I read something today that caught my attention and I’d like to share. Check this out; “Years ago I lived in fruitland, North Carolina. It was apple country, and several of my parishioners were growers. When I stopped by to visit one of them, his wife told me he was in the orchard. So walked out back to find him mercilessly cutting branches from one of the trees. Without thinking, I said, “You’re going to kill that tree!” He turned around and said, “You stick to preaching and leave the pruning to me.” This gentleman and I became friends and it was from him that I learned about the pruning process. In order to produce an abundant crop of the best fruit, he had to cut as he did. It might look as if the tree was going to die, but new growth would spring from the wounds. Our conversations helped me to understand why the Lord acts as a pruning force in people’s lives. To get a plentiful crop of spiritual fruit, our heavenly Father must remove anything that distracts or deters us from serving Him. The process is often painful. I know I’ve cried out, “More, Lord?” when He has taken the knife to me. But the result is always satisfying-I am a better, more accurate reflection of Jesus Christ after God cuts away a fleshly habit or a worldly attitude. Being loved by God does not mean we will be coddled–our comfort is not His primary interest. A grower must prune an apple tree to get a bountiful harvest. In the same way, God must sometimes let us feel pain so He can bring forth greater growth and more spiritual fruit (Charles Stanley).”
Sometimes we may ask, “Why do I have to go through this?, Why do Christians have to suffer if they’re under God’s protection? Well, this is why. So if you’re feeling like you’ve been stretched out on a cutting board, its only because God is carving out the bad parts of your life(and mine) to make us more Christ-like. A true lesson of pruning away the stuff out of our lives so our heavenly Father can use us to produce much fruit! And because of our Lord and Savor, Christ Jesus, the harvest will be great!
“A Lesson in Pruning”
“on Joy”
“Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures.” -Thomas Aquinas
“Joys are always on the way to us. They are always traveling to us through the darkness of the night. There is never a night when they are not coming.” –Amy Carmichael
“Joy is the gigantic secret of the Christian.” –G. K. Chesterton
“Joy is distinctly a Christian word and a Christian thing. It is the reverse of happiness. Happiness is the result of what happens of an agreeable sort. Joy has its springs deep down inside. And that spring never runs dry, no matter what happens. Only Jesus gives that joy. He had joy, singing its music within, even under the shadow of the cross. It is an unknown word and thing except as He has sway within.” –Samuel Dickey Gordon
“If there is joy in the world, surely the man of pure heart possesses it.” –Thomas à Kempis
“Joy is never in our power and pleasure often is.” –C. S. Lewis
“If you have no joy, there is a leak in your Christianity somewhere.” –W. A. “Billy” Sunday
“There is more joy in Jesus in 24 hours than there is in the world in 365 days. I have tried them both.” –R. A. Torrey
Try,Try Again
Things that I experience ‘on my own’ are not as joyous and satisfying as the God moments. Its an honor and blessing when God does something through you, check this out;
It was Saturday afternoon and I fell into this deep feeling of despair. I allowed the things of this world flare up and bring me down and I literately come to a full stop, allowing my hand to slip out of God’s hand. Not only despair but doubt and question begin to set in as well. I knew I was to be at church around 4pm. Not going was weighing heavy on my mind. I didn’t want anyone to see me this way. I was all set to stay home and waddle in my pity when I heard, “go! Go and see who else is having issues and struggles.” I immediately responded, “ok, ok, I’m going.” I arrived to church around 4pm. When I got there I walked into the sanctuary God began to show me. “Look around,” he said. I looked around at the few folks that were there. My eyes picked out one person, he has a son with physical disabilities, my eyes pointed out a lady, she must be under the pressure about her husband heading off to Iraq. I left the sanctuary and back to the lobby, a gentleman is at the table, he is in a wheelchair, no legs and almost every surgery you can name, he has had it, from amputations to quadruple bypass and in between. He is always there, happy and smiling. And God only knows about all of the other problems and struggles that are behind some of the happiest people that were there. Well I thought God was done with me concerning this matter but I had no idea that it was far from over. You see, when God gets his point across to you, you can’t say, “I don’t understand.” That’s like asking for a two by four to the back of your head, ok, back to my God moment. As the evening progressed, I had a chance to stop and chat with a young man whom I’ve greeted many times in the past. And somehow we ended up on the subject of his past. As he shared his past with me, I’m (trying to hold onto leftover testosterone) fighting back tears. Two failed marriages, drugs, jail time, etc, etc, all of this before the age of 30. We shared quite a bit with each other. The guy is a strong brother in Christ. Being almost 20 years his senior I was taught quite a bit that night. Fellowship came to an end that evening and I remembered the feeling of my chin bouncing off my inner-ankles and tapping the pavement as I walked toward my truck. This is another one of those God moments I want to always remember. Here is what I am reminded and what I learned from this;
1. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all going through something in our lives that’s causing a struggle of some sort, some more severe and obvious than others. For those who do not have any, either your time has not arrived yet, or you’re wearing side blinders that are blocking your view.
