Quote from Forum Archives on December 27, 2001, 1:37 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Refinement is never an easy process. The process of refinement
is sometimes called pruning. During the season of Advent, we
have been preparing our hearts for the coming of Christ.
Hopefully, each of us has examined our own hearts privately, and
considered who God is, what His nature is like, and how we
compare to Him and find ourselves very needy, indeed.

This message takes on a somewhat different tone, but is a
complement to this self assessment. Now it is time to start
pruning out what needs changing. Who better to do that work than
God Himself? His Word says that He is the gardener - Jesus is
the vine, and we are the branches. Read and think about this
analogy and allow God's Spirit to permeate into the Words, then
allow Him to work and move in your spirit. Then the wonderful
gardener, the Creator of all things will begin to bring your ways
into conformity with His ways. Now that is not likely to be a
comfortable process at all times, but it will be an ever lasting
process, and a good one, the very best one, in fact.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

Reply-to: Neil Anderson <neilanderson@lists.crosswalk.com>
Subject: Neil Anderson Devotional for Wednesday, December 26, 2001

If you are looking to feed and challenge your faith, visit
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N E I L A N D E R S O N D A I L Y D E V O T I O N A L
from Freedom in Christ Ministries

December 26

PRUNING THE BRANCHES

Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear
more fruit (John 15:2).

Our goal is to abide in Christ, not to bear fruit. Jesus promised
that if we abide in Him, we will bear much fruit (John 15:5).

In order that we may bear more fruit, God the Father prunes us.
Sometimes well-meaning Christians have cut too much too soon,
hindering growth. A dear but sadly abused child of God pictured
her experience in the following poem:

A friend of mine whose grapevines died was about to throw them
away.

I said, "I'll take your vines and make something special of them
today."

As I gently bent one vine, entwining round and round,

A rustic wreath began to form, potential did abound.

One vine would not go where it should, and anxious as I was,

I forced it so to change its shape, it broke--and what the cause?

If I had taken precious time to slowly change its form,

It would have made a lovely wreath, not a dead vine, broken,
torn.

As I finished bending, adding blooms, applying trim,

I realized how that rustic wreath is like my life within.

You see, so many in my life have tried to make me change.

They've forced my spirit anxiously, I tried to rearrange.

But when the pain was far too great, they forced my fragile form;

I plunged far deeper in despair, my spirit broken, torn.

Then God allowed a gentle one who knew of dying vines,

To kindly, patiently allow the Lord to take His time.

And though the vine has not yet formed a decorative wreath,

I know that with God's servant's help one day when Christ I meet

He'll see a finished circle, a perfect gift to Him.

It will be a finished product, a wreath with all the trim.

So as you look upon this gift, the vine round and complete,

Remember God is using you to gently shape His wreath.

Father God, thank You for Your unconditional love and acceptance.

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--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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