Tag: Written

Identity- I am the vine, ye are the branches

The first and most important step in being connected and staying connected is knowing who you are and where you belong.

God – Husbandman
Jesus –Vine
Us-Branches’

Responsibilities

Husbandman – Caretaker of the vine
Indentify the condition of the branches’
Remove the branches’ that are not producing fruit
Purge the Fruitful branches’ of unfruitful things

Key – The power for growth is in the hand of the husbandman.
If you leave an orchard unattended it will still grow. But, it will not produce the fruit of an attended vine and over time weeds will overtake it and inhibit its ability to grow.

To ease the load on the vine, he removes unfruitful branches’, to ease the load on the branches’ he removes unfruitful (insignificant) energy zapping things. Allows both vine and branch to be more fruitful.

Vine- grows, supports, and nourishes the branches’
Provides what each branch needs to be fruitful
Is one with the branch. The branches’ success is the vines success.
Produce new branches’. The fruit of the vine is the branches’.

Branch – Produce Fruit.
Stay plugged in to the power or connected to the vine.
Receive its power and support from the vine

Now that we know our responsibility the rest is simple, right? How hard could that be?

I mean all the branch has to do is hang on, accept what the vine supplies, receive a little pruning and produce fruit.

Forgetting one’s identity can affect your connection.

Let’s use King David as an example:

2 Samuel 11:1 (KJV) And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

What was David’s identity?

Based upon his identity, where should he have been?

What other things did David forget?

Did his disconnection affect anyone else?

Are you or have you ever been out of place? Did, is, or will your disconnection affect anyone else?

Once David forgot who he was, he started trying to do what God would have done for him willingly.

2 Samuel 12:8 (KJV) 8 And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

Your life is your business, run it successfully.

We serve a God who has a plan and so should we. The scriptures declare that He knows the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet come.(Isaiah 46:10)

Although we can’t guarantee outcomes, having a plan is like having a boat with a motor and the coast in view. Living without a plan is akin to a ship with no motor or sails, just ending up wherever the waves take it.

• Pray and seek God for direction. (Prov 3:5-6

• Write your vision down. (Hab 2:2)

• Set goals to accomplish that mission.

• Keep track of your progress.

• Be truthful about your abilities and seek help in your areas of weakness.

• Don’t be drawn off course by distractions. Ask yourself, Is this a part of my mission? If not, it’s a distraction and will make you less productive.

• Remember, you can’t do everything. But, what you do God will bless. (Psalm 1:3)

• Acknowledge your achievements and celebrate them.

• Thank God for His help, because you can’t do it without him.

Here’s to a Happy Productive New Year!

William

Acquiesce – (verb) to assent tacitly; submit or comply silently or without protest; agree; consent:

If you  have ever had a debt collector communicate with you by letter about a delinquent account you will find in the body of the communication a requirement to respond within 30 days or it will be assumed that the debt is yours.

Many people fail to respond to these letters even if the debt is not theirs. They assume if they don’t respond the problem or claim will go away. The problem is your silence is then used against you in court. Your failure to protest is considered an admission that the debt is yours.

In our spiritual lives we acquiesce also. We sit by silently as satan makes a claim on the things in our lives. We watch as he lays hold upon our families, jobs, health, even our peace.  Without protest we relinquish the blessings and benefits that are a part of having a relationship with God. Sure after time we may choose to cry and complain about our situation but we never fight for that which is ours.

God often put Israel into situations that would require bravery and dependence upon him. He was building a courageous people. He never expected them to stand by fearfully as their blessings were taken. When Joshua stood as the new leader of Israel, he was led by God to a land that was already inhabited. God commanded him to take the land and assured him that his enemies would not be able to stand before him.

We serve the same God today. He yet expects us to fight. It was never His plan for us to stand by idly as our lives and blessings were destroyed by the works of the kingdom of darkness in any of its forms.

Stand up and fight for what God has given you, or soon you wont have anything to fight for.

William