Happy New Year
Many people are busy today making good on their New Year's resolutions. They have resolved to lose weight or repair a broken relationship or a million other variations, but I have decided not to join their ranks this year. As a matter of fact, I have sworn off making New Year's resolutions and have opted instead to choose a passage of scripture for reflection, memorization and illumination.
The passage that God has laid on my heart is the fifteenth chapter of John’s gospel. I am currently working on committing the entire chapter to memory. That way I can carry its challenges, warnings and encouragement with me wherever I go. Let me share this passage with you now:
John 15
The True Vine
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away[a]; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Love and Joy Perfected
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
The World’s Hatred
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’[c]
The Coming Rejection
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
Footnotes:
- John 15:2 - Or lifts up
- John 15:7 - NU-Text omits you will.
- John 15:25 - Psalm 69:4
(New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
(Comment this)
When I read Pastor Jim’s Blog I was in John 17, hence the previous comment. Long story short.. I hope you get as blessed as I did!!
Regarding the tabernacle:::
The lampstand was made to look like a tree. It had members that demonstrated the 3 stages of life:1) buds - potential 2) flowers - beauty 3) almonds - fruit
All 3 were present at the same time. The lampstand and members all pointed to the Lord. It was a "vehicle of light" of God, "I am the light of the world." The lampstand was a method of self-revelation (making God known to man). This is the purpose of "the word" in John 1:1.
The lampstand was solid gold, not gold "plated". The laver was wood and copper, The ark was wood and gold. They had 2 natures/materials due to the 2 natures of our Lord: humanity - to die (God can not die) = High Priest-know man’s infirmities God - divine to endure fires of Calvary = Priest forever
The ark pictures the Lord Jesus’ human and divine natures.
The laver that of the Holy Spirit baptizing the regenerated.
The pure gold lampstand - the deity of the Lord Jesus - the word of God because the word was God!
The word of God ( the Lord Jesus) was the agent of creation (Jn 1:1).
Where and what was the source to create all these things?
John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the source of all life.
Parents are a channel of physical life. What a contrast between being a channel of physical life and the source of all life.
The Lord said unto the Pharisees that you search the scriptures as if it was a source of life, but it is not! "I AM the way, the truth and the life."
John 11:25-26 Jesus said unto him, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
The Lord Jesus is not a means or a channel, but the source of all life.
John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
This is seen also in John 11, "Lazarus, come forth..." and he rose and came from the tomb. = "Life giver" and "that life was the light of man."
What allows life to make sense and to have knowledge of life and its source?
Without God as its source, life has no meaning. It becomes vain, futile and ultimately has no point.
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
In John 15 we see the life lived out and flowing through the branches of the vine. The trunk of the vine is symbolized by the lampstand’s central shaft.
It was meant to look like a tree trunk that He may bring forth fruit by the life of God flowing through the branches.
How is this possible? Where does it begin? Man who has physical life may now receive a higher life, that as a child of God.
The buds on the lampstand take the mind back to Aaron’s rod that budded, a picture of Christ in resurrection life. Christ is the source and vehicle God uses to provide the life of God to His own. The gold symbolizes the divine glory involved.
John 11:25-26 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
The lampstand represents the vehicle of light and demonstrates the self-revelation of God. The 7 lamps at the end of the branches burned with oil continuously in the tabernacle. The following passage reveals a visionary lampstand similar to the one in the tabernacle.
ZECH 4:1-6 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
The secret of success revealed in Zech 4:6 = "by my spirit, saith the LORD..." The Holy Spirit represents the oil in the lamp. The lampstand (symbol of testimony) is maintained by the HOLY SPIRIT of God. Where do we see this fulfilled in the New Testament?
John 15:1-4 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.
This is the key to testimony and witness. The Holy Spirit came to testify of God. What was the subject of the witness?
Num 8:1-2 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick. ( showed glory of lampstand)
The Holy Spirit witnesses to Christ and convicts the world of sin because they did not believe in Christ!
The Holy Spirit is the primary witness to turn our eyes to Christ and show us the wealth of Him. His witness is to turn us to the source of life!
We must have the HOLY SPIRIT "filling the lamp for fuel" to know Him. In the holy place, all 7 lamps were needed, not just one. Every believer is a lamp with the HOLY SPIRIT and all are needed to make God known. We receive the HOLY SPIRIT by being "justified by faith":
Our gracious High Priest must come often and "trim our wick" to restore the flame and radiance of His light. It is a filthy, awful job to do. The picture of our Lord’s intercession for us if given by the incense going up from the altar to God for us as a pleasing fragrance.
HALLEIUGH TO THE LAMB OF GOD!!
(Comment this)
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
What a wonderful reminder that we are nourished by the Lord and that all good things come from Him. In my own life, when I have leaned too much on self and excluded God, my spiritual, physical, and mental health have weakened. But, I am so thankful that I have a Lord who loves me and opens His arms to His children. That He comforts us, that He convicts us, and that He doesn't give up on us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor demons, nor things past, nor things present, nor powers, nor anything above, nor anything below, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of our Lord that is in Christ Jesus. Thank you Lord for feeding me. (Comment this)