"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 it so that it may bear more fruit.…
John 15:1-2
On any early winters day, go out to your nearest orchard and what will you see. At first glance, it may look like madmen have attempted to destroy the trees. Branches and limbs have been removed to the point of leaving the trees with what seems like the barest of form. But, those who understand know, it is pruning time.
The good orchardist knows that in order to get the best crop he has to trim those trees down to their essentials. He knows, by experience and training, exactly what should be removed and what should be kept, and in his mind he has a vision for those trees...and a hope for the crop to come.
In time, as the trees bud, bloom and begin to fruit, you will again see the orchardist move among his trees, thinning out the small and unessential fruit, spacing what remains in order to maximize its potential.
As the orchardist must pare their crop to ensure a harvest, so too, God is constantly at work in the life of His disciple, paring and pruning, shaping and thinning, removing that which hinders growth and/or diminishes the harvest He expects.
As the light of God shines upon us, He reveals those wasteful things that interfere with our progress into the image of Christ: old habits of the past life; ways of the flesh; and traits that hinder, such as impatience, resentment, doubt, fear, pride, envy. All these things He prunes away or thins out by the ordering of events in our lives that both bring them to the surface and allow us the opportunity to shed them by way of repentant hearts and changed lives. And if necessary, God may even enact His severe mercy and unilaterally remove things, even people from our lives, if they are interfering with our growth and fruitfulness...if they've become an idol in our life.
Pruning and thinning is never easy and often misunderstood. But, don't try to explain it. Don't try to defend it. Those that know and love you and God, don't need the explanation. Those that don't know you or God will never understand.
Do you feel as though you are being stripped and emptied...thinned out and pruned to the bone? Rejoice! God is at work in your life, removing all that distracts and diminishes, in order that you might one day know His abundant fruitfulness and experience a spiritual harvest of plenty. Humbly submit...surrender to His loving hand and relinquish that which He desires to be removed. Then, and only then, will you enjoy the bounty and fruitfulness He has planned and which your true heart desires.
God bless you thru your pruning and thinning times, looking ahead to the joy set before you in a bountiful, fruit-filled harvest.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
My Little Old Church
I was saved in a little Pentecostal church in Keremeos, B.C., Canada. Elim Tabernacle, an affiliate of the PAOC, was home to at least 50-60 congregational members. There were no light shows, no dry ice smoke machines, no children's church, and no latte's at the entrance. It was a simple, plain church, with hardwood pews and plain ordinary folk (mostly farmers) who loved God, His Word and each other.
The music ministry team consisted primarily of two old married couples, the Millers and Rodmans, who played the piano, organ, accordion, violin and an assortment of brass instruments. Often they were joined by the pastors and their wives and/or children, if they played. They weren't exceptional musicians. By any standard, they were "rough". I often recall how Mr. Rodman's violin wouldn't so much as "hit" a note, as slide into it. But they all played from the heart and to honor their Lord. They were willing and able, and God blessed us by anointing their heartfelt efforts.
There weren't a lot of contemporary songs in our worship time. Mostly the old hymns and revival choruses, which everyone knew and everyone sang (or, at least made a joyful noise to). Occasionally, as a treat, a member or guest would honor us with something more contemporary. But, we would always go back to the hymns that regaled the Master and life with Him and which we all could sing to.
The most beautiful worship, in my mind, was when the instruments stopped, the leader turned off the mike and the congregation took over. You could feel the waves of the Holy Spirit moving thru the congregation as all were one in songs of praise. There were times when I imagined that this is what it must have been like on that Day of Pentecost in Acts 1, when all were together in one accord and the Holy Spirit fell upon all with tongues of fire.
The music ministry team consisted primarily of two old married couples, the Millers and Rodmans, who played the piano, organ, accordion, violin and an assortment of brass instruments. Often they were joined by the pastors and their wives and/or children, if they played. They weren't exceptional musicians. By any standard, they were "rough". I often recall how Mr. Rodman's violin wouldn't so much as "hit" a note, as slide into it. But they all played from the heart and to honor their Lord. They were willing and able, and God blessed us by anointing their heartfelt efforts.
There weren't a lot of contemporary songs in our worship time. Mostly the old hymns and revival choruses, which everyone knew and everyone sang (or, at least made a joyful noise to). Occasionally, as a treat, a member or guest would honor us with something more contemporary. But, we would always go back to the hymns that regaled the Master and life with Him and which we all could sing to.
The most beautiful worship, in my mind, was when the instruments stopped, the leader turned off the mike and the congregation took over. You could feel the waves of the Holy Spirit moving thru the congregation as all were one in songs of praise. There were times when I imagined that this is what it must have been like on that Day of Pentecost in Acts 1, when all were together in one accord and the Holy Spirit fell upon all with tongues of fire.
Our pastors (I sat under two couples: Stan and Pauline McNutt and Victor and Kathleen Payne) didn't use a lot of Power Point, YouTube or slick videos. In fact, they rarely, if ever, used the overhead projector that was used to project the worship choruses and hymns. Such was the technological prowess of our fellowship.
