Participants: Jill Morikone
Series Code: ASHF
Program Code: ASHF000142A
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00:21 Good evening and welcome to A Sharper Focus.
00:25 My name is Jill Morikone. 00:26 We're so glad 00:27 that you have joined us this evening 00:29 and so glad that each one of you, 00:32 our 3ABN Family 00:33 and Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:35 are here this evening. 00:36 What a privilege it is to open up God's word 00:40 to spend time 00:41 in the midst of the busyness of the week 00:43 and spend time with our Lord Jesus. 00:45 So we are so glad that you have joined us today, 00:49 tonight for the special study of God's word. 00:52 Tonight's topic is "Pruned in Mercy" 00:56 and we want to encourage you to check out 00:58 A Sharper Focus website, 01:00 that's ASF.3ABN.org. 01:06 That's ASF.3ABN.org. 01:12 There's videos, there is study guides 01:14 and all kinds of wonderful things there, 01:16 but first before we get into God's word, 01:19 let's have a word of prayer. 01:21 Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus. 01:23 We thank You for this time 01:26 we have together to open up Your Word 01:31 and to see what You have for us. 01:32 Thank You that Your Word is anointed, 01:34 and right now I just ask 01:37 that You would hide me behind the cross, 01:40 that You could be seen and uplifted, 01:43 and You would open up our hearts 01:44 to what You have for us, 01:46 and we thank You 01:47 in the precious and holy name of Jesus, amen. 01:52 My husband Greg grew up in West Virginia, 01:55 the hills of West Virginia. 01:58 He grew up in the-- 02:00 what we call it the hollers, that's what they call it, 02:03 but it's really the little hills, 02:04 go back in the little hills there in West Virginia. 02:08 He and his sister Janelle, 02:09 they were way back in the country. 02:15 It's wonderful growing up in the country. 02:17 Here at 3ABN 02:18 we live in the country, don't we? 02:20 We really do live in the country 02:21 and it's a blessing to be in the country. 02:26 They grew up in the country 02:27 and one of the things that they like to do, 02:29 they love to play outside, they would play in the stream. 02:32 They would work in the garden 02:34 and they had a rather large garden. 02:36 And they spent many hours pulling weeds, digging, 02:40 doing things in the garden. 02:42 They would go ginsenging in the hills, 02:46 digging for ginseng and you can sell that. 02:49 They did all kinds of things, 02:50 but one of the things that they did, 02:52 they did not have a rope swing. 02:53 But they decided they wanted to swing anyway. 02:57 So they went in the woods and there was a, 03:00 you know, the hills comes down like this, 03:02 there is the flat valley 03:03 and the hill goes up on the other side, 03:05 there is kind of narrow valleys there. 03:07 And so here with the hill coming down like this, 03:10 they found a grapevine. 03:13 The grapevine had grown up a long ways 03:17 and it was connected at the top. 03:18 You know what they did? They cut it off at the bottom. 03:23 They cut it off right down at the root 03:26 and then they said, we have a rope swing. 03:29 Now you probably imagine where the story is going. 03:31 What they did, 03:32 they would start on the side of the hill, 03:34 they would grab on to the grapevine. 03:36 They get a good running leap and jump into space 03:39 and what happens? 03:41 You swing out over the valley. 03:42 You come back and you had a great time. 03:45 And so Greg says, 03:46 he and his sister Janelle would do this. 03:48 They swing out and come back. 03:50 They swing out and come back and they loved it. 03:54 Well, one day they had company. 03:57 Some people came to visit his mom and dad. 04:01 They came to visit and-- 04:05 they had kids, and so they said, 04:07 you have got to see what this is like, 04:10 we love our grapevine swing. 04:13 It's so much fun to swing on. 04:16 So Greg says, 04:17 they grab the swing, they showed them, 04:19 this is how you do it. 04:20 They swung out, they came back. 04:23 It was perfect. 04:24 They grabbed it again, swung out, 04:27 and then they said, you try it, it's your turn. 04:29 And guess what happened. 04:31 The kid grabbed it, 04:32 he swung out and you know what happened? 04:34 It broke, you're right, Laurie. 04:36 It broke 04:37 just when he was on the length of the swing 04:40 right out over that that valley, 04:42 it broke and they went smashed. 04:48 Knock you wind out for sure. 04:49 Praise the Lord, nothing broke, 04:51 that would be painful. 04:53 Turn with me to John 15. 04:55 This is our opening scripture, 04:56 we are talking about "Pruned in mercy" here tonight. 04:59 John 15, 05:03 can you find it, Cowen? 05:05 John 15 05:06 we're going to read verses 1 through 5. 05:12 John is one of my favorite books 05:13 of the Bible. 05:14 I love the Book of John. 05:16 I just like the way John expresses his thoughts 05:20 and especially John 13 we know it's the last supper. 05:25 That's when Jesus had the last supper 05:27 with the disciples in the upper room, 05:29 He washed their feet 05:31 and then after that, remember what happened? 05:35 He gave them counsel. 05:36 John 14, 15, 16 and 17 05:41 is kind of like 05:43 his last counsel to His disciples 05:46 before He went to the cross. 05:49 You know if you ever had a son or a daughter 05:51 that was going away to war. 05:53 You think what if I never see them again? 05:55 What would be the last words I would want to give to them? 06:00 What if someone you love is sick, 06:02 and you think, I don't know if they're gonna make it? 06:04 What would be the last words I want to say to them? 06:08 That is kind of how I think about John 14, 15, 16 and 17. 06:14 It's Jesus' last words to His disciples 06:18 before He went to the cross. 06:20 We are in John 15, 06:22 I am sorry John 15 06:24 we're gonna read the first five verses. 06:26 The Bible says, "I am the true vine, 06:29 and My Father is the vinedresser. 06:33 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit 06:37 He takes away 06:40 and every branch that bears fruit He prunes..." 06:43 That's our word, 06:44 tonight we're talking about "Pruned in mercy." 06:46 "Every branch that bears fruit he prunes 06:49 that it may bear more fruit. 06:53 You are already clean 06:55 because of the word which I have spoken to you." 06:58 Verse 4, "Abide in Me, and I in you. 07:02 As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, 07:05 unless it abides in the vine, 07:07 neither can you, unless you abide in Me." 07:11 What is Jesus saying? 07:13 We can't bear fruit 07:15 if we are disconnected from the vine. 07:18 Remember when Greg and his sister 07:20 cut the grapevine, what happened? 