One of my favorite passages in Scripture and a great continuation of where God had me yesterday – “home”: “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 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.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great joy to my Father” (John 15:1-8).

Last summer we were living in Texas during a severe drought. Restrictions were placed on how much water you could use to irrigate your yard or wash your car or fill your pool. Every month or so the level of water restrictions was increased until you could only water your yard every other week and it had to be before 10am and after 6pm. Everything was brown. The ground had huge cracks in it and roads were buckling. Soil was pulling away from the foundations of buildings, causing cracks in walls and doors to not close properly as houses were suffering damage from the drought. Lakes were closed because of how low their water level was.

This summer we are living in Illinois during yet another severe drought. The difference is there is no water restriction – no signs on every corner or city officials driving around fining people for using their water at the wrong time. Trees are drying out and lawns are brown from the hot, dry summer we are experiencing but there are no concerns that the water is going to run out. The grass is dry but there is nothing stopping us from turning on the sprinklers to water the grass and save the lawn. The source of water is readily available, all we have to do is connect our “dry areas” to the source.

Jesus said, “For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” Jesus – an endless source for us IF we choose to remain connected, to stay “home” as we called it yesterday.

On Friday, we traveled to Eureka to see our friends from Ethiopia – Ermias and Mulu Mekuria. I have never met two people as devoted to their prayer life as this couple. They get up every morning at 3 a.m. and spend time worshipping and praying together for a couple of hours, then they go back to sleep. When someone asks them to pray for a situation, they follow through and daily lift that person up to the Lord in prayer. Time after time, they have laid their hands on someone and prayed for healing and God has answered their prayer. Listen carefully – God hears them and answers their prayer! Why? It’s not about who they are but about whom they are connected to – the True Grapevine.

“But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” Let’s not focus so much on the last half of this sentence that we miss the context provided in the first half – IF you remain in me and my words remain in you, THEN you may ask for anything you want and it will be granted. Are we experiencing God answering our prayers? If not, perhaps we should consider what it takes to be connected to the source – what it really means to REMAIN there. Let’s consider this as we look at the words of Jesus that John recorded.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with my Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask for anything in my name, and I will do it!” – John 14:12-14

“I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy…I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God.” – John 16:23b-24,26-27

I was recently sitting with a group of women and one shared how God had told her something. Another woman cynically asked – Did God really tell you that? How did you know it was God talking to you? I’ve asked God to talk to me and He never does. My heart broke for her. Was she connected to the source? Was she devoting time to prayer and Scripture? Was she remaining in Him? Did she truly know the One she wanted to hear from?

I spend time daily studying God’s word and praying to Him yet I am convicted of the depth of my relationship with God. I am not sure I have done more than scratch the surface of what it means to be connected to Him and to remain in Him. If I want to produce fruit in my life, if I want to save myself from drought, all I need to do is truly devote myself to the True Grapevine. There is no limit of what He wants to give me. I simply need to stop limiting how much I am receiving of Him.

“If you love me, obey my commandments” (John 14:15). It’s a simple but very strong statement made by Jesus. He goes on to explain what it looks like for someone to respond to their love for Jesus by obeying what He has told them to do and how He has told them to live.

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will over flow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other” (John 15:9-17).

“You are my friends if you do what I command.” This is another strong statement made by Jesus. If you truly love me, if you are really my friend, you will obey what I command. He then goes on to clearly define what He is commanding His friends to do – Love each other! Love each other the way I have loved you. I am about to lay my life down for you, my friends. That is the kind of love I am asking from you – to love me with that kind of love and to love each other with that kind of love.

That is a strong request for Jesus to ask from us – no, not a request; a command. Some people are easy to love and some people are hard to love. We are human and Jesus is asking us to do something that stretches us beyond ourselves. But Jesus does not ask us to love in our own strength. We could, for a very little while, but our love for others would not last long if we are trying to produce something from nothing – love for someone who is hard to love, who possibly does not give love in return.

