"Valiantly Immanuel Nurtures Enthusiastically! (V.I.N.E)/"What does it mean to remain in the V.I.N.E always?" By Ramesh C. Reddy

Updated on Wed, July 18, 2012 at 10:09 a.m. (EST) & 07:39 p.m. (IST), JULY 2012 Edition

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“Valiantly Immanuel Nurtures Enthusiastically! (V.I.N.E)”

Ramesh C. Reddy
Publisher

SCRIPTURE:
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"(John 15:4-5)

Observations:

I asked myself what conditional promises do I see in v. 4-5?
1. "Remain in me, and I will remain in you."
2. "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine!"
3. "Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me!"
4. "If a man remains in me and I in him, He will bear much fruit."
5. "Apart from me you can do nothing!"

Observations/Interpretations:
I asked myself why does Jesus use this analogy and the significance of it?
Jesus reaches people where they are at using examples they can relate to. In this case, Jesus uses the example of 'gardening' as people would be familiar with words like vine, branches, fruit, and gardener v.1). There is a direct connection here between the vine, branches, fruit. Then, Jesus makes the example more concrete by telling others, "I AM the Vine; you are the branches!"

From verse 1, we see that Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, Father God is the gardener, and bearing fruit is a result of the branches being rooted in the vine. Jesus makes the point that as long as the branches remain in the vine, there is fruit to look forward too but once the branches do not have their rooting in the vine, branches cannot bear fruit.

I asked myself what does Jesus mean by bearing fruit?
What came to my mind is that when we remain in Jesus, what is important to Jesus becomes very important to us. By drawing our nourishment from the Vine, we as branches will bear fruit such as speaking out against anything that is contradictory to the Word of God. For me bearing fruit means taking action even in hot button issues such as abortion, gay marriage, homosexuality, etc. If I bear fruit in the Lord then people will see that I am against promoting abortion on demand, promoting gay marriage, forcing chaplains to conduct gay marriages, not wanting to repeal Defense of Marriage Act, etc. Against for me means not supporting those who support issues like those. But bearing fruit is not limited to those alone.

Throughout Scripture, God gives us biblical principles to live by and those principles can only be lived out and promoted when we are part of the Vine and draw our nourishment from Him. Then, we will bear fruit. The fruit is a fruit that pleases the Lord.

If I as a follower of Christ belong to Jesus the Vine but my fruit does not reflect the fruit that comes from the branch that is rooted in the Vine, am I really attached to the Vine or severed from the Vine?

I am severed from the Vine until the Vine nourishes me again and brings me back to where I should be. Thank you Jesus!

Now being in the Vine, bearing fruit becomes a part of me and I need not worry about losing this or that, if I stick to God's principles and promote it.

I strongly believe, Jesus wants us to promote godly leaders who take His Word and promote the principles of it. However, we cannot do it on our own for the fruit only comes from abiding in the Vine. Thank you Jesus.

Interpretation/Application:
I asked myself what is the purpose of the Vine?
The purpose of a vine is to nurture the branches and give it nutrients so the branches can start bearing fruit. Jesus wants to nurture each one of us and give us His nutrients for a healthy spiritual life that will bear much fruit and also give us a healthy emotional life. This cannot happen unless we take the initiative to remain in Jesus and be rooted in Him. Remaining in him and bearing fruit are essential components that Jesus emphasizes throughout chapter 15.

Implications:
I asked myself what are the implications for my own life?
If I don't remain in Him, I will commit actions that are contrary to the Word of God making people ask the question, "Is this what a Christian looks like?". Then, they will dismiss me all together or wonder if I am really a Christian thinking to themselves, 'will a real Christian do this and that or promote gay marriage, homosexuality, abortion, etc'. As a follower of Christ, who loves His Word so much, it is impossible for me to support any candidate who calls themselves a Christian but then wholeheartedly wants to promote abortion-on-demand, gay marriage on demand, etc.

