My Time With the Lord

A few weeks ago, a precious man that I've known almost all my
life came to impart wisdom to the body of Harvest Church. This
man mentored my dad when he pastored a church, laid hands on me
and prophesied the word of the Lord before I went on my first
mission trip in my early 20's. I trust him and I value what he
says - so much so that I made a conscious decision to heed his
words when he told our body we would do well to study the same
three chapters in scripture that he had spent countless hours
studying for himself. If it's good enough for a man who has
walked with the Lord many years, it is good enough for me!
So I've been reading John 14-16. Well, in all honesty, the Lord
would not allow me to move past John 14 for several days. I had
to first internalize the fact that I am "not to let my heart be
troubled." I don't mean just read it - I mean "get" it deep into
my heart and soul.
Today, he allowed me to go to John chapter 15, but I was only
prompted to study the first 3 verses! But what a wealth I found
in those first 3 verses.
I saw that Jesus is the "true vine", and that it is His Father who
is the gardener. It is the Father who prunes the fruitful branches
so that they will bear even more fruit.
I noticed that in the Greek, the word for "prunes" is also the same
word for "cleanses". As a matter of fact, the Greek word "Kathairo"
means to cleanse of filth and impurity. So when the Father is pruning
us, He is cleansing us from sin. (Interesting personal note - my oldest
daughter's name is Katherine, which means "pure" - wow...)
The Father is cleansing His Church right now. Have you noticed?
What does the Father use to cleanse us? In verse 3, Jesus says, "You
are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you."
It is His Word that cleanses us. How do I know that?
In Psalm 119:9 His Word says, "We keep our way pure by living
according to His Word."
In John 17:17 His Word says, "We are sanctified by the truth."
God's Word is truth - Jesus Christ is truth.
In Ephesians 5:25, 26 His Word says, "...just as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her
by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to
himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other
blemish, but holy and blameless."
He gave Himself up for us, the church, to make us holy - to cleanse
us.
Why are we being purified? Is it simply so that we will be clean
or is there purpose in us being clean?
According to I Peter 1:22 through 2:12 (please read for yourself),
In verse 22 - now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the
truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers... love one
another deeply.
We are being purified "so that we will have sincere love for one
another." But does the purpose end there?
No. It does not. If you read the above mentioned passage, you'll
see in chapter 2, verse 9 that we are being purified so that we
may love one another and so that we "may declare the praises of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
And in verse 12 - we see the ultimate reason for being cleansed.
"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse
you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God
on the day he visits us."
ALL of what the Father is doing in cleansing us is to bring glory
to Himself.
So if you are bearing fruit, be cleansed (or pruned) by obeying
His Word. Then you will love your brother. Then the world will
see the glory of the Father, and some will believe...