The Threshing Floor
The threshing floor is a flat surface, usually smooth, which is used during the harvest of grains. Often, animals would be used to walk on and crush and break the sheaves of the grain on the threshing floor or people would use sticks to beat the grain and break the sheaves apart. As a result, the grains would be separated from the husks, which were called “chaff”. The threshing floor would often be located in a windy area, so that the final part of the process of separation would be done by tossing the grains upon the wind, thereby, finally separating the grain still in the husk from thosethat were ready to eat. The process is called winnowing.... Thank God for the winds of the Spirit, that blow away the chaff from the good things that God has planned for us.
The bible tells us that Ruth (from the book of Ruth) whose husband was the son of Naomi, had followed her mother-in -law to Israel where she was encouraged by Naomi, to go down to the threshing floor of Boaz as it is recorded in Ruth 2:20, (Speaking of Boaz, she said) “The Lord bless him! He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead. He is our close relative and he is one of our guardian-redeemers.” Ruth’s life had fallen apart. Her dreams were crushed, her husband had died, suddenly she was a single again person, and now she’s among strangers where she knows no one but her mother in law. But Naomi knows that the best place for Ruth is the threshing floor!
You see, a technician can install something, but it takes a mentor to instill something... and in between stands the threshing floor.
So Naomi encouraged Ruth to go to the threshing floor and wait for Boaz to finish tending to the barley, and then lie down for the night at Boaz’s feet. In doing this, she was demonstrating that she was choosing him to redeem her and keep her in the family. As a result of Ruth’s act of submission to Boaz, she became grafted into the lineage of Jesus Christ.
She had nothing to offer, as a stranger in the land, but in offering herself she received far more than she could possibly give. That’s what grace is all about. We who can offer so little, discover that little Is much, when we give it to our kinsman redeemer Jesus Christ and make ourselves available to Him.
Isaiah 9:6 “And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this”.
Aren’t you glad that you have a kinsman redeemer, who is waiting for you to surrender, so He can redeem you from your past and bring you into His family and give you a new life and a new future!
Look with me at Ruth 3:14 “Boaz said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town. Now as I was studying for this message, I found out that Jewish law required, that the next of kin take the deceased relative’s wife, so that he might have an heir. I was very surprised to find out that according to the Jewish law, for Boaz to redeem Ruth, he needed to redeem Naomi’s husband’s property, and by doing so, she came with it. So, not only did he take Ruth as his wife, but Naomi as well as part of the deal. But Naomi was too old for child bearing so he redeemed the inheritance through Ruth.You probably know that Ruth’s son Obed was the grandfather of King David, which makes him of the lineage of Jesus through Mary.
Ruth 3:16-17 “When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.” What an amazing picture of God’s grace that is greater than all the hurdles we throw in front of Him!
Church, you will never fall at Jesus’ feet, and go away empty-handed! Matthew 12:20 promises... “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not quench, until he brings justice to victory, and in his name those who have been turned away will find hope.” Hallelujah, the bruised reed will be restored and made whole, and the smoldering wick, those who have lost hope, and lost their faith, will be re-fired and set ablaze!!
Threshing floors have global impact. David was instructed by the Lord to buy the threshing floor of Araunah to use as the temple site. David was to build an altar to the Lord on this threshing floor. God told David to turn the place of thrashing and winnowing, into a place of worship... When we realize all that we have been redeemed from, it causes us to build some altars and worship the Lord our restorer. Hallelujah, we need to turn some threshing floors into places of worship. When we have been tried and tested, we shall come forth as pure gold.
The threshing floor was a place of separating the worthless from that which was profitable and useful. It was a place where the chaff was gathered to be burned. But that’s exactly where our Kinsman Redeemer likes to hang around and snatch souls from judgment and give them new hope and new life! You will always find Jesus at the threshing floor.
Jesus knows how to free us from our husk, that wants to enslave us, and keep us from becoming all we were meant to be. You May remember that the mother of Boaz, was Rahab the prostitute. She is referred to as a prostitute when we first meet her at the walls of Jericho where she let down a scarlet cord from her window. She is referred to as a prostitute when she and her family are spared. She is referred to as a prostitute when she is listed in Hebrews along with all the great examples of people of faith. She is referred to as a prostitute when spoken of in James as an example of Godly action.
