Living in the Presence

Don't you love that title? LIVING IN THE PRESENCE???? Instead of PRESENT?? Today is the last of this series. I'm kind of sad it's over! 


Our previous lessons, from "Secrets of the Vine" talked a lot about pruning and abundance. Knowing that God will do some "pruning" in your life and accepting that is half the battle. Trials are going to come. It's our response to the pruning that makes the difference. We can complain (I NEVER do that! LOL), or fuss or HIDE or put off. OR we can focus on the prize and know that the pain will pass and the One who is beside us will never leave us. So, once we grasp THAT, here's the last secret of the vine. It's the BEST ABUNDANCE OF ALL!!!!!  The author calls it, "the mystery Jesus called abiding".

Here from the author's words so deep and meaningful: "Jesus' final remarks in the vineyard, He turned the disciples' attention away from activity altogether. I  imagine Jesus leaning forward in the circle of light that spring evening. I see him tracing the gnarled curve of an ancient vine, His fingertips pausing where the massive trunk divides into a branch".
"Abide in Me, and I in you," He says.
"Then, He directs the disciples' attention down the branch---trimmed and tied along the trellis and already swelling with the promise of the harvest to come".
"As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in thevine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me."


"Do His friends understand what He's saying? Are they even paying attention? His eyes sweep the circle."


"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".


"At this critical moment, Jesus tells what should happen next---after discipline to remove sin, after pruning to change priorities....Abide in Me....."


What does abide mean???? Well, according to the dictionary and the author,it means to stay CLOSELY CONNECTED. Think about this for  a minute. Jesus was fixing to tell his best buds in the whole world, good-bye. They didn't understand it nor would they for quite a while. But he was giving them HINTS, a secret, to hold on to when He was gone back to the Father.  I love the word "abide". It reminds me of old hymns and even the sound of the word for some strange reason comforts me.  But Jesus is saying it as an imperative! Not a suggestion. He says, "ABIDE IN ME".  God wants us to join Him in His work but He doesn't make us. He will tug at your heart and want you to join Him, just as Jesus wanted those disciples to do so! But, for only so long. The rest is up to us! And that's almost sobering. I am one of those peeps who need a lot of cajoling. I hate to admit that, but it's true. I like people to , well, BEG me sometimes to do things. And then, I'll slowly shift my shoes out of the sludge and go. But I need the encouragement and petting ,oftentimes. God wants us to join Him, but , and this is sobering to me as well, God wants us to join Him but He doesn't need us, He will continue even if we don't jump on board!!! In other words, God's Kingdom will prevail whether or not we are a part of it. But I WANT to be a part of it! I NEED to! And I need to quit whining about everything and just do it. So this brings us to the last part of the little book.


"LIVING IN THE PRESENCE"!

The author talks about his own struggles and how he was determined to change some things to get himself in a great relationship with Christ.  He decided to , for a year, get up at 5 every morning to read his Bible ; write in a journal and pray and seek Him. He said at first it was a struggle. But FIFTEEN YEARS LATER, he is now ABIDING with the Lord on a much deeper level.  And how he felt as if he had a new friend---one who he looked forward to spending time with each morning. Not to brag on my own husband here, but, hey! I guess I am! HAHA! EVERY SINGLE MORNING he gets up around 5:30 and does his Bible study time. I can't tell you how many times I have stumbled into the kitchen to get my cup of java and see his head bowed in prayer. It is humbling for me to see that. And what do I do? I stumble (quietly) back to my couch and usually, either fall back asleep , coffee in hand/turn on the computer or MAYBE read some of my Bible. MAYBE. But that's only about 1 out of 7 days. Terry does it every single day and has for the past couple of years. He made the commitment to do it and he does. Do you know how comforting it is to know he is praying for all of our family???


 The author says this about a friend of his, a MOTHER OF FOUR, her morning time with God:


"I'm not just reading my Bible or making requests anymore. I listen for Him, meditate on His Word. I write down what I hear Him saying to me. I try to make this time as honest, deep, and intimate as possible. When I started out doing devotional times, it was like I was getting my time card stamped by heaven. Lately, I've had to drag myself away".  WOW!!!!!!! A mom of 4 . As a mom of 5, I can tell you that your time alone is PRECIOUS. She shares hers with GOD. And I just bet He gives her more time than she could ever imagine. ANd just think the blessing her children get from her time with GOD!


From the author:
Principle 1: "To break through to abiding, I must deepen the quality of my devoted time with God. I have to set apart the kind of time that will build relationship. Talk and listen to God. Keep a daily written record of what God is doing in your life".
And: Principle 2: "To break through to abiding I must broaden my devoted time--taking it from a morning appointment to an all-day attentiveness to His presence. Abiding helps us to tap into all of God's spiritual riches. Abiding carries with it a promise of answered prayer. Nothing pleases God more than when we ask for what He wants to give. When we spend time with Him and allow His priorities, passions, and purposes to motivate us, we will ask for the things that are closest to His heart".


