Cultivation

Have you ever seen a garden that is well maintained? It is a wonderful site indeed. Part of the process in maintaining a flourishing garden is pruning, that is, the act of trimming off part of a plant. An excellent example of pruning can be found at a flourishing vineyard. Grapes are one of the oldest fruits in cultivation. Some reasons for pruning these flowering plants are:

To keep them at a manageable size.
Pruning is done to direct the energy of the vine into producing fruit instead of stems and leaves.
Prune to keep the fruit growing close to the main stem. This way the sap doesn't have to travel far to produce fruit.
In order for fruit to ripen, pruning needs to be done in order to let in sunlight. Unlike most other fruits, grapes do not continue to ripen after being picked from the vine. Thus, it is essential for the grapes to get enough sunlight on the vine to fully ripen.

So there are apparently many reasons for pruning. Pruning rejuvenates by allowing the vine to produce new growth rather than spending its nourishment on gangling branches that are no longer fruitful.

In chapter 15 of John Christians are compared to the branches of a vine, Jesus used pruning as a metaphor for the way God interacts with us: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful" (John 15:1-2).

There are times when God ends an endeavor that has been truly fruitful. It can be confusing and even make a person second-guess the good work that has been accomplished or even doubt God's faithfulness. So one may ask, “If a work is bearing fruit, why would He allow it to end?” We may think that just because something is good God will allow it to go on forever. But you see, God is the one who "changes times and seasons" (Daniel 2:21). He prunes us and everything in our lives, from our relationships to our occupations, so that they can become even more fruitful in a new season. Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit." (John15:5) Apart from him we are like branches that wither, needing the vine but having turned from the source, cutting ourselves off from the gardener.

Stop and Enjoy

What captures the attention of our hearts and minds?
The Washington Post conducted an experiment of sorts. It involved a master violinist, Joshua Bell, playing impromptu on a $3.5 million violin during rush hour in the Washington D.C. area.
In 43 minutes he performed various master pieces but according to the Post there was never a crowd, not even for a minute.

This is very interesting. Sometimes we wonder 'where has the time gone?' Some of us might even feel like the days are blurring into one and we grasp onto yesterday as if we could regain the time. What is the busy-ness in our lives that makes it easy for us to miss out on something like a master violinist playing masterpieces on a $3.5 million violin?
Read the Washington Post article here

This experiment reminded me of a transcendent experience I've had watching and listening to a guitarists rendition of Pachebel's Canon. I'm not sure that some may appreciate the talent and gift that this person has been given. They might just miss out on it too? Perhaps the artist himself doesn't recognize where his talent comes from? Maybe he does?

Either way I think there are some questions that need to be answered here:
Are we too rushed to stop to recognize greatness in others that flows from Christ Himself? Are we perhaps too busy to miss the Savior altogether?
Can we stop and enjoy the persons, places, things, sounds, words, treasures...
HT:(B.Mann)

Guitarist

Broken Hearts

Question?
What’s at the heart of murders?
ANSWER

WARNING!

Fun

MORE

Just Thinking

I have come across this article and thought it might interest some readers.

Ravi Zacharias International Ministries - Just Thinking Dying Beliefs and Still Born Hopes
Ravi Zacharias 1996 - Winter

This article is excerpted from a chapter in Ravi' s book, Deliver Us From Evil.
Truth is stranger than fiction, it is said, but as Chesterton has appropriately declared, that may well be because we have made fiction to suit ourselves. There is possibly a more disturbing reason for our estrangement from truth, particularly if that truth signifies a reality that is terrifying and unchangeable. Our inability to alter what is actual frustrates our grandiose delusions of being sovereign over everything. And that may be at the heart of why we find truth to be so strange. Remorse-filled situations that are irreversible offer no relief to the one seeking escape from them, because any hope that it was all a dream, or that it is all erasable by merely wishing the opposite, dissipates in the face of a stern concrete certainty.

A heartrending story of such dimensions was shared with me by a friend some years ago--the truth of which seemed much stranger than fiction. To do full justice to the poignancy of the incident necessitates the description of the very surroundings that occasioned my being privy to it. We were sitting in the parking lot of a historic building, an edifice symbolic of the gathering of the gatekeepers of society. There was an air of sophistication about all who entered. I was preoccupied with the theme of an address I was to deliver on the problem of emptiness that stalks our younger generation, growing up in a time of such moral confusion. Just then, the arrival of a rather prominent individual prompted my host, a minister, to recount the story in very somber tones.

"There goes our federal prosecutor," he said, "a fine man whom I met under very tragic circumstances." As he labored through the details in recounting their first contact, I knew this was not just another crisis in a minister's routine, but an ineradicable scar on his pastoral heart.

He told me of a young couple he had married some years ago, who had represented to him every ideal worth emulating. They were the mascot of excellence held up before the youth of the church. Both were in preparation for the practice of medicine, and were on sizable scholarships of merit. As he had driven away after performing their wedding ceremony, he had rehearsed in his own mind what a grand occasion it had been, and that in all his years of ministry he had not seen a more radiant couple. He thrilled at the prospect of all that lay ahead of them.

But then like a shattered dream, only a few months into the marriage there was a dreadful awakening...

For the full article click here!

Ravi Zacharias International
Website: www.rzim.org
Phone: (770) 449-6766
Fax: (770)729-1729
Email: rzim@rzim.org

Who's to say?

