Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Introductory Thoughts on the last chapter of the Little Book "Branch and the Vine"

There will be several days studies and then the little book will be finished.  It's been a revelation to me, all the things I've learned through these studies, you can always read them over again.  They are all listed in sequence on the right side of the page, just scroll down to find them.

"As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you; continue ye in My love.  If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.  These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.  This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you".  John 15:9-12

Last time we concentrated on John 15:9, where the disciples learned that God made Jesus His personal Representative for the purpose of revealing love, and His character of love, to the entire universe.  God--we are speaking of the "Triune God" (or what many people call the Trinity)--needed such a representation, and was going to succeed or fail on the basis of the manifestation of Himself in the life of Jesus, a responsibility that Jesus carried by Himself.

WE also learned that Jesus has placed a similar representational responsibility on us.  Just as Jesus represented God to the universe, so we are to represent Jesus to our fellow men.  Jesus has commissioned us for this role in spite of our sinfulness, weakness, and frailty.  Fortunately, He has assigned our task and told us precisely how to execute it.

Describing His Own role, Jesus told the disciples He had been sent to accomplish the will of the Father.  Regarding our role, Jesus said, I'm sending you the same way My Father sent Me.  Fundamental to the way the Father sent Jesus, was Jesus' continued dependence on His Father.  As a result Jesus could say, "Of Myself I can do nothing."  So the Bible says, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself "  2 Corinthians 5: 19.  In the same way, Jesus is presently in this world through His human representatives and is choosing us to be His representatives in the same way the Triune God chose Him to represent them to the universe.  That's why Jesus said, "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you"  John 15:16.

Reflect for a moment on what it meant for God to make Jesus His Representative, and what it means for Jesus to make us His representatives.  If you were to select a person to represent you such that the authority of your name could be used for any purpose, what level of confidence would you need to place in that person?  Complete confidence!  Complete confidence is what God placed in Jesus, and complete confidence is what Jesus places in us.  As a result, Jesus could say, "If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it"  John 14:14.  I've thought about that many times, because it is like an ambassador being sent to a foreign country and using the authority vested in his sovereign's name to transact any and all business.  When we use the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are enjoying the same privileges, and operating under the same mandates, as that ambassador.

My thoughts are, What a responsibility we have as Christ's ambassadors.  We must not let Him down and when we do, we must repent and confess the fact that we let Him down and we are as if we had never sinned.  What a wonderful Savior we have, there is nothing He won't do for us to save us, we need to trust Him with all our strength and know that He loves us with that love that never ends.  Can Jesus have complete confidence in us?  I hope so.  Grandma Joan

Monday, January 29, 2018

Enjoying Life to the Full

Now Jesus said He wants us to have His joy.  What is that joy?  Real joy is living and enjoying life to its maximum Potential, something that is only possible in the abiding relationship.  However, no one, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, no one can have the joy Jesus was speaking of while going against any of the principles of God's Word which are known to be right--it can't be done; it's utterly impossible.  The person who is going against his conscience is only making himself miserable.

Let me get more specific: The individual who hangs onto even one thought that is not based on the Word of God and His truth is walking down a roadway to misery, heartache, and complete destruction, the final outcome of which will be death.  What will it take for us to learn this lesson?  How is it that the Devil can come along and subtly--"brazenly" is a better description when you consider the controversy that is going on--allure us down the wrong pathway and suggest it won't matter?  How did Jesus respond to Satan's suggestions?  Did He risk hanging onto any prop--in His case, perhaps supernatural power or personal desire?  No!  Did He hang onto anything?  No.  He din't hang onto even one thing.  What did He do?  He completely submitted Himself to carrying out one mission: reflecting the image of His Father's character in a world that didn't know Him.  Jesus asks us to do the very same thing.

Here is a sobering thought in Christ's Object Lessons that is suggested by Mark 4;29.  When the fruit is brought forth, immediately He puts in the sickle, because the harvest is come"  Mark 4;29.

What is being talked about here?  Fruit--fruit that comes as a result of abiding.  It says the branch abides in the Vine until it bears fruit, and when the fruit emerges, He immediately puts in the sickle, for the harvest has come.

"Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church.  When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim that as His Own."  COL 69.

W

Sunday, January 28, 2018

The Church and the Image of Jesus

We have a bit of a quandary here: seeking this joy, but seeking it in the wrong way, which is an ongoing challenge.  Too often, when hearing Jesus' call, we respond by going out, knocking on doors, asking people if they are Christians, and inviting them to study the Bible with us.  That's our usual way of responding, and please understand there is nothing wrong with visiting our neighbors and studying the Bible with them--in fact, everything is right about it.  But that 's not what reflecting the image of Jesus is all about!

Perhaps I am exaggerating here, but I think we primarily approach reflecting the image of Jesus as an activity.  What  was the early church up to when they were doing God's work?  Their one supreme object was to reflect the image of Jesus--that's all--and do whatever they could to further God's work.  It wasn't a matter of members being coerced to do this or that, committees mandating some activity or the apostles using some spiritually-contrived artificial pressure to get the members out.  No, their supreme object was reflecting the image of Jesus and doing whatever they could to further the work of God.  God performed a miracle in their hearts that enabled them to do just that, and they did it in a manner and with a sense of urgency that the far exceeded anything human coercion or pressure could have effected.

It might help if we pause for a few moments and consider the church--and I want to say at the outset that I do this reverently because Jesus died for the church and loved the church with a supreme love in spite of the church's imperfection.  The message to the Laodicean church found in Revelation 3:14-21 includes a less than wonderful description: wretched, miserable, blind, poor, and naked.  Unfortunately, the church doesn't even recognize its true condition.  The description in Revelation 3 is unflattering, but it is God's pronouncement of us, and we shouldn't get upset or discouraged by reading it; just recognize that we've gotten ourselves into a mess as human beings.  Fortunately, the same message that accurately describes our condition also enumerates Gods remedy and which constitutes that perfect provision which has in it "not one thread of human devising.

I can't add to his at all except to say that I want to wear His robe of righteousness that does not have one thread of human devising.  Let's work toward this goal and abide with Christ on a continual basis so that we will be able to His robe of righteousness.  Grandma Joan


Saturday, January 27, 2018

That My Joy Might Remain in You - Part 61

"These things I have spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full".  John 15:11.

We could so easily spend another evening on what we've been talking about, because it is so hard for us to grasp the power that comes through the indwelling presence of Christ.  Do you realize that Jesus doesn't want you going through life restraining badness, but experiencing the power that comes through His indwelling?  Now, Jesus adds, "These things have I spoken unto you,"--I've counseled you, I've guided you, I've told you these things--"that My joy might remain in you."

In Jesus' day, they didn't understand His joy, and I don't think we understand His joy any better in our day.  In our day joy is often equated with frivolity, and we think of a "slap happy" person.  We admire people who are silly, we like people who create laughter, and in fact sometimes describe these people as the "life of the party".  That's what we call joy.

But Christ's joy was different.  His joy drew little children to come and sit on His lap, for they were naturally attracted to Him and His authentic love.  The adults of His day were also attracted by His love, regardless of their culture, their standing, their gender, or any other cultural dividing line that might have existed.  Desiring Him they went from place to place to find and be with Him.  Why?  Because they were attracted by His love, because they were attracted by His joy.  The joy that attracted them to Jesus was the kind He referred to when He said, "That My joy might remain in you."  John 15:11.

What then was Christ's joy?  It was seeing people recognize in Him the reflection of His Father--something they weren't seeing in anyone else--and knowing He was accomplishing His Father's will for Him. His joy wasn't ego-centered.  No, it was all about reflecting His Father's image.  Our joy will come in the same way: reflecting the image of Jesus, So Jesus accordingly asks,  "Would you like to experience the joy that comes from reflecting My image?

I can't think of a better thing to do.  Jesus needs to be our all in all, every moment of every day.  I want to reflect His image, don't you?  I'm learning to love like Jesus loves and it has brought great joy to my life, but I'm just learning, I probably have a long way to go and I can just imagine the great joy my heart will have when He is finished with me.  Actually, I don't think He is ever finished with us.  He wants His joy to remain in us and I want it to remain in me and grow into the image of Jesus.
Grandma Joan

Friday, January 26, 2018

Keeping God's commandments - Part 59 Continued from yesterday

Mount of Blessings p. 141  "The Christian life is a battle and a march.  But the victory to be gained is not won by human power.  The field of conflict is the domain of the heart.  The battle which we have to fight--the greatest battle that was ever fought by man--is the surrender of self to the will of God, the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of love.  The old nature born of blood and of the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.  The hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be given up.

