Branch in Jesus Vine

I am the true vine and my Farther is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:1-2

Are we living in Jesus Christ like a branch is living in a vine? We who have been baptized in the name of the Farther, the Son and the Holy Spirit, are we friends of Jesus, do we know Him like we know our best friend, is Jesus our best friend? Are we bearing fruit, the fruit that will last? How this is possible to bear fruit and live like Jesus lived among us? We can come to Jesus, who lives in his Words, because He is the Word, who has been from the beginning, and He will forgive us all our sins and He will give us the Holy Spirit who is in Jesus' Words in the Holy Bible. Without Jesus we can do nothing but the Holy Sprit will bring fruits as love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Jesus puts the Holy Spirit in our heart and remove from us our heart of stone and we will follow Jesus. Everyday day we need to be near Jesus and need His forgiveness, we who have our old sinful nature in us but also our new nature Holy Spirit, and these two natures are against each other so that even though we want to do good and live like Jesus we cannot, we do need Jesus to help us and live in us. This is a mystery how our God can live in us but how a wonderful mystery!

Springs of Living Water

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be there shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Rev 7:17

Our Good Shepherd, our Lamb, who died for us so that we can live. Christ offered himself in the Crucifixion together with robbers and died most shamefully and disgracefully, so that whoever believes in Him, will be saved and shall not be condemned (John 3:16). Instead Jesus will lead us to springs of living water and we will never again be hungry and thirsty but can live with Him eternally in the Heaven even though here on the earth we can have miseries and troubles for a while. But Jesus leads us through those dark days and gives us power to serve our neighbors for his or her best in our own place. Keeping this in our minds we can survive, we are serving our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Good Shepherd leading us besides quiet waters and restoring our soul.

A Spring of Water in Us

but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. John 4:14

A Spring in us? Even though I am tired, powerless and helpless, and just like to wrap myself into my blanket and sleep, I will have a spring welling up towards Jesus. Jesus is our help and He is living in us and will power us, Jesus says that His power is made perfect in weakness, in that way we can work for our neighbor not us but Jesus in us. Even though we see only darkness ahead us there will be a perfect salvation for us and Jesus is carrying us through the valley of the shadow of death and leading us beside quiet waters. Jesus is our eternal life.

Precious Promises

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:4

The glory of Jesus Christ, our Lord, the divine nature, all the holiness, mercy, goodness, love and care He has and how He raises up we who have fallen and forgives us our sins and heals our wounds, how could we live like Him? We who are not like Him and need forgiveness. Jesus says that through all His great and precious promises we may participate in the divine nature, His Word is powerful to change our life and our heart, because He is the Holy Word who has became flesh and lived among us for a while, died and rose again and ascended to heaven to our Farther and now lives among us in Holy Spirit in Holy Bible and in our Church. Through His words we live in this world and through Him we can serve our neighbors and have a rich life and participate in these beautiful and precious promises which are like a treasury for all the days of our life.

Fruit

You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Farther will give you what ever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. Joh 15:16-17

How I can bear fruit? Jesus said that He chose us, we cannot choose Him, but our Heavenly Farther will lead us near Jesus and Jesus works in His Word for our salvation. Jesus saw us already in our mother's womb and gave us our mission to live in this world for Him and for our neighbor. Are we looking for Jesus and the life He can give us? Or are we busy in our own works without listening His voice in His Word? Jesus needs all of us in our own place for His work and He can bring our fruits for our neighbor's best. What a wonderful life we have in Him. He can turn all our troubles for our best and for our neighbor's best and we can love each other as He has loved us giving His life for us.

World Among Us

"The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." Joh 1:14

Jesus became flesh and lives among us. He comes to us in the person of our neighbor, do we see Him? We can see the fullness of His grace, grace for grace, blessing after another. In Jesus we can see the heart of our God who is showing the tender mercy and forgiveness towards us, God who is full of compassion and goodness and taking care of us who have fallen and be depressed. God has created us whom He is warmly calling to live with Him and whom He is keeping close to Him, feeding and fostering us with His word and among His church. All this He is doing by His good heart, not because the righteous things we have done but by His own love, He who gave us life through Jesus Christ. This is called Charis in Greece, a beautiful world and a great mystery but such a large love towards us. Grace has come near to us from heaven.

Photo SLEF Rael Leedjärv-Östman: Jackline and her tee plant

All Worked Through

"The kingdom of heaven is like a yeast that a women took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." Matt 13:13

The kingdom of heaven, do we have it in our world, are Jesus Christ living in our world? How small we were, how powerless, the kingdom of heaven has the power in itself, it can grow even though we cannot. The kingdom of heaven is in the words of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is the Word, and works in our world and does the will of God as God has planned. Do you want to be a part of this beautiful world? You can see Jesus in His world in the Holy Bible, in His Church, and in our neighbors. Who is your neighbor, who can you help, who is just waiting for You?