How to Abide in Jesus and Finally Bear Spiritual Fruit

 Abiding for Supernatural Fruit

The mist was rising slowly over the Pascagoula River, a thin, ethereal veil that seemed to separate the physical world from the spiritual. I was standing out in the Mississippi Sandhill Crane Preserve, a place I often frequent when the walls of my office start to feel a little too narrow. You know that feeling? The computer is humming, the social media notifications are pinging like a frantic pinball machine, and the "to-do" list for the blog is staring you down.

I had to get away. I had to unplug.

As I walked, the only sound was the crunch of my boots on the trail and the distant call of a crane. It’s in these moments of quiet that I realize just how hard the world fights for our attention. It’s a literal battle. We try to speak the words of God from heaven to the people on this planet, acting as ambassadors for Christ, but it’s hard to represent a Kingdom you haven't visited lately. We are supposed to be heavenly minded, yet we get bogged down in the chores of the earth. I realized that if I’m too close to the noise, I can’t focus on God. Even when I pick up my guitar to worship, my mind starts wandering toward hashtags and email replies.

The Lord began to drop a revelation into my heart right there in the park. It was about the vine. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15:5 KJV).

Introduction

We all want the fruit, don't we? We want the answered prayers, the peace that passes understanding, and the power to see the sick healed. But many of us are trying to produce fruit while being disconnected from the root. We are exhausted, frustrated, and feeling like our spiritual gears are grinding. We’ve been "Bible chopping"—grabbing a verse here and there to suit our needs—while ignoring the fundamental command to abide.

The problem is that the flesh loves a shortcut. It wants a "get out of hell free" card without the transformation of the soul. We want the promises of Romans 10 without the lifestyle of Matthew 7. But if we want to be Earthly good, we have to be Spirit-filled. We have to push the worldly stuff out so the presence of God can rush in.

Main Message

Abiding isn't a passive activity; it’s an intentional remaining. Jesus said, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you (John 15:7 KJV). Notice the order there. His words have to take up residence in us. You can’t do what Jesus says without knowing what He said.

I think about the Sermon on the Mount often. Jesus concludes those three chapters in Matthew by saying that whoever hears His sayings and does them is like a man who built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock (Matthew 7:25 KJV). We focus so much on the doing, but we forget that the building only happens when we keep those sayings in the forefront of our minds.

Lately, I’ve been looking at the fruit of people like my friends Garry and Nancy Nesbit. They aren't just "theologians"; they are practitioners. They’ve been to Bible colleges, sure, but their relationship with Jesus wasn't manufactured in a classroom. It was forged in the secret place and on the streets. They see people healed because they’ve learned to move from glory to glory, revelation to revelation.

I used to wonder why I would see someone limping in the grocery store and hesitate. There’s a mental battle that happens. You see the person in pain, and the Spirit nudges you, but then your ego starts screaming. "What if they don't get healed? What if I look stupid?" We call it "not feeling led," but if we’re honest, we’re just protecting our reputation.

I’ve had to learn that serving Him is our "reasonable service." I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1 KJV). Part of that sacrifice is laying down our ego on the altar of the shopping aisle.

Personal Reflections

I’ll be the first to admit, I haven't always been "instant in season." There are days when I put on my "Jesus shirt," grab my ministry goodie bags, and head out with a purpose. On those days, I’m ready. But what about the Tuesdays when I’m just trying to buy milk? That’s where the real abiding shows up.

I remember a time when I missed an opportunity to pray for someone because I was too focused on my own schedule. I felt that familiar sting of the Spirit afterward. It wasn't condemnation; it was a correction. Jesus was showing me that I was acting like the priest and the Levite who had "important" religious places to be, while the man in the ditch was left alone.

I’ve had to learn from people like Todd White and the Praying Medic. They didn't start out seeing 90% of people healed. They prayed for hundreds, maybe thousands, before the breakthrough came. They had to continue. Jesus said, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed (John 8:31 KJV). Continuing means you don't stop when it gets awkward or when the results don't match your expectations immediately. You keep abiding.

Biblical References

The foundation of everything I teach is the Word of God. We cannot have a "spiritual" relationship with Jesus that isn't a "worded-up" relationship. The Spirit and the Word always agree. In Joshua 1:8, we are told, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (KJV).

Success in the Kingdom isn't about numbers; it’s about fruit that remains. It’s about being like the wise man in Matthew 7. If we don't hide the word in our hearts, we don't have the ammunition we need when the world fights for our attention. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee (Psalm 119:11 KJV).

Key Takeaways

• Unplug to Recharge: You cannot hear the "still small voice" if the world is shouting in your ears. Get to a park, get to a river, and get alone with God.

• Stop Bible Chopping: Don't use scripture as a convenience. Study the sum of the Word to find the balance of truth.

• Kill the Ego: Your reputation is not worth more than someone else's healing. Be willing to look "stupid" for the sake of the Gospel.

• Ministry is Proximity: As Heidi Baker says, ministry is simply loving the person right in front of you. It’s not about the crowd; it’s about the soul.

• Persistence is Key: Continue in the Word and the work even when you don't see immediate results.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Abiding in the vine is the difference between a life of religious striving and a life of supernatural overflowing. When your cup is full of the Spirit, it naturally spills over onto those around you. You don't have to "try" to be a witness; you simply are one because you’ve been at the feet of the Master.

If you’ve been feeling dry, I want to encourage you to go deeper. Get a copy of my book, Open Your Eyes, to help you see the spiritual reality around you, or check out Overcoming Night Terror if you are battling the enemy in your sleep. Both are available at ConradRocks.net.

Don't let the "television" or the "vanity magazines" fill your mind. Like Smith Wigglesworth, be so jealous for the presence of God that you won't even let a worldly newspaper in your door if it interrupts your peace.

Until we meet again, dig deeper and go higher.

Action Items

1. Schedule a 30-minute "Unplugged Walk": Leave the phone in the car and simply walk and talk with the Lord, meditating on John 15.

2. Identify Your "Bible Chop": Ask the Holy Spirit to show you if you've been leaning on a single verse while ignoring the rest of Jesus' teachings.

3. The "Next Person" Challenge: Commit to praying for the very next person you see in public who appears to be in need, regardless of how "prepared" you feel.

4. Audit Your Inputs: Replace one hour of worldly entertainment this week with scripture memorization or listening to a faith-building podcast at ConradRocks.net.