He who determines to enter the spiritual kingdom will find that all the powers and passions of an unregenerate nature, backed by the forces of the kingdom of darkness, are arrayed against him.  Selfishness and pride will make a stand against anything that would show them to be sinful.  We cannot of ourselves, conquer the evil desires and habits that strive for the mastery.  We cannot overcome the mighty foe  who holds us in his thrall.  God alone can give us the victory.  He desires us to have the mastery over ourselves, our own will and ways.  But He cannot work in us without our consent and cooperation.  The divine Spirit works through the faculties and powers given to man.  Our energies are required to cooperate with God.

The victory is not won without much earnest prayer; without the humbling of self at every step.  Our will is not to be forced into cooperation with divine agencies, but it must be voluntarily submitted.  Were it possible to force upon you with a hundredfold greater intensity the influence of the Spirit of God, it would not make you a Christian, a fit subject for Heaven.  The stronghold of Satan would not be broken.  The will must be placed on the side of God's will.  You are not able, of yourself to bring your purposes and desires and inclinations into submission to the will of God' but if you are 'willing to be made willing,' God will accomplish the work for you, even casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against th kowledge of God, and bringing into  captvity every thought to the obedience of Christ.' 2 Corinthians 10:5.  Then your will 'work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  For it is God Which worketh in you both to will and to o of His good pleasure.  Philippians 2:12,13.

God's nature dwelling in you will keep you from having any desire to tell that lie.  Does that mean Satan won't tempt?  Absolutely not!  He will tempt, and will tempt as much as he can, just as he continually tempted Christ--so much in fact that it could be said that Christ was "in all points tempted like as we are, "fortunately, "yet without sin"  Hebrews 4:15.

Perhaps you ask, "When does temptation become sin?  Is it when we succumb to the evil suggestion and act on it?  No!  Are you shocked by my answer?  Well, when do we sin?  When we let our minds dwell upon the suggestion.    Let me put it another way: Temptation becomes sin when we contemplate it!  Proverbs 23:7 says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is be."  Where, then, is the sin?  In the heart!  To eradicate the act, sin must first be eradicated from the heart.  If my heart is clinging to a sin, but I find a way to resist the temptation, I'm only being hypocritical.  Why?  I'm doing something that I'm not.  Someone said, "Restrained badness is the worst kind of goodness."  Did you know that unrestrained badness is the kind of goodness the world expects?  The world says, "Don't do this or that where people can see you."  Apparently sin is okay if no one else knows about it.  Was restrained badness the kind of goodness Jesus was referring to when He said, "Keep My commandments"?  I don't think so.  Jesus said, "If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love"  John 15;10.

Do you see why I love this truth?  All I have to do is surrender my life to God and stay surrendered!
The work that I do is staying surrendered, sometimes the old nature shows up and we slip up and fall.
What do we do then?  We get up confess our fall, whatever it was and sincerely ask God to forgive us.
Next time that sin  crops up, we may resist it or fall again, but we are always forgiven if we are sincere about our repentance.  Eventually we won't commit that sin again.  God may take it away immediately as He sometimes does and other times He  lets us fall so we can see how weak we are without Him.  It is in the daily abiding that we have the victory.  Grandma Joan

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Keeping God's Commandments - Part 59

John 15:10  "If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in M love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."

We desperately need  to get away from the idea that commandment keeping and reflecting the image of Jesus are the same thing.  They may be similar at some level, but our understanding of them is different, and our practical application  of them should also be different.  One of the reasons we lump commandment-keeping and reflecting Christ's image together is that our concept keeping the Ten Commandments is so inadequate.

In John 15:10 Jesus was talking about love.  Notice the words recorded in John 15:12, where we find Him saying, "Love one another, as I have loved you."  He was in effect saying, "I have reflected the character of My Father.  I have revealed Him, and I have completed the task that He gave Me.  God asked Me to reflect His image in perfectly representing His character to the universe. Now you do the same thing, reflecting My image even as I reflected His image.  Do this if you love Me."

Were His thoughts limited to Sabbath-keeping?  Was He admonishing against theft or prevarication?
Was He rebuking adultery?  Thy were included, but keeping His commandments encompassed so much more than the "dos" and the "don'ts" that we so often think of.  Not breaking the Sabbath, not stealing or telling lies, not committing adultery, all of these are to be as far away from our lives as they were from Christ's life on Earth--they shouldn't  enter into our minds in even the slightest way and we're not talking about the new life that is experienced when Jesus is allowed to dwell within.

Does victory come through resolve and struggle?  Is it the kind of thing where you decide to be truthful, grit your teeth, and resist the temptation?  I can almost hear someone quoting "Mount of Blessings, page 141, where it says, "The Christian life is a battle and a march." and there are a lot of people who are fighting the Devil every inch of the way, and they look battle scared,  But what does it really say?

We will continue this thought tomorrow, you will be surprised at what it really says.  I love this subject, it is such a relief to know that the battle is not mind but God's. Everyone needs to know this truth.  I would solve all our problems if we believed it and applied it to our lives on a daily basis.
Ask God to help you understand this great truth and you will be totally blessed.  Grandma Joan


Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Predestined For God's Family - Part 58

Paul continues saying:  "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherewith He hath made us aecepted in the Beloved."  Ephesians 1:5,6.

Let's look at these words in greater detail.  "Having predestinated us ..."  Whio is this?  God the Father.  What does the word 'predestinated' mean?  Preplanned; planned ahead of time.  So, God preplanned.  Now we need to be clear that preplanning didn't mean that God was insisting that things turn out a certain way.  Nor are we suggesting that He would manipulate circumstances to only allow one outcome.  However, He preplanned--He mad provision--that every person could have a place in His family as adopted children.  How?  "Adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will."  Ephesians 1:5.

God desired to bring the universe into perfect harmony, 'to the praise and glory of (notice) His grace."  There's that word 'grace' again.  Do you remember what we learned about it?  Do you remember what word can be substituted in its place?  "Character."  According to what we learned
'grace' is God's character.  So we can read Ephesians 1:6 as follows: "to the praise and glory of His character".  The word character makes perfect sense, since God was choosing Jesus Christ to demonstrate and reflect His character to the universe.  What was the purpose of His plan then?  Learning to love God on the basis of His character of love.

When we say, "To know Him is to love Him," we are not referring to sentimental love.  John said,"Ht that loveth not, knoweth not God" 1 John 4:8.  If you know God, you will love Him; if you don't know Him you won't love Him.  You may have heard about Him--heard lots about Him, but if you don't know Him, you ean't love Him.  To know God is to love Him' you can't help but love Him if you know Him!

"In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.  Ephesians 1:7.

The first chapter of Ephesians is probably the richest chapter in all Scripture when it comes to unfolding God's plan of salvation.  The summary provided for us in Ephesians recaptures what Jesus was telling His disciples only hours before He died on the cross.  In His remaining twenty-four hours, Jesus needed to have a very serious conversation with His disciples.  What would you say if you only had six hours to communicate your final thoughts to your loved ones?  I'm guessing little time would be spent talking about the piano or the automobile.


Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Becoming A Fool for Christ - part 57

The disciples didn't understand, didn't remotely understand, what was going to take place soon, and the people observing Jesus dying  on the cross were not going to understand either.  So Jesus was warning the disciples about His forthcoming death to keep their confidence in Him from being completely shaken.  Jesus also knew the people looking on would consider Him a fool!  Did it matter to Him what people would be thinking?  No!  Should it matter to us what people think of us?  No!  Paul said he would gladly be labeled a fool for following Christ, and anyone giving his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ in our day is also going to be considered a fool in the eyes of the world--you may think otherwise, but you are mistaken for the world hasn't become more accepting of those who surrender their lives to Jesus in our day than they did in His!

Jesus was viewed as a total fool in the eyes of the people of His day, sadly even by those who considered themselves His followers.  When He was hanging on the cross, it was His followers who were saying, "We thought He was the One Who was going to deliver us."  But while they were hanging their heads in disbelief, He was saving them!  Do you think people are going  to understand if you completely consecrate yourself to God and let Him remake you into a new creature?  They won't!  They will think you are a fool; they will say you're being fanatical; they will say you are making too great sacrifice.  Only when self has been totally crucified is it possible to make such a surrender, and patiently endure the world's disdain.

This is a pretty heavy study and only if you are completely surrendered to God can you understand what it is all about.  It is true, I've been rebuked and you will too, eventually.  People of the world do not understand to this day what it means to be fully surrendered to God.  It means 'not my will but His in my life'.  Also people don't understand what a glorious life it is until they are fully surrendered.  It means no more worries because Christ is in control, it means He makes the decisions for us, we don't have to decide what's best for us, it means He gives us all the discernment that we need to see what's right and what's wrong, also what Satan is trying to do to cause us to stumble, it means we are truly free, I mean free.  Would you like this kind of life, me too! Let's surrender completely to Him and be free indeed.  Grandma Joan

Monday, January 22, 2018

With Great Power - Part 56

Notice the next sentence:  "These scenes are to be repeated, and with greater power."  Isn't that thrilling? The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was the former rain (and was wonderful), but the latter rain will be even more abundant."  If nothing else thrills us, this should; and we can't help but ask, "What is holding things up?"  Ephesians 1:3,4 is an important text in this regard:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us  with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:  According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.  Ephesians 1:3,4.

