Post by mommadee48 on Sept 17, 2022 12:07:10 GMT -5
IN TOUCH MIMISTRIES; by Pastor Charles Stanley.
I used to live in the mountains of North Carolina in a town called Fruitland. The name was fitting because it was apple country, and still is. As the pastor of a church there, I mad it my practice to visit the members. I remember arriving at one gentleman's house but discovered that he was out in the orchard. So, I went in search of him and found him pruning the trees.
The tree he was working on looked pathetically bare. I told him, "Man, you're going to kill that tree if you don't stop cutting". He replied, "You stick to preaching, and I'll take care of the pruning". He was right. I didn't know anything about pruning, but he obviously did.
Eventually we became friends, and he explained to me the value of pruning. He said, "If you're going to get good fruit, and a lot of it, you've got to cut back the branches. It may look like you're killing the tree, but if you let all those branches stay, the sap will be wasted on new growth instead of producing fruit".
I never forgot that lesson because Jesus taught the same thing to His disciples. He used a vineyard as a picture of their relationship with Him and the Father. He described the Father as the vinedresser, Himself as the vine, and the disciples the branches (JOHN15:1-5).
In order to produce more spiritual fruit in our lives, our heavenly Father gets out His pruning knife and goes to work on us. We may think, "God, if You loved me, You wouldn't let these things happen." But oftentimes, He is taking away things that hinder your spiritual growth so you can bear more fruit, because that's what brings Him glory (v.8).
Now you may be wondering, "What is the fruit that God is after in my life, and what are the things He's cutting away?"
Before I tackle these questions, I want you to understand the relationship between Jesus Christ as the vine and you as the branch.
When you were saved, you were joined to Christ and indwelt with His Spirit. Like the sap in a branch, His life now flows through you, producing righteous fruit. That's why Jesus said, "The one who remains (or abides) in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing"(v.5). A branch doesn't strain to produce fruit; it simply remains attached to the vine as the sap flows through it. We're not the ones who produce spiritual fruit; we simply bear the fruit that results those results from obedience and faith. That's how we're transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.
The fruit the Spirit is producing in us comes in two forms---our character and our works. In other words, He's enabling us to become the person God wants us to be and to accomplish the work He's given us to do. Both are essential in the Christian life and cannot be produced apart from the work of the Spirit. In this way we glorify God and prove to be Christ's disciples (v.8).
You're probably familiar with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: "love, joy, peace, patient. kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control." Now we don't bear all this fruit to the same degree or as consistently as we'd like, but it should be increasing and visible in our interactions with others.
The other fruit is displayed in our works or service to the Lord. In ourselves, we're totally incapable of obeying the Lord, living righteously, or serving Him with any eternal effectiveness. We may look impressive on the outside, but if the Spirit isn't accomplishing God's will through us, the results are short-lived and produce no genuine results.
To help us become more fruitful, God cuts away whatever is hindering the bearing of that fruit (JOHN 15:2). This includes sin in all its forms, as well as anything that distracts us from the Lord or draws us away from Him. The cutting tools He uses are varied and specifically designed for each person. Many times, His pruning knife come in the form of trials. Problems and suffering have a way of bringing our eyes back to the Lord and returning us to complete dependence on Him. And that is exactly how it should be.
Instead of resisting the pruning process, yield to the Spirit by confessing and repenting of any sin in your life. Then consider whether anything is distracting you from focus on the Lord. Sometimes even something good can occupy too much of your time, attention, or affection. You don't have to live in complete self-denial of all earthly joys. The goal is to keep them in the proper place so that the Lord is your priority.
If you're currently feeling the sharpness of God's pruning knife, I hope you'll realize that He's doing a good work in you. His goal isn't to hurt you unnecessarily, but to benefit you eternally. The Lord is much more interested in your spiritual fruit-bearing than in your temporal comfort and ease. Right now, you may feel like that apple tree my friend was pruning, but come harvest time, you'll have great joy in glorifying God with fruit that lasts forever.
TODD LEVIN MINISTRIES by Pastor Todd Levin: "WHO DO YOU PREFER?"
IT'S SHOCKING AT TIME TO NOTICE HOW PEOPLE ARE OFTEN ONLY LOOKING OUT FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR ADVANCEMENT.
You'd think that as a believer, this would never be a problem, but it is. The moment an opportunity arises, people are contending for the best position. We can see this from a worldly standpoint as soon as a better job position opens up at work. People are lining up in the hope of getting a promotion, a nicer office, a wage increase, and longer paid vacation days. It's no longer viewed as "What's best for the Company?" or "Who's more suited for the job?" Now, it's turned into a free-for-all where employees are fighting to see if they will be the "chosen one". The moment a decision has been made; everyone returns to their previous positions but this time with an attitude: "Why were they picked over me? I've been here much longer. I'm more qualified than everyone else."
