"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
God desires the fruit of our lives to produce supernatural results through the demonstration of the Kingdom of God. The atmosphere that we carry should push back darkness, setting people free from oppression. The fruit of the Spirit is in the mix of this as it is part and parcel of the Holy Spirit.
Just as the Holy Spirit pours the love of God into our hearts, the river of His life produces this fruit. This also reveals to us just how important a life of communion with the Spirit is – especially if we want to see the supernatural manifestation of Heaven on Earth. Faith works by love. God's love, being a fruit of the Spirit, produces faith to set the captives free. With this in mind, the love of God will be shown through our activity (just as Jesus modeled it for us) by working miracles, healing the sick and raising the dead. This is how Jesus modeled love in action.
The fruit of the Spirit will be expressed in supernatural ways as we bring encounters with God into the lives of others. The fruit of the Spirit is not grown in our lives. It is manifested as the Holy Spirit takes residence in us. The gifts of the Spirit are given in resident forms and are also manifested as the Holy Spirit abides in us. The love of God is substance in the Holy Spirit. The peace of God is substance in the Holy Spirit. The grace of God is substance in the Holy Spirit. As we increase our communion with the Spirit, our experience in God's love, peace, grace and joy increases. In that sense, it does grow. Our souls grows, also, in surrender and submission to the Holy Spirit.
The Works of Jesus
Love is also an action that is manifested in miracles, signs, wonders and healings. The love of God was manifested through Jesus by the deeds that He did as well. He went about manifesting love by doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Jesus told us to pray for Heaven to come to Earth, that it would be "on Earth as it is in Heaven."
Our lives are to be an extension of Heaven's glory on Earth, bringing people into a living encounter with God. Jesus went about doing good, manifesting the love of God. The religious leaders went about doing bad, controlling and oppressing people.
Jesus said that we would know a tree by its fruit. (see Matthew 7:15-20). He wasn't referring to the "fruit of the Spirit" but to the works that are shown through a life. Jesus told the religious leaders that if they could not believe His words then they should at least believe because of the supernatural works that He performed.
The Kingdom of God is manifested in salvation, healings and miracles. This is the goal – that we bear much fruit. A life that is 'abiding in the Vine' is a life of dependency, as we cannot do anything apart from Jesus. He said that the works He did, we would do also, and greater works than these shall we do because He will go to the Father on our behalf (John 14:12). These are heavenly works that are far beyond our natural abilities.
We show the love of God by our actions. Love will create faith in our hearts to pray for people and see them healed; to share with people; to see them have an encounter with God; to see people experience miracles in the reality of His glory, presence and power.
Spiritually Flat Tires
The religious mindset divorces the power of God from the fruit of the Spirit. This creates a life that has no life, no air and no substance – a flat tire! This mindset leaves a person devoid of power, with only some form of "southern hospitality," where it is only "the Spirit" in name but not in substance.
If you have the fruit of the Spirit you should manifest the power of God as well, because love is action – action in the way that Jesus presented it, rather than only a form of religious good works. Love is not a feeling. Love is God. Many just need to understand that God wants to use them in this way. Bad doctrine teaches people to warm the seat of a church – sit, soak and sour; to just do what you're told, don't move and don't make any waves. God takes His people on adventure to do the works that Jesus did – even greater works!
The fruit of our lives is measured by the encounters people experience with God through our lives. As we walk in the Spirit, this should happen. That's why Jesus said that we should bear "much" fruit. He set the example for us to do the same as He did. Jesus was love manifested and demonstrated through the supernatural works He performed by the power of the Spirit.
It is not ONLY about treating people kindly when they are mean to us, but about being intentional to demonstrate the Kingdom of God, even toward those who don't love us. In this we fulfill the heart of Jesus – that we love our enemies and that things conform to "on Earth as it is in Heaven."
Destroy the Devil's Works
God can and will use anything to form us into Christ's image, but His ultimate, highest plan for us as mature sons of God is to manifest Heaven on Earth. Sickness, disease and oppression are from the devil, and we are called to "destroy" the works of the devil, just as Jesus healed all who were oppressed by the devil. God's plan for us is to destroy the works of darkness. That includes bringing people into the Kingdom of God as we preach the fullness of the good news of salvation, healing and deliverance from darkness. (Photo via Wikipedia)
There is a danger that when a miracle doesn't happen, or prayers are not answered, a person is tempted to dumb down the standard and just says, "Well, God works all things together for the good," instead of pressing in and continuing to believe in regard to manifesting Heaven on Earth.
People are in need of miracles today and the doctors don't have the cure for it. The last thing we want to do is just say, "Well, this sickness or issue will help form you into Christ's image." That is a pathetic, anemic, impoverished and bankrupt mindset. Sickness is not the suffering that Jesus called us to.
Jesus only suffered in the area of His love being rejected and killed, all because of who He claimed to be, and because of the works that He performed in demonstrating the Kingdom of God. Ultimately, Jesus was a threat as He was destroying satan's system of misery, disarming his power and the religious system that was aligned with it.
"He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)
What's Your Purpose?
Here we have outlined the purpose of Jesus. Are you looking for yours? You have the same one if you are His. What is the GOAL and what is the PURPOSE? FRUIT! It is time to bear MUCH fruit and to fully embrace our call as imitators of Christ.
Every person is in need of an encounter with God. You are chosen to be the vessel that helps connect others with His power and glory.
Embrace it! Live it! Love it!
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John and Brandi Belt
Overflow Global Ministries
Email: hello@overflowglobal.com
Website: www.overflowglobal.com
John and Brandi Belt are the leaders of Overflow Global Ministries. The heart of their message is that God's greatest desire is to indwell His people with His presence. They believe that man was created to be inhabited by God through His Spirit. With a sincere devotion to God through the Holy Spirit, people can live in a place of overflow in His presence. This overflow translates into touching the lives of others through living encounters with God. When John and Brandi minister, the intimate presence of God is manifest – being accompanied with demonstrations of God's power to heal, revive, and restore.
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Do you know that God wants you to bear "much fruit"? Can you know what that fruit looks like or is it just a mystery?
