Producing Fruit

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper. Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. John 15:1-4

There is so much here. Is 5:1-7 speaks of the Father being the vine dresser yet the difference here is that Jesus is the vine. Israel was unable to produce fruit because it did not have the 'true vine'. Jesus said that He was the true vine.

Now you and I both know that even though we have the vine we must stay 'vitally' connected to it.

Staying connected means we get pruned (pain) so that we produce more fruit. If we do not produce we get disconnected (we get the chop- ouch).

Jesus then throws in 'you are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you'. I know that every time my heart gets dirty I have to go to the word, lay my heart open and let it cleanse me.' (my spiritual shower)

When he are prunes God's tools are usually others coming across harsh or insensitive to us. Their behavior cuts deep, this is an opportunity to allow God into the deep parts and mine for diamonds.

What we tend to do is become offended, get all huffy and strut off. Or conversely we become very angry and do great damage.

What an opportunist to find gold, diamonds, rubies! This requires humility and silence. No venting! (aaaaaah!)

Continually going our own way does not produce the fruit God desires. In Israel's case they produced sour grapes causing the vineyard to be destroyed. Thus the chop!

You see the Father is after sons and daughters like His Son, get the picture?

Jesus says we must remain in Him and gives a promise He will remain in us. This is an awesome promise one worth taking up! Amen! Then we produce fruit that will remain!