Last night you experienced the darkness of your soul, but today after returning from the choir practise you are still finding it difficult not to rise or add to the negative remarks. Fred is doing his best, upset he tells you he stood up for you by informing Pete it wasn’t you undermining the choir, and says reassuringly, “I’m sure on Sunday he will apologise.”
However, on Sunday Pete in welcoming you jovially announced you are a valuable member of the congregation and had missed you last Sunday, but was pleased you hadn’t taken offence at his mistaken understanding. The expected apology hadn’t been forthcoming as immediately he turned to welcome someone behind you. At the ‘sharing’ lunch afterwards, despite the negative conversations, you felt unable to bring positive observations.
You consider again how different God’s people on earth are to those who provided you with hospitality in your first dream. Only later you discovered they were Jesus’ brothers and Mary his sister, who had become your friend. In some ways having the privilege to spend time with Jesus’ family and gain insight into His personality and character seems like yesterday, but in other ways ages ago. Jesus’ likens the church to being a family, obviously on earth you are all flawed human beings, with personality clashes and difficulties, but surely everyone’s aim should be to love, forgive and pull together to build His spiritual house. You go to bed meditating on that, and Mary’s words about God’s children living on earth being easily drawn into presumption, gossip, judgement and criticism because it is insidious in society. Your thoughts turn to Havej and His vineyard being more than growing grapes. He is also Jehovah, who nurtures the seed of eternal life in every created being. When the seed germinates it brings recognition and acknowledgement of God. Only now you see how deeply rooted ungodly generational influences have blighted your life. Your privileged insight has brought a desire that the seed in you, similar to the vineyard, be cultivated and everything that would stunt your growth be uprooted. For a greater faith, and connection to the Holy Spirit, you must be prepared to go through the refining process which is essential to mature and produce the finest grapes and wine for His Kingdom.
Word: “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. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:5-8 (NIV)
Worship: “The Rhythm of Heaven” Vineyard Worship 5 mins