ListenDaily - 30 June 2009: Whew!
"I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."
1 Corinthians 9:23 NIV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
What a two weeks I have had! For those of you who do not know, I spent the week of June 13th - 19th in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, with six other adults and eleven youth from our church. I returned to our annual Vacation Bible School, over 200 kids screaming, laughing, learning, and praising God. And I got to teach them how to share their faith with others.
My cup is spilling over!
Both the mission trip and VBS required a lot of planning, hard work, and long hours, for many, many people. Why do we do this? "I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."
I have truly been blessed.
Now that I have shared that...what is on your mind? Is there a passage, an idea, or a question that you would like to investigate here in the ListenDaily?
I eagerly wait for your response!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. How has God blessed you lately? 2. Do you easily recognize His blessing? 3. What Scripture/theology/God-related question is on your mind?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"A man may lose the good things of this life against his will;
but if he loses the eternal blessings, he does so with his own consent."
Augustine
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
ListenDaily - 12 June 2009: Matamoros, part 5: Making
ListenDaily - 12 June 2009: Matamoros, part 5: Making
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20 NIV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
Tomorrow morning, I will be leaving Delaware, along with a group of youth and adults from my church, for a week of serving Christ in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico., the first of two trips this summer. The second is to Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Matamoros trip is planned for the 13 - 19 of June. During that time, may I ask you to pray for the following?
For our safety
For each of us to grow in Christ
For His Name to be glorified and His Kingdom expanded
In preparation, I thought the "Great Commission" passage was an appropriate one to study.
"Therefore go and make disciples..."
"...make disciples..."
I made a cake.
Did you ever make a cake?
I have made cakes from mixes, and from scratch. But even from scratch, I did not milk the cow or grind the wheat. From scratch or from a box, I brought ingredients together, followed the tried and true instructions for mixing them, and when to stop mixing and put the new combination into the oven. The instructions told me how approximately how long to bake it, signs to look for that it had baked long enough, andhow long to leave it alone when I removed it from the heat.
Did you ever make a disciple?
Remember, Jesus said “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed." (from John 8)
So how do we "make disciples"?
Ingredients:
The Word of God, a person, yourself
Instructions:
Take yourself and person, mix well (relationship), add ever-increasing amounts of the Word of God ("teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you")
Place mixture into the Hands of God. "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God can make things grow." (from 1 Corinthians 3)
Never remove, and don't let it cool.
Jesus has given you a commandment, and His authority...
"Therefore go and make disciples..."!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. Will you pray for our mission trip? 2. What do you think of this perspective? 3. Are you involved in any disciple-making?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China.
With these facts before you and with the command of the Lord
Jesus to go and preach the gospel to every creature, you need
rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home.
Hudson Taylor
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20 NIV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
Tomorrow morning, I will be leaving Delaware, along with a group of youth and adults from my church, for a week of serving Christ in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico., the first of two trips this summer. The second is to Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Matamoros trip is planned for the 13 - 19 of June. During that time, may I ask you to pray for the following?
For our safety
For each of us to grow in Christ
For His Name to be glorified and His Kingdom expanded
In preparation, I thought the "Great Commission" passage was an appropriate one to study.
"Therefore go and make disciples..."
"...make disciples..."
I made a cake.
Did you ever make a cake?
I have made cakes from mixes, and from scratch. But even from scratch, I did not milk the cow or grind the wheat. From scratch or from a box, I brought ingredients together, followed the tried and true instructions for mixing them, and when to stop mixing and put the new combination into the oven. The instructions told me how approximately how long to bake it, signs to look for that it had baked long enough, andhow long to leave it alone when I removed it from the heat.
Did you ever make a disciple?
Remember, Jesus said “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed." (from John 8)
So how do we "make disciples"?
Ingredients:
The Word of God, a person, yourself
Instructions:
Take yourself and person, mix well (relationship), add ever-increasing amounts of the Word of God ("teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you")
Place mixture into the Hands of God. "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God can make things grow." (from 1 Corinthians 3)
Never remove, and don't let it cool.
Jesus has given you a commandment, and His authority...
"Therefore go and make disciples..."!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. Will you pray for our mission trip? 2. What do you think of this perspective? 3. Are you involved in any disciple-making?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China.