2. You may go through the same thing many times until you have passed the test. Don’t give up because you failed two or three times. Chances are, you will fail, and God (who loves you with an unconditional love) is all about chances. Let the Holy Spirit guide you through (what ever it is) again. He has a life time of patience for you—have some for Him.
I was truly blessed by obeying the Holy Spirit and going to church Saturday. Be encouraged, the same way you share your hopes and dreams, share your problems and struggles also, you may never know when God might have a word for you. God bless you.
Be Well Rested (Part 2)
In my last email titled “Well Rested”, I made an error in matching up Scripture with the right gospel. Matthew 14:1-2 should have been John 14:1-2. I’m sorry for the error. If it caused you to do some research, good, at least you picked up your Bible.
I looked up the word ‘rest’ and there a few ways to define this word but included was also this:
Rest – “freedom from mental and emotional anxiety.” It can also be used as something called a transitive verb, “To allow someone to regain energy by means of relaxation. To be in a state of tranquility.”
My heart is always glad when I’m reminded of what God’s Word promises us. Even as I write this my mind goes to Revelation 21; “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Question; Did you ever hand something over to someone and asked them, “can you throw this away for me?” You can do the same thing with all of your worries and struggles and problems and stress. Hand them over to God and ask, “hey Father, can You throw these away for me?” Don’t hang onto those things that are holding you back from the rest and the freedom that you can have in Christ Jesus. I must share some footnotes with you; God rested on the seventh day, not because he was tired, but to indicate the completion of creation. The world was perfect, and God was well satisfied with it. This rest is a foretaste of our eternal joy when creation will be renewed and restored, every mark of sin will be removed, and the world will be made perfect again. Our Sabbath-rest in Christ will begin when we trust him to complete his good and perfect work in us. God wants us to enter his rest. For Christians, rest is peace with God now and eternal life on a new earth later. We do not need to wait for the next life to enjoy God’s rest and peace, we may have it daily now! Our daily rest in the Lord will not end in death but will become an eternal rest in the place that Christ is preparing for us.
“And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new! (Rev. 21:5)” This is very encouraging to me even as I write this. God’s purpose for sacrificing his one and only Son is so that we can rest in peace and comfort under his wing. “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Ps. 91:1).” Everything that’s holding you back from receiving rest in Christ, give it to him, and ask him to throw it away for you, even if it keeps coming back, don’t stop giving it to him. Just think; one day, there will be rest forever! Be encouraged!
Be Well Rested
I got up this morning well rested–mind, body, and soul. God is awesome! I get up and I’m ready and eager to do it all over again, all part of enjoying my every day life. I ask God, “how may I serve You today?” I believe rest is important, its important in every sense of the word. How (I’m glad you asked)? Check this out; even our Heavenly Father rested: “On the seventh day, God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work (Gen. 2:2).” Sometimes, I find myself getting all worked up over something. Looking back on it later on, I think to myself, “why did I waste time doing that?” To me (in my opinion), I call that stepping out of that place of rest–where I could have asked the Holy Spirit for guidance during the situation instead of letting it get the best of me. By allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us through the day, where ever we’re at, what ever we’re doing, we know that we’re in that place of rest–a place in our lives where we have the peace of God, abiding in our hearts, directing us and teaching us the way we should live. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:29).” However there is another place of rest mentioned in God’s Word: “So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall (Heb. 4:9,11).” God made the ultimate sacrifice so that we not only have rest for our souls, but that we also have a final resting place with Him in eternity. “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am (Matt: 14:1-3).” the Comforter is in us to deflect worry, being terrified, stress, fear, strife, and to replace that with love, joy, peace, and rest. Don’t drown out the Holy spirit with the small stuff. Instead, let Him do His work in and through you. Check this out; We must be in that place of rest in order to be in that place of rest (no, you did not read it wrong). In other words, you must have the mind of God in order to be with God. “You must have the same attitude that Christ had (Phil. 2:5).” Be encouraged! He is our rest which encourages us to look forward to our final resting place.