07:23 Eventually it died. 07:26 It rotten, 07:27 no life giving sap coming through, 07:30 eventually it died. 07:31 Jump with me to verse 16 07:35 Jesus is still speaking John 15:16, 07:38 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you." 07:42 This is one of my favorite verses 07:44 in all of the Bible, 07:45 Jesus chose us. 07:47 "I chose you and appointed you 07:49 that you should go and bear fruit, 07:51 and that your fruit should remain, 07:54 that whatever you ask the Father in My name 07:56 He may give you." 07:58 Tonight, we are talking about the process of pruning. 08:03 If you're taking notes, 08:04 we're gonna look first at the six reasons 08:08 for being pruned. 08:09 We're gonna look at the purpose first. 08:11 The purpose of pruning, 08:13 now just even the concept of pruning sounds painful, 08:16 does it to you? 08:17 To me, it sounds painful. 08:19 You see what I have here. 08:20 Anybody tell me what these are? 08:23 Yeah, that's right. 08:25 Ivor's pruning shears, 08:26 so if I open this, what happens? 08:28 You could go and you can cut something. 08:30 And Garland and Donna Blanton gave Greg and I a holly bush 08:34 and they are beautiful. 08:36 Nice green leaves, they have little red berries. 08:39 Guess what happened? 08:41 The first few years it rooted in and it did well, 08:43 but you know how it looks like now? 08:45 It needs to be pruned. 08:47 Greg and I drove in the driveway 08:48 and I said sweat heart, that bush over there, 08:52 we need to prune that bush. 08:54 You know why? 08:55 Now most of it is a nice shape 08:57 and there is two or three scraggly branches 09:00 sticking straight up. 09:02 It needs this pruning shears, it needs to be pruned. 09:08 Before we get in into the six reasons 09:10 for being pruned or the purpose for being pruned. 09:14 Then we're gonna look at the process of pruning 09:17 and what we're to do in the midst of those trials, 09:20 in the midst of the pain that we experience? 09:22 But before we do any of that, 09:24 I want to ask you a question, who prunes us? 09:29 Yannick said Jesus. 09:30 Anybody else prunes us. 09:33 Is it just Jesus who does the pruning? 09:36 Holy Spirit, I like that. 09:38 Anybody else prune us? 09:41 We're gonna look at just briefly as we get into it. 09:44 You're right, God's prunes us, the Holy Spirit prunes us. 09:47 We saw that in John 15, didn't we? 09:49 Verse 2 because Jesus says," 09:51 Every branch that does not bear fruit, 09:52 He takes away, 09:54 and every branch that bears fruit, 09:56 He prunes." 09:58 Not something else Jesus, 10:00 God, is the one who does the pruning. 10:03 Turn with me to Hebrews 12. 10:06 This is right after the faith chapter Hebrews 11. 10:09 We're looking in the next chapter Hebrew 12. 10:14 We're going to look at a couple of verses here. 10:17 Verse 6, 10:18 this whole section is on the discipline of God, 10:21 that's what it says in my Bible. 10:22 Verse 6 says, 10:24 "For whom the Lord loves He chastens." 10:30 Does it feel good, Aniela, 10:32 if you have to get the spanking? 10:38 It doesn't feel so good, does it? 10:40 I can remember, 10:41 now I'm thinking it was very kind of my mom. 10:43 "For whom the Lord loves, 10:46 He chastens" or He prunes. 10:50 Going down a little bit, He talks about, 10:52 " fathers do that to their sons 10:54 or mothers do that to their sons 10:56 or daughters..." 10:57 Keep going down, verse 10. 10:59 We're in Hebrews 12:10 11:01 "For indeed they..." 11:03 Meaning the father, the parents, natural parents. 11:06 "They did it for a few days, 11:08 they chastened us as seemed best to them, 11:11 but He meaning God, He does it for our profit, 11:16 that we may be partakers of His holiness." 11:20 Then verse 11, 11:21 "Now no chastening, or we could say no pruning, 11:25 for the present is joyful, 11:27 but it's painful, 11:29 nevertheless, afterward 11:31 it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness 11:36 to those who are trained by it." 11:38 Now this, my Bible here is New King James Version 11:41 and the NIV Bible it says, 11:44 " No discipline seems pleasant at the time." 11:46 We could agree with that. 11:48 It's not, does not seems pleasant 11:49 but painful. 11:50 Later on, however, 11:52 it produces a harvest of righteousness 11:55 and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12:00 My friend always like to say," 12:01 God uses the gentleness means necessary 12:07 to get our attention." 12:08 God uses the gentleness means necessary 12:12 in order to gain our attention. 12:14 And you know what? I think I'm pretty stubborn. 12:17 And I think I can be kind of hard headed, 12:21 because I can remember many experiences in my life. 12:25 One time in particular, 12:27 where God brought me through the same experience, 12:29 the same lesson He wanted me to learn not once, 12:34 not twice, 12:36 but three times. 12:38 Three times, you know why? 12:41 I am not learning the lesson that He wants to teach me. 12:44 So yes, God does prune us. 12:47 Another thing that prunes us is our own choices. 12:51 Have you ever experience that? 12:53 What if your mom says, don't touch the stove, 12:56 then I go over and touch the stove, 12:58 what's gonna happen? 13:00 You get burn, that's right Aniela, 13:01 you get burn. 13:04 Is that my mom's fault? 13:06 No, 13:07 she told me don't touch the stove. 13:10 It was my own choice. 13:13 Sometimes our own choices 13:15 do some pruning work in our lives. 13:18 On Monday nights we go to the jail, 13:20 visit with the girls there, do Bible study 13:23 with the women there in the jail. 13:25 And this particular girl, 13:27 she was there several, this was a few years ago, 13:30 we'll call her Sarah, 13:31 that's not her real name but we'll call her Sarah. 13:34 And every time when we go to jail, 13:36 we have prayer time and we say, 13:38 what prayer needs are on your heart? 13:40 And they share and then we stand in a circle 13:43 and we have prayer together, 13:45 so this particular time this girl we'll call her Sarah, 13:49 she said crying, crying, 13:53 pray for the Smith family. 13:56 Now I made up their last time. Pray for the Smith family. 13:59 You know why? 14:01 Sarah had been involved in a car accident, 14:06 she hit a car that Mrs. Smith was driving 14:10 and you know what happened? 14:11 Mrs. Smith died. 14:14 Now you would say that happens. 14:16 That happens in this world, 14:18 but in this case, 14:19 there were some sort of drugs involved as well, 14:20 and that's why she was in jail and later she went to prison. 14:25 Now for the Smith family, 14:29 they lost a mom. 14:31 You're right, Yannick, forever they lost a mom, 14:34 they lost a wife, they lost a daughter, 14:37 that was a consequence of Sarah's choice, right? 