October 5, 2008

 Jesus the True Vine

 John 15 

Jesus, the True Vine

1 "I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

  5 "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.6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

  9 "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love.11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.13 There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.14 You are my friends if you do what I command.15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.16 You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.17 This is my command: Love each other.



The World's Hatred

18 "If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.20 Do you remember what I told you? 'A slave is not greater than the master.' Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.21 They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.22 They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.23 Anyone who hates me also hates my Father.24 If I hadn't done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father.25 This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures*: 'They hated me without cause.'

  26 "But I will send you the Advocate*—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.27 And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.

***

Psalm 103

A psalm of David.

1 Let all that I am praise the LORD;

  with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

2 Let all that I am praise the LORD;

  may I never forget the good things he does for me.

3 He forgives all my sins

  and heals all my diseases.

4 He redeems me from death

  and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

5 He fills my life with good things.

  My youth is renewed like the eagle's!



6 The LORD gives righteousness

  and justice to all who are treated unfairly.



7 He revealed his character to Moses

  and his deeds to the people of Israel.

8 The LORD is compassionate and merciful,

  slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

9 He will not constantly accuse us,

  nor remain angry forever.

10 He does not punish us for all our sins;

  he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.

11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him

  is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

12 He has removed our sins as far from us

  as the east is from the west.

13 The LORD is like a father to his children,

  tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

14 For he knows how weak we are;

  he remembers we are only dust.

15 Our days on earth are like grass;

  like wildflowers, we bloom and die.

16 The wind blows, and we are gone—

  as though we had never been here.

17 But the love of the LORD remains forever

  with those who fear him.

His salvation extends to the children's children

18   of those who are faithful to his covenant,

  of those who obey his commandments!



19 The LORD has made the heavens his throne;

  from there he rules over everything.



20 Praise the LORD, you angels,

  you mighty ones who carry out his plans,

  listening for each of his commands.

21 Yes, praise the LORD, you armies of angels

  who serve him and do his will!

22 Praise the LORD, everything he has created,

  everything in all his kingdom.



Let all that I am praise the LORD 

   ***

Let Us Pray

 Dear Heavenly Father God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, the time has come for us to realize our infirmities, our usefulness on earth, our endless possiblilites, or our possible end.

 Have we done, Father, everything you have called us to do?  Do we daily decide to live for you?  I expect not.

Who are we?  We are Mothers and Fathers, Sons and Daughters, Friends and Foes, Lovers and Fighters.  We are fuzzy and furry, 2 legged and 4 legged, smooth skinned, colored skin or not.  We are people who laugh and people who cry.

But you, Lord, who are you?  Do we know you?  We should....you gave us life.  All eternity...you have offered us.

Do we measure up?  Do we obey you, doing all you call us to do in a day?  How can we?  Life isn't the way it used to be. It's hard, Lord.  All of life is hard.  Some days it is hard to live...to exist....to even breathe.  But you, Lord, can breathe in us and for us.

On days that we think the end is near...is it?  Have we asked your forgiveness?  Have we thanked you, Lord?  Is there an end?  If we have lived for you and loved you....only our body dies.

 But we can live on in heaven...eternally.  You offer that to us. And for that we thank you, but only if we know we will go there.  Will we go there, Lord?  When you say 'it is over'....will you then say, 'come'?  To those who have loved you with their whole heart, and those who have obeyed your calling...you will!  You will say, 'come, all who are hurting or are heavily burdened and I will give you rest'.

We can have you in our lives today and for all eternity....call us, Lord, so we may say, 'here I am, take me'.  In this life or for the next....I say, 'here I am, Lord, take me'.  'Grant me your rest'.  'Grant me your calling'.  'Grant me life....abundantly'!

I love you, Lord.  Thank you.   Amen.

***

And the Lord said,

"Be still, and know that I am God."

     ***