Abide in Me

  "Abide in Me and I in you." John 15:4

After Jesus washed the disciples' feet, even Judas', He went on to speak to them about Him being the true vine. He said the Father was the gardener, the vine-dresser, who cuts off branches that do not bear fruit.  The disciples were the branches. The vine-dresser cut off one of the branches because "anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers.  Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned." (John 15:6)

I am sure we do not like to wither and burn like Judas!  The only way is to abide in Jesus, to stay joined to Him, to dwell with Him, to remain in Him, to walk with Him.  Daily. If we examine ourselves, perhaps we will find what we are connected to.  Are we attached to our bank account? Our reputation? Our job? What vine are we joined to? Perhaps we are hanging on to Jesus by a fragile little tendril? Even if that is the case, we can always reconnect with the true vine. I was delighted to learn that almost all grape vines used for wine making is grafted!  And so even Judas who was cut off, could have begun anew if only he repented and asked Jesus to forgive him.

Thank you Lord for forgiving us 70 x 70 times, and even more! Help us to abide in You and You in us! 

Whoever Loves Me

 “Whoever loves me will keep my word..." John 14:23

If we read the Bible, savor the words we read, observe them, obey, we will love as Jesus loved. His words are life giving, and "will not return to Him void". His words will bear fruit, WE will bear fruit. It is inevitable! 

Sometimes it is very hard, even bitter, to love, to keep God’s word, but some people are able to do so at great cost. Take the case of Bernadette “Bonnie” Wauck, a staunch Roman Catholic. She married Robert Philip Hanssen in 1968,and had six children with him. He worked for the FBI and ended up being a spy for the Soviet and Russian intelligence services from 1979 to 2001. His espionage was described by the U.S. Department of Justice as "possibly the worst intelligence disaster in U.S. history".

After Hansen was arrested, he was sentenced to 15 life terms without the possibility of parole and was incarcerated until his death in 2023. What happened to his wife Bonnie? She taught religion at Oakcrest University, was an active member of Opus Dei, and had no idea what her husband was really doing. She remained a devout Catholic, and faithful to the marriage, and reared her six children in an atmosphere of rectitude and moralistic piety. Bonnie and her children visited Robert regularly while he was imprisoned. A prominent podcaster said, “I've had the privilege of meeting her and she’s just a joyfilled holy person.” 

Bonnie Hanssen had no intention of divorcing her husband. Her attorney, Janine Brookner stated, “Clearly she doesn’t approve of what he’s done, and there was a whole part of this man she doesn’t know, but I think with her deep religious convictions, he will, at least in mind and in spirit, continue to be her husband and the father of her children.”

Lord, help us to plant Your word in our hearts, that we may keep Your Word even in the most difficult of circumstances. May we be fruitful, and be a blessing to others! 

Help Us to Get to Know You

“Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know Me?" John 14:9

Does Jesus get frustrated? He certainly seems so in this instance. He told His disciples, "If you really knew Me, you would know My Father also. From this point on you KNOW Him; you have SEEN Him." And Phillip asks right after, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us!"

Could Jesus be any clearer? If we know Him, we would know the Father! And we CAN know Jesus through His Word. There is soooo much of Jesus in the Bible, EVEN in the Old Testament. That's why, on the road to Emmaus, in Luke 24:27, Jesus took the time to explain the passages in Scripture, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets", all the things concerning Himself! If we take the time to discover Jesus in the Scriptures, we too will say like the disciples: “Were not our hearts burning within us?" (Luke 24:32)

Lord, help us to know You through Your Word! Guide us though the Scriptures, and give us eyes to see You!

The Way, The Truth and The Life

 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

Many people have rejected Christianity because of its exclusivity. But truth by its very nature IS exclusive. You can’t have many truths. Pilate asked Jesus in John 18:38, “What is truth?” but he did not wait for the answer. Many of us do the same. We prefer to make our own truth because we do not like to change how we think and how we live. Jesus said He is THE way. He did not say He is one of many different ways. 

Jesus said, “I came to bring truth to the world.” If what He says is true, then all other so-called “truths” are fake news. As Jeff Cavins says, we live in an age of unparalleled radical individualism. There are many articles about “Defining your truth”, and “Living your truth”. One article on Huffington Post by Rebecca Mckown actually ended with, “Now you are ready. Your truth has been un-earthed. Now go and live your truth. I will be right beside you.”