14:43 It was a consequence 14:44 but the beautiful thing 14:45 is God never looks at us and says, 14:47 okay, Jill, these are your consequences, 14:49 these are the choices you made. 14:50 These are your consequences, 14:52 therefore you're stuck for life. 14:54 He never does that. 14:55 Romans 8:28, what does he say? 14:58 All things, 14:59 not some things, not a few. 15:02 All things can work together for good 15:05 to those who love God, 15:07 to those who are called according to His purpose. 15:12 Turn with me to Joel, Joel 2:25. 15:18 Old Testament book, 15:19 minor prophet, 15:21 Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel. 15:27 Joel 2, 15:30 we are looking at verse 25. 15:33 Joel 2:25, 15:36 God speaking, He says, 15:37 "I will restore to you the years 15:40 that the locust has eaten." 15:42 Now New King James lists a lot of locust, 15:46 the swarming locust, 15:48 the crawling locust, 15:50 the consuming locust, 15:52 the chewing locust. 15:54 Now to me, that covers all the locusts 15:56 I have ever heard of. 15:57 It covers them all, He says, 15:59 "I will restore to you those mistakes in the past, 16:03 those, those things that you have done 16:06 in the past if you turn to me. 16:09 God can work even the pain out for good. 16:14 The third thing that prunes us, 16:15 God prunes, our choices pruned, 16:18 or consequences of our choices pruned. 16:20 The third thing is the results of sin. 16:24 We live in a sin sick world. 16:26 Many times people get sick, 16:29 people suffer through no choice of their own, 16:31 and not even a choice from some one else, 16:34 it's simply the result of sin 16:37 and even in this sin sick world we live in, God says, 16:40 I can even work that out for good 16:44 to those who love me, 16:46 to those who are called according to God's purpose. 16:50 Remember Joseph, 16:52 he was sold 16:53 through really no fault of his own, 16:55 maybe he was a little spoilt, 16:57 but really through no fault of his own, 16:58 he was sold as a slave into Egypt. 17:01 Remember, what did he do there in Egypt? 17:03 He worked in Potiphar's house. 17:05 He did his very best job, 17:08 and what happened? 17:09 Ten years later, he went to jail. 17:12 You got it. He went to jail. 17:14 He was falsely accused 17:17 and he went to prison for something he did not do. 17:21 Now, he could have gotten bitter, 17:22 he could have hated his brothers 17:24 but he didn't. 17:26 He chose to forgive, 17:27 and at the very, toward the end, 17:30 not that very end but toward the end of his life, 17:31 remember, 17:33 his father and brothers came to Egypt 17:35 after his father died, 17:36 the brothers got scared and they said, 17:38 now you're gonna revenge 17:39 what we did to you all those years before. 17:43 And he said in Genesis 50:20, 17:50 "What Satan intended for evil, 17:53 God worked out for good." 17:56 So even in this sin sick world that we live in, 17:58 what Satan intends for evil, God can turn for good. 18:03 Now that we have that foundation out of the way, 18:06 we're going to look at the purpose of pruning. 18:09 These is six reasons for being pruned. 18:14 Number one is to remove the bad. 18:19 First purpose of being pruned is to remove the bad. 18:24 Pruning, if you're pruning a tree, 18:26 say you were pruning a fruit tree 18:28 or something in your orchid, 18:30 something in your yard in ornamental tree. 18:33 If you were pruning, 18:34 you would cut, what would you cut? 18:36 Anything dead. 18:38 Anything diseased. 18:41 Even maybe something that's broken, 18:44 you would cut that. 18:46 Now, the purpose of it would be to remove what's bad, 18:49 what's dead, what's diseased in the tree. 18:53 You know, 18:54 God wants to do the same thing in my life 18:57 and in your life and in your life at home. 19:02 You know I think God comes to us. 19:04 I know He comes to me and He says," Jill, 19:07 you got some anger going on there 19:09 or maybe frustration, 19:11 maybe someone cuts me off in traffic 19:13 or the light turns green and what happens? 19:16 Hurry up, why don't you go? 19:18 The person in front right, I am in a hurry, 19:20 God says, 19:22 I want to take that frustration out of your life. 19:24 God says, 19:26 I want to remove your fear of other people, 19:29 your fear of the future 19:31 or relationships over the unknown. 19:35 I want to remove that fear. 19:36 God says, 19:38 I want to remove your guilt and your shame. 19:40 1 John 1:9 19:41 "If we confess our sins, 19:43 he is faithful 19:44 and just to forgive us of our sins 19:46 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 19:50 God wants to remove that condemnation 19:52 that Satan heaps on our head. 19:54 That comes from Satan, he wants to remove that. 19:57 He wants to remove my pride 19:59 and create in me a humble spirit, 20:03 a heart like Jesus. 20:05 He wants to remove my bitterness 20:06 or inability to forgive Yannick, 20:09 which I don't need to do 20:10 because Yannick hasn't done anything, 20:12 but my inability to say to forgive someone. 20:15 God wants to remove that from my life. 20:18 He wants to make me pure. 20:21 He wants to take out that shame. 20:23 He wants to remove this sadness and give me His joy. 20:28 I don't know tonight 20:29 what's diseased in your life, 20:31 what's feels broken in your life? 20:34 What feels dead in your life? 20:37 God says allow me, let me get out the shears. 20:41 Let me do some pruning work to remove that from your life. 20:45 Number one, God prunes. 20:47 The purpose of the pruning process 20:50 is to remove the bad. 20:51 Number two 20:52 is to open the tree up for light. 20:56 If you prune, 20:57 it opens the tree canopy up for life penetration. 21:02 You think if you go in a thick forest, 21:04 what happens to everything on the bottom, 21:08 you don't have a lot of undergrowth, do you? 21:09 If it's thick 21:11 and the tree canopy is really thick, 21:12 you can't get a lot of light coming down. 21:15 At the very bottom 21:16 you don't have a lot of undergrowth. 21:19 But if your forest is open and you can get the light down, 21:22 there is a lot of undergrowth. 21:23 It opens up in the tree, it opens it up for more light. 21:27 Light is essential for flower, bud development. 21:30 It's essential for optimal fruit flavor 21:33 and quality. 21:34 Who is the light in your life and mine? 21:38 God, Jesus, that's right. 21:40 He says, "I am the light of the world." 21:43 Pruning opens our heart up to receive more of Jesus. 21:47 It opens our heart up to receive more of who he is. 21:51 Now we know 2 Corinthians 4 says, 21:53 God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness 21:56 has shined in our life" 21:57 so he wants to pour His light. 21:59 He wants to pour Himself into our lives. 