True Vine Talk

The Merging Of Hope and Truth Found In Jesus Christ

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  • There Is Mercy

    Life Talk Devotion 05/24/2023 –

    Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.  I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning– Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities. Psalm 130

    A friend walking at his lunch break came upon this scribbled on a deck railing and shared it with me. Although it is a great message, it does not explain why there is mercy for every sin.

    We all need God’s mercy and He has already given us the path to receive it. His mercy for sin comes through Jesus Christ. He took our sin to the cross and suffered death so that both mercy and grace can be offered to those who believe in Him. Here is a great Scripture that explains what God has already done for us – Titus 3:3-7. You can also check out the link below on how to receive God’s mercy through faith in Jesus Christ.

    “The heart of true faith is rooted in and guided by truth; truth established by God through the essence of His nature and His Word. Without His truth as revealed in the Bible, man can only stumble in his effort to know Him and be redeemed by Him.”   M.P. Bramble

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  • Not As I Will

    Life Talk Devotion 05/23/2023 –

    Not As I Will:

    Then He (Jesus) said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

    39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

    40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

    42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”  Matthew 26:38-42

    In yesterday’s post, the topic was knowing and conforming our heart to the will of God. In today’s Scripture, we see that wrestling to align our hearts to God’s will is not outside the norm of walking by faith. Even Jesus, the Son of God, in His humanity anguished over the Father’s perfect will and purpose that lay before Him as the Savior. His trust in the Father, even unto death, transformed the world and set the course for eternity. Therein, Jesus is our perfect example in all things even in conforming our heart to God’s will.

    “The heart of true faith is rooted in and guided by truth; truth established by God through the essence of His nature and His Word. Without His truth as revealed in the Bible, man can only stumble in his effort to know Him and be redeemed by Him.”   M.P. Bramble

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  • Life’s Sweet Spot

    Life Talk Devotion 05/22/2023 –

    Life’s Sweet Spot:

    May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
    May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
    2 May He send you help from the sanctuary,
    And strengthen you out of Zion;
    3 May He remember all your offerings,
    And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah

    4 May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
    And fulfill all your purpose.
    5 We will rejoice in your salvation,
    And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
    May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

    6 Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
    He will answer him from His holy heaven
    With the saving strength of His right hand.

    7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
    But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
    8 They have bowed down and fallen;
    But we have risen and stand upright.

    9 Save, Lord!
    May the King answer us when we call. Psalm 20

    Having played baseball growing up, I understand the importance of connecting with the sweet spot on the bat when hitting the ball. It is the perfect place on the bat that drives the ball further and with solid power. Golfers also talk about the the sweet spot on their club. In both instances it takes understanding, endurance and focus to achieve the sweet spot.

    It is no different for the Christian who is seeking the will of God for their life. That sweet spot in life comes when our heart’s desire aligns with the will of God. In verse four of Psalm 20, it speaks of God granting His followers their heart’s desire so that our purpose in life is fulfilled. The implication is not God bending His will to fit our desires but more that our desires harmonize with His will to accomplish His intended purpose for us. When we make contact with that sweet spot, it is a life home run every time.

    Are you hitting life’s sweet spot? Reading John Chapter 3 is a great start. Jesus has a discussion with a man who is seeking life’s greatest sweet spot.

    “The heart of true faith is rooted in and guided by truth; truth established by God through the essence of His nature and His Word. Without His truth as revealed in the Bible, man can only stumble in his effort to know Him and be redeemed by Him.”   M.P. Bramble

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  • Look Up Your Redemption Draws Near

    Life Talk Devotion 05/19/2023 –

    Look Up Your Redemption Draws Near:

    25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Luke 21:25-28

    Jesus told His followers to watch for His coming. He predicted there would be signs on earth, in the heavens and in society. Do you know some of the signs to look for? Check out an article I posted called “The Ultimate Planned Deception and End Times Lies”.

    “The heart of true faith is rooted in and guided by truth; truth established by God through the essence of His nature and His Word. Without His truth as revealed in the Bible, man can only stumble in his effort to know Him and be redeemed by Him.”   M.P. Bramble

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  • Psalm 147 – He Calls Them By Name

    Life Talk Devotion 05/18/2023 –

    Psalm 147- He Calls Them By Name:

    Praise the Lord!
    For it is good to sing praises to our God;
    For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.

    2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
    3 He heals the brokenhearted
    And binds up their wounds.
    4 He counts the number of the stars;
    He calls them all by name.
    5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
    His understanding is infinite.
    6 The Lord lifts up the humble;
    He casts the wicked down to the ground.

    7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
    Sing praises on the harp to our God,
    8 Who covers the heavens with clouds,
    Who prepares rain for the earth,
    Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. Psalm 147:1-8

    The James Hubbell space telescope was launched in 1990 with the mission to unlock the mysteries of the universe. The images of deep space it has captured to-date have been stunning. I encourage you the visit the site at hubblesite.org to see the vast beauty and majesty that declare the glory of God.

