Fruit From The Branches

Fruit from the Branches

Prayer   Wonderful, Master, Creator, Sustainer, Counselor, Strong Tower, Mighty God, Everlasting  Father,  Worship belongs to you O  Lord, Let everything that has breathe praise you Lord!  Thank  you for health, protection and provision. Thank you for supplying my every need. Please bless  my Pastor, his family, church leaders, husband, and fathers. Lead and guide them and give  them wisdom to lead your people in a way that demonstrates your love. Please give me grace  to accomplish the tasks set before me today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.                             Fruit From The Branches by Veronica Garrett  I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.    John 15:5-8 Appearance counts for a great deal in the western world. People spend billions to look beautiful in our world.  In fact, we name the most beautiful people each year, inspite of the fact that many of them have reconstructed their entire faces and bodies with plastic surgery. That leaves many of us thinking appearance is everything. Have you ever bought fruit that was pleasing to the eye and you couldn't wait to bite into it? Were you eager to eat the fruit that looked very delicious only to be disappointed by its taste? This fruit looked ripe but it was removed from tree or vine a little too soon.  Far too often kingdom building is strategized in great detail without emphatic reliance and dependency upon the beauty of our wonderful Savior. Societal influence and ideology can deceive the people of God into thinking we can construct beauty that will draw the hearts of men towards God without Him.  It is true that remaining close to Jesus Christ causes us to flourish and be fruitful in the most unlikely places. The men and women who have made the greatest impressions on my life are those whose personal relationship with the Lord speak to them being branches close to the Vine.  Scripture clearly states we can do nothing apart from the Vine.  It  reminds me of faux fruit arrangements on display as a table centerpiece.  The eye may be tricked for a few moments to believe the fruit is real but when we pick it up it becomes obvious to lack nutritious value. When we are close to the Vine (Christ) the byproduct is we are fruitful.  When our lives are bearing much fruit its clear that we are close to the Vine. The Gardener (God) ensures that those who remain in the Vine bear much fruit. Quite naturally believers can focus less on how to be fruitfulness and more on a close relationship with Christ. Our efforts can be compared to decorative fruit when they lack a Christ connection.

Who Is This?

Who Is This?

Prayer    O God, Worthy are you to be esteemed and exalted! You are above all kingdoms and created things. Please forgive me of my sins and cleanse me of all my unrighteous ways. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Bless pastors, ministers and teachers that they may walk in and teach the uncompromising Truth. Lead and guide me that I may walk in obedience to you Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.   Who Is This? by Veronica Garrett     He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.       In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."  Luke 8:24-25 If you've walked with Jesus you realize that His ability far exceeds what we expect of Him. Quite often it is during a storm that God reveals himself to us in a new way.  We spend many hours praying that he removes us from the storm and yet there is nothing more precious to us than the moment Jesus speaks peace be still to our storm.  It becomes a life defining moment and surely God reveals himself to us in the storm. We could have never known Him as such without the storm. The disciples knew that Jesus could perform miracles but he kept blowing their mind as they saw them unfold. One day Jesus told his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." They got into a boat and sailed while Jesus fell asleep. A fierce windstorm came onto the lake and they were in great danger.   The disciples went and woke Jesus saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"  When Jesus got up he rebuked the wind and waters and everything was calm.  Jesus asked his disciples, "where is your faith?"  They looked at each other in fear and amazement and said "Who is this?" He commands and even the winds and water obey him.  There are times in life when storms are raging and we are doing our best to stick the course and keep the faith.  As I read this passage I noticed that the first thing Jesus told his disciples is let us go to the other side.  Since Jesus had already told them they were going to the other side, they were going regardless of the storm and it's threat. His words are always true.  These are times when we are in a situation and He says it's going to be alright.  And that is all that we have to hold on to. Isn't it enough to have a word from the Lord? The threat is real and there is no evidence of Him working on our behalf and yet by faith we must hear the voice of God and to know that He is above all- yes, even the raging winds and the waves obey Him.  The question is not if but when, and the answer is whenever He determines, He will speak peace be still and the storm has to go away.  As His disciples we are always learning of him.  It is often during hardships that we are watching closely enough to see the miracle of God unfold right before our very eyes. When God reveals himself to us once more, we are prepared once again to answer the question, Who is this?