22:02 But in addition to that, 22:04 there is another purpose for the light 22:05 not just that Jesus wants to fill us, 22:07 but there is another purpose. 22:09 Turn with me to 1 John, 22:11 1 John... 22:16 We're going to Chapter 1. 22:20 We're not gonna look at verse 9 22:21 which is one of my favorite verses, 22:23 but we're gonna look at 1 John 1. 22:25 We're gonna look verse 5-7, 22:28 1 John 1:5-7 22:32 " This is the message which we have heard from Him, 22:34 Him meaning God, 22:36 Jesus, 22:37 and declared to you, that God is light." 22:40 There is our word, God is light. 22:43 "And in Him is no darkness at all. 22:45 If we say 22:46 that we have fellowship with Him, 22:48 and walk in darkness, 22:50 we lie and do not practice the truth." 22:54 Verse 7 is the one I want to really focus on. 22:57 "But if we walk in the light, that's in Jesus, 23:01 as He is in the light, 23:04 we have fellowship with one another, 23:07 and the blood of Jesus Christ 23:09 His Son cleanses us from all sin." 23:14 Pruning enables us to walk in fellowship 23:18 with each other. 23:19 I think my sister Zida here 23:21 is one of the most perfect examples of that. 23:24 She grew up in a country that was communistic, 23:28 and they served God under persecution. 23:33 And she can tell you story after story of the closeness, 23:37 The unity, 23:38 that they formed as brothers and sisters in Jesus 23:42 because of the pruning process, 23:44 because of the pain that took place. 23:46 It opened up their hearts, 23:48 their tree canopy you could say, 23:50 their hearts to receive more Jesus. 23:52 And if we have more Jesus, if we walk in the light, 23:55 we automatically come into fellowship 23:57 with each other. 23:59 We automatically have unity. 24:01 There is one more purpose for the light 24:02 and that's found in Isaiah 60. 24:04 Turn back to Isaiah 60. 24:08 We're gonna look at the first three verses of that. 24:12 Isaiah 60:1-3. 24:17 The Bible says, "Arise, shine, for your light has come." 24:21 There is our word light, Jesus. 24:23 "And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 24:26 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, 24:29 and deep darkness the people." 24:31 We're in a dark world, would you say that's accurate. 24:35 Oh, it's dark. 24:37 People lost and alone dying 24:41 without Jesus, without hope, 24:44 without knowledge of the gospel. 24:46 We're in a dark world, but it doesn't stop there. 24:50 It says, "But the Lord will arise over you, 24:54 and His glory will be seen upon you. 24:58 The Gentiles shall come to your light, 25:01 and kings to the brightness of your rising." 25:03 Did you catch that. 25:05 Gentiles, those people who don't know Jesus, 25:08 who don't walk with Jesus. 25:11 What's gonna happen? 25:12 They're gonna come to the light, 25:14 that's Jesus, not us, that's Jesus. 25:17 Pruning enables us to witness more effectively for Jesus. 25:23 So number one, we said, 25:25 pruning removes the bad, the diseased, the dead, 25:28 the broken places in our lives. 25:30 Number two, 25:32 pruning opens us up for light for more of Jesus. 25:35 Number three, pruning opens us up for air. 25:39 It opens the tree up for air. 25:41 It allows more air movement through the tree 25:45 which promotes more rapid drying, 25:47 there is more disease resistance, 25:49 all of that stuff, it opens the tree up for air. 25:51 Now who do you think the air is represented by? 25:56 Yes, that's right, Brother Richard, 25:58 the Holy Spirit. 26:00 Turn with me to John 3, John 3. 26:04 Many times when Jesus met with people, 26:08 He met with a leper, He met with women, 26:12 He met with gentiles, demoniacs, outcasts of society, 26:18 but in this case in John 3, 26:20 Jesus met 26:22 with a pretty upstanding member of society, 26:24 he was a Pharisee. 26:26 Verse 1, 26:27 "There was a man of the Pharisees 26:29 named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews." 26:32 He met with Nicodemus 26:33 and we won't read the whole thing 26:35 but remember Nicodemus came to Jesus with questions 26:38 and Jesus said, "Unless you're born again..." 26:41 In the Greek it means from above. 26:43 "Unless you're born from above, 26:45 you cannot see the kingdom of God. 26:47 And Nicodemus said, "I don't understand that. 26:49 How can you be born again? 26:51 How can you enter into your mother's womb 26:53 a second time 26:54 when you are old, when you're fully grown?" 26:57 Verse 5, 26:59 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, 27:01 unless one is born of water and the spirit, 27:05 he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 27:07 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, 27:09 and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. 27:12 Do not marvel that I said to you, 27:14 'You must be born again.' 27:16 The wind blows where it wishes, 27:20 and you hear the sound, 27:22 but you cannot tell where it's coming from 27:24 or where it's going. 27:25 So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." 27:30 You can't see the Holy Spirit, 27:33 but we can see his work, 27:36 we can see his effect. 27:40 The pruning process opens up our heart 27:45 to allow the Holy Spirit free your access. 27:47 Allow the Holy Spirit to work more in our lives. 27:50 Number four, 27:52 now if you're into organic food, 27:54 I hope this doesn't offend you. 27:55 The pruning process opens the tree up 27:58 for more pesticides spray to reach all those leaves. 28:01 Now I understand it's important to try to eat healthy, 28:05 we're not talking about that, 28:06 this is just for the purpose of illustration, 28:08 but it opens the tree up for more of that, 28:10 enables it to permeate all the leaves. 28:13 What represents water? 28:16 The Word of God. 28:17 Ephesians 5:26 what does it say? 28:21 He cleanse us. 28:22 It's talking about... 28:24 that's a passage about husbands and wives, 28:26 it's a passage about Christ and the church 28:29 and he says, he cleanses them 28:30 with the washing of the water of the word, 28:34 in order that he can present it 28:35 through himself a glorious church, 28:37 not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, 28:40 so pruning opens us up to receive more of the washing, 28:46 more of the word of God, 28:48 gives the word more access into your heart. 28:51 Have you ever read something in the Bible 28:53 and you didn't really want to hear that? 28:56 Anybody want to be honest? Has that ever happened? 