With these facts before you and with the command of the Lord
Jesus to go and preach the gospel to every creature, you need
rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home.
Hudson Taylor
Thursday, June 11, 2009
ListenDaily - 11 June 2009: Matamoros, part 4: Therefore...go!
ListenDaily - 11 June 2009: Matamoros, part 4: Therefore...go!
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20 NIV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
Early this Saturday morning, I will be leaving Delaware, along with a group of youth and adults from my church, for a week of serving Christ in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico., the first of two trips this summer. The second is to Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Matamoros trip is planned for the 13 - 19 of June. During that time, may I ask you to pray for the following?
For our safety
For each of us to grow in Christ
For His Name to be glorified and His Kingdom expanded
In preparation, I thought the "Great Commission" passage was an appropriate one to study.
"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go..."
"Therefore go..."
Go.
Go.
Go.
Go to Mexico for a week, like we are. Go to a Muslim Middle Eastern country to live for a few years, like friends of ours. Go to Africa or China and stay for the rest of your lives, like many missionaries have before.
Go across the street.
Go home.
Go where God is calling you -- but know, know, that He is indeed calling to to go somewhere...indeed He has commanded you, to go.
Therefore go!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. Will you pray for our mission trip? 2. Have you heard God's call? 3. What will you do to hear it?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China.
With these facts before you and with the command of the Lord
Jesus to go and preach the gospel to every creature, you need
rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home.
Hudson Taylor
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20 NIV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
Early this Saturday morning, I will be leaving Delaware, along with a group of youth and adults from my church, for a week of serving Christ in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico., the first of two trips this summer. The second is to Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Matamoros trip is planned for the 13 - 19 of June. During that time, may I ask you to pray for the following?
For our safety
For each of us to grow in Christ
For His Name to be glorified and His Kingdom expanded
In preparation, I thought the "Great Commission" passage was an appropriate one to study.
"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go..."
"Therefore go..."
Go.
Go.
Go.
Go to Mexico for a week, like we are. Go to a Muslim Middle Eastern country to live for a few years, like friends of ours. Go to Africa or China and stay for the rest of your lives, like many missionaries have before.
Go across the street.
Go home.
Go where God is calling you -- but know, know, that He is indeed calling to to go somewhere...indeed He has commanded you, to go.
Therefore go!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. Will you pray for our mission trip? 2. Have you heard God's call? 3. What will you do to hear it?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China.
With these facts before you and with the command of the Lord
Jesus to go and preach the gospel to every creature, you need
rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home.
Hudson Taylor
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
ListenDaily - 10 June 2009: Matamoros, part 3: Therefore
ListenDaily - 10 June 2009: Matamoros, part 3: Therefore
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20 NIV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
Good morning friends! Early this Saturday morning, I will be leaving Delaware, along with a group of youth and adults from my church, for a week of serving Christ in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico., the first of two trips this summer. The second is to Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Matamoros trip is planned for the 13 - 19 of June. During that time, may I ask you to pray for the following?
For our safety
For each of us to grow in Christ
For His Name to be glorified and His Kingdom expanded
In preparation, I thought the "Great Commission" passage was an appropriate one to study.
"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore..."
"Therefore..."
According to the dictionary, 'therefore' means; "for that reason" or, "consequently or, "because of that" or, "on that ground". So then, everything (in this passage) that Jesus says after "therefore", stands on what He said just before. So the going, the discipling, the baptizing, the teaching, and the promise of His presence rely on what He said just before "therefore".
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
You know, in human terms, we have to be careful using absolutes. When we talk about 'everything', 'always', and the like, we are often using hyperbole to make a point. But not Jesus. He did not mean 'a little authority', or 'some authority', no, He said exactly what He meant. "All authority..."
"All authority in heaven and on earth..."
So the going, the discipling, the baptizing, the teaching, have nothing to do with our authority or our ability, but that we submit to Jesus and His authority. Then we speak in and with His authority. You remember the old movie scenes, don't you? Where the policeman chases the bad guy and shouts 'STOP! IN THE NAME OF THE LAW!!!" The policeman was not the law. He did not make the law. He did not write the law. But because of his chosen path in life, he represented the law, and was allowed to do whatever the law called him to do, under the authority of the law.