No one on earth can be right beside us all the time except Jesus. No one died so that we can live victoriously. In almost all other world religions, we have to earn nirvana through good deeds. The good has to outweigh the bad. The way of Christ is counterculture. Christ became sin for us so we can be righteous, holy and pure and the Father can accept us into His Kingdom. We have access to our Father because Jesus reconciled us. How glorious is this way of God that we may have an intimate, loving relationship with the Son, the Father and the Spirit. It is wholly incomprehensible that God would want that with us. Thank You Lord that You made a way where there is no way! You opened up heaven’s doors, because You are THE way, THE truth and THE life!

Who is He?

 

“From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” (John 13:19-20)

Sometimes Jesus speaks in riddles. I am sure the simple fishermen among the disciples were wondering what He was talking about when He said this. They had no inkling of the horror that was coming. But Jesus said one thing they understood: “...when it happens you may believe that I AM” 

Many people insist that Jesus never claimed to be God, but He did. Jesus said, "I and the Father are one," and, "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father." He also said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” When Moses encountered Yahweh in the burning bush in the 3rd chapter of Exodus, Moses asked what he was to answer the Israelites when they ask what God has sent him to them. We read in verse 14 this answer: “And God said unto Moses, I AM That I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (KJV) The disciples may have been simple men, but they recognized the name, I AM. 

C.S. Lewis, who was once a professor at Cambridge University wrote: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse.” In other words, we were not given the choice by Jesus to say he was a good man, a great teacher or anything of that sort. He is either who He says He is, God, or He is crazy or a very evil man. 

Who is He to you? If He is a mad man or an evil person, we do not need to do anything more but resign him to the dust heap of history. But if He is God! If He is God, we have to go through the Bible with a fine tooth comb and find out all there is about Him that is important to our very existence, and to our life in the world to come!  And change the very fiber of our lives!

Prayer Changes Things

 

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:2-3)

Not all of us are called to go off to foreign lands and do mission work. Here in the Book of Acts, after a group of disciples and followers of Christ fasted and prayed, they discerned God wanted Saul and Barnabas to go to Cyprus to proclaim His Word. How about us? If we are not called to mission fields far away, we are still to do God’s work where we are, with what we have. One of God’s great work for us is prayer. Mary, Jesus’ mother, did not go very far, but we know she was always praying. Many saints spent most of their time praying. A Bishop in China once said that ten Carmelite nuns praying will be of greater help to him than twenty missionaries preaching! Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”

Sister Barbara Jean LaRochester started work as an x-ray technologist in a Catholic hospital, and a teacher’s aide in an inner-city school. She was even active in the civil rights movement during the height of the race riots in the 60’s. But then she discerned her real calling, and turned to cloistered life as a Carmelite nun in Baltimore. "As a physical presence out in the world I could only be one person with two hands and two feet," says Barbara Jean. "But through prayer, I felt I could reach more of my brothers and sisters. The spiritual dimension is limitless."

If we realize how important and far reaching prayer is, we will remember to spend more time at the feet of Jesus.

The Good Shepherd

 "I am the GOOD SHEPHERD." John 10:11

God calls His people sheep over 200 times in the Bible. It's not exactly a compliment because sheep can be pretty dumb animals. That's their outstanding characteristic They can't see very well. They are near sighted--myopic! They are defenseless, they can't bark or scratch. And they are also dirty animals. They are not like cats that clean themselves up all the time. They can go through months gathering up the dirt and dust in their surroundings, until they can even have maggots crawling on them!

And that's why we need a shepherd. A good one! A shepherd who will lead us, to help us navigate through life! A shepherd to give us a vision, a dream, to keep us from just focusing on ourselves. A shepherd to clean us of our filth and dirt. A shepherd to defend us, to fight our battles for us!

“The sheep follow Him, because they recognize His voice." John 10:4

The good thing about sheep is they recognize the shepherd's voice. When he calls out, they come, even if they can't see very well. If someone else calls, they won't come!

“Master to whom shall we go? You have the Words of eternal life." John 6:69

Do we recognize our Shepherd's voice?

Indeed, like sheep, we should follow and obey our Shepherd! But first, we have to learn to recognize His voice!

The Lord is My Shepherd

 “The Lord is my shepherd...” Psalm 23:1

When you read Psalm 23, it is all very pleasant and serene, refreshing and comforting. But to be part of the Lord's flock, first we need to be marked. A shepherd uses what they call a "killing knife" to make a notch in the ear of  his sheep, a distinct mark so he can tell his sheep apart from others. That's painful to both the sheep and the shepherd. We too are marked, set apart, sealed by the Holy Spirit. Not only that, if a lamb goes astray too often, a shepherd has no choice but to break two of his legs. After the shepherd sets it, he carries the lamb around on his shoulders for several weeks. That creates a bond between them and the sheep stays close to the shepherd after that. 

