The next teaching we received from our Pastor Mike; is how we can see the increase of God’s glory by our willingness to show our fruit.
He’s not speaking about fruit such as apples, oranges or banana’s; he is speaking about the fruit of the Holy Spirit that lives within us if we are believers.
In Galatians 5:22 [But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.]
Then Pastor shared how a master gardener takes great care to tend to his ‘branches’ so it can bear better fruit. If the plant looks like it’s not well, it gets pruned so new growth can happen. No branch can bear fruit on it’s own it must be tenderly treated by the gardener.
This is so much like our relationship with the Lord.
As we grow and learn of him we become more in tune to His nature.
We watch and remain in awe as His glory is breaking into a very dark and dim world.
Remember darkness cannot live in light. we also know light produces life.
It is God’s glory breaking into and through our dark places, the places that keep us stuck.
The places in our hearts that need healing.
Jesus said: John 15:8 [“When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings much glory to my Father.”]
The book of Luke says: [A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.
What you say flows from what is in your heart.]
He said it’s like the concept of raising up or lifting up, the word means Airo.
The branch gets lifted off the ground and lifted up so it can grow well.
That concept is for us too.
1. Increase through lifting
2. Increase through pruning
Pruning is not punishment it is to cultivate deeper and more meaningful growth.
The concept of pruning is very necessary, anyone who has ever done a garden realizes that it grows better when you cut back what is not needed.
Then Pastor said, “what you feed the most will grow the strongest.”
John 15:9 says: [“I have loved you as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.”]
So we are to remain, walking in His love, in the truth of who we are and who He is as we abide with Him in relationship.
Trusting in the process of pruning and releasing our fear of what is happening to us.
Our intimacy with God and His love for us is a heart issue. Our heart.
As we encounter and become more aware of His love for us, we allow a new awareness of the fruits of the Spirit and allow them to breakthrough our mind.
Matthew 7:20 [“Yes, just as you can identify a tree by it’s fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”]
Let us be sure our actions match what we share and proclaim.
Remember the saying, “your actions speak louder than your words?”
Yes it’s definitely something for us to think about as we think about this process.

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