Posts

Vines, Branches and Trees – Grow Up Into Jesus

/0 Comments/in /by

James 1:5 If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.

Years ago, while driving a semi in the winter, from central Colorado to Western Wyoming , I discovered I had a lot of time on my hands. While driving I got this crazy thought: You’ve got parts of the book of James memorized – Why don’t you memorize the whole book? When I began the undertaking one thing that annoyed me was that it seemed to be a mixture of disjointed thoughts. But as I was provoked with questions I slowly began to see their interconnectedness. For example in verses 2-12 you see that if you are going through trials – you should consider it joy. Why? Ask for wisdom. To ask for wisdom during the trial requires belief, and humility. As you submit to the process above – you grow and mature, become integrated (no longer double-minded or two souled), and you receive the Crown of Life. Now that should be counted ALL joy!

This wisdom provides an understanding of the process. Understanding the process empowers you to cooperate and grow rather than kicking, screaming, and resisting the Hand of the Lord. For example yesterday I was reviewing some Scripture memory. Before I began I asked two questions: Is this empowering me to be connected to Jesus? Am I making room for Jesus in this process? After checking myself spiritually, and focusing my minds attention on connecting with the Lord – not just reviewing Scripture, John 15:1-2 stood out to me: I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. 2 Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit.

What struck me was that Jesus was identifying with the Vine. The Vine He is – is being pruned by His Father the Vine Dresser. Even more startling is that Jesus had some branches that weren’t bearing fruit, and branches that were. The branches that were – got exposed to the process of pruning in order for them to bear more fruit.

When I was around 14 years old I began searching for God. One of the things I was drawn to was a simple little devotional called My Daily Bread. One of those devotionals pointed out the promise found in James 1:5 and so I began praying this promise almost everyday of my young life into adulthood. As I began to see the promise manifested I added other promises to my daily routine. I added insight, knowledge, foresight, discernment, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit – and those grew. But what I failed to see was that I was growing even though I was heavily demonized, self-centered, arrogant, angry and proud. In our maturing process the enemy will often remind us of our failures, regrets, and shame. But the tares always grow with the wheat. The question is, Are we sowing more wheat than tares – every harvest? Eventually the wheat of God’s Word will choke out the tares and you don’t even realize it. (You didn’t even have to help God by tearing out your tares).

Back in May 2023 we were doing a prophetic exercise with our church in which everyone received a number. These numbers were folded in half, thrown into a basket, and jumbled up. Our facilitator then took the basket and had everyone blindly choose one of the folded pieces of paper. The only person who knew their number was you. Matt Wagenmaker drew my number and wrote the following on a 3×5 index card: Extremely large tree, with a thick trunk and a large canopy of leaves which is flowing next to a river. I still have that index card. Why? Because it sums up everything James is talking about. What Matt “saw” was Psalm 1:2-3 But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.3 And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]. That word blesses me to this day. I keep it in my Bible as a treasure, a reminder and an encouragement.

As followers of Jesus our process is daunting, but simply stated: Grow up into Jesus. You might ask, How? Start with Wisdom (that’s Jesus in the Old Testament. He’s Truth in the New Testament). Get understanding regarding the Words meaning. (Wisdom commands that) Obey and apply all that you know and understand.

You see Jesus is not only the True Vine, He is the Tree of Life planted by the Rivers of the Holy Spirit and His leaves never wither. While focusing on this simple process you eventually become assimilated into Who He is. Small things pay off into eternally, big dividends and rewards – AND – Wisdom crowns us with Life.

That screwed up, nobody teenager took God at His Word, and started becoming His tree. And all of it begins with simple faith.

Has God Fallen Asleep?

/in /by

In the 1999 movie “Instinct,” Anthony Hopkins plays an anthropologist and primatologist, Ethan Powel, who is being held in a maximum security prison for the critically insane. Cuba Gooding’s character is an ambitious psychiatrist, Dr. Theo Caulder, who is asked to evaluate Powel. At one point in the movie, during a private session, Powel overcomes Dr. Caulder and holds him in a neck-breaking choke hold. Powel (Hopkins) demands that the psychiatrist tell him what he’s lost. Dr. Caulder responds by saying, “Freedom, I’ve lost my freedom.” Hopkins character tightens his grip and says, “Wrong, Bougerious! You have one more chance to tell me what you’ve lost. What have you lost user?” Dr. Caulder (Gooding) responds like a man defeated by truth, “My illusion, I’ve lost my illusion.”

WE find another seeming illusion in Mark 4:35-38: On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

These were seasoned fishermen acquainted with the storms of the Sea of Galilee that even recently have had waves reaching to heights of over 70 feet. Why would the Disciples feel the need to wake Jesus? Could it be that they were annoyed that while they were concerned about the worsening conditions of their plight – He was oblivious, or so it seemed. To those 12 Disciples it appeared that God’s Messiah had fallen asleep during their troubles, and peril. The truth of their circumstances was that the ship was going down! Jesus, God’s Messiah, was asleep and we all are about to die. But what were they basing their confidence in: what they could perceive through their senses; their experience as fishermen; their great wisdom; their understanding of Bible promises? While meeting Jesus out in the Wilderness, outside the camp, circumstances, feelings, your physical senses, perspectives, wisdom, experience, and knowledge – may all seem to scream at you that God has passed you by; that you are distant from the Lord; or even worse – God has abandoned or rejected you.

