Date:
Saturday,
May 16, 2015
Chapters: 2 Chronicles 34-36
Message Title: Purged To Be Fruitful
Hello My Friend,
For a plant or tree to produce much fruit it needs to be purged, the word purge means to remove the impurities from the vine so that it can produce. A plant can be alive, but it will not or does not produce much fruit unless it has been purged. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour we become a branch on His vine, we are purged, the impurities of sin that defiled our bodies get removed as we grow closer to Him. Once you receive Christ you abide in the Vine forever, since we are attached to Him we can expect Him to do some purging to us. When we allow Christ to purge us we will become fruitful, but He cannot do it on His own, we must do our part if we want to produce much fruit.
“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. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 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. 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. 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. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” - John 15:2-7.
For over sixty years God was no where to be seen in Jerusalem, at least that is what many of God's faithful probably thought as they grew up not even being able to worship God in the temple. However, all that was about the change when Josiah became king, not only did he purge Jerusalem and all of Israel, he purged other nations as well that had an ungodly impact on.
“For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.” - 2 Chronicles 34:3-7,33.
Jesus is returning and when He does every person born will stand before Him in judgment, the fact that we who are saved will not be cast into the lake of fire does not give us the right to serve God on our own terms. Christians are not perfect, we cannot be sinless, but we can learn and grow as we allow Christ to purge the things we know are sin from our lives. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” - 1 Corinthians 6:19,20.
Once Josiah died it did not take long for Jerusalem and all of Judah to be destroyed. This time there was no room for repentance, God left Israel to it's ruin, some escaped, but most were carried off as slaves to Babylon, for seventy years the Jews were under the control of Babylon.
“Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD. And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel. But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.” - 2 Chronicles 36:11-13,16-18.
God gives people ample time to repent, meaning to seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. However, there comes a time when it's too late to repent, once a person dies and they see Jesus face to face it's over for them if they have not accepted Him, they will be in hell. “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” - 2 Peter 4,9.
Today's Prayer: God, Forgive me for seeking other means to help me become fruitful instead of just being patient for You to work in me and bring forth much fruit. I long to serve You wholeheartedly and in Your will, I know that it takes time, obedience, prayer, and studying Your Word that prunes me and shapes into the likeness of Your Son. Give me Your power, wisdom and guidance as I become a hearer and a doer of Your Word. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Chapters: 2 Chronicles 34-36
Message Title: Purged To Be Fruitful
Hello My Friend,
For a plant or tree to produce much fruit it needs to be purged, the word purge means to remove the impurities from the vine so that it can produce. A plant can be alive, but it will not or does not produce much fruit unless it has been purged. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour we become a branch on His vine, we are purged, the impurities of sin that defiled our bodies get removed as we grow closer to Him. Once you receive Christ you abide in the Vine forever, since we are attached to Him we can expect Him to do some purging to us. When we allow Christ to purge us we will become fruitful, but He cannot do it on His own, we must do our part if we want to produce much fruit.
“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. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 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. 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. 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. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” - John 15:2-7.
For over sixty years God was no where to be seen in Jerusalem, at least that is what many of God's faithful probably thought as they grew up not even being able to worship God in the temple. However, all that was about the change when Josiah became king, not only did he purge Jerusalem and all of Israel, he purged other nations as well that had an ungodly impact on.
“For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.” - 2 Chronicles 34:3-7,33.
Jesus is returning and when He does every person born will stand before Him in judgment, the fact that we who are saved will not be cast into the lake of fire does not give us the right to serve God on our own terms. Christians are not perfect, we cannot be sinless, but we can learn and grow as we allow Christ to purge the things we know are sin from our lives. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” - 1 Corinthians 6:19,20.
Once Josiah died it did not take long for Jerusalem and all of Judah to be destroyed. This time there was no room for repentance, God left Israel to it's ruin, some escaped, but most were carried off as slaves to Babylon, for seventy years the Jews were under the control of Babylon.
“Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD. And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel. But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon.” - 2 Chronicles 36:11-13,16-18.
God gives people ample time to repent, meaning to seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. However, there comes a time when it's too late to repent, once a person dies and they see Jesus face to face it's over for them if they have not accepted Him, they will be in hell. “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” - 2 Peter 4,9.
Today's Prayer: God, Forgive me for seeking other means to help me become fruitful instead of just being patient for You to work in me and bring forth much fruit. I long to serve You wholeheartedly and in Your will, I know that it takes time, obedience, prayer, and studying Your Word that prunes me and shapes into the likeness of Your Son. Give me Your power, wisdom and guidance as I become a hearer and a doer of Your Word. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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