Vine Song (song)

 Confrontations come so often in life and oftentimes they leave us responding in a totally unloving way. We hear someone challenge us on something and we just can't seem to control ourselves. "Them's fighting words!" the refrain goes. We try to flatten the curve of the vicious barbs we let loose, but it's too late after the words are spoken. In James 3, The Bible talks about the vast destruction a small part of the body can bring- the poisonous tongue that sets forests ablaze. Yet the same mouth is praising God one minute and then cursing brothers and sisters the next! That should not be so. What's the cure? Stay in the Vine. He who abides in Jesus and He in them will bear much fruit. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. We have to stay in Christ and lean on Him for strength to have the victory in the battle over not only controlling our tongue but the rest of our bodies as well, so that everything we say and do is for His glory.

"Vine Song" (parody of "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/6/2020)
(James 3, John 15:1-17 [particularly verse 5], Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25, Philippians 4:13)

Like a small helm
On the ocean
Sending ships large
Into motion
Like with a single word
Of great things tongue's boasting
Just like (it) only takes one match
To set ablaze forest with poison

Wish all bad things I wouldn't say
Wrecking balls in life- 3 James
God will screen them out if I
Will adhere to His voice through Christ

(Chorus 1)
This is my Vine song
Make branch abide song
Through 15:5 John
Christ's power's turned on
Stay in Christ now 'cause He's strong
I'm weak; my Vine's strong
If He don't see fruit bear, it's to the fire-
(the) rest He leaves
'Cause it thrills God- shows Christ's disciples to be

Pruning buds- God is shaping me
I'm abiding and He abides in me
John 15
Says I'm fruit-bearing (all through Jesus)
There's nothing I do; Jesus my Lord
Does the entire working- I'm anchored
He's in me
Yeah, I'm in Jesus
And all good things I'll get in faith
Seventh verse- abide and pray
In all things, God's glorified
He will steer word choice this time

(Repeat Chorus 1)

And God through Christ strengthens me!
Christ has calmed boats
And His bros, son
When He bid waves,
wind- "Cease motion"
Right now my sinful words
Just break His heart- so then
My might's always badly outmatched
But Christ can make right words flow then

(Chorus 2)
This is Christ's fight, son
Make branch abide, God
Through 15:5 John
Christ's power's turned on
Stay in Christ now 'cause He's strong
I'm weak; my Vine's strong
If He don't see fruit bear, it's to the fire-
(the) rest He leaves
'Cause it thrills God- shows Christ's disciples to be

4:13 Phil.- Go through all when Christ strengthens me.

Till We Have Facebooks of Love

 I think it's important sometimes to remind ourselves that social media is not real life. It's more like those Christmas cards you send out with little updates on your family where everything is picture perfect and rosy. We don't usually like to air all the dirty laundry and put the nitty gritty out there. But the funny thing is that this isn't always true. That's one extreme people can go to with maintaining a veneer of peaceful bliss, while hiding away the chaos- and thus not really being honest. (Reference Eleventyseven's song "MySpace" for more on that idea. Yes, the platform is different but the attitudes are the same. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SX2fv2KhMqs)

This harkens back to the social rule of not discussing religion or politics in mixed company. It's meant to avoid arguments but I've never liked that rule. Why can't we challenge ourselves to speak on those topics in mixed groups without losing tempers or friendships? I have seen far too much of both those two possibilities happen in online discussions. I just saw it again today, which prompted me to post this. And it's funny to see how the Pendulum has swung to the other extreme, where people unload everything on you without holding back and feel some sort of security in anonymity on the Internet or just the safety of distance where you don't have to worry about having the guts to something to someone's face and you don't have to worry about getting a black eye. (Not that you should have to worry about that even when in person.)

    It's good to have people with different views in your life just to help you keep open to different points of view and not get locked into your own echo chamber. And that even includes people with ideas you might consider immoral and/or repulsive.

    I'm sorry that to see people terminate their friendship- especially when it seems to be a reaction to finding that they have diametrically opposing views with someone else. And while I can understand trying to avoid negative influences, I don't think the mere fact of having a different opinion should be a reason to cut off a friendship.

    We need to be understanding and loving towards those with whom we disagree. Look for the places where you can agree and affirm their statements and them- and then talk calmly about places where you will have to agree to disagree.

   Loving people in the Name of Jesus and keeping the door open to share The Gospel- and actually sharing the Good News of God's love for all us hellbound sinners proved by Christ's death and Resurrection which provides salvation and entry to Heaven for all who put faith in Him and follow Him- are infinitely more important than winning arguments with them. I firmly believe no one has ever been argued or bullied or belittled into believing in Christ- or into even accepting a different point of view, for that matter. And they're definitely not won over by our stupid, insulting name-calling and memes. Why would God bless sinful methods? It's God's KINDNESS that leads us to repentance! (Yes, I am overemphasizing that here because I think it's a reminder we all need to hear.) It doesn't matter what rude or mean thing someone has said to us- our response is always to love and be kind and pray for them! We need to always be gracious- because God is infinitely gracious to us undeserving, ungrateful people. (Cue one of my favourite newer Apologetix songs- "A Loan For You".

https://youtu.be/7H1J6WbzYXk)

Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. (Just read all of Romans 12, really.) And speak The Truth in Love. (Ephesians 4:15)