Heard It Through the Grapevine

We had a tremendous time with the Lord last night. We had a special word on "abiding". We had wonderful worship and prayer together as a team. Then we had "food". Ahh, yes, Jesus liked to eat as well. We find it happening after His resurrection. Yes, down at the beach front of the Lake.......He had fish cooking on the "grill".
John 21:7-10
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.  9 When they landed, they saGRAEVINE,w a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. 

10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."
NIV

How often as individuals and family leaders we get caught up in the "activity" of just doing. Well, "I did my job today and I am so tired!"  "I am just going to do my thing tonight (tomorrow, Sunday or ???)

In what we read above, the disciples had gone back to what they did before they met Jesus. Before their walk with Him, they as fishermen had gone back to that which they "knew oh so well"!

Some of the disciples saw the fire of burning coals and that were some fish already cooking.

Jesus knew where to find them. They had been so frightened to all that transpired by the one hundred or so company of soldiers had come to them in the garden to take Jesus away. They probably thought they were next in line for crucifixion. But Jesus knew them and what was in them. And He found them fishing. No, they were probably hidden out is some area as not to be seen as "one of those"who followed that Jesus!

In the passage in John 21 we find some interesting conversation between Jesus and the disciples....John 21:1-9 

21:1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No." 6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.

NKJV

 In verse 5, Jesus speaks to them.........."Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No".

Interesting Jesus says, "children".

How we desire to "help" our children! How we want to show them to walk through life, have this journey, and know the best of it each day.

Alas, these men had no fish. They had caught nothing. Jesus gave them instructions and they followed them. They caught a boat load that was more than enough and they came to shore.

I have found in my walk with the Lord that I could miss a lifetime of miracles if I miss a service or that special evening of worship and praise to God the Creator. No, there was no big "choir" singing. There was no one " playing bass guitar or beating some drums!" But we worshiped in song and in prayer. We came together as a family to give thanks. In all my years of church going, this year was like going home for the first time. It was this refreshing time of being with those you love and who love you back. A child prayed, a dessert was eaten, and prayer was given for all. A time to laugh, and joy in truth that God is ever with us. (Matthew 1:23)

In each of us, we had a story to tell. Some of health, some of family and some things caused by other people, but we each have seen God involved in our lives. We came together,expecting God in our future to fulfill all that He has promised.

Can God visit us in those other places we desire to venture? Well of course He can, but when in an environment that is tuned to K-SELF, instead of into G-O-D....we can come up short of not hearing or obeying even a small request from Him. If the noise of the world speaks over what God is saying to us.
The disciples surely got an instruction and about throwing the net on the other side of the boat. What if God is wanting to change the way we do something, and it is something that is "just ingrained" into our lives and thought patterns? What if God wants to give us answer to something that is right before us and before the storm hits our life?
Jesus laid down His life in heaven to pick up that which was of flesh and bone. He took up that which He could see and know first hand the lives of His children.
But what if we choose to roam.........but I will be back when I am ready to get back to Jesus!

Matthew 16:13-20

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 

14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 

15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 

16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 

17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. 

NIV

The most interesting thing about this passage is that the one set of disciples each had something immediately about what they had heard...............you know like through the grapevine!
Well,........"Some say John the Baptist...........others say Elijah and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
Yes this group heard about what others were saying though ..and...(you guessed it).. they answered Jesus with.......GOSSIP that they had heard!
But Jesus asked them.........."But what about you...........", "Who do you say that I am?"
And Simon answered........."You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus told Simon Peter......"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter (rock) and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
What Jesus gave of Himself........was such that He had.........not of fancy clothes, not rigorous royalty schedules of pomp but of the word of God given to teach of the kingdom which had come. It was given in the life that was stirred up in the beginning. It was the Holy Spirit, the third God head......that was present, is present and will always be present. It is recognized by the fruit of..........love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-26)
We who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. We are to live by the Spirit and (not flesh man).........to keep in step with the Spirit (verse 25)

If we are living by what man says about us..........."LOOK OUT!!!"
But if we are the determined to live by the Spirit and have the fruit of what we see from that life, we have the key to that kingdom. And when it comes others will know it!
Again, it is by recognizing that which is within each of us.
Hell cannot prevail against us when we are the man or woman of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Jesus spoke that the gates of hell would not prevail against us..........and that meant that our agreement was to be by the Spirit that would be in word and in truth.
Have you gone to church with someone or others who you try to talk to about Jesus and the goodness of God and they seem to speak a different language than English and look at you like you might be from another planet? This is what it appears to me.........and yet, in some regards, it is they seem to know of Jesus but do not abide in Him.


1 John 2:6
 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
NKJV

Those who live by the Spirit are the yielding and they give love wherever they go. I know such people as these and they are light to the lost.

We are to walk like Jesus walked and not by what others say about us or if they think what we are doing is right or wrong just because they get upset about it. If what we are doing is worshiping God and Him alone, the one True God Who is the Only Good God........Luke 18:19 and giving Him glory for all that happens in our homes, in our lives and even in church, then God is truly with Us and will be evident. Each will be known whether they have been with God or not.

He is ever-present and if He sends us to worship in corporate worship with others, it is because He desires it and desires us to be obedient.

In those places of truly coming to the rug.........like our grand-daughter speaks...........that secret place is that where we truly submit, truly speak His Word and affirm that "Greater is He that is me (you) than he that is in the world! Where all  that is spoken comes back to give God glory then we have come to His kingdom where the fruit of the Spirit prevails.

In an awesome testimony last night the Apostle spoke of how God was speaking His plan in a special thing for his family and how just speaking to another showed the Apostle how God was already on the scene and knew about it by what was spoken, even though this "person" had not known  what God was speaking BUT BY THE SPIRIT ONLY!

Yes God is here and now, and we can find Him in searching the Word and in praise to His name, giving glory that belongs only to Him...........and when we are there, called to that place in corporate worship, we hear the answers to what may be coming down the pike........down I-5.........down that grapevine that may be caused by others, but all the while we who listen to the Spirit will be those that know without a doubt that which is by the SPIRIT OF GOD, and WE HAVE THE VICTORY!

In closing.......yield to God, hear the Spirit today........the Spirit of Grace and Mercy..........for such is the kingdom of heaven......and participate with......those the Lord calls His children...........His beloved!


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