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!
Luke 13:6-9 NKJV
[6] He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. [7] Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ [8] But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. [9] And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”
The fig tree has been coming up lately – in this context, I think it is referring to unbelievers (the fig) found among believers(the vine).
When Jesus Christ cursed the fig tree, in this context does it refer to everyone in general (believers and unbelievers)?
Hi Anne, This is a very good question and to know the answer you have to start reading from verse 1. In it you will see who Jesus was speaking and get the context to know how to apply what follows in verse 6-9. Read it and let me know what you think. Blessings
Hi,
The bit that got me a bit confused was Mark 11 when Jesus cursed the fig tree- began looking into this- Jesus had just gotten into Jerusalem (the triumphant entry) then left for Bethany. On His way from Bethany, He got hungry and the incidence of the fig- tree is seen here–Coming to his people, he found only rejection and spite. Jesus cursed the barren fig tree. According to Mark, it was “withered away to its roots” when he and the disciples passed it the next morning (11:20), a sign for them of the fruitlessness of Israel, an echo of the prophetic word that “even the leaves are withered” (Jeremiah 8:13).
ideally I take it to mean, though maintaining the outward forms of the people of God, Israel was a dead tree that rejected the Word of God. I think the bit I am still struggling with is within today’s context- where we were looking at believers and unbelievers—-I think and could be wrong that believers are vines, always connected to Jesus Christ, as apart from Him we can do nothing……..but even as believers we can be like the fig tree in certain aspects of our lives where we have outward religious pretense(which showcases peace with God, prosperity) yet that part of us lacks genuine inner fruit—still looking more into this and pray for guidance from Holy Spirit on this especially since it is something that stood out for me. Thanks
Hi Anne, I would say you got it 100%. Even as Christians we can have the outward show (going to church, praying, etc.) but after years there is no fruit on our lives which gives us away as not really being connected to the vine. I don’t believe Jesus would put a requirement on a non believer to bear fruit, do you? He said apart from Me you can do nothing. Well, an unbeliever is already separated from Him therefore He is not expecting any fruit from them. It is for us as Christians to realize that the Lord, even though He loves us, STILL requires fruit and as I said in the post, it can be external fruit but it can also be a fruit of the Spirit which is CHARACTER. We MUST bear fruit. Blessings
According to Jesus, the people who walk away from Him are actually unbelievers. They aren’t saved. They want to be, they try to be, they follow Him for a while…but in the end they walk away. Their “faith” didn’t actually come from God.
John 6 BSB
*emphasis mine
28Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”
29Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”
*(In order to be saved, we must believe in Jesus.)
35Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst. 36But as I stated, you have seen Me and still you do not believe.
*(Some people see Him, they see His works and believe He is real, they follow Him hoping for the blessings.)
37Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away. 38For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.
39And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. 40For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
*(The Father chooses us and gives us true faith to believe in Jesus. None of those who have been saved can lose their salvation according to Jesus Christ’s own words.)
47Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life.
*(eternal, 166 greek, aiónios: Eternal, everlasting, forever. From aion; perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well) — eternal, for ever, everlasting, world (began).)
48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”
52At this, the Jews began to argue among themselves, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”
*(These Jews did not BELIEVE him. I kind of feel sorry for them…it does sound like complete nonsense to the flesh. They had not been given true faith by God to believe in Jesus. It’s ironic considering they say they believe in God the Father.)
53So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you. 54Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink.
56Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. 57Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
(This next part is where Jesus explains how people can be His followers and at the same time unbelievers. Remember, per God’s word, the only work we must do is BELIEVE in the One God sent, Jesus Christ, and only the Father can give us this faith.
Belief= saved.
Unbelief= not saved.)
59Jesus said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60On hearing it, many of His disciples said, “This is a difficult teaching. Who can accept it?”
*(When things get difficult, some people quit. I personally believe we all would quit at some point apart from the grace of God.)
61Aware that His disciples were grumbling about this teaching, Jesus asked them, “Does this offend you? 62Then what will happen if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before?
63The Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64However, there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him.)
*(God knows those who are His.)
65Then Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has granted it to him.”
66From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.
(They straight up quit following Jesus when it became impossible for them to believe in their own fleshy intellect. They do not have true, God given faith. They are not saved, and were not saved even while they appeared to follow Christ. Just as you pointed out that the branches that do not produce fruit are cut off because they are fake. Truth.)
I point this out because believing that people can lose their salvation causes alot of fear and confusion in the body of Christ. I lived in fear for most of my life while sitting under this kind of teaching, never being sure of where I stood with God.
I have been blessed by your ministry here many times. God has confirmed His words to me through you, and I hope you receive this feedback in the spirit I am sending it, out of love and thanksgiving for the 100% truth we have found in Jesus.
Grace and peace.
Your sister in Christ,
Kay
I agree with you. And no one should walk around being afraid that they are going to lose their salvation because they committed a sin when they are truly saved. However, I do believe that along the way we are given a choice and we have to choose Him. One such scripture that made me realize it is possible to lose your salvation is Matthew 6:14-15. Upon reading that I realized that you can lose your salvation if you are not willing to forgive others and you hold unforgiveness in your heart. It’s not like we commit one sin and we lose our salvation, no, it is when we make a concerted effort in our heart to depart from what He is saying. And still there are many Christians who REFUSE to forgive someone that has hurt them. That was the scripture that made me realize that choosing Christ is not a one time deal. We have to choose Him in the difficult moments too. In the end times when the mark of the beast comes about that too will have to do with choice. We get to choose Him and the choice happens more than once in our lifetime. When we are faced with martyrdom, what choices will we make? It’s not like you’re going to stub your toe, trip and fall and lose your salvation, it’s that we CHOOSE to lose it. When there is a fork in the road, which one will you take? Scripture is clear that it is those who endure till the end who will be saved. Blessings