The modern world is self-centered. We are told to look out for Numero Uno (ourselves). We are exhorted to make our "needs" are met. "Self-help" and
"self-care" are major sections at the booksellers.
The Bible says we should be more concerned to please God than ourselves, by serving others before ourselves.
2 Corinthians 5:9 Therefore we make it our
aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
Colossians 1:10 that you may walk worthy of
the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
1 John 3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from
Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that
you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 14:17-18 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
Philippians 4:18 Indeed I have all and
abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
Hebrews 13:16,21 16
But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Now may the God of peace make you complete in every good work to do His will,
working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents
in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we have been
approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
Titus 2:9 Exhort bondservants to be obedient to
their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back,
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved unto God, a
worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Romans 16:10 Greet Apelles, approved in
Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus.
2 Corinthians 10:18 For not he who
commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.
Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men,
or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures
temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
2 Corinthians 13:7 Now I pray to God
that you do no evil, not that we should appearapproved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified.
Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by
which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which
is your reasonable service.
Proverbs 16:7 When a mans ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at
peace with him.
1 Thessalonians 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how
you ought to walk and to please God;
2 Timothy 2:4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a
soldier.
Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, and was not found, because God had taken him; for before he was
taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
John 8:29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.
2 Timothy 2:15 (CEV) Do your best to win God's approval as a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed and who teaches only the true
message.
Conclusion
It is the task of "the Church" (The Body of Christ) to "build." We build the Body of Christ into the Lord's House. We build the
earth into the Lord's Temple. We tear down the city of man and build the City of God. And when the New Jerusalem is complete, Christ the Master-Builder will get all the praise and
credit.
The Empires of the world will say this interferes with their agenda. It violates "the separation of church and State."
The Empires are correct.
This online celebration is sponsored by a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization called "Vine & Fig Tree."
Our offices were destroyed by a tornado a couple of years ago. We're requesting a $12 "cover charge" for this party. Your donation is tax-deductible. No donation is
required to participate in the "The 12 Days of Christmas."
If we get 100 people to donate $12, we'll be able to pay our bills this month.
Or mail your check to
"Vine & Fig Tree" P.O. Box 179 Powersite, MO 65731
The Program 12 Days Bringing to Mind The Most Significant Event in Human History
Each day you'll receive an audio for your morning commute to work, and another audio for your commute back home. The morning audio will look at Micah's Vine
& Fig Tree prophecy, and in the evening we'll show how that vision began to be fulfilled at Christmas two millennia ago.
Day 1 - Jesus is the culmination of thousands of years of meticulous genealogical records preserved by "the Chosen People," Israel.
Day 3 - Jesus will be given "the throne of his father David."
Luke 1:5-25 - John the Baptist prepares the way for the Messiah, as prophesied of
Elijah.
Luke 1:26-38 - The Angel Gabriel announces the conception of the Messiah:
"And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:33)
Luke 1:39-45 - the unborn John the Baptist leaps for joy when he encounters the
unborn Messiah. Planned Parenthood attempts to sell them both for body parts. (That last part is "not in the earliest manuscripts.")
Mary sings a song of praise composed of Old Testament quotations, saying that the real meaning of Christmas is good news for the poor and lowly,
and bad news for the rich and powerful:
50And His mercy is on them
that fear Him from generation to generation. 51He
hath shewed strength with His arm; He
hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52He
has put down the mighty from theirthrones, and exalted them of low degree. 53He
hath filled the hungry with good things; and
the rich he hath sent empty away.
71That we should be saved
from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 79To
give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the
way of peace.
Day 6 - Matthew 1:18-25 - the Incarnation is explained to Joseph
"Jesus" means "salvation" "Immanuel" means "God with us"
The Prophet Micah predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Jesus'
parents lived in Nazereth. Therefore God predestined Caesar to issue a decree (probably relating to taxes) that would bring
Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem before Jesus was born. Evil empires serve God's purposes.
An army of angels announces the birth of the Messiah to lowly shepherds, saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on
earth peace to those with whom He is pleased!