God selected Christ to be His representative before the foundations of the world were laid. It wasn't easy for God to put the plan into motion.  God struggled with the decision.  But Jesus volunteered to represent God to humankind, and now we have been chosen in Jesus to do the same thing.  Ephesians 1:4 says,..."He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love."

As Jesus stood before the Father in love and reflected His character, so we are to stand before Jesus in perfect love and reflect His character, in order that the world might be attracted to Him through us.  This is the way God planned it in the heavenly council, and it's the only way the controversy over His character is ever going to be resolved.  Just as Jesus was a living demonstration of God's love, so Jesus has chosen us be be living demonstrations of His love--living proof of the validity of what He accomplished on the cross.  Just as God had no other means of revealing Himself to humankind than Jesus, so Jesus has no other means of revealing Himself to humankind than through you and me!

Are we willing to let Him fill us with His Holy Spirit so we can reflect His character like Jesus did for His Father's character.  Satan has ruined the character of God in so many ways.  I remember my picture of God was horrible, it was a mean picture, but I found out as I grew older that we picture God like our earthly Father a lot of times and that's what happened to me.  Most people think He is ready to strike us with punishment the minute we transgress, but that's not true, He is a loving Father, why else would He have sent Jesus to save us, causing Jesus all the pain which no human could ever endure and live.  Two scourgings would usually lead to death but He survived both then the cross and the weight of the sins of the whole world upon Him.  It's hard to even talk about it, it is so terrible.
Hope you are enjoying learning from these studies.  To me they are really educating me.  Grandma Joan

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Reflecting Christ's Character - Part 55

Did you notice what was upon them?  Grace,  What was this grace?  Christ's character.  Let me back that up with the following quotation from Christ's Object Lessons:  "To learn of Christ means to receive His grace, which is His character."  There are many references along this line, but this is probably the clearest one.  So what was being described when we read that "great grace was upon then all"?  We are reading about a church were the character of Christ was srtongly implanted upon the members.

This implanting explains why the people looking upon the Ephesus church members knew that they had been with Jesus  These believers were true disciples and were reflecting their Teacher; they were doing what disciples are supposed to do.  Whose character were they reflecting?  Christ's!  As a result, their characters were molded in such a way that they continually reminded others of Jesus.  I can hear bystanders saying "Why, that's what Jesus was like."  Are people saying that about us in our day?  Should that be happening in our day?  Absolutely, and when it happens, people will flock to the church--you won't be able to hold them back, and it will surely happen!  We read further, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved'.  Acts 2:47  The Spirit of Christ animated the whole congregation; for they had found the Pearl of great price."

I never realized that Grace was Christ's character, but it makes perfect sense that it is.  It is also unmerited favor, something we have not earned but a gift from Christ because of His death on the cross.  He is willing to forgive us and see us as one who has not sinned, He also loves us as He loves His Son.  That's great grace, something we cannot earn in any degree, but is a great gift to us who confess and repent of the sinful life that we have lived.  What a gift!  Nothing exceeds it!  Let's be faithful so we may have that Great Grace upon us and may represent Christ in all our life.  Grandma Joan

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Benevolent Love - Part 54

You may be asking, "What is this benevolent love?"  Benevolent love is a holy love, it is a giving love it is a divine love.  Earthly love is usually just the opposite, isn't it?  It is selfish; it loves in order to receive love, and there is usually a selfish motive behind it.  By way of contrast, benevolent love gives without expecting anything in return.  Have you ever experienced that kind of love?  Every believer experienced that kind of love in the church at Ephesus.  (You can read about it in Revelation 2:1-7.) Today when someone does something nice. invariably someone is going to be saying, "Ha, I wonder what he's after?"  Or, "I know why she did that!"

These suspicions were nonexistent in the church of Ephesus, for "every Christian saw in his brother the divine similitude of benevolence and love.  One interest prevailed.  One object swallowed up all others..."  What was that object?  It was the one we have been studying about, the one object, the one object that will prevail again. What was it?  It was to reveal the righteousness of Christ's character.  "One interest prevailed.  One object swallowed up all others.  All hearts beat in harmony."  Isn't that beautiful?  All hearts beat in harmony.  The only ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness of Christ's character. Did you notice that?  The ambition of the believers wasn't to outdo one another;   Their only ambition was to reveal the character of Christ--there was no competition!  Every believer was only seeking to do one thing: to reveal the likeness of Jesus perfectly!  And then it goes on to say, "and to labor for the enlargement of (Christ's) kingdom  "The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul...With great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon the all.'  Acts 4:32,33.

Have you ever experienced Benevolent Love?  I have, just in the last year or so.  I was impressed to make lacy scarves for some of the ladies in the church, I haven't counted how many I've given away it isn't important anyway.  I have expected nothing in return but have made many friends as the result of my giving. I didn't realize God had answered my prayers with love of others.  Now I realize what He has done for me.  He has filled my heart with love for others, in and out of the church.   I have a ways to go but He is certainly working on my heart to purify me and getting me ready to spend eternity with Him and I am so thankful He answers prayer.  If we bring our lives into harmony with Him, He will hear our prayers and answer them. There are always conditions to answered prayer and the main one is to be in harmony with Christ and His will for us, and we have a guide in the ten commandments.  Grandma Joan

Friday, January 19, 2018

A Representative Role and Our Role - 52

A Representative Role

We know that Jesus was selected for his representative role before sin broke out.  It would be His difficult task to represent God's character to created beings--angels and all the other inhabitants of the universe--who needed to know about God and His character of love.  This representation was also necessary, since the foundation of God's universe was love and needed to be knit together on that foundation.  Needless to say, the love that everything would be founded upon would have to be more than a sentimental attitude, for it was the principle upon which rested all the power of God.  The Triune God chose Jesus Christ to make that representation.

Our Role

How do we integrate Jesus' task of representing the Father's character of love with His words to the disciples in John 15:9, "As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you"?  Jesus is admonishing us to represent His character to the fallen inhabitants of our planet and the inhabitants of the rest of the universe.  We have been called to make the same representation that Jesus was called to make.  As we properly represent Jesus on a practical basis, His character will be revealed, known, and understood. And what intellectually impacts the inhabitants of unfallen worlds will bring practical transformation to the fallen inhabitants of our world.  This demonstration will enable fallen people to be come new creatures; it will allow them to experience complete transformation--this was God's objective for the plan of atonement from the beginning, and this is what Jesus had in mind when He said, "As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love."

When Jesus said, "Continue ye in My love,"  He was obviously referring to His Own love, but He was also referring to a chain reaction of love; God loved Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ love human beings, and human beings were to love one another.  This is how love operates, and God's love will be seen when we love each other.

Oh, how much we need this love, it would get rid of our critical spirit, our gossiping, reading people's motives, anything that might harm anyone else, including our neighbors.  Selfishness being the main sin that leads to all the others.  Thinking of self is the basis of our sins.  We need to ask God to get rid of our selfish natures, a good idea for sure.  I'm going to do that right now.  Grandma Joan

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Demonstrating God's Character and Preplanning - Part 51

There is a thought here that we haven't touched on yet and which deserves our attention.  Return with me in your minds to the time when sin manifested itself in Heaven.  How did evil originate and develop?  If originated in the heart of Satan and manifested itself against God, partiularly in attacking His character.  Why?  Beause God's character was love, and was explained as love to the created beings in Heaven.  In our day it isn't hard for us to recognize the difference between the loving nature of God's character and Satan's nature of evil.  But where sin did not exist, where there was only perfect holiness and innocence, explaining God's character of love was very difficult.  God could say, "My character is love," but so could the angelic beings, for there was no way to compare God's love with Satan's evil.

Well, the Devil took advantage of the situation to strongly challenge God's character, and the ensuing controversy made a tremendous impact on the angels, and resulted in much discussion and great consternation in Heaven relative to what was going on.  The angels were in doubt as to who was right.  What was this love and how could it be proven?  Was God right?  Was Satan right?  Eventually war broke out in Heaven over this controversy, and Satan and those who sided with him were cast out, as we find described in Revelation 12.