I ask you now dear friend what does it mean to remain in the Vine always?
Dear friend, we cannot live a victorious Christian life when we decide what is right for us or the people rather than allowing the Lord Jesus to work in us and through us determining what is right and wrong. For that to happen, we have to allow the Vine to give us His nourishment which comes from the Word of God, the Bible. If we believe Jesus is who He says He is then He also tells us that He is the Vine and we are the branches. We have to remain in Him to bear fruit and apart from Him we can do nothing.

So, when we do nothing on issues of immorality, have we succumbed to humanism or hedonism thinking it is not our place to speak out against immorality?

For me remaining in the Vine also means that as a branch, I will not support any branches that want to commit mutiny against the Vine. A branch that wants to go its own way and do its own thing when the branch knows the Vine has the answers to life to bear fruit, then the branch has committed mutiny and will not bear fruit. I don't want that for you or me. I want us to remain in the Vine so we as branches can bear fruit in the Lord.

Yes, we can friend because of Jesus who we decide to follow. Jesus loves us so much and wants us to bear fruit. He wants you and I to remain in Him. This is a radical concept when we realize the Creator of the Universe wanting to continually be with His creation. We are his creation and He wants us to grow. He offers Himself to us to help us grow. Thank you so much Jesus! May you all grow in the Lord as you are rooted in Him.

Whatever you are facing right now, please don't face it alone. The Lord wants to be there for you and lend His helping hand to help you through. This does not mean that things will instantly get better.

You do not see a fruit on a tree immediately but as the nutrients work inside, fruit is shown on the outside. In the same way, our Lord will work with us on the inside and eventually fruit will show on the outside. Look to the Lord who wants to be there for you always rather than the pain you maybe facing, rather than the sin that has captivated you, etc. It is the sick that need the doctor, not the healthy.

We are sick in sin and only the Lord's nourishment when we are attached to Him will deliver us by the transfusion of His cleansing Blood. Thank you Jesus. In Him, you and I can abide. Thank you Jesus!

You and I need to accept Jesus as our Lord and Personal Savior to be led, ministered to, and fed by Him. We can do that with His help. Thank you Jesus.

In an individualistic society, it is easy sometimes to be a lone ranger but it sure does not help us in our daily walk because the Lord wants to remain in us, wants us to remain in Him and allow Him to work in our lives as He will give us a community of believers who do likewise with His help.

May you allow Him to become your Vine as you draw your nourishment from Him to bear the fruit He alone can give! Amen!

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." (Colossians 2:6-8)

"Valiantly Immanuel Nurtures Enthusiastically! (V.I.N.E)/"What does it mean to remain in the V.I.N.E always?"

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus thank you so much for being there for us. Thank you for being the Vine and we are the branches that receive our nutrients from you as we are rooted in you Lord. These days are hectic Lord with so much going on but we do not want to lose sight of you. Forgive us Lord when we make anything a higher priority than seeking to honor you and glorify you with all of our life. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. We confess we have sinned and we need you to forgive us and cleanse us from all our iniquities. We know we can only bear fruit when we remain in you. Forgive us Lord when we go our own way and do our own thing losing sight of you. No wonder we cannot bear fruit when we give into the flesh. For you tell us, 'Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh'. Oh help us Lord Jesus. We need you. Thank you so much Lord. Thank you Lord we can bear fruit when we remain in you. Thank you Lord for remaining in us. We give our lives to thee and ask thee to work inside of us. Thank you so much Jesus! Thank you for being our Lord and Savior. You hear our prayers when we turn to you and answer us. Thank you Jesus! In Your Name We Pray Jesus! Amen!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are my all in all. You are my Prince of Peace, Rock, Savior, and Friend. You are my Holy Father guiding me through to live a life of righteousness, Holy righteousness. Oh God, I need you more than ever. I need to feel your hands around me holding me tight. I need your love to surround me so that you can glow in my life. Help me please Jesus. I desire in your presence. Thank you for guiding me to live a life of righteousness. Oh God you love me more than ever. You hear my voice when I cry out to you. When I seek your face, you fill me up. You are my all in all. Thank you Jesus so much for your help no matter what I face, your grace is available and you take my case. Thank you for hearing us and answering us. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN! (Most of the prayer is from a vineyard song called “All in All”)

