vine, it is natural for them to bear fruit; it is not very laborious, Amen. As children of God, the more we understand Christ's love, the more we meditate on His words, and live by His words, the more we will find that our actions will naturally change, and it will not be difficult at all.
Although many church leaders also emphasize, "You must have good behavior; you must do more good deeds," if they do not have the strength, they cannot do it. Therefore, the best way is to use God's words to connect brothers and sisters with Jesus Christ; this is what I can do at present.
And what should you do? You come to listen to such teachings, and as you continually hear such teachings, I can use these words to connect you with Christ, allowing you to know Jesus Christ more. In this way, your life will be renewed and changed. Thank the Lord. In the process of continually receiving, the power of Christ will become your strength. When you are connected with Christ in everything, your fruit will continue to increase. Thank the Lord. This is why so many people have had wonderful testimonies after listening to my sermons.
Last week, there were at least three testimonies, two of which were about healing from illnesses. Previously, they had never used such authority, and they knew it, but this time, when their family encountered problems, they prayed and used the authority, and the situation was resolved.
Another testimony was about a daughter who had been unable to have children. He laid hands and prayed, and not long after, the daughter had a child, and he was very happy. These are all examples of them connecting with Christ in this matter, and in the end, they saw the fruit, knowing it was God's great power.
What believers need to do is to continually look to Christ for supply, receive Christ's strength as their own, and they will have wonderful testimonies. In fact, these wonderful testimonies are given by God, and this is called fruit. These wonderful testimonies cannot be achieved without God; we cannot do anything apart from God.
Have you ever thought about how you could pray for a sick person and they would get better? Your hand does not have any special powers. But why do such things happen and bear good fruit? Because you walk with Christ; you are united with the Lord Jesus, who is powerful. When you pray for others, you must know that you are doing this in union with Christ. Apart from Christ, we cannot do these things. Therefore, whenever we see wonderful testimonies around us, we know that God is working in them. When we experience God's great power, we also know that God is working with us to do such things. Whose glory is it? It is God's, not our own strength; apart from God, we truly can do nothing.
Psalm 92:12-15:
12 "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, 15 proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.'"
This passage brings us great comfort. The righteous will flourish like a palm tree; do you know what a palm tree is? It is evergreen in all seasons. The cedars of Lebanon are also evergreen and grow tall, serving many purposes. This is the form of us, the righteous. Our functions are many; we can help others not just in one area but in many areas, bringing supply to others. This is the righteous, that is, those who believe in Jesus.
They are planted in the house of the Lord, flourishing in the courts of our God. They are not planted in the courtyard by God; they are continuously supplied by God's power, and ultimately, we have grown into God's courtyard. This indicates that we are growing very well. Thank the Lord; this is the appearance that God hopes we will live out on earth. If you say that after believing in Jesus, your situation is getting worse, your business is getting worse, and your health is getting worse, this does not demonstrate God's power. The true appearance is that you are evergreen, unaffected by the seasons; you are always a green tree.
The key is in verse 14: "They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green."
Not only can they bear fruit when they are young, but they will also bear fruit when they are old, and they will remain evergreen. Imagine this scene; when you are seventy or eighty years old, you still look just like a young person. Why? Because you are continually watered by God's words and continually receiving God's words.
There are examples of this in the Bible, such as Moses, who was one hundred and twenty years old, yet his eyes were not weak, and his ears were not deaf; and Caleb, who at eighty-five years old was still as strong as he was at forty. Thank the Lord; these are wonderful testimonies, just like evergreen trees. You will find that these people are those who continually rely on God's words and use God's words.
So, dear family, using God's words is beneficial to us, whether spiritually, physically, or in our daily lives; it is extremely beneficial. In this way, you are already a testimony, Amen. You surely do not want to be in your seventies or eighties, relying on a cane, unable to get out of bed, and constantly groaning; that will not do. If you rely on God, starting from now, it will be different. At eighty, you can still climb mountains, preach the gospel, go up stairs, etc., without being affected at all. Others will say, "Wow, this old person is really different." Isn't that demonstrating God's great power?
Therefore, verse 15 says: "Proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.'" This means that God's words are true; He does not lie. God's words are our rock. Moreover, such an elderly person still brings benefits to others, demonstrating that there is no wickedness in God. If a bad person grows old, it is not a good thing for everyone. But if you are righteous and grow old, doing more good things, everyone benefits more. Thank the Lord. May today's words bring some help to everyone.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Thank you for giving us today's words. We know that Jesus Christ is the true vine, and we are the branches, and this vine is cultivated by the Father. I am willing to continually receive from your words, continually use your words to renew myself, and adjust the wrong things in my life with your words, so that I can ultimately bear more fruit and experience more of your goodness and power in my life. Thank the Lord.
A new week has begun, and I believe you have already blessed it and set it apart as holy. I am willing to experience your goodness in my life through your words. I believe you have prepared blessings, and I am also willing to be a channel of this blessing to help and supply those around me. I am willing to continually bear fruit in you. Please use me and renew me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.