Jesus: The True Vine John 15:1-8

Text:  “I am (Jehovah) the true Vine, ye (true Christian believers) 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.”

John 15:5. 

Good morning, fruit-bearing Christian!  Christ Jesus, the true Vine, has called you and I; granted us faith to believe and repentance from our sin; Redeemed us by His own Blood; and saved us for time and Eternity.  Praise God it is so!

However, the Lord did not save us in such miraculous manner to just sit idly by and do nothing for Him.  Never!  We have been saved to serve the Lord, and woe betide all who are called with the universal call of the Gospel yet fail to bear the fruit of Christian validation!  The fate of such idle professors is a sore one indeed.  Beware idle professor!  Things could get quite HOT!

“If a man/woman abide not in Me, he/she is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men (other worldlings) gather them, an cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”  (John 15:6)

It has been said that there are a number of different levels of Created life: among them there is plant life; there is animal life; and there is human life.  (Genesis 1:1;11-28)

All living things that were Created by the Living Lord God Almighty were created ‘…after his kind…’ - this is what I have called ‘The First Ten Commandments’.

Check this Scriptural fact out for yourself.  The Lord commanded his creation TEN TIMES, to be created, ‘…after his kind…’  (Genesis 1:11;12;21;24;25)

There was to be absolutely no transmutation of the created species!  Hybrids (mules, jackasses) are always born impotent, they cannot procreate.  All God’s Creation live life ‘…after his kind…’  Which immediately debunks Darwin's Theory of Evolution.  God created mankind - Adam & Eve - '...after his kind...'.

The plant life enjoys the nourishment of the sun, the rain, etc. but it’s experience of existence falls far short of that of the animal kingdom.

The animal kingdom in created life has a much higher level of experience of existence than that of plants - but animals know nothing of the higher human experience of life; animals cannot actually plan by reasoning power, although animals often prepare for survival by natural God-created instincts.

Natural mankind is the Lord God’s highest level of creation - we are the only species that possess reasoning powers.  Yet, we are born in Adam’s fallen image, far short of Adam’s perfection, as created in the image of God (Tri-partite, three parts - body, soul, and spirit.)

“And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness (fallen), after his image; and called his name Seth; and the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years; and he begat sons and daughters (all in his own fallen, image!).” (Genesis 5:3-4)

In today’s selected Bible passage, we find the Creator Lord Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, likening Himself to a Supernatural Vine.  And what a true Supernatural Vine of life indeed!  Praise His lovely Name!  (John 10:10b)

In the natural world, branches cannot grow of themselves.  Branches are put forth by the vine; they are nourished from the roots of the vine - without the vine the branches dry up, wither, and die - they are often burned as firewood.

In the Supernatural world, you and I are born of our natural parents ‘…dead in trespasses and sin…’; a body, a soul, and a DEAD SPIRIT.  (Ephesians 2:1;5)

This is why we ‘…must be born again…’; we must be reborn from Above; we must have a Supernatural birth and be quickened by God the Spirit to live for Him in Christ Jesus, and by the way of His Cross Sacrifice. 

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he/she is a new creature; old things are passed (passing) away; behold (look), all things are become (or becoming) new.”        (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“For we (Christian believers) are His workmanship, CREATED in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”     (Ephesians 2:10)

Just as the natural branches of a vine cannot come forth, grow, or be nourished of themselves - we Supernaturally birthed Christian believers cannot come forth, grow, or be nourished without the Lord God.  We grow strong when we ‘…abide…’ close to Christ, the true Vine.

Thought:  Is your branch of Christ’s Church a fruit-bearing branch?

Is There A Literal ‘Devil‘? John 14:30-31

Text:  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

1 Peter 5:8-9.

 Good morning, Spiritually vigilant Christian!  The Lord God has instructed thee and me to be always vigilant in our daily walk as pilgrims through this often barren land.  We do well to heed the Voice of our God in His Word.  As a Christian author penned some years ago, ‘…the Devil is alive and well on planet earth today…’; continue to be most vigilant, Christian warrior!

“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man/woman truth with his neighbour; for we are members one of another (believers).  Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath; neither give place unto the Devil.”  (Ephesians 4:26-27)

Many of my regular Christian readers will have noticed that I try to write a capital D when I make mention of the Devil.  I do that for a reason: the Devil is so subtle an enemy that he insinuates himself into every aspect of our lives, if we but relax our vigilance.  Therefore, even in my writing about this foul being, this sly and subtle snake - I put a capital D on the word, to enable me to keep an eye on this foul tempter.  The Devil is well worth the watching!

