A branch in
Christ Jesus will be pruned to produce more fruit! So where does all this
production of good fruit come from? James give us detail: James 1:2-4 NKJV 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall
into various trials, 3 knowing that the
testing of your faith produces patience 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that
you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Trials in
our lives should produce growth. If you have pruned a tree, you do it to
force its growth into that perfect form.
It is the same with God toward us, He will prune what is fruitless or that
which does not abide in Him.
Each of us
is to evaluate our actions, any sin present and repent fast. But we also pray
and see His plan for us. A test and many trials can present anger at times
within our emotions. We wonder why us and when will this be over! Walking with
God is hearing Him speak truth into those situations. For us, we must adhere to
His speaking and rid our minds of stupid thinking. You cannot allow doubt to
germinate within your thinking. If we do, then we have that mixed thought process going on!
Fruit will
help us to endure!
James 1:2-3
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that
the testing of your faith produces patience. Or your faith produces endurance!
This is
mirrored in Hebrews 12:2. In Hebrews 12:2 says Jesus endured the cross "for
the joy that was set before Him." He thought nothing of the pain and shame
because of the joy He knew would follow His suffering. And His suffering was severe to the point of death.
For me, I
know first-hand when a sentence is given that is not of life. And when you hold onto Jesus, you hold
to life in Him and His truth and that God knows my frame and He is aware of the
situation. From that we can gain a love for life that is present in preparation
of meals when you could not stand long enough to do them while being in the
trial. You find an emotion of tears, even years later when you are thankful to
spend time with loved ones, to eat a meal together and just laugh at the devil.
For me, I
became aware of the great power given us to stand against the enemy. I became
aware to use my tongue for God’s glory and not be afraid of the enemy. My God
is greater than any enemy including satan. From this trial I had seen a process
work through my life to appreciate others and to being more sympathetic to
their plight. Many I have seen these last few years are those who need not a
hand out but a hand up! They require a Savior: Christ the Lord.
Prayer is
always important. And it is good to pray together with your spouse over your
family, community and even nation. But prayer also involves that closeness of
God. Remember when Jesus was crucified that He appeared on the road to Emmaus.
(Luke 24:15) He joined Himself to the two men with anguish of heart and brought life and light to
them! We must remember why we are here and what lies ahead. For in that we are
refined in fire to remove impurities.
John 20:19
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors
were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came
and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Locked up
because of the Jews voicing threats against those who were with Jesus, these
men found Jesus came near to them. He walked through shut up doors and stood in
their midst.
I believe today,
this word is for those who feel God cannot reach them past those shut doors.
But HE can! He is walking today into those places in your midst where He is
seen and He is heard. No man can stop what God is doing in this nation, and
within people! If they try, they will find themselves cancelled by Him!
James 1:12 Blessed
is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive
the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
If you find
that things like a virus cause you to act in a way that is nothing like Jesus consider
why you might be falling prey to that disgruntled attitude. Consider that this
place will not motivate for better fruit.
All the
claiming one may do in asking forgiveness but continuing to pursue hypocritical
behavior is not bringing people into a relationship with God. We must realize
that bad behavior will not influence anyone to cross the threshold of a place of
worship and really see God!
I do not
like the saying: "we are all in this together, because in all honesty we are
not". Some people during covid time are not saved! They neither know Jesus nor
do they care about Him. But we as the believer certainly embrace that we are not alone in the struggle
against self. You know the Me, Myself and I focus.
In the
Message Bible, Paul writes in Romans 7:14-15 “I’m full of myself—after all,
I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is
that I decide one way but then I act another, doing things I absolutely
despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then
do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.”
Paul knew
and so do we that if we do not commit and submit wholly to the Lord, we will
have no victory.
We desire
God’s closeness but we are full of ourselves and there is not much room left
for God. Yes, we must be pruned and bear new fruit! We must be healed from the
inside out. In John 15:16, Jesus tells his disciples, “I chose you. I
appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain”. A grapevine must first be planted and tended to by a gardener.
The gardener prunes the areas that won’t be productive to allow good fruit to
grow.
Where we
have not allowed God to prune, the branches will appear as the withered. They
can be seen as: selfishness, anger, and hatred. But when I allow myself to be
pruned by the Vine-dresser, then my selfishness will be removed, and I will grow
in my love for others. Anger and fear will be cut away to bring abundant joy, no matter
the circumstance. Hatred for another will be pruned to allow for more
patience. We must have endurance to
thrive in this hour! We are to remain in God’s word for that continued growth.
And that word when it is applied in our lives, will be seen in the pruning that is
occurring as we allow God to speak to us through His Word and see change come to us.
Jesus
refers to himself as the “vine” in John 15. Jesus is also the Word of God. John
1:1 NKJV says “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the
Word was God.” Jesus tells his disciples in John 15:6 that their relationship
with him is based on His words remaining in them. If believers do not open the
Bible on a regular basis to read the words that keep us connected to the Vine,
we will not produce fruit. John writes that those branches who do not remain
connected to the vine of His Word, will wither, and will be collected and
burned.
Having fruit hurts. When we take a look at our branches, are they revealing good fruit or they are revealing the withered away branches! Proverbs 31:31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates. No sluggards here, we are to produce fruit that points to a good character and those works that proclaim God!
Allowing God
to prune away sin is a part of that faith journey. It takes a lot of forgiving
others and ourselves when we fail. But God never fails. And when our trust, and that faith that is in Him, He will show us how to walk, to behave in that way that
is seen as a person surrendered in His wisdom, for humility and the fear of the
Lord are prerequisites for gaining wisdom and honor now! Lord have Your way in
our lives and go ahead and snip!
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