G
od, I know I haven’t talked with You in a long while. In the past few years, I’ve done some things I’m not proud of. You know what I mean—the affair. That’s one reason we haven’t spoken more; I didn’t know how to come back to You. I was afraid You would reject me like others have. Some people in my former church refuse to speak to me. I can understand why they avoid me—I treated my wife and kids horribly. I feel ashamed now, and would give anything to turn back the clock, as impossible as that is. Trying to make things right by breaking off the relationship didn’t relieve me of the consequences of my actions. I’m still dealing with those. First it was the divorce, which was harder than I imagined; now I’m faced with the reality that my kids no longer want to spend time with me because of the divorce. At least my wife—ex-wife—is civil. I guess I should be thankful that she will still speak to me. Dear Jesus, all I can do is ask for mercy. I’m not saying I deserve it. But I’m begging You for it.
—Connor John 14:22 keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and mani fest Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. The Gift of His Peace 25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said
1562 to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would re joice because I said,a ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. 29 “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. 30 I will no lon ger talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has noth ing in Me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here. The True Vine “I am the true vine, and My Fa ther is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit
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14:28 aNU-Text omits I said.
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