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As the soil is related to the plant, as the branch is related
to the vine, as the wife is related to the husband, so then we can
produce fruit. If your life can be explained in any other way but
God, you haven’t understood the message. If someone looks at
your life and says, “Oh, he’s that way because he has a good
personality. He’s that way because he had a good education.
He’s had a lot of experience. He has a good program. He has
spiritual discipline. He gets up early and he prays and he reads
his Bible. He knows how to fast.” If someone explains your
life that way, you don’t understand fruit. Fruit comes from God
and it requires a miracle. That was illustrating works by the
life of God. He not only produces works but He manifests
Himself. I want to give one more illustration.
Acts 6:5, about Stephen, “And the statement found
approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen,
a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochours,
Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from
Antioch.” Acts 6:8, “And Stephen, full of grace and power,
was performing great wonders and signs among the people.”
He was full of the Holy Spirit, full of power, full of faith and
full of grace.
In order to get this illustration before your hearts, I want
to go back in the life of our Lord Jesus. He came as far as He
could come in the body God gave Him through the virgin. I’m
referring to when Jesus was hanging on the cross. He spoke,
you know, seven times. No one can deny that those were the
words of a crucified man. I’m saying it that way because if you
are a Christian, you are a crucified person. So, through the
words of a crucified man you should be able to say those words
because we are crucified with Christ.
I’m not going to go through all seven words but I want
to give you the terminal points. What was the first word that
Jesus said when He was on the cross? What was the last word
that He said when He was on the cross? The first word is in
Luke 23:34, “But Jesus was saying, ‘Father, forgive them; for
they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots,
dividing up His garments among themselves.” “Father, forgive
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