Kernel, Autobiography of a Grain of Wheat

By Lawrence T. Fares OCD

"Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life, loses it,and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. (Jn 12:24-26) Meet "Kernel", the Grain of Wheat, who loves telling his own life story to you. He uses all the experiences through the stages of his life to enlighten us to the reality of the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John. Through it all, being true to his calling gained him the understanding of his purpose and the victory of truth. Kernel will gladly be in your hands today; and through these pages, he will feature for you our Lord Jesus as still being born, as still dying, but forever rising.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781640034167

Book preview

Dedication

To Tannous & Nejmeh, my Great Grandparents.

Born and grown under the Ottoman Regime, you suffered lack of schooling and instruction, forbidden to folks of faith like yours.

But my Genes were alive and hiding in you.

Raising me on your genuine truth and pure milk enabled me

to diligently glean them–as golden nuggets of knowledge from your mind, and delicious sips of honey from you heart.

Thus were born the pages of this book, which I dedicate to you

as a token of my affection and gratitude.

I trust that you will read them from wherever you are in God’s abode, and dance for joy to see me on paper today.

Kernel, your Great Grandchild

Introduction

In the Beginning

That is from the original dark and static cosmological existence, light first came into being by a direct order from the ever-existing Kronos. In a way that modern science has long contemplated and studied, this Light has discharged such energy at its beginning as to commence the creation of the universe and accelerate its expansion. Thus, the combined dimensions of space and time formed the galaxies, and then from these galaxies the Universe, as we now understand it, began its formation and evolution.

From the beginning, every thing which was meant to be created, had a designated time for its existence. Thus the Creator, whom we also call God, began his creative action, which continues to this day.

God first created special creatures to minister to him, to aid him in the further creation of life in his universe. We commonly call these ministers angels. They answer his command and separate the water from the land, allowing the earth to bring forth vegetation, the plants to bear seed, and the trees to bear fruit. (Genesis 1:11).

The Wheat

In the second era of creation, Kronos, the God Time, bid his ministers, the four angels who were in charge of life in the domain of trees, grasses, herbs, and plants, to fly to the four corners of the universe and disseminate appropriate seeds to grow.

God the Sower (Ysrael), was enchanted by the sun rising and shining its golden rays on one particular sector of the earth that stretched from the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, through Asia Minor, and all the way down to the Nile of Egypt. Judging this area to be fertile for the growth of his bag of seeds, he had the load of seeds strewn over this whole area. Soon, herbs and grasses grew and multiplied. This Fertile Crescent, often called the Levant, became the paradise of affluence for every seed-bearing plant that grew. This area includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Cyprus, Antakia Province, and other parts of Southern Turkey and areas of Northwestern Iraq and the Sinai Peninsula.

Our wheat was developed as the product of a crossing between various species of these different grasses, which is reputed to have happened about 10,000 Bc.

Over the centuries, the triticean seeds, abounding in the richness of their own chromosomes (starchy fats of the grains), grew to provide the best nutrients for the life of birds, animals, and man himself. This triticean ancestry included the grains of the Durum, the Einkorn, and the Avena wheat.

Early man discovered that he could make use of this grain for sustenance. This elite cereal, the triticean grain of wheat, became more popular, easier to grow and harvest, and it became the most rewarding in nutrients. This discovery of the ability to sow and reap cereals may be one of the chief causes that led man to dwell in communities, rather than to live a wandering life of hunting and herding cattle for a living.

It is known that around 3000 Bc, the Egyptians were producing risen loaves by using yeast and baking breads in ovens. Model granaries were even included in tombs to provide food for the buried in the afterlife.

By 200 Bc, the Romans started to use animal power to grind wheat, and used sieves to produce finer flour. They also developed two ways to bake their loaves: the beehive oven and the pot oven. The importance of bread to daily life meant that bakers were recognized as freemen of the city. All other craftsmen were slaves.

Kernel

Into this era and part of the world, with the cultivation of wheat perfected, enters Kernel, the Grain of Wheat. With a story all his own, he loves to tell the world about his life, his dreams, and his fulfillment.

It is no mere coincidence that in his story, this grain traces his roots to the vicinity of the town of Beth-Lehem, the house of bread, where, according to ionic and arcane plans set for him by God the Father, Jesus as a Savior was born.

Please take Kernel and read it; you may discover your own story!

Judith Figari Steele

Jesus and the Grain of Wheat

Now there were certain Gentiles among those who had gone up to worship on the feast. These therefore approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, Sir, we wish to see Jesus.

Philip came and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip spoke to Jesus.

But Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the Grain of Wheat falls into the ground and dies, it will remain just a Grain of Wheat. But if it dies, it will bring forth much fruit. He who loves his soul (Greek: psüchen), will lose it; and he who hates his soul in this world, will save it unto life everlasting.

If anyone serves me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall my servant be. If anyone serves me, him my Father will honor. (John 12:20–26, DRV)

Greetings!

I am the Grain of Wheat which provides for you the bread, the indispensable food (Greek: epiusion) you eat to live, to function as any ordinary human being, and to sustain your everyday life.

My name is Kernel.

And here is my love story for you to share and enjoy.

Chapter 1

Pending Destiny

I was born, as such a grain, in a dark and humid bosom of a good soil. I was conceived there by the warmth of the prolific and golden rays of my father, the Sun, and the welcoming goodness of my mother, the Earth.

That took place eons ago, in the general area of Southeast Asia, the Levant, and more specifically, in the vicinity of a little town called the House of Bread, commonly also known as the town of Beth-Lehem.

I had no idea at the time what my name meant or what my existence implied, except that I probably would someday be destined to become real bread and feed someone hungry. And with no further thinking, I then felt happy to be the way I was, just a grain.

Through the fall, like every other grain of wheat sown in the field, I soon sprouted from the soil as a blade of grass. I was only a few inches high above the ground when winter arrived, and after living through the regular cycle of the cold season, and surviving its rigors of snow and ice, I picked up again in spring and grew up to a tall, taller, and still taller stalk of wheat crowned at the head with a spike, a beauty of creation for the eye to behold.

Over the months that followed, I matured, grew ripe, and finally entered the harvest season.

Harvesting time, or reaping the matured wheat, usually during the two long summer months of June and July, is the glorious joy of the farmer. For him, that meant long days of sweat and hard labor; but for me, and in order to be processed into where I was destined to be, that involved dozens of harvesters, and more dozens of hands, working together and in coordination more than I ever imagined.

Dawn had just broken one early morning in June. I had just opened my eyes when a frightening curved knife faced me: the razor sharp sickle at the