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against Spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day…”  (Ephesians 6:10-13)

Hear what the great Puritan, William Gurnall (1616-1679) says in his wonderful book The Christian In Complete Armour:  

“The Nature of Evil Spirits (’spiritual wickedness’) The inherent nature of the devils themselves, as well as the character of their works, is included in the description, ’spiritual wickedness’.

“A literal rendering of the passage reads, ’against the spirituals of wickedness’…the passage also refers not only to the spiritual nature of devils but also - in fact, chiefly - to the nature and kind of sins they perpetrate. These sins are the apples of temptation which they most often use to poison the saints. Such sins are the ’spirituals of wickedness‘. Not gross, fleshy sins which ignorant sinners, like swine, wallow in - but spiritual sins, which are much more subtle and perhaps even more despicable.” (The Christian In Complete Armour, Banner of Truth Trust, P.O. Box 621, Carlisle, Pennsylvania 17013, U.S.A. p.186-187)

The Lord Jesus, in today’s two-verse Bible reading, refers to the Devil as ‘…the prince of this world…’ (V.30); and the Lord knows and has revealed to us, that this is the exact identity of this foul angel.  The Devil, Satan, that old Serpent - is a prince among his disobedient angels; a deadly and ruthless foe against the very souls of mankind.  Christian, be vigilant!

But, praise God, we KNOW the Devil’s eventual fate!  We Bible-believing Christians have read the end of God’s Book!  Hallelujah!

“And I saw an angel come down from Heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  And he laid hold on the Dragon, that old Serpent, which is the Devil (capital letter!), and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled; and after that he must be loosed a little season.”  (Revelation 20:1-3)     

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison (the bottomless pit), and shall go to deceive the nations (the rebellious against Christ)…and fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them.  And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.”     (Revelation 20:7-10)

That old Serpent, Satan, the Devil is an Eternally defeated foe!  Fear him not!  We vigilant Christians are protected under the Blood of the Lamb!

“…Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.  Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you…Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.”       (James 4:7-10)

Thought:  Oh yes, there is a literal Devil - Christ teaches this fact - but Christ has defeated him once and for all time at the Cross of Calvary.  Glory!  Glory!  Glory to the Victorious Lamb of God!  Amen.

Jesus: The God of Prophecy! John 14:28-29

Text:  “And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.”

John 14:29.

          “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am He.”

John 13:19.

Good morning, believing Christian!  When you and I read and study God’s Word - as contained in the 66 Canonical Books of the KJV Holy Bible - we believe what God has said through His prophets, psalmists, and Gospel-writing evangelists.  Praise God for faithful, Bible-believing, Christians!

“…Jehoshaphat stood and said (under the inspiration of God the Holy Ghost), Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper.”   (2 Chronicles 20:20)

We ‘prosper’ in life and in the service of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, when we truly believe and receive His infallible, God-breathed Word, and act on His Divine instruction.  That’s a Scriptural fact!

“Trust (truly believe) in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.  Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”  (Proverbs 3:57)

Today’s selected Bible reading reveals the Lord Jesus encouraging His disciples to maintain a high level of true belief.  Just one chapter earlier, as our secondary text above shows, He made a very similar statement of His intentions; He foretold events that would come in order that, when the events actually took place, the disciples would be well prepared for such events, and gain more faith to believe in Christ’s plan of Atonement Salvation.

Everything Jesus foretold came to pass exactly as He had prophesied!

The Lord God Almighty ‘…ordained…’ certain chosen men to be his prophets in Old Testament times.  Jeremiah was one such chosen prophet.

“Then the Word of the Lord came unto me (Jeremiah) saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”    (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

Dictionary definition:  Ordain - (verb) to arrange; to establish; to decree; to destine; to order; to assign, set apart; to appoint; to set apart for an office; to invest with ministerial functions; to admit to Holy orders.  (Chambers Dictionary page 1141)

In the above dictionary defined manner, the Lord God ordained, chose, set apart certain men to be His prophets - and their words were at all times His Word, and never the product of their own totally fallible will.  

God’s Word declares God’s will, the Scriptures are God-breathed, Spirit-inspired!

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.  For the prophecy came not in the old time (Old Testament times) by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved (inspired, taught, directed) by the Holy Ghost.”       (2 Peter 1:20-21)

All the Old Testament prophets spoke only as they were directed by God the Spirit - their lives depended upon the prophecy coming to pass!

“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying,  Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.  And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.”  (Deuteronomy 13:1-5)

The Lord Jesus, God the Son Himself, therefore prophesied His Crucifixion; His suffering; death and resurrection - to prove that He is God, and to give certainty to our faith in Him.  He is the fulfilment of every other prophecy.

Thought:  “Never man spake like this Man” - Jesus, the risen Christ.