Month: January 2023

God’s Vineyard

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments 
Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, 
and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 
John 15:5 NLT
Photo by Julia Volk on Pexels.com

Have you ever started a conversation by saying, “You know the problem I have with our church is!”? Of course, there may be serious issues relating to personal misconduct or false doctrine, but more often than not our problem is that we may all be connected to the vine, we are at many different stages of growth. Some of us have been around for decades, but it has been so long since anyone harvested any of our fruit that it is overripe, mushy and a bit smelly. Then, we might find in the seat next to us Sir Jumps-a-lot, because he just became a Christian recently and His fruit is…well still a little bit tart! So, how in the world does Jesus expect us all to get along? The answer lies just a few verses ahead-

This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. John 15:12 ESV

And how exactly has Jesus loved us? Well, according to verse one, it is by staying connected through thick and thin. Even on days when we are pretty lousy branches, or when our blossoms are frost blighted or when old age has weakened a few of our limbs Jesus sticks with us. Then, He tells us that our only job is to stay connected (abiding) in Him. As long as we do that, He steps in and lovingly prunes us back when our head grows a few sizes too big, He waters us when we are dry, and He feeds us when we are hungry for His word. His love connection is not determined by how well we are doing today, or our stage of maturity. Then Jesus asks us to do the same with other people at our church, in our families and with our friends. As branches, it is not our job to accept or reject the branches growing around us. Our job is to love them just as Jesus loved us. Then, when someone who is not a believer shows up, they just may be so amazed by that loving connection, that they want to know more. Ours may not be a “Perfect church” but I believe that it is exactly the kind that God has in mind. So, whatever our stage of growth this morning, let’s just stay focused on staying connected to Jesus. Then, just as He promised, He will be faithful to stay connected to us and see to it that our branches are filled with delicious fruit!

Photo by Luiz M. Santos on Pexels.com

An Unexpected Promise

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment 
Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? John 14:1-2 ESV

While the other gospels just tell us that Jesus went from the Last Supper table to the Garden of Gethsemane; John allows us to listen in on the conversation along the way. Jesus begins by letting them know that one of them will betray Him, the rest of them will run away, and Peter will even deny Him. Of course, they are shocked and start to argue with Him. (Haven’t you argued a little with God once in a while?) But in today’s passage, we see that Jesus pivots, from the bad news about the disciples’ impending failure, to the amazing news about what God has in store. Today’s verse is one you probably have heard at a graveside ceremony or to people living out their final days. And while God’s promises certainly apply in those end-of-life situations, they are also true in our everyday world. Just like the disciples, we may be facing discouragement, confusion and fear. We find ourselves in the middle of battles we didn’t start and conflicts that we don’t know how to resolve. At exactly our lowest moment Jesus comes and gives us these words; “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me!”

You see, faith is not just handy for funerals or on Sunday mornings. Real faith, the Jesus kind of faith is meant for every day of our lives and can help us with whatever we are facing today. But real faith is more than just a gift. It is also a spiritual muscle that God wants us to exercise. Jesus actually commands us to get off our duffs and take control of our heart and say, “Stop all the fussing! God is still in control!” You might say you don’t have a lot of faith, but Jesus tells us we only need a mustard seed of faith to move mountains. So pick yourself up from the feeling sorry for yourself corner and to turn to God for strength. He knows what is going on and He says, “Don’t let your heart be troubled!” He has a special place prepared for us today!