Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. It is quite a delightful
exercise for the awakened sons of God to peruse the scriptures
and find Christ on every page. He is that seed of the woman
which would bruise the head of Satan. He is that covering given
to Adam and Eve which hid their nakedness. He is that offering
made by Abel with which the Lord was pleased. He is that ark which
delivered Noah and his family from the destruction that enveloped
the world, demonstrating God's purpose to save the world and
its inhabitants. He is that bow which is set in
the clouds as a testimony to the grace and mercy of God, and
as a token of the everlasting covenant which brings salvation
to those for whom it is appointed. He is that promise given to Abraham
as the Lord called him out of darkness and into the light,
where he confessed that he was a stranger in the earth, yet
look for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Time, space, and human weakness would preclude us from delineating
every revelation of Christ which can be found in the Bible. Therefore
we turn our eyes to one of the most descriptive and delightful
names which he is pleased to call himself by as he walked
among the sons of men, teaching those to whom he had given ears
to hear, even as he teaches those in whom he works at the present
time. He said, I am the vine. We notice that he began the chapter
with an even more descriptive phrase saying, I am the true
vine, which is in contrast to every other imposter which would
seek out a following, teaching any other message than that which
fell from his lips and is designed to give him all glory. The vine
is the source of all life, which can be found in the branches
of the vine. Without the vine, the branches wither and die.
The branches have no power to remain attached to the vine,
but the vine maintains the branches. There are many branches which
wither and die and are cast off to be burned, even as there are
many who for a season appear to be true branches, but ultimately
fall away even as that seed which fell on the stony ground and
among the thorns. Natural Israel appeared to be
attached to the vine, but were manifested not to be such as
they went about to establish their own righteousness and rebelled
against the husbandman and the vine itself. They are like those
foolish virgins which had oil in their lamps, which burned
seemingly as bright as those of the wise virgins, but ultimately
went out because they had no oil in their vessel. For he is
not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision
which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew which is one
inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit
and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God.
And this is the record. that God hath given to us eternal
life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath
life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. So
the branches which he refers to as those which bring forth
fruit are the true sons of God. These branches are faithfully
tended to by the vinekeeper, who purges, that is, prunes and
trims them that they may bring forth more fruit. For whom the
Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endear chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons.
For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if ye be
without chastisement, whereof all are protectors, then are
ye bastards, and not sons. The sons of God have not yet
arrived and need constant care which he is pleased to supply.
Paul recognized this condition when he said, not as though I
had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow
after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended
of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself
to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which
are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus. The fruit which appears on the
branches is not produced by their ability or perseverance, but
rather because of His constant supply of those things needed
to produce fruit. For it is God which worketh in
you both the will and to do of His good pleasure. For we are
His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which
God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. But the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the
affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let
us also walk in the Spirit. Have we not seen these things
and their perfection in the life of Him who would have us to follow
His steps? Are you a branch which has been
grafted into the true vine? Apart from Him you shall surely
perish. For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.