Vine and Branches, Part 2

Chuckle: I heard Jeff Smith, a.k.a. The Frugal Gourmet, read this letter from a viewer on the air: "I have had my turkey in the freezer for a year and a half. Will it take longer to thaw?"

Quote: "The strength of a man's virtue should not be measured by his special exertions, but by his habitual acts." --Blaise Pascal

PRUNING FOR PRODUCTION

Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce more fruit" (John 15:1-2 NLT). Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5 NLT).

Today, we continue to think and learn about the way God prepares us to be fruitful in his vineyard/kingdom. Please remember that Jesus is the vine and the gardener/vinedresser is God, the Father, through His Holy Spirit. In Galatians 5:22, Paul writes: "But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." When we are filled with (controlled by) the Holy Spirit, we are remaining in Christ -- we are firmly attached to him and are the recipients of his life-giving power. His power flowing through us causes us, the branches, to produce much fruit for God's glory. When the Holy Spirit dwells in us, He will produce through us love, peace, joy, etc.

You may be producing some fruit for God's kingdom; however, you may feel as if you're not being as fruitful as you should be. You may say, "But I have in my life a lot of dead leaves (sins) of idolatry, anger, hatred, envy, etc. How can I get rid of all these dead leaves and spoiled fruit? How can I have the fruits of the Holy Spirit produced in me and through me?" If you are sincere in these questions and genuinely want to be used of God to bear fruit for His glory, "Standby for NEWS!!" -- as Paul Harvey said for years.

I have learned that dead leaves don't fall off trees -- they are pushed off. As the sap of life flows through the branches, it pushes off the dead leaves to make room for new growth and new fruit. We Christians sometimes try to prune ourselves by trying to pull off the dead leaves of sin from our lives -- bad habits, filthy language, or an impure mind." That's not the way to do it.

We cannot prune ourselves -- that's God work as the vinedresser. We just need to yield ourselves to Christ in repentance, and He will forgive us and fill us with the fullness of His Spirit. We need to focus on Christ, the Vine and allow His Holy Spirit to fill us and flow through us. He will push off (prune away) all those dead leaves and prepare you for bearing fruit. Then, He will produce fruit through you that will amaze you and glorify Him.

Love, Jerry & Dotse