Was this taking place because she had a label on her that would never go away? No. This label was a reminder to those throughout history, of the redemptive work of God and his ability to make us acceptable in his sight, regardless of labels the world may place on us. The world called her a prostitute but in God’s eyes she was a rescuer, a woman of great faith, and a Godly example. She found God at her own threshing floor.
2 Chronicles 3:1 “Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared to David his father, in the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
So, Solomon’s temple is built on the very same threshing floor where David was instructed to build an altar to the Lord! It was filled with the glory of the Lord, so that people would be overwhelmed by the shekinah.... Many want the glory, but they are not willing to come by way of the threshing floor, where the husks are separated from the good wheat.... Romans 12:1-2 “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. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”.
It is also significant then, that this is the same location on Mount Moriah where Abraham made the offering of Isaac, his only son. In fact, Jerusalem’s Temple Mount on Mount Moriah, known as Har Ha-Bay-it in Hebrew, has been the most disputed threshing floor in the world. And it will once again be a blessing to the whole earth when God has finished separating the wheat from the chaff....
The threshing floor is where God does His amazing work of grace. It’s where he does what He knows how to do, in threshing out righteousness from unrighteousness, carnal from spiritual, a dead end from a Godly inheritance, instant gratification from a Divine destiny!
At the threshing floor, He makes a way where there is no way, He creates something that didn’t even exist before! He turns a Saul into a Paul.... He turns Cephas into Peter the Rock.... He takes a Jacob and transforms him into an Israel who prevails with God.... He takes a red headed, freckled faced teen age shepherd boy and anoints Him as David King of Israel and When Jesus is called “Son of Joseph, son of David, he is blending both lineages in a powerful demonstration of the house hold that could only be possible by Grace!
Who have you written off at the threshing floor? But God is still threshing and winnowing.... would you please give Him a chance.... Give Him a little room here.... There’s a king in the making on the threshing floor... There’s a prophet, an apostle, an evangelist, a pastor and teacher, that’s in the works, and what a work it is!!!
Give God some room, at the threshing floor....
Matthew 25:31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another....”
I believe the nations are on the threshing floor. I believe right now America is on the threshing floor.... I believe the church of Jesus is on the threshing floor.... There is a separation process going on 24/7...
Listen to me, as long as there is a threshing floor, your family is being brought into the process of God’s grace.... and the separation is happening, righteousness is raising up, your prayers are casting the good part into the air (your prayers are the winnowing fork) that’s causing the good part to be cast into the wind, so the chaff can fall away, and reveal God’s cleansing, purifying, sanctifying, work!
Don’t let up, don’t slack off, don’t lose heart.... keep using yourwinnowing fan of prayer, that is casting the good grain into the air where Holy Spirit can blow away the unrighteousness part.....
Don’t be like the guy at the wailing wall in Jerusalem, who was asked how long he had come to pray at the wall. He said “I’ve come here every day for 65 years.” He was asked how it felt to pray all those years at the wall. He said, “Well, it’s like talking to a wall.”..... Listen, know that something is happening. The winds of heaven are blowing across the threshing floor. Today is a day of visitation at the threshing floor of the Holy Spirit!
Matthew 3:12 “His fan is in his hand, and He will thoroughly purge His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the storehouse, and He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Notice the possessiveness: "His fan;" "his hand:" "his threshing floor;" and "his wheat." We know that Christ purchased the church with His own blood. John describes the church that Jesus bought and paid for as being His threshing floor.
This should be the place where destinies are unwrapped, and a super natural work of transformation takes place in hearts and lives.... 1 Peter 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where then shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Listen friends, The church needs to feel the winnowing fan of the Holy Spirit in this hour. Separating us from the world and giving us a fresh cleansing and impartation of the Holy Spirit!
Jesus taught that the world is the field. He also told us that the primary work in the field is sowing the seed for harvest. Everyone has a job to do in the field. In our world, we sow, we water, and we reap. We witness, we testify, we pray, we invite, we help, we teach, we spread God's good news! We teach people the power of faith in God. We tell people how they can respond to the gospel through allowing the work of separation to take place as we all together, repent, surrender, and offer our lives to Christ. Our sins lose their grip as we are being filled with new life by His Spirit. Can you see this.... we sow the seed, we reap the harvest and we meet together at the threshing floor.