29:00 Okay, one or two. 29:01 I know for me it has. 29:02 Sometime I'll read something and God says, 29:05 oh, you've to forgive, but I don't want to. 29:09 I want you to go over here and love, 29:11 but I want to hold on to self pity. 29:13 I want you to give up that TV program, 29:19 movie, that book. 29:21 No, but I like it. 29:23 It feels good. 29:26 Sometimes when we read the Word of God, 29:29 it cuts. 29:30 The Bible says it does. 29:32 Hebrews 4:12, 29:33 "The Word of God is a life living, 29:35 and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, 29:38 a sword can be painful. 29:40 piercing even to the dividing a sunder of soul and spirit, 29:44 and of the joints and marrow, 29:45 and is a discerner of the thoughts 29:47 and intents of the heart. 29:49 "You know, I heard a pastor say once the word 29:52 that you study that hurts, 29:55 that's the word you need to study more. 29:58 Don't shy away from it. 29:59 When you open up God's word and something hurts, 30:01 don't say, uh, 30:02 throw that book across the room, 30:04 I don't want to read that. 30:06 Let God's word cut, 30:10 that's his purpose. 30:11 Let it cut but at the same time it heals. 30:14 It's not cutting for destruction. 30:16 It's not cutting for pain. 30:21 Its purpose is to cut to heal, cut to heal. 30:25 First cut, 30:26 the purpose of pruning is to remove the bad. 30:28 Second to open us up for the light 30:30 which is Jesus, the light of the world. 30:32 Third to open us up for air 30:34 which is the work 30:35 of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 30:38 Number four, 30:39 for the pesticides spray or even water 30:40 that would be the Word of God, 30:43 the work of the Word of God in our life. 30:45 Number five, it grows more fruit faster. 30:51 Remember that was in John 15, 30:54 John 15:2 he says, 30:57 " Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit 31:01 He takes away 31:03 and every branch that bears fruit 31:04 He prunes," why? 31:06 "That it may bear more fruit." 31:09 That's right, Cynthia, more fruit. 31:12 It may bear more fruit. 31:14 God wants His fruit. 31:16 Man, he wants it to develop in our lives. 31:19 Fruit of the spirit, Galatians 5:22, 31:23 "Love, joy, peace, longsuffering 31:28 or if we can say patience, kindness, goodness, 31:32 faithfulness, gentleness, self control. 31:37 J. Hudson Taylor went in as a missionary 31:39 to the China Inland Mission. 31:41 I am sorry, 31:42 he went as a missionary to China for over 50 years, 31:44 he founded the China Inland Mission, 31:47 and he wrote a statement that I love. 31:50 It says, "Fruit bearing involves cross bearing." 31:55 Fruit bearing involves cross bearing. 31:59 Number six, 32:01 purpose of pruning, 32:03 it makes a beautiful shaped tree, right? 32:07 This is esthetically beautiful. 32:09 We few have like our holly bush up front 32:11 is not esthetically beautiful at the moment, 32:13 it has two or three branches that just stick out, 32:16 but if it was pruned, it would be a nice shape. 32:18 Pruning enables us to reflect Jesus, 32:21 to look like Jesus, 32:23 to have the beautiful character of God 32:27 revealed in our hearts and lives. 32:30 And the balance of time we have here this evening, 32:32 we want to look at five steps in the process of pruning. 32:36 We talked about the purpose of pruning. 32:39 Now we're gonna look at the process. 32:42 The process of pruning, five steps in the process. 32:45 Number one is to surrender. 32:49 Now I know Pastor Mitch works in our pastoral department 32:53 and he says," 32:55 Surrender is a little hard concept 32:56 to grasp some times." 32:58 I don't know if may be women understand things, 33:02 obviously we know that, 33:03 women understand things different than men, 33:05 but sometime surrender is a hard concept to grasp, 33:08 but I believe 33:09 that surrender is simply saying yes to Jesus 33:14 every time I am faced with the choice. 33:17 Surrender is just saying yes to Jesus, 33:21 every time I'm faced with the choice. 33:23 So I get up in the morning and all of a sudden God says, 33:27 "Go over there and pray with so and so." 33:30 Now I can say yes to Jesus. 33:33 I want to pray with my sister Renice, 33:35 or I can say I don't have time for that. 33:37 I want to do my own thing. 33:39 I don't want to pray. 33:40 God can say, "Go apologize to so and so." 33:43 And I can say yes to Jesus, 33:46 I'm gonna apologize or I can say no, 33:48 I don't want to apologize. 33:50 I was right and they were wrong, 33:51 I don't want to apologize. 33:53 I remember when I was probably nine years old, 33:56 when I grew up I was... 33:58 My parents were not very wealthy. 34:01 In fact I was ten years old 34:03 before I had my first store bought outfit. 34:07 We always wore hand-me-downs. 34:09 My cousins, 34:10 two female cousins were older than my sister and I, 34:13 we always wore their clothes. 34:15 Occasionally my grandma who like to sew, 34:18 she would sew something for us 34:21 and we would get then something new 34:22 because she had made it for us. 34:24 So when I was nine years old my parents went, 34:27 and I don't know where they got it, I don't, 34:28 it was not new but I don't remember 34:30 where they got it, 34:31 but they got the cutest pair of white shoes. 34:35 Now they were heals 34:36 and for a little girl that was exciting 34:38 'cause I never had heals before. 34:40 And so they were heals 34:42 and I still remember to this day, 34:43 they had a little strap around the ankle, 34:45 one of those fancy like Easter shoes 34:47 or you'd wear in the summer. 34:48 They were white 34:50 and they had a little black mark on them. 34:53 My dad had taken something 34:54 and I don't know what he put on but something white, 34:57 so that you couldn't see the black mark 34:59 and they looked like brand new shoes. 35:02 Now I was proud of my shoes and I put them on, I was nine. 35:06 We went into church, it was the first Sabbath, 35:09 I got to wear my brand new shoes, 35:11 and I was so excited. 35:13 And I remember walking in the aisle 35:15 and I thought 35:16 everybody is looking at my new shoes. 35:18 Now off course probably nobody even noticed them, 35:20 but in my little girl's heart, it was exciting. 35:23 And so I had my little shoes and I was so proud of them, 35:26 I sat in the pew. 35:28 You know what the sermon was on that week? 35:31 Cynthia says pride. 35:33 No, it was on, 35:34 is there anything in your heart in life 35:37 between you and Jesus? 35:39 Is there anything that you love more than Jesus? 35:44 And I sat in there pew, I couldn't touch the floor, 35:48 my beautiful white shoes swinging, 35:52 and I thought, but I like my shoes, 35:54 but it's the first time I wore them, 35:57 but they are not expensive, but they are new. 36:00 And the minister said, 36:01 "Is there anything in your life between you and Jesus." 36:06 And we went home, 36:08 and I remember I took off my beautiful white shoes 36:11 with a little strap around the ankle, 36:13 and I gave them to my mom and I said, 36:17 "Why don't you take these shoes to goodwill." 