Yet, Truth never sleeps. His body may have nodded off. But the Truth of their circumstances was that Jesus’ Spirit Man was fully awake. They simply needed to hear Truth speak, trust Him, and watch as He changed their perspective regarding their circumstances.

What do you do when you find yourself in a similar circumstance? You ask several questions of the Lord:

  1. Where is Jesus – the Truth, in my circumstances, feelings, and experiences?
  2. What is Truth doing in and through my circumstances?
  3. What does Truth have to say about my circumstances?
  4. What is the Truth of my situation based not on my experiences, or feelings, but on what the Spirit says?
  5. What is God’s revealed Word, and revelation to me about those circumstances?
  6. Pray and ask, How can I cooperate with You Lord through my circumstances? How can I be pro-active and persevere through them?
  7. What would Faith do, and where, and on Whom would, and should it be focused?

In the wilderness the test is always about: Who and what is your center? A self-centered perspective responds through self-centered values, and interests. A Jesus-centered perspective responds in and through faith (fruit of the Spirit), knowing that Jesus is the Same, Yesterday, Today and Forever. He was right next to the 12 Disciples in the boat, and in charge during the storm of their crisis of belief. He is right next to you, and in charge through the wilderness of your crisis of belief situation. He is Yahweh – the Great I AM. Not I was, nor will I be. He is the same – He hasn’t gone anywhere. So who has moved? Who or what were you looking at? What were you looking for? Let Faith arise – by the Spirit. Live in His NOW. Turn, by Faith, to look to Jesus. Move towards Jesus – through the Spirt, and His Faith.

Branching Out

/in /by

Thursday, October 17, 2019 

How are we to branch out in the things of the Spirit? Does the Bible include details for how we are to be lights to the world? What significance is there between Jesus being called a Nazarene and Old Testament Prophecies regarding the Messianic Branch?

Matthew 2:23 He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: He shall be called a Nazarene [Branch, Separated One]. 

In the Amplified Classic Translation Nazarene is translated as the Branch, or Separated One. There are several Old Testament prophecies referring to the Messiah as being the Branch: Isaiah 4:2 In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be excellent and lovely to those of Israel who have escaped.

Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a Shoot out of the stock of Jesse [David’s father], and a Branch out of his roots shall grow and bear fruit.

Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch (Sprout), and He will reign as King and do wisely and will execute justice and righteousness in the land.

In Hebrew, the golden menorah that lit the inner court of Moses’ Priestly Tabernacle, and Solomon’s Temple, had seven lamps. The middle lamp was referred to as the “Shemash.” The “Shemash” was known as the “Servant Branch” or simply “The Branch.” The reason being that the menorah in some respects resembled a tree with seven branches. Even the “cups” of the lamps were modeled after almond blossoms from an almond tree. Each of the “branches” of the menorah received their oil from this middle branch. The Isaiah 11 passage referred to above has another interesting twist to it when it describes this Messianic Branch: And there shall come forth a Shoot out of the stock of Jesse [David’s father], and a Branch out of his roots shall grow and bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord— And shall make Him of quick understanding, and His delight shall be in the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord. And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, neither decide by the hearing of His ears;

The attributes of the Messiah, on Whom the Spirit rested, would be that He would have wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and fear of the Lord. If you count the attributes you would discover only six. Why is that significant? Because Jesus is the Middle Branch, from Whom the Oil of the Spirit flows. This is what the book of Revelation was referring to when it mentions the Heavenly Menorah: Out from the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne seven blazing torches burned, which are the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit]; Revelation 4:5

How does all of this apply to us? We are called to become a menorah for the Lord.
John 15:5 I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.
Jesus is the Branch but we are His branches. Jesus also stated that He was the Light of the World, and then calls us lights to the world. Another way of saying this is to say: I Am the Menorah of the world and you are menorahs to the world. We become these menorahs when we receive the anointing of the Spirit for wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and fear of the Lord. As we seek to surrender daily to a life of being intoxicated with the Spirit His Fires will burn brightly in us; we will walk with Him in the Inner Court.

One last detail to mention is that many Jews believed the menorah to be reminiscent of the Tree of Life. Revelation 22:1-2 states: Then he showed me the river whose waters give life, sparkling like crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb
2 Through the middle of the broadway of the city; also, on either side of the river was the tree of life with its twelve varieties of fruit, yielding each month its fresh crop; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the restoration of the nations. We must never forget that we are lights to the world through the Power of the Holy Spirit. Like Jesus we have been made to be trees (See Psalm 1) to bring healing to the nations. We receive His Spirit’s infilling to be His witnesses, evangelists, missionaries and ministers. The Lord distinguishes us as one of His Servants by manifesting through us what only He can do.