Jesus had a beautiful way of speaking to the common man, in terms that anyone could understand, and the above verse is an example of that. He is the vine and we are the branches. You can easily picture the way a branch securely attached to a vine grows and blossoms, and how a branch that is separated from the vine withers and dies. We can remain attached to the vine by remaining in touch with Jesus, and we do this by reading the Bible, praying, and communicating with other Christians. The more we study God's word, the more the vine nurtures the branch, until we eventually blossom into shining examples of followers of Christ, and we bear the fruit of witnessing to others.

"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation," 1st Peter 2:2

Having just been reborn (into God's family) you are in fact a baby in the faith, and as babies need nourishment to grow, so do you. The only exception is that you need to be fed in the spirit instead of the flesh, and you need to grow and mature in the word of God. The Bible is God's word; it is His book of laws, lessons and values, left here to teach and nourish us. We have a responsibility to pick it up and read it. Just as we need to nourish the flesh everyday, we need to nourish the spirit everyday, or our spirit will begin to starve; and Satan can't wait to see you starving. He will be right there, waiting to feed you his poison, and his poison is deadly.

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." Romans 15:4

God has made sure that we would all have access to His word, and He has preserved it and its content for nearly four thousand years. All we have to do is seek it out, by reading it ourselves or having it communicated to us through a trustworthy servant of God. The Bible is the only reliable source for God's true message, and to understand its teachings is to understand God. The better you get to know God and His expectations of you, the more you will grow and understand the meaning and purpose of your life, and how much more rewarding your life can be when you have a firm purpose.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2nd Timothy 3:16-17

The Old Testament of the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the gospels of the New Testament record the actual words of God. There is a break of about four hundred years between the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Known as the "Period of Silence", no God inspired writings occurred during this time, and the Jewish canon, referred to by Jesus and the New Testament writers, is virtually the same as the Old Testament that we have today. The Bible is the most translated book in history, and there are more copies of it in existence than there has been of any other book ever. Here's an interesting quote about the Bible from Easton's Bible Dictionary:

"The Bible consists of sixty-six different books, composed by many different writers, in three different languages, under different circumstances; writers of almost every social rank, statesmen and peasants, kings, herdsmen, fishermen, priests, tax-gatherers, tentmakers; educated and uneducated, Jews and Gentiles; most of them unknown to each other, and writing at various periods during the space of about 1600 years: and yet, after all, it is only one book dealing with only one subject in its numberless aspects and relations, the subject of man's redemption."

Could you imagine God assembling His guide for our lives in any other way? Regardless of what some may say about the validity of the Bible, no one can dispute the intriguing fact of its existence. The odds of so many differing writers, writing over such a long period of time, ending with a single book that from start to finish presents the history of man from creation until utter annihilation, without contradiction, and never straying from the truth of God, is incalculable. The greatest minds in history have attempted to disprove it, but all of them inevitably ended up admitting it to be the true word of God. Scientists and archeologists in recent years have also attempted to disprove its validity, but instead they end up continually confirming its legitimacy. Some of the greatest conquerors and persecutors throughout history have attempted to completely destroy it, and yet it still remains with us, in its preserved form, and its sheer number of reproductions only continue to grow. Are all of these facts simply a series of miraculous coincidences? If not, then the only other answer to its amazing survival is God's intercession, and if that's the case then God preserved it for a reason. When you search the facts about the Bible, and the truth within its pages, you cannot help but realize God's omnipotent presence.

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalms 1:1-2

You cannot reject the legitimacy of God's doctrine. He not only inspired the words contained within it, but He protected it throughout the centuries, so that you could have a copy of it today to use as food for your spiritual growth. You have a responsibility to yourself, and to God, to study His word. In order to grow as a Christian, you must make time to read God's Word every day. There are excellent, easy to read translations available today, and you can get a copy of the Bible very inexpensively, or at no cost at all from your local church. Seek out God's word. The answers to all of life's questions are contained within it. The Bible says to seek and you will find, and God will honor this promise to you.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Luke 11:9-10

