Chapter – 27 ’Reuben visits Brooklyn’
Still in Brooklyn, Rueben was going to spend a couple of weeks visiting before returning to his scientific project. The team consisted of five, three of them were women; Reuben had taken a few glimpses toward a tall brunette on occasion. In his mind, she was one of the few brilliant minds who had common sense. She could actually laugh at a dry joke that he would come up with. One day he would like to know her better.
Somehow her name, Jenny, had come up while talking with his siblings after lunch. “I want to meet her,” commented Rebekah, “Come on Reuben, get ahold of her and tell her that your sister wants to meet her.” After fifteen minutes of discussion, Reuben gave in and called her number; he explained how he was home visiting and the family wanted to meet some of his scientific coworkers.
She wasn’t far away, in fact she was just up the road visiting her parents in Manhattan. She commented, “Why don’t you come over in an hour or so for some cookies; they are in the oven right now.” Reuben wrote the address down and told her, “See you soon.” When he turned back toward his siblings; they were smiling at him. “So, what’s up Reuben; are we going to meet her?” He gave the thumbs up and showed the address he had written on the paper.
An hour later the four were pulling up to the address on Reuben’s paper. It was a high-rise condo with valet parking. Ten minutes later they were stepping from the elevator on to the 11th floor and Jenny was walking toward the elevator from an open door. She was very tall for a girl; probably what Reuben liked about her. Her short hair was a lite brown.
She smiled as she greeted them. “Hey Rubbbe, I can see who got all the good looks in your family, your sisters are both beautiful.” Rebekah felt her face getting red from the compliment; she hoped Leah wasn’t feeling embarrassed and that it didn’t hurt Reuben’s feelings. Reuben commented, “Jen, my sis and Leah are Christians so be nice to them.” Jenny commented, “Back in my high school days I went to church camp with some friends and once made a commitment. Deep down I still believe the ways that I was taught.”
It wasn’t long until they were sampling cookies with a glass of milk. Jenny’s mom and dad joined them a few minutes later and all were introduced to each other. It was a good evening and as they were driving back to Brooklyn Yosef commented, “So Reuben, are you interested in Jen? She seems like a sweet person.” He told them he was interested but in another year when this experiment is scheduled to be winding down, we may end up a thousand miles apart trying to land another job. Rebekah chimed in, “You have at least a year to date and then find career jobs doing scientific work, maybe even a professor at some college.”
Yosef asked, “What do you think of her having made a commitment to become a Christian back in her high school days?” He told them that they had never discussed religion; in fact they had never been off the subject of work until this very day.
Leah asked, “What does your family think about being Jewish and mating with a Gentile?” Reuben commented, “That was a bridge we crossed when Yosef became a Christian. The yoke was turned upside down for several months, that is, if I recall those days correctly.”
Yosef told Leah that the vine was an example of Christ; there are branches on the vine; some will break or fall off and some branches will be grafted into the vine. We believe that any of the branches attached to the vine are Christ followers or Christians. So, Jaye and Rebekah are of the same faith and as a Christian, Valentine is adopted [grafted to the vine] into the family of God. In Isaiah 54:5 the words of the prophet reference Israel as the one married to the Lord; so if you become a follower of the Lord [Jew or Gentile] you are in the family.
Rebekah commented, “There is a BOOK of Life, and if your name is in that Book, then you will be rewarded as a resident of heaven for eternity. I made the most important choice of my life when I put my trust in Jesus.
How about you?”
Attachment
Isaiah 54:5, the prophet talking about Israel, ‘For your husband is your maker, whose name is the Lord of host; and your redeemer [Christ] is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God [Savior] of the whole earth.’
John 15:1-6, 15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in ME that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
continue at Romans 11:17-21…, 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off [Israel] so that I [Gentiles] might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? [Jew was broken off for a while; the Gentile was grafted in. When the times of the Gentiles concludes; Israel will be grafted to the vine again. The mystery.]
….cont to verse 25-26; …..there is a mystery, 25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved;
- The Jewish people are back in Israel; from AD 70 – 1948, they were a people without a Nation.
‘Israel is back on the clock, so to speak.’
Revelation 20:11 – 21:4, 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. 21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
Note * All these verses come from scripture…
What is FRUIT? When a person leads another person to Jesus and they become SAVED; that is the example. Wouldn’t you like to provide some fruit for the wedding banquet?
DG