Preplanning

This controversy and the resulting sin did not come as a surprise to God, for in His foreknowledge He had known what was going to happen ahead of time and made preparations to meet the challenge.  We have a limited understanding of what dealing with Lucifer and sin meant to God, but even from our limited perspective we recognize that God was manifesting His character of love from the beginning, and will continue to manifest His love to the end.  Only a character of love like God's could have created a being like Lucifer, and poured over him all the glory possible without thinking about a future time when a large segment of the angels would be turned against God.

Would you have created a being with Satan's potential if you would have been God?  We can't comprehend what God was doing, but God lovingly created not only the heavenly inhabitants, but also the inhabitants of this earth and untold other worlds.  When Satan raised the challenge, God activated the plan that allowed one Person to represent and fully reveal His character. Imagine if you were on trial for something that could bring life or death consequences, and were forced to select one person to perfectly represent your character, how careful would you be?  In God's case it was even a little more complicated, because this Person needed to perfectly represent all three members of the  of the Godhead--we will use the term "Triune God"--to the universe.

I can't  add anything to this, it was such a wonderful act of God.  I don't understand it, and probably never will even throughout eternity, I will need to be taught about His love, but we can let God give us as much knowledge about this as He is willing to give and be satisfied until we learn more from God Himself.  Grandma Joan

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Prelude to the Last two Chapters of the little book the "Branch and the Vine" - Part 50

"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in My love.  If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.  These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.  This is My commandment, That ye love one another; as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, That a man lay down his life for his friends."  John 15:9-13.

We have been studying John 15 for quite some time, and continue because it is the heart of the concentrated bits of counsel that Jesus gave His disciples just before He entered Gethsemane  and gave His life as a ransom for many.  We've been talking about the Vine and the branch, and the need to abide.

This chapter we are going to examine John 15:9-13.  Let's get started with verses 7 and 8.

"If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples".  John 15: 7&8.

It is important for us to remember that a disciple is someone who is not only taught by Jesus, but who also reflects His teaching in daily life.  As we bear fruit, God classifies us as His disciples.

As the Father Loved Me

Continuing in John 15:9, Jesus said:  "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love."

These verses have a tendency to slip away into sentimental nothingness for the simple reason that our concept of Biblical love is theoretical and not practical, to say nothing of the fact that what the world feels about love and what the Bible says about love, and we find it hard to separate the two.  But Jesus helped us when He added the words, "As the Father hath love Me."  What was Jesus saying?  What meaning should we attach to His words?  It's very difficult to express the depth of what He was saying by using human terminology, let alone to fully understand it.

We will continue these thoughts tomorrow, I promised to keep these studies short and I think I have fallen short on doing it but they are so good that it is hard to quit right in the middle of a good thought.  But come back tomorrow and let's see what true Biblical love is.  Grandma Joan

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Knowing All Things / Responding to the Vine / An Attainable Life - Part 49

Knowing All Things

When Jesus was speaking of true friendship, He was referring to the highest possible form of spiritual experience, which comes through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, "Henceforth, I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you".  John 15:15.

I want that experience, don't you?  We need to be so close to Him that we hear every word He speaks to us, regarding what kind of fruit we are bearing and what kind we should be bearing?  What we need to delete from our life and what we need to add to our life so that we can be one with Him.

Have you ever thought about what Jesus was communicating when He said, "All things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you"?  He was God's perfect  mouthpiece on Earth, and was saying, "Al things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you."  I marvel when I think about this, because as Jesus was faithful to His Father, so He wants us to be faithful to Him; and faithfulness is how discipleship is revealed.  Remember the words in John 15:8, "Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples."  Christ was in effect saying, My Father told Me these things; now I am sharing them with you.

Responding To TheVine

How are we going to respond to Christ's plea?  Ignore it?  Listen, but continue on without anything changing?  Listen, but only drowsily respond?  The answer comes as we consider His commission to us.  What commission did He give us?  Wasn't it bearing fruit?  That was Jesus commission. Will He do the same thing in us?  Yes! He is going to bear the fruit of His Own character in us--that's the purpose of fruit-bearing and His stated objective for us.

How am I going to respond to Christ's plea?  How are you going to respond?  We must make our decision soon before it's too late.  Will you bear the fruit of the Spirit?  I want to.

Unfortunately, too often when God speaks to us about fruit-bearing, our first thought is to go to our neighbors and say, "hey, you better get ready because Jesus is coming!"  Too often they react with a "Really?"  Do you believe it?  You certainly don't look like you do!  I don't see anything different between us."  Would you agree that people shouldn't need to be told that Jesus is coming; rather they should know He is coming by the way we live?

An Attainable Life

Is this kind of living attainable, or is more being expected of us that is possible?  It shouldn't be, and it won't be, if our fruit-bearing comes as a result of Christ dwelling within us.  Why?  Because as a result of the indwelling presence of Jesus, God's character will be seen in us, just as God's character was seen in Christ.  Do you remember how Jesus responded to Philip's request, "Show us the Father"? He answered, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not knowns Me,  Philip?" He that has seen me has seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show is the Father?

If Christ is dwelling in us, is it too much to expect that He will be able to say, "If you have seen Mrs. Smith, or Brother Jones, you have seen Me"?

Wouldn't that be a wonderful thing for Christ to say about is?  I would love to have it said about me!  My goal is to be like Jesus in all respects.  I pray that I won't disappoint Him. I also pray that these studies will help you in your struggles of life and that they will bless you too and that you won't disappoint Him either.  Grandma Joan

Monday, January 15, 2018

Serving Two Masters - Part 48

We must acknowledge that the Bible frequently uses the term "servants" in describing our relationship to the Lord, and this deserves some consideration.  Matthew 6:24 says, "No man can serve two masters."  Modifying that slightly "No man can be a servant to two masters."  Consider as well that in Bible times, a servant was almost always a slave.  And so we get the following, "No man can be a slave to two masters."

Now God wants us to be slaves from the standpoint of our not needing to understand everything in order to believe.  Why?  Because what a person does must be of faith, for as Romans 14:23 puts it, "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin."  This means that God enables us to constantly exercise our faith, since He doesn't tell us about everything ahead of time.  Yet He never allows our faith to be tested beyond that which we can bear.

Now the disciples were coming to a point in their experience when their faith was going to be greatly tested.  I don't think we can remotely appreciate what they were facing:  they had been with Jesus for three and a half years; He was soon going to be hanging from a tree in front of them; and their faith was going to fail them.  We know this because when it happened, they fled and completely left Him.  In fact, all the disciples were soon hiding behind locked doors in the upper room, and would have remained hidden, and remained unbelievers, had not Jesus pursued them following His resurrection, revealed Himself, reminded them of what was going on, and helped them put all the pieces together.

But fear and unbelief wasn't what Jesus preferred for His disciples.  He would have been pleased had they understood and believed from the beginning.  Had He not already spoken of His pending death?  Had He not already told the Jewish people through the prophet Isaiah the manner in which He was going to die?  But the disciples had their own ideas about what was going to happen, and therefore misunderstood statements that should have been completely clear.

Fear and unbelief is not what Jesus wants us to live in either.  Our faith and trust in Him must be beyond anything we have ever had before.  Pray for it and God will supply our need, Pray for love and He will provide that too.  We must be like Him in order to live eternally with Him.  I know that is a hard saying for many people but since Jesus takes care of all our fruits if we abide in Him each and every day, it doesn't become a hard saying any more.  Our part is a complete surrender and His part is to take care of us as long as we stay in the surrendered state.  So simple if we can wrap our minds around it, it takes faith but faith is a gift so even that comes through Him.  So hang on friends, it will be worth it all in the end.  Grandma Joan

Sunday, January 14, 2018

The Highest Measure of Love / We Bear Fruit No Matter What / Friendship With the Vine - Part 47

The Highest Measure of Love

Let's consider more of Andrew Murray's words.  "Sacrifice is the highest measure of love: when a man gives his life, he holds nothing back, he gives all he has and is.  It is this our Lord Jesus wants to make clear to us concerning the mystery of His Vine....."

This constant giving is why Jesus pictures Himself as the Vine.  Why?  Because the Vine is constantly giving the sap, which is it's lifeblood.  And it keeps the sap constantly flowing, which of course means it is constantly giving. This illustrates how God gives because it is His nature to give; He can't be God and not give.  In the same way, if the branch lives, it also bears fruit.  Why?  Because it is the branch's nature to bear fruit.  The branch always bears fruit.  It's not a matter of the branch bearing fruit, or not bearing fruit; the branch always bears fruit.  How does it bear fruit?  By receiving what the Vine provides.

We Bear Fruit No Matter What

Notice, however, if it is true that the branch bears fruit no matter what, but at some point is not receiving sap from the vine, then the resulting fruit will originate from a different source, and will become the real problem --the main problem--of the branch!  The branch  is going to bear fruit, but what kind of fruit is it going to bear?  It can choose to receive sap from the True Vine and have the true fruit of the character of Jesus reproduced in its life, or it can choose to receive sap from a false, pseudo-substitute source and bear a false, substitute fruit.

