Now remain in my love.9
If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love. 10
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.12
So, to remain in him and obey him – is to LOVE.
To LOVE is to approach every situation, circumstance, challenge – from a perspective of LOVE - in the name of Jesus.
What is a perspective of LOVE? It is being:
Compassionate
Patient
Tolerant
Understanding
Kind
Non-judgemental
Honest (brutally if it will HELP the person)
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit 4
When we show LOVE, intentionally and in the name of Jesus – we bear fruit. I am convinced of that.
In most cases we will not see the fruit our LOVE bears – but the lord knows - HE sees the harvest.
We have to TRUST that our expressions of LOVE (GOD and the command of Jesus) are not ‘fruit-less’.
I have LOVED 4 people today – through a couple of random acts of kindness, being compassionate, tolerant and patient.
Thank you LORD for those opportunities to bear fruit.
So where am I at in this journey? Re-discovering the simplicity of my faith and of Jesus's message. It is comforting to be reminded, through the reading of John, that despite all the Christian books, interpretations, bible study, discussions etc. the message is clear, simple, loud and clear - LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!
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An eight week journey of seeking God as we read.think.pray.live our way through the gospel of John
An Invitation
Please join us during this lead up to Christmas 2009 by doing the four things listed below. Anyone can join at any time throughout this 8 week period although obviously it would be best if you can begin with us on the first of November 2009.
Requirements:
1. Commit to seeking God EVERY DAY in Nov & Dec '09 in a way that is more radical than anything you have ever done before.
2. Read.think.pray.live your way through the Gospel of John in seven weeks (3 chapters each week) and then 1 John, 2 John, 3 John in the final week.
3. Listen to the Holy Spirit and obey whatever he says to do!!
4. Contribute your insights and experiences to this blog.
May we all continue to seek the Kingdom of God before anything else!
Requirements:
1. Commit to seeking God EVERY DAY in Nov & Dec '09 in a way that is more radical than anything you have ever done before.
2. Read.think.pray.live your way through the Gospel of John in seven weeks (3 chapters each week) and then 1 John, 2 John, 3 John in the final week.
3. Listen to the Holy Spirit and obey whatever he says to do!!
4. Contribute your insights and experiences to this blog.
May we all continue to seek the Kingdom of God before anything else!
5 comments:
Yes! LOVE - it is that simple.. and that complex!
Without the Holy Spirit controlling me - my every moment thoughts (from which spring my actions) I cannot love!
Lets not confuse the this FRUIT of the Spirit with bringing in a harvest of people who do not know Jesus...
Yes Gemma, the fruit Jesus speaks of here is what people can see and experience of our lives.
God wants us to love Him – and deeply love others – in thought and ACTION. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to go deeper, beyond the superficial kindness of a polite society, to the sacrificial laying aside of ourselves in loving action towards others. It is truly impossible without Him!
Gemma thanks for sharing this, it is an important word, and possibly the foundation of all things. We must have lost something of "love" in the garden of Eden when things started to unravel and this is something that Jesus wanted to start putting right as his instituted his new kingdom in the new testament. This is a challenge for me.
To be honest, I must admit that I still question this concept that I believe is so prevalent in the western church: "In most cases we will not see the fruit our LOVE bears – but the lord knows - HE sees the harvest."
In Mozambique Heidi Baker SEES whole communities being saved and transformed, she SEES broken and abused children finding love and wholeness in Jesus, she SEES hundreds and thousands of new churches being planted. She SEES the sick being healed.
I think the main differences between her and me is NOT that she gets to SEE her fruit and I don't but that she lays down her life for the poor and I do not. She proclaims the good news of Jesus to people far and wide... I do not. People hate her and persecute her because she radically obeys Jesus' commands... not me (that I am aware of anyway).
I know this is an extreme example but I think the points are still valid.
In Acts it says the Lord added daily to their number those who were being saved. I believe this is fruit that all could see.