As I mentioned earlier, this same "look out for number one" mindset can be found in churches too. Some people are always trying to make a good impression on the pastor of the church in hopes of being noticed. It almost seems as if they need recognition in order to feel important. Without this validation to boost their ego, they soon become disconnected from the body of Christ and leave the church.
For others, it can be about seeking a platform in order to be heard. For instance, positions as singers, Sunday school teachers. and elders or deacons. The main point is that the majority of people often put the cart before the horse. Rather than recognizing individuals and the different gifts that the Lord has given, allowing them to blossom and shine in the place where God has called them to stand, people (Christians included) often try to push their way to the front of the line while climbing over everyone else.
I'm reminded of a former graduate of a bible school whom I met one day as I was leaving the church. She said to me as we exchanged a few brief words, "The Pastor never lets me preach here". I replied, "Are you involved in some way?" "Yes", she said. "He has me standing out front greeting the people as they enter the church". I said, "Wonderful. You're the first happy face they get to meet as they enter." The response that came next really caught me off guard. "I didn't go two years to Bible school so that I could stand here and shake someone's hand," she replied. Then the graduate turned and stormed off offended. This was shocking and disappointing, to say the least.
In Matthew chapter 20, Jesus prophesied of his crucifixion for the third time as his disciples were gathered around him.
"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again". (Matthew 20: 18-19 (KJV).
No sooner had Jesus finished his announcement, when the mother of James and John, the disciples of Jesus of Jesus, approached the Lord and asked for a favor:
"And he said unto her, What wilt thou?
She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, "Ye know not what you ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren."(MATTHEW 20:21-24 (KJV).
How insensitive can you be?
Maybe this mother didn't get the memo about Jesus' impending crucifixion. However, her two boys were present whenever Jesus announced it. For sure, James or John could have prevented their mother from asking Jesus this rather embarrassing yet hopeful favor. What is shocking to me was that instead of their hearts being filled with sadness or intercession for their Lord and his approaching death, they were more focused on their position after he was gone. Naturally, the other disciples were enraged whenever they heard what was discussed. If the Lord had not been present with all the disciples, I'm not sure if these two boys would have made it home unharmed.
"Jesus, knowing their thoughts, called them to his side and said, "Kings and those with great authority in this world rule oppressively over subjects, like tyrants. But this is not your calling. You will lead by a completely different model. The greatest one among you will live as the one who is called to serve others, because the greatest honor and authority is reserved for the one with the heart of a servant. For even the Son of Man did not come expecting to be served but to serve and give his life in exchange for the salvation of many." (MATTHEW 20:25-28 (TPT).
Let's focus particularly on verses 26 and 27. Notice that they were called to lead by a "completely different model." We are as well! In the kingdom of God, it's not a matter of trying to push our way to the front of the line as we have become accustomed to doing since birth, but now, as Jesus said, "The greatest one among you will live as the one who is called to serve others." This will take some getting used to because it's an entirely different approach or "model" than what we've been used to.
We don't need to push aside others or step on them in order to succeed---at least not from a kingdom perspective. Everything has now been reversed. The greatest one will be the one who serves others. It's whenever we lose sight of this and attempt to win the praise and recognition of others that we find ourselves in trouble with God and with man.
"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." (MATTHEW 23:12 9KJV).
I've learned a long time ago that each and everyone has their own assignment from God. He didn't photocopy my assignment and then hand it out to everybody. We all have gifts that differ from one another. Some may, by reason of use, become more skilled on their gifting than others, but at the end of the day, our gifting is not for our benefit but for the benefit of others. If we truly want to walk as Jesus walked and look more like him every day, then it is necessary to recognize that everyone has a place where God has called them to stand---be it in ministry or the secular workforce, we all fit somewhere.
To be the greatest blessing, we can be to those around us, we should make an effort to prefer others above ourselves. This will allow them to shine in their place and exercise their gifts, which in turn, allows the Lord to manifest his love and mercy through us. As we become faithful to the little things in life and continue to allow the Holy Spirit to have his way, then increase is inevitable. And the difference is that it wasn't us who pushed our way to the top, but the Lord who blesses and rewards the heart of a servant.