Pastor McNutt and Payne kept their messages simple and biblical. Usually a three point sermon, with a few anecdotal stories to bring home the point. But, the stories never outweighed the scripture. The bible was central and you came away with a greater appreciation for the contemporariness of the Word and why we need it so much. Moreover, and most importantly, there was the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in their preaching. It was very real, very powerful, from the heart and kept us all humble and receptive.
Pastor McNutt and Payne kept their messages simple and biblical. Usually a three point sermon, with a few anecdotal stories to bring home the point. But, the stories never outweighed the scripture. The bible was central and you came away with a greater appreciation for the contemporariness of the Word and why we need it so much. Moreover, and most importantly, there was the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in their preaching. It was very real, very powerful, from the heart and kept us all humble and receptive.
With few exceptions, the service would end in an altar call. There was no dropping heads and silent raising of hands for prayer. If you wanted to get saved, or be prayed for, you got up out of your pew and made your way to the altar...in front of everyone. This kept people serious about their needs for prayer and for God. In our church, there was no hiding your faith or needs. And once they made their way to the front, almost everyone else got up to pray with them. We bore one another's burdens.
After Sunday morning service, we sometimes gathered in the church basement for potluck. That's where the real fellowship happened. "Small groups" weren't organized so much as they just "happened", naturally, out of shared interests and needs.
Sunday evenings were the worship services. 30-45 minutes of worship and praise, followed by a testimony or the completion of pastor's message from that morning and ending in prayer at the front of the church that could go on for an hour or more. Coffee and desserts followed, again in the church basement. More fellowship. And there were always the stragglers, staying behind at the altar to pray for that extra blessing, for guidance, for anointing, for healing and comfort.
Our pastors were not rich, by any means. And their days were often filled with visiting the sick and home-ridden, or sorting out the occasional rift between members. They were involved in the community and kept the pulse of the valley. And of course, there were the weddings and funerals.
Our pastor's wives and children supported them, even if they didn't always live up to the "perfection" some thought they should represent. They were transparent and humble and mostly joyful and glad to be there. I never got the impression that either the McNutts or the Paynes were using Elim as a stepping stone to some bigger, wealthier church. They loved us and loved Keremeos and the people in the Similkameen Valley.
Elim was a simple, humble country church, filled with simple, humble loving folk and pastored by equally humble and loving pastors. I loved it...I miss it. And I hope to one day pastor a church just like it.
A Mother's Love
Mary received the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The gold and frankincense would be used to finance their travel from Bethlehem to Egypt and give them a start in a world hostile to those with secrets.
The myrrh were something else. This was a burial spice used in embalming. Could this be what Mary was "contemplating" that Christmas morning?
For over thirty years she had this myrrh in her possession, probably hidden away in a box made by her husband. But, a daily reminder to her of the ultimate end for her son.
On the day of Jesus' final Passover celebration on earth, it is not given to us in the bible who else was there with Jesus and His disciples. However, I would find it odd that Mary, His mother and Mary Magdalene would not also be there, present, and preparing the elements for the Passover feast.
I imagine Mary, watching quietly in the background, as Jesus spoke those words..."This is my body, broken for you..." "This is my blood, poured out for you..." "Do this in memory of me..." And in that moment, her mind flashing to the location of that last gift from the magi. Now was coming the time for its use.
A mother's love held onto that gift, knowing its significance, but knowing and contemplating God's will in it. A mother's love would apply the myrrh to her son's body as she lay Him in the tomb. A mother's love held onto the promises of resurrection.
The gold and frankincense would be used to finance their travel from Bethlehem to Egypt and give them a start in a world hostile to those with secrets.
The myrrh were something else. This was a burial spice used in embalming. Could this be what Mary was "contemplating" that Christmas morning?
For over thirty years she had this myrrh in her possession, probably hidden away in a box made by her husband. But, a daily reminder to her of the ultimate end for her son.
On the day of Jesus' final Passover celebration on earth, it is not given to us in the bible who else was there with Jesus and His disciples. However, I would find it odd that Mary, His mother and Mary Magdalene would not also be there, present, and preparing the elements for the Passover feast.
I imagine Mary, watching quietly in the background, as Jesus spoke those words..."This is my body, broken for you..." "This is my blood, poured out for you..." "Do this in memory of me..." And in that moment, her mind flashing to the location of that last gift from the magi. Now was coming the time for its use.
A mother's love held onto that gift, knowing its significance, but knowing and contemplating God's will in it. A mother's love would apply the myrrh to her son's body as she lay Him in the tomb. A mother's love held onto the promises of resurrection.
He loves you as you are, but...
God loves you as you are...but, died and left us His Holy Spirit so you could become something more....something He dreamed of and intended for you.
You cannot accept His love without accepting the challenge to be the reflection of His Son, Jesus.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,
Romans 8:29
You cannot accept His love without accepting the challenge to be the reflection of His Son, Jesus.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,
Romans 8:29
What is "worship"?
There is a movement going on right now in the realm of worship that is all about "original contemporary music, songs and choruses, in highly stylized, professionally produced stages, filled with lights and dry ice clouds, all of which are designed to usher us into the presence of God and prepare us to receive from God.
