| From what source is your strength? Have you partaken of the fruit? What, or whom, is your source of fruit as a grafted in branch of the Vine? Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:5-7 ...if anyone competes, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully. It is right for the laboring farmer to partake first of the fruits. Consider what I say, and the Lord will give you understanding in all things. Consider what Paul is saying in verse 5. In order to receive the crown we must abide by the predetermined standards. He then says in verse 6, It is right for the laboring farmer to partake first of the fruits. Part of competing lawfully is being first a partaker of the fruit. Two questions arise from this. What is the fruit? And, how do we partake? I believe the fruit that Paul is refering to is the full impartation of the Holy Spirit and moving in the gifts thereof. This also includes all of the fruits of the Spirit such as holiness, true agape love, joy unspeakable and the peace that passes all understanding. It also includes, contingent to the afore mentioned love, joy, peace and holiness; deliverance and healing of the body mind and soul. If I correctly understand what Paul wrote to Timothy we are not fit to be His ministers until we partake of the fruit, and in fact we are competing unlawfully. My exortation is this: Let's cease and desist from playing church, wait on Him and call upon His highly exalted name until we first become true partakers of His precious fruit. "Why are you enamoured with the perishing things of this world? Is it not because you have not tasted of the true fruit of the Vine? I Am the Vine, you are the branches, begin, again I say, begin to abide in Me and I will be food for your soul. Anything that is born of flesh is nothing other than flesh and is not fit for My consumption. Anything you do that doesn't find its source in Me is hay and stubble fit only to be burned." Join me and we will weep between the porch and the altar until He pours out His Spirit as promised in Joel and we partake of the true, nourishing fruit of the Spirit. Are we not the Royal Priesthood of believers? He is calling His own, the ones who know His voice, "Come before Me in intercession for the nations. Will you be like the virgins who slumber, or will you be a concubine? Or a queen? Or will you be one who will attain to the Bride? It is time, do not wait. I want all of you to attain to the Bride. This is the voice of one crying in the wilderness; 'prepare ye the way of the Lord and I will make your rocky places smooth, I will cause your hills to lie down and I will exalt your low places. Hasten, do not tarry. Be Holy as I am Holy. The crown of life is before you. Will you wear it?'" |