Only a prayer meeting by Charles Spurgeon (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the chapters entitled 'Pruning the vines' and 'Write the name of Jesus on all your crosses'.
Firstly Spurgeon teaches us from "Every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth (or, pruneth) it, that it may bring forth more fruit."—John xv. 2.
Spurgeon tells us what it means that we are:
(i) fruit-bearing branches;
(ii) purged;
(iii) to bring forth more fruit because of the purging.
Secondly Spurgeon expounds " And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS."—]ohn xix. 19.
Spurgeon unpacks what it means to write on our cross the words:
(i) Jesus;
(ii) of Nazareth;
(iii) the King;
(iv) of the Jews.
I thoroughly enjoyed the chapter about God's pruning us as vines. Spurgeon really made the text come alive: 'If I had not seen it so often, I could not have believed that such a change could have been wrought. The vines, that were cut back so terribly before my illness, are now adorned with lovely leaves, and, better still, there are flowers from which the clusters will come, and the branches have grown marvellously during the time that I have been laid aside. It looked like a miracle to see the poor dried vine again springing up, and throwing out hopes of abundant fruitage by-and-by. This ought to encourage all of us who are being pruned. If we have been cut back by the Lord, it is only that we may gather strength that shall not be spent to waste in producing wood and leaf, but that shall be used in bringing forth fruit for our dear Lord and Master. That ought to be the case, and will be the case, with each branch of the living Vine.'
Our suffering will produce much good if we are patient enough to see it.
Next week's reading
Read the chapters entitled 'Pentecost and Whitsuntide' and 'The pastor's need of the people's prayers'.
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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