And, church, so it is with us. We are not authority, we do not make authority, and we have no authority in and of ourselves. But we represent "all authority in heaven and on earth" and we can speak with that authority, and we can act with that authority. To do less is to do less than He has commanded us to do. For "all authority in heaven and on earth" has been given to Jesus.
Therefore...go!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Will you pray for our mission trip? 2. Have you ever experienced being under the authority of Christ? 3. How about acting and/or speaking under His authority?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason---I do not accept the authority of popes and councils,
for they have contradicted each other---my conscience is captive to the Word of God.
I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.
Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen."
Martin Luther
"The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example,
not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power,
but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve."
John Stott
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20 NIV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
Good morning friends! Early this Saturday morning, I will be leaving Delaware, along with a group of youth and adults from my church, for a week of serving Christ in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico., the first of two trips this summer. The second is to Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Matamoros trip is planned for the 13 - 19 of June. During that time, may I ask you to pray for the following?
For our safety
For each of us to grow in Christ
For His Name to be glorified and His Kingdom expanded
In preparation, I thought the "Great Commission" passage was an appropriate one to study.
"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore..."
"Therefore..."
According to the dictionary, 'therefore' means; "for that reason" or, "consequently or, "because of that" or, "on that ground". So then, everything (in this passage) that Jesus says after "therefore", stands on what He said just before. So the going, the discipling, the baptizing, the teaching, and the promise of His presence rely on what He said just before "therefore".
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
You know, in human terms, we have to be careful using absolutes. When we talk about 'everything', 'always', and the like, we are often using hyperbole to make a point. But not Jesus. He did not mean 'a little authority', or 'some authority', no, He said exactly what He meant. "All authority..."
"All authority in heaven and on earth..."
So the going, the discipling, the baptizing, the teaching, have nothing to do with our authority or our ability, but that we submit to Jesus and His authority. Then we speak in and with His authority. You remember the old movie scenes, don't you? Where the policeman chases the bad guy and shouts 'STOP! IN THE NAME OF THE LAW!!!" The policeman was not the law. He did not make the law. He did not write the law. But because of his chosen path in life, he represented the law, and was allowed to do whatever the law called him to do, under the authority of the law.
And, church, so it is with us. We are not authority, we do not make authority, and we have no authority in and of ourselves. But we represent "all authority in heaven and on earth" and we can speak with that authority, and we can act with that authority. To do less is to do less than He has commanded us to do. For "all authority in heaven and on earth" has been given to Jesus.
Therefore...go!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Will you pray for our mission trip? 2. Have you ever experienced being under the authority of Christ? 3. How about acting and/or speaking under His authority?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason---I do not accept the authority of popes and councils,
for they have contradicted each other---my conscience is captive to the Word of God.
I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.
Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen."
Martin Luther
"The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example,
not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power,
but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve."
John Stott
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
ListenDaily - 09 June 2009: Matamoros, part 2: Jesus will close the gap
ListenDaily - 09 June 2009: Matamoros, part 2: Jesus will close the gap
"Then Jesus came to them..."
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20 NIV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
Good morning friends! Early this Saturday morning, I will be leaving Delaware, along with a group of youth and adults from my church, for a week of serving Christ in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico., the first of two trips this summer. The second is to Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Matamoros trip is planned for the 13 - 19 of June. During that time, may I ask you to pray for the following?
For our safety
For each of us to grow in Christ
For His Name to be glorified and His Kingdom expanded
In preparation, I thought the "Great Commission" passage was an appropriate one to study.
"Then Jesus came to them..."
I praise God for His patience, and His continual teaching. I have read this passage countless times, but until yesterday, I had never paid much attention to the phrase "some doubted". Today, this phrase, "then Jesus came to them" jumped off the page.
The eleven remaining disciples were obedient, they followed the steps to Jesus. They "...went to Galilee, to the mountain...they saw Him...they worshiped him..."
"...then Jesus came to them..."
Now I have to ask, does that strike you like it did me? The went to Galilee, climbed the mountain, saw Jesus, and worshipped Him...but stopped short of going to Him! This astounds me. They went all that way, did all that work, recognized Him for who He was, but stopped short of going to Him. I was amazed at this! How could they get so close to Jesus then stop short?
My amazement soon vanished. You see, I'm guilty of the same thing, and have often been. I have gone to church, or some other place to see Him. I have made the effort. I have recognized His presence and worshipped Him.
