7 FINAL WORDS: 2 – YOU WILL BE WITH ME

Written by Audrey E. Charles

“Assuredly, you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Luke 23:43

Jesus was hanging between two men that He created, on a cross made from a tree that He created. The men were convicted thieves and both men spoke to Him, but each in a totally different manner. One thief, knowing his guilt but being unrepentant, jeered at the Lord to set them all free from their predicament. To him Jesus was just a way out. The other thief however, recognized Jesus’ innocence and saw the power of His words of forgiveness. He knew he was wrong and deserved death. He desired a way in, so he asked that Jesus remember him when He went into His Kingdom. To this request Jesus responded, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

These two thieves typify the two kinds of people who respond to Jesus…and to you as a Christian. There are those who will see you as a channel for a quick fix out of whatever problem they are facing. They may be willing to share their difficulties with you, but stop short of taking ownership for their own actions. They want you to do the work for them so that they can get on with their lives in the same condition that they are in now.

But then there are those who will recognize the Christ in you, and will sincerely seek to follow you, not just for what you have but for who and Whose you are.

Jesus’ mandate to us before He left the earth was that we should make disciples. Many have taken this directive to heart, and have employed various methods to reach this objective.

In telling the dying thief that he would be with Him in Paradise, Jesus was patterning for us the kind of victory we can often achieve in leading souls into the Kingdom. It happens when we give up the plans and purposes that our limited minds construct, and we simply allow our own lives to be the living testimonies of who Christ is in us. This is simple, but it certainly demands more from us personally than does handing out a tract! It requires that you and I become the walking Word 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days each year because you never know when the Holy Spirit will usher a “thief” into your presence!!

Jesus Himself was the power that brought the repentant thief into the Kingdom of God. He hung on that cross, denying Himself the right to call on myriads of angels to rescue Him. He submitted to the persecution and gave His life over completely to the Father. In doing so, He won over not only the thief next to Him, but many others who witnessed His selfless sacrifice, down to the very last second.

When you and I live our lives with transparent sacrifice, others are able to see the manifested power of God happening now, in real time, and not just read it as a historical event. It is then that this wonderful gospel of the Kingdom of God will have its appeal, as the Holy Spirit woos others to experience the freedom in Christ that you demonstrate.

Are you willing to not only take up your cross, but allow yourself to be nailed to it? Are you willing to be one of those whom Jesus talked about – who would be persecuted for righteousness sake? It doesn’t mean necessarily that people will spit in your face, or that you will have to face physical martyrdom. But when you choose not to go according to the tenets of this world system – even the world system that has infiltrated the church – you automatically open yourself up to persecution. You will face two kinds of “thieves” – those who will jeer and criticize you and those who will be drawn to the Christ in you.

When you ignore the criticisms you give the Holy Spirit a powerful weapon that will draw men unto Christ – the weapon of your sacrificed life that says to seekers, “You too, will be with me in the Kingdom of God.”

YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WHOLE

Written by Audrey E. Charles

The doctors had given up on her, her own people spurned her because she had been ceremonially unclean for twelve years. She had no money left. Yet she took a bold step to venture out in the open…

And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. – Matthew 9:20-22

At the end of it all she heard the precious words, “Your faith has made you whole.”  Jesus had just given her her life back!

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He sat in his usual place at the roadside begging, depending on the moods of strangers to determine if

he had a good day or not. Most of his days were not good. After all, he was Bartimaeus…the son of Timaeus – the man whose name means foul and defiled – and to top it off he was blind. But when he heard that Voice call to him he threw off his garment – the garment that for so many years had identified him as a blind beggar. In anticipation of his healing he removed it, and the stigma it carried.

And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. Mark 10:50-52

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He had uttered the word ‘unclean’ so often to warn people that he was in their vicinity and to give them a chance to get away from him. But he had cried out to Jesus…he and his nine leper friends. When the Master heard them He simply told them to go and show themselves to the priest. By faith they obeyed and as they went they were healed…no longer unclean – society’s castaways. This leper was different from the others however. He didn’t just rejoice…he returned with a new word on his lips…”Thanks!”

