John 15: 1-8 (the message)

The Vine and the Branches

1-3 “I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.
4″Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.

5-8″I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.
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I’ve been enduring some pruning lately and to be honest, it stings a little sometimes. You know what I mean – those relationships you have become a significant part of your life are not bringing forth any fruit anymore. If we were brutally honest with ourselves we’d go even further and confess that those relationships are not only useless, but tend to leech off us – to suck up our spiritual giftedness, dilute our ministry and reduce the fruit we produce. Even so, it hurts sometimes when the parasitic members are cut away from us so we can be all we can be.

Ever notice how we never have the strength to prune ourselves? Think back, when did you go to a person and just say, “you know, I love you but there are things about our relationship that hold me back. I need to break away and see how high I can soar”. If you’re like me, you answered NEVER. That’s becasue pruning is painful. Remember when you were a kid. The band-aid hurt to take off so you had to let your Mom do it. You just couldn’t get the nerve up. It’s the same way, we have to let our Father do the pruning because we just can’t get the nerve up to do it for ourselves.

The past month or two have shown me a lot. Who my friends are and also who the posers are – the leeches – the parasites that suck you dry and move on. Even so, I could not just do what needed done. I had to go to Daddy and he took care of it. That was nice. I sit and mind my own business and next thing you know, the pruning is done and all is fresh and new. Once the bad was cut away, the other relationships began to flourish better than ever! The pain is gone and now I am really looking forward to what is next. I say that because this isn’t my first time being pruned and I know I am about to pass a milestone in my life. I like that. Thank you Lord!

How about you? Do you feel bogged down? Just feeling like you’re in mud and progress has slowed to a crawl? Listen up; While you’re looking to yourself trying to see where the problem is, it just might not be you. It could be that you’ve blossomed all you can until you endure a good pruning.

If you feel like this relates to you today, don’t even worry about where the trimming needs to be done, just call of Jesus to come and shape you up. Ask him to cut away anything that is holding you back and causing you to stall in your walk. I guarantee he will do just that. It may sting a little, but know that in the end you will find new freedom and will go to the next level in your ministry life.

With much love,
John

Posted under FROM THE HEART