Disappointments? Look Up
Maybe you can relate to this; sometimes situations enter my life and I totally forget all about God. There are those times for me that when the situation is over, God reminds me that He’s been there the whole time helping me through it. I must admit, I have an embarrassing moment before my Heavenly Father. I’d like to share something I read today. Check this out;
Oftentimes, we become focused on something or someone that we are unable to hear the Lord at all. In those times, one of God’s most effective and yet painful ways to get our attention is through disappointments. Oh, how we dislike this method! This is the way God spoke dramatically to the nation of Israel. In Numbers 14, He directed His people into the Promised Land. However, they were scared of the inhabitants, so they refuse to enter. As a result, the Lord told the Israelites they’d “by no means see the land” for 40 years, until after that generation had died (v. 23). Their disappointment was so great that they decided to change their minds. Sadly, though it was too late; God had already settled the issue. And the people were distraught with grief because of what they missed. At that moment, in the heart of their disappointment, do you think God had their attention? Absolutely. The next time He gave Israel a command, don’t you think they listened a bit more intently? Tragically, failure is rather common in such situations. Instead of looking to God when disappointments occur, we are quick to blame circumstances, other people, fate, or even the Devil. We are hesitant to believe that our loving Father could be responsible for frustrations. Yet God is perfectly willing to use disappointments to realign our thoughts with His. Consider the difficulties in your life—might the Lord have been trying to say something in the midst of them?
This is a great devotion, this really describe how we are even in these days. I’m still in learning about this; in all of my turmoil and struggles in this life, ask my Heavenly Father to help me to deal with these things in the most godliest manner possible. It a wonderful thing to depend on such a loving God who can walk you through ANYTHING. Be encouraged today. Never, ever forget God or leave Him out of any situation (good or bad) in your life. Involve Him in everything you do. Whatever this life has to throw at you (good or bad), let God be the absolute center of it. You’ll soon discover that joy and blessing will make their home with your very soul. May God ever bless you all!
This Was Eyecatching….
I was reading something this morning and I thought I’d share it, check this out; “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have endured many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
Check out the footnotes; “All believers face such trials when they let their light shine into the darkness. We must accept trials as part of the refining process that burns away impurities and prepares us to meet Christ. As gold is heated, impurities float to the top and can be skimmed off. Likewise, our trials, struggles, and persecutions refine and strengthen our faith making us useful to God. Instead of asking, “why me?” we should respond to suffering with a new set of responses: (1) Confidence that God knows, plans, and direct our lives for the good. Its hard to calculate sometimes, but God always provides His love and strength for us. God leads us towards a better future. (2) Perseverance when facing grief, anger, sorrow, and pain. We express our grief, but we don’t give in to bitterness and despair. (3) Courage because with Jesus as Brother and Savior, we need not be afraid. He who suffered for us will not abandon us. Jesus carries us through everything.”
Reading The Psalms
“Joyful are the people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.” (Psalm 119:1)
Sometimes I thumb through the Psalms and read different passages and meditating on them. The Psalms are just one of many passages that bring instant joy to my heart. Check out the footnotes;
There are days when the last thing we want to do is rejoice. Our mood is down, our situation is out of hand, and our sorrow or guilt is overwhelming. We can relate to the writers of the Psalms who often felt this way. But no matter how low the writers felt, they were always honest with God. And as they talked to God, their prayers ended in praise. When you don’t feel like rejoicing, tell God how you truly feel. You will find that God will give you reason to rejoice. God has given you this day to live and to serve Him—be glad!