Friendship With the Vine

Now Jesus said that we are His friends if we do whatever He commands us. This word "friend" is totally misunderstood.  We say we have a host of friends, but that's not really true.  Someone said we have many acquaintances in a lifetime, but few friends.  I believe that, and would therefore suggest that saying "We have a host of acquaintances" would be more accurate.

It has been suggested that the definition of a true friend is someone who knows all about us and loves us just the same.  Can this definition be applied to the people around us?  Hardly!  The only person to whom this definition applies is Jesus.  In John 15:15 Jesus said, "Henceforth, I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his Lord does: but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you."  Jesus called us friends.  A true friend knows all about you.  With this kind of friend there are no secrets; nothing is hidden. That's why we don't have many "true"friends.  We have friends,  but these are often surface friendships because we don't share the deeper things on our hearts with them. For many of us, the only time we can honestly open our hearts is when we are on our knees, praying.

But notice again Jesus' words in John 15:15, "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his Lord does."  Here Jesus was talking to His disciples as friends.  Why?  Because they were soon going to face a situation that would be unlike anything they had faced before; a situation they could not endure without advance warning; a situation requiring Jesus to open His heart and clearly reveal what was going to take place.

It's a good thing we have Jesus as a true friend.  I can tell Him anything about me and He doesn't think bad of me or get rid of me as a friend.  Friends in this world are different than Jesus, some we can trust with some of our heart and some we can't trust at all, in fact most of them we can't trust with all our heart except Jesus.  I'm so glad I have a friend like Him.  Aren't You?  We need Him as our true friend all the time and He sticks close by our side when we are walking with Him.

I have lots of acquaintances and I guess if the truth were known, I call them my friends.  I love them all but I don't know everything about them and they don't know everything about me.  If we did we may not be friends.  I would hope that I would be but I don't trust myself, only when abiding with Jesus every day all day.

We need the love of Jesus in our hearts all the time, a love that is willing to give up our life for someone else.  I know that is a hard thing to think about but if we truly have the love of Jesus in our hearts, we will be able to love like that, whether we are called to do it or not, I don't know.  And let's be sure that we bear the fruits of the Spirit and not some false spirit.  I'm sure we have all been guilty of the wrong spirit at times, but let us abide with Jesus every day all day so that we only produce the fruits of His Spirit.  Grandma Joan

Saturday, January 13, 2018

The Branch's Giving Capacity of Love - Part 46

The giving capacity that characterizes this kind of love is only possible when God dwells within.  It goes without saying that self clamors for first place from the very first moment. From that first breath to the final one, self will not only continue to manifest itself, but will grow larger and consider itself more important every step of the way, unless the Lord Jesus is invited to dwell within.This self-centeredness cannot be changed without a new source of life.  That is why the old nature has to completely die and the new divine nature invited in, to create something that we human beings are utterly incapable of producing within ourselves.

Christ and His love are inseparable and identical.  If you have the one; you have the other; if you lack the one; you lack the other.  "Christ and His love are inseparable; they are identical.  God is love, and Christ is love.  God and Christ and the divine love can only be known by having them...."  You won't understand love by knowing about it; you can believe all you want about the love of God but still not understand it; you can write all the poetry you want about love, and you can express your feelings about love and all the other emotions of life, but you still won't understand the love of God.  "God and Christ and the divine love can only be known by having them, by Their life and power working within us"--there is no other way!  Jesus put it this way:  "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom Thou hast sent". John 17:3

We must invite Christ and His love into our being to be able to experience it and to tell the truth, I want to have as much as He can give me.  There are people out there that are not lovable and I need His love poured out in my life so I can even love my enemies if I have any and I'm sure I do, even if I don't know who they are.  I sincerely want to be like Jesus in every aspect of life and I know it's possible if only I will submit to His will for me.  I have found that there isn't much happiness in this world without Him and I have been struggling but this little book that I am sharing with you has helped me a great deal and I know it will help me more as I study it.  Grandma Joan

Friday, January 12, 2018

The Vine's Loving Friendship - Part 45

"Greater love hath no man than this.  That a man lay down his life for his friends.  Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you".  John 15:13,14

Jesus was beginning to gently talk with His disciples about giving one's life, because He would be giving His Own  life in just a few hours.  Now remember, the disciples were convinced that Jesus wasn't going to die--at least their minds were not open to such a possibility at the time.  They did not believe He was going to give His life, and were totally shocked when He did.  but in this part of His conversation Jesus went beyond taking about the physical part of giving oneself, to also talking about the great love demonstrated in this giving.  It is worth noting that this was the first time Jesus spoke to His disciples as 'friends".

Notice what Andrew Murray says about this demonstration of love in his book "The True Vine".

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  Christ does indeed long to have us know that the secret root and strength of all He is and does for us as the Vine is love.  As we learn to believe this, we shall feel that here is something which we not only need to think and know about, but a living power, a divine life which we need to receive within us."

This love, this form of love--is a mysterious power and influence that saturates the Scriptures, and is present from Genesis to Revelation.  Yet it is of such a subtle nature that it is easy too be confused about it.  It doesn't help that modern society has confused our thinking on the subject of love by constantly bombarding us with a counterfeit form of love.

Why are we confused?  Because we think the power of love has something to do with emotion--strong emotion--that reveals itself and is persuasive in its power.  True love, however, doesn't demonstrate it's power in self-centered persuasiveness, but rather in giving itself, it doesn't manifest itself in receiving, but in giving.  Real love is just the opposite of what we see in the world around us, and the epitome of real love according to John 15:13 is laying down one's life for others!Total giving is total loving!  Love is never about satisfying self, nor is it about receiving for oneself.  It's never about accumulating or hoarding, either; for it is always giving of itself; which is just the opposite of what man thinks.

Quoting Andrew Murray again:  "As we learn to believe this, we shall feel that here is something which we not only need to think and know about, but a living power, a divine life which we need to receive within us."

As I read this study and typed it in, I thought about my own life,  why do I give, I love to give but what is behind my giving?  I'm not sure but I am sure that God will show me if it is a selfish giving, which I hope it isn't but I'm not sure.  I make fluffy, lacy scarves and give to ladies in the church and have made many friends that way and now I am making them for new members, why do I do it?  I think one reason is, I want them to feel welcomed into our church.  I was going to make some for myself but I always give them away when I see someone that I think would like them.  So consequently I don't have any for myself except a couple left overs which I wear occasionally.  I want to know if it is a selfish giving or not.  I really hope it isn't because I love doing it. I love people and I believe that God put that love in my heart because I didn't use to be like that.  So if you ask Him to give you His kind of love, I'm sure He will, He has done it for me, yet I know I've been a selfish person, always looking out for me so I want to be sure this is an unselfish act.  May we all love like Jesus does and our life will be full of joy and peace, three of the fruits that Jesus wants us to have.  Grandma Joan

Thursday, January 11, 2018

"As I" - Part 44

Now go back to John 15:10, where Jesus says, "If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love."  Here we find the keywords that explain the meaning of the Vine and the branch.  What are they?  "As I"!  "Do this as I"! These two words will answer every question a person might have regarding the Christian experience.  "How can I bear this?"  "As I".  Jesus answers every one of our questions with "As I"!  Hebrews 4:15 says He "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet with out sin," and therefore can answer all our questions with "As I."

Do you see that abiding in the Vine is all about abiding in the same way that Jesus abided in the Vine?  Jesus abided in--trusted--His Father, no matter what was going on.  He trusted regardless of whether it was a Gethsemane or a Calvary.  As He faced the unknown of the tomb, and in fact couldn't see beyond it, He kept right on trusting.  Humanly speaking, this level of trusting was impossible--Gethsemane was so bad that it brought blood to Jesus' brow, and He collapsed and would have died had an angel not been sent to strengthen  Him.

Why was Jesus able to endure?  Because He was abiding in the Vine.  And what was this revealing?  Character, His unshakable character!  Could circumstances change His character?  Yes, it could have, but it didn't. Could circumstances change His character?  Yes, it could have, but it didn't.  Could environment change His character?  It could have, but again, it didn't!  Nothing could change His character.  And so Jesus said, Abide ...."even as I."  Love "even as I." This was the great lesson!

Jesus didn't simply say, "Here is a good story," or "Here is an illustration."  No, He very specifically said, "I am the Vine, ye are the branches.  As I have been abiding in my Father and completely depended on Him, so you must do the same thing.  "As I."  When Jesus came to this world and lived as a branch, He was continually abiding in His Father.  In our day, Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches; and we are to receive from Him as He received from His Father.  How did He do it?  He looked to His Father.

