If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. John 15:7-8.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
Your business is to follow Me. Don’t be so concerned about what others are doing as far as their relationship with Me. Lead people to Me, share the good news of My Son, pray with them, rejoice with them in their salvation, but do not be judging their level of conduct and comparing it with yours. Do not let them offend you or pull you out of your fellowship with Me. Keep your eyes on Me. Love everyone, but only entrust your heart to Me. Do not begin to chide them, nag them, or shame them. Celebrate how far they have come and encourage them higher but do not become offended, angry or scornful with them if you feel they are still too much in the mindset of the world. Some take longer than others to renew their minds, and some never fully do. But leave that to Me. Do what I assign you and do not get so involved in the other’s behavior that you allow a bitter root to rise up and poison the good work you have begun. Plant, water, but leave the growth to Me.
When My Son was giving Peter direction and a word of wisdom about the years to come in his ministry, he suddenly turned his focus off Jesus and the direction for his own life and was inquiring what I would have John do and what would happen to John. I have never told you to compare yourself with or gauge what I am doing in your life by what I am doing in another person’s life. You do not have the same assignments and you are unique in every respect. So do not be coveting what I am doing in another’s life. If jealousy or strife comes in to your life, then every evil work follows. Let there be unity and union in the Body of Christ, but just as in the human body, each member must do the function of who he is and where he had been place for the body to be healthy and strong. Not all members are alike or have the same functions, but they are all very necessary for the body to continue operating.
Your business is to follow Me. What does that mean in today’s world? When Jesus was walking as one of you in his earthly ministry, it meant literally to follow where He went and to do what He was doing. It meant to be His disciple, and that is what it still means. And He told you how to qualify as a disciple: “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32. Free from the snares of the devil, free from the law of sin and death, free from fear, free from greed, free from jealousy, free from shame, free from guilt, free from everything that would harm you.
Continue in My Word. The word here for “continue” actually is the same word Jesus uses when speaking with His disciples (and you) at the Passover supper the night before He gave His life that you would live and there it is translated as “abide” or “remain.” You abide in Him as a branch when you remain in My Word and My Word remains in you. When you abide in My Word you abide in Me. For I am My Word. And what did Jesus tell you about abiding in My Word? “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5-6. Much fruit. Blessed to be a Blessing. The first Words I said to man and woman: Bear much fruit, increase, rule and take dominion of the earth. Replenish and subdue it. Have you listened?
And we are talking about being a disciple, that is, a follower of Jesus, doing the works He did and greater. Jesus told you more about discipleship: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” John 15:7-8.
You will know people by their fruit. So, if you want to see if the person is a true disciple of Mine, for I tell you (and for a very good reason) not to yoke yourself with an unbeliever, then look at the following:
- Look at the fruit of the life of the person talking to you. You should see the results of THE BLESSING of the LORD in their life. Look at the household of that person too, for the household is like the head of the household. You should see good things and much fruit. Children taught of the Lord and provision and prosperity in that home. You should see generosity in giving and love for others. You should see one who serves. One who things of other’s interests and not just of their own.
- Look for hearts that are not seeking their own glory. Look at the person and listen to him or her. Are they void of vain glory and seeking My glory? Jesus questioned how the Pharisees could claim being My followers when they sought and accepted the praises and glory given by men rather than the glory I give. Check out to see if the person who is claiming to be My follower only talks about him or herself all the time— their feelings, their setbacks, their desires, their circumstances, their accomplishments, their successes, without mentioning Me and what I am doing.
- Jesus told His disciples that people would know them by their love for one another. Listen to the person claiming to be My disciple and watch their conduct with others. If they judge, speak negative about, and complain about others in the household of faith, if they put down other denominations of like Christian faith, if they are critical of others in a negative way, then avoid them. Gossip spreads like the plague and those dainty morsels will poison you.
Jesus told you to abide in My Words and to let them abide in you. You are to renew your mind to see as I do. And remember Jesus is My Word made flesh. So if you are abiding in My Word, you are abiding in Jesus. He is the Vine and I am the vinedresser and you are the branches. It is the branches that bear the fruit.
Jesus is the Word made flesh that dwelt among you in a most special way. Jesus told you that, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Do you see? My Word is the way you must walk. The Word of Faith. “How can a young man keep his way pure?” asked the Psalmist, “By keeping it according to Your Word,” was the answer. Psalm 119:9. You learn and follow My Ways by reading and meditating on My Word. Joshua 1:8. My Word is a light to your path and a lamp to your feet. Psalm 119:105. My Word is the Truth. Jesus told you, “Sanctify them in truth, Your Word is truth.” John 17:17. It is impossible for Me to lie. My Word is established in Heaven forever. And My Word is Life—eternal life. It is life to those who find it and health to all their flesh. My Word is living and active. My Word is Spirit and Life. My Words are of everlasting life. My Word is the Word of Life. There is life in My Words. My Word created all, sustains all and upholds all.
Your business is to follow Jesus, who is the Word, so your business is to follow My Word. Keep your eyes on Jesus. That means “Keep your eyes on My Word.” As I told Moses to teach the Israelites about the blessings of keeping My Word always in their hearts, minds, and mouths and to do all that it contained: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
Follow Me. Follow My Word. “For in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” John 1:1. You cannot follow Me without following My Word. Jesus told you, “The Father and I are One.” He only said My Words. He is My Word.
And what does My Word tell you to do? To go and tell all the good news. To be My witnesses. To love one another and believe in the Name of Jesus, to serve one another to be great, to submit to one another and another’s interest. Not to judge. To pray for one another and for all to be saved and come to know the truth that will set them free. To forgive one another as I have forgiven you in Christ (and your sins and offenses I remember no more). Not to let the sun go down on your anger. To be slow to speak, quick to hear, and slow to anger. To rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give constant thanks.
And the face of faith is joy. Your joy is a demonstration of the manifestation of your expectation of good things each day from Me. My Son told you My Words so that you could have His joy and your joy would be full. There is beauty beyond compare in My Word, it makes all things into beauty if you will use it to frame your world. Ecclesiastes 3:11. And I have put eternity into each person’s heart.
I love you. Follow Me and I will make your fishers of men. And your life will become beautiful. The most beautiful life ever lived.