Vol. H-0004 February 1999 No. H-0002
ABIDE AND KNOW
Recently, as I was taking a walk, I noticed a tree with a dead branch. It was still connected to the trunk, like the living branches. Yet is was not receiving the sap, the nourishment from the trunk, that it needed in order to live. The trunk below the dead branch was covered with sap. It appeared to have dripped down on the outside of the tree instead of flowing into the branch that had died.
I asked Father what He was trying to show me with this vivid picture. As I write, I trust He will reveal His heart to me.
The drippings of sap had hardened into what looked like many streams of tears. I couldn't help but think that these represented the tears of our Father. How He weeps when His children refuse to receive the life-giving flow that He so freely wants to give us! What breaks His heart even more is to see those who give the pretense of receiving, yet are dead on the vine.
Who are these dead branches? Each of us must take a look within to see if that description fits us. Does God's life-giving flow course through your life? You may say, "I go to church or synagogue every week. I go to Prayer Breakfasts and volunteer at the Soup Kitchen. I work in the nursery once a month." Or, "I'm a deacon. I sing in the choir. I've been to '(you insert name)' Conference." Or, " I got saved when I was 12 years old. I read the Scriptures 1 hour every day." Perhaps these statements have struck a nerve in you. If so, the Holy Spirit is at work.
All of these activities sound like Godly things to do. After all, we are doing these things "for" God. But are they what God truly wants of us? Does He want our service or does He want US? If what we are doing keeps us from spending time with Him, then our activities are preventing us from receiving His life-giving flow for our lives.
Many times we find in Scriptures that Jesus went off by Himself to be alone with His Father. This is where we must spend time, also, if we are to truly KNOW God and His will for us. Can you say that you truly KNOW God? Do you have such an intimate relationship with Him that you don’t have to ask Him His will for you because you know Him so intimately that you know His will for you? That is what He desires for us, that we know Him as Jesus knows Him. Jesus prayed to His Father in John 17:22 on behalf of His followers, "...that they may be one, just as We are one." To be one with the Father and Jesus should be our most important "activity." This relationship doesn't immediately happen once you are saved, or even after attending so many conferences or breakfasts or board meetings. This relationship must be cultivated by spending time with God. We must get alone with Him to know Him. Our busy lives demand our time. Our Father makes no such demand. He invites us to spend time with Him and then waits for us to come to Him.
When we do get alone with Him we allow Him to come in and touch our very being with His very Self. He has so much to give us - His very Life Itself... the only thing which will sustain us as a living branch. God's life must flow in our lives in order for us to be truly alive in Him. There is no other life that we are to live. For when we stand before the Judgment Seat of God nothing else will count except our relationship with Him. It matters not to God whose son or daughter you are or who your children are; or what you've accomplished by your choice. Nor will He look on church membership rolls to see if your name is listed there. But He will look in the Lamb's Book of Life. There He'll find the names of those who have surrendered all of who they are to be all He wants them to be. Will He find your name there?
CHOICE
It is not easy to "get alone with Him," especially because most people don't realize how necessary it really is to our spirit life. Doing all those other things listed earlier are important in the eyes of most people and they wouldn’t think that you're strange for choosing to do them. However, what if you told a fellow church member that you'd decided to "get alone with God" one Sunday morning instead of going to church? What would people think about you? Could you tell them that you've chosen to sit at the Father's feet because your spirit needs that life-giving flow that only He can give? You must make the choice. The Father wouldn't think you're strange for choosing to be with Him! There may be times when you are to serve others within an organization. But if that is not the Father's choice for you then it should not be your choice for you. How will you know His choice? BY KNOWING HIM. Choose to spend time with the Father (abiding with Him) and you will learn from Him, about Him, KNOW Him. Then you will know His will for you and make His choices for your life. Are you willing to choose HIM?
BOTTOM LINE
The "sap" of life flows from the Father. If we abide in Him, spending time with Him, we will receive that life-giving flow. We will be live branches, bearing fruit on the Father's vine. Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost For His Highest, January 23rd, explains it this way. "The most important rule for us is to concentrate on keeping our lives open to God. Let everything else including work, clothes, and food be set aside. The busyness of things obscures our concentration on God. We must maintain a position of beholding Him, keeping our lives completely spiritual through and through. Let other things come and go as they will; let other people criticize us as they will; but never allow anything to obscure the life that is 'hidden with Christ in God' (Colossians 3:3). Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him."
CURRENT EVENTS
"Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then you will recognize them by their fruits." (Matt 7:16-20) We don’t have to look very far to find bad fruit. Any media report contains plenty of examples of bad trees producing bad fruit. The happenings in Washington are garnering the most attention these days. In the highest seat of our country we find adultery, among other bad fruit. Yet, the media shows our President going to church and meeting with heads of ministries. Why is there still bad fruit? Of course, only Bill Clinton can answer the question concerning his relationship with the Father. However, he is no different than we are in our need to spend time with the Father. And our country is not the only one with leaders bearing bad fruit. The bottom line is, however, whether you are a leader or not, you must abide in the Father. Where you abide determines the kind of fruit you will bear. If you are a leader of a country or a people, your abiding and fruit-bearing will have a direct affect on your land. If you are an ordinary person, your abiding and fruit-bearing will have a direct affect on those around you. Neither situation is greater or lesser in God’s Kingdom. He desires all of us to abide and know Him.
FROM THE BRIDEGROOM
"Enlarge your desire for Me--and to know Me. If your heart is truly My Throne then you must allow Me to reign from there---My Reign---not yours. Seek My Face as your vital need---" November 26, 1995.
GODS CHOSEN PEOPLE
As you get to know God you will begin to know His Heart. There you will find His love for His people Israel. In Isaiah 45:8 He called them "Israel My chosen one." If your heart knows God's heart then you will know the love of the Father for His people Israel and will love them as He loves them. This may not be a popular position in today's world, for Anti-Semitism is as ripe now as any time in history. However, God has not changed His mind or His heart about Israel. Abiding in Him and knowing Him will teach us His heart for Israel - and, if necessary, change our minds and hearts about them. It is His desire. "Thus says the Lord God: 'behold, I will lift up my hand to the gentile nations and set up my standard and raise high my signal banner to the peoples; and they will bring your sons in the bosom of their garments, and your daughters will be carried upon their shoulders.'" * Isaiah 49:22 Amplified Bible
INVITATION
At this point you may be waiting for me to give you a "how to" guide for abiding with our Father. There are plenty of those written by Christian authors and more preached from the pulpit. However, you will not find one here. Scripture is sufficient in itself to teach us how to know our Father. In John 14:7, 9 Jesus tells His disciples, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." To know the Father you need to know the Son. Do you know His Son, Jesus? If not, why not invite Him to come into your heart and abide in you? He is standing at the door, waiting. Acknowledge your need for Him and welcome Him into your life. He will teach you all there is to know about abiding with the Father.
In Jesus' Name, Be Blessed!
Baruch Haba B'Shem Adonai!
Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord!