The Fruit of His Working (#632)

It's impossible to make a discipline or obligation out of something only God can produce in the human heart. Wayne and Brad let their listeners shape the conversation today as they respond to a number of recent topics from previous podcasts. They talk about walking through the darkness to the rising Son, not trying to run away from the difficulties or painful bits of our lives. They wonder why achievement is also more valued that fruitfulness, when God sees it just the opposite. They discuss how people can find a healthy way back into reading the Scriptures, not just doing it out of obligation or expectation. And, they talk about the frustrations of prayer requests when they don't begin with a grateful heart in recognition of who God is and what he has already done in us.

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's Travel Schedule
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

4 Comments

  1. “It’s impossible to make a discipline or obligation out of something only God can produce in the human heart”.
    Well said, While achievement is accomplished mostly if not always by effort, while fruit is the outcome of abiding in Him.
    While no one enjoys pain, but” trying to run away from the difficulties or painful bits of our lives” are often the ways God uses
    to make us more like Him, the anvil, the potter’s wheel, the fire, the water. By His grace we are enabled to lean into Him and let
    Him create, recreate, do, undo things we rarely understand in the process.

    “They wonder why achievement is also more valued that fruitfulness, when God sees it just the opposite”.

    There is a way that seems right to a person but the end thereof is death, spiritual or literal. In my years as a believer my time
    with Him actually determines many if not all aspects of my life. It’s not so much about reading through the Bible in a year, or
    doing topical studies, which all have their place, but the healthier way back into the scriptures may be to believe and obey what
    we already know.

    As to prayer time, personally I have discovered that God that God wants to meet with me than I want to meet with Him. His
    great desire is for us to know Him intimately. It doesn’t hurt to have a specific time and place, but anything we create usually
    collapses into merely routine, or worse. When we congratulate ourselves for getting through 04/05/2018 Bible reading we
    could be doing a lot better. Did we meet with God?

    I usually do my scripture reading in the evening, I need a “touch from the Lord’ in the morning to get through my day.
    As I meditated for the better part of an hour on the hymn Thine Be the Glory, I gradually began to sense a strengthening
    awareness of His Presence. The kind one doesn’t want to leave, but in this temporal realm duty calls.

    I anticipate the next time, totally spontaneous, not knowing what God is going to do in my heart and life for the day. But He
    WILL show up if I acknowledge His Holiness, His desire for me, and my (growing desire) for Him.

  2. Loved the broadcast, always love hearing you; Wayne and Brad together. I can feel the joy that you two have and His presence is apparent. I really enjoy my Friday’s when new podcasts come out! Thank you for this service you bless us with! Jan

  3. I liked the comment about how the criticism of Papa in The Shack was essentially because the character was demonstrating too much of the fruit of the Spirit. My brother recently mentioned to me how he noticed that the accusations of heresy are almost always for presenting God as too nice. Unfortunately, you can make God as harsh and strict as you want (like Calvin did) and almost no one accuses you of heresy.

  4. See Mike Endicott – the Blind Healer – and what he says about prayer in the light of what Jesus achieved for us at Calvary.

Comments are closed.