Pruning

In John 15:1-2 (NKJV), Jesus says, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit."

The pruning of a believer involves the cutting away of sinful, harmful, negative, and non-productive elements in the believer's life. Because cutting is an inherent part of pruning, it can be a very radical and very painful process.

God prunes in believers' lives in order to cut away all of the sin and junk and garbage that is keeping us from being more fruitful.

It is never a pleasant experience when the pruning is happening.

But it is necessary.

If God is pruning you right now, though, take heart. It means that He knows that you can be more fruitful for Him, and He loves you and cares enough for you to help you in the process.

Pruning is not done out of punishment. It is done out of love, by a Heavenly Father who knows what is best for us in order for us to be able to bear more fruit for Him.

Moses

Some observations from Charles Swindoll about the life of Moses:

Moses' life could be divided into three 40-year periods. In the first 40-year period, Moses thought he was somebody. In the second 40-year period, Moses learned he was nobody. In the final 40-year period, Moses discovered what God could do with a nobody.

Charles Swindoll adds that if you are in a desert experience, like Moses, whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual, don't fight it or run from it. Instead, settle into a pattern of self-discovery and allow God to teach you about the areas in which you need to mature. No matter how useless your circumstances may seem, turn your situation over to God and watch as He recasts your character into His mold.

Babel

Benjamin Franklin at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787:

"God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? ... Without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel."

Justice

Thomas Jefferson:

"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever."

Liberties

Thomas Jefferson:

"The God who gave us life gave us liberty ... Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction ... that these liberites are the gift of God?"

Snare

In 2 Timothy 2:25-26 (NKJV), Paul exhorts Timothy to correct "those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."

So many people today have been snared by the devil and have been taken captive by him. Unbelievers have been snared, but so have countless self-professing believers who have fallen prey to false prophets and false teachers, or who have simply found the faith walk to be too difficult for them, so that they decide to return to the world and its deceptive comforts and materialism.

Perhaps you have friends, family members, or other loved ones who have been snared by the devil. It is an awful thing to witness. Pray urgently for them, that God works radically in their lives, and that they repent, recognize the truth, come to their senses, escape the snare of the devil, and stop doing his will.

Being snared is an awful place to be.

Revelation Vs. Vision

Proverbs 29:18 is one of the most misinterpreted verses in the entire Bible.

Proverbs 29:18 (NKJV) says, "Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law."

Some versions of the Bible, including the original KJV, substitute the word "vision" for "revelation." That is where the misinterpretation begins, as it has led to many pastors using one of the modern meanings of the word "vision" in their interpretation of the verse. For many pastors, Proverbs 29:18 deals with setting a goal or an objective, or having a plan, such as when a pastor has a "vision" for a new church program or a building fund. The pastor then cites Proverbs 29:18 in order to give some scriptural weight to his "vision" - his goal or objective or plan or personal desire or new program or new facility - when the verse has absolutely nothing to do with this at all.

When Proverbs 29:18 talks of a revelation, it is talking about God's Word. When people do not hear the word, when there is no revelation of the Word, then there is lawlessness. That is why the verse talks about how people cast off restraint - become lawless - when there is no revelation, when they are without God's Word. The verse then contrasts such lawlessness and rebellion with the happiness of one who keeps the law, one who is obedient to God's Word and its revelation. Proverbs 29:18 simply means that when people are without God's Word, there is lawlessness. It has nothing to do with someone's personal "vision."

Be careful when someone uses Proverbs 29:18 as the basis for a personal or ministerial "vision." It is an incorrect - and sometimes very misleading and sometimes very dangerous - interpretation of Proverbs 29:18, and is not what the verse is intended to mean at all.

Red Light, Green Light

There are times in life when God puts a red light in our path. There are times when God has us stop what we are doing. It may come in the form of a job loss, or a financial reversal, or an illness, or a relationship change. Life is not always about green lights. God permits us to spend time in the desert, in the wilderness, and at red lights.

Sometimes it seems like the red light will never change to green.

If you are at a red light in your life right now, and you don't understand why God is allowing it, then cling tightly to the words found in Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV):

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

God allows red lights in our lives.

But eventually every red light turns green.

Rubbish

In Philippians 3:8 (NKJV), the Apostle Paul writes, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ...."

Paul suffered the loss of all things. Absolutely everything.

Yet he counted them all as rubbish.

It is only when we can reach the same point and it is only when we can say the same thing in our own lives - when we are willing to suffer the loss of all things and then count them all as rubbish - that we truly can come to know and to gain Jesus Christ in a personal and in a redemptive sense.

Are you truly willing to suffer the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order to gain Christ?

Few can truly do so.

