Thursday, August 10, 2023

Reflection - Joanie Yoder - Cut-Flower Christians

Source (book): "Classic Gem: Timeless Devotions from Our Daily Bread Authors", Chapter 73, "Cut-Flower Christians", Page 84.
By Joanie Yoder, Our Daily Bread Author


 Apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5
PHOTO: Apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5
Read: John 15:1-8

Almost every woman likes to receive a bouquet of cut flowers. After admiring and smelling them, she wastes no time getting them into water. Even though they are fresh and beautiful when she gets them, their days are numbered. Because they've been severed from their life-source, they will soon wither and die. One day, she will have to throw them away.

Author Lloyd Ogilvie sees in this a picture of the Christians whose spiritual vitality has faded and shriveled. Such a person has become a "cut-flower Christian." This is similar to the illustration Jesus used in describing the vine and the branches. Just as a branch can't bear fruit by itself, He explained, we can't bear spiritual fruit unless we abide in Him, the true vine (John 15:4).

If a branch could speak, it wouldn't apologize for its need to depend on the vine for bearing fruit. It would say instead: "For this I was made!" Likewise, Jesus knew we were made for dependence on Him, our life-source - no apology needed! In fact, such dependence is the only way to avoid becoming a "cut-flower Christian."

Let embrace His declaration, "Apart from me you can do nothing." He is really saying: "With Me you can do everything I appoint for you, including bearing much fruit!"

Fellowship with Christ is the secret of fruitfulness.
Picture posted by glanzbild.blogspot.fi on Tuesday, 10 March 2015 - Easter cross
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4AXvbuRITCeDnRGYQr8S1kkzQhP8RsoVoHGjvQ0Y8ig-dP5CoEE_hGYBbCvB1RvZlgkVYJxvaMAmIC09i9IrDWTfn8FAtL66FDIAzy8tXyHzHxA19slIEeXoavNti3MbyXbA5OF0iBqspYs7G0TjEGkaBD4E0f-1JGVCT5IxexOImvtUZu4bDkxNEfkk/s1000/b6d9fe9f368e51c58a66f9bb59156e0e.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/b6/d9/fe/b6d9fe9f368e51c58a66f9bb59156e0e.jpg
http://glanzbild.blogspot.com/2015/03/blog-post.html?m=1


Apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5
Read: John 15:1-8
 

 Apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5
PHOTO: Apart from me you can do nothing. - John 15:5
Picture posted by Depositphotos
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebikd-WCuTjPJJNxjpRwL2vpBu_M8jQAE9mK2DLJOOHYC2emI83K5V7nJK96cvs4XS4BA66HdOIiS1TDUHJsru2OQYN2PypLJBQcSLAkieveILJfrSK99c3AmNqBjxMrh80nAubMARE52UIDTXbtc_d_WNZkei2muzhgQuV6iHAf7TznEJMbBPbLvJ0Y/s1200/depositphotos_139045788-1200x850.jpg
https://st3.depositphotos.com/1020804/13904/i/450/depositphotos_139045788-stock-photo-wine-grapes-on-the-vine.jpg
https://cn.depositphotos.com/139045788/stock-photo-wine-grapes-on-the-vine.html


Almost every woman likes to receive a bouquet of cut flowers. After admiring and smelling them, she wastes no time getting them into water. Even though they are fresh and beautiful when she gets them, their days are numbered. Because they've been severed from their life-source, they will soon wither and die. One day, she will have to throw them away.


 Almost every woman likes to receive a bouquet of cut flowers.
PHOTO: Almost every woman likes to receive a bouquet of cut flowers. After admiring and smelling them, she wastes no time getting them into water. Even though they are fresh and beautiful when she gets them, their days are numbered. Because they've been severed from their life-source, they will soon wither and die. One day, she will have to throw them away.
Picture posted by ĐINH VĂN LINH on 06 July 2016 - Ao Dai Vietnam
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjID8yq1z9AFx5RAVCR-oJ1KS3Kf9xvi3Nv87Q5RJ7s-DkRiKic4TIQyl9BHxMgUN_S7wRq3XNTupryU_NaineVQ1dFLNNc3-vd24Fh_7xSSY1BvwJh_cYTb1hC3r33-hchGSoxKvch7FwzGl4fUqLMliJHJ7GGP-0Cp_VD4yq2YAPESEKOB4K8E4ypoBM/s2047/28090068746_84cf1bb6ef_k.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/7423/28090068746_84cf1bb6ef_k.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinhvanlinh/28090068746/in/photostream/


Author Lloyd Ogilvie sees in this a picture of the Christians whose spiritual vitality has faded and shriveled. Such a person has become a "cut-flower Christian." This is similar to the illustration Jesus used in describing the vine and the branches. Just as a branch can't bear fruit by itself, He explained, we can't bear spiritual fruit unless we abide in Him, the true vine (John 15:4).


