fruitful

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

John 15:4 NLT

How do we know we are in Him? We produce fruit? What does that look like? What sort of fruit does the vine produce? Disciples? Disciplined ones? Are you being discipled? Are you discipling anyone? Discipled people exhibit growth in character and then themselves go on to disciple others.

For everything we do, a test is created to examine that acts worth. I think the Lord must be a scientist,  this is exactly what physicists and chemists would do. It is very logical and practical.

Smiths Wigglesworth would say: if each day I am not changing in some way, then I am backsliding. A sobering thought. He also said, if I am not experiencing persecution I am not progressing.

Examine the life of Jesus, did He progress towards a goal? Yes! Was He persecuted? Yes! My greatest persecution has come from family. Many of the martyrs for Christ are persecuted by family. Jesus was persecuted by those He came to help, the lost tribes of Israel. His family even turned against Him.

When Jesus said, take up your cross and follow me, what did He mean? Remember, wide is the road that leads to destruction and narrow is the road that leads to life. Which road are you on?