Networking

I am sharing some thoughts that I recently have had. It is regarding on how God builds on our life.. Jesus shares in John how the branches are connected to the vine. The vine is Jesus and we as believers are the branches. The big idea is God, growing us or building us, in Christ.. Jesus the vine, supports and supplies the needed ingredients for us to flourish as a believer.. Apart from the vine, Jesus or cut off, disconnected, we are dead... I like how there is a Networking taking place in that relationship. We just don't do it by ourselves, live by ourselves, work out our Christianity alone. There is connectivity, there is community, there is oneness..

God builds and adds to our growing in Christ, through Christ, and by Christ. Our only way of maturity is by Jesus. Jesus provides everything we need to grow us up in Him. There is also a need to understand this application practicality by our connectivity to his people, The Church. We need the Church, what is the Church.. The Church is God's people that have been joined together in Jesus by his Grace. Jesus adds to his Church, Jesus uses his people to add to his Church, sometimes. Ultimately, Jesus is at the helm of directing his people to do God's will. God's will, is the books of the bible. For some that can be scary. But it always leads down this road, and that is this Document, called the bible. But lets say we agree, that it is, for now.

There is a need, and a practical approach to see that it helps to do more building than tearing down. To demolish can be necessary as well, but only to build. We are all like a garden. What are we growing in our garden, what does it look like. It is not always necessary to completely tear down everything to build something.. If there is hope, the branch does not need to be cut off completely. But some do to them selves or others, and we call it God. Only God prunes, and he might do it through you, but your just an instrument. We need to let God have all the glory. And not look to be setup as one that can receive any glory. Or we might be the ones God prunes, and so be it, if that is the case.

Ultimately God wants the glory in your salvation, and sanctification. Which is you being added to the vine (Jesus) and your growth in Christ (sanctification). And that means occasionally pruning, so that we can be more fruitful in our walk in Christ... Let's not kill, what does not need to be killed... Let not add to God's word. There is a propensity in religious people to add to his word, on what does it look like to be holy. Well the only answer any can give is Jesus. Let 's not go beyond or below that.(That is why I recommend Gospel centered Churches, and here are some, www.thegospelcoalition.org) And will any of us, ever be Jesus in this life, we can only try by his Grace alone. We live and move by his being!

God's love towards us can be uncomprehending at times, it takes his grace for us to even see a glimmer of it. I believe God would even say to some that would be reading this, he is happy with you, (so why do you keep beating the shit out of yourself.). Our view of God needs to change. It needs to change to the life and death and resurrection of Jesus. Because he did
all that for you. A sinless Man/God suffered all that, he did not deserve, what we deserved. And Jesus did that for us.

God does not want to kill you, he wants to save you, because he loved you, and still does. Ask God to save you, ask him to heal you and deliver you and make you new in his Son Jesus Christ, The Vine!