It seem those who truly follow Jesus Christ and love Him will experience more trials and tribulation. To the worldly people, we may even look like a “loser”. In their eyes, we may look timid and weak. Before reaching an expected breakthrough, God will repeatedly cleanse and prune us. After all, we must not forget that we are His branches. The more fruit you bear, the more cleansing and pruning will you go through. We will be prune until a richer and more excellent fruit is produce and ready to sell (to do His kingdom work).
Even after bearing qualified fruit, He will still continue to prune us but it will not hurt as before since much of the flesh has been crucified. It is just as real fruit trees are prune and trained. This word "trained" is an actual term used in the industry. Without proper pruning and training, the fruit trees will not properly develp in shape and form. When fruit trees are properly pruned and trained, they will yield a higher quality fruit in their earlier years and the life of the tree will live significantly longer.
Another form of pruning and training is to remove any dead, diseased, or broken limbs. Just as real trees are pruned, God prunes the dead, diseased, and broken limbs from our lives. Anything that does not belong in our lives which prevent God from bearing good fruit will be continuously pruned and trained. The more we resist, the more it will be painful. Without the necessary pruning and training, we will not be able to bear good fruit and if we do not bear good fruit, we are no use and we will be cut off and thrown into the fire. Even if you are born again and have an experirence with God knowing you have been saved by Grace and on your way to heaven, if you do not bear fruit, scripture is very clear on the consequences. The above scripture states, “Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit He cuts away…” The unbelievers are not in Him. It is very clear, a born again Christian who has stopped bearing fruit will end up burning in the fires hell.
John 15:6 If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken-off] branch, and withers; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and they are burned.
The fruit we must bear are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. God continues to remind me to bear all these fruits and without these fruits we will not enter the Kingdom of God. We can not enter heaven with our short tempers, hate, anger, without self control, and etc.
Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP)But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, 23Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [[a]that can bring a charge].
Please we must reflect the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If there are fruit that is opposite of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, then we must ask God to help us from bearing bad fruit and for Him to prune us. We are branches that needs to be pruned. What are the benefits of bearing good fruit?
John 15:8,9,11 When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [continue in is love with Me]. I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.
If we produce much fruit, Father will be honored and glorified! It is also testimony of our approval in being true followers of God!! And there is more, bearing much fruit prove that we are ABIDING in His love and our joy and delight may be in us and that our JOY and GLADNESS may be of FULL MEASURE, COMPLETE and OVERFLOWING! The best part is that we will GO TO HEAVEN after our life is finished on earth. I have more good news to tell you. If you continue to bear good fruit, whatever we ask God in His name, He will grant it to us. Would you not want to reward and give more favor if your children fully obey you?
John 15:16 ….that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you.
Let us be separated and distinguished from the world. Our fruit will prove that we are the true followers of Christ Jesus. If our fruit is like the world (bad fruit) how will we glorify God and honor Him? And how will we draw sinners to Him? If the world loves you and if you love anything that is in the world, you must remember, that the ax is already at the root and you will be cut off in the end. How do we know if we belong to the world or God?
John 15:19 If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world [no longer one with it], but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you.
If your worldly Christians or unbeliever friends loves to hang out with you and you have no problem hanging out with them doing what the world does, this may mean you are trouble. Now we must have a different spirit then them. If our spirit and their spirits are getting along great, it is more like we belong to the world. Please separate yourselves from the world. If it is necessary, we may have to end our friendship and start praying to God for godly friends to hang out with.
Our walk with the Lord may not be so easy but walking and doing His plan will satisfy you above all things. It may be sometimes be a lonely walk but it is only Jesus who can fill any lonely void so you may be fully content. We must always remind ourselves the NARROW way is literal. It will become so narrow that many people will not continue to walk with us. The great harvest is coming and we must be equipped and at least be prepared to start. You must be willing to be pruned and trained. May YOUR WILL BE DONE AND YOUR KINGDOM COME LORD!!”
I give all the glory to God.
Fire of God
Yoojin Kim
July 1, 2011 at 8:40pm
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