Prayer is our means of communicating directly with God, and it is absolutely essential in order to grow in our relationship with Him. Communication is an essential element in any relationship. Wars have been started because of a breakdown of communication between nations. Any marital counselor will tell you that the bases of most marital conflicts are a lack of communication. Man has invested more time and energy into the invention and creation of newer, faster and better communication devices than he has almost anything else. Why do we all carry pagers, or cell-phones? Why do we have telephones in every room, in every building and on every street corner? Why did we need to create email and chat rooms? Why do we have so many communication satellites orbiting the earth? Why do we need the instant communication of news, advice and information from the Internet? We expel an immense amount of energy trying to communicate with each other, and yet we still have unsolvable problems, and irreparable breakdowns. What's wrong?

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Before we can build lasting relationships with each other, we need to build a lasting relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, and this relationship can only be established through steady prayer. Jesus prayed constantly throughout the gospels. He was always in communication with His father (God) and He set an example with prayer that we need to follow. We can do nothing on our own, and without a relationship with God, He will do nothing for us either. God already knows our needs, even before we come to Him in prayer, but He wants us to come to Him, and talk with Him. You'll notice I didn't say to talk to Him, but talk with Him, because active communication is never one sided, there's always a speaker and a listener, and you must learn how to serve in both roles. God not only listens; He also speaks to us, as long as we have the lines of communication open, and know how to hear Him.

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:5-8

We should turn to God with everything, and not hesitate to speak with Him in our own way, openly and honestly. Jesus taught us how to pray in the above passage, and His instructions are very clear. The Bible says, "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed". He rarely prayed in public; two of the recorded times were when His disciples asked to be taught how to pray, and just prior to His betrayal, every other time He prayed in private. God does not care about your language, vocabulary, grammar or sentence structure, or the length of your conversation with Him. He only cares to hear your voice, turning to Him in thankfulness, concern and praise. He desires a relationship with you, and knows that your relationship cannot flourish without constant, open communication with Him through prayer.

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matthew 26:41

Prayer not only helps you to grow in your relationship with God, but it also helps to keep your spirit strong and able to defend against temptation. Satan is watching for any opportunity to tempt you to sin, and there is no better time than when you have severed your contact with God. He knows that this is when you are at your weakest, and most susceptible to his enticing. Satan also knows how to communicate with you, and he will wait for the chance to whisper accusations against God in your ear. He will fool you into thinking that these are your own thoughts questioning God's motives or even His existence. If you are constantly conversing with God Satan will never get this opportunity, and your heart, mind and spirit will remain in God.

"Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise." Jeremiah 17:14

When you pray, above everything else, praise God with all your heart. God loves and desires to hear your praise. He gave us a gift that none of us deserved when He sacrificed His son for our sins. He is so merciful and just, and has shown His remarkable grace in our salvation. He deserves to be exalted and praised every time we lift our voices up to Him. We could never show God the kind of love He has shown us, but we can sing our praises to Him or just whisper our praises to Him, but in all things we can glorify Him.

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16

Do not be selfish in your prayers. Your communication with God should not be exclusively for or about yourself, but you should also pray for others, particularly those that are unsaved. Pray for the Lord to open their hearts to the truth, and to strengthen you as an example and perhaps an inspiration for them. Pray for those who may be sick, or those that are in need of God's influence in their lives. There is power in prayer, and scientists and doctors have recently discovered that there really seems to be truth to that statement. People have been able to heal themselves and others through constant, faithful prayer, and these doctors are baffled. They can't seem to figure out how this is possible, but they refuse to believe the obvious...God's existence. God's children have known about the power of prayer for thousands of years. Jesus said, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Again He was speaking of faith; the same kind of faith that can move a mountain, can work through prayer. If we are faithful and righteous, we will have a very powerful and effective voice when we pray for each other.

