“The Winnowing Fork”

 “The Winnowing Fork”

 

“He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with His winnowing fork. Then He will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into His barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”  Matthew 3:12

 

 

John the Baptist was quite the character of sorts.  He went into the Judean Wilderness to preach his message: “Repent of your SINS and TURN to GOD, for the Kingdom of Heaven is NEAR.” And the PEOPLE came from JERUSALEM, ALL of JUDEA and all over the JORDAN VALLEY to hear what this STRANGE MAN was saying.  When John PREACHED, they LISTENED and those who CONFESSED their SINS were BAPTIZED by John. 

 

Then when John saw a large group of Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him BAPTIZE, he called them a BROOD OF SNAKES, and warned them saying: “Even now the AX of God’s JUDGMENT is poised, ready to SEVER the roots of the trees.  Yes, EVERY TREE that does NOT produce good fruit will be chopped down and THROWN into the FIRE. Then he told them that there was coming, ONE who would BAPTIZE THEM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT and FIRE.  

 

Then John gave them an illustration using what takes place at the THRESHING FLOOR. He commenced telling them of the use of the WINNOWING FORK, a VERY IMPORTANT instrument in the process of SEPARATION of the WHEAT and the CHAFF.  The WINNOWING FORK tosses the grain of wheat into the air and the WHEAT falls to the GROUND and the CHAFF or the USELESS part of the WHEAT, is thrown into the FIRE and the GRAIN of WHEAT is gathered and taken to the barn.   

 

John was telling them that the MESSIAH, when He COMES will PREPARE the REMNANT (wheat), for the KINGDOM by EMPOWERING and CLEANSING the PEOPLE.  However, those who REJECT the MESSIAH (chaff) will be JUDGED and THROWN into ETERNAL UNQUENCHABLE FIRE.  In Malachi 4:1&2 tells us: “The LORD of HEAVEN’S ARMIES says, “The Day of Judgment is coming, burning like a furnace.  On that Day the ARROGANT, and the WICKED will be BURNED UP like straw.  They will be CONSUMED—ROOTS, BRANCHES and ALL. But for you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings.  And you will go FREE, leaping with JOY like calves let out to pasture.”

 

Which will it be for YOU, the CHAFF or the WHEAT?  You can only be the WHEAT if you have given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, through His ONLY SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  And this is what you MUST DO:  You MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and be TOTALLY SEPARATED from the CHAFF.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!   Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!