Our
congregation, The Vineyard of Yahweh,
meets at a Vineyard, The Corey Ippolito
Winery. When Yahweh called us to
start having Shabbat services we were meeting in our home and we quickly
outgrew the space. Kevin and Nancy
Corey, who own the Corey Ippolito Winery, had been our friends for several
years. The first time they came to our
home for services Kevin looked at how cramped we were and offered to open up
their home as a place for us to meet. They have a beautiful, spacious home, which they
use to operate as a bed and breakfast. In April 2011 we held our first service at The Vineyard and we knew it Yahweh’s
will that we worship there.
One day
after Passover 2011, Kevin told me that God would begin to teach me about The Kingdom through the way the vines
grow and how they are pruned and harvested.
He was right. I have learned many
things about how The Kingdom operates and I can better understand Yeshua’s
teachings when He refers to; the vines, pruning, the vineyard owner, and the
harvest. There are also many references
in the Old Testament to the House of Israel being a vineyard.
We live in
east Tennessee and this winter was very mild compared to winters of the past several
years. In the first week of February,
the Corey’s made a statement that spoke to me about our life in Messiah. The statement was;
“Without a hard cold winter we won’t have a good
harvest. We need winter for a great harvest next fall. A great harvest means great wine.”
I didn’t
understand how cold weather and even snow on the ground could help produce a
great harvest of fruit. So I asked, “What
are you talking about, how can cold weather help produce a great harvest?”
They went on
to explain that when the cold weather arrives it causes the roots of the vines
to grow deep into the ground. All of the
energy of the vine is in the roots during the winter. There are no flowers, leaves, or fruit to
pull energy and nutrients from the root system.
The cold weather and snow will actually force the roots deeper into the
earth.
As they
explained this to me my Spirit was stirred and my mind began to think back
during hard “winter” seasons of my life.
It was during those times that my “roots” grew deeper in Him.
It was those times that produce the faith that I live by now, and those
seasons produced in me stability and confidence in Him.
We as
believers go through many seasons in life.
Some are great, warm, enjoyable times of pleasure, and fellowship. These seasons may be referred to as
summer. There are also times and seasons
of new growth which can be difficult but the budding flowers we see make those
times refreshing and exciting.
There will
also be seasons of pain, suffering, loneliness, and grief. These seasons are like winter for us. As it is in the natural so it should be in
the spiritual, it is His desire that during these winter seasons, the roots of
our faith grow and are strengthened. It
is during these seasons that our Father is forcing us to grow deeper in Him. He is preparing us for a great harvest of
fruit in our own life and in the lives of those He sends us to in the future. We will be His ambassador to comfort others. We will be His hands and feet.
2Cr 1:3-5
Blessed [be] the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who
comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort
those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves
are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our
consolation also abounds through Christ.
When you enter into the
autumn season,
let Him use your “winter” experience to help someone else.
1Pe 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for
a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of
greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be
proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is
revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do
not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and
glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of
your souls.
1Cr 2:9
But as it is written: Eye has not
seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which
God has prepared for those who love Him.
We must
remember, these hard times are only for a season. During these times He wants you to grow
deeper roots and stronger faith. Lean on
Him, draw nourishment from Him and you will find there is a friend that sticks
closer than a brother. (Prov 18:24)
Ecc 3:1-8
To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to
die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up [that which is] planted; A time to
kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time
to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to
cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and
a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to
keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to
keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time
of war, and a time of peace.
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