And I have stopped short of going all the way to Him.
Maybe you have experienced something similar. But I have good news! If we make it that far, if we come seeking Him, He will do for us what He did for the Eleven. "Jesus came to them..."
And He will come to you, if you will let Him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Will you pray for our mission trip? 2. Have you ever left a time of worship and felt like you were so close to Jesus, but left without Him? 3. Have you offered your doubts to Jesus?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"You wonder why people choose fields away from the States when young people
at home are drifting because no one wants to take time to listen to their problems.
Ill tell you why I left. Because those Stateside young people have every opportunity to study,
hear, and understand the Word of God in their own language, and these Indians have no opportunity whatsoever.
I have had to make a cross of two logs, and lie down on it, to show the Indians what it means to crucify a man.
When there is that much ignorance over here and so much knowledge and opportunity over there,
I have no question in my mind why God sent me here.
Those whimpering Stateside young people will wake up on the Day of Judgment
condemned to worse fates than these demon-fearing Indians, because, having a Bible,
they were bored with it---while these never heard of such a thing as writing."
Jim Elliot
"Then Jesus came to them..."
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20 NIV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
Good morning friends! Early this Saturday morning, I will be leaving Delaware, along with a group of youth and adults from my church, for a week of serving Christ in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico., the first of two trips this summer. The second is to Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Matamoros trip is planned for the 13 - 19 of June. During that time, may I ask you to pray for the following?
For our safety
For each of us to grow in Christ
For His Name to be glorified and His Kingdom expanded
In preparation, I thought the "Great Commission" passage was an appropriate one to study.
"Then Jesus came to them..."
I praise God for His patience, and His continual teaching. I have read this passage countless times, but until yesterday, I had never paid much attention to the phrase "some doubted". Today, this phrase, "then Jesus came to them" jumped off the page.
The eleven remaining disciples were obedient, they followed the steps to Jesus. They "...went to Galilee, to the mountain...they saw Him...they worshiped him..."
"...then Jesus came to them..."
Now I have to ask, does that strike you like it did me? The went to Galilee, climbed the mountain, saw Jesus, and worshipped Him...but stopped short of going to Him! This astounds me. They went all that way, did all that work, recognized Him for who He was, but stopped short of going to Him. I was amazed at this! How could they get so close to Jesus then stop short?
My amazement soon vanished. You see, I'm guilty of the same thing, and have often been. I have gone to church, or some other place to see Him. I have made the effort. I have recognized His presence and worshipped Him.
And I have stopped short of going all the way to Him.
Maybe you have experienced something similar. But I have good news! If we make it that far, if we come seeking Him, He will do for us what He did for the Eleven. "Jesus came to them..."
And He will come to you, if you will let Him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Will you pray for our mission trip? 2. Have you ever left a time of worship and felt like you were so close to Jesus, but left without Him? 3. Have you offered your doubts to Jesus?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"You wonder why people choose fields away from the States when young people
at home are drifting because no one wants to take time to listen to their problems.
Ill tell you why I left. Because those Stateside young people have every opportunity to study,
hear, and understand the Word of God in their own language, and these Indians have no opportunity whatsoever.
I have had to make a cross of two logs, and lie down on it, to show the Indians what it means to crucify a man.
When there is that much ignorance over here and so much knowledge and opportunity over there,
I have no question in my mind why God sent me here.
Those whimpering Stateside young people will wake up on the Day of Judgment
condemned to worse fates than these demon-fearing Indians, because, having a Bible,
they were bored with it---while these never heard of such a thing as writing."
Jim Elliot
Monday, June 8, 2009
ListenDaily - 08 June 2009: Matamoros
ListenDaily - 08 June 2009: Matamoros
Good morning friends! Early this Saturday morning, I will be leaving Delaware, along with a group of youth and adults from my church, for a week of serving Christ in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico., the first of two trips this summer. The second is to Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Matamoros trip is planned for the 13 - 19 of June. During that time, may I ask you to pray for the following?
For our safety
For each of us to grow in Christ
For His Name to be glorified and His Kingdom expanded
In preparation, I thought the "Great Commission" passage was an appropriate one to study.
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20 NIV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted."