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. Luke 17:15-19

I believe that being made whole is not limited just to the relief from the illness or affliction. I know that if Bartimaeus or the woman or the former leper had anything else wrong with them that Jesus took care of those ailments also. Jesus does not do things partially and that is why He said to them that they were now whole. Wholeness is completeness in every area of your life – your body, your mind, your spirit, your relationships, your giftings, your finances, your future……..everything, with nothing lacking.

Do you need the Lord to make you whole? Can you believe that He will remove all affliction from you? Follow the example of these three people.

1. Take a bold step of faith regardless of what those around you might say to deter you.
2. At the Lord’s leading, throw off that thing that identifies you with the affliction.
3. Make sure that you thank the Lord for your healing.

Be made whole.

SNATCHED FROM DEATH – MY TESTIMONY

I sat on the edge of the bed with a handful of Valium in one hand and a razor blade nearby. A glass of water to wash down the pills sat on the dresser waiting to do its duty. Night had fallen and my heart was as dark as the sky outside. There was nothing left to live for I thought.

Earlier that evening my estranged husband had brought our 2 year old son back home after spending the afternoon with him. Their parting usually was a happy one, but this time little D cried uncontrollably as he watched his dad’s car drive away. Nothing would console him.

“Wanna go with Daddy and my other Mommy!” he cried. Those words hit like daggers. D was the one ray of sunshine left in my life since the sudden separation had occurred several months before. Now he, too, wanted out.

Something snapped in my mind. I heard myself assuring him that from tomorrow he would indeed be with his dad. As I prepared him for bed D was giggling and happy once again. I rocked him to sleep and when his little body was completely relaxed I kissed him, and gently placed him in his crib. He was a child who slept through the night…and slept very soundly at that, so there was no way he would awaken before morning.

Methodically, mechanically and completely drained from months of trying to hold things together, I began to prepare…packed D’s bag with the things he would need for daycare…put his breakfast dishes on the table…laid his clothes out for the morning…took the lock off the front door so that there would be easy access to get in….poured the glass of water….went to my bedroom…closed the door…found the razor blade…uncapped the bottle of pills…sat on my bed.

Thoughts swirled in my mind – a jumble of memories. All efforts to make life “normal” had added up to one word – failure.

I heard my own voice saying, “God, if you want me to live You’re going to have to stop me.” I waited a brief moment. Nothing. With that I poured out a handful of pills and raised my hand to my mouth. The razor blade lay nearby to be used right afterward. Then suddenly the stillness was shattered…

“MOMMY!!!”

It jolted me! I dropped the pills, raced to D’s bedroom and flipped the light switch. There was my two year old…the same one who never awakened, even during a recent earthquake. There he was, wide awake, standing up in his crib with that disarming grin, hands outstretched for me to pick him up. As I grabbed D and held him ever so close a flood of unexpressed emotion flowed from me.

God had heard my heart, and He had answered! He did care! He did want me to live! And He had used my little treasure to let me know that!

That night marked a turnaround in my life. I came to know God, the Father, who valued me so much when I couldn’t see value in myself. I was soon introduced to His Son, Jesus and discovered that He, too, loved me so much that He willingly gave His own body to be battered, bruised and then crucified….all so that I could have true life – eternal life with Him!

Several decades later I am a mother and grandmother. But most importantly I am Jesus’ messenger, telling those who are lost and hurting and devoid of answers that there is One who has the answer to any and every problem. He even used me to lead my ex-husband to Him!

I can tell you that He is the only Answer, because before that fateful night I had tried so many other “solutions” – so many religions…attempting to fill the void inside me. But the emptiness always lingered ….until Jesus.

