Weeds 3: Thriving on the Vine (Devotional)

Phyllis Nissila

I saved my last weekend yard clean-up project for today: tidying up the tangle of clematis on the trellis out back. I thought if I just cleared out the dead elements of the rambling Ranunculaceae that had wound itself around several sections of a lattice structure built for its growing pleasure, I would end up with enough of the long-leafed, white-bloomed vine to grace the edifice and still provide a bit of shade on the exposed back patio.

I figured about a third of its branches and leaves were dead, but as I clipped my way through the vertical jungle I found that more like two-thirds had not survived whatever it is that takes a dislike to clematis. I whacked it back to its roots (actually the roots of three vines twined together years ago) and planned a few hanging plants to fill in the lattice-work until the vines wind and twirl themselves back to their former glory.

As I wielded clippers (and ax) for about an hour, taming the tangle of both green and gray branches (in some places as thick as my thumb), I quickly came to favor the dead and dying ones. They were much easier to yank free, snapping almost effortlessly off the vine. The still-healthy green branches, on the other hand, gave me quite a bit of resistance. Of course, I felt bad they had to go, too. And in the process I could not help but think of another sort of vine and how easily dying and dead growth breaks away from this kind, too, and how hard it is to pull off good growth…

THE JESUS VINE

Jesus explained the importance of “remaining in Him” as the spiritual source of life through this analogy: “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” (John 15:5, NIV). I got to thinking how just as healthy “branches,” i.e., believers, are hard to pull away from Christ, branches that cease to draw from Him as their spiritual life source are easy to break off. Indeed, at “pruning time,” they will be separated and discarded (6).

But what does it mean to remain “in Him”? A little further down in chapter 15, Jesus explains it this way: we remain in Him if we “abide” (meinete, Strong’s, 3306: “continue”) in His “words” (rhemata, Strong’s, 4487: “sayings, matters, words”). In short: to remain a healthy, nurtured, strong—and not easily damaged—branch of the “Jesus vine” is to put faith in and dependence on His teachings. And to practice them.

Christ is the spiritual vine on which we depend for support and for food. And as we weave His instructions and His ways into the lattice-work of our lives, relationships, ministries, and work, we thrive spiritually—and bear fruit.

Let Jesus nurture you today!

***

Graphic from the public domain

Weeds 2: Location, Location, Location (Devotional)

Phyllis Nissila

Humorist Erma Bombeck once wrote, “The grass is always greener over the septic tank.” I’d say that goes for weeds, too. Maybe double for weeds. But plants of any sort–the good, the bad, the ugly–surface anywhere a bit of soil “nutrient” or drop of moisture appears.

Of course, a weed is in the eye of the beholder and there’s some measure of attraction to everything. What may be a noxious pest to a dedicated flower or vegetable gardener might be high rent district for critters in the micro-hood. For a given insect a weed may appeal as a ladybug lair, a bee haven, or a beetle bed and breakfast. But be that as it may, this morning I cleared yet another bunch of stickers and creepers that could, if not tended, crowd out the real stuff in the shrub and flower beds bordering the house. And I got to thinking about “location, location, location” in the spiritual realm as well.

THE POWER OF ATTRACTION

Ever notice how false religions and cults tend to stem from and cluster around the “real tree of life,” if you will? Like the power of a well-tended “bloom,” be it destined for decor or dinner, the power of the genuine Word of God to save, heal, and deliver is known to those with other motives because it’s, well, so powerful. And just as weeds in any garden crop up quickly, the spiritual power grab started almost immediately in the very first garden not long after the first seeds were sown.

Those who know the real Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior know His changing effect on their lives in both dramatic and subtle ways, both instant and over time. The attraction—and adherence–to God’s Word in the text and in the Flesh is like none other. Ask any one of them.

But those who don’t know the real Jesus Christ see only the power of the attraction. Though they may note changed lives, hurts healed, and the positive influence in the lives of others who have decided to follow Jesus, they also see dollar signs. A business plan develops. And like the opportunistic weeds in the vegetable or flower garden—some of which look very nearly like the plants they nudge up to and entangle themselves with—“spiritual weeds” clustering alongside the real thing can do a great deal of damage to the Body of Christ as well as to those who know only counterfeits. If the teachings of charlatans, false prophets, and opportunists are not weeded out from among us, no matter how good they may appear, the real fruit is endangered.

