A place of refreshment, the porch of the Lord…
Pull up a chair, take in spiritual air.
Jesus always has time, and His is the power–
Receive there His touch in this end-time hour.
Like Mary, take time to sit at His feet;
Come to His porch for relief from life’s heat.
Only one thing is needful and truly can please–
His Word and His presence, felt on each breeze.
He offers living water, quenching everyone’s thirst;
And that’s yours there daily, by seeking Him first.
There’s joy on His porch, with your sisters and brothers,
As you find your needs met while caring about others.
The healing and peace which only Christ can bring
Are found there at all times—an everlasting spring.
Taste there His love, so generously poured;
Your “cup will run over” on the porch of the Lord.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.’ And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things; But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.'” Luke 10:38-42 NKJV
Jesus Christ of Nazareth had taken His destined place
On a cruel cross upon a hill–for the task He’d been born to face.
His sinless life had made Him the chosen Lamb of God–
Though now He sits at God’s right hand and bears a Shepherd’s rod.
Three days after Christ’s burial, and just at the brink of dawn,
Some, in love, had come to the tomb and had found that His body was gone.
But the pain of their grief concerning His death had then given way
To amazing angelic tidings on that glorious Resurrection day! Jesus, the Man on the center cross, on the hill of crucifixion had been
The focus of God’s judgement upon all of mankind’s sin.
But now, with joy, the angels reminded that just as He had said, Jesus, God’s Son, had risen in victory, up from the dead!
His Father’s gracious plan of redemption for all people had been met;
And, therefore, all of their sins, a holy God could now forget!
There’s just one requirement remaining; and it’s your choice–
To believe in your heart He’s Savior, and confess it with your voice.
Angels rejoice in heaven over one sinner who’ll repent,
And put their faith in Jesus Christ–the One Whom God has sent.
P. A. Oltrogge
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus….” Romans 3:23-24
“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:10
“In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10 (NASB)
“For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, nowis the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2
“Therefore, I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Isaiah 53:12
Scriptures: NKJV or as noted
Resurrection references: Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20
Christ and the Rich Young Ruler by Pauline Voorhees Eikenberry
A rich young ruler, with eternal concerns, made a mental list–
Then sought out Christ to see if there was anything he’d missed.
In contemplating heaven, he hoped he’d done God’s will
By following His laws, from his youth, but wondered still.
He addressed Christ as a good teacher, but didn’t realize
That Christ wasn’t just a good teacher, but God before his very eyes.
He asked the Lord what he could do to aid him on eternity’s quest,
And Jesus confirmed that to keep the commandments is best.
The young man replied he’d done that from as early as he could recall–
Then Jesus told him of his need to follow Him and surrender all.
His wealth and possessions had become too strong of a hold
And kept him from seeing the purity of God’s desires–true gold.
With sadness, the ruler left because he couldn’t see the reward.
He hadn’t yet grasped the higher life offered through Christ, the Lord.
You see, making Christ your Lord doesn’t actually cost–in fact, it pays,
With dividends of God’s blessings throughout all your days.
The greatest blessing of all is getting to know God as you should–
A loving heavenly Father whose care and plans for you are good.
Then, committing your life and resources, in faith, as He leads
Will help you to reach exactly those He knows of who have needs.
God knows that when possessions become your highest treasure,
You’ll fail to find the things that He knows are of greater measure.
Christ looks for our faith and love for Him and where our loyalty lies;
Let’s not fail to see that investment in His Kingdom is certainly wise.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Now behold, one came and said to him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’ So He said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But, if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The young man said to him, ‘All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” John 14:6
…if you’ve not already done so….
After you’ve acknowledged that you, like all, have sinned–then repent and simply receive the free gift of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, to become one of God’s own children….
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith….” from Romans 3:21-26
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
Dear Heavenly Father,
I come to you in the name of Jesus…
who said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37), so I know You won’t cast me out, but You take me in and I thank You for it.
It’s written in Romans: “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” Romans 10:8-13
I am calling on Your Name, so I know you have saved me now.
I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe that He was raised from the dead for my justification, and I confess Him now as my Savior and Lord.
Because Your Word says, “With the heart, one believes unto righteousness,” and I do believe with my heart, I have now become the righteousness of God in Christ…and I am saved! “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Thank You, Lord!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’” Matthew 16:24-25
“Therefore, also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him, the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:11-13
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” Proverbs 4:18 NASB
In the last days, perilous times will come—the New Testament has warned. Yet those words, by nonbelievers, have been ignored or scorned.
The increase of catastrophic news events and evil deeds inflicted should be convincing to men and women of what the Bible has predicted.
Then, there’s the focus on Israel, such a small piece of land; yet it’s dear to the heart of God and is sustained by His mighty hand.
As believers, we can “look up,” for our redemption draws nigh. The same resurrected Lord Jesus is coming back, who ascended into the sky.
P. A. Oltrogge
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-14 NKJV
“But know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people, turn away!” 2 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Matthew 24:6-8 NKJV
“Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.” Isaiah 66:8 NIV Israel recognized on May 14, 1948
“And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed.” 2 Samuel 7:10 NIV
“And I will bring my people Israel back from exile.” Amos 9:14 NIV
“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.” Psalm 125:2 NKJV
“And as they heard these things, he (Jesus) added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, ‘Occupy till I come.’” …from Luke 19:11-13 KJV
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:25-28 KJV
“And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.” Luke 24:50-53 NKJV
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am there you may be also.” John 14:3 NKJV
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’” Acts 1:8-11 NKJV
Though we don’t know the exact timing of future events, we continue, in the meantime, to pray for the various situations in this world and share with others about Jesus, our Savior, and the assurance we have through Him….
