Spirit Of Truth

Reading from the Book of John 14: 6, 17-21

 John 14:⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
 
Have you ever been in a car with someone who doesn't know where he is going and who refuses to ask for directions? Many people think there are many ways to God, and they search for truth in different places, ignoring the directions that God gave us.
The reality is that there is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus, Who is the Way. He will lead you in truth and you will experience fullness of life.

John 14:¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.¹⁹ Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.²⁰ At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Things can be hard when we try to do them independently without leaning and relying on God's grace. If everything in life were easy, we wouldn't need the power of the Holy Spirit to help us. One way the Bible refers to the Holy Spirit is our "Helper." He is in us and with us all the time to help us, to enable us to do what we cannot do with ease what would be difficult with out Him.

 ²¹ He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

To whatever degree we love God, to that same degree we obey Him, that is the measure of our love for Him. As our love for Jesus grows, so will our obedience.
He works continually in and with believers to bring us into new levels of awareness. Entering a new level always means leaving an old one behind, but we have nothing to fear because He promises to be with us. Always, as He is the Spirit of Truth.

God Is Progressive

Reading from the Book of John 15:1-8

John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Have you ever seen fruit grow apart from the vine, tree, or plant? Of course not! As a follower of Jesus, the same is true for you. Unless you stay in His presence, you will not grow or bear fruit. Just as the vine is the source of nourishment and health for the fruit, Jesus is your source of life.
³ Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 
God prunes us and cuts away things that no longer bear the kind of fruit He desires us to show. This "cutting away" is often painful and not immediately understood, but it is necessary for us to grow into the fruit-bearing believers of Jesus Christ that He wants us to be.
We may consider changing, or possibly losing, a job, a friend, or an activity, that in God's eyes is not productive in living a sinless life or saving souls, but could be a major contributor in living a sinful life. But by cultivating an ever-growing relationship with Him, we will see and learn why those things in our lives are not what we wanted in life after-all, as being dirty, sinful, and unproductive.
⁶ If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
⁷ If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
⁸ Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
I encourage you to spend time with Him in prayer, reading, and studying His Word. God is progressive, and sometimes He needs to prune us as He leads us to higher places.