This passage describes the time after Jesus had risen and just before His ascension. He had addressed the eleven remaining apostles (remember, Judas was gone) and told them to meet Him here. The obeyed, they came, they saw Jesus, worshipped Him -- "but some doubted."
Exactly what did they doubt? After all they had experienced with Him, could they possibly have doubted who Jesus was? Or was it their own ability to carry on that they doubted? Or were they doubting that there would still be a presence of God with them, if Jesus was leaving?
I don't know. It could be any or all of those, all three, or something else. Whatever it was, "some doubted."
Our church has raised money and supported our missions team in many ways. We have met as a team, prayed together, worshipped together. We have been prayed for. We have studied the Word. Now, it is time to go. I wonder, if some doubt. I mean, if the Eleven, who walked side by side with Jesus, who saw Him perform miracles, who saw Him alive after being dead, if some of them doubted -- do we not have the same potential? And not just mission trip teams, but churches as a whole -- do we not suffer from doubt? Might we doubt who Jesus was? Our ability to carry? If we have the presence of God with us?
What can we do about that doubt? After all, we live twenty centuries later that those who saw Him.
Give it to Him. Give Jesus your doubt. He is still here to take it. When some of the Eleven doubted, Jesus comforted them, "...surely I am with you..."
He added these words, knowing we would have doubts as well: "...surely I am with you always..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Will you pray for our mission trip? 2. Do you have concerns about your own doubts? 3. Have you offered your doubts to Jesus?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"You wonder why people choose fields away from the States when young people
at home are drifting because no one wants to take time to listen to their problems.
Ill tell you why I left. Because those Stateside young people have every opportunity to study,
hear, and understand the Word of God in their own language, and these Indians have no opportunity whatsoever.
I have had to make a cross of two logs, and lie down on it, to show the Indians what it means to crucify a man.
When there is that much ignorance over here and so much knowledge and opportunity over there, I have no question in my mind why God sent me here.
Those whimpering Stateside young people will wake up on the Day of Judgment
condemned to worse fates than these demon-fearing Indians, because, having a Bible,
they were bored with it---while these never heard of such a thing as writing."
Jim Elliot
Good morning friends! Early this Saturday morning, I will be leaving Delaware, along with a group of youth and adults from my church, for a week of serving Christ in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico., the first of two trips this summer. The second is to Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Matamoros trip is planned for the 13 - 19 of June. During that time, may I ask you to pray for the following?
For our safety
For each of us to grow in Christ
For His Name to be glorified and His Kingdom expanded
In preparation, I thought the "Great Commission" passage was an appropriate one to study.
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:16-20 NIV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted."
This passage describes the time after Jesus had risen and just before His ascension. He had addressed the eleven remaining apostles (remember, Judas was gone) and told them to meet Him here. The obeyed, they came, they saw Jesus, worshipped Him -- "but some doubted."
Exactly what did they doubt? After all they had experienced with Him, could they possibly have doubted who Jesus was? Or was it their own ability to carry on that they doubted? Or were they doubting that there would still be a presence of God with them, if Jesus was leaving?
I don't know. It could be any or all of those, all three, or something else. Whatever it was, "some doubted."
Our church has raised money and supported our missions team in many ways. We have met as a team, prayed together, worshipped together. We have been prayed for. We have studied the Word. Now, it is time to go. I wonder, if some doubt. I mean, if the Eleven, who walked side by side with Jesus, who saw Him perform miracles, who saw Him alive after being dead, if some of them doubted -- do we not have the same potential? And not just mission trip teams, but churches as a whole -- do we not suffer from doubt? Might we doubt who Jesus was? Our ability to carry? If we have the presence of God with us?
What can we do about that doubt? After all, we live twenty centuries later that those who saw Him.
Give it to Him. Give Jesus your doubt. He is still here to take it. When some of the Eleven doubted, Jesus comforted them, "...surely I am with you..."
He added these words, knowing we would have doubts as well: "...surely I am with you always..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Will you pray for our mission trip? 2. Do you have concerns about your own doubts? 3. Have you offered your doubts to Jesus?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"You wonder why people choose fields away from the States when young people
at home are drifting because no one wants to take time to listen to their problems.
Ill tell you why I left. Because those Stateside young people have every opportunity to study,
hear, and understand the Word of God in their own language, and these Indians have no opportunity whatsoever.