Jesus goes on to explain how this is going to work. He is going to remain in the Father and we are going to remain in Him and He is going to remain in us. This connection is where the Father and His Son make their home with each of us. It is in this connection that Jesus reveals Himself to us because He loves us and we love Him, therefore God loves us! Let’s look at the Scripture that draws the picture of our connection with God the Father and Jesus the Son.

“When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them…All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me” (John 14:20-21, 23-24a).

It still comes down to love and obedience. There’s One more who is involved in this connection that makes it possible for us to live a life that is characterized by love and obedience, One that makes this connection possible. Jesus explains this incredible gift He is giving in order for us to do what He is commanding us to do.

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives WITH you now and later will be IN you…When the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:16-17,26).

“And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment…When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me” (John 16:8,13-14).

I am so thankful for the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. It is the voice of the Holy Spirit that convicts me of my sin and guides me into truth. It is through this Spirit of truth that I hear from Jesus. It is the work of the Spirit that changes me and strengthens me, producing fruit in my life – the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Did you catch that first fruit? He produces love in me! Isn’t that great?!! The love the Spirit produces in me is what makes it possible for me to do as Jesus commands – to love each other. The Spirit produces the love of Christ in me and I do what He has asked me to do, I remain in that love! As the Spirit produces love in me, I remain in the love of Jesus and He remains in the love of the Father. I love what Jesus called this connection – He called it “home” (14:23).

Let’s stay home today. Let’s remain in this connection or relationship – let’s remain in His love! Then as we go about our day, we still have access to the love of Jesus living within us that empowers us to love others as Jesus would love them because we stay home – we stay connected to God the Father and Jesus the Son through the power of the Spirit producing its fruit in us. Fruit in my morning coffee – what a great idea!:)

“If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark” (John 12:44-46).

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me” (John 14:1).

“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27).

These last two years, God has taken me on a journey of faith and trust. When faced with an unfamiliar situation, I could hear God say, “Trust me.” When faced with a tough decision, I could hear God say, “Trust me.” When asked to let go of something God had given me, I could hear God say, “Trust me.” When asked to walk away from the known into the unknown, I could hear God say, “Trust me.”

There were many times when I had to trust God with my children, something that is often difficult to do. Other times I am at such a loss that it is easier to trust God with my children because I know I don’t have the answers, but that God is God and I can trust Him. When a team of six doctors and nurses swarmed around Libby’s hospital bed prepared to intubate in order to keep her breathing, I had to trust God. When our family physician ordered a series of tests to determine why Madeira has so much back pain, I had to trust God. When Brooke struggled with the transition to a new school, I had to trust God. Now, as we once again enroll our daughters in new schools, I cling to the words of God – “Trust me.”

I know of so many situations right now in the lives of friends and family that require a huge amount of trust in God. The wife and husband who are struggling with how his battle with cancer has affected their children and family life, the young couple who are clinging to every moment with their toddler son whose physical complications from Down Syndrome are threatening his life, the woman who still struggles with loneliness after her husband has abandoned her, the friend who still grieves the loss of her husband to cancer, the parents who struggle to help their child overcome anxiety that is stealing his joy in life, the young woman who prepares to leave on an 11-month missions trip around the world, the mother whose heart is troubled over the decisions her son is making in life, the couple who is climbing their way out of debt, and the daughter who is taking care of her aging father.

This morning, I pray that you hear God’s voice saying, “Trust me.”

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. The Lord gives his people strength (Psalm28:6-8a).

But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands (Psalm 31:14-15a).

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you (Psalm 56:3)

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them (1 John 4:16).

Can you add to this? What verse or words has the Lord given you when you need to trust Him in any situation? Perhaps you could comment and share your verse in order that the Spirit can use it someone else’s heart today or in mine. Let’s share our morning coffee with each other today.

This morning I simply sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to what He has to say.

Follow me…be where I am

Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels – a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me” (John 12:23-26).