 Author Lloyd Ogilvie sees in this a picture of the Christians whose spiritual vitality has faded and shriveled.
PHOTO: Author Lloyd Ogilvie sees in this a picture of the Christians whose spiritual vitality has faded and shriveled. Such a person has become a "cut-flower Christian." This is similar to the illustration Jesus used in describing the vine and the branches. Just as a branch can't bear fruit by itself, He explained, we can't bear spiritual fruit unless we abide in Him, the true vine (John 15:4).
Picture posted by ĐINH VĂN LINH on 06 July 2016 - Ao Dai Vietnam
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMeB2IdvJ8wiKmLbI36T13ioFonhS_ByHGH2vFh1gWDWkUP6G3by-OXL55z-aR5mJLGfKMeOPXqOP1VPDN8mKwyatEnfOkqrAC6isV4onaBauliRU62toFpZ_LXAZ4aLOvAYbp4WJAEf3DfP9aZg7_6Un1iDOQMTTq-ulFRINPbPVo6HqDMBnJSq5Qbw/s2048/27509391124_1feb71d168_k.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/7542/27509391124_1feb71d168_k.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinhvanlinh/27509391124/in/photostream/


If a branch could speak, it wouldn't apologize for its need to depend on the vine for bearing fruit. It would say instead: "For this I was made!" Likewise, Jesus knew we were made for dependence on Him, our life-source - no apology needed! In fact, such dependence is the only way to avoid becoming a "cut-flower Christian."


 If a branch could speak, it wouldn't apologize for its need to depend on the vine for bearing fruit.
PHOTO: If a branch could speak, it wouldn't apologize for its need to depend on the vine for bearing fruit. It would say instead: "For this I was made!" Likewise, Jesus knew we were made for dependence on Him, our life-source - no apology needed! In fact, such dependence is the only way to avoid becoming a "cut-flower Christian."
Picture posted by ĐINH VĂN LINH on 06 July 2016 - Ao Dai Vietnam


 Let embrace His declaration
PHOTO: Let embrace His declaration, "Apart from me you can do nothing." He is really saying: "With Me you can do everything I appoint for you, including bearing much fruit!"
Picture posted by My inner landscape
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhYMJgrKm5H_3P5djkv07Sw5JuT5JhaqKMpAt1Wt1sbkM3ccFSKdeXRGQicKACsVUNZsJXvDPWv0phOV7GREE3070yGPjbjz1oqgqrvIeh6YBP4bdwyEYYJmdPa1fWG3xKjFRp2g9ZG-Xs3CWMy1ChRra5Ok4OPIC4KsuakpWD0inQwEpwo3FgAj1-9s/s960/20f8f2125072ba7eff4177d513c572b9.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/20/f8/f2/20f8f2125072ba7eff4177d513c572b9.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/645633296594722582/


Fellowship with Christ is the secret of fruitfulness.

 Fellowship with Christ is the secret of fruitfulness.
PHOTO: Fellowship with Christ is the secret of fruitfulness.
Picture posted by Light Giver
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitY_e4-0BXgBW488bNMSUzt4RQFqvTfrNY5yytS0REwoARrWF6pPiN7GsbD2628nO6E7_iC1__wf-OxBZ0rrVAUnNKXq4Cwq_-e_YI8gCuDvvreYB7F8maXgSVXBXTHibSKTiVid1Sb66Tw94wKd29QcYy0aRSSPrZXDWH9LhosUcsz25YiLn3KvUSds4/s941/0c2cd0336efb8f2a19e14f596b3bda24.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0c/2c/d0/0c2cd0336efb8f2a19e14f596b3bda24.jpg
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/5840674508679236/
Reflection - Joanie Yoder - Cut-Flower Christians
Source (book): "Classic Gem: Timeless Devotions from Our Daily Bread Authors", Chapter 73, "Cut-Flower Christians", Page 84.
By Joanie Yoder, Our Daily Bread Author



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Reference
[1] From "Classic Gem: Timeless Devotions from Our Daily Bread Authors", Copyright © 2021 by Our Daily Bread Ministries, Chapter 73, "Cut-Flower Christians", Page 84.


Links


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