Yes, the Lord is our Shepherd. He takes care of us. He calls us by name. His goodness and kindness follow us all the days of our lives. If there is anything that happens in our lives that is difficult, hard to understand, we need only to have faith that our Shepherd is doing what He needs to do to keep us close. Sheep are known to be stubborn, and maybe that's why Jesus said we are like sheep! We like to go our own way even if there are wolves waiting to devour us! (Is.53:6)

Lord, You are my Shepherd and I belong to You! Help me always to keep on the right path! 

When I had Pemphigus Vulgaris before, an autoimmune condition with no cure, I would recite Bible verses about healing. I had wounds in my mouth and I could not eat and had difficulty talking. But I would repeat Healing Bible verses. I got healed after a few years. I made a you tube video of verses, not very good audio, but if you are sick, you may want to listen to it. In the Bible it says the Word of God is like medicine. 

Praying God will give you strength and restore you. 

https://youtu.be/iovWasy_bOw?feature=shared

Be Sober and Vigilant

 “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9

Not many people believe in the devil today, and that is exactly what this wily enemy wants. He wants us to scoff, “What? The devil? That fictional character our parents used to scare us with?” The more he is hidden in the dark, the more powerful he is. That is where he thrives, in darkness. He likes to manipulate our thoughts, and win in the battle for our minds. 

I read this true story of a man who got stuck in a refrigerator car when all his factory mates went home to celebrate a birthday. He got frantic while pounding on the walls because he believed the refrigerator car was plugged in and he would freeze to death. When he was found the next day, sure enough, the hospital report concluded he died from freezing. The odd thing was the refrigerator car was not even connected to the power supply.

The mind is a powerful thing and the devil knows how to manipulate it. I remember when my late brother-in-law, Jing, used to tell me that thoughts are like a mad dog. If you let it just roam free, it will go all over the place and can wreak destruction. We have to rein it in right away, and keep the leash tight. If we are anxious, depressed, or confused, we should not let our minds wander into places that will makes us even more morose. The Bible says, “Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Prayer Changes Things

 “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?" Acts 9:4

Saul was traveling to Damascus on a mission to arrest and drag anyone following the 'new way' to Jerusalem. In Acts 9:1, he is described as 'breathing murderous threats' against Jesus' disciples. He was stopped by a light in the sky, and a voice asking,"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

He converted to Christianity on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus. Syria became known as the Cradle of Christianity, a center of early Christianity, and Christians, some still speaking Aramaic, have lived there for 2,000 years. However today, they are severely persecuted in the Arab and Muslim world by modern day Sauls who want to exterminate them. They are being driven away from their homes. Hundreds of thousands of Christians are being kidnapped, tortured, and even crucified and beheaded. Their churches are targeted and burned. There is a decline from  a 1.5 million population in 2011 to roughly 300,000 by 2024. 

There is not much we can do. But I know prayer changes more things than this world thinks it can. Let us pray that these modern day Sauls get converted if not by a light from the sky and a voice from heaven, then by other miracles. Nothing is impossible with God! And He is so creative! I believe that even now, saints are arising in the persecuted areas of the world! Let us cover those areas with prayer! Let us combat the jihad against Christians with an army of interceding warriors!

How about us, we persecuting anyone? I hope not. But sometimes we hurt people without even knowing it. We do not think of the words we say and how we say it. I admit I am not very conscious of how I put things. I can be judgmental and unkind. I can jump to conclusions and say negative things. Being sensitive to how others are feeling is a strength we should develop. We should practice treating others as if they were Jesus. The world will be a better place. 

When I had Pemphigus Vulgaris before, an autoimmune condition with no cure, I would recite Bible verses about healing. I had wounds in my mouth and I could not eat and had difficulty talking. But I would repeat Healing Bible verses. I got healed after a few years. I made a you tube video of verses, not very good audio, but if you are sick, you may want to listen to it. In the Bible it says the Word of God is like medicine. 