No matter what you feel in your heart, know that Jesus has come in and resides with you! You are not alone! To make your walk strong with the Lord, spend time in prayer talking to Him as you would to a friend. You don’t need special words to talk to the Lord. Spend time in His Word reading Psalms and turning them into prayer. Next allow God to heal you and speak to you through the Gospel of John or Gospel of Mark before moving on to other Books of the Bible! Slowly, let the Lord show you to which Scriptures He wants you to go to next. It is also important to be part of a body of believers to help you grow in the faith. Find a Bible believing church that preaches the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation proclaiming Jesus Christ our crucified and risen Lord who brings us hope, healing, and help by His grace alone. May the Lord Jesus guide you in His love leading you! Amen!

Feel free to email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com if you want to meet to study the Bible, pray with, talk about Spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My number is 412-641-9426

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

Express Your View

2012 DEVOTIONALS:

Matthew 18:21-22: "What stipulation do you put to F.O.R.G.I.V.E. someone?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (July 17, 12, 09:17 a.m.)

Philippians 4:20-23: "How do you see F.A.T.H.E.R in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (July 13, 12, 07:39 a.m.)

Philippians 4:19: "What are your N.E.E.D.S in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (July 12, 12, 08:51 a.m.)

Philippians 4:15-18: "Who will you F.I.N.A.N.C.E in ministry?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (July 11, 12, 05:42 a.m.)

Philippians 4:14: "How do you S.H.A.R.E in others troubles?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (July 10, 12, 08:30 a.m.)

Philippians 4:12-13: "Where do you need S.T.R.E.N.G.T.H in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (July 09, 12, 08:59 a.m.)

Mark 5:24b-29: "Where do you need F.R.E.E.D.O.M to move on?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (July 07, 12, 10:43 a.m.)

Philippians 4:10: "Why show C.O.N.C.E.R.N for others in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (July 03, 12, 09:18 a.m.)

Philippians 4:9b: "How do you know your P.E.A.C.E is real?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (July 02, 12, 08:33 a.m.)

Philippians 4:9a: "What kind of S.O.L.D.I.E.R will you be?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 30, 12, 09:58 a.m.)

Philippians 4:8: What is your T.H.I.N.K.I.N.G based on?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 30, 12, 09:56 a.m.)

Philippians 4:6-7: "How do you handle A.N.X.I.E.T.Y in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 28, 12, 08:05 a.m.)

Philippians 4:5: "What measure of G.E.N.T.L.E.N.E.S.S do you have?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 27, 12, 08:57 a.m.)

Philippians 4:4: "When do you R.E.J.O.I.C.E in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 26, 12, 09:26 a.m.)

Philippians 4:3: "How have you C.A.M.P.A.I.G.N.E.D for Jesus in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 25, 12, 08:58 a.m.)

Philippians 4:2: "How do you respond to a P.L.E.A.D in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 23, 12, 10:45 a.m.)

Philippians 4:1: "Where do you S.T.A.N.D on love in your life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 23, 12, 10:40 a.m.)

Philippians 3:20-21: "What C.I.T.I.Z.E.N.S.H.I.P should you desire the most?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 21, 12, 07:28 a.m.)

Philippians 3:18-19: "Why shed T.E.A.R.S for others in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 20, 12, 08:37 a.m.)

Philippians 3:15-17: "Who or what are you willing to P.A.T.T.E.R.N your life after?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 19, 12, 07:30 a.m.)

Philippians 3:12-14: "How can you deal with the P.A.S.T in your life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 18, 12, 11:43 a.m.)

Philippians 3:1-11: "Why for R.E.F.O.R.M.A.T.I.O.N do you need the transaction of the cross?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 16, 12, 8:57 a.m.)