36:23 A parent 36:24 who was may be a lesser parent than my mom 36:27 would have said, 36:29 "No, you should keep those shoes. 36:31 After all you love those shoes. 36:33 Those were shoes you wanted, you should keep them, 36:36 but my mom had a lot of wisdom and she knew that... 36:39 We laugh now, it's just a little story, 36:42 it's just a little shoe 36:44 but she knew then principle of not having anything 36:48 between us and Jesus. 36:50 She knew that some day the decisions will get harder. 36:53 They would get bigger as I grew up 36:56 and it was so important 36:58 that when I was faced with the decision 37:00 to always say yes to Jesus, even if it hurt. 37:05 So I don't know 37:06 what God is asking you to surrender right now tonight. 37:11 Maybe it's your will and way. 37:14 Maybe it's pride. 37:15 Maybe it's bitterness, anger, 37:17 gossip, strife, selfishness, lust. 37:24 Maybe it's entertainment and the movies you watch 37:27 or the TV you look at. 37:28 Maybe it's the books on your bookshelf. 37:30 Maybe it's the friends 37:32 that you are choosing to hang around with, 37:33 or the person you're looking at marrying 37:36 who is not a Christian. 37:39 Maybe it's a choice of where you work 37:40 or where you live. 37:42 Following Jesus is not fluff. 37:47 You know what I'm saying. 37:48 Following Jesus is not... 37:50 Okay, God is love and I'm just gonna be happy. 37:53 Yes, there is joy. 37:54 Yes, there is peace. 37:56 Yes, there is God's presence, 37:58 but at the same time 37:59 following Jesus requires a choice. 38:03 It requires a choice. 38:04 It requires saying, am I gonna say yes to Jesus 38:08 when He asks for something I don't want to give up, 38:10 and every time we say yes to Jesus, 38:13 He pours in more joy, more peace, 38:18 more blessings that I say, why didn't I say yes sooner? 38:23 Why didn't I surrender sooner? 38:25 Sometimes you might not know 38:27 what is God trying to prune in my life. 38:29 I know sometimes that would stress me. 38:31 God, I don't know what's wrong in my life 38:33 and how do I know you're gonna take care of it 38:35 as if I can do anything about it. 38:38 It's all God's work, He is on the throne. 38:40 Remember Philippians 1:6 says, 38:42 "Being confident of this very thing, 38:44 that He who has begun a good work in us 38:47 will carry it forward to completion." 38:50 So trust God to finish the work He has begun in your life. 38:56 My sister has four boys. 38:59 Now when this story happened, it was three years ago, 39:01 and her boys at this time were six, four, two 39:06 and the baby was just born. 39:07 Every time she has a new baby, 39:09 I always fly out to North Carolina for a week, 39:12 spent time with her because a new mom needs help, 39:15 and a mom with three boys and a new baby 39:17 definitely needs help. 39:20 So I was there 39:21 and she was with a baby in the bedroom 39:24 and I was playing hide and seek with the three older boys. 39:27 Now, they love hide and seek. 39:29 The two older boys were old enough to know 39:31 that the purpose of hide and seek is what? 39:34 To remain hidden. 39:36 Now the two year old hadn't grasp that concept yet, 39:40 so I was in the kitchen, closed my eyes, 39:43 starting to count, one, two, three, 39:46 I could hear 39:48 the boyish chatter recede and the stocking feet 39:50 as they scampered away. 39:52 Four, five, six, the baby cried, 39:56 I could hear my sister in the bedroom 39:58 as she tried to sooth him 40:00 seven, eight, nine, ten ready or not, here I come. 40:04 And just as I said that, I heard a little voice. 40:07 Caleb here, 40:10 I smiled that would be Caleb. 40:12 Remember he is two, 40:14 so I went into the living room 40:15 and I looked the front hall closet. 40:17 Maybe Caleb's in the front hall closet. 40:20 Caleb here. 40:22 I heard coming from down the hall. 40:24 I went into the bathroom 40:25 and through open the shower curtain, 40:27 you know to peer in the tub. 40:29 Maybe Caleb's in the tub. 40:31 Caleb here. 40:34 I went into the laundry, opened up, 40:36 maybe Caleb's hiding by the washing machine. 40:40 Caleb here. 40:42 He was beginning to sound insistent. 40:45 I went in the bedroom and there he lay, 40:48 head tucked underneath the bed, 40:52 arms, 40:54 trunk, 40:55 legs, 40:57 you guess it's sprawled out in plain view. 40:59 His eyes were really tightly screwed, 41:01 screwed shut. 41:03 Well, I pretend not to see him and I went over, 41:05 I said may be Caleb's hiding behind the chair over here, 41:09 so I peek behind the chair 41:12 and I heard giggles from underneath the bed. 41:14 You know why? 41:15 He was proud of his hiding place 41:17 and the fact Aunty Jill couldn't find him. 41:19 I went into the closet. 41:21 Maybe Caleb's in the closet, more giggles. 41:25 Finally I couldn't think of any other place 41:27 to look in the bedroom. 41:28 So I said there is Caleb. 41:31 He is hiding right underneath the bed. 41:34 And so he came out, 41:36 he was so proud of himself and I gave him a hug, 41:39 but you know two years olds, he is on the move, 41:42 so he got up 41:43 and he started toweling off to hide again. 41:46 And all of a sudden as I sat there in his bedroom, 41:50 God spoke to my heart 41:51 and He said, " Jill, that's what I think of you. 41:56 I thought of all the times I had surrendered, 42:00 made a choice to say yes to Jesus. 42:03 I had surrendered 42:04 what I thought was my all to Jesus, 42:06 little realizing 42:07 that the bigger part of my life, 42:09 arms, trunk, 42:11 legs sprawled out in plain view. 42:14 There was a lot of junk, 42:16 a lot of sins 42:18 I did not know existed left stuck in my heart, 42:22 but yet God had never scolded me, 42:24 not once, not ever. 42:27 He never said, you know, 42:28 there is a whole mess 42:29 that you're lining out here in plain view. 42:31 Couldn't you grow up, Jill. 42:33 Instead he showed me my heart 42:36 day by day, week by week, 42:39 month by month, 42:41 there is some pride here. 42:43 Oh, wow, 42:44 and I began to dig until I realized, 42:47 it's receding itself, 42:50 it's receding itself, it's multiplying. 42:53 God, I can't remove it, will you take it? 42:56 And He said, "I was waiting for you to ask." 42:58 Then all of a sudden He said, 43:00 "There is some bitterness here that's buried so deeply, 43:02 you didn't know about it." 43:04 And I said, "Oh, I got this God. 43:05 I know, I couldn't get the pride thing, 43:07 but I got the bitterness. 43:08 Yank, yank what happened? 43:11 Nothing. 43:12 He said I got this too if you let me. 43:15 Okay, God, 43:16 I want to say yes to Jesus, I choose to give it to you. 43:22 That's the beautiful thing about God. 43:24 He knows 43:26 there is nothing ourselves we can do, 43:28 but we can make a choice, that's key. 43:31 The first step 43:33 in the process of pruning is just to surrender to Jesus. 