MICHAEL WELLS – ANOINTED TO SERVE

The Stressed Vine

by Dr. Michael Wells

After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned . . . strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

— ACTS 14: 21, 22

In California are several fruit-tree farmers I am honored to call friends and brothers in Christ. In the midst of the tree farms are the great vineyards of Gallo wines. The grapevines are flooded at the right time; fertilizer and bug spray are added, and generally these plants are quite pampered to produce great clumps of grapes that are used to make $7.00 bottles of wine. In one section of the vineyards are found areas of very special vines that were frozen nearly to the point of death before being planted, and then their water and fertilizer are withheld; they are watched carefully to see that they constantly remain on the verge of death. The end results are very petite grapes, which, because they have been stressed, are packed with flavor and fragrance and are used to produce $200 bottles of wine.

I like to parallel the condition of the stressed grapes with the existence of many believers who submit gladly to God when He is producing stressed fruit in their lives. Job looked at others who believed in God and wondered at the ease of their life. They had become “the big vines” with less problems, no experience of loss nearly like his, and with much fruit. However, it was not $200 fruit. A stressed grape takes more care, and in that the stressed believer can rejoice, remembering that God is watching over him with special attention!

“I wanted to update the ministry’s logo while at the same time honor my dad. As I was thinking about the logo and the mission of ALMI, it reminded me of the tree my dad loved in the mountains near our cabin. The tree had been hit by lightning and the trunk had this really cool twist to it, appearing to have turned around to grow down before returning to reach skyward. He always said it reminded him of our walk with Jesus, because we can feel like we are veering off the path, but God is teaching us in the twist and always–in His timing–bringing us back to Him. Using the whole tree in the logo was a great representation of John 15, since it shows the whole fruit, vine, and parts that have been pruned. A lot of gratitude goes to Dean Piersee for working with me to create this logo. When I saw the finished product, I was in tears because it brought to life every element I had wanted to incorporate.”

– Noah Wells

I have to know the love of God before I can surrender to it. What is God like? . . . What is God really like? The Holy Spirit has to set the norm before we will be able to invite Him into our hearts. The norm set by the Spirit is Jesus. The Spirit is the merger of the Father and the Son. Jesus came to reveal who God really is. We don’t want to know doctrine, we actually want to know God, what His character is like, & the only way we can know God’s true character is to look to Jesus. Jesus appeared, He worked as a carpenter. He made the worst feel drawn to Him. Only in Him do we see sinners drawing near, expecting something other than judgment. He was goodness that was not meticulous but merciful. He was goodness that was not on a pedestal to be worshipped but serving. His goodness was not Pharisaical but friendly. He was not terrible but tender; His tenderness and friendliness made men tremble. Children sat on His knees, and strong fishermen fell on their knees. Like perfect words and perfect music His majesty and meekness are blended, and He was different than any man who ever lived. He taught men and His words were filled with reality. He taught with the authority of His own insight. Others came seeking Truth but He came proclaiming it; Truth gushed forth from Him like a spring. Others worked their way to Truth through logic; He announced self-verifying Truth. He did not argue Truth but left Truth to argue itself. As men listened they knew He possessed something that belonged in them. His words made sin seem so unnatural, so extraneous, so incapable, and so unfitting of life. He was the Living Word; the Word and the action were one. Men didn’t just hear His love, they experienced love, and when He spoke of God people felt His presence, for He came not proclaiming God; He brought Him. There wasn’t a gap between the Word and the work; He taught high things and He lived still higher. He was struck on His cheek and He turned the other. He went one mile to the judgment hall and the second mile to the cross. He gave His coat at the judgment hall and He gave His seamless robe at Calvary. He loved His enemies on the cross and cried, “Father, forgive them!” They nailed His hands so He couldn’t heal them, so He died for them.
There was never a moral lapse, only moral completion; He said, “It is finished!”
He was goodness, approachable, irreproachable, and serving. He was goodness wrapped in a towel stooping to wash the feet of any who would stop. He was something utterly new.