When the sheaves of grain were brought in from the field, they would be laid across the hard stone of the threshing floor. The grain was literally caught between a rock and a hard place. This pressure served to loosen the kernel of grain from its stalk and the husk that enshrouded it. On the threshing floor, what it had been was separated from what it would be, the future was separated from its past, old things passed away, behold all things are become new!
When folks sit under the preaching of the word of God, Holy Spirit starts applying the pressure and righteousness begins to be elevated. Choices must be made. Hearers begin to feel conviction to let go of their past and let God have His way. The power of the Word places people in a position where they must change or grow harder! The same Sun that melts butter will harden clay!
When Pentecost came to the threshing floor of the Upper Room, the disciples heard a sound like a rushing, mighty wind....Remember Ezekiel the prophet who was dropped into a valley of dry bones? As he preached, bones noisily began to reassemble. He preached some more and the winds began to blow. He preached some more and that which was dead came to life!
A weatherman in Los Angeles was once asked if the prevailing winds would clear the haze from the city. He replied that they would not. He said, "That would take a wind from somewhereelse."
That's what the Holy Ghost is. It’s the wind from somewhere else, that removes all manner of problems from our lives. While we can't see the wind, we can see the effects of it passing through, It’sa cleansing, separating, demon chasing wind!
In light of all that, let me share with you some thoughts at the threshing floor..... Strong people don’t have attitudes; they have standards and convictions. You can’t pour very much from an empty cup.... We haven’tforgotten where we came from, we just realize we shouldn’t stay there.... Stop shrinking to fit in places you’ve already outgrown.... Givers need to set limits because takers rarely do..... If it costs you your peace, it’s way too expensive..... Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty, and the pig likes it..... If you’re waiting for a sign from God before you start,this is it, go ahead and take it!.....
When we’ve done all we know how to do, it’s time to remember that the threshing floor is an altar where we fall down and worship and glorify the Lord of the threshing floor, who never sleeps, or grows weary. Like David and Solomon, the threshing floor is where God is telling us to partner with Him to build a temple for His glory! There is no shadow of turning with Him.....He’s willing, ready and waiting, right now!!.
Isaiah 40:28 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even the young folks grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint”.
We realize that perfection lies close to imperfection, wheat lies close to tares, grain lies close to chaff. We take everything and offer it to Him. The wind will perfect our praise and the fire will cleanse and purify.
For 10 days the disciples of Jesus waited in prayer for the promise. In this high place above the city of Jerusalem, work was done. Perhaps, they reminded themselves of the promises of God. Maybe they preached to one another and found that Simon Peter seemed to have a gift in that The threshing floor was now officially open for business!!
Here's a promise: The Word loosens the chaff from the wheat, the Worship lifts the chaff, and His Wind carries the chaff into the fire. And What goes into the fire is not coming out again!
I want to announce officially, that here, at Eagle’s Rest, the Threshing Floor is now open! For the saint and the sinner, for the down and outer and the up and outer, for the insider and the outsider, for the bound and the free, and for you and for me....
Closing prayer....."Heavenly Father, we come into agreement in the wonderful and powerful Name of Jesus Christ, that where two or more are gathered, there You will be in the midst of us and anything we agree upon as touching in obedience, You will surely do. Lord, in Your name, we have the power to overcome whatever difficulty we may face. It may be through it, around it, under it or over it, but we can conqueror it, through Your victory which you have given us.
The past is behind us and the future is full of hope and promise, and we speak to any hindrance and command it to bow down and yield to Jesus Name! Let Your peace flow where there was worry and fear, let Your favor now flow, where there was struggling and resistance, let Your victory overwhelm all failure and defeat! We declare that we are no longer under the problem, but it is under our feet. It tried to put us under, but we’re coming out with greater power and anointing.
Every obstacle is moving out of our way, and Your Spirit within us is greater than all that may be against us. No weapon that is formed against us shall prosper and every tongue that rises against us shall only work for good and not for evil. We declare it, believe it, and receive everything we’ve prayed, and give You glory in advance for the answer, by faith in Jesus' Name!
Now I give You praise and thank You for the answer before I see it, feel it, or enjoy the manifestation!
It’s my time to take back what the enemy has stolen from me.... It’s time to take my family back... It’s time to take my job back..... It’s time to take my joy and my strength back.... it’s time to take my vision, my promise, and my mission back... It's time to take the gifts of the spirit back......I take it back.... Satan you can’t have it anymore....In Jesus' name. Hallelujah, Praise God!!