“But He holds His priesthood unchangeably, because He lives on forever. Therefore, He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them. (Here is) the High Priest (perfectly adapted) to our needs, as was fitting–holy, blameless, unstained by sin, separated by sin, separated from sinners, and exalted higher than the heavens.” Hebrews 7:24-26 (The Amplified Bible)
God is able to save to the uttermost…
He’s able to reach any willing soul.
He’s able to love to the uttermost…
Forgiving and making them whole.
He’s able to comfort to the uttermost…
When things have gone hurtfully wrong;
He can heal broken hearts to the uttermost…
Replacing their grief with a song.
He’s able to guide to the uttermost…
Leading beside quiet waters.
He possesses all wisdom to the uttermost…
And shares it with His sons and daughters.
P. A. Oltrogge
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity….” Proverbs 2:6-7
“The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.” Psalm 145:17-19
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians1:3-4
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Psalm 34:18, 19
“The Lord is my strength and song….” Exodus 15:2 and Psalm 118:14
I thank You for Your answers even before my prayers have begun…because of what Your Son, Jesus Christ, has done.
I’m seated in the heavenly places—my victory’s been won…because of what Your Son, the Lord Jesus, has done.
At Calvary’s cross, the curse was defeated. All fear I now can shun…because of what Your Son, the Messiah, has done.
Not by my own merit, but by the blood from His veins that had run, I can come before You boldly because of what He’s done.
Regarding the name of Jesus—a greater name, there’s none, because He so pleased You as a perfectly obedient Son.
And, one day, when my race on earth has been completely run, I’ll be immediately in Your presence, because of what Your Son has done.
P. A. Oltrogge
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” 2 Peter 1:16-18
“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” Words of Jesus in Matthew 6:7-8
“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come.” Ephesians 1:15-21
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespassses, made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:4-10
“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:17-19
“So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” Hebrews 13:6
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8
“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11
“And when He saw the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And opening His mouth He began to teach them, saying,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.
“Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
“Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house.
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus Christ gave us the basics of believing on Him for salvation…
and indicated that God desires our fellowship…each person, His special creation.
Sadly, though, some will spend time with Him barely just once a week,
which makes us want to remind them…there’s more that they should seek.
_________________________
There will be rewards in heaven for what we’ve done in regard…
to contributing to His kingdom, which doesn’t have to be hard.
We can open up our wallets, helping many established outreaches.
We can pray or serve in some way…not having to be one who “preaches.”
_________________________
If they’ve believed in Jesus Christ, confessing Him as the Lord of Lords,
that’s wonderful, but they must realize He wants to also give rewards.
And, in giving, with love, to others, we receive during this life, too…
Doing for our “neighbor,” not living just for ourselves, is a fulfilling thing to do.
P. A. Oltrogge
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 22:37-40
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
Read Matthew 25
And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Revelation 22:12-13
There are many established Christian outreaches which have been mentioned on this blog, and you may be aware of others as well. Samaritans Purse is often looking for volunteers. Of course, as Christians, we are serving the Lord, too, in our daily workplace. But I wrote the above poetic text out of concern for those who think they’re right with God, but may not actually be born again, since they don’t really commune with Him, and attend church very infrequently.
Father, please awaken those who need to take things a step further–from knowing of You, to knowing You and serving You, as You lead them… You want them to receive reward. Help us all to follow as You lead… in Jesus’ name, we pray…Amen
…author unknown, but the meaningful thoughts are appreciated…. P. A. Oltrogge
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
“How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.” Psalm 36:7-9
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
“They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.” Psalm 65:8
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”Luke 6:38
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:1-5 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
“But now faith, hope, love abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
…from John 11 on the death and raising of Lazarus…
“Now Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.’”
“Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time, there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?’”
So often in life we turn to logical courses and reason; but now’s an opportune time—in fact, in any season, to trust the good Lord for help that’s supernatural, instead of leaning so heavily on mainly the factual.
In the Biblical story of Martha’s brother, Lazarus, who had died, she seemed to sense that her brother’s death could still be defied. Yet, when the Lord said that someone should open the cave tomb door, she reasoned about the time that had passed and other facts in store.
“By this time” became Martha’s very predominant thought, instead of remembering the miracles that Jesus had already wrought. Likewise, in a crisis, we know that God can come through still; but let’s be assured that healing and restoration are always His will.
P. A. Oltrogge
Postscript:
It’s sometimes thought that miracles are few and far between; but, whether instant or more gradual, they’re frequently being seen.
“Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.’ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’” John 11:41-44 NKJV
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV
And Mark 11:23-26
“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’” Mark 9:23
“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, 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, so 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, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-5
Jesus, You are the True Vine, to which I’m blessed to have a strong connection. It’s through Your truths and the Holy Spirit You sent, that I find wisdom and direction.
Before learning to trust Your guidance, I attempted some plans of my own. But they only showed me my need to draw close–to You at Your heavenly throne.
There, You’d waited patiently for me, to learn more about You and abide…in the peace of Your presence in order to bear fruit, by which Your Father is glorified.
It’s written in Your Word, that I’m seated with You, together in the heavenly places; I’m an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ, so I receive of divine daily graces.
“Much fruit” are actually the words that this portion of scripture has detailed; You will perfect a good work in me, so I won’t be a branch that has failed.
Without You, I can do nothing; but, by drawing from the Vine, I become able…to tell of the One who changed water into wine–the best at the wedding table.
Many other miracles come to mind as I think back on all that I’ve read: Parables shared and words that were prophetic are among the things that You said.
In and through You, I’m the kind of branch that remains and continues to thrive, sharing through kind deeds and words about Jesus, our God, who is very much alive!
P. A. Oltrogge
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:6-11
“You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 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.” John 15:3-4 (New Living Translation)
“Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7
“The spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:16-17
“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105 KJV
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13 KJV
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
The Porch of the Lord 