Walk in the light…put your trust in the light

Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so darkness will not over take you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light” (John 12:35-36).

Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark” (John 12:44-46).

Do as I have done to you

“I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them” (John 13:15-17).

Love each other

As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will soon give glory to the Son. Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:31-35).

Don’t be troubled…trust in me

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going” (John 14:1-4).

You know me

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” – (John 14:6-7)

Ask me for anything and I will do it!

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that he Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” – (John 14:12-14)

Follow me. Be where I am. Walk in the light. Put your trust in the light. Do as I have done to you: Love each other. Don’t be troubled. Trust in me. You know me. Ask for anything and I will do it!

In chapter 12, John gives account of several different responses to Jesus – these responses reminded me of the various responses of people within the church today.

Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus – the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor – he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself (John 12:1-6).

The Passover was only six days away and I am sure there was much that needed to be done for this annual celebration, yet Lazarus, Martha and Mary put aside their preparations in order to throw a dinner party in Jesus’ honor. What a year it had been for them! They recognized how different this Passover celebration would have been if Jesus had not intervened and raised Lazarus from the dead. God had blessed them greatly and they refused to forget His generosity. Instead they chose to be generous in return.

Martha is doing what she does best – serving. It is her love language. Lazarus is soaking in the presence of Jesus, thankful for the opportunity to share a meal together in brotherly fellowship and giving Jesus the gift of his time, probably realizing that every minute of his life is gift from Jesus Himself. Martha and Lazarus remind me of my mother-in-law, Bonnie Sherwood. Three times she has been diagnosed with cancer and today she is cancer-free, not saved by human efforts but healed by God. She knows that every day is a gift from God and so she lives out her love language of serving God by serving others and soaks in every opportunity to worship in Jesus’ presence.

Mary’s response to Jesus is beautiful in her own way, perhaps describing her love language – sacrifice. There was nothing too expensive for Jesus, nothing she was unwilling to do in order to express her devotion to the Savior. The house was filled with the fragrance. Mary’s sacrifice and worship had an impact on the entire house, affecting the experience of everyone in her vicinity. When we give our best to God, when we serve and worship Him in reckless abandon, all those around us are impacted by that kind of sacrifice.

Judah’s response was one of selfishness and greed. He was thinking only of himself. His concern was first for his own experience, disregarding the heart of Jesus and the needs of others. He had an attitude of possessiveness and entitlement.

These various responses can sadly been seen today among the body of Christ. Consider these examples and ask God to reveal your heart.

– The Church announces a work day. Martha signs up, Mary offers to buy the cleaning supplies and Judas says, “I was at the last work day. It is someone else’s turn to clean.”
– A teenager who is rough around the edges, struggling with some addictions and coming from an unchurched family walks in the door. Martha offers him a ride to all future youth group events, Mary offers to pay his way to camp and Judas complains that there are cigarette butts in the Church parking lot now.
– The State posts the abortion statistics for the local community and the lives of 350 babies are reflected in last year’s numbers. Martha volunteers her time and Mary writes a check to the local pregnancy center, while Judas looks the other way and complains if the Church brings up the topic of abortion – after all, it makes everyone uncomfortable.
– A man walks out on his wife and kids, filing for divorce. Martha volunteers to babysit, Mary brings offer a week’s worth of groceries, and Judas says, “There’s always two sides to every story – I’m sure she shares some of the fault in their marriage going bad. Pastor, you need to find someone else to teach her Sunday School class.”

Heavenly Father, reveal to me any “Judas” traits I might have. Forgive me for the times when I have put my own desires ahead of the needs of others, or the times when I have been too busy to honor You. Forgive me for the times when I have judged others instead of showing love. Help me to always see how different my life would be without Your intervention and healing. May I never forget Your generosity but always be generous towards You. May the fragrance of my devotion to You be a blessing to all those in the house. Grow the “Martha” and “Mary” in me so that my first response is service and generosity. Like Lazarus, thank you for allowing me to experience Your presence this morning as I drink my morning coffee. Amen.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father” (John 10:14-15a).