I have had to make a cross of two logs, and lie down on it, to show the Indians what it means to crucify a man.
When there is that much ignorance over here and so much knowledge and opportunity over there, I have no question in my mind why God sent me here.
Those whimpering Stateside young people will wake up on the Day of Judgment
condemned to worse fates than these demon-fearing Indians, because, having a Bible,
they were bored with it---while these never heard of such a thing as writing."
Jim Elliot
Friday, June 5, 2009
ListenDaily - 05 June 2009: Much?
ListenDaily - 05 June 2009: Much?
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:1-8 NKJV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
"He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit..."
I have a few questions that I will spend the weekend asking myself, and will ask you to do the same.
Am I producing "much fruit"?
What does "much fruit" even look like"?
What is the fruit?
Remembering that Paul taught in his letter to the Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." I am not saying this is the full extent of what Jesus meant, but it is a Scripturally consistent place to start.
It's also important to remember that fruit grows, it does not just pop out. It matures. It ripens. It is usable. It reproduces.
Let us spend a few days searching our hearts, looking at our lives, and trying to determine if we are abiding in the Vine. If we are, we should see fruit.
Much fruit.
Abide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions to ask yourself:
1.Am I producing "much fruit"? 2. What does "much fruit" even look like"? 3.What is the fruit?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"Anyone can tell how many seeds are in an apple;
no one knows how many apples are in a seed."
Unknown
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:1-8 NKJV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
"He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit..."
I have a few questions that I will spend the weekend asking myself, and will ask you to do the same.
Am I producing "much fruit"?
What does "much fruit" even look like"?
What is the fruit?
Remembering that Paul taught in his letter to the Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." I am not saying this is the full extent of what Jesus meant, but it is a Scripturally consistent place to start.
It's also important to remember that fruit grows, it does not just pop out. It matures. It ripens. It is usable. It reproduces.
Let us spend a few days searching our hearts, looking at our lives, and trying to determine if we are abiding in the Vine. If we are, we should see fruit.
Much fruit.
Abide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions to ask yourself:
1.Am I producing "much fruit"? 2. What does "much fruit" even look like"? 3.What is the fruit?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"Anyone can tell how many seeds are in an apple;
no one knows how many apples are in a seed."
Unknown
Thursday, June 4, 2009
ListenDaily - 04 June 2009: Is there fruit?
ListenDaily - 04 June 2009: Is there fruit?
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:1-8 NKJV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
"He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
How does this verse strike you? Is it comforting? Challenging? Frightening?
It could be any of the three, depending upon the person reading it. Hear Jesus saying this: "He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." Now, hear Him saying it as if He were speaking directly to you: "If you abide in Me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
Let's keep breaking it down, listening more closely, taking it more personally, each time. "If you abide in Me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." Now, if Jesus says we must abide in order to bear fruit, and in order to do something -- then the reverse must be true.
"If you do not abide in Me, and I in you, you will not bear much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
Abiding = bearing lots of fruit = doing something.
Not abiding = bearing little or no fruit = doing nothing.
So then, is this, for us, comforting? Challenging? Frightening? To answer we must ask and answer ourselves; are we seeing fruit?
Abide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. How does this perspective strike you? 2. Do you see fruit in your life? 3. How do you abide?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"Anyone can tell how many seeds are in an apple;
no one knows how many apples are in a seed."
Unknown
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:1-8 NKJV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
"He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
How does this verse strike you? Is it comforting? Challenging? Frightening?
It could be any of the three, depending upon the person reading it. Hear Jesus saying this: "He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." Now, hear Him saying it as if He were speaking directly to you: "If you abide in Me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
Let's keep breaking it down, listening more closely, taking it more personally, each time. "If you abide in Me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." Now, if Jesus says we must abide in order to bear fruit, and in order to do something -- then the reverse must be true.
"If you do not abide in Me, and I in you, you will not bear much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
Abiding = bearing lots of fruit = doing something.
Not abiding = bearing little or no fruit = doing nothing.
So then, is this, for us, comforting? Challenging? Frightening? To answer we must ask and answer ourselves; are we seeing fruit?
Abide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. How does this perspective strike you? 2. Do you see fruit in your life? 3. How do you abide?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"Anyone can tell how many seeds are in an apple;
no one knows how many apples are in a seed."