Just think of the difference going to our Vine would make with our frustrations?  It would completely eliminate them!  What do we normally do?  We go to some friend and say, "What in the world am I going to do?  Jesus says, "Do what I did!"--that is His answer,  and His answer is always so simple.  You find the same thing when Jesus said, "Ye are clean through the word that I have spoken unto you."

Yes, it is simple, but we are a stiff-necked people just like Israel of old.  Hard to catch on or if we catch on we are too stubborn to accept the simple remedy.  I am speaking of myself.  Right now, I am having difficulty with this because I have been taught all my life that I can do something to help save me.  But that is a lie, we can do nothing to save ourselves, we must trust in the Vine, Jesus, and let Him put His character in me, or His fruit in me.  We can't even do anything to save others except share our fruit with them.  Wow! What a challenge, but as I said I like challenges so I better get with it and surrender all my problems to the Problem Solver and live in peace and joy and love.  If you have forgotten what the fruit is, check it our again and it would do us all well, if we would memorize these fruits, so we know what to expect when He starts purging us and making room in our lives for the fruits of the Spirit.  Grandma Joan.

PS.  Check out Galatians 5:22,23..

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Are We Abiding? -Part 43

I'm curious to know what this says about whether I am abiding or not.  It's one thing to learn something and another thing to not let it affect my life because I like things the way they are and I don't want to change.  A deliberate denial of truth, which can only mean that I'm not interested in what God wants to do with me, I'm only interested in what I want to do with God, which is totally turned around backwards.  I'm confronted with the fact that few people want to hear what God wants with our life and are contented with continuing on in their blindness.  God help us to see the light and let God work in our life to become like Him in all respects.  This study may a little enlightening or it may be a lot, not sure of where you are at, I know where I'm at and I need help.  Grandma Joan

Now the study: Are We Abiding?

Here Jesus was bringing up a subject that not only greatly confused them, but one they resisted even hearing about.  Jesus went right on:"....continue ye in My love.  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love" John 15:9,10.  The Lord Jesus Christ had come to planet Earth because His Father had sent Him, and He had willingly volunteered to take on the role of Savior of mankind.  Therefore the Scriptures can rightly say,"....God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself" 2 Corinthians 5:19.  So Jesus said, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love.  If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love"  John 15:9,10.  Then Jesus proceeded to list the commandments in the next few verses:

"These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.  This is My commandment, That ye love one another; as I have loved you."  John 15:11,12.  This commandment indicates whether I am abiding in Christ or not.

So now we know how to know whether we are abiding in Christ or not, by whether we keep His commandments or whether we do not.  Usually we have excuses for not keeping all of them.  We either say, 'well, everyone else is doing it so I guess it must be OK". or we say, 'I don't see anything wrong with the way I am so I will ignore that one.  What is my excuse?  What is yours?  Let's be honest and fair with our answers and confess our indifference and repent of our waywardness and come back to the fact that we need to abide in Christ all the time, not just when we feel like it.  Grandma Joan

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Understanding Jesus' Words - Part 42

Now in John 15:9 we find Jesus' words:  "As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you."

Have you ever thought about what Jesus was saying here?  Here are some of the pertinent facts:  He was speaking at the very end of His life.  He was going to die in just a few short hours; and the disciples were going to completely misunderstand what was going on.  In spite of al that, we find Him saying, "As the Father hath love Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love".  John 15:9.

Have you ever tried to share something with someone who doesn't believe what you are talking about, and find as a consequence that the individual not only misunderstands, but doesn't get the message at all?  If you have, then you can appreciate the challenge Jesus was facing.  He said, "As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you: continue ye in My love."

In just a few hours the disciples were going to see their beloved Master hanging on the cross.  What would keep them from thinking the Father didn't love them?  What would prevent them from misapplying what they thought they had heard Jesus saying--but didn't understand--and therefore from completely misunderstanding His death?  What would keep this misunderstanding from occurring?  His words!  Their hope would be in His words.  What were those words?  The words that He had been telling them all along regarding the things that would happen.  That's why He said, "These thing have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them."  John 16:4.

I would like to apply this lesson in a little different way too, just to add another thought.  The thought is, 'His Words'.  Reading His Words, is what sanctifies us, His Words, teach us the way in which we should walk, His Words teach us what Sin is, His Words teach us about Heaven and Living Forever with Him.  There are a lot of misunderstanding of His Words today and thats why we have so many religions in the world today.  Take the Bible just as it reads, don't try to apply it to your culture, or make it sound like it approves of your sin, take it as it reads and apply it directly to your life as it is right now.  I am pretty sure all of us need improvements of some kind.  I know I do and one thing I love about the Christian life is, it's a real challenge, and I love challenges.  How about you?  
Grandma Joan

Monday, January 8, 2018

Branches Attaching to Other Branches - Part 41

It  is worth noting in passing that a disciple is one who is taught.  You may recall that Paul sent his first epistle to the Corinthian church when he heard disturbing news about ongoing contentions:  "For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe that there are contentions among you.  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.  Is Christ divided?  Was Paul crucified for you?  Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"

Did you notice what was going on?  Did you notice that the people in Corinth were succumbing to one of the greatest weaknesses of human beings?  What was that  weakness?  Branches were attaching themselves to other branches, instead of attaching themselves to the Vine.  We have already learned that a branch cannot support another branch--it is not possible --but the people in Corinth were trying to.  So one person was saying, "I'm a disciple of Paul"; another was saying, "I'm a disciple of Apollos"; and so forth.  In our day we hear different names, but the same thing is going on.  One person says, "I'm a disciple of Luther"; and another person says, "I'm a disciple of Wesley."
Down through history, people have been attaching themselves to this one and that one, and it's still going on in our day.  Think about the last time you were in church listening to the sermon.  Did it take you much time to figure out where the pastor was trained?  And, if we weren't embarrassed to say so, we might even find ourselves saying, "I'm a disciple of so and so."  The apostle Paul recognized this tendency, for we find him saying, Don't even say you are of Paul, because I didn't die for you.

The branch only has one purpose.  What is that purpose?  To bear fruit that reflects the Vine!  Attached to the Vine, branches will attract other branches to the Vine instead of to themselves.  Unless our work, unless all of our work, attracts men and women to Jesus Christ,  is it worthless--in fact worse than worthless.

Wow! What an eyeopener!  Our lives need to bear fruit to attract others to Christ, that is our only work.  The fruit is the characteristics of  God's character and there is nothing wrong with being like Him in all activities of life.  In fact, He is the One who does the work in our life, it is impossible for us to make ourselves like Him in any way shape or form.  So why not completely accept Him and let Him have His way in our life and make us like He wants us to be?  A good question for me to answer, how about you.  Grandma Joan

Sunday, January 7, 2018

What Kind of Fruit are We Asking For / Fruit Bearing, Glorifying God,and Discipleship - Part 40

Now the only kind of fruit we are asking for is that which will develop God's character in us!  We were created for one purpose: to reflect the image of Jesus.  We may think a Cadillac parked in the garage will help us reflect His image, but God has a different idea.  Would you agree, then, that these verses are not about asking God for things?  The are about asking God to use us as branches for what He intended in the first place to perfectly reflect His image.  The Cadillac doesn't keep me from being a branch, but neither does the Cadillac make me a branch or cause me to bear fruit.  Character is the fruit that God will grant, as we ask for it and as our minds are open to receive it.

It goes without saying that God does not force His character upon anyone, even though we were expressly created to bear the perfect image of Jesus.  Bearing the image is very possible, but doing so necessitates willingness to be purged.  In order to bear fruit,, God sends us back to the Word that it might have its perfect work in us.  That means we do more than just read the Word and then forget about what we have perused.  No, we endure the purging as it cuts!  The Bible describes the Word as being sharper than any two-edged sword and speaks of it dividing asunder.  And that's what it does-- it separates and divides--it separates us from the world and the things of the world, and changes it changes our interest in the world.  That Word also puts the desire in our hearts to make God first.  Jesus said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness,"  Matthew 6:33 something that is only possible as God dwells in us.

Fruit Bearing, Glorifying God and Discipleship

"If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.  Herein is My Father glorified.  John 15:7,8 first part.

This is interesting because verse eight heads right into the fruit-baring business.  "Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit"!  Notice that our asking and the Father being glorified through fruit-bearing are connected:  "Ye shall ask what you will....Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit."  So asking whatever you want, then, is asking for God to be glorified, and He is only glorified when we bear fruit.

Reading again, this time notice the last part of the verse:  "Ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.  Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples."  Did you notice it said, "So shall ye be My disciples"?  Whoever thought discipleship and fruit-bearing were connected?

