This prophetic word is titled Apart From Me You Can Do Nothing.
Who is this word for? Everyone.
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I was in the kitchen making breakfast one morning and I decided to save myself one of the steps and use less utensils so I would have less to clean up. The minute I inserted this one step I realized it was not going to work out. I ended up using more utensils to “fix” the mistake and it took me longer and I had to clean more dishes than usual.
In that moment, I said to myself “oh goodness, this was so simple I can’t believe I couldn’t figure this out”. Then I heard the audible voice of the Lord say to me…
“Apart from Me, you can do nothing”
Apparently, Not even make breakfast!! LOL
3 Things rang out to me in my spirit at that moment, (1) this was such a simple thing, why do I need the Lord to help me with it? I know what I am doing, AND I STILL MESSED IT UP! (2) it’s something in the natural not a super complicated spiritual task or ministry work! (3) I’ve this same breakfast over and over and over again, but here it is I still messed it up wasted time, caused myself more work than necessary and still had more dishes to clean up because I (yes, me) decided to change something and never consulted the Lord.
Then right there I started thinking that where we have all failed in the past, at something or with someone, it is highly likely we will fail again if we start doing things the way we think it should be done without asking the Lord. You know the goodly “well, maybe if I do it this way it will be successful this time”. When the truth is, we never asked the Lord how to go about it. If you failed the first time, you’ll fail the second time unless God is directing your steps.
It became abundantly clear to me that the Lord in this instance was talking about natural things, natural steps and natural processes and not so much a spiritual thing.
After breakfast I went to study this scripture. Remember now there is spiritual significance to this scripture and there is natural significance. Let’s start by examining the spiritual significance first. Here it is…
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John 15:1-8
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
(1). This scripture is written to the church so this is for believers.
(2) Who is doing the pruning? The Father. The Tree belongs to the Father. But you can’t get to the Father unless you go through the Son, the Tree. (John 14:6)
(3) You are the branch, we are the branches. Your only sustenance for life comes from being connected to the Tree, which has a root system.
(4) The Father is cutting off anything, anyone that is not bearing fruit. While you are physically backing away from something or someone, God the Father is ultimately the One who told you to move away from that or them. Because there is no fruit there.
(5) Once the branch (Christians), get cut from the Tree initially they are still going to have green leaves attached to them so you might get deceived because they will appear to still be connected. Because at one time they were connected. But with time as the Son starts to shine, it will become apparent that they are not attached to the Tree. They will become DRY, STAGNANT, NOTHING FRESH and for sure NO FRUIT. Because they are no longer attached.
- Days 1–7: Leaves begin to lose turgor pressure, turning limp, dull, and shifting from green to dry or crisp.
- Weeks 1–4: Leaves completely dry out, brown, and frequently drop off. Smaller twigs become brittle.
- Months 2–24: Detached twigs and smaller branches undergo initial physical breakdown and half-life decay on the ground.
- Years 2–5+: Complete structural decay and rotting of larger severed branches depends on weather exposure and ground contact.
That’s why you can have ministry leaders that fell down years before you even notice something is wrong. The bigger the branch, the longer it will take for you to notice. If it’s a small branch, it will start showing very quickly.
This is why I say to you, when you notice you need an oil change, get one!
If you notice you need to step back and fuel up, then that is exactly what you need to do.
Because you are the only one who knows the state of your relationship with Christ.
(6). The branches that are still attached will be pruned. This is not a cutting off from the Tree but a cutting off of unfruitful habits, behaviors, attitudes, mindsets, ways and methods of doing things that are actually hindering your FRUITFULNESS. Yes, it is painful when you have to make a change but believe me the fruit that will come about after you do it is far beyond what you could’ve achieved if you hang on to what God is pruning.
(7) The most peculiar verse in this whole section, to me, is this…verse 5 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. You are cleansed by the washing of the Word (the fact that you read the Bible). It is the word of God that opens your eyes to know what you need to cut off, it renews the mind so that your mindset is clean, clear and pure. The continual reading of and doing the word is a continual washing.
