Month: September 2024

Christ the Vine Desires Fruitfulness

The Upper Room Discourse
contains Jesus’ final words of
instruction and encouragement
to His disciples before His death.
Only John records these intimate
moments between Jesus & His men
as He models true humility (c13),
describes the Holy Spirit who will
comfort & empower them (c14-16)
and intercedes for protection and
unity of His disciples worldwide (17)

Lord, we purpose to Remain in You:
I am the true vine and My Father
is the gardener. Every branch that
does bear fruit He prunes so that it
will be even more fruitful (Jn 15:1-2)
I am the vine; you are the branches.
IF you REMAIN In Me and I in you,
you will bear much fruit; apart
from Me you can do nothing…
By this My Father is glorified
that you bear much fruit (v5-8).
IF you KEEP my commandments,
you will abide in My love. This is
My commandment that you Love
one another as I have loved you.
You are My friends IF you DO
what I command. I no longer
call you servants… Instead I
have called you friends(v10-15).

Lord, You desire that we will be
fruitful; full of love, joy and peace.
You desire we be full of good works
and sharing the faith so that
others will come to believe in You.
Help me Lord to walk close to You
each day and stay constantly
in communication with You;
both by talking and listening
to You speak to my heart. Amen.

Lord, Help me to stay deeply in
Your Word, learning more about
You, Your ways and Your will.
Help me hold on to Your Word
for You promise that You hear me
when I pray in line with Your will.
Help me to cling to You especially
when times are tough, knowing
faithfulness will lead to fruitfulness
and to answered prayers. Amen.

Lord Jesus, You command us
as believers to love one another
as You have loved us sacrificially.
Help me follow Your command to
love others with Your kind of love.
And help me Lord Develop Deep
Friendship with You, loving You,
spending quiet time with You
and talking with You each day.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Christ the Way Gives Peace Inspiring hymn:’Tis So Sweet to Trust In Jesus

Louisa Stead and her husband
were relaxing with their four-year
old daughter on Long Island beach
when they heard a desperate child’s
cry. A boy was drowning & Louisa’s
husband tried to rescue him.
In desperation the boy pulled Mr
Stead under water & both drowned.
Louisa was left with no means of
support & experienced dire poverty.
One morning when she had no food
for the day she opened the front
door and found that someone had
left food & money in her doorstep.
That day she wrote the hymn:
‘Tis So Sweet to Trust In Jesus,
inspired largely by John 14.

Lord, we will wholly Trust In You:
Let not your heart be troubled;
you believe in God, believe also
in Me. In My Father’s house are
many mansions… I go to prepare
a place for you. And if I go and
prepare for you, I will come
again and receive you to Myself;
that where I am, there you
may be also (John 14:1-3).
I am the way, the truth and
the life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me (v6).
And I will pray (to) the Father, and
He will give you another Helper
that He may abide with you forever…
Peace I leave with you, My peace
I give to you; not as the world
gives do I give to you. Let
not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid (v16, 27).

Lord, in life challenges that come,
I will not let my heart be troubled
but will choose to keep trusting
You to deliver on Your promises.
For I trust in You with all my heart;
for I have purposed to live by faith.
For my God knows the plans He
has for me, plans to prosper me
and not to harm me, to give me
a future and a hope. Amen.

Lord, grateful for the mansion You
have prepared so that I will live with
You in a perfect place for eternity.
Thank You for the promise that You
will escort me to my heavenly home.
Thank You for giving me eternal life:
Though this life is filled with trouble,
I know that I’m only passing through.
Grant me an eternal mindset so that
I can endure temporal difficulties
that may come my way. Amen.

Lord, we may have afflictions
but You will surely Deliver us;
for You love and care much for us.
Loving Lord we choose to keep faith,
trusting You will protect & provide.
And thank You for the comfort
and the reminder from the hymn:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er & o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more. Amen

Christ Models Caring Love

The Upper Room Discourse
contains Jesus’ final words of
instruction and encouragement
to His disciples before His death.
Only John records these intimate
moments between Jesus and His
men as He models true humility
(John 13), describes Holy Spirit
who will comfort and empower
them (John 14-16) and intercedes
for the unity and protection of
His disciples worldwide (John 17).

