E-missive

The e-missive is a message by Pastor DeGroat. The message is biblical , enabling us to relate to the promise by a living God for salvation in Christ. Some of the content will come from e-mail forwarded by friends. In all attempts to lift up the Word, may we be blessed to be a blessing.

    It was innocent enough. I was walking through the yard and saw a sprig of Virginia Creeper leaves pushing through the thatch left from our drought. We have creeper on our fence. It looks beautiful and lush in our summer dryness. Come fall the leaves and stems will turn a bright red. Berries will be a bright blue. It can be stunning with frost in October.
    So there was this sprig. I reached down to pluck it up and lifted a stem with it. I pulled harder and the stem uprooted some of the dry grass. Pulled again and suddenly that stem met with another stem going in a different directions. So I pulled again and discovered more stems. About an hour later, I pulled enough stems to fill two garbage cans. Uh oh! I thought to myself. This may take a long time.
    I watered that area of the lawn (maybe 10 by 20 feet). As I walked through a few days later I reached down for another sprout now growing in the same area; starting the process all over again. This time pulling spreading vines with leaves under a white pine. I stopped, however I believer this is more to pull under that tree.
    Just think, I have a large area to pull on the other side of the fence, another day. I guess I can call this job security.
    I pondered this and thought that our penchant for doing bad or evil deeds, called sin against God, is like these creeping vines. One act leads to another and intersects with another, and another. Spreading out, leaving a tell-tale trail of hate, violence, deception, violated trust, spiritual and physical death. People are hurt, nations in turmoil, the world seems ready to explode in a grid of sin leading to more sin.
    It does not have to be this way. God did not create an evil world. A good world with the choice of freedom. A choice that when wrong falls short of God's expectations. That's why God sent a savior named Jesus. To break the power of sin which interconnects with other sins and pulls us down. The Bible promises that in Christ there is a new creation, the old has passed away and there is a new creation.
    Looking at that creeper, it is easy to see the power of sin. It can also demonstrate the interconnectedness of love and good deeds. One loving deed to help another yields another deed, and another. Jesus taught that the church, a committed people of Christ, is like a branch of a vine. He is the vine and we, dear friends are the branches. He taught this in John chapter 15. Read it and believe the good news. Things do not have to be the way they are. God have us a plan, a savior, and a support system of committed persons interconnected. All we must do is believe in this Good News and be saved. That is the beginning.
    This is a vine I will not pull up.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Don

~~~~~

For Further Reflection and Appreciation
Here is a really awesome site, Interview With God.
Another awesome site is love letter
And another site of peaceful music and reflection, Be Blessed