To me, this means that the people that remain or stay on the Tree and don’t get cut off are the ones who bear fruit and read/do the word. The Word is the water, the Tree needs water. Jesus is the Word (John 1).
(8) As you stay with Jesus, remain connected to the Tree, you will be fruitful. It is IMPOSSIBLE for you not to bear fruit when you are connected to Him. Therefore, the fact that a branch was cut off because it didn’t bear fruit means that it was a FAKE branch. It wasn’t real. They were never connected to the vine.
It is the dividing of the wheat and the tares. He allows them to stay for a while and the two to grow together but they were never really IN Him. (Matthew 24:24-30).
Time reveals everything.
(9) By submitting to the pruning you are going to have so much more fruit than you already have.
Apart from Me, you can do nothing!
This is like a spiritual death.
It was Moses who said to God
Exodus 33:15
“If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.
Brothers and Sisters, as I was typing this I tried to imagine what it would feel like going somewhere or doing something without the Presence of God. Oh my goodness, I started to cry.
That is the worse thing in the world that could ever happen to you, or anyone for that matter!!!!!!!!!!! In this world? Right now? Today? Ah NO! In this economy? With all the lies in the news, media and the government? NO! If you don’t have God, His Presence with you then I don’t see how you would ever survive. Just imagine having no one greater than you to help you navigate. The Beauty of a relationship with Jesus is the HE knows more than you and those who are against you.
Circling back to the beginning, I can’t even make breakfast without making a mess without Him! Ha!
(10) He says once you get cut off all that is left to happen is for you to be picked up and thrown into the fire. I don’t know but I believe this is another scripture that clearly points to the fact that you can lose your salvation. At least when you decided to disconnect, and remain disconnected from the True Vine, Jesus.
This is totally by choice because I believe all of us know when we are straying and need to get back on track with the Lord. Get back on track quickly if you feel you are drifting.
(11). If we remain in Him, and His words remain in us (storing up the Bible in our hearts) ask for what you want and it will be done for you.
YES!!! His word abiding in you will instruct your prayer request. When we ask for things outside of the scriptures is when we don’t see it happening. When we ask for things that are not in His will for us is when we don’t get the answers.
The Word inside of you is what will direct your request. This is in essence, praying the scriptures. He will never bless something that goes against His word, it is unbiblical.
(12) It says that your fruitfulness brings glory to the Father and shows that you are His disciple.
Makes sense! If you’re fruitful, in spite of what is happening in the world, obviously GOD is with you!
Fruitfulness spiritually manifested looks like…
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Gentleness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Self Control
This is the spiritual fruit. And, by their fruit you shall know them. You can be in want and be loving. You can be sick and still have JOY. This is how you know you are connected to the Vine. Apart from God, you will never have spiritual fruit. Spiritual fruit is not dependent upon natural circumstances.
You do not need to have a perfect life for this fruit to be evident. Because this is SPIRITUAL and the things that are causing people angst and to have a bad attitude are generally, NATURAL things.
SELAH.
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Why do we prune trees?
(1) to remove the overgrowth, crowding in the middle to allow the sunlight to come in. No sun, no growth..aka removing busyness and unnecessary clutter that stops the LIGHT, THE SON, from getting in.
(2) to remove diseased branches so that the disease doesn’t spread…aka it is a normal part of life for you to get hurt, wounded, traumatized because of the season you just came through. If you don’t sit with the Lord and let Him cut off those things from your heart and mind, that disease will spread and that is how you end up with a root of bitterness (Hebrew 12:15) because you never dealt with it in a timely fashion. Once it spreads, whatever you touch is a mess because you have bitterness in your heart.
This is not something you stuff, or try to hide. It is going to come to the surface sooner or later.
