The Winelands

This past week Robin and I enjoyed a visit to Franschhoek in the Cape Winelands. It is a beautiful area as well as being the gourmet capital of South Africa. Needless to say we are a little more plump now. The week before going I started reading "The True Vine" by Andrew Murray. Murray was an 19th century South African pastor and prolific writer who grew up in Wellington, not far from Franschhoek (read anything and everything by him). Being surrounded by wineries as I was reading his study of Jesus' parable of the vineyard from John 15 really brought it home to me in a new and special way.

The first 3 verses of John 15 give us some very important truths:

• Jesus is the true vine


• God is the gardener


• I am a branch


• The purpose is fruit


• God's word is what prunes (cleans) me

Then in verse 4 the instruction comes. "Abide in me, and I in you." This is where the potential trap comes over which I stumble easily. I tend to see abiding as the fruit (goal). Abiding becomes the work I need to accomplish rather than producing fruit. I worry about what it means to abide an how do I live out abiding every day. Abiding becomes my religion. And then I wonder why I don't experience the "and I in you". And why don't I see more fruit being produced?

Murray points out that this is "Because the attention was turned to the abiding as a work we have to do, instead of to the living Christ, in whom we were to be kept abiding, who Himself was to hold and keep us." The secret to this mystery is found in verse 5 where Christ repeats the opening statement of the parable. "I am the vine." If we really see Christ as the true vine the abiding will come of itself. "..Souls who have never been especially concerned with the thought of abiding are abiding all the time, because they are occupied with Christ".

As I said in the Desiring God post on 1 January, I want 2009 to be about a return to my first love. I want to continually see Jesus as the true vine. I want Jesus to overwhlem me with a deeper understanding of who he is. Lord help me to focus on Jesus this year, today and not on the fruit or even the abiding, but only Him.

Desiring God

The title of this post is also the title of a book by John Piper. If you're pressed and don't have time to read this blog post, it's OK. Just go out and get the book, read it, and enjoy it!

Hopefully some of you are still with me. I shared in the last post ("A 2008 Report Card") that as I look back on 2008 I am convicted that I have failed an important test this past year. Along with the Ephesian church I have often forsaken my first love (Revelation 2). Like them I have been busy for God, doing good things and even enduring hardships at times. But often during this past year my relationship with Christ has been dry and felt empty more than stale. At times I have sat wishing I felt closer to God, struggling to pray, distracted by the work and the needs as well as by my own concerns.

In his book Piper describes and promotes what he calls "Christian Hedonism" as he addresses what Psalm 73:25 is talking about. What does it really mean and look like in my life to agree with the Psalmist that "the earth has nothing I desire besides you (God)", to make and keep Jesus my first love.

As I was beginning to draft this post including the reference to John Piper's "Desiring God", I went to his web site of that title. There I read his article "I Love Jesus Christ" dated 31 Dec 2008. In it he is expressing almost exactly what I wanted to express in this post. He describes how those words impacted his life and what it means to love Jesus. It's nobody's surprise that John Piper can express it better than I, but it surprised me that God moved John Piper to pray for 2009 exactly what He moved my heart to pray.

Would you pray with me that in 2009 we would love Jesus Christ more than we ever have? And may our Lord Jesus grant that from time to time we would deliver quietly and naturally a thunderclap into the hearts of others with the simple words, “I love Jesus Christ.”

So I will just ask you to click on the title of this post to go to the Desiring God website. Then click on This Weeks Taste and See entry for December 31, 2008. I want to invite you to join John and I in making this prayer a reality in 2009 in each of our lives. Let's desire God Himself and not only His blessings this year

A 2008 Report Card

As the New Year approaches I think it is a natural human thing to review the year past as we anticipate the year ahead. I believe it’s one of the things that sets us apart from God’s other creatures. As we reflect on the year past we Christians naturally, and I think rightly, begin by reflecting on what God has done in our lives this year. This process is analogous to what Samuel did in placing an Ebenezer Stone – recognizing that “thus far the Lord has helped us” (see previous post). As I look back on 2008 I do clearly see God’s hand of provision and protection in so many ways, in so many places in my life. I also know that there have been battles fought and victories won that I have no awareness of. For that I am as grateful to God as I am for his more evident work in my life.

But as we reflect back on the year we not only remember God’s goodness and faithfulness, we also reflect on our own responses, accomplishments and results. Here in South Africa the school year coincides with the calendar year and so provides a very fitting analogy. Tomorrow the senior high school “matric” students (matriculates) will be able to go to their schools and receive their test results from their teachers, finding out if they passed the tests. At this time of year we are like the “matrics” getting our final report card for the year. As we evaluate ourselves on this past year we are also receiving the evaluation of our Instructor.

How did I do? How do you think you did? If we are honest with ourselves I think we all conclude as I have, that I did OK in some areas but I know I fell down in other areas. But what does my Instructor think? Does it depends on the "curve"? What will the standard be and did I make the passing cut off?

I believe the only place we can get a look at the standards that will be applied is in the Bible. And the standard I see there is an extremely high one. The curve is steep. The standard that was applied to the Ephesian church will also be applied to me. In Revelations chapter 2 we find Christ’s assessment of the church in Ephesus.

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men… You have persevered and have endured hardships in my name, and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place.

Did I pass this test in 2008? Or have I forsaken my first love? My first love that is described in Psalm 73:25. “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you?” Why do I desire heaven? Is it only because God is there? Are there other people or things that I desire when I think of heaven? And what does it look like (feel like) to desire nothing besides God on earth (in this life)?

I'll share some more thoughts on this last question in the next post, but obviously I am convicted that I have not received passing marks on a critical test this year. Fortunately just as those "matrics" who failed to pass all the tests get a second chance to take and pass those tests again in the next few months, so God is giving me another chance, a New Year to improve on my results from 2008. I praise God for his patience and grace. Lord I want Psalm 73:25 to be true of me. I desire that I would desire nothing besides you. Lord make the needed change in me.