One of my favorite aspects of my relationship with God is that He knows everything about me. He knows where my thoughts go and what I am struggling with. He knows what I desire and what I fear. He knows how much I have grown and how much more growing I have to do. In fact, He often knows when I need to grow in patience and perseverance more than I need an immediate answer to my prayer. He knows when I need to hear from Him and when I need to see His hand at work. God knows me completely and yet loves me intensely – so powerful is God’s love for me that He was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.

“So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded” (John 10:15b-18).

Just as we found significance in the timing of what we studied yesterday – that Jesus was speaking to the people during the Festival of Dedication and the significance that had to what He was saying – so we find significance today in where Jesus was standing as He went on to use the same language that can be found in Ezekiel 34:22-23. Consider that Jesus was walking through the section of the Temple known as Solomon’s Colonnade. It was winter and this area was located on the east side and known for providing shelter from winter weather. It was in this protective area that Jesus said the following:

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one” (John 10:27-30).

Most likely Peter and John were with Jesus on that day and heard him say these words of comfort and protection while standing in Solomon’s Colonnade. I wonder if His words came back to them a few years later when they stood again in Solomon’s Colonnade.

Peter and John had come across a man lame from birth begging from the people as they were going into the Temple. When he asked Peter and John for money, Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” When the people saw him walking and heard him praising God, they rushed in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John (Acts 3:1-11).

Peter took this opportunity to preach to the people, clarifying that it was faith in the name of Jesus by which this man was healed. He called the people to repentance of their sins and to turn to God, so that their sins may be wiped away (3:19). It was while Peter and John were speaking to the people in Solomon’s Colonnade that the priests, the captain of the Temple guard and some of the Sadducees came and arrested Peter and John and threw them in jail. They commanded them to never again speak or teach in the name of Jesus. Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one” (John 10:27-30).

The knowledge that Jesus was their Good Shepherd gave Peter and John boldness even in a moment of uncertainty in the future. Instead of choosing fear and caving to pressure, Jesus’ disciples chose to trust in the One who they knew with confidence would protect them. They knew the power of the One to whom they belonged. That knowledge is available to us today also. Let’s rest in the words of the One to whom we belong and sing as the psalmist did:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths, bring honor to his name.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,
And I will live in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23).

As I start off a new week and a new day with a fresh cup of my morning coffee, I find myself moving further into the book of John to chapter 10. It was the Festival of Dedication (Hanukkah) and Jesus is preaching about how he is the Good Shepherd. I have read this passage through many times and even had it memorized in high school for Bible Quizzing, but I wanted to see it fresh and new this morning.

I am unfamiliar with the significance of this Festival and so I decided to read through the notes of my study Bible to see if there is a reason that Jesus chose to speak about sheep at this Festival. What I found was very interesting and good timing for where I am at in my spiritual journey. Isn’t God wonderful like that?!! He creates in us a desire to know more and then He faithfully guides us into an understanding of the Scripture that helps us take next steps in our faith walk with Him.

The Festival of Dedication commemorates the rededication of the Temple after it had been defiled by Antiochus IV. At this Festival, the priests would do some self-examination, considering their own commitment or dedication to the ministry to which they had been called. They would reflect on Ezekiel 34, so I went back and read Ezekiel 34 – a passage we looked at on June 13th as we shared our morning coffee together. I went back and reread what the Lord had given me on that Wednesday seven weeks ago.

In that passage, the Lord was upset with the “shepherds” or leaders of Israel. He accused them of abandoning the flock and taking care of themselves first, leaving the sheep to starve. God said, “I myself will search and find my sheep…I will find my sheep and rescue them…I will bring them back home…I will feed them…I will give them good pastureland…I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace…I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak…You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people, and I am your God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” – Ezekiel 34: 11-16,31

Most of us have a ministry of some sort, whether that is a full-time paid job or a volunteer position at Church or at a ministry in town. Many of us are also parents who have been given a ministry to our children. How are we caring for the sheep? Are we still putting forth our best effort? Are we concerned about those who are spiritually starving or wandering away? Have we become comfortable and begun to worry more about ourselves then about caring for the sheep? Are we feasting on what God provides without sharing the abundance of God with others? Perhaps today is our Festival of Dedication, a time to examine our service to God. Let’s consider this as we hear what Jesus has to say at this Festival long ago.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice…

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep” (John 10:1-13).