By removing the busyness and unnecessary chores, tasks, projects that you’ve picked up you now free up your time to spend with the Lord, letting the Son shine in with His word to give you direction and clarity. Busyness doesn’t equate importance, it’s just busyness. Cut back.
It’s OK to have nothing going on for an entire day. To be FREE. You do not always need to have something to DO.
If you know the bitterness is there from past or your current season, just sit with the Lord and ask Him to heal you.
While you may appear to be OK on the outside, believe me when I tell you, people who are discerning can pick up on your bitterness.
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Now, to the natural application which is what the Lord was speaking to me.
I believe we are coming upon a time in our world where those who have truly tapped into the Vine will begin to bear fruit NATURALLY.
People are going to see it.
This was the story of Joseph. The region was in a famine and he had a strategy from God on how to sustain not only the Jews but the Egyptians and neighboring communities. This was in the natural. It wasn’t his dream, but God gave him the key to unlock it. Then he was given the strategy on how to do it.
YOU may be the key to someone’s plan. God is going to position you exactly where you should be so that it will come together.
This means that even though the world is falling apart financially and economically, the Lord can still provide for you and you will be able to support your family, because He will show you how to NATURALLY produce from the VINE.
Going back to Isaac’s story, he did not go to Egypt, he stayed in the land that was experiencing the famine and STILL produced in the natural. The location didn’t matter it was the fact that he was connected to the Vine. It became a symbol to those around him that GOD was with him.
Natural fruit, not just spiritual.
Mark 11:12-14
12 The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. 14 Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!”And the disciples heard him say it.
He had an expectation for fruit because the branches are connected to the tree, NOT because it was the season for figs!
The connection. The connection. The connection. The connection to the Vine, is what brings the fruit. Not the season, the connection. There’s an expectation because of the connection. If you are attached, you MUST have fruit, in season or out of season. Even in a famine. THIS is what the Lord is saying with this scripture. If you abide in Me you will bear much fruit, not just in season, anytime!
Mark 11:20-24
The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. 21 Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!”
22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. 25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”
The pruning of removing the grudge from the heart needs to happen before you can pray and say and pray things in faith and believe they will be done.
God is calling for Fruitfulness – in the Natural even in an environment when it looks like it shouldn’t be happening. And, you are going to succeed because of your connection to the True Vine.
THIS is what the Lord is doing right now!
The world could be falling apart around you, and you are still going to be ok.
THIS is how they will know you are connected to Him and you are one of His disciples and please know that it brings the Father GLORY! I’m not talking about showing off or boasting because of what you have. You still have to be careful what you share because jealousy and envy is a real thing and you don’t want to be drawing unnecessary attention to yourself.
(1) If you want to increase financially or in the natural, ask the Lord. HE will do it because you are connected to the True Vine.
(2) Before you get involved in any kind of business, ask the Lord. Even if it sounds like a good idea, it will not succeed if that is not what He wants you to do.
(3) Don’t ever approach God in fear, if you start to pray about this with fear and anxiety in your heart there is a possibility you won’t hear clearly because your motivation for asking was based on fear and anxiety.
(4) Don’t assume you know what to do or how to do it, ask the Lord.
(5) Ask the Lord what you should be doing with the money you are receiving because sowing and reaping is a real thing and when you put the money where HE tells you to put it, you will succeed.
(6) Sometimes things don’t work out because it was in the wrong season and perhaps the season has changed and the Lord may tell you to revisit some things. Naomi went back to her home town with Ruth. It wasn’t a new town, it was an old place revisited, approached in a new way within the timing of God.
(7) Other times it didn’t work out because you went about it the wrong way, so if you see yourself approaching it in the same way you did the last time. STOP. Your strategy may need to change and only the Lord can tell you how to do it.
Yes, changes need to be made but do not assume you know what the changes are. Apart from Me, you can do nothing.
Prayer: Lord, can you show me how to go about this?
He will show you a simplistic way of doing it that in the end you’ll ask yourself, why in the world did I not think about this before?
Blessings!