If we abide in him and obey his commands then we WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT. I believe it is true that this fruit is displayed in our lives as love, peace, patience etc but I also believe this fruit is a harvest of lives being brought out of the kingdom of darkness and into light.
I believe it is a cop out to say we are bearing fruit but just can't see it. (Sorry Gemma, not having a go at you. I am evaluating the lack of fruit in my own life and the church in Perth in general.)
Rosaleen, I would be interested if you could comment further on your statement: "Lets not confuse the this FRUIT of the Spirit with bringing in a harvest of people who do not know Jesus..." In Mark 5:19 it speaks about the word of God being choked by worries, wealth and other distractions (so true of my life and the Western church in my opinion) and so NO FRUIT IS PRODUCED. In verse 20 Jesus then goes on to say that the seed which fell on good soil produces a HARVEST of thirty, sixty or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.
So yeah, I believe that if we were truly abiding in Jesus and doing what he told us to do we would be SEEING similar fruit as the disciples saw in Acts, Heidi sees in Africa and mothers see in India. Maybe not one hundredfold in Perth (yet) but at least thirtyfold.
Jesus has appointed us to bear fruit - fruit that will last.
Thanks for listening to my rant - I know it may sound a bit harsh but it is the truth as I see it this morning :) I welcome other perspectives.
Andrew - my comment on:
"Lets not confuse the this FRUIT of the Spirit with bringing in a harvest of people who do not know Jesus..."
I believe this FRUIT (chap 15) is tied to obedience which is impossible without the Holy Spirit (Chap 14) and is the direct result of my moment by moment living under His control - perhaps you can say - the FIRST FRUITS of my daily life.
The Harvest - is my work in tending and gathering in the crops (FRUIT) in my Fathers field. In this work I am a daily worker in a team headed by the Father himself (no one comes to the Son unless the Father draws him).
I think that reading Chap 15 it almost goes without saying that unless I am grafted and bearing FIRST FRUITS - my work in the vineyard will be Fruitless. I am also just ONE of the many workers. So I agree with Gemma that I may not actually see the direct Fruit of the harvest - any more than thousands of supporters of the Bakers mission in Africa directly see the harvest as she does. But their love in giving, and intercession - sometimes very sacrificially - allows Gods work in that particular harvest to continue.
We all work a mission field every day - sometimes we work in a couple of fields.
In the other things you raised - the weeds, wealth and worries etc...these are all such real barriers to OBEDIENCE - and we need the Holy Spirit in our moment by moment living to be infusing LOVE in our veins so that we can live out LOVE and not be caught up in what is not love...
Is this sacrificial if I am not seen to be out there sweating in a jungle? Is my life really laid down as it should be if I am in my comfortable home?
That is between God and I - He and I alone know how laid down my life is... and in the end I alone will be accountable for that. Same for each of us, but we are part of the body of Christ so that we can encourage each other, share each others burdens and insights and most importantly - demonstrate the love we have for Jesus in the love we share with each other...
Thanks Rosaleen. All makes sense to me. I especially appreciate your focus on living moment by moment under the control of the Holy Spirit. This is vital.
You said: "We all work a mission field every day - sometimes we work in a couple of fields."
I would like this to be true (and maybe it is for many) but I know for the majority of my life it hasn't been. I have been "IN" a mission field but def NOT working in it. In fact, until recently I have hardly even mentioned the name "Jesus" to anyone except those that already believe in him.
When Jesus sent out the disciples into the mission field he told them to preach the gospel of the kingdom, heal the sick and cast out demons. I have recently dipped my little toe in the water in this regard but am a long way behind many new Christians in India (for example) who have only known Jesus for a few weeks.
Jesus promised that if we abide in him we will bear "MUCH FRUIT". This has definitely not been my experience so far in my life nor has it been the experience of most churches I have been a part of... BUT I want this to change, which is why I ask such questions and seek God for the answers :)
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