Words from a Branch

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 ESV                 As the song says, “…The fundamental things apply, as time goes by.”   I suppose it is cliché to say that a particular verse changed your life, especially for a minister of the gospel; nevertheless this verse did change my life, especially as a minister of the gospel. Now allow me to depart from my typical tone and pull back the curtain a bit. In the midst of this pandemic I have been troubled. As an individual I have been made to compromise, it is necessary, but to me very uncomfortable. As a minister I have often been at a loss as to how best to serve the church and its people. Some things had to change very quickly, and because of that a lot things had to be, “good enough”, or, “the best we can do right now” instead of the very bes...

And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:31-35 ESV             The term “Faith Family” is not one to be used lightly because it refers to a reality of the body of Christ. By his blood we are joined with a powerful bond, one which Jesus Himself says is greater than the bond of familial blood. The blood of Christ runs thicker than any strain of earthly blood. In part this is a reflection of the commitment each Christian has made to Christ which is above and before all others. This is made clear in Luke 14:26-27 with explicit refere...