REMEMBER WHO'S YOU ARE; NOT WHO YOU ARE. GIVE ALL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, PRAISE AND GLORY TO JEHOVAH GOD OUR TRUE FATHER; IN HEAVEN.
w
I used to live in the mountains of North Carolina in a town called Fruitland. The name was fitting because it was apple country, and still is. As the pastor of a church there, I mad it my practice to visit the members. I remember arriving at one gentleman's house but discovered that he was out in the orchard. So, I went in search of him and found him pruning the trees.
The tree he was working on looked pathetically bare. I told him, "Man, you're going to kill that tree if you don't stop cutting". He replied, "You stick to preaching, and I'll take care of the pruning". He was right. I didn't know anything about pruning, but he obviously did.
Eventually we became friends, and he explained to me the value of pruning. He said, "If you're going to get good fruit, and a lot of it, you've got to cut back the branches. It may look like you're killing the tree, but if you let all those branches stay, the sap will be wasted on new growth instead of producing fruit".
I never forgot that lesson because Jesus taught the same thing to His disciples. He used a vineyard as a picture of their relationship with Him and the Father. He described the Father as the vinedresser, Himself as the vine, and the disciples the branches (JOHN15:1-5).
In order to produce more spiritual fruit in our lives, our heavenly Father gets out His pruning knife and goes to work on us. We may think, "God, if You loved me, You wouldn't let these things happen." But oftentimes, He is taking away things that hinder your spiritual growth so you can bear more fruit, because that's what brings Him glory (v.8).
Now you may be wondering, "What is the fruit that God is after in my life, and what are the things He's cutting away?"
Before I tackle these questions, I want you to understand the relationship between Jesus Christ as the vine and you as the branch.
When you were saved, you were joined to Christ and indwelt with His Spirit. Like the sap in a branch, His life now flows through you, producing righteous fruit. That's why Jesus said, "The one who remains (or abides) in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing"(v.5). A branch doesn't strain to produce fruit; it simply remains attached to the vine as the sap flows through it. We're not the ones who produce spiritual fruit; we simply bear the fruit that results those results from obedience and faith. That's how we're transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.
The fruit the Spirit is producing in us comes in two forms---our character and our works. In other words, He's enabling us to become the person God wants us to be and to accomplish the work He's given us to do. Both are essential in the Christian life and cannot be produced apart from the work of the Spirit. In this way we glorify God and prove to be Christ's disciples (v.8).
You're probably familiar with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: "love, joy, peace, patient. kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control." Now we don't bear all this fruit to the same degree or as consistently as we'd like, but it should be increasing and visible in our interactions with others.
The other fruit is displayed in our works or service to the Lord. In ourselves, we're totally incapable of obeying the Lord, living righteously, or serving Him with any eternal effectiveness. We may look impressive on the outside, but if the Spirit isn't accomplishing God's will through us, the results are short-lived and produce no genuine results.
To help us become more fruitful, God cuts away whatever is hindering the bearing of that fruit (JOHN 15:2). This includes sin in all its forms, as well as anything that distracts us from the Lord or draws us away from Him. The cutting tools He uses are varied and specifically designed for each person. Many times, His pruning knife come in the form of trials. Problems and suffering have a way of bringing our eyes back to the Lord and returning us to complete dependence on Him. And that is exactly how it should be.
Instead of resisting the pruning process, yield to the Spirit by confessing and repenting of any sin in your life. Then consider whether anything is distracting you from focus on the Lord. Sometimes even something good can occupy too much of your time, attention, or affection. You don't have to live in complete self-denial of all earthly joys. The goal is to keep them in the proper place so that the Lord is your priority.
If you're currently feeling the sharpness of God's pruning knife, I hope you'll realize that He's doing a good work in you. His goal isn't to hurt you unnecessarily, but to benefit you eternally. The Lord is much more interested in your spiritual fruit-bearing than in your temporal comfort and ease. Right now, you may feel like that apple tree my friend was pruning, but come harvest time, you'll have great joy in glorifying God with fruit that lasts forever.
TODD LEVIN MINISTRIES by Pastor Todd Levin: "WHO DO YOU PREFER?"
IT'S SHOCKING AT TIME TO NOTICE HOW PEOPLE ARE OFTEN ONLY LOOKING OUT FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR ADVANCEMENT.
You'd think that as a believer, this would never be a problem, but it is. The moment an opportunity arises, people are contending for the best position. We can see this from a worldly standpoint as soon as a better job position opens up at work. People are lining up in the hope of getting a promotion, a nicer office, a wage increase, and longer paid vacation days. It's no longer viewed as "What's best for the Company?" or "Who's more suited for the job?" Now, it's turned into a free-for-all where employees are fighting to see if they will be the "chosen one". The moment a decision has been made; everyone returns to their previous positions but this time with an attitude: "Why were they picked over me? I've been here much longer. I'm more qualified than everyone else."
