Posted in Secrets of the Vine

Chapter 2 What God Wants

A STUDY IN FRUIT

Chapter 2 of Secrets of the Vine pulled me in a little more.  This chapter had me really thinking about "What is FRUIT?" and how that applies to me which of course sent me on a study of fruit (phrases highlighted in purple were places God spoke to me):

A lexicon search in Greek resulted in fruit = KARPOS:

1) fruit

     a) the fruit of the trees, vines, of the fields

     b) the fruit of one's loins, i.e. his progeny, his posterity

2) that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result

     a) work, act, deed

     b) advantage, profit, utility

     c) praises, which are presented to God as a thank offering

     d) to gather fruit (i.e. a reaped harvest) into life eternal (as into a granary)

 

Websters 1828 dictionary defines FRUIT:

FRUIT, n. [L. fructus. The Latin word is the participle of fruor, contracted from frugor, or frucor, to use, to take the profit of.]

1. In a general sense, whatever the earth produces for the nourishment of animals, or for clothing or profit. Among the fruits of the earth are included not only corn of all kinds, but grass, cotton, flax, grapes and all cultivated plants. In this comprehensive sense, the word is generally used in the plural.

2. In a more limited sense, the produce of a tree or other plant; the last production for the propagation or multiplication of its kind; the seed of plants, or the part that contains the seeds; as wheat, rye, oats, apples, quinces, pears, cherries, acorns, melons, &c.

3. In botany, the seed of a plant, or the seed with the pericarp.

4. Production; that which is produced.

The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth. Eph. 5.

5. The produce of animals; offspring; young; as the fruit of the womb, of the loins, of the body.

6. Effect or consequence.

They shall eat the fruit of their doings. Is. 3.

7. Advantage; profit; good derived.

What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? Rom 6.

 

Okay, that got me thinking about what I knew about grapes.  When I was a little girl, my grandparents had some vines and a few times they had enough grapes to make jelly.  What I remember most about them, is how "grape-y" they really were.  "Real" grapes really tasted like grape bubblegum!  That fascinated me.  Homegrown grapes were nothing like the tart, green grapes or the red ones full of seeds from the grocery store.  I remember grandpa's grapes being so sweet and sticky that the bees would swarm the vines and if the bees weren't there, the spiders were.  I guess bugs like sticky, sweetness too! 

"Fruit symbolizes the best result or sweetest prize in life."

So, how does all this relate to my study in fruit.  Well, as I see it,  the biggest contribution "I" can make in God's orchard is the fruit of my children.  There are all kinds of "bugs" out there just waiting to steal them away and the "sweeter" they become for the Lord the more "bugs" they will attract.  My goal should be to protect them, to develop the surface around my "seeds" - the pericarp, so that they are so protected from the influences of the world.  Yes, I am to win souls but the souls of my home are the ones that I start with, they come first.  They will be the "seeds" that are planted to win even more into God's kingdom.  I don't think God made me an evanglist but rather a teacher, however, I might be raising an evanglist.  

"Our fruit represents not only evangelism but good works that glorify God."

But God doesn't just want fruit.  He wants GOOD fruit.

Lexicon Greek study of good = kalos

beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable, shapely, magnificent, genuine, approved, praiseworthy, noble

The good fruit I produce is to provide a "nourishing" home.  That includes a peaceful, organized, well-run, beautiful household that "clothes" my family - husband included, in God's precious love that He may "profit", that I may be useful, suitable and praiseworthy to Him.  Wow!  That hasn't been done around here much.  Don't get me wrong, I feed my children and they are loved, but am I "nourishing them for magnificence" as good fruit is described?  Well, I could do better. 

"Baskets of Glory"

no fruit: no flowers, no beauty

little fruit:  tart, sour, some are shriveled rasins = lacking water

more fruit:  sweet but not enough to make jelly

much fruit:  "grape-y", large, juicy, enough jelly to give away, attracts bugs

 

"The Father wants more fruit from us so much that He actively tends our lives

 so we will keep moving up - from a barren to a productive branch,

from an empty to an overflowing basket."

