A foundational principle you need to know is that when Jesus said He was the true vine, He was also in fact insinuating that there are other “vines” out there that are not true—that are not the main vine.
Jesus was saying straight up that as second in command to God, nobody was in league with Him.
As an evangelist, my job is to tell other people about the true vine. So on one hand, I feel personally responsible for letting people know that there are a lot of other vines out there. There are vines of religion, vines of theology, vines of philosophy, etc.
Throughout life there will always be people who try to make up their own rules about God. They don’t want to accept that Jesus is the only way to God; they’d rather seek out their own, personal brands of “truth.”
If you’ve ever dabbled in that kind of thinking, I must tell you this: No matter how right it sounds, if an idea doesn’t base its beliefs on the whole Bible and have Jesus as the center of its teachings, it is a vine you never want to get tangled up in.
You don’t want to because anything that doesn’t center in on Jesus will choke the life right out of you. And I’m not talking figuratively. I’m talking literally! Hell’s flames are hot. Do you get my drift?
The fact is that man’s ideas have absolutely nothing to do with God’s reality and His plan for man. God is in control. He won’t change His truth to fit man’s ideas. Man’s ideas change from day to day, year to year, decade to decade, and century to century.
But God? Well, He never changes. He knew the world was round when, centuries ago, men were scared of sailing for fear they’d fall off the side of the world.
Today we’ve got theories floating around that are just about as ridiculous as the assumption that we live on a flat planet. But God knows what’s true. He isn’t theorizing. He isn’t swaying the truth on account of man’s flip-flopping theories.
Let’s face it, it really doesn’t matter what anybody thinks God ought to be like. It doesn’t matter what we think He ought to do or say. God is who He is. He said what He said. He made a plan for our salvation, deliverance, abundance, and healing through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. It isn’t up for negotiation.
Be aware of other vines which run contrary to God’s plan.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Jesse Duplantis, minister of the Gospel, motivational speaker, television personality, and best-selling author, has been in full-time ministry since 1976 and is the founder of Jesse Duplantis Ministries, located in the Greater New Orleans area of south Louisiana in the United States of America. With over four decades of sharing his unique blend of humor and faith around the world, generations of believers have been inspired by his messages and countless numbers have come to know Jesus Christ as Savior through his ministry.
Known for his unflinching, status-quo-breaking messages and humorous take on experiences in the life of the believer, Jesse continues to draw large audiences of believers through social media, television, and meetings held around the world. With speaking engagements booked years in advance, Jesse Duplantis continues to keep an intense traveling schedule, flying throughout the United States and the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With no booking agents pursuing meetings for him and no set fees imposed upon churches for speaking engagements, Jesse chooses his outreach meetings based on the same two criteria he always has: invitations that come in and prayer over each one. This uncommon way of scheduling in today’s world means Jesse’s many followers may find him speaking in some of the largest churches and venues in America and the world, as well as a great many small and growing congregations, too. No church is too big or small for the Holy Spirit, as he says.
Side by side with his wife Cathy Duplantis, the co-founder and chief of staff of Jesse Duplantis Ministries and the senior pastor of Covenant Church in Destrehan, Louisiana, Jesse continues to fulfill his life’s calling by daily taking up the Great Commission of Jesus Christ: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Through social media, television broadcasts, books, and other ministry products, as well as through many evangelistic meetings, the JDM website, the JDM app, and Voice of the Covenant magazine, Jesse Duplantis continues to see growth in his ministry and expand each year while maintaining his roots. Jesus is the center of his life. The salvation of lost people and the growth of believers is the purpose of his ministry. And for both he and his wife, every day is another day to “Reach People and Change Lives, One Soul at a Time.”