MY MOTORCYCLE RIDE TO THE VINEYARD...

"PLANT... PRODUCE... & PRESS!!"

by Rev. Maria Calaway

On the one year mark from my miracle, which occurred on May 18th of 2012, I wanted to spend the day in reflection of the great things the Lord had done in my life. Like Jeremiah, when instructed to go down to the potter's house, the Lord told me to "arise and go" down to the vineyard. So I took a long motorcycle ride to Howie-in-the-Hills and went to visit a vineyard. There the Lord spoke to me, and I'll share a few things I learned.

When the vinedresser gets ready to plant a vineyard the first thing he does before anything else is establish where the vineyard will be planted. Once that is determined, he prepares an irrigation system to ensure that the vineyard gets adequate water. Once the fruit grows, it is harvested in due season. To receive the product from the fruit, the fruit gets pressed, then it is allowed to settle so that the sediments can be removed before it can be used.

This is the spiritual application the Lord gave me...

In John 15: 5-8 ERV, Jesus says, “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I to you, you will produce plenty of fruit. But separated from me you won’t be able to do anything. If you don’t stay joined to me, you will be like a branch that has been thrown out and has dried up. All the dead branches like that are gathered up, thrown into the fire and burned. Stay joined together with me, and follow my teachings. If you do this, you can ask for anything you want, and it will be given to you. Show that you are my followers by producing much fruit. This will bring honor to my Father."

Father God is the Vinedresser, He is charge of the planting, the water supply and the pruning. Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches. We must get connected to Jesus and stay in relationship with Him because we draw our life from Him! God then establishes where we will be planted, which is the place where He wants us to get rooted, so that we can grow.

Step #1: Get PLANTED...

Beloved, the first, and most crucial step, after you get saved is to find where the Lord wants you to be PLANTED. We must find the local church that He wants us to get connected to so that we can grow and prosper. Pray that the Holy Spirit would guide you to that place and most importantly that person who will help guide you to your purpose. Just like a plant cannot keep getting uprooted and replanted every week, we cannot keep "church-hopping" and expect to grow! Believers that are constantly roaming from church to church concern me because it indicates that they are unstable. Find the Pastor that God wants you connected to, your man or woman of destiny, so that you can grow! There must be a continual irrigation source, a fresh flow of water, for you to grow. The water in our lives is the Word of God. The church where you are planted should supply you with a continual source of fresh water. You should be getting fed a relevant Word of God that can supply your need and provide answers to your problems. If you are going from church to church you will not grow because the water supply will not be adequate and will not provide the nourishment you need. If you are in a church that leaves you feeling dry, empty, lacking, and wanting more... you are in the WRONG place. There are many people that have been in "their church" for many years, and yet they are thirsty and starving. Remember God is the Vinedresser, ask Him to direct you to your vineyard!

Step #2: PRODUCE fruit...

The next crucial step is to PRODUCE fruit, and that fruit represents growth! What good is a vineyard if it does not produce grapes?! Likewise, what good is salvation without producing change? At Lifeline we like to say... "Salvation is not just a Sunday experience, it is a way of life!" As the fruit begins to grow, God does the pruning, cutting back where the need arises, helping us to produce even more fruit. Then... harvest-time!! The great news is that if you missed your season, harvest time comes back around again!!! Don't be discouraged, maybe you just needed a little more pruning!

Step #3: PRESS in...

Planting and producing is always followed by pressing. After you get planted in a church or local assembly, and you begin to produce fruit as indicated by a changed in life, your fruit gets pressed! Have you ever felt like you were between a rock and a hard place? That's the PRESS! We get pressed by life's difficult situations and circumstances. It is necessary for the grapes to get pressed so that the product of the fruit can be used. Then, the juice is allowed to settle so that the "lees" or sediments can be removed. After the press, we must get settled down so that the sediments can be removed. The sediments are those nasty attitudes, impatience, and instability in our lives that can hinder us. What then remains are qualities that can help others like love, patience, long suffering, and self-control.

If you want to be used of God... STAY connected to Jesus, get PLANTED in a church where fresh water flows, PRODUCE fruit, don't get discouraged in the PRESS, and allow the Holy Spirit to skim off the sediments!! Then, you can be mightily used by God!!!

See you on the road...