1. Church growth, Chinese style! Reports coming out of Communist governed China indicate that the church there is doing much more than merely surviving - it is thriving! Check out this report and then take a moment and praise and pray ... for what God is doing in the world's most populated country!
2. During last winter's destructive ice storm, the five birch trees that line the back of my yard took a major hit. Clean up from the storm has taken two visits by two different tree outfits (and a major hit on my bank account!). During those visits, using their power saws and other equipment, the arborists removed a lot of broken, twisted limbs. Now, even with the damage cleaned up, the trees still bear the "scars" of the winter's wrath! But, these tree experts assured me that the trees should make a strong comeback in the next couple of years.What the heavy ice accumulation did to my trees reminds me of what sin does to all of us. It twists us. It distorts us. It bends and even sometimes breaks us. All of us. No exceptions (I recently said to my wife that all of us are dysfunctional ... its just that some of us are more dysfunctional than others!). Therefore, all of us are in need of the hand of the divine "tree surgeon" to come and prune out the broken and twisted limbs (John 15:1-11). Only as the Master prunes us will we be in a position to bear much fruit for him (AND experience the JOY that comes from doing so!).
Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj
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