27 April 2010 (Shleshi/Bikkurim)
Day #43, 5934 AM
Fruitful Branches
Bearing Fruit for Yahweh
Yesterday we looked at the connection between Yah'shua and the Messianic Community or Church, and between husbands and wives and saw that they directly paralleled one another. Indeed, the relationship of believers to Christ is always compared to a marriage relationship because marriage is the model and pattern for everything in the created universe.
In marriage the wife-branch is grafted into the husband-branch, and the husband-branch is grafted into the Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ)-Vine. When a husband-branch is properly grafted into the Messiah-Vine, and a wife-branch into her husband-branch, the Messianic sap flows through the husband to the wife causing the wife to produce branches of her own which are her children. She brings glory to her husband in raising godly offspring who bear fruits, thereby causing her husband to bring glory to Messiah who in turn brings glory to Yahweh:
"Your mother was like a vine in your bloodline, planted by the waters, fruitful and full of branches because of many waters. She had strong branches for scepters of rulers. She towered in stature above the thick branches, and was seen in her height amid the dense foliage" (Ezek.19:10-11, NKJV).
By this means a wife crowns her husband (Prov.12:4) who may then cast his crown before the throne of Yahweh, thereby giving Him glory:
"Whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 'You are worthy, O Yahweh, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created'" (Rev.4:9-11, NKJV).
Those crowns represent the fruits of both singles but especially married persons. In these two verses the whole purpose of marriage is summarised. These days there is a great deal of focus in the churches on bearing visible fruit but it is usually done for selfish satisfaction and not for the right reasons. The attitude, which so much reflects the secular culture, is: "Look at me! I'm bearing fruit! I feel so good!" This attitude is humanism because it's attention is on self. The purpose of bearing fruit is for YAH'SHUA'S ENJOYMENT AND PURPOSES, NOT OUR OWN! And we are not supposed to be advertising it as a gimmick to get personal recognition or to advertise our congregations. A wife bears fruit for her husband's pleasure, and a husband bears his own fruit and receives his wife's to present them all to Yah'shua for His glory.
The wanting to be seen, recognised and feel good attitude is immature and perverse because it is centred on self and the flesh. We are not here to make a name for ourselves but to make a name for Yah'shua. We may never see the fruits we produce, but He does, and that is what gives Him pleasure. And when He presents these fruits back to our Heavenly Father and He sees them, it brings Him pleasure and satisfaction!
Every branch is called to bring fruit. When children grow up and marry, leaving home, they become regrafted - the boys (who become young men) directly into Yah'shua and the girls (who become young women) into their new husbands, thus continuing the pattern. Yah'shua said:
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples" (John 15:1-8, NKJV).
What are these fruits? They are many types and many different levels of understanding. The person who bears fruit is the one who is grafted into Yah'shua or into her husband who is in Yah'shua. The sap that comes from the Vine is what provides the nutrients for fruitfulness, and those nutrients may be said to be the mix that brings eternal life. It is resurrection power. This power creates within the one who is grafted in the moral and ethical virtues of the one who truly belongs to Messiah. There are 12 of these fruits that are carried by the Tree of Life (Rev.22:1-2) with a different fruit coming to maturity every month. This means there is a different anointing every Rosh Chodesh.
But these are not the only fruits. We bring fruits in raising a godly offspring and in bringing souls to Messiah so that those who were once lost can be grafted in and produce their own fruits, thus bringing glory to Yahweh. Evangelism is for this purpose. We bring forth fruits in the Messianic Community or Body of Christ by exercising our gifts and talents in strengthening the Body as prophets, apostles, pastors, teachers, and so on, bringing words of encouragement, loving people and buidling up the temple of saved souls for Yahweh's glory. Everyone has a unique calling and set of talents so each saved soul brings forth utterly unique fruits even though they resemble the fruits of all other saved souls, because they bear the mark of the Redeemer on them. They are recognisable as coming from the same orchard! They have the same label on them - Made in Heaven!
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