43:37 To make a choice to say yes to Jesus. 43:39 The second step is to behold Jesus. 43:43 Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 3... 43:50 2 Corinthians 3, 43:53 we're going to look at verse 18. 43:56 2 Corinthian 3:18, 43:59 The Bible says, "We all, with unveiled face, 44:03 beholding as in a mirror for glory of the Lord, 44:07 are being transformed into the same image 44:12 from glory to glory, 44:14 just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 44:18 We're changed, 44:19 we're transformed in the midst of that pruning 44:22 and in the midst of the trial, in the midst of pain, 44:25 we are changed by beholding Jesus. 44:29 Now I don't think 44:30 God is talking about our momentary glances. 44:33 Something where, huh, I'm almost late for work, 44:36 let me open my Bible, God loves the world. 44:39 Oh thank you, God. 44:40 And we go off to work, 44:41 that's not what he is talking about? 44:45 Beholding Jesus is a constant 44:48 beholding not just in the morning 44:51 not just at noon, or at night 44:54 but all throughout the day 44:58 is looking into the face of Jesus. 45:00 Now I know we're not called to be hermits, 45:02 we're called to live 45:05 amongst our brothers and sisters, 45:07 we're called, we were busy, 45:08 but in the midst of that busyness 45:11 bring our mind, 45:13 our mind flow back to the Lord Jesus Christ. 45:18 My husband Greg is probably... 45:21 This is a biased opinion so forgive this. 45:23 Probably one of the best drivers I know 45:26 and then you're gonna say, 45:27 I know many good driver and I am sure that's true, 45:30 but he is my husband 45:31 so I guess I think he is a good driver. 45:33 He does not, 45:34 you know, some drivers start and stop in a hurry 45:37 like 45:38 and then they stop and I get car sick 45:40 and that's just not very pleasant. 45:42 Other drivers may be are aggressive 45:45 but Greg is very defensive when he drives. 45:47 He is always looking at his surroundings, 45:49 always making sure, 45:50 you know, we're okay 45:52 and he is very steady and I just feel safe, 45:55 when he drives I feel safe. 45:57 Now he's told the story 45:58 so I can share it with you at home. 46:01 He was driving one time by himself in the car 46:05 on a highway. 46:07 Now here in Southern Illinois, we're very flat, 46:11 not a lot of change, right, so the roads are flat. 46:14 When we drive in Southern Illinois, 46:16 there is a sameness to the road. 46:18 Would you agree like the dotted white line zips fast 46:21 and there is not a whole lot of traffic, 46:23 there is not a lot of things to occupy the mind, 46:25 they're just monotonous, maybe that's the word. 46:29 And so, Greg said, 46:30 he was driving along and all of a sudden 46:32 right in front of him was a pot hole, 46:35 and he thought, I can't hit this pot hole, 46:38 he turned the wheel relax probably 46:40 and avoided the pot hole. 46:42 Now the story would have ended differently 46:44 if it had ended there but it didn't. 46:47 He thought I want to see how the driver behind me 46:52 is got to fare. 46:54 Are they going to avoid the pot hole 46:56 as well as I avoided that pot hole? 47:00 You know what happened? 47:01 He looked in the rear view mirror 47:03 to look behind him 47:05 to see how the driver was gonna do. 47:09 And just when he looked in the rear view mirror, 47:11 you know what happened? 47:13 He hit an even bigger pot hole. 47:16 There were two pot holes in the road. 47:17 The one he avoided, 47:19 the second he hit dead on 47:21 because he was looking behind him. 47:24 When God calls us to behold Jesus, 47:27 we're not called to look behind. 47:29 Look behind at our past mistakes, 47:32 at our past sins. 47:34 We're not even called 47:35 to look behind at the past victories. 47:38 We're not called to look behind 47:40 that our brother and sister is insane. 47:42 I'm so glad 47:44 that I am further along than so and so. 47:47 We're not called to look behind, 47:49 neither are we called to look to the side. 47:52 I wonder if Hanna, she is behind the camera there. 47:54 I wonder if Hanna is keeping pace with me. 47:57 Maybe I am a little head of Hanna. 47:59 Maybe I am fallen behind, I have to run faster. 48:02 No, none of that matters. 48:04 We're called just to look to Jesus. 48:09 Look to Jesus. 48:11 Number three in the process of pruning, 48:14 first we surrender, 48:16 we just simply say yes to Jesus. 48:18 Number two, we behold Jesus. 48:21 Number three, 48:23 we accept the pruning, 48:25 the pruning process with joy, 48:29 that's the hard one. 48:31 We accept the pruning process with joy 48:35 and I'm just being honest with you here tonight, 48:37 there's times I've kicked, 48:39 times I've cried, 48:42 times I've not accepted it 48:45 as God would have me accept it. 48:46 But every time 48:49 I have made a choice to accept it with joy 48:53 God wants me to that has changed my heart. 48:56 as It has changed my experience with God. 49:00 Turn with me to James, 49:02 James 1, 49:06 we're gonna look at verses 2-4. 49:08 Now here in James it actually says, 49:10 " Count it all joy when you fall into trials." 49:14 Anything that we're being pruned out, 49:16 you can call it a trial 'cause pruning is not painless. 49:19 Pruning is painful, 49:21 so we could replace that with the pruning process. 49:23 James 1:2-4, 49:27 "My brethren, or my sisters, count it all joy." 49:32 Now in the Greek 49:34 the word for joy means pure unmixed joy, 49:39 so we're not talking about count it joy as in okay, 49:42 count it, 49:44 huh, it's okay that I'm being pruned, 49:47 that I have now joy, 49:48 pure unmixed joy that's a lot of joy. 49:52 Count it all joy 49:55 when you fall into various trials, 49:57 or afflictions, 49:58 or trouble or tests 50:02 when you get pruned, count it joy. 50:04 Knowing that the testing of your faith 50:07 produces patience. 50:10 But let patience have its perfect work, 50:14 that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 50:20 When God looks at us he say, 50:23 "You're princess, you're prince, 50:25 I want to create my character in you 50:30 and you know one of the ways he does that, 50:32 through the pruning process. 50:34 When we chose, 50:35 when something is painful or difficult 50:38 we want to fight it, that's the natural human heart. 50:40 We want to fight, we want to soak, 50:42 we want to throw a kitty party, 50:44 we want to go against it, we want rebellion, 50:47 I've been in all of those places. 50:49 God says accept it with joy, 50:54 count it as joy. 50:55 Andrew Murray, 50:57 I like the writings of Andrew Murray. 