Philippians 2:25-30: "When will your H.O.M.E.C.O.M.I.N.G begin?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 15, 12, 6:43 a.m.)

Philippians 2:19-24: "How can you Q.U.A.L.I.F.Y well in other people's lives?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 14, 12, 8:18 a.m.)

Philippians 2:17-18: "How do you live out your F.A.I.T.H in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 13, 12, 6:58 a.m.)

Philippians 2:14-16: "How is your B.E.H.A.V.I.O.R. in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 12, 12, 8:15 a.m.)

Philippians 2:13: "How do you W.O.R.K out your Salvation?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 11, 12, 8:36 a.m.)

Philippians 2:12-13:"What path have you taken for S.A.L.V.A.T.I.O.N in your life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 09, 7:50 a.m.)

Philippians 2:12-13: "What is the point of O.B.E.D.I.E.N.C.E in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 08, 7:51 a.m.)

Philippians 2:9-11:"How do you handle the N.A.M.E of Jesus in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 08, 7:47 a.m.)

Philippians 2:8: "Why should you make a C.R.O.S.S transaction in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 06, 7:26 a.m.)

Philiippians 2:5-7: "How do match Jesus' A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 05, 9:09 a.m.)

Philippians 2:3-4: "How do you respond to C.O.M.M.A.N.D.S in life?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 03, 6:19 a.m.)

Philippians 2:1-2: "What C.O.N.D.I.T.I.O.N are you in?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (June 02, 6:52 a.m.)

Philippians 1:29-30: "How do you handle S.U.F.F.E.R.I.N.G in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (June, 01, 6:52 a.m.)

Philippians 1:27-28:"How do you C.O.N.D.U.C.T yourself in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 31, 12, 7:32 a.m.)

Philippians 1:22-26: What are your C.H.O.I.C.E.S based on?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 30, 12, 6:27 a.m.)

Philippians 1:21: "Why D.I.E for Christ?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 29, 12, 4:59 a.m.)

Philippians 1:20: "Where do you need to have C.O.U.R.A.G.E in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 25, 12, 8:08 a.m.)

Philippians 1:19:"Who do you C.A.L.L often in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 24, 12, 8:32 a.m.)

Philippians 1:19: "What reason do you have to R.E.J.O.I.C.E in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 22, 12, 8:21 a.m.)

Philippians 1:15-18: "How are your M.O.T.I.V.E.S in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 22, 12, 8:21 a.m.)

Philippians 1:13-14:"What have your C.H.A.I.N.S done to others in your life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 21, 12, 9:04 a.m.)

Philippians 1:12: "How can you feel so S.P.E.C.I.A.L when things are going so wrong in your life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 18, 12, 8:20 a.m.)

Philippians 1:9-11: "What is your L.O.V.I.N.G response in life based on?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 18, 12, 8:20 a.m.)

Philippians 1:8: "How can your A.F.F.E.C.T.I.O.N grow towards others in life?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 17, 12, 6:32 a.m.)

Philippians 1:7: "Why cannot you be saved by G.R.A.C.E. alone?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 16, 12, 9:55 a.m.)

Philippians 1:6: "Where are you C.O.N.F.I.D.E.N.T in?"By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 15, 12, 10:54 a.m.)

Philippians 1:3-6: "How can you attain a P.A.R.T.N.E.R.S.H.I.P in the Gospel?" By Ramesh C. Reddy (May 14, 12, 08:38 a.m.)

Philippians 1:3: "How will others R.E.A.C.T towards God when they remember you?" (May 11, 12, 09:53 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:1-2: "When do you B.L.E.S.S others in life?" (May 09, 12, 7:30 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:1: "Why bother to let others T.R.A.I.N you when you are already a leader?" (May 10, 12, 9:01 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:1: "Why should you believe you are H.O.L.Y instead of being a sinner?" (May 08, 12, 8:05 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

Philippians 1:1: Who will you be a S.L.A.V.E to in life? (May 07, 12, 7:06 a.m.) By Ramesh C. Reddy

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