2022-05-13
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Please read JN 15: 1-17, if you are not immediately familiar with this passage. We are looking at some questions that will help us all have a better understanding of this very- important passage. 1) Who is the Vinedresser? Why does the Vinedresser (Gardener) prune branches in this metaphor? (The Vinedresser is God [Triune Being: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit]. If a bush or fruit-bearing plant isn’t pruned, too many fruits form from its blossoms, and none grow to be hearty. Sufficient nutrients and water can’t get to any one expanded ovary for it to grow large enough to be useful to the Vinedresser; too little space on the branch is available. 2) How does a branch bear good fruit? (The fruit must remain attached to the branch to receive water and nutrients; just the same, a believer must remain in active contact with the Holy Spirit to receive God’s commands; to experience God’s love, wisdom and know His will.
3) Read RU 1:11-18. After Orpha [Ruth’s sister-in-law] left, how did Ruth respond to Naomi telling her to return to the Moabites [her original people]? (Ruth wanted to remain with Naomi [her mother-in-law, because she believed in the one and only God; she didn’t want to be detached from Him, and she loved Naomi/God very much; she wanted to live; Ruth knew how she would worship and rejected belief in many gods. The Greek word for “remain” is “meno;” which is “abide with, dwell, or live with”. This means “your people will be my people.” 4) What vows did Ruth make to Naomi? (“Where you go, I will go; where you stay, I will stay; your people will be my people and your God will be my God; where you die I will die and there I will be buried; may the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separated you and me”).
5) How does GA 2: 20 apply to you? (GA 2: 20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” [I encourage you/readers to consider your testimony; mine: He chose me first [JN 15: 16] but I didn’t recognize it till I was age 25-I didn’t know my future, but the Holy Spirit led me to proclaim Christ’s deity and want to obey Him faithfully; He then called me to His service. Christ gave His life on the cross obediently following the Father’s will, so that we could be saved, our sins forgiven eternally, and be justified).
6) Read 1 K 18: 9-46 and JN 15: 4-5. Show how the story of the prophet Elijah demonstrates the principle taught in JN 15: 4-5. (Obediah, Elijah’s servant, had saved 100 prophets of God in a cave prior to this demonstration. Elijah, with the help of his servant, Obediah, demonstrated his faith in God, even though he might not have known ahead what would happen. He instructed Obediah to help him assemble the prophets of Baal and those of God on Mt. Carmel. That is when he demonstrated flames of the Holy Spirit could be called down to earth. However, nothing the prophets of Baal said or did evoked a divine response even with the sacrifice of a bull,. By answering Elijah’s prayer, God demonstrated our Jehovah alone is the real God.
7) Read 1 K 19: 1-5, 10, 13-21; 2 K 2: 11. Why was Elijah afraid of Jezebel? What three things did the Lord tell Elijah to do? How did Elijah’s experience demonstrate the principles of JN 15: 4-5? (Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah? Elijah was commanded to anoint Hazael king over Aram (15), Jehu, son of Nimshi king over Israel (16), and anoint Elisha, son Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed him as prophet (16). God translated [took Elijah up to heaven without making him go through physical death-2 K 2: 11]; God not only keeps His promises, but He also restores the faithfully obedient [the branches that remain obedient to His commands]).
8) Read 1 K 17: 1-6 and JN 15: 4-5. Describe the drought that God would bring to Kerith and what was His initial (yet unstated) reason for ordering Elijah to go there? What actions did God take to protect Elijah? How does this story reflect the principles of JN 15: 4-5? (God wanted to test Elijah’s faithful obedience; God commanded Elijah to go to Kerith and told him there would be no rain for 2 years. Elijah was instructed to drink from the Kerith brook and He would receive food from the ravens. [They brought the prophet meat and bread twice a day]. Elijah obeyed God and trusted Him; He didn’t try to fend off God’s lordship over his life and recommissioned Elijah’s ministry during the last years of Elijah’s earthly life).
PRAYER: O Lord, we come to Your throne in reverence and awe. That is because You deserve nothing less from us. You have repeatedly demonstrated Your love and desire that through our faithful obedience, granting us inner joy and peace. You have made the ultimate sacrifice, which is to command Your Son, Jesus to go to the cross for us. Restoration comes in many ways depending on the circumstances of our lives. You allow trouble to come our way so that we can mature spiritually by learning to rely on You. 1 COR 10: 13 tells us that You never allow so much trouble that our spirits are broken, and we lose our resolve. You always give those who love You a way out through the Lord Jesus. We offer You our love, devotion, honor, willingness to obey, praise and thanks in His holy/mighty name. Amen
NEXT WEEK: I’ve been commanded by the Holy Spirit to write even more about Elijah’s amazing relationship with God. God repeatedly tested this prophet’s faith and it is no surprise that He was willing to honor Elijah from the latter’s response. Traditional Jews celebrate Passover with a ritual meal, a seder, leaving one place set at the table with only a wineglass with so-far unused silverware, napkin, and plate. That place is for the coming of Elijah, but according to their belief, Elijah won’t come before earthbound humans have brought peace on earth. Then, this prophet will announce the coming of the Messiah. They have no idea of His identity. Messianic Jews, like myself, already know that the Messiah is Jesus Christ, but we don’t know when He will come [MT 24: 36]. In my heart, I know that it is He Who is the Prince of Peace [IS 9: 6]. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn, JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2022. All Rights Reserved.
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