Thursday: Staying Attached 4

"If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away."

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. It is a beautiful crisp morning here at the Southern Location of the North Pole, and it is family day on the line. So please pray today for families and remember to pray for the Family of God. Pray also for your church family and, Christians, we also need to be praying for our work families. Yes, we need to pray for personal families of course, and let's pray for your family and mine today and also remember to pray for our president and his family. Please keep praying for Toby who came through surgery yesterday and we just need to cover this little K-9 as he recovers.

Dolores and I hit the road yesterday as Santa and Mrs. Claus at Allenberry Playhouse. We felt right at home as this is our 12th season. Dolores went to the piano and I went to singing those great Christmas Carols. Yes, we get to witness to the folks that come. The play this year is called "Saving Santa". My statement to those in the dining rooms yesterday was "this Santa was already saved!" And yes, it drew applause and not for me, but because I am saved and the people knew exactly what I meant. God is good, and we need to keep working for Him till all have received the good news.

Staying Attached 4: John 15:6 - "If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." (NIV)

When I was a child (yes, when the streets were still dirt), I can remember the smell of burning branches and leaves around our house in the fall. Most often this would be on a Saturday when people were home from work. Leaves were raked, and folks, let me remind you that those leaves which are dry were not long before nice and green but they became detached from the vine and once detached they withered and died. Also dead limbs were pulled and other bad branches were trimmed from the trees. Bushes were cut back and all were put into piles and burnt. Most often now we cannot burn those things at home and we should compost our leaves, and the branches that are put into the trash go to the incinerators and burnt.

Now why does Jesus tell this about the branches in the Bible and how they were gathered and burnt? I truly believe that what Jesus is telling us here, and remember He told us and I used that scripture yesterday, and here it is again... John 15:6 - "I am the vine; you are the branches." (NIV) I believe that He is just telling us that if we do not remain in Him, if we wither and die because we have become detached from Him, we will be tossed in the fire.., in the lake of fire. Let me spell it out... we will be SENT TO HELL AND BURNED. Can I be any clearer than that, my dear brothers and sisters? I have never been known for soft soaping what I write. My Bible footnotes soften it up a tad, it states this. "These branches probably do not represent true believers". Wow, how brilliant, no it surely does not represent a true believer, for if we remain in Christ and of course then He in us, we will be still attached to the vine, to Jesus. We will not be the dead branch put in the fire, we will be the beautiful branch that is bearing fruit and then getting into Heaven. Yes, heaven is our reward for repenting of sin and staying attached to Jesus... going to hell is the reward for not being attached to Jesus. BROTHERS AND SISTERS... are you attached to the vine today, or are you a dead branch laying at the bottom of a tree? Folks, one thing you need to know, God is a great and wonderful doctor and if you are one of those dead or dying branches laying on the ground, have faith, fall in love with Jesus and ask Him into your life and heart. Yes, this wonderful Savior of ours will attach you or reattach you back to The Vine and you again can bear fruit. You see, that is one big difference between a tree and we. How about it, let's take time right now and go to Jesus, let's clean up our acts right now and REPENT FROM SIN and walk with Jesus. Are you walking daily by Jesus side? Are you washed in the Blood of The Lamb? Let's get a wash job now. Come on, this is an "I" prayer, not a "we" prayer.

Dear Father in Heaven, please, please forgive me of my sins, wash me white with the blood of The Lamb, our Lord Jesus, attach us to the vine so we might bear fruit, the fruit that Jesus wants us to bear. Lord, in the name of Jesus, SAVE ME. Lord, Clean me, and Lord, help me help others to Your feet. Lord, thanks for watching over those on our prayer list and thanks for healing also our pets. Lord, be with families today, be with the families on this line, be with the families that Carry The Light will be helping and be with the families that are helping with that mission. Lord, use us... In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Now go forth and share those blessings, helping others and repenting from sins. Do not be a dead branch and be tossed into the fire... Be alive and alive in Jesus, Amen... love ya, dan.

Carry The Light Ministries
16 Dewalt Drive
Mechanicsburg, Pa. 17050