50:59 He has a book called Humanity and Absolute Surrender. 51:04 There is a quote in this book. 51:06 I want to read to you. 51:07 It says, "Accept with gratitude..." 51:09 That's joy we're just talking about that. 51:11 "Accept with gratitude everything that God allows." 51:17 We're not talking one thing or if it's something I want, 51:20 something I like. 51:21 Accept with gratitude every thing that God allows 51:26 from within 51:28 or from without 51:29 and I know I've had trials from within 51:31 my own junk coming up. 51:34 Sometimes it's from without, 51:35 from someone else who said something to you 51:37 or did something to you, 51:38 or hurt even some fashion through no fault of our own. 51:42 Accept with gratitude, 51:44 everything God allows 51:47 from within or without 51:49 from friend or enemy 51:53 in nature on in grace 51:56 to remind you of your need for humbling 52:01 and to help you to it. 52:03 What's he saying? 52:04 Everything that comes to us, 52:06 the pruning process 52:07 whether God is the one who is pruning, 52:09 whether it's my own consequences 52:12 of my choices that's pruning, 52:13 whether it's just simply the result of sin 52:16 that's causing the pruning. 52:18 Accept it with gratitude 52:20 knowing that God is working 52:23 in our lives to change us, 52:26 to make us more like Jesus. 52:29 Number four, 52:31 spent time in prayer. 52:35 In the midst of the trial, 52:36 in the midst of the pruning process, 52:39 spent time in prayer. 52:42 Be honest with God. 52:43 He already knows how we feel. 52:46 He knows that. 52:48 One of the things 52:49 that has revolutionized my prayer life 52:51 more than anything 52:52 is actually praying the Word of God 52:54 back to Him. 52:56 Praying the scripture back to Him. 52:59 It opens up, 53:01 there is power in the Word of God. 53:02 But beyond that, 53:04 it just opens up our thought and mind 53:06 I think to receive more of Jesus, 53:08 so if you were to pray this passage we just read, 53:11 we're in James 1:2-4 53:14 and it's not complicated. 53:15 You don't have to say, 53:17 I don't know how to pray the scripture back. 53:18 I don't think I can do that. 53:20 It's quite simple. 53:22 All we do is take it and thank Jesus. 53:25 My brethren and if we are praying 53:27 we could say," Father, 53:29 thank You that you called me as Your brethren. 53:31 Thank you for that. 53:33 Right now I am going through a hard time, 53:36 but I want to count it as joy. 53:38 Please work your joy in my life. 53:42 Right now I'm going through this trial 53:44 but I am believing and claiming by faith 53:47 that the testing of my faith is going to produce patience. 53:51 I'm believing and claiming that my faith. 53:54 Father I want to let patience 53:56 have its perfect life in my heart 53:58 and right now I know I am running. 54:00 Right now I know I am stressed or I am struggling, 54:03 I want to allow your patience, this patience, 54:06 you trying to work in my heart, 54:08 I want to allow it to have its perfect work. 54:11 God allow me to be still 54:13 and allow this to have its perfect work. 54:16 Thank You 54:17 that You are making me perfect and complete. 54:19 Thank You there is nothing I do of myself. 54:21 Thank You that you are the one working in me. 54:24 Thank You that in You I lack nothing. 54:29 It's just taking the words in the Bible 54:32 and changing it into a prayer. 54:34 Changing it into thanking God. 54:37 Number one, we just simply surrender. 54:39 Two, we behold Jesus. 54:41 Three, we accept the trial 54:44 or the pruning process with joy. 54:47 Four, we spent time in prayer 54:49 and number five, the last one, 54:51 we claim his word over our lives. 54:56 J.D. Quinn works in the pastoral parliament 54:58 he likes three-by-five cards 55:00 writing out Bible promises on a three-by-five card. 55:04 You know, 55:05 I am not always as organized I should be for that 55:07 and sometime I just take a posted note 55:10 or I take the back of my bulletin 55:12 when I am in church 55:13 and God shows me a certain promise 55:15 or my notes or something I take something. 55:19 I used to put the posted notes in the car 55:21 until Greg said, 55:22 "Jilly, that's not very safe when you driving, 55:24 you're trying to memorize scripture, 55:25 so maybe you should think about doing some notes. 55:27 So I kind of have posted notes by the bed 55:30 when you go to sleep at night 55:32 the last thought in our mind is the Word of God. 55:37 For me when I'm doing dishes, 55:38 I like to think about something 55:40 when I'm washing dishes or on my computer at work. 55:43 Whatever it is, 55:45 find promises in the Word of God 55:47 and claim his word, 55:50 claim those promises over our lives. 55:54 Tonight we talked about pruning. 55:56 Pruning is not always, I shouldn't say that. 56:00 I don't think pruning is ever painless. 56:03 I haven't found that to be so. 56:06 But the result 56:07 that God wants to bring in our hearts and lives. 56:09 What He wants to do is amazing. 56:12 Number one, 56:14 we looked at the six purposes of pruning. 56:17 It removes the diseased and the dead places 56:20 from our hearts and lives. 56:22 It opens our hearts up to receive more of Jesus, 56:25 the light of the world. 56:27 It opens us up for more air, 56:31 the work of the Holy Spirit, 56:33 for the water, 56:35 the washing of the water of the word. 56:36 It produces more fruit in our hearts and lives, 56:40 sweeter fruit, 56:42 more the fruits of the spirit. 56:44 It produces a character that's esthetically beautiful, 56:47 that looks like Jesus. 56:49 So tonight if you're going through a pruning process 56:53 and I think everybody goes through pruning. 56:55 If you're going through a pruning process, 56:58 if you're hurt, 56:59 if you say God I don't even understand 57:01 what's going on? 57:02 Number one, surrender 57:05 whatever you're dealing with right now 57:07 chose to say yes to Jesus. 57:11 Give that pain, give that hurt, 57:13 give all of that to the Lord Jesus Christ. 57:16 Number two, behold Jesus 57:19 when you wake up as you goes throughout the day, 57:21 when you're driving in the car, when you're at work, 57:24 when you're talking with your friends, 57:25 behold Jesus. 57:28 Number three, accept the pain. 57:31 Accept the trial with joy. 57:34 Only God can do that. 57:35 Allow him to give you his joy. 57:39 Number four, spent time in prayer 57:42 and spent time in the Word of God. 57:46 Know that we here at 3ABN 57:48 and each one of our Thompsonville family here, 57:50 we love you at home. 57:52 We are praying God's blessing and anointing of your life. 57:56 Don't get discouraged. 57:58 Don't give up, God loves you 58:00 and He wants to produce His fruit in your life. |
Revised 2016-07-28