Jesus uses much about the pastoral and agricultural lifestyle of Israel in His parables and analogies. Much of their wealth and well-being is based on their vineyards and olive gardens. Here, Jesus says, “I am the vine.” The vine is the sustainer; without the vine there is no fruit. The vine is the livelihood of the family business. Jesus is described as the cornerstone. It is the same principle. He is the foundation of our faith, of our life. Continue reading “I AM’s…The Vine”
Tag: Jesus Christ
I AM’s…The Way, the Truth, the Life
There was a sermon a couple weeks ago about how Christianity is exclusive…yet very inclusive. Jesus Christ offers salvation to ALL who believe. If you trust in Jesus Christ, you will be saved. No exceptions. But it is ONLY through Jesus Christ. There is no other way to heaven. No other way to the Father. Jesus is the only way. Through Him we have eternal life. That is the truth. Continue reading “I AM’s…The Way, the Truth, the Life”
I AM’s…The Resurrection
The next “I AM” begins with the story of Lazarus, one of Jesus’ closest friends. Lazarus became very sick, but it was time Jesus showed His power and glory and He was going to do more than heal. (spoiler alert!) He was going to raise him from the dead! Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.
I AM’s…The Good Shepherd
What does it mean to be a shepherd? A shepherd leads the flock. He takes care of the flock. He protects the flock and never steers them wrong. He will never let them go astray and if they wander off he will bring them back and rescue them from any bad situation. He is always there for his sheep. In the Bible, a shepherd is not only one who takes care of his sheep, but is also a leader and a teacher. Jesus is all those things and so much more. Continue reading “I AM’s…The Good Shepherd”
The Angel of the Lord and Gideon
The story of Gideon is an interesting one. Jesus came to him and the Bible called Him “The LORD,” “The Angel of the Lord,” and “The Angel of God.” God was going to save His people, the Israelites through this man, who was the least of the weakest clan. God chose him for that reason, so that people would see that it was God, not man, that saved them. Something we in this society need to remember. No man will save us. Only through Jesus Christ, through His death and resurrection, through His blood, are we saved; not through any good deeds or how good we are, but what He has done and how good He is. Same with our country. No president or no one in Congress will save us from the mess we are in. We need to pray to God for our leaders and our country and this country needs to repent and turn toward Him so that He will heal our land.
So, God called Gideon to trust Him and He would work through him. As Gideon steps forward, God uses him with 300 men to defeat the army of Midian. At first, Gideon had doubts. He had excuses. He asked for a sign…a couple times. God had patience and gave him the faith he needed. He reminded him that He would always be there for him and that He would do the work through him. So the story begins… Continue reading “The Angel of the Lord and Gideon”
My Daily Scriptures 