via TJC
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ~John 15:1
As a Kingdom Man there is only one measure of success and victory: Fruit. That’s it; and both quantity and quality matter. At TJC when we ask “What does Victory look like?” or “Am I having Victory in this area of my life?” The answer is “Look at the fruit.”
Jesus tells us that we will be known as His disciple by the fruit we bear. Paul defines the fruit found at the Kingdom farmer’s market in Galatians 5:22, “love, joy, peace, delayed gratification, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” This is what’s on the menu. Since these are fruits of the Spirit we cannot create this fruit on our own, but like a tree or a vine we can produce/manifest them. In John 15, Jesus tells us that we are grafted into the vine, and the vinedresser takes great care to water, shape, prune and light us so that we might produce fruit in abundance.
We all know successful people who are not saved. We all know really “good dudes” that don’t know Jesus. In fact, some of these guys are more successful and “better men” than men we know who profess Christ. And yet, when it comes to the Kingdom farmer’s market, their stands are empty. Yes, they woke up that morning in the big house and showed up to the marketplace in the fancy car, but everything they have, their worldly possessions and their relationships will pass away with them. Just like a branch that breaks off of the tree, the shade it gave and “goodness” it once produced will all be forgotten and it will be used as firewood. A man without salvation, despite his accolades and worldly successes, is an empty field that has not been planted - full of rocks and produces NO fruit. For him eternity is hell and separation from God. He is NOT a victorious man.
Jesus is the true vine. He is the life-giver. His life sustains not only us as a current branch, but grafts in the branches that came before us and those after us. As Kingdom Men, when we accepted Christ we were grafted into the vine. On that day we bore fruit for the first time! You had something new and you wanted to share it with whoever walked by your stall. For the first time you had something to offer that you didn’t create and you wanted to give it freely.
Daily Battle Order:
If you are reading this today and you have not given your life to Christ, find a Kingdom Man you know and ask him to share his salvation story with you. Measure his fruit and get grafted in.
If you are a Kingdom Man, share your salvation story today. Let the people know your stall is open for business and the fruit is good.
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