Fruit or Foliage? – John 15:1-2,5

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grapevine“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper. Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit…I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.” (John 15:1-2,5, HCSB).

These verses contain the last of seven “I am” declarations made by Jesus in John’s Gospel.  “I am” is an allusion to God’s name by which God identified Himself to the Israelites: “God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14).

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God’s X-Ray Vision – 2 Chronicles 16:9

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superman-x-ray-vision“For the eyes of Yahweh roam throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His” (2 Chronicles 16:9, HCSB).

These words were spoken by a prophet named Hanani to Asa, king of Judah and Solomon’s great grandson, to rebuke him for forming an alliance with the king of Syria.

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What Am I Supposed To Do? – John 14:10

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God-at-Work-Sign“My Father who lives in me does his work through me” (John 14:10, NLT).

All right, you’re a Christian. Maybe you have been a Christian for all or most of your life or maybe just for a short time.

Either way, the same nagging question always lingers in the back of your mind: “Lord, what am I supposed to do with my life and with my salvation?”

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Straight Talk – 2 Chronicles 13:18

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Straight_Talk“The Israelites were subdued at that time. The Judahites succeeded because they depended on the Lord, the God of their ancestors” (2 Chronicles 13:18, HCSB).

We spend a lot of time and effort trying to understand what God is saying to us through His Word, the Bible. Sometimes the Bible actually makes it real easy for us to understand what it is saying and how to apply it to our lives.

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Say…What? – John 13:3-4

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footwashing“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist,and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.”  (John 13:3-4, NLT).

John says that Jesus came from God and had all authority over everything and then He washed His disciples’ feet!

Say, what?

The God of the universe became a human being and then washed the feet of the human beings He created?

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Resurrection! Part 4: God’s Anger = God’s Mercy – John 11:33-35

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God's Hand of Mercy “When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, He was angry in His spirit and deeply moved. ‘Where have you put him?’ He asked. ‘Lord,’ they told Him, ‘come and see.’ Jesus wept” (John 11:33-35, HCSB).

This meditation is Part 4 of a four-part series from the story of the raising of Lazarus from death. When Jesus arrived in Bethany after Lazarus had died, He encountered family and friends mourning over the death of Lazarus.

Jesus exhibited a wide range of emotions as He shared in the sorrow of Lazarus’ death with family and friends.

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Resurrection! Part 3: The Most Powerful Words Ever Spoken – John 11:25-26

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prayingskelton“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die–ever!” (John 11:25-26, HCSB).

This meditation is Part 3 of a four-part series from the story of the raising of Lazarus from death. When Jesus reached Bethany where His good friend, Lazarus, lived, Lazarus had already died and his body placed in a tomb where it had been for four days.

Martha, one of the sisters of Lazarus, came to meet Jesus as He approached the tomb where Lazarus was buried. Martha told Jesus that Lazarus would not have died if Jesus had been there before he actually died. And the words in these verses were the response of Jesus to Martha’s grief-filled complaint.

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Resurrection! Part 2: Just Let Him Die – John 11:5-7

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die-to-self“Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after that, He said to the disciples, ‘Let’s go to Judea again.'” (John 11:5-7, HCSB).

This meditation is Part 2 of a four-part series from the story of the raising of Lazarus from death. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days…

What?

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Resurrection! Part 1: Pain Relief – John 11:1-16

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pain_relief“When Jesus heard it he said, ‘This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it'” (John 11:4, HCSB).

This meditation is Part 1 of a four-part series from the story of the raising of Lazarus from death.  In this opening part of the story of Lazarus, Jesus received a message from Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, that their brother (and Jesus’ dear friend) was on his deathbed. They wanted Jesus to come and heal Lazarus so he wouldn’t die.

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