"Do you want God to be the God you want Him to be in your life or ARE YOU WILLING to let God be the God that He wants to be in your life?" Pastor Lonnie Ellis shares transparently about his walk with God - and encourages the rest of us to welcome God's pruning, so that our life will be more fruitful.... The podcast is at www.blazingfire.org for August 4, 2012.

1. A Time of Pruning…
Lonnie Ellis
August 4, 2012
Blazing Fire Church

2. Core Values
#3 An #3. An atmosphere Father’s Love love.
Atmosphere of the of the Father’s
John 3:16-17; 1John 3:1; Jeremiah 31:3; 1Peter 4:8;9
• Daddy loves us, not because of what we do or don’t do, but
because we are His! • God is in a good mood—He is not mad at
us! • Love wins! People flourish when they are loved! • We love
each other as brothers and sisters in one family with the love we
have received from our Father! • Love is the best indicator of the
authenticity of God’s handiwork

3. Core Values
#3. An atmosphere3:16-17Father’s love.
John of the
NKJV
16 ForGod so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world
to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might
be saved.

4. Core Values
John 3:16-17
#3. An atmosphere of the Father’s love.
The Message
"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his
one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be
destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and
lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son
merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it
was. He came to help, to put the world right again.

5. A Father’s Love
Romans 5:8-10
KKJV
8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much
more then, having now been justified by His blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through Him. 0 For if when we
1
were enemies we were reconciled to God through the
death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled,
we shall be saved by His life.

6. A Father’s Love
Romans 5:8-10
The Message
Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He
didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He
presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were
far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get
ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak,
we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can
understand someone dying for a person worth dying for,
and we can understand how someone good and noble
could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his
love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial
death while we were of no use whatever to him.

7. My message for tonight

8. A Time of Pruning

9. A Time of Pruning
John 15:2
AMP
Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit [that
stops bearing] He cuts away (trims off, takes
away); and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes
every branch that continues to bear fruit, to
make it bear more and richer and more
excellent fruit

10. A Time of Pruning
to cut or lop off undesired twigs, branches,
or roots from; to trim.
to rid, remove or clear of anything
undesirable.
Allowing God in to deal with areas in your
life that He is highlighting

11. A Time of Pruning
Sometimes we can go through things and wonder what is
going on, we’re living obedient faithful lives, trusting in
God, knowing Him, reading the Word, yet things are hard
and times testing.
Take heart. You are being pruned to create more and
more fruit.
It wasn’t that you weren’t fruitful it is that there is
opportunity
for more fruit. Pruning involves cutting and breaking of
branches. That can hurt. But growth comes. Pruning is
done with tender care by the master gardener who knows
what to do to produce the best crop, the best growth.
Allow him to shape you.

12. Areas of Pruning happening
in my life
My words Letting go of offense
My thoughts Confrontation (in Love)
My eyes My teeth and body weight
Writing Deeper Forgiveness

13. Pruning produces
Spiritual maturity, Deeper levels of intimacy, Kingdom
promotion, Greater influence in the world around you,
People drawn to you, Humility, Meekness, and much,
much more…
Galatians 5:22-23
NKJV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control.

14. Areas of Pruning needed
In your life
Because He Loves you and is for you
Lets take a few minutes in private prayer
and invite Holy Spirit to show us
any areas in our lives or hearts
that He might want to start
the pruning process

15. A Time of Pruning
It it time to trade in mediocrity for a life
of consequence?
Do you want to experience the joy of
making maximum impact for God?
Join Bruce Wilkerson for a journey
through John 15.