As I mentioned earlier, this same "look out for number one" mindset can be found in churches too. Some people are always trying to make a good impression on the pastor of the church in hopes of being noticed. It almost seems as if they need recognition in order to feel important. Without this validation to boost their ego, they soon become disconnected from the body of Christ and leave the church.
For others, it can be about seeking a platform in order to be heard. For instance, positions as singers, Sunday school teachers. and elders or deacons. The main point is that the majority of people often put the cart before the horse. Rather than recognizing individuals and the different gifts that the Lord has given, allowing them to blossom and shine in the place where God has called them to stand, people (Christians included) often try to push their way to the front of the line while climbing over everyone else.
I'm reminded of a former graduate of a bible school whom I met one day as I was leaving the church. She said to me as we exchanged a few brief words, "The Pastor never lets me preach here". I replied, "Are you involved in some way?" "Yes", she said. "He has me standing out front greeting the people as they enter the church". I said, "Wonderful. You're the first happy face they get to meet as they enter." The response that came next really caught me off guard. "I didn't go two years to Bible school so that I could stand here and shake someone's hand," she replied. Then the graduate turned and stormed off offended. This was shocking and disappointing, to say the least.
In Matthew chapter 20, Jesus prophesied of his crucifixion for the third time as his disciples were gathered around him.
"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again". (Matthew 20: 18-19 (KJV).
No sooner had Jesus finished his announcement, when the mother of James and John, the disciples of Jesus of Jesus, approached the Lord and asked for a favor:
"And he said unto her, What wilt thou?
She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, "Ye know not what you ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren."(MATTHEW 20:21-24 (KJV).
How insensitive can you be?
Maybe this mother didn't get the memo about Jesus' impending crucifixion. However, her two boys were present whenever Jesus announced it. For sure, James or John could have prevented their mother from asking Jesus this rather embarrassing yet hopeful favor. What is shocking to me was that instead of their hearts being filled with sadness or intercession for their Lord and his approaching death, they were more focused on their position after he was gone. Naturally, the other disciples were enraged whenever they heard what was discussed. If the Lord had not been present with all the disciples, I'm not sure if these two boys would have made it home unharmed.
"Jesus, knowing their thoughts, called them to his side and said, "Kings and those with great authority in this world rule oppressively over subjects, like tyrants. But this is not your calling. You will lead by a completely different model. The greatest one among you will live as the one who is called to serve others, because the greatest honor and authority is reserved for the one with the heart of a servant. For even the Son of Man did not come expecting to be served but to serve and give his life in exchange for the salvation of many." (MATTHEW 20:25-28 (TPT).
Let's focus particularly on verses 26 and 27. Notice that they were called to lead by a "completely different model." We are as well! In the kingdom of God, it's not a matter of trying to push our way to the front of the line as we have become accustomed to doing since birth, but now, as Jesus said, "The greatest one among you will live as the one who is called to serve others." This will take some getting used to because it's an entirely different approach or "model" than what we've been used to.
We don't need to push aside others or step on them in order to succeed---at least not from a kingdom perspective. Everything has now been reversed. The greatest one will be the one who serves others. It's whenever we lose sight of this and attempt to win the praise and recognition of others that we find ourselves in trouble with God and with man.
"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." (MATTHEW 23:12 9KJV).
I've learned a long time ago that each and everyone has their own assignment from God. He didn't photocopy my assignment and then hand it out to everybody. We all have gifts that differ from one another. Some may, by reason of use, become more skilled on their gifting than others, but at the end of the day, our gifting is not for our benefit but for the benefit of others. If we truly want to walk as Jesus walked and look more like him every day, then it is necessary to recognize that everyone has a place where God has called them to stand---be it in ministry or the secular workforce, we all fit somewhere.
To be the greatest blessing, we can be to those around us, we should make an effort to prefer others above ourselves. This will allow them to shine in their place and exercise their gifts, which in turn, allows the Lord to manifest his love and mercy through us. As we become faithful to the little things in life and continue to allow the Holy Spirit to have his way, then increase is inevitable. And the difference is that it wasn't us who pushed our way to the top, but the Lord who blesses and rewards the heart of a servant.
REMEMBER WHO'S YOU ARE; NOT WHO YOU ARE. GIVE ALL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, PRAISE AND GLORY TO JEHOVAH GOD OUR TRUE FATHER; IN HEAVEN.
w