I recently heard a promotional spot on the radio by LifeLine Productions. It went something like this; a student speaks to a "wise" teacher, Dr. Shami, in regards to a fellow student, George, who stole his pencil. “What should I do about it?” asks the student. The teacher retorts by saying, “are you standing in judgment of your fellow man?” The student asks, “but teacher isn't stealing wrong?” The teacher says, “Morality is not an absolute, morality is relative, there are no absolutes. You can't force your morals on someone else!” The student then asks, “I thought stealing was wrong?” The teacher responds, “There are no rights and wrongs, but if you'd wish I'll talk to George.” The student says, “I don't think so, he just took off with your car.” The teacher responded with concern, “what? He stole my car, he can't do that!” The student then figured out what the teacher was saying to him all along and asks, “so there are no rights and wrongs, unless you're the one that's wronged?”. The teacher reponds, “Stop philosophizing and call 911”. There are rights and wrongs.

In a survey conducted by authors James Patterson & Peter Kim they compiled on the belief systems of 2,000 Americans who they considered to accurately represent a cross-section of the United States' population.
These are some of the results they found out:
91% of Americans lie about trivial matters
86% lie on a regular basis to their parents
75% lie to their friends
33% lie about important matters
70% married people lie to their spouses
The Day America Told the Truth, by James Patterson & Peter Kim

Charles Swindoll wrote on Day 14 of a little devotion booklet, “Today, at the slightest offense we are ready to retaliate, defend ourselves, and fight back. Yet at His greatest moment of agony, Jesus sincerely prayed, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

“Forgive them.” What an amazing request! If someone pressed a crown of sharp thorns on your head, stripped you naked for all the world to see, brutally punched you in the face, drove nails into your hands and feet, and lifted you up on a cross to die – would you pray that kind of prayer?"

I have a question if you would like to answer:
Is Anything Beyond Forgiveness?

Prayer of Continual Repentance

This is a prayer from the puritan prayer book "The Valley of Vision.
Please enjoy.

O GOD OF GRACE,

You have imputed my sin to my substitute,
and have imputed his righteousness to my soul,
clothing me with a bridegroom’s robes,
decking me with jewels of holiness.

But in my Christian walk, I am still in rags;
my best prayers are stained with sin;
my penitential tears are so much impurity;
my confessions of wrong are so many aggravations of sin;
my receiving the Spirit is tinctured with selfishness.

I need to repent of my repentance;
I need my tears to be washed;
I have no robe to bring to cover my sins,
no loom to weave my own righteousness;

I am always standing clothed in filthy garments;
and by grace am always receiving change of raiment,
for you always justify the ungodly;

I am always going into the far country,
and always returning home as a prodigal,
always saying “Father, forgive me,”
and you are always bringing forth the best robe.

Every morning let me wear it,
every evening return in it,
go out to the day’s work in it,
be married in it,
be wound in death in it,
stand before the great white throne in it,
enter heaven in it shining as the sun.

Grant me never to lose sight of the exceeding sinfulness of sin,
the exceeding righteousness of salvation,
the exceeding glory of Christ,
the exceeding beauty of holiness,
the exceeding wonder of grace.

Broken?

I was asked by a very good friend of mine, one of my best friends, why is the title of my blog called “Broken”? I decided to turn that question into today’s post.
We live in a world of broken promises.
Have you ever experienced being hated for no apparent reason? Have you ever felt "used" by someone? Has there ever been a lie you told that has hurt someone? Have you ever "used" anyone foryour own selfish purposes? Have you ever abandoned-ship because of something your “friend” did or said? Has someone else told a lie that hurt you? Have you ever hated anyone? Have you ever felt sorry and wished you could take back what you said or did? Have you ever experienced the scars left behind from a divorce? Have you ever felt the pain of drug abuse?
Have you ever felt like there’s no way out? Have you ever been weary and burdened, looking for rest for your soul? Have you ever voluntarily taken someone else's punishment? Or has someone taken yours?
We're all broken people.

To me Brokenness is when we humble ourselves before God knowing that our sin is what separates us from Him and we lay it down at His feet, realizing that it is God alone through Christ that provides the solution.
But will proud people admit that?
John Piper describes being prideful.
Proud people don't say thanks. And so I have laid before you three very humbling truths for the sake of your thankfulness.
The first truth: nature teaches us that an infinitely marvelous, eternally powerful Being created us and all we have. Therefore we are his creatures. He owns us. Our life, our breath, and everything we have is a gift. Our duty is simply to be thankful to him from our heart and to cherish his glory.
The second humbling truth is that all of us have fallen short of this duty. We have not consistently prized the diamond of God's glory with an affection anywhere near its value but have exchanged it again and again for the cracked marbles that in our great "wisdom" we have determined are more valuable.
The third humbling truth is that God, in his great mercy, sent his Son to suffer the judgment of people who are broken and contrite in spirit and who trust in him.
Proud people don't say thanks. But people who believe these three truths do, from the bottom of their heart. The truth that we are utterly dependent creatures. The truth that we are depraved sinners. And the truth that we are redeemed and utterly forgiven through contrite faith. If these three truths penetrate to your heart this morning, they will empty your heart of pride and fill it with thankfulness to God.*
*Source(John Piper)

Have you ever felt such joy that it brought you to tears of unexplainable gratitude that it renders everything from pursuits, to goals, to questions, empty and shallow by comparison? Something that is more relevant than the "latest and greatest" fashions or technology, more deeply satisfying than all of the riches and treasures of the world, and more liberating than all of the greatest collection of music. Don’t get me wrong I like fashion and technology and treasures and music. But there is something that is infinitely more valuable.

So I titled this blog “Broken” because it is a reminder to me of how much God loves me in Christ. Nothing else can even compare to what my God has done for me.
Jesus said 28“Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Place my yoke on you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is pleasant and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30
So will you go to Him?

Weber State Q & A

Have you ever wondered about the doctrine of the Trinity? I would encourage you to take only ten minutes to listen to how Ravi Zacharias defended to an audience in a Q&A at Weber State Univervity.