Abide in Me, and I in you. . . I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:4-5

God has made us His garden, and the Gardener wants us to realize that our branches are designed to bear a lot of fruit: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Expect results from fellowshipping with God. It’s pretty simple. As we abide in Him and He abides in us, we can expect fruit when we pray for the sick, when we give, and when we serve.

Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. John 4:35b

Expect to see your life bear fruit. The Lord of the harvest is looking for people that He can use. So lift up your eyes with expectancy. On your worst day you still have this amazing potential to see more of Jesus flow through your life and to bear more fruit more of the time.

Expect God to watch over His Word to perform it. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (John 4: 7-8). Our best days are up ahead and as we raise our expectancy level and trust God, we will bear increasing fruit throughout our life!

God is faithful!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:2

There is a law of sin and death, but there is a higher and overriding law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. The superseding law of what God will do in our lives is as real as the “law of lift” that Orville and Wilbur Wright discovered when they first flew an airplane. And this life in Christ Jesus will enable us to face and override anything the devil throws our way.

When we face obstacles with the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus backing us up, we know that as we hit rough headwinds God will make us “ride on the high places of the earth” (Deuteronomy 32:13). Trust God in every situation and stay engaged in the fight. Pray a little bit, get in the Word, and pray a little more to get your mind renewed. You can address your obstacles with the confidence that God who has begun a good work in you will complete it! (Philippians 1:6).

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5

God is at work in you causing advancement and change in your life. So when you encounter tough circumstances, remember that “the new spiritual principle of life in Christ lifts [you] out of the old vicious circle of sin and death” (Romans 8:2 Phillips). Whenever the wind starts to blow, turn and face it with the confidence that you have the victory and are called by God to carry this good news to the world!

Press on!
Pastor Jeff

Copyright ©2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright ©1960-1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Copyright ©1958-1972 by JB Phillips; The Gospels.

Thus says the Lord to you, “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” 2 Chronicles 20:15b

Are we ever going to learn that last line? How often do we try to take the battle back into our own hands! Our God is a warrior and has a plan for this whole universe. He knows more about the future than we do about the past, and He is worthy of our trust.

When Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, learned that his enemy was about to attack him on three fronts, he sought God. Instead of dwelling on all the problems, he deliberately focused on how big and great God is: “O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You” (2 Chronicles 20:6).

Then Jehoshaphat did something unprecedented in military history: He put praise-and-worshipers on the front line of battle.

He appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 2 Chronicles 20:21b-22 NKJV*

While they were worshiping God, the enemy was defeated! God is telling us something about the power of seeking Him: Your flesh may loathe praising God when you are going through a struggle, but that is right where you’ll find the solution.

As Jehoshaphat sought God, he declared, “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (2 Chronicles 20:12b). So gaze at God and only glance at your problems. Rededicate yourself to reading the Word, where you’ll see the faithfulness of God through the ages. Pull up breakthrough moments in your past and write them down.

“Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you” (2 Chronicles 20:17b). You can face tomorrow with confidence because the forever-faithful God is with you!

Give it to God,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. * New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

I’d rather have the pain of moving forward than the pain of stagnation. God loves and accepts you right where you are, but He doesn’t want you to stay stuck there. When you become a Christian, you change and then you become a change agent to impact others’ lives. Some of you are encumbered by so many variables, and the stresses of life have been wearing you down, but don’t let the devil make you back away from a tenacity to push forward. Lift up your head, because Jesus has things figured out.

Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

As I’m advocating change, I’m talking about getting ready for increase. The purpose of the change is not about personal comfort, but about reaching souls. People who have been disinterested in the things of God are becoming interested because they have been shaken. Now we need to be ready. Nations and hearts that were closed are opening up, and God wants to gear you up to answer the problems in other people’s lives. This is not a spectator sport but the proper working of each individual part (Ephesians 4:16).

At some point you need to decide to trust God. Instead of succumbing to all the worries of the world, stay engaged in the presence of God and spend some more time in the secret place where you’ll find rest (Matthew 11:28). As you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you (James 4:8). And, as you wait upon the Lord, you’ll gain new strength (Isaiah 40:31). This Christian life of change and moving forward is not for the elite few—it is accessible to all who seek God.

Press forward!

Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. Proverbs 4:18

God has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). Psalm 119 tells us that the entrance of God’s Word brings light (119:130a). So, to get where God wants us to be, it’s important to pull out the owner’s manual, the Bible, and read the instructions.

We must keep ourselves filled with the Word of God and keep our spirits sensitive to the Holy Spirit by daily surrendering our lives to God’s plan. This requires us to deal with offenses and make constant adjustments to lay down things that don’t please God. Don’t get overwhelmed! Even small changes produce big results.

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:20-23

Don’t let your purpose be thwarted by bumps in the road. Clear off your spiritual windshield so that you can see things the way God does. You have a heavenly Father who delivers on a very profound level. He gave His Son. Meditate on that for a while. If God can cleanse you of sin and save you for all of eternity, He can certainly cover every other deal in your life.

The rubber-meets-the-road part of this letter is that I believe God wants to use you in the upcoming days to impact others. You aren’t just striving to be a “nice Christian”—the goal is to reflect who Jesus truly is so that your message to the world is clear. You might be the only Bible some people read. Make it your goal to please God and finish strong. Cast your worries on Him (1 Peter 5:7).

He can stabilize any situation. You are more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:37). With man it may be impossible, but with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27). He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). So trust Him. Stop looking in the rearview mirror at past mistakes and step forward into the great big beautiful plans God has for you. The best is yet to come!

Happy New Year!

Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2008 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.