    Man’s desire to conquer the unknown and satisfy his insatiable appetite to seek his origins cannot be understated. But there are answers to these great mysteries that we can only presume to know through scientific means. Yet the answers we seek God already knows. If He knows the secrets of His creation and names of the vast untold number of stars that populate the universe, why should it surprise us that He knows us by name and passionately cares for us longing for us to know Him intimately? If you desire to know how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ – Check out this page.

    Photo Credits: SCIENCE: NASA, ESA, STScI 
    IMAGE PROCESSING: Varun Bajaj (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Jennifer Mack (STScI) 

    “The heart of true faith is rooted in and guided by truth; truth established by God through the essence of His nature and His Word. Without His truth as revealed in the Bible, man can only stumble in his effort to know Him and be redeemed by Him.”   M.P. Bramble

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  • They Sang A New Song

    Life Talk Devotion 05/17/2023 –

    They Sang a New Song:

     Now when He (Jesus) had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:

    “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

    11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice:

    “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
    To receive power and riches and wisdom,
    And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

    “Blessing and honor and glory and power
    Be to Him who sits on the throne,
    And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” 14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. Revelation 5:8-14

    The time of Jacob’s Trouble is about to unfold, the nations will be judged and the Lamb of God / Jesus will take possession of what is rightfully His. With the breaking of the first seal on the scroll, the Day of the Lord is about to be unleashed by the Lamb. All of Heaven waits for this moment. The glory of worship bursts forth in a new song for He who is worthy has prevailed to open the scroll and loose the seals. A moment laid down in eternity past has arrived. And you who have believed on Jesus Christ will be there to witness the glory and splendor!

    “The heart of true faith is rooted in and guided by truth; truth established by God through the essence of His nature and His Word. Without His truth as revealed in the Bible, man can only stumble in his effort to know Him and be redeemed by Him.”   M.P. Bramble

    More Info on Faith in Jesus Christ

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  • Searching For a Life Change

    Life Talk Devotion 05/16/2023 –

    Searching For a Life Change:

    3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.. Titus 3:3-7

    Many of us are always searching and hoping to find the next big thing to change or transform our life. Advertisers know they can stir up this restless hunger in us to buy their products, self-help books and even expensive exercise equipment. Usually we get bored and move on to the next thing. It seems to be a vicious circle with no lasting change.

    These verses of Scripture describe a genuine life change through faith in Jesus Christ. In one sense it is a before and after picture with the Apostle Paul, the author, first telling us what we once were. He then goes on to explain the source of the change and what happens when Jesus Christ comes into a life. Each of the attributes of change (verses 4-7) he mentions is either something done for us or given to us by grace through the work of Christ. Together they describe the point when the power of a life change enters in and hope takes over!

    If verse 3 describes you like it did me once, you can stop searching for that illusive next big thing. Real and lasting change can be yours too by calling on Jesus Christ by faith. You can check out what is means to have faith in Jesus Christ by hitting the ‘More Info button below.’

    “The heart of true faith is rooted in and guided by truth; truth established by God through the essence of His nature and His Word. Without His truth as revealed in the Bible, man can only stumble in his effort to know Him and be redeemed by Him.”   M.P. Bramble

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  • One Little Word

    Life Talk Devotion 05/15/2023 –

    One Little Word:

    And He (Jesus) said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” John 8:23-24

    It is amazing how one little word can alter the meaning of a discussion or sentence. In verse 24 above, the original Gospel manuscripts do not contain the word ‘He’ (in bold). It was added by the translators to our English Bibles. Try re-reading the passages without the He in it.

    In the original text Jesus is declaring that He is the “I AM” which is the personal Name for God in Hebrew (Yahweh or Jehovah). The Jewish Pharisees He is speaking to understood clearly Jesus is saying He is the One who appeared to Moses in the burning bush. This was a stunning statement by Jesus and a stumbling block for the Pharisees. It also is the reason they sought to kill Jesus accusing Him of blasphemy.

    Even today this same declaration of Jesus as God in the flesh is a point of unbelief for many. But Jesus does not offer us any other option saying “if you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins.” . The hard truth is you cannot have Jesus without having Him as God incarnate.

    “The heart of true faith is rooted in and guided by truth; truth established by God through the essence of His nature and His Word. Without His truth as revealed in the Bible, man can only stumble in his effort to know Him and be redeemed by Him.”   M.P. Bramble

    More Info on Faith in Jesus Christ

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  • The Blessed and The Unblessed

    Life Talk Devotion 05/13/2023 –

    The Blessed and The Unblessed:

    Blessed is the man
    Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    Nor stands in the path of sinners,
    Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
    But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    And in His law he meditates day and night.
    He shall be like a tree
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf also shall not wither;
    And whatever he does shall prosper.

    The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

    For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish. Psalm 1

    How beautiful is the life that is blessed by God. The fruit of trusting and believing His promises are so sweet.

    “The heart of true faith is rooted in and guided by truth; truth established by God through the essence of His nature and His Word. Without His truth as revealed in the Bible, man can only stumble in his effort to know Him and be redeemed by Him.”   M.P. Bramble

    More Info on Faith in Jesus Christ

    If you would like to Follow my posts, Subscribe below or hit the follow button at the bottom of the page.