After learning about the Festival of Dedication and after reading through Ezekiel 34, I see this passage differently today. I am the hired hand, given responsibility over some of the sheep by the Good Shepherd. Am I working only for the money or am I working to please the Shepherd? Do I run when things get tough or do I listen for the voice of the Shepherd, realizing that I, too, am under His care? Do I still care about the sheep or is my focus on myself, as it was for the leaders in Ezekiel 34?

God, strengthen my call this morning. Give me a fresh desire to serve You by serving others. Lord, I am listening for Your voice, a voice I know so well because You are my Shepherd. What do you want me to do with this day you have given me? Help me to see all of Your sheep through Your eyes – that I would never abandon this responsibility that you have given me, that none would starve while in my care. Amen.

The Jewish leaders were so caught up on where Jesus had come from and from whom he had been born that they were missing who Jesus was and from whom he had been sent. They tried to use this information to prove that he was not the Messiah. They knew where Joseph and Mary were from and they knew that Jesus had grown up in Galilee so they assumed he was also born in Galilee. They actually used the argument that, if Jesus truly was the Messiah, he would have been born in Bethlehem as the Scriptures clearly state (John 7:42). Duh!

While Jesus was in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know Him. But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you” (John 7:28-29).

Let’s keep in mind that the Pharisees and Jewish leaders knew who Jesus’ mother was when we consider what they did next and probably that she was found to be with child before she was married to Joseph. John tells us that these teachers of the law were trying to trap Jesus when they brought to him a woman who had been caught in adultery. They were waiting to see if Jesus would be faithful to the law of Moses, which demanded she be stoned.

…but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:6-12).

We continue today to judge one another by where we came from, who our parents are and by the sins of our past. The enemy wants to define us by these things so that he can convince us that we belong to the sinful world and not to our Heavenly Father. If he can convince us of this, it is easier for him to convince us that sinning is simply a part of who we are and where we came from.

But Jesus says – I know who you are and what you have done. Go and sin no more. You don’t have to continue to walk in darkness if you follow me for I am the light of the world. If you will walk in my light, you will truly experience life. Jesus went on to explain you will also experience true freedom if you follow his teachings instead of remaining a slave to sin.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:31-32,34-36).

Freedom – freedom from who the world wants us to be, freedom from who others define us to be, and freedom from our past mistakes and sins.

In anger, the people asked Jesus, “Who do you think you are?” They also asked him where his father was and then made the statement, “We are not illegitimate children! God himself if our true Father” (8:53,19,41). Oh yes, they knew what they were doing when they brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery. What they didn’t know is who Jesus truly was and to whom he belonged.

When others try to define you by where you came from or by past sins, remember who you truly are – You are a child of God, forgiven and set free from sin. When the enemy tries to pull you back into a life of sin, remember who you truly are – you are no longer a slave to sin but a part of God’s family forever. You have been set free from the past, free from sin and you are a faithful follower of Jesus.

The Samaritan woman Jesus met at the well was thirsty for something different in her life. She longed for this “living water” that Jesus spoke of and knew there were many others who would want to encounter Jesus just as she had. The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village to tell everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” – John 4:29

In the meantime, the disciples returned with food for Jesus and He turned His focus on them, speaking again in symbolic language. Jesus turned down their offer for food and they wondered who had fed Jesus while they were in town. They did not understand the fulfillment Jesus had received by doing the will of His Heavenly Father.

Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.” – John 4:34-38

Jesus knew there was no greater fulfillment in life than to be in the center of God’s will – doing what God wants us to do where He wants us to do it, impacting the lives of those He places in our path. Jesus did not want to miss one opportunity to offer the gift of life to God’s children.

“For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:38-40).

When the Samaritan woman went back to the village to tell them about Jesus, the people came streaming out to see him. Many believed and asked Jesus to stay in their village, so he stayed for two days. He could have said he was too busy or was on his way to do something else, but he stayed. In those two days, many more people heard his message and believed. They turned to the woman and said, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the World” (4:42).

The fields were ripe for harvest – the people were hungry for an encounter with Jesus! Do we desire to do the will of God today, even if it requires getting out of our comfort zone and leading someone to Jesus? My prayer today is that God will show us the fields that are ripe for harvest – that the harvest we reap today will be people who are brought to eternal life. What joy we will experience if we allow God to use us in this way today!

So far in 2012, the gospel has been presented to 400 people who have entered the doors of a Living Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center. This represents 400 people who were asked if they would like to hear the gospel and said “yes.” 400 people willing to hear what we have to say – we are standing in the middle of a field ripe for harvest! Out of those 400 people, 80 accepted Christ for the first time becoming a new believer in Jesus and 25 recommitted their lives to God. Praise God! Last year, we saw 259 people make a spiritual decision for Christ out of the 841 who heard the gospel. That’s 30% of those who heard the gospel accepting the message of salvation last year, and 26% so far this year. These numbers represent whole families who have come to the Lord, found a Church to attend and are serving the Lord today.

So can we conclude from this that 26-30% of people we know would repent and accept Christ Jesus as their Savior if only given the opportunity? These gospel presentations were mostly for individuals we had known less than 30 minutes. Imagine the willingness to hear God’s plan from friends, coworkers, neighbors and family we have known for months or years.

“We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work” (Jesus’ words in John 9:4). Our time is limited. May we seek to do God’s will today, listening to our Heavenly Father and responding to His Spirit’s voice. May we see through His eyes the harvest around us and may we sense the urgency to carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent us.

In this next chapter of John, we find Jesus again meeting individually with someone – knowing where they were coming from, what they were searching for and how to help them find it. Just as he did with Nicodemus, Jesus used a simple everyday concept the Samaritan woman could understand to help her discover a much deeper truth. Just as Jesus knew what Nicodemus was searching for and what he needed, Jesus knew the situation this woman was coming from and how thirsty she was for something different in her life.

Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” – John 4:5-12

An everyday concept – “dead” water is the term they used to describe stagnant or standing water, such as a cisterns that caught and stored the winter rains and wells that tapped into underground water tables. “Living” water described sources such as a river or spring or rainfall – water that was fresh and considered to be coming straight from God. So when Jesus said, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water,” he had the woman’s attention. She knew there were no rivers nearby. How could Jesus offer her such a thing?

“If you only knew the gift God has for you” – this must have also gotten the woman’s attention. Because she was a Samaritan, she was considered a lower class citizen. Because she was a woman, she was considered more of a possession than an individual. Because of her past experiences with men, she was considered an outcast and unwanted, which is probably why she was coming to the well alone at that time of day. Yet here Jesus was saying that God had a gift for her – something as valued as “living water.”

Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water!” Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come her to get water.” – John 4:13-15

Can you hear the desperation in her voice? Can you sense how deep her need is for salvation? My heart goes out to this woman who had been used by men and shunned by women. But God had a gift for this lonely child of His – an encounter with Jesus that would forever change her life.

“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.

Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband – for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” – John 4:16-18

Jesus knew her situation and he knew her need. Out of love for this woman, he offered her “living water” – the same thing he offers us today. We don’t have to remain stagnant. Life does not have to be the way it has always been. We can walk away from the place our decisions have left us and choose a new, fresh way of life. If we drink of the living water that Jesus offers us, we will never be thirsty again – we will never be left desiring more. God’s gift to us will become a fresh and bubbling spring within us, giving us eternal life.