Online Word For Today "The Vine,The Branches And The Sticks" Scripture Reference: John 15:1-2, 5a "I am the true vine and my Father is the Husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away: Fruit He purgeth it, that may bring forth more fruit." "I am the vine ye are the branches".

In this passage of scripture,Jesus makes an anology of God the Father, as the Husbandman, or Vinedresser, Jesus as the Vine and the Church as the branches. Jesus discusses with his disciples and points out to them, the He is the TRUE Vine. Why? Why did Jesus mention that He is the TRUE vine? There are many "vines" or religions, even churches which teach in error, which perpetrate as being the true vine. However in John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the Way the Truth and the the Life. No man comes to the Father but by me." These religious cults claim to be the "way" and say that a person can get to God without going through Jesus, however, we know this is a false doctrine. Jesus is the only one in the history of organized religion, which has proven this claim "I am the Way", through his life, death and resurrection. In verse two of the text, Jesus points out,"that beareth not fruit, He (God) taketh away". God the Father is the Husbandman or the Vinedresser. He serves as one who comes and cut back or cut away the dead leaves on the branches. In the the Christians life, God will cut away or purge our temples, removing the dead issues in our lives. Jesus also discuss that those branches which are not bearing any fruit, the Husbandman He cuts off. As Christians, we are aware of one of the ways we know one another from the world, and that is through the fruit which we bear. In Galations 5:22 the Apostle Paul speaks of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, when one becomes attached to the True Vine, we are to bring forth. some branches grow faster than others, however eventually every branch will yield these fruits. The branches which do not yield any fruit, the Vinedresser, God, He cuts off. In Matthew 29:19-20 Jesus and His disciples notice a fig tree, there were leaves on the branches, but not fruit. After seeing this, Jesus cursed the fig tree and thus is withered away. In this illustration, this tree was not productive, and bring forth any fruit, therefore the tree was cut off. This shows a type and shadow of Christians who refuse to let God use them or be productive for God. God gives each of us a choice whether, we shall serve Him or not. In Joshua 24:15, "Choose ye this day who you shall serve", so we have a choice to be a functioning member for the Kingdom of God. When a saint turn into rebellion, into pride, rubbing against the Father will in their lives, they will die, thus will be cut off. The Father will in our lives is to be productive for Him. In order for the other branches who are yielding fruit and are doing the will of God, He will cut the dead branch, to prevent contamination of the other branches. A branch that once alive and bearing fruit stops yielding such, it is useless to the Vine and the other branches, this branch has to go. When a branch is cut off from the Vine, they die and become a stick. A stick is a dead branch. This branch was once alive and now is dead. They were once productive, but now they are lifeless, and only used for as firewood. We know of people who were once producing in God. Their branches were full of fruit, then all of sudden, their fruit, first became sour, then rotten, then altogether, that branch stopped yielding fruit. Going back what I said, when this happens, the branches are no good, they are cut off and turn into sticks. Sticks are everywhere and show up in places they have no business being there. One way you can tell you have sticks in your life, look at the lack of love in their lives. Sticking around in this place and that place, no growth, just drying up and trying to dry you up as well. There are alot of people who we know of who were once on fire, but now only good to be bunched up and thrown in the fire. There are alot of things in our lives are sticks which we need to get rid of, alot of things. Abraham had a Lot. When God told Abraham to get out of his father's country and from his lions a mighty nation will come, why did he take Lot with him? Lot is an example of a "stick". Sticking around in other folks business, and blessings, not being a help but a hindrance. Maybe you know of some sticks, maybe you are a stick. You once was doing something great in the Lord, because of sin you were cut off. We have many dead things in our lives we need to allow God to cut away. I remember hearing this minister preached on a Word. In his text, he told the story of the horrible ways the Romans would punish prisoner for various crimes. If someone murdered someone, and was found guilty, the corpse of the person killed was tied to the back of the killer, and the killer had to walk in the streets with this body tied to him, until the death of the one he killed consumed his body, then death would take place upon the living.(That's deep) It is the same thing when we allow dead issues linger in our lives. We carry around the dead weight upon our backs until the death comes into us and consumes our bodies and death takes places. While on the branch God cut us, purges so that death will not consume us but for us to grow and live. Cutting doesn't feel good. matter of fact it hurts. In the cutting away of the flesh it exposes the new skins, and healing can take place. Though it hurts it is for His glory and our good to be manifested. Jesus is the True Vine, God the Father is the Vinedresser and we are the branches. Let us allow ourselves to be cut so that we can yield much fruit and not end up like sticks. gospeldove@hotmail.com

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2000