Do you want a Fruitful 2012?

As we wrap up 2011 and embark on 2012, we typically pause and evaluate our production. What has gone well and/or what needs improvement? There is plenty to consider when we evaluate the varied lives we live. It is easy to look at the externals in our lives and decide what we want to change, where we want to go, how we think our lives should look this next year naturally focusing on external production. It is another matter to consider changing our internal focus, to focus on our being rather than our doing. Could we consider living our lives bearing the fruit rather than producing the spiritual fruit? Would we benefit if we focused on abiding in Christ rather than producing for Christ?

On this earth the focus is on production, output, externals and performance. As believers in Jesus Christ we do want to produce, we do desire fruitful lives. And yes,we are designed to bear fruit. The temptation is to take on this world's methods of production; oh yes, we are trained to produce! God's fruit is difficult to define and for good reason. We are not to try and produce His fruit, we are simply to bear spiritual fruit.
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.(Galatians 5:22-23). This fruit is simply an outward expression of the nature we received when we received the nature/spirit of Christ.

Christ lives in His children, our purpose is to allow Christ to live through us. We are simply branches(John 15:1-5), fruit-hangers. The branches do not determine what fruit they bear, they are not the producers of fruit. Branches do not determine when the fruit is produced, the seasons of fruit production. Branches do not decide who picks the fruit, how it's used, why it is produced or even who is impacted by the fruit. Thus branches are not burnt out, not working hard, they are not even concentrating on themselves or the fruit. Branches Simply Abide in the Vine.

To Abide; to sink into, to depend on,to dwell with, to remain in Christ. The idea is to be filled with the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, to surrender to Christ. Abiding is active, not passive. We must to choose to exchange our life, our agenda, for His. God can and will do things we cannot even imagine! What an adventure life can be, walking with the King of Kings, Lord of Lords on this earth.
How about evaluating if we can simply abide in Christ for the next 15 minutes?
May it lead to 15 more and 15 more..........
May you abide in Christ this day and begin a fruit-filled 2012.

God is not disappointed in you

Have you ever disappointed anyone? I mean really let them down, maybe it was your parents, kids, friends, spouse, boss, employees or your pastor. They were expecting you to come through and you failed, you fell short of their expectations. You were a disappointment.
We have all been in those situations, often what really hurts is the disappointment we feel toward ourselves. We know we let someone down; we can feel embarrassed, worthless, like a loser, shamed. We can wallow in our shame for years, feeling judged by every observation anyone makes about us or our lives. It is easy to take these same beliefs into our relationship with God. We sin, we fail, thus we believe God is disappointed in us. We know we have let Him down. At these times, we become convinced whatever happens, God must be punishing me. He must be judging me, paying me back for my failures.
Today I bring you good news of great joy, God is not disappointed in you!!
To be disappointed by definition means to be sad or displeased because someone or something failed to fulfill one's expectations.
But God knows!!! He is infinite, all-knowing, the Great I AM! God is not bound by time, He is eternal, no beginning, no end, He is I AM.
For God to be disappointed you would have to fail to meet His expectations, but God knows, He expects you to be here now. Take your situation and turn to Almighty God. He knows everything about you and loves you anyway!
Discipline not Disappointment