He knows the way out of your prison. He can heal your deepest pain. He will calm your greatest fears. He is with you when you think you’re all alone. He gives you hope. His plans for you are for peace. He knows all about your weaknesses, yet loves you with total abandon! He says…

 ““Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.“

Matthew 11:28

Whatever you need Jesus to be, He will be…

• If you need someone to confide in – He is the Friend who sticks closer than a brother
• If you need healing – He is the Great Physician
• If you need guidance – He is the Way, the Truth and the Life
• If you are in turmoil – He is the Prince of Peace
• If your world is dark and dismal – He is the Light of the world
• If you’re plagued by guilt and shame – He is ready to forgive you and receive you as His own.

Will you ask Jesus to take control of your life, as He did mine? Will you ask Him to help you pick up the pieces? I can assure you that He is right there with you as you read this testimony. Just as He used D’s voice to snatch me from death, He is using this article to bring you back from despair…back to Him. The Lord loves you desperately, and wants you to know His love………a love like you have never experienced before. He created you just so that you could have intimate fellowship with Him!

He can take your mess and turn you into His messenger….just like He did with me!

All you have to do is call His Name….

JESUS.

Mourning into Dancing. Ps. 30:11

All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. 

Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar 

because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.  

And this is what God has testified: 

He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

1 John 5:10-12

BLESSED ARE THE MEEK

Thanks to Allison Sylvester-Conliffe for this article

Jesus said in Matthew 5:5, 

“Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.”  

This statement means that the humble persons (the persons that walk with God and in obedience to his will) will have divine favour on the job, divine favour with men, divine favour in business dealings etc. while they live on the earth. 

While we live on the earth as believers, we are supposed to live in the supernatural, which is different from life as it is in the natural.  To live in the supernatural is to live according to the Word of God.  Very often this goes against what our rational thinking would tell us.  God is supernatural and therefore his Word is also supernatural. We are to read His Word, study it and make it become so much a part of us that we live out what it says.

Matthew 5 – The Beatitudes, Romans 12 – about the Body of Christ and 1 Corinthians 13 – The Love Chapter are just a few key Scriptures to help us to begin walking in the supernatural.

If we live according to the dictates of the Scriptures, then we would indeed bring the kingdom on earth as a likeness of what the Kingdom is in Heaven.

FROM CAPTIVE TO CONQUEROR – PART 1

ARE YOU A SLAVE?
 
Thanks to Allison Sylvester-Conliffe for this series of articles.

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

When we fall into habitual sin (going against the will of God), we bring ourselves into captivity….

Then the children of Israel did evil 

in the sight of the LORD. 

So the LORD delivered them 

into the hand of Midian for seven years, 

and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. 
Because of the Midianites, 

the children of Israel made for themselves 

the dens, the caves, 

and the strongholds which are in the mountains. – Judges 6:1-2

While practicing sin we toil in vain, because the Scripture says that God is the One who gives the increase. God cannot tolerate sin and therefore He is unable to bless.  Sin is a stench to His nostrils.  Therefore we keep ourselves from prospering in the things that we put our hands to. According to Judges 6:4, because of the Israelites’ sin, they lost all of their blessings…. 

So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; 

also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. 

Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, 

and leave no sustenance for Israel, 

neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. – Judges 6:3-4

However, God showed mercy after the Israelites cried unto Him….   

And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD because of the Midianites, that the LORD sent a prophet to the children of Israel. – Judges 6:7-8a

As we read on, we observe that God always seeks to reconcile, and so He woos us into repentance….

I said to you, 

“I am the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” 

But you have not obeyed My voice.’” – Judges 6:10

Is there some unconfessed sin in your life? Have you been experiencing frustration because of it? Have you been feeling guilty? Sad? Out of sorts? Unfulfilled? Anxious?

Just as He did with the Israelites, God is wooing you back to Him. If you call to Him He will answer. If you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive you and to give you a brand new start.

