Let us
read bits from John Chapter 15, especially the bits I have marked in bold:
5 I am the vine, and you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do
nothing without me.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in
you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it.
10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in
my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love.
16 You did not choose me; I chose you and
appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so
the Father will give you whatever you ask of Him in my name.
When I
was young, many years ago, and lived in London, I made many acquaintances with
well-to-do people. They were not friends as such, just acquaintances. People I
knew and met with often. I wonder where they all are now !!!
One day,
one such acquaintance said: "Let's go to my club."
"My
club?" I thought, "I wonder what he means."
Moments
later we arrived at this very classy building with a man at the door wearing a
posh uniform. He saluted my friend by touching his cap, eyed me suspiciously,
and opened the door to let us in.
It was a
gentleman's club.
As we
entered my feet sank into such luxurious carpets so thick that it was like
walking through a cloud of feathers. Above me were chandeliers so big and so
magnificent that they probably needed their own power stations to keep them
lit. Around me on the walls hung the most beautiful oil paintings I'd ever
seen, all originals, mostly portraits of old people in ancient type clothings.
No doubt patrons of this place from years gone by. There were also a variety of
full size marble statues; the kind you would find in a Roman or Greek temple or
palace. I didn't know who they were, but they looked as if they belonged to
these sumptuous surroundings.
We
entered a very large room with similar thickness of carpets and wall-to-wall
luxury. It was full of huge leather chairs placed in twos or threes around
tables scattered here and there. There were already some men there, sitting
quietly and reading their papers.
My
friend and I sat at a table. He asked me if I wanted a drink. "No point in
asking for a beer," I thought, "this place is far too posh to have
something as common as beer. Or indeed, someone as common as me. I do not
belong in this place!"
I asked
my friend what he'd suggest and he rattled a list of wines all with fancy
titles like "Chateaux Very Expensive" or "Chateaux Even More
Extravagantly Expensive". He suggested that if I'd prefer a brandy they
have a selection of Cognacs dating back several centuries and favourites of
princes and emperors from years gone by.
I can't
remember what I eventually had to drink; but I knew that I did not belong
there. Had I turned up to this place on my own, no doubt the doorkeeper, or
maître d’hôtel as my friend called him, would have stopped me getting in and
threw me in front of a passing taxi or bus. The only reason I was there, and
enjoying a luxurious drink at his expense I might add, was because I was with
him. He had the golden ticket to enter this oasis in a busy London, and he had
the right to bring in whoever he wants, including riff-raff like me.
When I
think about it; it's the same about Heaven I suppose. We don't have a right to
be there. We're not really worthy. God has invited us all to His place if we
come with Jesus. "No one goes to the Father, except by me." John 14:6
And as
Jesus says in the quotations above, if we remain in Him, we will bear much
fruit. We will be one with Him, His followers, His friends, under His
protection, and loved by Him.
And
twice He promises that if we remain in/with Him, we can ask anything in His
name and His Father will let us have it.
When we
pray, "God, in the name of Jesus, I ask for ..." God will listen. He
will respond. And in His own time, and in His own way, our prayers will be
answered.
And if
we stay side by side with Jesus, hand-in-hand throughout our life, no matter
how difficult it is sometimes; then one day we too will be welcome in Paradise.
Just because we are with Jesus.
