7-23-2017 Weekly Message

Meditation of the week: Psalm 80: 1-10

Text: John 15: 1-14

The title of the Word: The True Vine That Gives Full Joy In The Midst Of Suffering

         Long ago God brought a vine from Egypt and drove away the Gentiles and planted the vine in the land of Canaan (Psalm 80: 8). God said that the people of Israel were one vine.

         God spoke through the prophet Isaiah. He built a fence around the vine he planted, and from there he took away the stones, planted the best vines, and built towers among them, and made winepresses therein. He hoped the grapes would be reaped, but the wild grapes reaped. God spoke of the vineyard he made for  the work to be done to Israel. From there I will remove the fence and make it eaten, and from there I will tear down the wall and trample it down. He also said that he would make it bloody, and that it would make it briers and thorns, that it would not make branches, nor would it command the cloud to rain on it. Again, the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasurable plants. He said that he desired justice, but only the oppression, and the hope of righteousness, but the cry (5: 2, 5-7)

          Seven hundred years later, God, who spoke through the prophet, appeared in the land of Israel in the name of Jesus. Before he left this world, he told his disciples that he is  the true vine. In other words, the one who said that God made the best of the vineyards of his choice, and planted them on the earth, that they could not produce the best grapes, but reaped wild grapes that they could not eat. He has planted it in this land, and he has made a fruit of the true grape, and has come with a true vine that gives life to people. Now, the Lord said that the Lord will be taken for a while, suffering, dying on the cross, buried in the earth like a vine, and being resurrected will give eternal life, the best fruit of the vine, to all who believe in him.

           Jesus said that his disciples had already been cleansed through his words (John 15: 3). Jesus said to cleanse his disciples and to recreate them as true Israelites who bear fruit of their own grapes.

          The Lord said that he is the  true vine, and His disciples became  already branches of the vine. In other words, all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, receive His Spirit, and are born again, are branches that are attached to Him who is the true vine. Therefore, there is nothing that the branches do, and only one thing should be in it. At this time, the Lord Jesus Christ, the true vine, is making branches bloom and bear fruit.

          You have to meditate deeply on the Lord’s words about this truth:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.  “(John 15: 1-6)

           The Lord spoke of the blessings of those who abide  in Him. He said that those who abide in Him, and His words, that dwell therein, will be able to and will do whatever is desired (John 15: 7).

           The Lord also said that God’s children will glorify God the Father and become His disciples when they bear fruit (John 15: 8)

           The Lord spoke more specifically about the word that He should abide in Him. He told us to keep the commandment to love one another as though he loved o sinners like us and gave up his life. He said that there is no love greater than his love, which he has laid down for them as friends of all sinners (John 15: 9-14).

           The Lord spoke very important things about the ultimate reason for all these words:

”  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. ” (John 15:11)

             That is correct! The Lord is sitting in the right hand of the heavenly God, and we are still in the world of sin, where Satan is ruling. Therefore, Satan, the ruler of this world, is doing all kinds of things to persecute the branches of the true vine, bringing pain and separating him from the true vine. There is only one thing we can do to overcome all these hardships. It is the joy of the Lord who dwells in us. Therefore, as we continue to live in the word and love of the Lord, we will bear much fruit, and the joy of the Lord who dwells in us will fill our joy when we glorify our Father. This joy is God’s joy to swallow even any suffering or even death.

            It is the pleasure enjoyed by the old prophets and apostles, as well as by the many faithful Christians’ beliefs that kept faith to the end. The apostle Paul testified of these things:

”  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Hebrews 12: 1-3).

             The apostle Paul testified that he was able to rejoice in all things with the joy of the Lord, who dwelt in his love,

”     I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.   Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.  “(Gal. 2: 20-21, 2 Corinthians 12:10)

            Only the fruit of life we preach through the gospel during our lives on earth is not lost forever and ever. All that belongs to the earth will disappear with the world. The Scriptures bear witness of the fruit of the righteous:

”   The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. .” (Proverbs 11:30)

Amen! Hallelujah!