The most important family on earth could not afford the top-level offering required by the law of Moses. They took advantage of a provision for low-income families.
Day 10 -
Luke 2:25-35 - Simeon had been told he would not
die before he saw the Lord's Messiah. He says Jesus is "The One."
Luke 2:36-38 -
Anna the Prophetess is another well-known Godly person who acknowledges that Jesus is the Child promised by the prophets. (Christianity offered a view of women which was quite
unlike that of the Empire that occupied Israel at the time.)
Day 11 - Wise men worship Jesus
Matthew 2:1-8 - "Wise men from the East"
(Babylon, perhaps) knew of Micah's prophecy that the King of the Jews would be born in Bethlehem.
When Herod got word of the birth of a rival king, he behaved in a perfectly logical way (for someone who wants to protect his power): he
massacred all male babies the age of Jesus. Herod recognized that Jesus was a threat to Herod's power.
Each day along the way, we will compare these historical accounts of Christmas with Micah's Vine & Fig Tree prophecy
predicting:
The message of the angels to the shepherds on the first Christmas:
And this is the sign unto you: Ye shall find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. And suddenly there
was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And peace
on earth among men with whom He is well pleased. Luke
2:8-15
His lord said unto him, `Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over
many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.' Matthew 25:21
The Vine & Fig Tree Worldview
The phrase "Vine & Fig Tree" comes from the Old Testament Prophet Micah, the fourth chapter. You can find out
more about the Vine & Fig Tree Worldview on our home page:
During the next 12 days, you'll see the "real meaning" of Christmas in the Bible like you've never seen them before.
Many Christians today believe Jesus came to get us a ticket to heaven when we die. In the meantime, Satan rules the planet. Their story of the Bible goes like this:
God created planet earth;
God put man on earth to be a good steward, and transform the Garden of Eden into the City of God;
Satan tempted man;
Man rebelled against God, choosing to be his own god instead;
Satan now controls the world;
Jesus came to pay the penalty for this rebellion;
Things are going to get worse and worse;
Since Satan and man are not playing God's game by God's rules, God is soon going to take his cosmic football and go home.
In other words, Satan wins.
Pretty dismal story, isn't it?
Sure, God sent His Son, who died on the cross, so that some of the players can be forgiven for their rebellion and go home with God, but God's original purposes for man and the
creation were thwarted by Satan, the ultimate victor.
Some of George Washington's favorite passages of the Bible were those that spoke of every man dwelling safely "under
his own vine and fig tree." Other Founding Fathers also referred to this "Vine
& Fig Tree" ideal.
(George Washington would recommend that you enroll in The 12 Days of Christmas
program. He read the Bible for an hour each morning, and another hour in the evening.)
George Washington was motivated by the Vine & Fig Tree vision revealed in the Bible. Washington's Diaries are available
online at the Library of Congress. They are introduced with these words:
No theme appears more frequently in the writings of Washington than his love for his land. The diaries are a monument to that concern. In his
letters he referred often, as an expression of this devotion and its resulting contentment, to an Old Testament passage. After the Revolution, when he had returned to Mount
Vernon, he wrote the Marquis de Lafayette on Feb. 1, 1784:
"At length my Dear Marquis I am become a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac, & under the shadow of my own Vine & my
own Fig-tree."
This phrase occurs at least 11 times in Washington's letters.
"And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree" (2 Kings 18:31).
Peter Lillback, author of a 1,000-page
study of Washington's life and thought,
has found more than 40 references to the Vine and Fig Tree vision in Washington's Papers. "Vine
& Fig Tree" is the original "American Dream."
The phrase occurs a
number of times in Scripture. These references are visual reminders of the Hebrew word for salvation, which means
peace,
wholeness,
health,
welfare, and
private property free from pirates and princes.
When today's Americans hear the word "salvation," they usually think about going to heaven when they die. When the writers of the Bible used the word "salvation,"
they wanted you to be thinking about dwelling safely under your own Vine & Fig Tree during this life -- much
more often than they wanted you to be thinking about what you'll be doing in the afterlife.
