NOTHING DOING

April 8

Bible Reading: John 15:1-5

John 15:5, “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

We’ve a KitchenAid mixer in the kitchen.  Though I’ve never used it, I know it can do lots of things like mixing, kneading, shredding, whipping, etc.  I also know that it will do none of those things unless it’s plugged into an electrical outlet.  Likewise, it is impossible to bear fruit without being well connected to Jesus.

Some wrongly imagine the Christian life to be some kind of religious endeavor in which we try hard in our own strength to “do our best for God,” but that’s not the way it works.  With fruit-bearing, Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches.  He is the life source.  Apart from him, we can’t do a thing.  Noteworthy is the term “nothing.”  Jesus did not say that we could do some things or easy things, but that we can’t do anything.  Apart from Jesus, we can’t move an inch in a heavenward direction.

As a Christian, you are a branch plugged into the vine.  The very life of Christ is in you, as the Apostle Paul put it: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).  It is His life and energy and strength that flows through you.  He produces fruit through you as you keep in close, intimate fellowship with Him.  As delightful as it is to find a tree bearing some kind of yummy fruit, so there is joy in the realization that Jesus has worked through you to bear fruit of the spiritual kind.  And, though we can’t do a thing apart from Jesus, how good it is to know that we “can do all things through him who strengthens (us)” (Philippians 4:13). 

“We talk about great men of God down through the centuries.  You will find that the men who were usable by the Spirit of God were men who were abiding.  The closer you walk with Him and stay near Him, the more evident will be the fruit.”

John G. Mitchell

If there’s no power, check the connection.

CHANNELS ONLY
How I praise Thee, precious Savior,
That Thy love laid hold of me;
Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me
That I might Thy channel be.

Refrain:
Channels only, blessed Master,
But with all Thy wondrous pow’r
Flowing through us, Thou canst use us
Every day and every hour.

Just a channel full of blessing,
To the thirsty hearts around;
To tell out Thy full salvation,
All Thy loving message sound. [Refrain]

Emptied that Thou shouldest fill me,
A clean vessel in Thy hand;
With no pow’r but as Thou givest
Graciously with each command. [Refrain]

Witnessing Thy pow’r to save me,
Setting free from self and sin;
Thou who boughtest to possess me,
In Thy fullness, Lord, come in. [Refrain]

Jesus, fill now with Thy Spirit
Hearts that full surrender know;
That the streams of living water
From our inner self may flow. [Refrain]

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Author: looking2jesus13

Jerry L. Conklin was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He was assigned to the USS *Omaha* (SSN-692), a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, where he served as a reactor-plant electrical operator. His military service took him to ports and locations throughout the world and provided extensive technical training, leadership experience, and an enduring appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces. Following his Navy service, Jerry earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Technology from Thomas Edison State University. He worked at the Trojan Nuclear Plant near Rainier, Oregon, first as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist. After sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he left the nuclear-power industry and earned a master’s degree in theology from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Jerry served for twenty-seven and a half years as senior pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church in Astoria, Oregon. During those years, he preached and taught the Scriptures, provided pastoral counseling, performed weddings and memorial services, trained church leaders, and served individuals and families throughout the community. He also served as a fire department chaplain and participated in a variety of community ministries. After retiring from full-time pastoral ministry, Jerry and his wife, Laura, moved to Heppner, Oregon. There he served for approximately four years as a chaplain with Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, providing spiritual and emotional support to more than 150 patients and their families. In 2023, the Oregon Association for Home Care honored him as its Chaplain of the Year. Jerry also helped establish South Morrow County Seniors Matter, a nonprofit organization created to address the needs of older adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. As chairman, he worked with community leaders and volunteers to develop a weekly senior meal program, a monthly veterans’ lunch, and other activities and services. The organization served hundreds of seniors, mobilized more than 200 volunteers, and received statewide and national recognition. In 2025, Jerry was named Heppner’s Man of the Year, and his community service was later recognized by United States Senator Jeff Merkley. International missions have also been an important part of Jerry’s ministry. He has made ten trips to Uganda, where he has taught at pastors’ conferences, preached in churches, participated in Bible-school graduations, distributed Bibles and Christian materials, and encouraged local pastors and ministry leaders. He developed the discipleship booklet *First Steps with Jesus* to help new believers understand and grow in their faith. Jerry is the author of numerous books, Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, including works centered on prayer, Christian hope, spiritual growth, and the person of Jesus Christ. His decades of preaching and teaching reflect his commitment to presenting biblical truth clearly, practically, and faithfully. Jerry and Laura were married for nearly forty-two years and raised four children. They were also blessed with three grandchildren. Laura passed away in August 2025 following an eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Jerry currently lives in Hillsboro, where he helps care for his elderly father. He continues to preach, teach, write, and serve others through pastoral and community ministry.

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