The Watchman's Diary

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day”—2 Corinthians 4:16

Our life in Messiah is one of constant and of putting off the behaviors, attitudes, and thoughts that are not proper reflections of the glory of God. Yeshua promises to remove the dead branches—those that produce no fruit for the kingdom and may well work in a manner that is threatening to the kingdom. These dead branches are sometimes manipulated by the enemy to make us shrink back from our purpose. Yet, we have no need to cower in their shadows. Yeshua tells us that these dead “branches are picked up and thrown into the fire and burned” (John 15:6).

By allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us and minister to us each day, we will put aside what is dying and produce fresh growth each day. When we put our trust in Yeshua and keep our covenant relationship with him we will spring up like healthy saplings among dead foliage. He will give the spiritual nourishment we need to produce fruit for the kingdom, win the warfare, and strengthen others in the process. He is the Vine. Our source of life and our refuge from the darkness tries to engulf us. He says, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away” (John 15:1-2a). He shatters the darkness so that His marvelous, life-giving light, can shine through and rejuvenate us.

Be strong in your faith, and don’t be afraid to break out from beneath the weight of dead works and spiritual clutter. Yeshua will give you the nourishment you need to bring about fresh fruit, even from among dead foliage. “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Ephesians 4:12), “put on the new self that is being renewed in knowledge, according to the image of the One who created him” (Colossians 3:10), and “knowing our old man was crucified with Him so that the sinful body might be done away with, so we no longer serve sin” (Romans 6:6)!