Rev 14:14-20 Two Harvests

Rev 14:14-20 NIV
For a couple of decades, every July, we traveled north to Upper Peninsula of Michigan to make hay. It was not exactly my idea of how to spend a vacation; but, family needed help. In good years the farmers get to harvest two crops. The first harvest, beginning around the 4th of July, is usually the best.

John's vision includes two harvests, as well. The first is of those who are found righteous. The second harvest is of grapes that grow from the vine of the earth. These grapes are thrown into the great winepress of God's wrath and from that winepress, that is outside the city of God, flows blood.

Two harvests; one for the those found righteous through Jesus the Christ, the other for those who have followed in the ways of the world.

In which harvest will you be gathered?

God's Peace - Pr. J

John 15:1-8 Branches Don't Bear Fruit Alone

John 15:1-8 NIV
My gardens have been a mess this summer. Very little time to care for them. My flower garden and raspberry bushes look especially unkempt. This is my fault. Much to my husband's chagrin, I have allowed a family of raccoons to eat, play and rest there. But, I do live in the woods and I figure they live there, too. No one hardly ever sees the garden beside me and I do enjoy watching the baby raccoons as much as I enjoy the flowers and raspberries. Consequently, I have had a lot of broken flower stems and broken raspberry branches to gather and burn. No, hollyhocks this year; they stand alone and when one is trampled it dies. But, there have been a lot of raspberries. It is as though they have been pruned; yet, not destroyed. After all; the branches of the raspberry bush do not stand alone. They are connected to one another.

Lately, I've been noticing that there seem to be a lot of another kind of branches not connected to the vine or at least they appear not to be. Maybe, I am mistaken. But, it does appear that many who claim to be members of the true vine, who is Jesus the Christ, don't actually appear to be connected to him or to the other branches via the vine. Consequently, they appear to bear little or no fruit. Jesus said, "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." (vs 4)

When we are connected to the vine, we are connected to that vine with other branches. Together, we bear much fruit. Alone we can do nothing. Or do you suppose the gardener, our Father, has cut off every branch besides our self? That would be a strange looking vine with only one branch and not very fruitful, at that.

Every branch needs the vine. Remain connected. Remain in the word that you might bear much fruit, showing that you are his disciple to our Father's glory.

God's Peace - Pr. J

John 8:48-59 - I Am

John 8:48-59 NIV
“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (vs 58)

Jesus makes the claim that he is God. If you'd heard Jesus make this statement to explain who he was or where he was from, we may have well been in the crowd that wanted to stone or crucify Jesus.

When God was sending Moses to free the Israelites from Egypt tyranny,
 "Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
  God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
  God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’

“This is my name forever,
   the name you shall call me
   from generation to generation."   (Exodus 3:13-16)

Search the book of John or even easier, go an online search in John for the words "I Am." You will be amazed at how many times Jesus used them. Among the multitude of inferences to Jesus being the great I am; you will find these affirmations of Jesus.

“I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger.” John 6:35

“I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12  

“I am the gate; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9

“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.” John 10:11

 “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.” John 11:25

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” John 14:6

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” John 15:1   

So who do you say that Jesus is? Will you crucify or worship Him?

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ezekiel 15 - Useless Branches Burned

Ezekiel continues to warn Israel. They, as a whole, no longer worship God. They are likened to a dead vine that ends up being burned in the fire. It is good for nothing except to be used for fuel.

We have just finished a small remodeling job in our home. A lot of old wood that ended up as starter for evening camp fires. It was no good for anything else.

We spent last evening cleaning out our son's shed of old tin and other metals. We dropped a truck load off at the church's recycling bin. It will all be hauled to the recycling center soon. Not sure where it goes from there or the exact steps that will be taken in the recycling process. This much, I know, in order for old metals to be made into something useful, they will have to put into the fire for refining. They will be melted down so that what was, no longer exists and something new and fruitful can be created.

Faithless = Fruitless = Useless = Heading for the recycling bin and will someplace along the line enter into the fire.

The useful and fruitful branch stays connected to the vine, who is Jesus, the Christ. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:5-8 NIV)

God's Peace - Pr. J