THE POWER OF LOCATION

The garden of good takes constant tending because the garden of evil encroaches fast. So how to stay safe? Locate yourself in the Word of God which is the same yesterday, today, and forever and has the power to save, heal and deliver. Accept no substitutes.

And here’s the promise:

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1, 1-3).

I encourage you to nurture yourself there today.

***

Photo from the public domain

Weeds (Devotional)

Phyllis Nissila

I weeded out back today ridding flower and shrub beds of what I call the “creeping crud” that produces minute purple blooms that hug the ground but that has a thick, tough, tangle of a root-system mess that spreads quickly and chokes off lesser—even greater—blooms in its path. And on the surface, it looks so sweet and innocent, so delicate and lovely.

Then, on the side of the house, I routed “the forest,” as I called it, of baby trees, “gifts” from the neighbor’s yard, none over two inches high. But in contrast to the ax I needed to hack some of the crud from its earthen moorings the thin fibrous roots of the trees slipped from the soil with a gentle pull. And finding this, like finding the dense root balls of the tiny purple creepers, revealed another surprise: the unwanted tree shoots that would if left alone grow to many feet above the house tops were far more fragile in “infancy” than one would imagine…

And so my thoughts turned to “sin weeds,” if you will, that can appear so sweet, delicate, and lovely at the outset but if not dealt with soon enough can produce a tangle of trouble to deal with later on.

At other times, sin that seems as if it might be a formidable “foe” to rout from mind and heart, like the tree-starters, considering their potential, can be dealt with much more easily than one might think, with a little help from the Gardener of Gardeners.

Consider what God offers those (besides me) who struggle with sin weeds today:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus, both Son of God and Son of Man, knew temptation. He experienced struggles with evil and He overcame. In Him, we are encouraged that we, too, can overcome (Romans 8:37).

But for those who choose Him as Savior, Jesus went further: He took the life-choking tangle of untended evil that sin produces with Him on another tree: this one literal, fully grown, cut in two, and fashioned into a cross. On this tree Jesus then paid the price—our price—for it all.

And for those yet to choose, the offer still stands.

“Come to me all you who are weary and heavy-laden,” He says, “and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

***

Photo from the public domain

Eyes to See 2: Illumination (Devotional)

Phyllis Nissila

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light […] (Genesis 1:2-3, KJV).

Artists have an acute sense of light. What to non-artists might at best be an unusual, beautiful splash of reds and oranges in the evening sky, to artists might be a heart-stopping spectacle of form and hue. They hurry for paint brush and canvas with which to capture the scene before dusk erases it. Light is also a precious commodity for photographers.

Camera buffs may travel great distances, wait for hours in the cold or the heat, and adjust their lens any number of times to capture, for example, the way frost of a brilliant winter’s noon jewels a cluster of ordinary leaves.

Everyone, however, needs light to see, recognize, follow, discover, and enjoy.

And in another sense, we require the “light of understanding” to perceive, understand, and discern. We need light in the figurative sense to negotiate the realm of ideas, philosophies, and world views even as we need it in the literal sense to maneuver in the physical realm.

And we need the light of understanding for spiritual acuity.

So God designed another plan. Over the wilderness of the heart, too, He hovers loving and powerful to speak the light of spiritual revelation by the breath of His Holy Spirit through His Son Jesus Christ (through whom all things were made [John 1:3]).

To those with “eyes to see” through the lens of the cross come discernment, understanding, knowledge, guidance, wisdom, encouragement, comfort, hope, peace, beauty, and joy.

To those with hearts attuned to Him come Truth that supplants truths, Revelation that eclipses revelations, and the power of God that exposes and erases the power of darkness.

And it is good.

Consider: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).

Ask Him to open your eyes to the light of His Word today.

***

Photo from the public domain

Related articles

• Eyes to See (Devotional) (pnissila.wordpress.com)

Eyes to See (Devotional)

Phyllis Nissila

Peering through “A Bug’s Eye View” display in a science museum I saw the world as a mosaic of color and structure, each polygonal piece of the mosaic a replica of the others. What was a view of lunch or a landing place for the bug was a miniature kaleidoscope for me.

I pondered how each creature’s visual needs are met through unique filters of light and form. Some, like the bat, have need of night vision “sonar” to maneuver in the dark. Some, like the eagle, need long-distance acuity to spot small prey from the air. Humans need our own brand of multidimensional sight.