I think it's pretty clear about Fruit-bearing and Asking what we want.  We can ask for any kind of fruit that will glorify God, Happiness, Love, Forgiveness, Grace, Patience, Godliness, all of these and more, anything that will glorify God and make us in the image of Jesus.  Grandma Joan




Saturday, January 6, 2018

'Flawed Mutual Support' and 'Can We Really Ask for Anything?'- Part 39

We find a profound lesson in these short verses:  no branch can support another branch!  Is't that interesting? Every branch is supposed to bear its own fruit, and the produtction of fruit points back to the Source of that fruit and creates a desire in another branch to bear fruit as well.  And when the fruit is recognized, and the Source of the fruit is also known, than another branch is grafted in and receives its ability to bear fruit from the same original Source as the other branches, which of course is not from another branch.  Branches cannot support each other.  Jesus went on in verse six, "If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."  We've talked about this verse before, so we won't spend any time discussing it now.

Can we really ask for anything?

In verse seven we find the verse that we are going to focus on:  "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, , ye shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you"  John 15:7.  These words, "Ye shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you," are often quoted and taken completely out of context as a promise that can be claimed to cover a vast number of things.

If we carefully examine this verse, w will find that certain limiting conditions are connected with it.  What might these limiting conditions be?  The production of fruit?  Whether one abides or not?  Whether we abide in Him, or He abides in us?  These are good responses, but it is important to find the right response, since we give so little thought to this promise that is so easily claimed.

It helps to consider the context of this verse--a parable about a Vine, and a branch whose sole purpose is to produce fruit.  It also helps to remember that the branch merely functions as a channel through which the Vine produces fruit.  Would it be fair to suggest then, that if the branch were to ask for something of the Vine, it would only be asking for one thing: to bear more fruit, which is the only thing a branch could do, and which, accordingly, is all it would be asking?  It wouldn't be asking to build a house, or to take a trip, or to do anything else.  Would it?  The branch would not be concerned about any of these things.  It would be saying, "Lord, Produce more fruit in me"--that would be its only request.

Do you see how logical this is?  Would you agree that it would be foolish to apply this promise to anything and everything that might come into our minds?  How foolish we are.  We have stretched God's Word and attempted to make ie encompass everything.  Many a preacher has quoted this verse and suggested that God will do whatever you ask, as long as you are sincere and ask in the right way.  But God isn't in that kind of business, and neither is the branch.  The branch is only going to ask for more fruit, and the Husbandman is going to respond by starting the only process that enables the branch to bear more fruit: purging.

That last sentence could be scary if I didn't know another verse that says, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape.  1 Corinthians 10:13.
So whatever the purging might be, there will never be put upon us a temptation that will be too hard to bear but will give us an escape from it.  Isn't that like our God?  So willing to make an escape from temptation that is too hard for us.  So we can handle the purging, just need to ask God for strength to get through it and He will help us, that's His job, our job is to trust Him.  Don't forget that we must trust Him all the way into His kingdom and we can make it through Him and only through Him.
Grandma Joan

Friday, January 5, 2018

Ye are Clean Through the Word - part 38

"I am the True Vine and My Father is the Husbandman.  Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.  Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.  I am the Vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in Me, he  that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing.  If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.  If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit;  so shall ye be My disciples"  John 5:1-8

I hope it doesn't seem repetitious that we keep reading through thee verses, for they are vitally important and should be of keen interest to us.  Remember as well that this parable comes at the beginning of the final conversation that Jesus had with His disciples, which we find in John 15,16,17.
He spoke these words after He left the upper room and headed out into the night.  This conversation, His last conversation with the disciples prior to His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, couldn't have taken more than two hours, during which He shared some of His most important lessons.  Have you ever found yourself similarly needing to give a vast amount of instruction to a loved one?  Jesus needed to, and in a very short amount of time, and He tried to pack in as much as possible.

He started with the experience of the vine and the branches.  He said, "I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Husbandman" John 15:1.  This was the first time Jesus had ever spoken of this with His disciples, and it came as new information to them, since they were Jews and like all Jews had always looked at the vine as a symbol of themselves.  Now Jesus was in effect saying, "that's not correct!" 'I am the True Vine and My Father is the Husbandman.  Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit'"  John 15:2.

Jesus probably spoke these words at this time for a number of reasons.  For one thing, He knew the disciples were going to soon experience important purging, and they didn't even know what needed purging!

Now recall that the agent of purging for the disciples was going to be the Word, and at this point in their spiritual journey, the disciples had not understood the Word--the teachings of their Master, Jesus--not had the Word accomplished its work yet.  There is still the same problem in our day.  We have the Scriptures--the Word--but it doesn't do us any good unless we are willing to believe it and allow it to work in us.

The disciples had listened to the Word many times and responded, "That's interesting!  That's wonderful!"  But they didn't understand the wonderful words they were hearing.  We often find ourselves in the same boat.  Thousands of people read the Word, believe they will get something from what they are reading, gain a little, but don't understand it at all.  The disciples were like this, and Jesus therefore instructed them.  As a result, they were going to be able to soon experience the gift of the Holy Spirit, which was to accomplish one thing: dwell on the Word in order to enlighten the disciples, helping them to understand and apply it.

Now He said, "Ye are clean through the word" John 15:3, and meant they were clean by believing in the lessons that He had spoken to them.  The only way to be cleansed is through the Word, which is a spiritual cleansing; that's the only way a human being can be cleansed!  Cleansing does not come by way of baptism, for baptism is only an outward symbol.

Then Jesus continued, saying, "Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.  I am the Vine, ye are the branches.  He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" John 15:4,5.

Have you found out that you can do nothing to make yourself spiritually clean?  I have.  I'm a hopeless case when it comes to my spiritual life, without Jesus.  Yes, when I was really into studying the Word and spending time in prayer every morning, my life was so much better.  Then we moved and were living in a motorhome with four people.  Really hard to find a place to study and pray and I lost my experience.  I could have found a place because we were volunteering  for a Television station and there were lots of places that I could have found to be alone and not bothered.  I guess to be truthful with you, I never thought of it.  It was a Christian station and I guess I thought I was working for God and that counted for my righteousness, but I've found out through these little studies that we cannot work our way into heaven and it doesn't count at all what we do.  We must abide with Him daily, hourly, then we will know what work He wants us to do, because He can impress our minds with what duties we can do and can't do.  It's that simple, yes, I know it sounds simple but saying it is simple but doing it after a lifetime of habits is another story, we have to have His help. If we abide in Him and He in us, we have our help all cut out for us, we just need to obey He Word when we are reading it and repent when we slip up and get up and go on in our abiding.  I pray that you are catching on to this wonderful truth.  Grandma Joan

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Striving and Bearing Fruit - Part 37

"'But,' you will ask, 'does not the Bible speak about soldiers, and warfare, and a fight




"'But,' you will ask, 'does not the Bible speak about soldiers, and warfare, and a fight?"  Yes, it certainly does.  'Are we not told that we must strive to enter in?'  We surely are.  'Well, what then?  Only this, that we should be sure for what we are fighting, and for what we are to strive,"--which is to abide in the Vine.!

We are not to worry about the fruit, which is receiving God's character.  When God's people perfectly reflect His character, Jesus will come to claim them as His own.  There is only one thing God is waiting for, and that is for the perfection of the fruit which He imparts to the human body, the human mind, and the human person, through, the process of sanctification--which is simply imparting His character to us.  Sanctification is His gift, just as justification is His gift, both are gifts from first to last.

We need to also recognize that hindering factors can prevent us from enjoying these gifts.  Did you ever try to give someone something but were deterred due to some hindering factor?  It
is the same for God.  He can impute His character in the process of justification regardless of your past life as long as you simply say, "Lord I am sorry; please forgive me."  He responds, "That's all right,"  and credits to you His character.  But from that moment, He begins literally imparting to us His own character, which isn't an easy thing, and takes a lifetime to complete.  Any time I object because the purging/imparting process is too painful, and therefore desire to take the driver's seat, He lets me take over and I soon find myself in the ditch.  "Oops, I goofed again Lord, please take over,"  and He takes over and drives away.  But it isn't long before I say, "I think I will take over again--it seems like easy sailing--and I do and soon  we find ourselves in the ditch, again!  This is the ongoing process which God pursues in His anxious desire to impart to us His character.  This process is only possible as we remove the hindrances.  God doesn't send trials and temptations, but He permits them.  Nevertheless, our challenge isn't with the trial or temptation, but with what the Word says about the problem--any trial, any temptation, any hardship--the devil confronts us with, to point us to the solution, which is always Jesus in way or the other.  But we prefer other answers.  In my studies with people I've heard them say, "Don't you have any other answers?  No, the answer is Jesus."  "Don't you know of any other solution?"  No, the solution is Jesus."It is so much easier to accept human solutions to our problems.  If I can do something to solve the problem on my own, I will certainly take that route first--which is why the religions of the world are so much more attractive to the human mind.

