THE STRESSED VINE – Michael Wells

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

A Grain of Wheat – by Betty Wells

How do we best glorify the Lord during times of turmoil, unrest, topsy-turvy worldviews, and uncertainty? We stand on the Rock of Christ with His peace, love, and joy within us, our lights on a lampstand showing the world that there is a Way for them, too, if they want it.

As October 11 is the 6-year mark of Dr. Michael Wells’ departure to heaven, I hope you will allow me to share some reflections! For the past several years in the face of seeing the Lord call home so many of His lovelies, I have seen that we who are left behind are privileged. Believers go through trials in abundance, and I believe it is because the Lord is preparing us for the end times, the end of this age about which He told us so much. At the very least He is preparing us—as He has believers in every generation–for whatever is ahead. Losing a family member or any loved one is the crash course in that. Under the severe pain of the loss, we diligently seek the presence of the Lord (He has never been far away, indeed, closer than our next breath and thought, but we get busy and distracted and neglectful of Him). We turn our hearts more heavenward. In that way, the loss (which we know is not a permanent loss, but just for this time) shows us how very blessed we are as God’s people that He would put us in the situation where we had to sink or swim, drown in sorrow and meaninglessness or rise above the depths by seeking Him for His comfort and clarity and Truth. That’s where the privilege comes in, that Christ Jesus so longs for intimacy with us as His children that He will use the departure of a loved one–who had come to the end of his allotted days on earth–to draw us near to His presence. Would our dearly departed loved one have chosen to be the one to get to fly to the very presence of the Lord in order to bless all of us remaining on earth through our growing more deeply in our awareness of the Lord’s presence with us? I know he or she would volunteer to be the grain of wheat that falls to the earth and dies to bear much fruit (John 12:24). It is a privilege for him/her and a privilege for those of us still left on earth, awaiting our time to fly. Everything in our life in Christ is a privilege if we have eyes of faith to see it. God is increasing our faith through trials as we look to Him for the resolution. Everything is for us. As pal James Hicks has so often said, “We win!”

By the way, the above paragraph applies also to friends and family who drift naturally away from us in the normal course of life, or perhaps they have left after betrayal, malicious gossip and slander, disinterest, or dislike. I believe God is in all of our earthly partings, and in each one we and the others involved have a lot to gain from Him as we take up our crosses and follow Him. Does anyone remember the old hymn “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”? One bit said, “Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there.” Yes, folks, once again, we are to see our Lord in every single situation in our lives, settled in the fact that we only have what He gives us, and that includes friends and family members. Hopefully that will encourage some of you today. Thank you, as always, for your friendship as together we serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mrs. Betty Wells
Abiding Life Ministries International
http://www.abidinglife.com

 

WHAT IS GOD LIKE? – Dr. Michael 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.

© Michael Wells

DR. MICHAEL WELLS, ABIDING LIFE MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL

The late Dr. Michael Wells, Abiding Life Ministries International.