To be continued….

JUST DO WHAT HE TELLS YOU

The wedding was in full swing. The guests were having a grand time when suddenly someone realized there was a problem. The wine had run out. What an embarrassing situation for the host! Clearly there was a need. The wedding was not over, and the guests would be expecting to have more to drink. Scripture doesn’t tell why the wine ran out at that wedding in Cana. Maybe that amount was all the family could afford. Maybe the wedding planner underestimated the number of guests.

Mary knew that regardless of the reason for the shortage, her Son could remedy the situation, even though He had gently protested when she brought it to His attention. She called to the servants at the feast and told them, “Just do what He tells you.”

Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. – John 2:7-8

The servants did exactly what Jesus commanded. He told them to fill the waterpots, and they filled them to the brim. He told them to immediately draw out some of the liquid and take it to the master…and they obeyed. They didn’t stop to figure out if it made sense. They didn’t argue or question. They simply did what He told them to do. The result was that potential embarrassment was averted, and a problem was solved…in greater measure than anyone could have anticipated.

Artwork by Kevin Cornell

The world system thrives on compromise. A law is created and people immediately try to find the loophole that would weaken its effectiveness. However, God’s Word has no loopholes. King Saul found that out the hard way. God instructed him to kill all of the enemy, leaving nothing and no one alive. But Saul tried to find a loophole to suit himself.

And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. – 1 Samuel 15:7-9

Saul obeyed God’s word only partially, choosing to keep the best things alive. As a result the kingdom was stripped from him and God anointed David to be king in his place. We often do the same thing….giving up the things (behaviors, relationships, attitudes) that don’t matter much, but choosing to hold on to those that are most dear to us.

Is there a situation that you are grappling with? A troubled relationship? Financial difficulties? An ailment? An unresolved issue? There is a remedy for it in the Word of God. God’s solution may not seem logical or even pleasant to your natural mind. However His remedy must be followed exactly as the Lord says, or the results could be disastrous. Regardless of what the situation is that you are facing, I encourage you not to try to look for a loophole or any kind of compromise. Follow the example of the servants at the wedding in Cana and….

just do what He tells you.

THRONE OF PRAISE

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/QP83wz3-bqs

HE IS THE FIRST AND LAST

I’m not sure who wrote this poem, but it expresses my sentiments exactly

He is the First and Last,
The Beginning and the End!
He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the Universe and the Manager of times.
He always was, He always is, and He will always be
Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never undone!

 
He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!

 
The world can’t understand Him,
The armies can’t defeat Him,
The schools can’t explain Him, 

Hitler couldn’t silence Him
The New Age can’t replace Him, 

He is light, love, longevity, and Lord.

 
He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful and pure.
His ways are right, His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me.

 
He is my Savior! He is my Joy,
He is my guide, and He is my Peace!
He is my comfort,
He is my Lord, and He rules my life!

 
I serve Him because His bond is love,
His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life.
I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise,
The power of the powerful.
The ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders, 

the overseer of the overcomers, and is to come. 

 
His goal is a relationship with ME!
He will never leave me, Nor forsake me,
Never mislead me, Never forget me,
Never overlook me 

and never cancel my appointment in His appointment book.

 
When I fall, He lifts me up!
When I fail, He forgives!
When I am weak, He is strong!
When I am lost, He is the way!
When I am afraid, He is my courage!
When I am hurt, He heals me!
When I am broken, He mends me!
When I am blind, He leads me!
When I am hungry, He feeds me!
When I face trials, He is with me!
When I face persecution, He shields me!
When I face problems, He comforts me!
When I face loss, He provides for me!
When I face Death, He carries me home!

 
He is everything 

for everybody, 

everywhere, 

every time, 

and every way.

 
He is God, He is faithful, 

I am His and He is mine!