Difficult

In John 6:60-71 we read of the response of many of Jesus' disciples to His teaching about how He was the bread of life. Many of Jesus' disciples did not believe Him and rejected His words. John 6:66 (NKJV) says, "From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more." Their abandonment of Jesus was absolute.

As it was then, so it is now.

Many people are leaving the faith today. It is too difficult for them. Many do not have the endurance and perseverance necessary for an authentic Christian walk. Others fall prey to the slick words and easy promises of false prophets and false teachers. 1 John 2:19 (NKJV) says, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us."

It is difficult to follow Jesus. It is not an easy path to take. It will be hard to do. Perseverance and endurance are crucial to it. Beware of anyone that tells you that it is easy to do. It decidedly is not. In Matthew 7:14 (NKJV), Jesus says, "Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." "Few," Jesus says. Salvation comes by grace alone, but salvation is not easy, and grace is not cheap.

Know that the path of the narrow gate is a difficult one. Persevere. Endure. Do not abandon the narrow gate for the wide one. For as difficult as it may be, only the narrow gate leads to heaven.

Strikeouts & Home Runs

Reggie Jackson struck out 2,597 times in his baseball career, more times than any other player in baseball history.

You'd think that would make him a colossal failure.

But Reggie Jackson also hit 563 home runs, played on 5 World Series champions, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Reggie Jackson was no failure, despite the fact that he struck out more times than any other player in baseball history.

You're going to strike out - a lot - in your life and in your ministry.

But learn from your strikeouts - your mistakes and your errors - and apply what God teaches you through them.

Then confidently step back into the batter's box.

Because you're also going to hit a lot of home runs.

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) - "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ ...."

The King

Elvis Presley died on this date in 1977.

When adoring fans would call Elvis the King, Presley would respond, "I am not the King. Jesus Christ is the King. I am just an entertainer."

Waiting

Noah had to wait about 100 years from the time God told him to build an ark until the time that it actually began to rain.

Abraham had to wait about 25 years from the time God told him that he would have a son with Sarah until the time that Isaac was born.

Joseph had to wait about 13 years in prison before he became Pharaoh's second-in-command in Egypt.

Moses had to wait and spend 40 years tending sheep in the desert for his father-in-law before God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land.

Waiting on God can be agonizing.

We know what we want, and we want it right away.

But frequently God's timing is not the same as ours.

Frequently God makes us wait, in order to measure our faith, strengthen our faith, build up our perseverance, and produce patience within us.

It is never easy to have to wait.

In fact, it can be excruciating.

But in Psalm 27:14 (NKJV), David, who had to hide in caves and wait for 10 years while Saul was trying to kill him, says, "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Later, in Psalm 37:7 (NKJV), David adds, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him ...."

Wait on the Lord. Rest in the Lord. It may not be easy to do, and in fact may be very painful at times, but let God strengthen your heart, and trust confidently in His sovereign will.

Open 24 Hours

Heaven is open 24 hours.

It never closes.

God is always available for you.

Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV) - "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

Potter & Clay

Isaiah 64:8 (NKJV):

"But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand."

God is the potter.

We are the clay.

God controls the clay.

Not vice versa.

Account

Romans 14:12 (NKJV):

"So then each of us shall give account of himself to God."

What will you say?

How will He respond?

Sow & Reap

Galatians 6:7-8 (NKJV):

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."

Are you sowing to the flesh? Then expect to reap corruption. The majority of people, including many who call themselves Christians, reap corruption.

Are you sowing to the Spirit? Then expect to reap everlasting life. Few in number are those who will reap everlasting life, in comparison to those who will reap corruption instead.

What are you sowing?

What are you reaping?

Your eternity depends on what you are sowing and what you will reap.

Silent Vs. Still

Even when God seems silent, He is not still.

Shots

Wayne Gretzky:

"You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Joshua 1:9 (NKJV):

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

A Car In The Garage

G. K. Chesterton:

"Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car."

The Christian Ideal

G. K. Chesterton:

"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried."

Hatred

G. K. Chesterton:

"There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions."

Sun

G. K. Chesterton:

"God is like the sun; you cannot look at it, but without it, you cannot look at anything else."

Lost Sheep

In Luke 15:4-7 (NKJV), Jesus shared the parable of the lost sheep.

Jesus said, "What man of you, having 100 sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who need no repentance."

God seeks out sinners and backsliders, and there are a whole lot of them out there, all caught up in the cares and in the desires of this world, and who have fallen prey to the deceitfulness of earthly riches and comfort and treasures. Today, especially, it seems like there are a lot of people out there who may have professed to be Christians with their lips, but whose lives and choices and decisions and actions do not evidence it whatsoever. God wants to bring them back to the flock, too, for they are as lost as any other sinner.

God rejoices when He finds lost (and backslidden) sheep.

So should we.