Are You Connected?

I don't know about you, but I really desire to be effective; to spend the last third of my life or however many weeks, months or years I have left, being an effective tool in the hands of my Maker. I want my life to count for eternity! I want to be that "agent of spiritual awakening" that I feel God's called me to be! A brother in the Lord, with a similar calling, that I talked to just this week, uses a different word, "Igniter"; I like that! I want to be fruitful and not to labor in vain. I want to challenge others to come to know the God I love!
How about you? You know, we've, actually, been called to "bear fruit"! Are you praying for loved ones and family members to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? Are you desiring to see change?

John 15:1- 11 says,
"I am the true Vine, and my Father is the gardner. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the Vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

This is Jesus speaking, he says just prior to this in John 14:28 that he is going away; he's preparing his disciples for his death in John 14 and giving them further instruction in John 15. He has said that he will send them a Counselor in John 14:15, the Holy Spirit, but says "if you love me and obey what I command"~ "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth." Jesus is talking to the disciples, believers, his followers. He clarifies this in John 14:17 when he says, "The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him, for he lives with you and will be in you."

In John 15:1 Jesus calls himself "the Vine and his Father "the gardner". He says that the Father cuts off every branch that bears no fruit, but that the Father prunes every branch that bears fruit, so it will produce more fruit. He clarifies it again in verse 3, who he is speaking to, when he says, ("you are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.") He tells them to remain in him and that he will remain in them. They don't fully understand all Jesus is saying, but he will remain in them through his Holy Spirit. We are the branches (v.5) and he says we can not bear fruit by ourselves, we have to remain in the Vine. John 15:5b says, "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart form me you can do nothing."

We've, actually, been appointed, as believers, followers of Christ to go bear fruit.
 Look at John 15:16, it says,
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit ~ fruit that will last."

Have you been praying for your friends and family members, your co-workers to come to know Christ and wondering why you aren't having a bigger impact on them? Christ is showing us, here, we have to stay connected to the Vine. If we want to make an impact on those around us, we are going to have abide in Christ and in his truths; as we do, God will peel away the layers and allow himself to be seen in us. As we are connected to the Vine, the power source, we are being fed and will be a healthy branch and will bear much fruit! God keeps his promises!
Criticism and trying "to fix" our loved ones only beats them down; feeling superior, lording over them, is NOT going to win our loved ones to the Lord, it will only turn them away.
I love the quote by Billy Graham's wife (which I believe applies to everyone, not just husbands or wives). She said, "My job is to love Billy, God's job is to shape him up." How often we play the Holy Spirit, thinking it to be our job to change others. If we want to win those we care about to the Lord, we do it by letting God change us, sitting at his feet! We turn and love others, as he has loved us, unconditionally.
Prayer, abiding in the Vine, meditating on his truths and living them out, speaks louder than words! We aren't looking to be seen, we're looking to be changed!!!
1 Peter 3:15 says, "But, in your hearts, set apart, Christ, as Lord." (Put him first!)
"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." To "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give reason for the hope that you have", is a life lived in hope, that reflects the Lord in such a way that a question is put forth? (People will ask!) A radiant life draws attention, it does not seek it!
If you want to be effective, sit, humbly, at the master's feet, seek him and come to know him, intimately. The more, intimately, you know him, the less you are seen and the more God is glorified in your life. The more opportunities God will give you, to answer the questions (with gentleness and respect).
If you want to be the "fruit bearing" disciple, we've been called to be, it comes with a cost: abiding in the Vine!
Take the challenge! Sit at Jesus' feet! Rise before dawn, spend, at least an hour in his word, prayer and listening to God! Get connected to the Vine! Try it for a month! I hope God will impress on you the intimacy that abiding in the Vine brings! We can do without a little sleep, but a branch apart from the Vine withers and dies; it bears no fruit! How's your branch looking?
Take the challenge! I hope for you to see Jesus as your power source! Apart from him we are nothing!
In Him we can do all things! Praying for you!