“Abide in me and I in you.”
There is a source of living water that springs from Jesus.
Just as a natural spring that fills a well or pond will keep it supplied wet and sustaining life, whilst other man made wells and ponds will become dry and empty of sustaining life.
We too can be that well, sustained by the living water throughout whatever the circumstances.
Just as a vine tended by the vineyard keeper can sustain and produce fruit throughout all circumstances .
In the parable Jesus is the vine rooted to supply the necessary water and nutrients. We are the branches bearing the fruits and God is the vine tender providing whatever is required for good growth.
Jesus has a vital part to perform. God has to work and maintain all that is required. We have only to rest in the promise that the fruit will be in us in season.
There is nothing in us that can strive for that. We just rest, remain and receive.
We are dependant on Jesus providing and being all we need and on God positioning us and tenderly caring for our every need.
Everything is divinely deposited in us we just have to remain connected. “Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by his divine power.“
Getting disconnected, parted, distracted or lost we then have to strive to regain that happy state. Of rest, remaining, receiving. Our peace and joy and purpose are interrupted.
A philosopher Sam Pascoe is quoted as saying of Christianity and church that it started and has transformed in eras of history and over the globe as follows:
The Holy land of the bible Acts as fellowship and relational. In Greece it was institutional, a place you go. In Rome it was a philosophy a thinking process. In Europe it was as culture a way of life. In USA it became an enterprise a business.
The influences and truths of this quote are open to debate but it is true to say that there is only one of the above that God would bring us back to or move us forwards into .
God loves the church, it was and is His intention for His people.
The church as we saw it birthed. Spirit led, branching from the True vine Jesus. Bearing His fruits of the Spirit.Lavished upon and cared for by God the Father and Keeper. Providing an abundant harvest to be reaped.
The illustration shows Streams of living water within the Spirit of God in the spectrum. The vine of Jesus Christ and us the branches together producing the fruits to be harvested. The light pushing back the darkness in the world.
Three Scriptures that come to mind:
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”John 15:4 ESV
“So you must remain in life-union with me, for I remain in life-union with you. For as a branch severed from the vine will not bear fruit, so your life will be fruitless unless you live your life intimately joined to mine.”John 15:4 TPT
“Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness.”2 Peter 1:3 TPT
The song Mercies. Matt Redman
Lessisgreater 