MARRIAGE

Thanks to Allison Sylvester-Conliffe

for another powerful article

God instituted Marriage, therefore it is a holy institution and it is sacred … just because it came from God.  He in His Wisdom saw that man should not be alone, and that he should have a help meet, a companion … someone to share himself with, someone to be intimate with, someone who he could love and from whom he could receive love in return.  It should be noted that God made the selection of a wife for Adam.  Adam did not have a choice in the matter at all … and God expected Adam to love her and to be intimate with her … and she with him … regardless.

As I pondered Adam and Eve’s relationship, I realized that God was also included as a part of their relationship.  He was in the midst of it.  The Bible tells us that in the cool of the day God visited them.  Both Adam and Eve were free in God … no secrets, nothing hidden.  You say how do I know that?  The Bible said that they were naked.  That means that all was exposed with nothing hidden. They were free beings in God.  Until … the serpent, our enemy called satan, visited one of them.

We have an enemy folks, and his name is satan.  He is alive today, just as he was alive in the Garden in the day of Adam.  Now whether you choose to believe that or not, would not alter the truth.  Our enemy’s intent and sole purpose is to take us away from close communion with God and from being free in God.

Back in the Book of Genesis Chapter 3 it captures for us, what happens when we refuse to harken unto God’s Word, and when we choose instead to harken unto another voice and so yield to it.  That “other voice”, people, is always the voice of the enemy which is used to entice you to want to please self rather than to be pleasing unto God.  That voice causes you to ignore God’s Word, yield to temptation and do what appeases your flesh. 

In the husband/wife relationship, the enemy just has to whisper into the ear of one of the parties, either the husband or the wife … present a scenario which would appeal to his/or her senses (which is fleshly) and it’s up to the subject to take the bait or not.

It really doesn’t matter to the devil which one accedes to the challenge you know, because he’s looking toward the end result, which is to cause the couple to displease God.  He wants to make a breach in the union which God had sealed.  That is his motive and that is his job … to convince us of his diabolical plan by deceiving us into believing one … just one … of his lies.  Then it would be mission accomplished. All it takes is for him to whisper into the right ear, and so cause that vessel to waiver in his or her faith and he would have his hook firmly set into your jaw and then he yanks it.  This way, you would be totally under his control.

If we take a look at broken marriages, or even divorced couples … you would see a common thread.  In the majority of cases, the reason for the separation was because one of the party’s self dis-satisfaction.  The other person was not doing this right.  It was because the other person was not bringing enough into the relationship to satisfy me.  Not taking me anywhere … not buying me nice things … not making me happy.  But did God’s Word not say that you ought to esteem others more highly than yourself? (Philippians 2:3)  Believing otherwise, or contrary to that Word would tell me that you are disobeying the Word of God. 

It is also recorded in the Word of God as a command, that the husband should love his wife as Christ loved the church … and in return the wife should submit to the husband.  Read Ephesians Chapter 5 again.  The parties who are involved in the covenant of marriage are supposed to concentrate on esteeming the other more highly than their own selves.

Each one should concentrate on loving that other person, cherishing the mate and not looking with expectancy for the mate to esteem and cherish us.  The latter would eventually happen, but it should not be the focus.  The husband’s energies are to be placed in loving the wife and the wife’s energies are to be in loving the husband.  That is the key that we miss as married couples.  In truly loving the other person, we would indeed be pleasing God.

The reason why we were created was to be pleasing unto God.  We were made for God’s pleasure.  We are to please God in our relationships, marital or otherwise.  Loving each other as God wants us to love will bring to each individual the ultimate benefits in God. 

We cannot assume that what we call love is what God calls love.  We have to seek God to know how to love our spouses. Our prayer should be “What should I do Lord, to bring satisfaction to my partner?  Please show me how to love him/her!”  Because what you may call love may not appeal to him or her at all.  Your prayer should never be “Lord, change my partner to be this or to be that so that I could be satisfied”!  Do you see the difference?

