Tag: abiding in Jesus

Side Roads

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

“My people have forgotten Me; they give themselves to other things (false gods); they make them stumble in their ways, leaving My road to walk side roads and muddy paths.” (Jeremiah 18: 15. My translation)

Jeremiah was talking about Israel, how they had gone after idols and abandoned God. Today, we like to think of ourselves as civilized. We would never worship an idol. But the reality is that we do the same thing. Christians so often abandon the simplicity of abiding in Jesus, and give themselves to other things: divine destiny, causes & movements, denominational dogma, gifts & callings and so on. These are the idols of the 21st century American Christian, and thesherey cause us to stumble.

Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” Anything we give ourselves to that does not not proceed from our abiding intimacy with him ( no matter how good or noble) is but a side road, a muddy path that can bear no true fruit. He promises us that if we abide in him we will naturally produce fruit that pleases the Father. Why do we feel the need to seek more than this? Perhaps this road is not flamboyant enough. Perhaps our need to be seen as deep, spiritual and culturally relevant entices us to leave the humble path of abiding in Jesus for a side road that will fulfill our desire for notoriety.

Let us turn from these side roads, these muddy paths that lead to nowhere, and once again seek only to abide in Jesus. This is the true Kings Highway.

Let It Flow

Posted on by Kyle Fuller

“Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, staying above it, the sons of Israel remained camped and did not set out; but when it was lifted, they did set out. At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out; they kept the LORD’S charge, according to the command of the LORD through Moses.”

Reading the above scripture you can’t help but be awestruck by the way Israel was led in their journey e.g., a physical manifestation of God’s presence. We think how easy it would be to know where to go, what to do and when to do it if we experienced something like that. Actually, we’re in a much better position than they were. We are in Jesus and God lives in us. We are actually in the “flow” of the Trinity.

I used to think that real, spiritual Christians probably got up in the morning, and found an index card on their kitchen table mysteriously written by the Holy Spirit, providing instructions for their lives. Maybe the Über-Christians discerned the will of God through signs, specific prophetic utterances, or some other super spiritual means. Well, God can indeed lead in all of those ways (even the index card), but I’ve come to understand that more often than not, living in the will of God is simply a direct result of abiding in Jesus.

Remember the call to Abraham? The Lord said, “Get up and go to the land that I will show you.” Abraham didn’t receive a lot of information, only the command to leave and the promise of guidance. Over and over in the Old Testament we read of God’s promises to lead His people. We read stories about the ways God led certain individuals, and think, “Oh, if God would would only speak to me like that…” But we’ve got it even better! In the New Testament, we find Jesus assuring us that the Holy Spirit would actually indwell us, reveal Jesus to us, give us the “mind of Christ,” and guide us into all truth. Jesus spoke of us actually being in him, abiding in him like branches in a vine. ThLiving Water by Cassie Searse thing about branches is they don’t spend a whole lot of time trying to figure out what their supposed to be doing. It flows naturally as they are connected to the vine.

Following the will of God is not so much a matter of knowing stuff as it is being in Someone. As we remain in Jesus, drawing our life from him, being continuously filled with his Spirit (like the “sap” flowing through the vine), the will of God will be a natural process. Branches that abide in the vine simply bear fruit for that is the will of the “Husbandman.”

Someone told me something once, and I didn’t understand it at the time. But I get it now. It went something like this: “Come to Jesus, abide in him, and then do what you want.” You want to stay in the will of God? Abide in Jesus, and let it flow.