I heard something on the radio sometime ago, I tried this and to this day I’ve been truly blessed with a life I never knew, try this; take about fifteen minutes a day and thumb through the Psalms. Read passages, think about what you just read, chat with God about it, meditate on it, and just give it a little time to soak in. Do this every day for about two weeks. I will tell you from experience, God will shower down on you with blessings of joy and peace and love, it will change your life!
I hope I don’t give you the impression that I’m perfect. I’m far from it, I probably mess up on a daily basis. But I honestly pray and hope that this not only encourages you but also enrich your life the way it has for me. This is my prayer for anyone who reads this. May God bless you.
Making An important Choice
Can you imagine a life without God? I don’t want to go there but think about the choices we make in life. We started making our own choices the day Adam and Eve made their own choice in the Garden of Eden. Man chose to do without God’s help and yet God still loves us (John 3:16). God knew we would mess up so He had a plan even before our time. So now He says, “choose life or death.” He made the ultimate sacrifice of offering us His Son. The love of God, Christ Jesus is the life (John 14:6). Anything or anyone other than Jesus is death (Romans 8:1). Since man decided to make his own choices, God says, “there ya go! Now you must choose; life, death, the only two choices. There is no thin line, no middle, no nothing in between the two.” Ok, so now we chose life, Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, now what? Do we live a diverse life style in order to fit in every corner of society? I don’t want to go there either but I will say this; think about some alone time just to sit and hear that small humble voice that wants to lead you down that straight and narrow path, or go satisfy folks so they won’t think you’re stuck up and throw you out of their group and then come to church and be holy on Sunday. Christian, faux Christian; sure, go ahead and choose but hear this; there is no thin line, no middle, nothing in between the two, not even purgatory. Oh. By the way, something tells me that God likes faux Christians the same way He likes lukewarm water (Revelation 3:16). What brought all of this on (I’m glad you asked)? This past Wednesday, a friend and I were talking about people who profess to be Christians. There is a gentleman who works in my department who says he is a Christian. I’ve confronted this guy two or three times already about the Word of God and how we should be living as Christians. It seems as though he has to fit in with people around him. He shows no fruits of the Spirit and the trash that comes out of this guy’s mouth, Waste Management couldn’t haul it all away. This is not a representation of Christ. I realize that no one is perfect but we are to strive for the perfection–Christ, Jesus. Seek God’s counsel through His Word even if it means having no friends. Bottom line; if we are Christians, we will seek the ways of God and the fruits of the Spirit will automatically be seen in us. God is our one and only Heavenly Father, His Word is our instructions to live, His one and only Son is our Savior and King, and we are all a part of His Body. May we forever live according to His Word, Amen.
Joy Is Waiting For You
Did you ever think about something for so long that it becomes worrisome? Maybe a situation arises and it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. The fact is God has it under control even before we begin to worry. I read something this morning, I’d like to share. Check this out;
Your joy as a Christian should not depend on your circumstances. Joy comes from God, and therefore it cannot be affected by what is outside of you. Don’t be fooled into letting the actions of others determine your joy. True joy comes from knowing that God Himself lives within you and has fellowship with you, regardless of your environment. Real joy lies in the knowledge that holy God has completely forgiven you of every sin, and even now, He has a home prepared in Heaven where you can spend eternity with Him (John 14: 3). The circumstances of your life cannot change these truths! Paul and Silas faced some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. They were falsely accused, arrested, and imprisoned. They were beaten and shackled in the darkest, coldest section of the prison. But they refuse to allow their horrific situation to dampen their joy! They did not blame God for allowing these things to happen to them. Instead, they praised Him for His goodness! In the darkness of the night, they prayed and sang. God brought a miracle that released them from their chains, but perhaps the greater miracle was that His Holy Spirit could so fill them that even in their painful imprisonment they could overflow with joy!
Do not allow difficult events to cancel the joy of knowing you are a child of God. Choose to allow God’s Spirit to fill you with His unquenchable joy, and your life will be a miracle to those who watch you face the trials that come.
May we realize that there is not one circumstance or situation that can take our God given joy away unless we allow it. Jesus is victory and we have Him living in our heart. That means we have the victory also–the ultimate reason not to be worrisome. It is the ultimate reason to sing praises to our God especially in the darkest times of our lives—to God be the glory!
