To live is to be slowly born. (Antonine de Saint-Exupery)
In the last conversation that Jesus had with the eleven disciples, Judas had already left; He told them much about how it had been, how it was, and how it was going to be. As I find myself studying over His teaching at that particular time, I am overwhelmed at all that Jesus had to say. I can understand why the disciples did not fully understand what Jesus had been teaching them. It wasnt until the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came on them and in them that they were able to grasp the complete meaning of His teachings. Jesus compared the disciples and us to grape vines that require pruning. Share these verses of Scripture with me.
I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch that doesnt produce fruit. And he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you. (John 15:1-4 NLT)
Pruning cost something to the one who is being pruned. It cost a piece of our life that is cut away. But God, will allow new growth to sprout and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit it will grow in the proper direction that will allow it to produce the most fruit. I remember when I first came back into recovery how God pruned away parts of my life. I used to go to the bars. I had been going to bars since I was six years old. My dad used to take me to the taverns and give me a hand full of nickels to play the jukebox while he drank. When I was twelve I remember going into a bar in Mexico and drinking. Then when I was fourteen I had an uncle that would take me to the tavern with him and even give me a short glass of beer. When I was sixteen and started driving I would go into Kansas where the drinking age was eighteen and get into the bars with some success. At eighteen I was legal, and could go on my own with no problems. At nineteen I was drafted into the Army and allowed to go to the taverns on the military post. At twenty-one every bar, club, and tavern was available to me if I had the money. At thirty-five when I was in the grips of alcoholism, I found that I did not even need money in the bars. I had become a con artist in the art of talking someone out of a drink or two. Bars always seemed to be a place where I could go when I had nowhere else to go. The theme song from the TV show Cheers stated, Its good to go where everyone knows your name. And sometimes that might have been the reason I went. When I surrendered to my addictions and made a decision to turn my will and life over to the care of God, God did some pruning. In recovery the old saying is that we have got to change our playmates and playgrounds. Bars were my playgrounds. I immediately knew by insight from the Holy Spirit that bars were not the place for me to be, unless Of course, I had a reason to be there, and I didnt. God pruned the taverns from my life, and as soon as the cut was made, new growth appeared. I found that I could enjoy the same type of fellowship by going to AA and NA meetings, except I found it to have a positive influence on my life instead of a negative. At the same time I came to the realization that I needed spiritual growth and God opened up the doors of a loving church. Today many in church are as close to me as my own family. Over the past eight years, God has continued to prune away parts of my life, and with each cut the new growth offers a better opportunity, I dont want to go back to the old dead vines that made up my life. God has done for me what I could not do for myself .JRE
But I will send you the Counselor, the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me. (John 15:26 NLT)
In the last conversation that Jesus had with the eleven disciples, Judas had already left; He told them much about how it had been, how it was, and how it was going to be. As I find myself studying over His teaching at that particular time, I am overwhelmed at all that Jesus had to say. I can understand why the disciples did not fully understand what Jesus had been teaching them. It wasnt until the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came on them and in them that they were able to grasp the complete meaning of His teachings. Jesus compared the disciples and us to grape vines that require pruning. Share these verses of Scripture with me.
I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch that doesnt produce fruit. And he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you. (John 15:1-4 NLT)
Pruning cost something to the one who is being pruned. It cost a piece of our life that is cut away. But God, will allow new growth to sprout and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit it will grow in the proper direction that will allow it to produce the most fruit. I remember when I first came back into recovery how God pruned away parts of my life. I used to go to the bars. I had been going to bars since I was six years old. My dad used to take me to the taverns and give me a hand full of nickels to play the jukebox while he drank. When I was twelve I remember going into a bar in Mexico and drinking. Then when I was fourteen I had an uncle that would take me to the tavern with him and even give me a short glass of beer. When I was sixteen and started driving I would go into Kansas where the drinking age was eighteen and get into the bars with some success. At eighteen I was legal, and could go on my own with no problems. At nineteen I was drafted into the Army and allowed to go to the taverns on the military post. At twenty-one every bar, club, and tavern was available to me if I had the money. At thirty-five when I was in the grips of alcoholism, I found that I did not even need money in the bars. I had become a con artist in the art of talking someone out of a drink or two. Bars always seemed to be a place where I could go when I had nowhere else to go. The theme song from the TV show Cheers stated, Its good to go where everyone knows your name. And sometimes that might have been the reason I went. When I surrendered to my addictions and made a decision to turn my will and life over to the care of God, God did some pruning. In recovery the old saying is that we have got to change our playmates and playgrounds. Bars were my playgrounds. I immediately knew by insight from the Holy Spirit that bars were not the place for me to be, unless Of course, I had a reason to be there, and I didnt. God pruned the taverns from my life, and as soon as the cut was made, new growth appeared. I found that I could enjoy the same type of fellowship by going to AA and NA meetings, except I found it to have a positive influence on my life instead of a negative. At the same time I came to the realization that I needed spiritual growth and God opened up the doors of a loving church. Today many in church are as close to me as my own family. Over the past eight years, God has continued to prune away parts of my life, and with each cut the new growth offers a better opportunity, I dont want to go back to the old dead vines that made up my life. God has done for me what I could not do for myself .JRE
But I will send you the Counselor, the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me. (John 15:26 NLT)
