I have an iPhone.  Once it has power, it will do its job.  As the day goes, it is slowly drained of power as I use it.  But without being recharged, the phone will be of no use to me.

At times, I have plugged my phone in to the charge station, only to discover later, that there was still no power.

Why is that?

Because it was not plugged into the power source on the wall.  It can’t be recharged without the power source.  The phone can be connected to the cord all day and if it is not connected to the power source – IT WILL NOT CHARGE!

Plain. And. Simple.

Looking at the Scripture today, it is the same concept.

The power comes through the True Vine.

John 15:1-4:

“I am a true sprouting vine, and the farmer who tends the vine is my Father. He cares for the branches connected to me by lifting and propping up the fruitless branches and pruning every fruitful branch to yield a greater harvest. The words I have spoken over you have already cleansed you. So you must remain in life-union with me, for I remain in life-union with you. For as a branch severed from the vine will not bear fruit, so your life will be fruitless unless you live your life intimately joined to mine. (TPT)

Unless I live my life intimately joined to Jesus, I will not bear fruit.  I will be fruitless.  I will be useless.

Useless. For. Me. Useless. For. Others.

The Heavenly Father is the farmer/gardener who takes care of the branches.  He prunes us – basically meaning He cleans us.

The Greek word for “pruning,” kathairo, can also mean cleansing.  God cleans us up – making us useful.  BUT only if we are connected to Jesus, the True Vine.

Any time one of His Children thinks that they can do it better and go off on their own trying to cleaning up their life and others, will eventually die out.  Lose power. Lose the life-union.

This is pretty much where a lot of God’s Children are right now.  Disconnected.  Trying to do Kingdom work without the power source.  Just take a look around you and look at the mess laying around.  We must get connected back to the Father.  It is the only way to clean up the mess that surrounds us.

Lent 2018.  A good time to get reconnected to the power source.  Then, we will see lives being changed – transformed into the likeness of Jesus.

Break Every Chain