Love is selfless, it is a giving of yourself to another, unconditionally.  Just as God loved us so much, even in our wretched state, that He gave the Son that He loved to die in order that we should live.  True love, is really a dying to self.  It is a deep expression towards another.  Love is never selfish, nor does it seek its own.  Love pours outward unto another.

That other thing which caters to self satisfaction, and fulfills me is called some other thing, but don’t call it love at all.  Love is a sacrificial giving of oneself to another.  The pleasure is the joy in seeing the other person happy and fulfilled. Think what would happen if we all approach our marriage relationships in this manner.  In this way, when your spouse feels hurt you will feel hurt too.  Love would seek the welfare of the spouse and this will spill out unto the children too, and they will follow the same pattern in their own married lives.  God will indeed be pleased.

We have to get back to loving God first as He has commanded, before we even attempt to get ourselves a husband or wife and committing to marriage.  Pleasing God should be our motive and this would be reflected in our relationships.  What I have seen is that we go after the physical attraction and breach God’s laws by hitting the sack, then maybe we will get married and because we go after pleasure for our individual selves, there are all sorts of friction and head butting being experienced in the marriage.  This arises because God is not our focus.  We instead, make ourselves the focus and this is wrong.

For those of us who are experiencing turbulence in the marriage, stop for a while and purpose to do things differently.  Instead of wanting to get “whatever” out of the relationship, try putting something in.  Try treating your spouse differently.  Now I did not say that the spouse was deserving of anything.  We are going beyond that. Ask God to show you exactly how to go about it.

Let your creativity loose and start by giving the spouse maybe a granola bar, a box of chocolates, some flowers, a new shirt or a pair of socks.  It may be that you would give of yourself by watching a movie with your spouse, especially if that is not what you would normally do. Be creative and give, because you want to please God.  Remember, that you even have to love the unlovely! Therefore you are without excuse.

Daily, purpose to do some good act in order to bring pleasure to your spouse … no, not to you … to your spouse!! Try this method for the first month.  God in His Wisdom will break down barriers and heal wounds and cultivate a newness in your marriage that cannot go unnoticed.  It is supernatural because it will be all God’s doing.

Visit Romans 13:10 which says –

“Love worketh no ill to his neighbour, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law!”

I summarize by saying that just by expressing love as God wants you to love, will cause you to keep all of the Commandments … in which case you will then be pleasing God … you will also be pleasing your spouse and your spouse will in turn be pleasing you.

God Bless You!

FISH OUT OF WATER

“Look Dad, it’s still swimming!” Five year old Roger stared in amazement as he watched his father place the struggling fish he had just caught into a nearby bucket. But his excitement turned to horror as he saw the fish gradually go limp. “Daddy! Put it back! Make it swim again!” “I can’t son,” his dad responded. “It’s been out of the water for too long. It’s dead now.”
 

A fish, when it is first taken out of water, continues to move in a swimming motion for a while. It is doing the right actions, but because it is in the wrong environment eventually it dies.

God spoke to the earth and commanded it to bring forth herbs, grasses and trees. Likewise He brought forth fish from the waters. If you uproot a plant from the earth it will die, unless you replant it into the ground which sustains its life. If you remove a marine animal from the sea it will die, unless you place it back into a body of water to keep it alive. 

The same principle applies to us, both physically and spiritually. Deprive a man of air for too long and he will eventually go limp and die.

At the beginning of creation God, who is Spirit, said, “Let’s US make man in Our own image.” – Genesis 1:26

Jesus said, “I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me, and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me (cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing. If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown off like a (broken off) branch and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire and they are burned.” – John 15: 5-6 (Amplified Bible).

You may do the right things – give to charitable causes, volunteer in your community and live a good moral life. You may even attend church and be part of a ministry. But without a Divine connection and intimate spiritual relationship with the True Vine, Jesus the Christ, you eventually will suffer the same fate as an uprooted plant or a fish out of water.