Bearing Fruit

I was reading Insight for today: daily devotional: A Fruitful Life by Charles R. Swindoll. He references:

• Colossians 1:9-10
  9 Therefore, from the day we heard of it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all the wisdom and understanding which the Spirit gives; 10 so that you may live lives worthy of the Lord and entirely pleasing to him, being fruitful in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of God.

In Matthew 7:20 it says we will be recognized and known by our fruit. Matthew 7 is a great resource to learn about bearing good fruit by Adonai. Check it out. Meanwhile, let's talk a bit more about bearing fruit.

Here's what John 15:1-13 says:

• 1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.2 He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.3 You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you.4 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 apart from me. 5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.7 But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!8 My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father. 9 "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.10 When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love.11 I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!12 I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you.13 And here is how to measure it -- the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends.

Verse 6 tells us that if we're useless that we're gathered into a pile and burned. That doesn't sound very pleasant to me. Reading more, v.7 gives us a clue of what to do to avoid separation and being burned. Stay joined with HIM and HIS word remains in you. That means being in The Word cultivating your relationship with HIM & those in your daily living. I also read in some other related scripture that a healthy tree/vine doesn't produce bad fruit. You wonder what good fruit is? Well, I'll share that with you too.

Galatians 5:22-23a:

• 22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.

It all boils down to obedience. Are you willing to be obedient to Adonai? Disobedience and rebellion got satan where he is now. He lives a life of torment and torture. In turn, mentally inflicting it upon us...if we let him. The battle's already been won...at Calvary. When Yeshua The Messiah was crucified and raised up three days later. All we have to do is tell the adversary, "NO" in the name of Yeshua The Messiah, Adonai because Yahweh said so! When Yeshua was being tempted by satan in Luke 4:6-8:

• 6 The devil said to him, "I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want. 7 If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours." 8 Jesus answered him, "Get behind me Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'" [Note: Emphasis, mine!]
  

The devil has a lot of gall to stand before Adonai and say that. It's laughable at best. And we can do the same thing... Laugh in the face of temptation and evil... leaning wholly on GOD, knowing and trusting faithfully that HE will get us through whatever is going on in our lives. Faith!

Prayer: Dear Father God, I lift up Your children to YOU. We need a reminder now and again about bearing fruit. You're our vine dresser. You prune us so that we'll be bearers of good fruit, fruits of The Spirit. Thank YOU for YOUR being our Savior and leading us down that narrow path to eternally be with YOU. In the name of The Messiah Yeshua, amen.