Matters of the heart “I have finished the work which You gave me to do.” John17:4 Jesus must have felt so burdened physically and emotionally as He prepared to leave this earth. He still wanted to say so much to His disciples, and to us. Every detail of His final prayer originates from a heart of love for the world He came to save. Jesus tried to show His followers the kind of love that existed between Himself and His Father. It is this same love that he prays would be plante

“The glory which Thou hast given to Me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are One.” John17:22 There are certain chapters in the Bible which impact me so deeply that I cannot simply read and move on. I remain stuck on some passages for weeks as I learn them and use them as the basis for my prayers. St. John’s gospel has many such passages, especially chapters 14 -17. But the crowning jewel of all is chapter 17 which I call Jesus’ “parting prayer”. Je

Fruit- What is it? “…You should bring forth fruit…And your fruit should last.” John 15:16 Last week I talked about the command to bear fruit, its importance and purpose, and how we can be enabled to bear fruit. But what is the fruit that we should be producing in our Christian lives? St. Peter tells us how to begin: “As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow (Ch.2:2). So we must study, know, and practice the Word. It has all the guidelines for

Life in the Vineyard “Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes so that it may bring forth more fruit.” John15:2 In the Bible, God is repeatedly portrayed as the Owner of a vineyard – this earth in which God has placed us. Not only are we told that God is the vinedresser, we are also told that He takes great care of His plants. For example, He prunes when necessary and He even adds fertilizer (Luke 13:8). What is His purpose for such care? He wants