Dr. Johnston’s TEA Party speech, 4-15-10

Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it. Our greatest enemy today is not Obama. It’s not the socialists in Congress, the liberal activists that serve as judges, it’s not Islamist terrorists, the Communist Chinese, the Federal Reserve, or illegal immigrants. Those who do not learn from history are bound to – what? - repeat it.

The Roman empire covered the world with roads, trade, soldiers, and technology. It was a thing of pride to be a Roman citizen. Produce and goods were inexpensive. They were the wealthiest people in the world who conquered all her challengers.

But Rome became overrun with illegal immigrants, who at first assimilated and worked as servants, but then came so fast that they did not learn the language or adopt the Roman culture. Romebecame addicted to the cheap labor, and didn’t enforce her immigration laws. Politicians and businesses catered to illegal immigrants.

The highly-trained Roman military, moving rapidly on their advanced road system, was over-stretched in conflicts at the boundaries of their vast empire. For the military industrial complex, business was booming.

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Elizabeth's Pen

How Our Heavenly Father Prunes Us for Blooming

For me, Mother’s Day and gardening go hand in hand. When we first moved from down south to Ohio years ago, I was still learning to get accustomed to the weather. I was always tempted to “jump the gun” and plant beautiful flowers too early, at the first sight of warm weather. One of my neighbors was kind enough to warn me to always wait until Mother’s Day to plant if I wanted to avoid the dangers of a late frost. I don’t know if you have a green thumb or a black thumb, but we are going to learn about the best gardener ever…Our Heavenly Father!

In John 15, Jesus says the following:
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 
2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 
4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 
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. 
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

So, in these verses, God our Father is the gardener. Jesus is the Vine. And we are the branches.If we don’t bear fruit, this says we will be cut off from the vine and burned. If we do bear fruit, we will be pruned so that we will be even more fruitful!