Like Israel's reliance upon the ark, or the temple....we forgot that it is a living God that desires not our technical expertise, but our presence and our hearts, in repentance and humility. It isn't a show...its a time of taking off one's shoes, for you are in the Holy presence of God.
Worship for the sake of worship, following a form or formula, seeking to "manufacture" God's presence, is nothing more and nothing less than idolatry.
True worship will result in a broken, humbled person, connected to a living God, for the purpose of service to Him, by loving others. Its not about "feeling good"....its about servant-hood and intimacy with Jesus.
Sometimes that intimacy can be frightening....but, ultimately, it is freeing. For intimacy demands a letting go of the world and things, and concentrating on the presence of God. It sets us free from the piercing gaze of critics, deafens us to the gnawing voices of the cynics, releases us from the bonds of fear and shame. As the chorus goes, when we..."look full in His wonderful face...the things of earth will grow strangely dim."
I'm not discounting professional musicians and their ministry in music. I'm simply saying that we cannot rely upon that mastery of music as a replacement for humility, or as either a replacement for, or tools to usher in, the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Like Israel's reliance upon the ark, or the temple....we forgot that it is a living God that desires not our technical expertise, but our presence and our hearts, in repentance and humility. It isn't a show...its a time of taking off one's shoes, for you are in the Holy presence of God.
Worship for the sake of worship, following a form or formula, seeking to "manufacture" God's presence, is nothing more and nothing less than idolatry.
True worship will result in a broken, humbled person, connected to a living God, for the purpose of service to Him, by loving others. Its not about "feeling good"....its about servant-hood and intimacy with Jesus.
Sometimes that intimacy can be frightening....but, ultimately, it is freeing. For intimacy demands a letting go of the world and things, and concentrating on the presence of God. It sets us free from the piercing gaze of critics, deafens us to the gnawing voices of the cynics, releases us from the bonds of fear and shame. As the chorus goes, when we..."look full in His wonderful face...the things of earth will grow strangely dim."
I'm not discounting professional musicians and their ministry in music. I'm simply saying that we cannot rely upon that mastery of music as a replacement for humility, or as either a replacement for, or tools to usher in, the presence of the Holy Spirit.
A Defense Against Spiritual and Carnal Deception
Considering the present spiritual and carnal deception flooding our lives, these passages of Scripture are critical for the Church to remain "set apart" and "holy"...
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11
And He said, "See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not go after them. "When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately."
Luke 21:8-9
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.…
Galatians 5:16-17
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1
...preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.…
2 Timothy 4:2-4
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11
And He said, "See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not go after them. "When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately."
Luke 21:8-9
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.…
Galatians 5:16-17
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1
...preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.…
2 Timothy 4:2-4
Nothing Of Me
Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (2nd Cor 5:16-17)
You cannot change the essential you by what you do. You can only change you by dying and being born-again, new. We change by emptying ourselves and allowing Jesus to fill us fully and grow us into His image.
We cannot change except by way of the Holy Spirit's intervention and with the express approval of God. Any attempt to do so outside of the Holy Spirit and without God's consent is doomed to failure and is, ultimately, a sign of pride and arrogance.
You cannot change the essential you by what you do. You can only change you by dying and being born-again, new. We change by emptying ourselves and allowing Jesus to fill us fully and grow us into His image.
We cannot change except by way of the Holy Spirit's intervention and with the express approval of God. Any attempt to do so outside of the Holy Spirit and without God's consent is doomed to failure and is, ultimately, a sign of pride and arrogance.
Friday, June 5, 2015
Fear Is Nothing To Be Feared
"The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself"
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Like cold is the absence of heat. Like darkness is the absence of light.
Fear is the absence of courage.
Fear is not a thing. Fear is what you are left with when the things that make for courage are missing.
Rather than ask, "What is fear?", we should ask "Where does courage come from?"
What is it that gives the Mother courage to step in front of danger to protect her children? What is it that wells up within a soldier to face the bullets and bombs to protect his unit?
It comes from a heart filled with God, His Word, His Holy Spirit....His Love.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love." 1 John 4:18
Do you want to be fearless? Then fill yourself with God's love....His Word....His Holy Spirit. Fill your every thought with His goodness and you will make no room for fear.
Fear is nothing to be feared. Fear is an emptiness waiting to be filled.
Fill it with Jesus and find the courage you need to face the challenges of your day.
Blessings,
A.J.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Like cold is the absence of heat. Like darkness is the absence of light.
Fear is the absence of courage.
Fear is not a thing. Fear is what you are left with when the things that make for courage are missing.
Rather than ask, "What is fear?", we should ask "Where does courage come from?"
What is it that gives the Mother courage to step in front of danger to protect her children? What is it that wells up within a soldier to face the bullets and bombs to protect his unit?
It comes from a heart filled with God, His Word, His Holy Spirit....His Love.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love." 1 John 4:18
Do you want to be fearless? Then fill yourself with God's love....His Word....His Holy Spirit. Fill your every thought with His goodness and you will make no room for fear.
Fear is nothing to be feared. Fear is an emptiness waiting to be filled.
Fill it with Jesus and find the courage you need to face the challenges of your day.
Blessings,
A.J.
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