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e>Hollywood Jesus looks at the Bible
John 15
MESSAGE TRANSLATION
Return to Spiritual Direction
Jesus
said:
"I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts
off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that
is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already
pruned back by the message I have spoken.
"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same
way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined
to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.
"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me
and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure
to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who
separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire.
But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home
in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and
acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he iswhen you
produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.
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"I've
loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in
my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at
home in my love. That's what I've donekept my Father's commands
and made myself at home in his love.
"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be
your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love
one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to
love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my
friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling
you servants because servants don't understand what their master is
thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you
in on everything I've heard from the Father.
"You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the
world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever
you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.
"But remember the root command: Love one another. |
"If
you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start
hating me. If you lived on the world's terms, the world would
love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God's
terms and no longer on the world's terms, the world is going to hate
you.
"When that happens, remember this: Servants don't get better treatment
than their masters. If they beat on me, they will certainly beat on
you. If they did what I told them, they will do what you tell them.
"They are going to do all these things to you because of the way
they treated me, because they don't know the One who sent me. If I hadn't
come and told them all this in plain language, it wouldn't be so bad.
As it is, they have no excuse. Hate me, hate my Fatherit's all
the same. If I hadn't done what I have done among them, works
no one has ever done, they wouldn't be to blame. But they saw the God-signs
and hated anyway, both me and my Father. Interestingthey
have verified the truth of their own Scriptures where it is written,
'They hated me for no good reason.'
"When the Friend I plan to send you from the Father comesthe
Spirit of Truth issuing from the Fatherhe will confirm everything
about me. You, too, from your side must give your confirming evidence,
since you are in this with me from the start.
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