Unknown
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
ListenDaily - 03 June 2009: New roots
ListenDaily - 03 June 2009: New roots
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:1-8 NKJV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
"I am the vine, you are the branches."
These are some of the most amazing words ever spoken --
God, the Vinedresser, planted Jesus, the Vine on Earth. No one on their own was good enough to grow from Him, and we are born rooted into this world, incapable of bearing good fruit.
But Jesus began to grow.
And, as the many before us, we are born again, now abiding in Him, our new beings are offshoots of the Vine.
Abide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. How does this perspective strike you? 2. How does it feel to be born into the Vine? 3. How do you abide?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"Anyone can tell how many seeds are in an apple;
no one knows how many apples are in a seed."
Unknown
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:1-8 NKJV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
"I am the vine, you are the branches."
These are some of the most amazing words ever spoken --
God, the Vinedresser, planted Jesus, the Vine on Earth. No one on their own was good enough to grow from Him, and we are born rooted into this world, incapable of bearing good fruit.
But Jesus began to grow.
And, as the many before us, we are born again, now abiding in Him, our new beings are offshoots of the Vine.
Abide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. How does this perspective strike you? 2. How does it feel to be born into the Vine? 3. How do you abide?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"Anyone can tell how many seeds are in an apple;
no one knows how many apples are in a seed."
Unknown
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
ListenDaily - 02 June 2009: An unending buffet...
ListenDaily - 02 June 2009: An unending buffet...
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:1-8 NKJV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me."
"Abide in Me..." Jesus says it again -- and we should hear it again. We should hear it more seriously, more deeply. When Jesus speaks, we should allow His words to penetrate us. After all, as He said in the verses just prior, it is His Word which cleanses us.
"...and I in you..." We teach our children about Jesus 'coming into our hearts' -- but do we hear this? Jesus lived, died, and rose again, so that He could abide in you!
"As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." OK, so let's talk about fruit. Paul wrote in Galatians 5 that the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Jesus did not specify these things, but surely they apply. So among other fruit that we may be missing out on, we cannot truly love without abiding in Him, and He is us. If we are not abiding, we cannot know persistent, recreating joy. Our peace will not last or reproduce. Our patience will will be tried until it breaks. We can only be so kind, only so good. Our faith will not grow. Our gentleness will fade with our limited patience. And we will not know complete self-control.
But if we abide...if we abide...these things grow as fruit grows! In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote that the gifts of the Spirit are meted out to different people, at different times, in differing circumstances. But the fruit is available to all! And when you take all of a piece of fruit, when you enjoy all the goodness, all the sweetness, all the nutrition -- look in your hand and see what is left -- the seed -- a seed to be planted so that an unknown amount of that fruit can be reproduced -- and an unknown number of others can receive it. If we would only...
...abide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. How does this perspective strike you? 2. Do you see this fruit? 3. How do you abide?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"Anyone can tell how many seeds are in an apple;
no one knows how many apples are in a seed."
Unknown
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:1-8 NKJV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me."
"Abide in Me..." Jesus says it again -- and we should hear it again. We should hear it more seriously, more deeply. When Jesus speaks, we should allow His words to penetrate us. After all, as He said in the verses just prior, it is His Word which cleanses us.
"...and I in you..." We teach our children about Jesus 'coming into our hearts' -- but do we hear this? Jesus lived, died, and rose again, so that He could abide in you!
"As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." OK, so let's talk about fruit. Paul wrote in Galatians 5 that the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Jesus did not specify these things, but surely they apply. So among other fruit that we may be missing out on, we cannot truly love without abiding in Him, and He is us. If we are not abiding, we cannot know persistent, recreating joy. Our peace will not last or reproduce. Our patience will will be tried until it breaks. We can only be so kind, only so good. Our faith will not grow. Our gentleness will fade with our limited patience. And we will not know complete self-control.
But if we abide...if we abide...these things grow as fruit grows! In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote that the gifts of the Spirit are meted out to different people, at different times, in differing circumstances. But the fruit is available to all! And when you take all of a piece of fruit, when you enjoy all the goodness, all the sweetness, all the nutrition -- look in your hand and see what is left -- the seed -- a seed to be planted so that an unknown amount of that fruit can be reproduced -- and an unknown number of others can receive it. If we would only...
