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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781504927086 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 10/21/2015 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 104 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
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The Vine is Mine
The Unripe Grape
By Frances Irene
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2015 Frances IreneAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5049-2709-3
CHAPTER 1
THE UNRIPE GRAPE
Seasoning is the flavoring of time. It is the time when character is developed, values are reclassified, and visions are imposed and exposed. There are three basic cultivating segments of the time frame of cycles: We are born. We live. We die (the physical death). There is no escape. These are the facts of life. No matter who we think we are, all of us have a birth date, the day God breathed into us the breath of life and we became a living soul full of "His image and likeness." All of us have a destiny date. When the final light goes out and the picture frame is empty, the privilege to survive is no longer ours to cherish; we fall asleep. Our season in this life is over.
Seasons are the in-between time of life and death. At best, life offers us happy times or sad times, weeping times or rejoicing times, painful times and growing times. None of these moments will last forever. Seasons come and seasons go. They are in complete harmony with time in transition, transaction, and transformation. However, they do bring forth their own accomplishments in God's appointed time. Time has a wavering control over the seasons, but God is indefinite. He controls both time and seasons, because God is always on time. Our journey in life is the reason for the season: "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
My season, the call, is not as spectacular as the burning bush. I did not hear a voice from heaven saying, "take off your shoes, this is holy ground." I have had my share of problems, misplacement of character, unfair implementation, yet they have not been as dramatic as Jacob's ladder. I saw no extended ladder or angels ascending to and descending from heaven. I am not like Abram; God has not instructed me to leave my home to search for a promised land. From age six, I have always heard a voice from within telling me, "Yes, go ahead it is yours." And there has been an assurance that everything is going to be all right. Many times my struggles have been unbearable — so intensified it seemed as if God's voice was silent. Other times the voice has said, "Wait." This has resulted in the most difficult of times, but also the most rewarding experiences of my life. It was during these difficult moments that my spirit has awakened to what God is speaking, and He says, "Hold on a little while longer." Out of the flames comes pure gold. Out of struggle comes a stronger faith. Each time God brings me through, I want to exalt Him and give Him more praise, power, and glory.
Is my calling sure? My strongest desire in life is to win souls for Jesus Christ, especially those of babies and young people. I have been through many trials, temptations, and snares. I have been confused to the point that I did not know myself, and believe me, I was not crazy either. I have been blinded with discouragement, knocked down with disappointment, trampled over with despair.
My family and close friends were not aware of my drama; they never even suspected my experiences. I had fallen, and I could not move. This spiritual warfare I could not share. It was a wilderness experience I had to go through. What do you do when life becomes intensified and unbearable and God's voice seems silent? Hold on just a little longer — God is at work. Pray continuously that your heart fails Him not.
Why the heart, Lord? It is the center of traumatic emotions. Within the heart is the realization and revelation of the true self. The heart agitates, filters, and eliminates wrong thinking for rightful living. The heart commands and demands our actions and reactions to be drawn to obedience. Question: Lord, when will you come to me? Answer: When you behave yourself wisely! When you talk and walk in your house (your body) in my word with a heart that seeks to do my perfect will every day.
My calling is simple: I have a strong desire to love God and Jesus Christ and to do His holy will. My earnest fervent prayer is, "Lord, tell me your will for my life. Give me the courage and strength to do your perfect will."
From the time I was six years old until now is a span of a lifetime. The season is about to change. Now I can tell the world that God is real, and Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior without a doubt! Lord, I am your open vessel! Lord, sanctify me so that I can glorify you! A calling is not seasonal; therefore, one has to be seasoned for the calling. Here I am, Lord, season me for your glory! "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me" (Isaiah 43:10).
CHAPTER 2GETTING TO KNOW GOD
Belief is the absolute acceptance of that which exists — the very essence of admitting that those things imagined are real. It is the innate ability to agree according to one's free will. Belief is taken for granted. It yields to face value. It is based on the acceptance of one's word without doubt, fear, question, or compromise. I believe that God created the heavens and the earth. I was not an eyewitness of the dramatic forces of God's Holy Spirit in dynamic actions as He moved to create His marvelous works. I have read about it in the Bible. I accept it as the foundation of my being. I believe everything God said in His word. The acceptance of the creation is the basis for all truths: "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).
I believe God was, because I believe God is. I believe God still is, because I am! Life in its simplest form points to His greatness. My existence is evidence of a greater existence. He is still the great "I Am"!
Belief is an unwavering experience out of touch with reality, and yet it is as real as reasoning. It goes beyond self-indulgence and eyewitness: I don't know, I don't need to know, there is no need to persuade. As long as I have a choice, I choose to believe in God.
