19th July 2026

Part II

Last week Jess spoke on ….. Gods flawed people,

today I’m talking about being plugged in to Jesus, thinking of drawing our power from the true vine, to be fruitful.

Horse story

The readings we had so nicely read are John 14 and Luke 11.

Jesus is speaking to his disciples at the last supper- its a goodbye speech- soon the parakletos holy spirit and helper will be there until the disciples go to be with the Lord forever.

Acts is so exciting for this reason - the amazing miracles and fellowship. Any number of miracles were done - nothing appeared too difficult for them !!

Thousands were reached, worldwide including gentiles!

The disciples are being promised this “He who believes in me will do these works and Greater”. v.12,13

Dinorwig power illustration 1.7 GW- 1 1/2 power stations 16 seconds!

There is something of a mystery here with the Trinity, all 3 parts are needed: despite them all being available and powerful to help, from the very start of creation through the wilderness, and exile to Jesus’ birth now its the turn of the Holy Spirit to help.

So its as easy as that!

In the Luke passage “Ask Aiton and you’ll receive; Zeton Seek and you’ll find;Knock Krountoni and the door will open. Be direct - Jesus tells us and our loving God won’t play tricks , he will surely give us the Holy Spirit.!

He’ll help us deal with anxiety verse 1, how to know the way the truth and the light verse 6, to believe and ASK, v.12

All of us can think of many times have we been encouraged by answers or disappointed when things don’t work out as we expected.

What’s going wrong?

We’ve been looking at Pete Greig’s prayer series.

Certainly he tells us of the times he asked for his wife to be healed only to have her in convulsions again and again. 

So we were learning the traffic lights. Learning to see answers in silence.God’s silence is not the same as his absence his ways are often mysterious, his times not like ours.

We’re to ask in his name, in line with his will, and character. Jesus’ name comes from JOSHUA saviour, he had spent the last 3 years with his disciples - Travelling and eating and sleeping and praying together they had seen him performing powerful miracles- he was the saviour, there was no sin in him, he taught, he Loved, he Called Out religious misrepresentation.He was in tune with God - “yet not my will but yours”

Acts 4 29-31 Opposition: now Lord consider their threats and enable your servants. to speak with great boldness, stretch out your hands to perform signs and wonders in the name of Jesus. After they prayed the place was shaken and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.

Some key points appear to keep it real, keep it up , keep it simple

The Bible is honest about unanswered prayer – we are part of a faith that is all about wrestling. 

•          Its Gods world, God’s war, God’s will.

•          The World is caught in  between the resurrection and the Last Coming.Theres an overlap between what is under Satans control and where Jesus reigns- there’s a war going on.

Remember Luke tells us God Loves us, if He’s not granting our request its not because he’s gone AWOL or we’ve not used a special winning prayer formula/language nor that he’s not forgiven us, we need only to Submit to his will, Trust in his Power, Persist in Prayer. 

6 generations ago in Ecclefechan , Scotland a heart-broken widow later mother of Henry Grattan Guiness preacher and missionary , prayed for the next 12 generations of her descendants to have the same passion for Jesus.My great granny Annie Reed, married to Harry Grattan Guinness  with 10 children in 1906 prayed for her  youngest most wilful children for years- and as a result her last 3 sons and my Granny were saved ! and then my Mum and us 4!

RECAP:

•    WE need to be plugged into the true vine to be fruitful.

•    Challenge to keep on praying and never give up.

•    If you have a challenge  or need then why not get together with a friend now - after the service and ASK.

•    We can do the same during the week.

•    Practise- Trusting, meditating on the Lord, ask for what  you need  in the name of the father, son and holy spirit. Silence isn’t absence!

I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life John 14

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;1 believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that. I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.  And you know the way to where I am going.”  Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I yam going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Luke 11:9-13  “Here’s what I’m saying:

Ask and you’ll get;Seek and you’ll find;

Knock and the door will open.

“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?”