Vine & Fig Tree is also a phrase from the prophet Micah, the idea of everyone owning property and
enjoying the fruits of their labor without fear of theft or political oppression, of sitting peacefully under your "Vine & Fig Tree."
Hundreds of years before Christ, the prophet Daniel spoke of the first Christmas, the
birth of the Messiah in the days of the Roman Empire. That barbaric, debauched empire was destroyed, and the Kingdom of Christ began growing like a mustard tree, like leaven, like
a field (Matthew 13). The Emperor Justinian began Christianizing the Eastern Roman Empire, and in the West kings like Alfred and Ethelbert made the 10 Commandments the basis of new
legal systems. The "Common Law" began, with a Christian foundation, and eventually found its way into the Constitution of
the United States, "a Christian nation." From 12 dejected disciples, Christianity has spread across the
world, and billions of people claim to be Christian. Though there have been ups and downs, the progress of Christianity has been undeniable -- at least to those who have been
taught the facts of history.
Most Americans in the 21st century have not.
If you enroll in this Home Study Program, you will learn the story of the "Vine & Fig Tree." You will learn that the
Bible says the purpose of the first Christmas was that "the knowledge of the Lord should cover the earth as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah
11:9; Habakkuk 2:14). This has been going on for 2,000
years now. This is a wonderful story that isn't being told.
And the story is really just beginning.
You're invited to celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Join our online party and accomplish the following over the next 12 days:
read the historical accounts of the birth of Jesus Christ
discover "the real meaning of Christmas" by comparing the Gospel accounts of Christmas with a neglected Old Testament prophecy (Micah 4:1-7).
The "real meaning of Christmas" is:
Peace on Earth (Luke 2:14).
Everyone dwelling securely under his own Vine & Fig Tree (Micah 4:1-7).
Jesus is the Christ ("Christ" means "messiah," or
"anointed King").
What we've already witnessed:
The prophet Daniel predicted that during the Roman Empire, a rock would crush the empire and turn into a mountain
and fill the whole earth. Jesus is the Rock. He has been reigning for 2,000 years, ever since He rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father. His Kingdom is
the Mountain, it's filling the earth, and the planet is being progressively Christianized. Before He rose from the dead, He had 12 dejected and confused disciples. Today
over two billion people claim to be followers of Christ. The empire that executed Jesus soon collapsed under its own depravity.
Christians began Christianizing the world. Early kings like Ethelbert made the Ten Commandments the foundation of the "common
law" legal system in Europe. At one time the United States Supreme Court declared that America was "a
Christian nation." "Western civilization" is Christian
civilization. There have been ups and downs, but the progress cannot be denied. The Mountain is filling the earth.
Controversy:
Christ's Kingdom advances peacefully through works of service, not the
sword. A non-military, "pacifist" Messiah was not the kind of Messiah expected by most Jews 2,000 years ago. (Nor
by many Christians today.)
There are two groups that oppose this concept of Christmas:
"Premils"
"Pinkos"
"Premils" are "pre-millennialists" who believe the "millennium" (described by Micah 4 and
other passages) cannot take place until after a Second Coming of Christ, when Jesus returns and sets up a strong, military, "police-state"-style
centralized government, with armed believers dispatched from a throne in Jerusalem to put down unbelievers. "Premils" believe Christmas only secured for believers a
ticket to heaven when they die, or a ticket on "the Rapture" if they live that long. Not
global transformation.
"Pinkos" are those who believe that Jesus is not King enough to bring about the "millennium"; we need strong centralized government for that. Pinkos
call us "anarchists."
During the next 12 days, we'll find out why the Premils and the Pinkos are both wrong, and why you and I can and should work to bring "Peace on Earth" so
that everyone can dwell prosperously and securely under their own Vine & Fig Tree.
For more about the "Vine & Fig Tree" vision, see our
home page.
,
has found more than 40 references to the Vine and Fig Tree vision in Washington's Papers.