The perceptions of believing are incredible. The innocent belief displays come from the power within us. There is an unlimited source of strength and joyful surprises when you believe in God's wonderful word. The unknown is exciting, as new, immeasurable mercies unfold moment by moment. What is so very incredible about belief is the dynamics of its rewards. Believing is stress free and brings satisfaction without effort. Believe "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26) and it shall be.
Belief is powerful! It comes from the heart, not the mind. From the surface it seems weak, because it can be blocked. Once belief pierces the heart, it gains strength to encourage. The greatest extension of belief is the ability to develop courage. When others see a strong belief in God, it is overpowering. It will reverse any hopeless situation, and it will start an avalanche of potential events. The impossible becomes possible, hopeless changes to hopeful, and the negative is exchanged for the positive. Belief imparts power when it tells the mind what the heart needs to know, because it signifies that everything is going to be all right.
We cannot remain in one level of belief for a lifetime. We cannot stay there, because life is a continuous process. As much as belief is a comfortable zone, we must grow from one stage to another. Steadfast belief teaches us how to grow without fear, doubt, or anxiety, and it advances us to a higher level.
Faith gains conviction and victory. It is upon the confession of faith that we live daily. We never know what trials will demonstrate our extended faith. Only through faith can we come forth as pure as gold. Our beliefs will not do it; neither will our trust. Why not? Because each is dependent upon the other. Faith means that I, and I alone, am standing on the promises of God. Faith is where belief and trust merge to fulfill the hope of glory in Jesus Christ.
So very often, I have heard and have said, "All I had to depend on was Jesus! Jesus was all I had left!" What a terrible misconception to put limitations on God. If we think about it, Jesus is the total sum of all we will ever need. He is the source of all of our strength. He is the fourth man in the fiery furnace. He is the foundation of faith. He has never been a last-minute expectation. He has always been in the mix. He has always been on time and in time. Thank you, Lord, you never left me alone in the midnight crises of life. You promised that you would never leave me alone. Thank you, Jesus. You have kept your promise. Faith has taught me that you always keep your promises ... for you told me in your word and a dream that, "Lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). Thank you, precious savior. You did not let me go.
Faith is the step-up process of expectations, the most sensitive dimension in life and its outcome. Without faith, life becomes tired and weary. With faith, life is more energized by our memory of prior knowledge and innate ability of what God can do and what God will do! Is there anything too hard for God? With faith, life can be approached in a more practical way. There is nothing too hard for God! New beginnings open doors to the world where greater expectations of life can be fulfilled by God.
CHAPTER 3THIRST
Thirst is the craving for water. When you crave water, nothing else will do. Nothing will satisfy your thirst like a cool drink of water. We need natural water to survive. Natural water satisfies the body, but it cannot fill up the soul.
In the beginning, God blew into man the breath of life, and man became a living soul with a spiritual birth. The natural water flows into the supernatural and overflows the soul. Jesus is the supernatural water. He fills the void to its capacity and opens the floodgates with an abundant life.
Look at the woman at the well. She was naturally thirsty for the supernatural water, but she did not know it. She was also an empty vessel, but she did not know it. She had heard of Jesus, but did not know Him. Her plan was normal. She planned to fill her pot with natural water and go back home to the same messed-up lifestyle. But the day she met Jesus, her life changed drastically. Her thirst was over! She had to drop whatever was holding her back! She had to run! She had to shout! She had to tell others! The supernatural water compels the overflow; it causes a flood to burst loose in your spirit. You cannot keep it to yourself!
Have you ever experienced a time in your life when everything you touched became brittle and crumbled? You searched and searched for someone or something, and you reached out, and nothing was there. Let's face it. You were in a drought! Nothing was going to satisfy you except the supernatural water. When you drink the supernatural water from Jesus, the thirst is over! This is where I was when I slipped and fell.
The slip came before the fall. When you are confronted with a slip, you lose your balance, and you are totally out of control. The situation is not only helpless; it is hopeless.
The barriers are broken; desire diminishes; strength converts into shock; and before you know it, you are in a state of nothing. These chains of events happened to me without a trace of my awareness. Had I known the danger — if only I could have seen it coming — I would have done everything in my power to prevent this tragic mishap. Once in a slip, there is no way out, not even a chance for change. There is no turning back. The slip will not let you go! You must go with the flow. You are in your season!