Is it hard to say, "I'm sorry, please forgive me".  Of course we must mean it when we say it.  I guess it is hard for some people, but I find it hard to keep going in my own sinful way and saying, "I'm sorry is not hard when you learn to hate sin and love righteousness.  It's easy to goof because we have been so long living a life of wrong doing, but when we see the love of God that He has for us, it does make a difference.  God is real and Christ is real and both are waiting for us to abide with them day by day and hour by hour and sometimes minute by minute.  Can we surrender to Him our lives and give up on our selfish way of life?  It's not easy but Christ will do it for us if we just give in to Him and abide with Him all the time.  If we fall, we get up and repent and go on as if we had never sinned.  I believe ti will get easier and time goes on.  Because we will be forming a new character and new habits that will be a blessing to us and to others, so hang on and give in to His loving pleading for you and for me.  Grandma Joan























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Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Doing My Part - Part 36

Notice, however, what normally happens;  We come to recognize an evil in our lives, come under conviction about it, and accept God's correcting; but instead of letting God continue dealing with it, we take it back into our own hands to manage, and fall back into temptation again.  How did the person respond?  "You can wait until you will accept that food gladly;" and victory was eventually gained.  When we turn away until it becomes a joy to obey God in whatever area He is bringing conviction, we too will gain the victory.

We find the following instructive quotation in W.W. Prescott's book, Victory in Christ:
    "For a long time I tried to gain the victory over sin, but I failed.  I have since learned the reason.  Instead of doing the part which God expects me to do--which we have learned is abiding in the Vine, to use the imagery and language we have been utilizing in these discussions--and which I can do, I was trying to do God's part, which He does not expect me to do, and which I cannot do.  Primarily, my part is not to win the victory--and produce the fruit--but to receive the victory-receive the Holy Spirit and let Him produce the fruit--which has already been won for me by Jesus Christ"--when He took the place of Adam and day by day developed the character which Adam failed to acquire. Jesus won the victory; He won the victory over Satan and sin.

Jesus wants to give us His victory, but He's having an awful time getting us to accept it.  Why?  Because we are unwilling to do our part, which is abiding in Him, and allowing Him to accomplish the pruning, which will result in the development of His character in us.  It doesn't sound too difficult, but it is, because as He grafts us into the Vine, and we begin growing, little sprouts have a way of appearing that look suspiciously like the old life.  He determines these need to be cut off and proceeds, but we find the cutting exceedingly painful, object to it, which results in His relenting and responding,  "I'm not going to continue pruning if you don't allow Me."  But the outcome is a turning away, the impeding of His life being lived out in us, and the reemergence of the old life' He can only live in us if we permit Him to!

I want Him to prune away all the bad stuff in my life, it is painful sometimes.  We have habits that are strongly implanted in our hearts and mind that are hard to give up, but the joy of giving them up outweighs the pain of hanging on to them and knowing we will be lost eternally if we hang on to them.  The results of hanging on to them is not worth losing out on eternal life.  Not at all.
Don't give up, we will live eternally with Christ and His Father if we keep letting Him prune out the bad stuff and we get the victory.  Please don't give up!!!!  Grandma Joan

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Gladly Accepting - Part 35

Now if I find it hard to accept the pruning process, I may have to follow the same course that one person followed when God convicted her that meat was not the best food.  Initially she ignored the counsel and continued eating meat.  This went on for quite some time, and in fact God brought the same message  to her three or four times.  Eventually she was convicted that meat was to be given up and determined to get rid of it from her diet.  She decided she was going to stop eating meat come what may, and told the cook to only serve vegetables and fruit.  Coming to the table  for the frt time she was repulsed by seeing only vegetables and fruit, and her stomach became upset--so much so that she couldn't eat.  So she left the table and went about her business.  The next time she came to the table the same thing happened again.  Again she was repulsed and her stomach rebelled.  "You can wait stomach until you will gladly accept this," and again turned back to other duties.  This sent on for three days, until she was finally so hungry that she gladly ate the food that was served.  So we see that she willingly accepted Gods purging in spite of the hardship of temporarily going without food.  Not only did she accept the purging, she accepted in joyfully--gladly! It was anything but easy, but it worked, and we can follow this same purging process with any of our besetting habits.

DOING MY PART

Notice, however, what normally happens: we come to recognize an evil in our lives, come under conviction about it, and accept God's correcting; but instead of letting God continue dealing with it, we take it back into our own hands to manage, and fall back into temptation again. How did the person respond?  "You can wait until you will accept that food gladly;" and victory was eventually gained.  When we turn away until it becomes a joy to obey God in whatever area He is bringing conviction, we too will gain the victory.

We find the following instructive quotation in W>W> Prescott's book, Victory in Christ.

"For a long time I tried to gain the victory over sin, but I failed I have since learned the reason.  Instead of doing the abiding in the Vine, to use the imagery and language we have been utilizing in these discussions--and which I can do, I was trying to do God's part, which He does not expect me to do, and which I cannot do.  Primarily, my part is not to win the victory--and produce the fruit--which has already been won for me by Jesus Christ"--when He took the place of Adam and day by day developed the character which Adam failed to acquire.  Jesus won the victory; He won the victory over Satan and sin.

Jesus wants to give us His victory, but He's having  an awful time getting us to accept it.  Why?  Because we are unwilling to do our part, which is abiding in Him, an allowing Him to accomplish the pruning which will result in the development of His character in us.  It doesn't sound too difficult, but it is, because as He grafts us into the Vine, and we begin growing, little sprouts have a way of appearing that look suspiciously like the old life.  He determines these need to be cut off and proceeds, but we find the cutting exceedingly painful, object to it, which results in His relenting and responding,"I'm not going to continue pruning if you don't allow Me."  But the outccome is a turning away, the impeding of His life being lived out in us, and the reemergence of the old life' He can only live in us if we permit Him to!!

Yes, it is difficult to surrender the old life to Christ.  We are so ingrained in our habits that they are hard to let go of, but we must if we want to continue abiding in Him.  We may have to fall and get up many times and repent of our sin, but wonder of wonders, he is always willing to forgive, pick us up and start on our way again.  I know, I have been there and still have trouble abiding all the time, the 
devil knows just what to do to trip us up and he is very sneaky doing it and we don't realize what he is doing until we end up in the ditch.  I am so glad we serve a loving God who forgives over and over again and again and again.  So don't give up we have an eternity with Christ to look forward to and it will be so much more beautiful and perfect than we can even imagine.  Grandma Joan


Monday, January 1, 2018

Accepting the Purging - Part 34

The purging only goes on as the branch accepts the purging.  If the branch refuses to be purged, there is nothing that can be done to help it.  If you will not accept the purging brought about by the Scriptures to correct your life and bring it into harmony with the teachings of those Scriptures, there is nothing that can be done.  You will be deceived and continue to be deceived the rest of your life.

Abiding in the Vine does not force the branch to unwillingly bear fruit.  The fruit appears because the branch has become a channel, and has subjected itself--we might say permitted itself--to be pruned or purged in order to bear more fruit.  Unfortunately, we sometimes create temptations for ourselves and get ahead of the Lord, creating situations and problems God never intended us to face.  But if we are abiding in the Vine, we won't have to worry about these problems, since He will solve them through the abiding process in us.  I'm not the one making decisions, then, for the purging process works as I permit myself to be subjected to it. That purging  process is the Bible cutting out habits from my life and cutting me away from the world.  Then it becomes a matter of judging all temptations and activities that Satan brings through the lens of God's Word, and not through my wisdom.

Trusting God through this process becomes a pleasure.  Why?  Because you will b pleased with the transformation that occurs through the pruning process.  It isn't a pleasure if the pruning process isn't taking place.  It isn't a pleasure if the pruning process isn't taking place.

Finally, do you recall the statement quoted earlier, where it talks about why so many people find the Christian life so deplorably hard?

"The reason why many find the Christian life so deplorably hard, why they are so fickle, so variable, is, they try to attach themselves to Christ without detaching themselves from....cherished idols."

This detaching is what makes the difference.  If I am not detached, the detaching takes place through the purging or pruning process.  And if this pruning process detaches me from the world, then the bearing of the fruit is a joy and a pleasure.

Detaching is hard, and I have found it hard to detach from some things that I am use to doing, nothing bad but nevertheless it needs detached.  These studies have answered so many questions about the Christian life that I have wondered about for years and didn't understand.  I have been blessed abundantly every day as I type these up and post them.  Such a wonderful blessing, I am so thankful to have come across this little booklet, I just have to share the blessings with others.
Grandma Joan