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." 1st Corinthians 12:12

When you accept Jesus as your Savior, and repent of your sins, you are not just born again, but you are born again into a very large family. The Christian family is made up of over a billion people, who have all become your new brothers and sisters in Christ, and all the members of this family support and care for one another. Jesus taught us to love one another when He said, "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." Your Christian brothers and sisters, like real brothers and sisters, are the ones whom you can confide in, with your heaviest burdens, your worst fears, or your deepest sorrows. The Bible says to confess your sins to each other and pray for each other. God has given us, who are part of the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit for our spiritual support, but He also expects all of us to be the physical and emotional support for each other.

"So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of It." 1st Corinthians 12:25-27

We should seek each other out, and be available for each other at all times. We will all have to face difficult situations, some of which we'll be able to overcome armed with the Holy Spirit and God's Word, but in some we will require more help; we will need fellowship with others who are facing, or perhaps have already faced, similar trials. In this way we can not only support each other, but we can also learn from, and teach each other.

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25

As you study your Bible, you will encounter descriptions by Jesus of what will occur in the end times, as well as the other prophecies about our future, stemming from such books as: Micah; Hosea; Isaiah; Jeremiah; Ezekiel; Daniel; the apocalyptic book of Revelation, and others. The Second Coming of Christ is the "approaching day" that the apostle speaks of in Hebrews, and we are speeding ever closer towards that final hour. Christians see this as a day for great joy, but bearing that in mind, we must presently heed the apostle's warning, to encourage one another and continue to come together. There are over a hundred different Christian denominations worldwide, and many of them have lost their focus. It's important that we keep Jesus at our center and the Bible as our rulebook, and it will be all the more essential for these denominations to regain their focus, and begin to come together, as we see the day approaching.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." Colossians 3:16

The fellowship with your brothers and sisters will be much more rewarding if you are well versed in God's word. Reading the Bible daily and praying routinely will help to keep you prepared for when your fellowship is needed. Just as you will learn from others in the Christian faith, you will also be able to teach, and admonish others. Christians need to practice tough love with each other, and we should not hesitate to lead each other in the right direction when one of us slips off the path. If you are in constant contact with God, and you have His word hidden in your heart (studied so well it becomes a part of you), then when one of your family members has a problem, you will be equipped to help them. We rely on each other, and gain strength from each other, because we should not face the world alone. Jesus said, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." We were directed by Jesus to share the truth with all the nations, but the world can be a vicious place, and Satan can be crouching behind any corner, waiting to pounce on us. We've all heard the expression, "there's strength in numbers", and this is especially true for Christians. Our strength comes from Jesus, and when we come together He is with us.

"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20

What could be more wonderful then having Jesus among us when we come together in His name? Jesus promised that He would be with us wherever we come together in His name, and there is no greater strength than this. Seek out friends in the faith, and try to get together as often as possible. When Jesus is with us we have the best defense against Satan, who is always waiting to use any means possible to tempt us.

"Jesus turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.'" Matthew 16:23

Satan can work through people the same way that God can, so we need to be able to recognize him, and his tricks. Jesus saw right through him when he attempted to work through Peter, and we can also have the ability to instantly recognize him, but first we must become more like Jesus, through reading the Bible, prayer and fellowship. We already have a strength that even Jesus didn't have. We have each other. Jesus had the word, and He prayed constantly, but He didn't have other Christians to fellowship with, because there weren't any yet. He had His disciples, but that was a teacher/student relationship, and quite different than what we have in each other. His only fellowship was directly with God, through the Holy Spirit; otherwise He was completely alone. Jesus left us a real advantage over Satan, in each other and through the Holy Spirit. We need to fellowship with each other so that we have someone to lean on in times of trouble, and someone to sing praises with in times of joy.

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord," Ephesians 5:19

There is no better time to become a Christian. Churches are no longer those stuffy places of crisp pressed suits, phony smiles and organ music. Many Churches have modernized, with casual settings, genuine smiles and contemporary music. Over the past twenty years contemporary Christian music has seen a surge in popularity and acceptance. It's not just Gospel anymore! Choices of Christian music range from Country to Hard Rock, and everything in-between. No matter what your taste, there is sure to be some music worth listening to, and singing along with. Fellowship with other Christians should be a time of great joy, and music and singing are very joyous things. God loves to be praised, and He loves you when you praise Him through songs.

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