"Have you seen your Father's face lately?  I can't think of anything else that would tell you more about your present state of your future prospects. Allow me to paint a picture of what I see:


*If you're in the season of disciple, the Vinedresser is kneeling beside you in the cool of the morning. He is reaching down to intervene in your life, to lift you up and bring you back to fruitfulness. The look on His face conveys concerned sadness, not in disgust, not irritation, not even anger. He doesn't see a chronic loser in you, but a chosen, carefully tended branch that is one choice away from an altogether better existence.


*If you're in the season of pruning, the Vinedresser is standing beside you in the sun of midday. He's wielding some rather serious-looking shears, but He's not unhappy. In fact, the look on His face conveys delight and expectation. As He thoughtfully snips away unwanted shoots, He's impressed with your energy and promise. He can foresees  the time when you will respond in faith to the test He has put before you today.


*If you are in the season of abiding, I see the Vinedresser leaning against a nearby trellis as the sun is going down, his hat pushed. back. He's looking at your branch with pleasure, satisfaction, and joy. Just being here near you, enjoying your beauty, is His favorite moment of the day. The huge clusters of grapes crowding your branch are exactly what He's had in mind for you since your branch first sprouted". 

This little book spoke volumes to me. Yes, there were details of the grapevine I had never heard before. And yet, it all seemed so familiar as if I'd always known just that. For you see, as we started out as tots learning about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we were like sponges soaking up all of the riches of the Bible stories, scriptures and God's love. And yet, as our minds grew, we learned more and more how the stories in the Bible connect, not just as one long literary work, but connect to each of our personal lives. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times---I grew up from the cradle in the church but I am no "smarter" about God than someone who has just given their life to Him who has never known one thing about Him before. HOW IS THAT? Because God comes to us WHERE  WE ARE. When we give our lives to Him, He provides us with all the resources we can have to learn more about who He is . The first place to start is the Bible, naturally. But there are other ways to learn about Him and what our gifts are and how we are to reach out and serve others, as His hands and feet. Prayer/sermons/dreams all can help us turn towards Him. FRIENDS helping friends who are struggling. SERVING as Christ served us. 
I'll admit it, it's hard. I have served in lots of areas and yet, it was not the people I helped that were blessed. It was me.  Can I just YELL that for a minute????? Every single time I get puffed up thinking I'm going to serve someone, I find myself on my knees humbled before the Lord at what HE has done. NOT ME.  Not to be critical or judgmental here, but I've heard so many times folks say, "I led so and so to Christ". SHOULDN'T BRAG ABOUT IT.  SHOULDN'T EVEN TELL ONE SOUL. It's your DUTY, first and foremost, and the BEST way to do that is not even with your MOUTH. LOVE folks to Christ. Don't beat them over the head with all their sins. That's not your job!!!! WHEW.  Sorry. Got that out of my system.  For me,Every time I GET OUT OF THE BOX and allow God to come into my weak little soul, He does great things because I am gently goaded to do so. Let  me put it another way, a SOUTHERN REDNECK WAY: "It ain't about YOU". It's about GOD. Period.
This lesson has helped me re-focus on how to get back some of the "sparkle" I have always wanted to have for Christ and to SUBTRACT Janice Louise Powell Fry and ADD JESUS CHRIST.  God is telling ME, Not to be wordy or tell people how great my God is (although, I WILL if you want!), but rather I would hope someone would see something in me and think, "I want what SHE has". That "thing" you can't explain. ANd I had that happen once. I want it to happen again. And , of course,  that would be my greatest success story.

I hope you have enjoyed coming along with me on my little journey with "Secrets of the Vine". I am going to offer something else if I continue to hear positive feedback. Thank you for your calls/cards/emails/inbox messages. They have given me the confirmation that I needed that God was certainly the author. I'm in love with God, I really am. He's my pal, my daddy, my best friend and my biggest cheer-leader. If you don't know Him, all you have to do is ask Him to be all those things. He won't beat you over the head for your mistakes, but He does want you to admit your sins, He doesn't keep score. Darn, if He did, I wouldn't be sitting here typing this right now! Join Him and if you already have and just needed a "tweak", hope you got a little something new to think about/pray about. I know I did. Pray Pray and Pray some more. It's good for your health! LOL

Blessings, friends. Love to each of you. Some I know very well, some I know a little and some I have not yet met. But , I call you FRIEND! Hugs