...abide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. How does this perspective strike you? 2. Do you see this fruit? 3. How do you abide?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"Anyone can tell how many seeds are in an apple;
no one knows how many apples are in a seed."
Unknown
Monday, June 1, 2009
ListenDaily - 01 June 2009: Cut away or lifted up?
ListenDaily - 01 June 2009: Cut away or lifted up?
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:1-8 NKJV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away..." I was at a graduation party for one of my daughter's friends this past Saturday. Being late May in Delaware, the conversation soon turned to local produce, specifically who would be picking their first tomato before the first of June rolled around, then to secrets for growing healthy plants. My good friend Bob explained that he clipped the branches from his tomato plants that had no blossoms, had no fruit. He explained that, besides not bearing tomatoes, these branches took nutrients away from the fruit-bearing ones, and that the overall plant would be healthier without them.
This is how John 15:2 has often been translated; that God clips away those of us that do not bear fruit.
There is another perspective which bears hearing out. The above type of pruning is horticulturally sound, and it may be an appropriate metaphor when looking at the world population as a whole in relation to Christ, for He often spoke of trees not planed by God, or trees that do not bear fruit, being destroyed.
But Jesus refers here to the branches that are "in Him", and He says that every branch that abides in Him "bears much fruit".
So then, what does this mean?
Different translations say "prune", "cut away", "remove", etc. The original Greek word is "kathairo," and means "to cleanse." Pruning is more that cutting away, it is also to clean, to cleanse. It was the practice of those that tended to grapevines to watch closely for those vines which 'got away'. Those vines, would get down in the dust, or mud, and choke -- become unable to bear fruit. The vinedresser would gently lift up those vines, a little at a time, and dust them off or rinse them, then carefully place them with the other vines on the trellis. There, out of the muck and mire, they could receive the water, the air, and the sunlight; there, they would soon begin to produce.
In the next verse; "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you", the Greek word translated "cleanse" is "katharos," which is like "kathairo," and means "to free from impurities."
Jesus lifts us up out of the muck and mire (Psalm 40 anyone?). There we can receive the water, the air, the Light. There we can bear fruit, as we...
...abide.
Abide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. How does this perspective strike you? 2. How about this type of pruning? 3. How do you abide?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise.
We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.
We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful
C.S. Lewis
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:1-8 NKJV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away..." I was at a graduation party for one of my daughter's friends this past Saturday. Being late May in Delaware, the conversation soon turned to local produce, specifically who would be picking their first tomato before the first of June rolled around, then to secrets for growing healthy plants. My good friend Bob explained that he clipped the branches from his tomato plants that had no blossoms, had no fruit. He explained that, besides not bearing tomatoes, these branches took nutrients away from the fruit-bearing ones, and that the overall plant would be healthier without them.
This is how John 15:2 has often been translated; that God clips away those of us that do not bear fruit.
There is another perspective which bears hearing out. The above type of pruning is horticulturally sound, and it may be an appropriate metaphor when looking at the world population as a whole in relation to Christ, for He often spoke of trees not planed by God, or trees that do not bear fruit, being destroyed.
But Jesus refers here to the branches that are "in Him", and He says that every branch that abides in Him "bears much fruit".
So then, what does this mean?
Different translations say "prune", "cut away", "remove", etc. The original Greek word is "kathairo," and means "to cleanse." Pruning is more that cutting away, it is also to clean, to cleanse. It was the practice of those that tended to grapevines to watch closely for those vines which 'got away'. Those vines, would get down in the dust, or mud, and choke -- become unable to bear fruit. The vinedresser would gently lift up those vines, a little at a time, and dust them off or rinse them, then carefully place them with the other vines on the trellis. There, out of the muck and mire, they could receive the water, the air, and the sunlight; there, they would soon begin to produce.
In the next verse; "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you", the Greek word translated "cleanse" is "katharos," which is like "kathairo," and means "to free from impurities."
Jesus lifts us up out of the muck and mire (Psalm 40 anyone?). There we can receive the water, the air, the Light. There we can bear fruit, as we...
...abide.
Abide.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. How does this perspective strike you? 2. How about this type of pruning? 3. How do you abide?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise.
We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.
We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful
C.S. Lewis
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