The Desire of the Heart

‘I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask for what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.' (John 15:1-8)
Pruning cuts branches back and away from nonyielding development. Yielding development 'glorifies God' which speaks to others.


'As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.' (John 15:9,10)


These words, in my opinion, represent the 'loosing that which has been loosed in heaven'(Matthew 16:19). In order to abide in Him after we have 'already been cleaned by His word spoken to us', we should be willing to ask for God's pruning in order to bear much fruit of the true vine, Jesus Christ. That is the heart's desire. If you have been asking the Father for anything in the name of Jesus Christ, this should refine your search. Remember! There is a place where a branch of discipleship is cast out and withered if pruning is ignored/resisted/rejected. Therefore, be steadfast in asking for it.

Ask for the Holy Spirit

‘Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.' (James 4:1-3)

‘And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.'

‘So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!' 

(Luke 11:5-13)

'Your desires for pleasure' as mentioned, are not granted by God because they are of no use in revealing Christ's witness in you. The Holy Spirit reveals/guides you into all truth: certainly the will of God. God knows how to build the testimony of Jesus within us by the Holy Spirit. We prove we don't know when we ask otherwise.

Fore-giveness is Coming Near You

Golfers recognize 'fore' as a warning to cover up: another player's shot is approaching people unexpectedly. Although embarrassing to lay claim to an errant shot, that willingness to act might protects others from injury.

‘And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.' (Mark 11:25,26)

(fore- a prefix meaning 'before' in space, time, condition etc.)

Throughout Jesus' time with the disciples, He taught them the keys of the kingdom of God. Surely, He expected that they would hear and practice the truth. As they did, Christ was formed in them; and as Christ was formed in them, they understood how to give of the testimony they had received BEFORE those could ask for it. Those whom they 'had something against' were undoubtedly the scribes and the chief priests in the temple. Jesus was about to lay down His life for all of them, and us. When we receive a revelation of Jesus Christ from the Father by the Holy Spirit, fore-give others by and in it, without hesitancy or resentment. 'Freely you have received, freely give.' (Matthew 10:8)

Subject to Which Prophets?

‘For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.'  (1 Corinthians 14:31-33)

'When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' (Matthew 16:13,14)

'Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God." And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy." '(Revelation 19:9,10)

John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah: prophets all. Their testimonies should remind us where our devotion should be. When one stands to speak in our gatherings, remember that the testimony of Jesus should be the intent.

Certain Men Think Otherwise

‘Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,

To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:

Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For CERTAIN MEN have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.' (Jude v.1-5)

'Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything YOU THINK OTHERWISE, God will reveal even this to you.' (Philippians 3:12-15)

'Contend for', with certainty, 'the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints': Jesus Christ crucified and raised from the dead. If you think otherwise, 'ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given you'.

The Man Who Does Those Things

‘For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them." But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.' (Romans 10:4-10)

Paul informs that Moses had regard for the man who does those things (what the law required for righteousness): that he would live by doing so. Paul informs that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. The righteousness of faith confesses the Lord Jesus and believes in the heart that God has raised Him from the dead. As you confess with the mouth and believe in the heart, allow your 'certainty' of the context to be made fruitful by the Holy Spirit, understanding that you will be blessed in doing so.

'Be angry, AND do not sin' (Ephesians 4:26)

“So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then He taught, saying to them, 'Is it not written, ''My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations"? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "(Mark 11:15-17)

Jesus went into the temple and 'drove out', 'overturned', 'disallowed' any activity which was not in accordance with His Father's will for 'a house of prayer' for all nations. He did nothing that could be considered beneficial to Himself. His actions appeared angry, but He did not sin. He did not depart from the Father's righteous call.

"Therefore, putting away lying, 'Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,' for we are members of one another. 'Be angry, and do not sin': do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.'(Ephesians 4:26,27)

"Let no CORRUPT WORD proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for NECESSARY EDIFICATION, that it may IMPART GRACE to the hearers."(Ephesians 4:29) We must be imitators of Christ's example: no corrupt word from selfish ambition or bitterness, but what is necessary to edify the the church. Jesus' actions when He went into the temple were a breath of fresh air to the remnant who were there for prayer; bothersome to those who were not: but necessary!