16. A Question to Ponder?

17. "Do you want God to be the God you want
Him to be in your life
or
ARE YOU WILLING to let God be the God
that He wants to be in your life?"
quoted by: Lonnie Ellis

18. Old Joke: God will save me
There was an old man sitting on his porch watching the rain fall. Pretty
soon the water was coming over the porch and into the house. The old
man was still sitting there when a rescue boat came and the people on
board said, "You can't stay here you have to come with us." The old
man replied, "No, God will save me." So the boat left. A little while later
the water was up to the second floor, and another rescue boat came,
and again told the old man he had to come with them.
The old man again replied, "God will save me." So the boat left him

19. An hour later the water was up to the roof and a third rescue
boat approached the old man, and tried to get him to come with
them. Again the old man refused to leave stating that, "God will
grant a miracle & save me." So the boat left him again. Soon
after, the man drowns and goes to heaven, and when he sees
God he asks him, "Why didn't you save me? I thought you would
grand me a miracle and you have let me down." God replied,
"You idiot, I don't know what you're complaining about. I sent
three boats after you!!"

20. The AWE of God
Awe:
An overwhelming feeling of reverence,
admiration, fear, etc., produced by that
which is grand, sublime, extremely
powerful, or the like: in awe of God

21. The AWE of God
Job 38:1-41
NKJV
The Lord Reveals His
Omnipotence to Job

22. 1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2“Who is this who darkens counsel By words without
knowledge?
3Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you
shall answer Me.
4“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the
earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who
stretched the line upon it?
6To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its
cornerstone,

23. 7When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons
of
God shouted for joy?
8 “Or who shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth
and
issued from the womb;
9 When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness
its swaddling band;
10 When I fixed My limit for it, And set bars and doors;
When I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther,
11
And here your proud waves must stop!’

24. 12“Have you commanded the morning since your days
began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the
wicked be shaken out of it?
14 It takes on form like clay under a seal, And stands out
like a garment.
15From the wicked their light is withheld, And the
upraised arm is broken.
“Have you entered the springs of the sea? Or have you
16
walked in search of the depths?

25. 17Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have
you
seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell
Me,
if you know all this.
“Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness,
19
where is its place,
20That you may take it to its territory, That you may know
the paths to its home?
21Do you know it, because you were born then, Or
because the number of your days is great?

26. 22“Have you entered the treasury of snow, Or have you seen
the treasury of hail,
23Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, For the day
of battle and war?
24By what way is light diffused, Or the east wind scattered
over
the earth?
25“Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one, A
26
wilderness in which there is no man;

27. 27To satisfy the desolate waste, And cause to spring forth
the
growth of tender grass?
Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of
28
dew?
29From whose womb comes the ice? And the frost of
heaven, who gives it birth?
30The waters harden like stone, And the surface of the
deep is frozen.
31“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the
belt of Orion?

28. 32Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season? Or can you
guide the Great Bear with its cubs?
33Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you
set their dominion over the earth?
34“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That an
abundance of water may cover you?
35Can you send out lightnings, that they may go, And say
to you, ‘Here we are!’?
36Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given
understanding to the heart?

29. 37Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can
pour out the bottles of heaven,
38When the dust hardens in clumps, And the clods cling
together?
39“Can you hunt the prey for the lion, Or satisfy the
appetite of the young lions,
40 When they crouch in their dens, Or lurk in their lairs to
lie in wait?
41Who provides food for the raven, When its young
ones cry to God, And wander about for lack of food?

30. The is
OUR AMAZING DADDY
Who is passionately in love with us and for us

31. The AWE of God
Lets never lose sight of it in our lives

32. "Do you want God to be the God you want
Him to be in your life
or
ARE YOU WILLING to let God be the God
that He wants to be in your life?"
quoted by: Lonnie Ellis

34. Core Values
#3 An Atmosphere of the Father’s Love
John 3:16-17; 1John 3:1; Jeremiah 31:3; 1Peter 4:8; Ephesians 3:16-199
• Daddy loves us, not because of what we do or don’t do, but
because we are His! • God is in a good mood—He is not mad at
us! • Love wins! People flourish when they are loved! • We love
each other as brothers and sisters in one family with the love we
have received from our Father! • Love is the best indicator of the
authenticity of God’s handiwork

35. Ministry Team