Show Me Your Glory

Show Me Your Glory

Prayer  Great and Mighty God! You alone are Holy!  Wonderful Father I exalt thee! All Power is in  your hands. I'm so thankful that nothing happens unless you allow it or decree it. I praise you  Lord because you cause all things to work for my good. Help me to see your grace and favor on my life. Remove all pride from my heart. Teach me to have a grateful heart and to  walk in humility. Bless the Nigerian Christians who are experiencing persecution. Please  protect them from the enemy and give them surmountable grace, comfort and peace in the  mists of great devastation. In Jesus' name, Amen.                  Show Me Your Glory by Veronica Garrett  Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."  And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."   Exodus 33:18-20 Moses wanted a new revelation of God. He wanted to know the Him better so he asked to see the glory of the Lord. And although Moses really didn't know what he was asking for the Lord responded by revealing Himself to Moses in a new way. Moses wanted to see God but no man can see the Lord's face and live. I'm so glad that the Lord knows what's best for us inspite of what we might ask of Him. Moses stood on Mount Sinai and the Lord came down in cloud.  He hid Moses in the cleft in the rock and covered him with his hand until he passed. Then he removed his hand and allowed Moses to see his back. He allowed Moses to see his back, but Moses could not see His face. And as the Lord passed by in front of Moses proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished...(Exodus 34:6-7)"  . And here we have Moses experiencing God's first self disclosure in scripture. Moses is getting a new revelation of who the Lord truly is.  His response is he bowed to the ground at once and worship. When the glory of the Lord enters we are always humbled.  Here Moses was about to begin a new phase of his journey because he's bringing the ten commandments down to the people. Sometimes a believer is in need of a new revelation of the Lord. A greater insight into God's nature and character would bless Moses as well as those under his leadership. Far too often the body of Christ misses the opportunity to see the glory of God because our vision is far too short sighted, we tie God's glory to tangible things. God's glory brings me face to face with truth, most often it brings godly sorrow which leads me to repent of my sins. I find a deeper commitment, spiritual hunger and spiritual insight when the Lord reveals Himself. Pray that God reveals Himself to us in a personal way so that we too can learn more about His glory.

If It's The Lord's Will

If It's The Lord's Will

Prayer  Gracious and loving Father, Thank you for allowing me to see a new day to serve and praise  you, Lord. Please help me to be filled with gratitude for every mountain you've brought me  over. Bless marriages throughout this city, state, and nation--please send your peace and  your love into our homes.  Help Christian singles to live holy and to be filled with your  presence and power in their lives.   In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. If It's The Lord's Will by Veronica Garrett  Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. James 4:13-17 The farmer realizes that his success is dependent on factors beyond his control such as the weather. Extreme temperatures as well as excessive showers or drought will affect his crop. Regardless of his spiritual beliefs, he depends on the one who controls the weather for a bountiful harvest.  Prior to reaping his harvest you won't find  him boasting about how great of a harvest he's going to have. He speaks with humility as he tells of his plans because he know a harsh winter, dry summer, or drenching spring could ruin his crop. More recently the lives of many Americans have been devastated because their plans have been thwarted by a distressed economy. One such couple spent their who lives planning to be millionaires in their retirement. They made numerous sacrifices and worked many hours to save their nest egg. And yet, their investment failed to produce the financial stability they had hope. In fact, with the exception of their home they lost all of their investment nearing one million dollars. We all should responsibly plan. However, the problem comes when our plans become idols and we invest all of our hopes and dreams into our ability to plan and to implement our plans. I've heard many explain their plan in great detail while boasting in their ability to carry it out successfully. Some time ago I was speaking to a young wife and she stated that her children were planned and that everything in her house was planned. As I listened I realized that she had no idea the grace of God in that. Many women are so very grateful when a child is born because through many attempts they realize that God is in control. As far as financial planning is concerned God has blessed her in such way that storms such as job loss and illness had bypassed her home. What I've learned is it is by the grace of God that plans work the way we would like them too.  My mother-in-law says it best when she tells her plans and she always adds if it's the Lord wills.  It's a humbling thing to acknowledge that on tomorrow I may be incapable of doing what comes so easy for me today. And even more she lives as one who believes it. She doesn't delay to do the good she could today because tomorrow is not promised. Each of us has hopes for the future but let us add to them if it's the Lord's will.