Lord, we’ll Emulate Your Example:
When Jesus knew that His hour
had come that He should depart
from this world to the Father,having
loved His own,He loved them to the
end…So He got up from the table,
wrapped a towel around his waist
& poured water into a basin. Then
He began to wash the disciples’
feet, drying them with the towel
He had around him (John 13:1-5).
I have given you an Example, that
u should do as I have done to you…
Now that u know these things, God
will Bless u for Doing them (v15-17)
A new Commandment I give to
you that you love one another as
I have loved you, that you also love
another. By this all will know that
you are My disciples, if you have
love for one another(v34-35) Amen

Lord, we note Your advice to the
disciples to Follow Your Example
of servanthood & submit to needs.
Like the disciples, we may tend
to miss our mission to serve
and to meet the needs of others.
Motivate us Lord by Your promise
that those who serve others will
Be Blessed by You in special ways
we wouldn’t want to miss. Amen.

Lord Jesus, I want my friends to
serve You; and I desire them to be
served by You, to experience the
cleansing only You can provide.
Help me to get the gospel right
as I talk with them. For it is not
primarily about what they must do
for You; but about what You have
done for them & for them to really
appreciate and reflect it. Amen.

Lord, we receive Your Command
to love one another thru actions;
and to love those yet to know You.
You promise that when we demo
sacrificial love for one another,
the world will notice our actions.
And recognise us as disciples of
the one who sacrificed Himself
on the cross in order to save
all of us from our sins. Amen.

Saviour the Shepherd Lead Us

We don’t know who wrote the words
to Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us.
It appeared in a children’s hymnal
compiled by Dorothy Thrupp in 1836
But it is clear the wording was
inspired by John 10, where Jesus
says: I am the good shepherd.
And we know the music was by
William Bradbury, a gifted music
student in Boston. After finishing
school, Bradbury moved to New
York where he worked as a church
musician focussing children’s music.
He intended Savior Like a Shepherd
Lead Us to be a children’s hymn, but
it turned out adults enjoyed it too.

Lord, we’ll Hear & Follow You:
A Shepherd enters through the gate.
He Calls His own sheep by name
and leads them out… He walks
ahead of them, and they Follow
Him because they recognise
His voice (John 10:2-4).
I have come that they may
Have Life and have it to the Full.
I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd gives
His life for the sheep (v10-11).
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. So I sacrifice
my life for the sheep (v14-15).

Lord Jesus, Thank You for
being my good shepherd and
making me one of Your sheep.
Thank You for caring for me by
providing, guiding & protecting me.
What a privilege to belong to You;
You Call me by name and speak
to my heart. With all the voices
in the world, quieten my mind
and heart so that I will recognise
Your Voice and Follow You. Amen.

Lord Jesus, You did not come
just to forgive our past deeds and
offer us hope of heavenly glory.
You came to give us full satisfying,
meaningful and abundant life.
Forgive me Lord when I am too
preoccupied with earthly things.
Help me to seek You, pursue things
eternal and further Your kingdom,
for You’ll Provide my needs. Amen.

Lord Jesus, I am so blessed that
You are my caring Shepherd and
because of that I can fear no evil.
For You Lord have promised
to provide, lead and protect me.
Though evil may come, it has no
power over me for I am Safe in You.
Keep me trusting You; and help me
to stay close to You and not worry,
for You’re Watching over me. Amen.

Adoring God thru Thanks & Praise

The purpose of the gospel of John
is to prove conclusively that Jesus
is the Son of God and that all who
believe in Him will have eternal life.
Using the Jewish feast days as
public forums, Jesus declares
Himself to be the Bread of Life,
the Sent One of God, the Forgiver
of Sins and the Light of the World.
But how do you refute a Man who
preaches that He is the Light of
the World, then proves it by
giving sight to the blind?..who claims
He is “the resurrection & the life”
then validates that claim by raising
a man from the dead. The choice
is clear: either believe Him or
seek to silence Him once & for all.

On Monday, we learn from Jn 7 that
Christ the Source of Living Water.
On Tuesday, we learn from John 8
that Christ the Light Sets Us Free.
On Wednesday, we learn fr John 9
that Christ Shows the Power of God.
On Thursday we learn fr Jn 10 that
Saviour like the Shepherd Lead Us.
On Friday, we learn from John 11
that Christ Assures Resurrectn Life.
On Saturday, we learn from Jn 12
that Christ Models Glorifying God.

Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face. Help us O God
be Christ’s disciples who Adore You:
For You are worthy of our Thanks
as Christ Is the Source of Living
Water and as the Light Sets Us Free;
For You are worthy of our Praise
as Christ Shows the Power of God
and Assures Us Resurrection Life;
For You Christ like a Shepherd Leads
Us and Models Glorifying the Father.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.