Here is a fascinating look at a mural of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The video is narrated by the painter, Ron DiCianni. If you can, watch the video in full screen and high definition.
As Christians we are to be God lovers and fruit bearers.
In John 15 Jesus said to his disciples, “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 it so that it may bear more fruit.” John 15.1-2
We know that the purpose of a fruit vine is to produce fruit. But think of this: the fruit that is produced, points back to the vine and declares what the vine is. For example, grapes declare to the world that it’s bearer is a grape vine. This fact is elementary in the field of horticulture, but it carries a far deeper meaning when applied to the spirit realm in which we live.
Jesus used the analogy of vine and fruit to describe Himself. He said, “I am the true vine.” Jesus is the One who supplies the fruit. The fruit borne by Jesus certainly includes Paul’s list in Galatians: ”But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5.22-23).
The fruit of the Spirit, produced by Jesus, the “true vine,” actually describes who Jesus is.
It gets better. Jesus involves you and me in His self-describing fruit production!
“Itʼs A Wrap” is an interesting little used clothing store on West Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank, CA. Filled to the brim and even spilling out onto the sidewalk are clothing and props actually used in movies and on TV sets. The public is invited to browse and buy to their hearts content.
On several occasions I have visited the store but Iʼve never found anything I would care to buy. Many others, however, leave the store with bags of cheaper clothes, bragging rights, and the ability to put on the fame of a star … well, sort of. Fame is not really transferable - but itʼs fun to think about.
The Bible teaches us that many of the characteristics of God are transferable to those who have trusted in Jesus Christ. For example, “… put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4.24 ESV).
Actually, the Bible says quite a lot about wearing the righteousness of God.
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd. After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 14.22-27 NIV)
In that last verse, Jesus literally said, “Be having courage; I Am; be not fearing.”
In these few words spoken to the disciples, the Lord Jesus speaks to us today. His faith-filled Word breathes new life into dying hope; imbues hearts with encouragement; and bolsters resolve even in the face of overwhelming odds.
Jesus Christ is saying to you today, “Live life having courage.” Live your life with an attitude of confidence. Walk, talk and live with your heart filled with cheer, joy, gladness, and rejoicing.
Thirty-seven years ago, today, my world changed.
I grew up in church and I was active in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, camp, worship – you name it. I was confirmed and baptized into the Methodist Church and, later, our family moved our membership to a local United Church of Christ.
I received a lot of exposure to the organized church and to the teachings of the Christian faith … but I didn’t know Jesus.
One day, my girlfriend and I found ourselves sitting in a high school gymnasium, on the top bleachers, listening to Billy Zeoli who was with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. I heard an invitation given to come forward and receive Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. In fear I did not move and hung onto my bleacher. But my girlfriend asked me if I would go forward with her.
I did.
When I went forward, I found everything I had been looking for but didn’t know I needed. I found a Person: Jesus Christ. That day, April 8, 1973, my world changed, my life was transformed, and I had true peace for the first time in my life.
Thank You, Lord!
I’m praying you will experience a holy discontentment. I’m not praying that you would experience general discontentment. There’s enough of that already. Dissatisfaction and unhappiness is a way of life as we struggle daily with people and circumstances. In fact, I want you to experience a crisis of faith, an awareness that you are at a crossroads of life. At that crossroads, I pray that you will have a revelation, realizing your utter dissatisfaction with the world’s meager offerings and your desperate need of God’s presence in your life.
King Solomon had everything the world had to offer and which every worldly person seeks for today: wealth, power and fame. Solomon ruled Israel for forty years and each year he received twenty-five tons of gold plus other revenue from merchants and kings. He lived lavishly, drinking from vessels of pure gold - silver was apparently too cheap for his tastes. His harem included 700 wives and 300 concubines. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen. People the world over sought him out because of the wisdom God had placed in his heart. Even the Queen of Sheba paid Solomon a visit to test his famed wisdom.
With all of this Solomon was not a contented man. His wives led him into idolatry and his kingdom was stripped away after his death. Before he died, Solomon evaluated his life and he came to the conclusion that all he had sought after, all the wealth he had amassed, all the status he had attained was futile, pointless, and useless. (Ecclesiastes 1.2)
Paul wrote in 2 Timothy that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3.16). The story of Solomon is an extreme example of the extremes we humans can be led to if the world is our heart’s goal.
But I’m praying for you that you would experience a holy discontentment. A holy discontentment would involve a general dissatisfaction with the world and a holy yearning for God.
We are praying for revival at St. Paul’s.
The leaders of St. Paul’s are now fasting and praying for 40 days, seeking God and asking Him to send revival upon us. The congregation will be asked to fast and pray for 21 days, beginning March 14, to seek God and ask for revival. But fasting and prayer will accomplish little unless we come to the place of brokenness in our lives, when we say, “Lord, I have not measured up to Your standard of love; I have not lived a holy life; but I am willing to change. Please, Lord, change me.”
Revival means “to live again.” Maybe you feel something is missing in your life, that your life is off-balance. Maybe you long for a closer walk with the Lord. If so, God has placed within you a hunger and thirst for Himself. You are poised for revival!
Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
The word life (zoe) in the Greek means “the absolute fulness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God … life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed…” (Strong’s)
Jesus came to earth for this very purpose: to give us the absolute fullness of life, God’s life, a life devoted to Him, and Jesus came to give us this life in abundance, with wonderful intensity, not our common day-to-day existence, but a life superior to anything else we have ever experienced.
Do you want this God-life?
God loves with a great love the man whose heart is bursting with a passion for the IMPOSSIBLE. - William Booth
What is the seeming “impossible” for us?
- That God would visit St. Paul’s mightily, powerfully, wonderfully.
- That the Holy Spirit would awaken our hearts, purify our lives, produce miracles and manifestations of His Presence.
God loves it when we believe Him to perform what is humanly impossible. God is honored and He honors that kind of faith.
I pray for that you would hunger for more of Him. I pray that you would receive an outpouring of His Spirit. I pray that you would know, experience, feel the God-life that He wants you to have. I pray for revival!
Here are just a few links to blogs giving a personal view of ministry to the people of Haiti following Tuesday’s earthquake.
New Vision Ministries
Samaritan’s Purse
World Vision
Compassion International
Rollings in Haiti
Hearts with Haiti