 

Well, it is easy to see what God would want out of my harvest especially looking at my harvest in such simplistic terms.   

 

Dear Heavenly Father, the Husbandman of my orchard,

I praise You for Your good care of this orchard and I thank You for desiring the very best fruit of my life.  I thank You for showing me how to yield baskets of fruit for Your glory and for the work You continue to do in myself.  Help me Father, to produce Good Fruits for You.  Protect our orchard from the bugs and help our fruit to be a sweetness to You.  In Jesus Name Amen

Posted in Secrets of the Vine

Chapter 1 Stories from the Vineyard

I do not know why this book isn't becoming part of me but I am having such a hard time with it.  Mind you, not because it is difficult or because the chapters are long or too deep but I think, because I am left not understanding the authors definition.  I have my own thoughts and I am just waiting to see if they line up and making sure that I didn't interpret the Bible wrongly.  Maybe the rest of the book will explain but I am left a bit bewildered almost like there is no meat.  I have read and re-read the first 3 chapters and always walk away thinking, "Well, are you going to explain yourself?". 

This first chapter felt a little like sand in your swimsuit because while the author paints a very lovely picture of our Saviour walking through a vineyard telling the disciples His "deathbed conversation", I didn't see it like that and the Bible doesn't really say it happened like that.  I always felt that His "deathbed conversation" was on the cross.  Yes, they got up from the Passover meal, they walked through the Kindron Valley but I have a problem with assuming that Jesus stopped and gave a Bible lesson in the middle of the vineyard.  Okay - I will go with it as it could have happened and I will try to gleem from the chapter what the author is really saying which is:

"...God wants from me -- a fruitful harvest for Him."

What does that mean to me?  For me a fruitful harvest is to exhibit His love in all that I do and to follow His ways in thoughts, words and actions, and to raise my boys to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind".  Am I doing this?  I like ALL others struggle at times that is why I am so grateful for His grace and His mercy each and everyday.  And yes, I could bring a bigger and better harvest to the Lord.

Dearest Heavenly Father, the Vinedresser of my Life,

Thank you for desiring a fruitful harvest in my Life.  Thank you for the secret messages in your Book that make me ponder and pray.  Forgive me Lord for not liking your pruning and for not always exhibiting Your fruits.  Father, I ask that you help me to bear quality fruit:  a bigger and better harvest.  Help me not to be cynical of this book and help me to gleem Your desires from it.  In Jesus Name Amen

Posted in Secrets of the Vine

Secrets of the Vine by Bruce Wilkinson

It has taken me a while to post on this book because I thought it was the sequel to The Prayer of Jabez which I'm almost certain we own (and I haven’t read) but it has fallen into the black hole somewhere in our house and nobody can find it anywhere.  My dh assures me that I can read this book first and it will be okay .  However, after reading the first chapter of Secrets of the Vine, I really felt like I walked into the middle of someone’s conversation and I felt like I had to back up and take a closer look at John 15 before reading on.  So this post will be an overview:

 

John 15

Listen to KJV Audio

 

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 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.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 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.

5 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.

6 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.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.

23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

 

CONTEXT:  Jesus has just had the Passover Feast and washed His disciple’s feet.  Judas has left to betray Him and Peter is told of his denial (ch 13).  Jesus tells the disciples that He will be going away and promises a Helper will come but they do not understand (ch 14).  They leave to go to Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus goes to pray (ch 17).

 

In these verses, Jesus is teaching the disciples that He is the True Vine and that the world will hate them because of their love for Him.  Remain, abide and beareth are repeated commands to reassure His disciples. 

 

Online resources:

John MacArthur Sermon notes

 Abiding in Christ series from Grace to You

Meditations for a Month:  The True Vine by Rev. Andrew Murray 

Gospel Paralles