Harvest
Jesus said: ‘I am the Vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5). This is a verse that I personally like to reflect and meditate on often. Harvest time reminds us not only of God’s goodness to us in creation and his provision for us, but also of our responsibility to ‘bear fruit’. In this verse, Jesus describes our relationship with him as like branches to a Vine. He is the vine and we are the branches, drawing our spiritual life and strength from him. Without drawing on his strength as the vine, we would wither away as branches. But if we are constantly looking to Jesus and leaning on him by faith, then from him, strength and spiritual life flow into our lives.
One of the results of looking to Jesus and leaning on him by faith every day, is that our lives will bear fruit for God. For example, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. All this flows from looking to and leaning on Christ. The Lord Jesus wants his church filled with people drawing their life and strength from him and living lives that display these qualities for all to see. This is how we glorify God before the eyes of a watching world. This is how we adorn the Gospel with our lives. This is how our lives can cause others to think about God. All from remaining daily close to Christ.
In Lambeg, we want to grow as disciples like this. We want to move forward together in serving Christ by being a learning, caring, worshipping, and witnessing church. The impact of a church full of disciples bearing fruit for Christ will have tremendous positive repercussions and results in all areas of our life together. So, is your life closely connected to Christ as a branch to a vine? If so, are you bearing fruit for Christ? Is the fruit of the Spirit evident in us? May the Lord bless the harvest of his creation with abundance and may he bless our lives and witness with fruitfulness.