Vineyard a new work by NZ artist Suzanne Carter

I have just finished my new Digital painting called 'Vineyard'. There are many verses in the Bible that speak about the vineyard in both the old and new Testament.

'vineyard' by NZ Artist Suzanne Carter avail at Red Bubble or  Society6

 I was just reading a really inspiring article about the Vineyard that has given me another perspective on John15 you can read the full article here

This article reviews a book called 'Secrets of the Vine' by  Dr Bruce Wilkerson author of Jabez prayer.
In his book Dr Wilkerson has a conversation with a Vineyard Owner from Northern California about what happens to the vine branches that do not produce fruit.

I have always understood from reading John15 that Jesus is the 'True Vine' and God , The Father is the 'Vine Dresser' but I have also thought that every branch that does not bear fruit is cut off or taken away

"Dr Wilkerson shows in an insightful way that the words "takes away." This Greek verb, airo, actually means "to lift from the ground," "to lift so as to carry," and "to carry off." The translation "takes away" suggests cutting off, but in Greek literature, airo never means "cut off." "Lifts up" or "raises" is more correct in terms of vinedressing.

In his book, Secrets of the Vine, Dr. Bruce Wilkinson has a conversation with a vineyard owner from Northern California, who says, "New branches have a natural tendency to trail down and grow along the ground, but they don't bear fruit down there. When branches grow along the ground, the leaves get coated in dust. When it rains, they get muddy and mildewed. The branch becomes sick and useless."

Dr. Wilkinson, thinking about John 15:2, asks, "What do you do, cut it off and throw it away?"

"Oh, no," the vineyard owner replies, "the branch is much too valuable for that. We go through the vineyard with a bucket of water, looking for those branches. We lift them up and wash them off. Then we wrap them around the trellis or tie them up. Pretty soon, they're thriving."

Are we not more valuable to our Vinedresser than branches in a vineyard? Certainly! So how does our Vinedresser lift us up?

You can read more of this article at :-

http://www.sabbath.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/ESSAY/k/4362/subj/passover/Vinedresser.htm#ixzz1kO56Bqfg


 Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."