We have all slipped at one time or another. Slipping is easy. We have been cautioned: "Watch out for that banana peel." "Don't step on a wet or greasy floor." Some of us have been warned about slippery, tricky relationships. We have been told the best way to maintain a habit is not to slip back into it. If I eat one potato chip, you better believe a whole bag will be gone in no time fl at. The cause is easy, but the effects of its consequences are complicated. Here I was, flat on the floor, looking upward as I heard someone calling to me, "Don't move! Don't move! You have slipped on a grape!"
I cannot tell you why things happened to me on that Sunday afternoon without sharing the before and after events. Two hours before my fall, I was safe in my mother-in-law's house taking Holy Communion. She was homebound. The outreach ministry of the church had appointed two deacons to administer Holy Communion to the sick and shut-ins. The worship was beautiful! The deacons served the bread (Jesus Christ's Body) and the wine (Jesus Christ's Blood) with a prayer of thanksgiving. After the Holy Meal, we sang a hymn. It was an exquisite, delightful worship.
I should not have gone shopping on a Sunday. I should have remembered the Fourth Commandment: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8). As a Sunday school teacher for forty years, I should not only have known it, I should have lived it. I was determined to cook my mother-in-law a home-cooked meal, because all she had been eating were take-out meals. After all, wasn't that the reason for my 420-mile trip? Wasn't that my mission? Guilty. I needed God's mercy and forgiveness.
My mother-in-law, whom I affectionately call Mom, had been glad to see me. She told me to scrape up whatever was in the refrigerator, but I was determined to cook her a home-cooked meal. She also told me not to go to the store. I should have remembered that God is a Holy God, twenty-four/seven, and his words are everlasting truths that travel within us wherever we go. Instead of listening to her God-given wisdom, I left the house in a cab only to find myself in the grocery store, fl at on my back on the floor.
Inadvertently, I had slipped into something. I could not get out without change. One moment I was walking upright headed in the right direction, but apparently I went the wrong way. Countless times I have asked myself why. Without a warning, I slipped on something as insignificant as a grape, which stopped me and changed my whole life.
A fall can be dangerous to the body, mind, and soul. The slip determines the extent of the fall. When you slip, you spin into a state of numbness. You could keep on slipping, if your body does not give way to a stronger source. Sin works that way, too. Through disobedience, Adam and Eve slipped into sin. One day they had fellowship with God, and within countless time, they slipped into something they could not get out of.
It is a fact the slip comes before the fall. A slip can take you into a place you do not want to be. The dilemma entraps the situation and it is over- powering. You have fallen and you can't move. The painful truth is that you keep on falling deeper and deeper, if there is no exchange to hold you up. Our daily prayer should always be, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13).
A slip has a strong hold; it pulls you down to the bottom. You can't go any further, because you have already arrived. It is the crushing point of the designation. The word if becomes an extension of blame: if I had (had not) done this, that would not have happened. The crushing point is where accountability tells you that perhaps you might or might not have been responsible for past experiences. The breaking point is the realization that it is your life, and it is your turn to be responsible for the outcome of future situations. Get over it and strive higher for bigger and better things in Jesus's name. You cannot do it alone.
Accessibility clearly states: whatever the fall, you cannot stay in this boundless condition. You must rise! The question is, how does one rise when one is lying in a pool of numbness (sin)? The outcome of the rise depends greatly on the acceptance of the fall. A slip has one aim, and that is to land you anywhere you fall. It determines the extent of the fall. How you rise depends greatly on your outlook of the inner self — your faith in God.
God is a Holy God. You must come to Him confessing from the heart. Word of mouth cannot always be trusted. When you are crushed, shattered, almost destroyed, the heart feels the piercing, unforgettable pain. Confession is where the slip meets the fall. Words from the heart cry out, "Lord, forgive me."
Secondly, the slip encounters a head-on collision with truth. God is a righteous and merciful God. He even gives sinners rights. If you are in a sinful stage of life, don't forget your rights. You have the right to believe and confess as well as to expect and accept forgiveness. You have the right to reject these rights, because God gave you the right of free will. Remember, God has the final right to grant salvation. To request a place in His Kingdom, you must cry out the name of Jesus! Jesus Christ will hear your cry and redeem you from all your sins. Lord, forgive me! Lord, save me! It is done!
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Vine is Mine by Frances Irene. Copyright © 2015 Frances Irene. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
The Unripe Grape, 1,Getting To Know God, 7,
Thirst, 15,
Footprints of Forgiveness, 33,
Between the Vine, 51,
A Day to Remember, 61,
An Untitled Song, 69,
Released, 77,
A Letter from My Heart to All the Children of the World, 87,
Stepping Out, 91,