All creatures, however, need not only physical sight, but the mental perception necessary to process the view: dinner? danger? delight?

I also pondered “spiritual sight”.

Once, when Jesus took his disciples aside to explain why he spoke in parables to the crowds, many of whom were religious, He said, “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand” (Matthew 13:13, KJV).

Why the lack of perception? “For this people’s heart is waxed gross (calloused), and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed [...]” (15), He explained.

The spiritually blind and deaf were looking for salvation in the wrong places; did not–would not–”see” and “hear” the Savior standing, healing, and forgiving in full view. Later, they would deny even the evidence of an empty tomb.

Bible commentator Matthew Henry [1] suggests that those who do see (perceive, understand) are those “truly desirous to be taught of (Jesus)” Who will then “turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in (Him)” (Acts 26:18).

Spiritual vision, like natural vision, is not merely function and form, not merely holy images, but holy hearts–wholly His.

Look up!

***

[1] Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary: In One Volume, Genesis to Revelation. Ed. Rev. Leslie F. Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981. 1270.

Image from the public domain.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit-Free Download

“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2)

Curious?

Here is a free download by Claire Gumbs outlining the Scriptural supports, gifts, ministries, and effects of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit–for today, too. We believe this is an essential teaching and experience in this age of so many counterfeits that are doing so much damage to the Body of Christ.

Baptism_in_the_Holy_Spirit 2

Download as is, or print the two pages back to back and create a tri-fold.

Nowhere to Run? (Devotional/Commentary)

Phyllis Nissila

According to conspiracy theorists, there are certain aircraft that spray us from aloft with nano metals that, once infused in our bodies, turn us into animate antennas even as we, say, stroll innocently across some parking lot gazing at a bright afternoon sky webbed with soft, white lines, the hum of the jets receding in the distance.

Beam me on, Scotty?

This would be far more insidious than, say, dental fillings transmitting local radio stations (ever hear that one, as it were?), the sort of thing that prompts all kinds of Big Brother buzz, eschatological angst. It gives new definition to the term “cell tower”. Twilight Zone stuff:

He THINKS he’s just out for a little fresh air, but little does Rodney know—and how could he?—he’s just been tagged “it” in the universe of electromagnetic transmissions making him the newest geocache for the Eye in the Sky…

 And there is apparently no “off” button.

And “they” aren’t even sure of all the applications, yet.

Could this be the ultimate tracking device? Some way to cull the herd? Or are we, jet by jet, becoming living, breathing conduits of the transmissions of a sinister breed of geek gods whose aim is to conquer the world via the ultimate Trojan Horse, this one invisible to the naked eye, that gains access molecule by molecule so the Dark Side can force us to do its bidding by control no longer so remote? Or something like that.

Plus, nobody is paying us for the ride.

So, what’s a body to do?

(Sound of tin foil crinkling…)

SOMEPLACE TO HIDE

On a more serious note, if this or some similar high-tech high-jinx is true (a portent of the infamous Mark of the Beast?), in the spiritual sense, what Satan has wanted since open season on humans began under the apple tree could be very close to fruition: control so complete that what he most hates about us, our free will to receive or reject Jesus Christ as our Savior, could be rendered null. Void. Turned off. Shut down. Fried by technological override, our synapses snared in an electromagnetic web of deceit. We could, in evil’s hands, become spiritual zombies, as it were, at the beck and call of destruction. If Satan controls the controls…

But even if the theorists are right about today’s state-of-the-conspiracy, there is still a place to hide, as it were. If the devil is in the details, as the old saying goes, so is God, as another old saying goes, and He’s smarter and more powerful (after all, Who made whom?). And “in Him,” there is still protection, for God is not subject to those who merely commandeer the airwaves. The air, the waves, and the commanders are all His design. So is the escape plan.

Here is how the future King David put it while for a season he lived on the run from the power of his day, King Saul:

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

³ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
⁴ He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
⁵ You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
⁸ Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

⁹ Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
¹⁰ No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
¹¹ For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
¹² In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
¹³ You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

¹⁴ “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
¹⁵ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation” (-Psalm 91, NKJV).

Beam me up, God!

(And thank You, Jesus, for paying the price.)

***

Photo from the public domain.