Praying God will give you strength and restore you. 

https://youtu.be/iovWasy_bOw?feature=shared

Open to the Proddings of the Spirit

 “Do you really grasp what you are reading?" "How can I," the man replied,"unless someone explains it to me?" Acts 8:30-31

Philip was one of the seven men, along with Stephen, who were chosen to distribute bread to the widows and the community. Like Stephen, it was important to him, not only to give bread, but also the bread of life. In this chapter of Acts, Philip was instructed by an angel to go to the desert. There he meets an Ethiopian eunuch, a treasurer of the Queen of that country. This man was reading Isaiah and Philip asked him if he understood.

 "How can I unless someone explains it to me?" the man answered. Philip then took the opportunity to tell him about Jesus. “Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him.” How blessed this Ethiopian man was that God sent someone to teach him! The eunuch went back to Africa rejoicing, the first African to hear about our Lord! 

It is wonderful to think of the many many Africans who know the Gospel because Philip obeyed the prodding of the Spirit! According to Pew Research Center, there are approximately 700 million Christians in Africa, roughly 31% of the world’s total Christian population. Like the eunuch, they can find living water in the desert! 

It is important that we too, like Philip, be open to the proddings of the Holy Spirit wherever we are. 

When I had Pemphigus Vulgaris before, an autoimmune condition with no cure, I would recite Bible verses about healing. I had wounds in my mouth and I could not eat and had difficulty talking. But I would repeat Healing Bible verses. I got healed after a few years. I made a you tube video of verses, not very good audio, but if you are sick, you may want to listen to it. In the Bible it says the Word of God is like medicine. 

Praying God will give you strength and restore you. 

https://youtu.be/iovWasy_bOw?feature=shared

I Will Not Reject You

 

“I will not reject anyone who comes to me...” John 6:37

After Jesus gives us His promise that He is the bread of life, that if we go to Him we will never be hungry, if we believe in Him we will never thirst, He gives us another promise. He says that He will never reject anyone who goes to Him. I am sure most of us have experienced rejection. Perhaps we were not accepted for a job we wanted, we did not get into a prestigious university, organization, or a popular clique in high school. It was painful, maybe even embarrassing. All of the most successful people like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, J.K. Rowling, Lady Gaga and Warren Buffet, have lots of rejection stories to tell. Rejection is part of life.

But it is not part of our life with God. He will never reject us when we go to Him, when we want to be His friend, when we desire to be a part of His Church. He identifies so much with His people that when someone wants to reject us, hurt us, persecute us, He will ask, just as He asked Saul, “Why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4) How awesome is our God?!!

Lord, we cannot conceive of how much You love us! We do not deserve to be loved the way You do! You were actually willing to take our sins with You on the cross, to take our place as the blood sacrifice. Help us to live every day in the knowledge that we are precious to You and nothing, nothing will ever separate us from Your love! 

When I had Pemphigus Vulgaris before, an autoimmune condition with no cure, I would recite Bible verses about healing. I had wounds in my mouth and I could not eat and had difficulty talking. But I would repeat Healing Bible verses. I got healed after a few years. I made a you tube video of verses, not very good audio, but if you are sick, you may want to listen to it. In the Bible it says the Word of God is like medicine. 

Praying God will give you strength and restore you. 

https://youtu.be/iovWasy_bOw?feature=shared

The Bread of Life

 “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger...” John 6:35

True stories abound of very rich people, celebrities even, who earned hundreds of millions of dollars, and ended up scrounging in garbage bins and living out of cardboard boxes or cars. There are also people who won millions in the lotto, who thought all their problems would be solved but who became even more enmeshed in more problems and disasters. No matter how rich or privileged a person is, he can never guarantee that he will never go hungry. 

There is only one Person who can give us the guarantee that we will never go hungry if we stay by His side. Jesus. He said, “Do not work for food that perishes but for food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him, the Father, God, has set His seal.” (John 6:27)

During Biblical times, seals were often made of wax, embedded with the personal imprint of the one who makes the guarantee of authenticity. Here Jesus assures us that it is God the Father Himself who guarantees Jesus as the Bread of Life. Whoever depends on Him, who accepts Him as Lord, will never hunger. 

When we pray the Lord’s prayer from Matthew 6:11 and Luke 11:3, we say, “Give us this day our DAILY bread”. But most Christian scholars today reject this translation of the word “epiousios” in the original Greek New Testament. These scholars as well as Saint Jerome back in AD 382, translate it not as “daily” but as “SUPERSUBSTANTIAL”. Jesus instructed us to ask for supersubstantial bread. That is why we will never hunger, never perish, never die. 

Like the apostles, let us pray, “Jesus, give us this supersubstantial bread always! You are the bread of life. I believe in You! I trust in You!”