Tag Archives: faith

Jesus and Prayer in John 15

Jesus says in John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Jesus is talking about abiding, a close fellowship with the Father. He is talking about how we, as believers, are like branches on a vine. He is the true vine, we obtain our spiritual nourishment from Him. This describes an organic, living and real relationship between Jesus and us, or between us and the Father.  We are simply in fellowship with Him.

The first condition, there, is, “If you abide in Me… “ Without getting into the context, there, one way to abide is to stay in the Lord, to rest in the Lord, or to remain in the Lord.  I would even say it means to do the things God wants you to do, to obey the Lord.  He says, “If you abide in Me”.  Then He says, “And if My words abide in you”.  This passage in the book of John says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you”, you can ask whatever you will and I will do it. What words is He talking about when Jesus says, “And My words abide in you”? I believe He is specifically talking about the word He is speaking. I believe it also has to include the words of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

New Day, New Year

Here we are at a new day and a new year. We fall into a situation so many times where we regret the past or worry about tomorrow. I personally forget to live in the present and enjoy what God has given me today. Concerning the past, we can learn from our mistakes, concerning the future, we can prepare and learn to trust God. It’s sometimes really hard to accept where God has put us. He is God and knows all things. We don’t always know why certain things happen as they do. But God is in them right now, even if we don’t understand.

Sunrise near the Columbia River

Sunrise near the Columbia River

Here is the attitude we need for the future from 1 Peter 5:7. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”  So our attitude needs to be one of trusting God for the future.

Our attitude should be thanking God for what we have today and not wishing for things to be different:   This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it  Psalm 118:24.   We should have a thankful heart as Paul talks about in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 In every thing give thanks:for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Live in the now, thanking God for what we have, what He has given us in people, friends, family, relationships, spiritual blessings and material stuff. (Yes, even thank God for our stuff)

Thank Him for negative and hard things that teach us to thank and trust Him.

Sunset on the Columbia River

Sunset on the Columbia River

Thank God for the grace given to us through His Son Jesus Christ who took all our sins away and made a way for us to come to God just as we are. John 1:17 Grace came by Jesus Christ.

A 16th century monk in writing to comfort his wife said “Pray, and let God worry”. That was Martin Luther who did much to bring people back to the Bible and back to Jesus Christ.

Paul shares his attitude towards the past in Phil 3:13. but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Deer in the trees

Deer in the trees

We can learn to accept moving or not moving.  We can accept who we are in God. We can accept what God has given us in talents, friends, relationships, spiritual and material stuff.  We can accept our social and financial level in society, and not wish to be somewhere else. We can accept our marriage as from God, there is not a better mate for us. God did that just right. He has given us exactly what we need.

When we don’t accept we can easily fall into regret for the past and then carry a root of bitterness going forward. Eventually this makes us get old really fast and makes our life (not the other person) miserable. Do not get bitter, it will destroy you.

So our attitude towards the past and future is important.  When it comes to the past we should forgive and forget. Thanking God for all He has given us.  When it comes to the future we trust God and refuse to worry or carry a grudge.  This leaves us living right now in the present thanking God for who He is and all that He has done for us.    For the past, we always learn from our mistakes, for the future, we prepare as best we can and trust God.

Here is a simple way to pray:  “Father God, thank You for what we have, what You have given us and what You will yet provide in the years to come. I give this day to You, I trust You and rely on You for all that we need”.

California Beach

California Beach

The best devotional videos are at www.AnimatedFaith.com

Restoration and Grace

The Lord is always in the restoration business because He knows we are frail failing sinners that need grace. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus knowing Peter would deny Him three times, prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail, Peter failed, but not faith. Luke 22:32
but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Peter failed many times, over and over again. But he experienced a rebounding grace. Look at how Peter writes in his epistles about “like precious faith” but still notice Peter’s impatience with The Lord asking three times, do you love me.

So when we fail, be encouraged, God will restore us. Psalms 23:3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Multnomah Falls Oregon

Multnomah Falls Oregon

The Lord, My Rock

2 Samuel 22:47 “

The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,

Rock in Spokane River

Rock in Spokane River

Psalms 31:3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me.

Spokane River

Spokane River


Psalms 40:2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.

Psalms 61:2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

God is the Author

God is the author.  God is the author of life, DNA, faith and the Bible.  In Genesis chapter one, the Bible says that “God created the earth and the heavens.  In Hebrews chapter twelve Jesus, the son of God is the author of faith.  In Hebrews 12 it says “…looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,”.   DNA is the code used my almost all living plants, animals and man to decide how a biological system should be constructed protein by protein. God as a biological software engineer designed DNA.

Lake Pend Oreille at Sandpoint, Idaho - Sunset

Lake Pend Oreille at Sandpoint, Idaho – Sunset

Following Jesus

Luke 5:5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”

Luke 4:36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”

The theme is simple “Following Jesus”,   He, that is Jesus, has the power and He knows where the fish are.   So don’t follow someone or something else, just follow Jesus.

Reflection on the Spokane River

Reflection on the Spokane River