John 15:1-4 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

The British meaning for the word bum is buttocks. I think bum sounds cute but if you’re sitting on your bum for the Lord that is not cute and God doesn’t like that at all. We as Christians should be producing fruit in our spiritual lives and this means living according to Galatians 5:16,22(walking in the Spirit and fruit of the spirit) and spreading the gospel, helping our neighbors, widows, orphans, the needy, those in prison etc. We should live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. We should worship Him, obey Him and serve Him.

If we abide in the Lord we will produce fruit

How can we be His if we do none of these things? Well we can’t and there are people right now going to church and they think they will go to heaven because they are in church….but they will not make it in. This is what it says in Mathew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

If you are producing fruit in your life you will know it because God will be pruning you so that you will produce more fruit and He does this through testing and trials. It’s His way… so seek His grace and don’t try to understand everything you go through…. just be satisfied knowing that it has a purpose in your life. Recognize the purpose, grow from it and keep it moving….endure….run the race set before you.

Her face tells the story! Labor hurts!

You know how us woman keep having babies. Well for you men out there…I can tell you it hurts a lot…I know I had 5 deliveries. Every woman knows how bad it hurts…..but yet…..the knowledge that we will have this level of pain doesn’t stop a woman from having babies since the first woman to have a baby….Eve.(I hope God has Eve in a mansion in the back with security because I’m gonna be looking for her LOL!)

Pruning is very good for producing more substantial fruit

God’s pruning does cause us pain but the knowledge that we Christians have pain will NOT keep me from loving and serving the Lord…..because I love Him and I know if I endure my suffering there will be a great reward of eternal life with no pain and the best part….I’ll be with the one I love so much forever…God my Father.

Each of us Christians are producing fruit and are being pruned in different ways. Each person’s trials and testing’s are tailor made for them. God is an excellent gardener and knows how to plant, water, fertilize and yes there’s that pruning. We are to produce not only fruit but fresh fruit. We can’t get by on old fruit…things we used to do. No matter how old we get….we must continue to abide in the Lord and let Him make us into what He would have us to be. He is doing a WONDERFUL work in us. This is why we must count it all joy when we are pruned…it’s for our benefit, advancement, character building and spiritual development.

Will people say you are a chip off the old block?…Meaning you closely resemble a parent in character or you are a piece of a large block of wood…a chip? God’s terminology for this is He is the vine and we are the branch. We cannot produce any fruit unless we remain in Him…walk in the Spirit…. daily walking with Him……making it an everyday routine to stay closely connected to the Lord…the vine… by prayer and bible study.

Message for today: Stay on the Vine….it will pay off in time.

P.S. – If this pertains to you…get off ya’ “Bum”  (smile)