It’s hot out! The air hangs heavy with heat just after sunrise at 7AM. The other day I worked in my front yard around the sidewalks, digging up old dead plants, pruning dry lifeless branches and replanting, this time in portable containers. When I returned to the air conditioning of my house, my face was all bright red and splotchy, not from sunburn, but from the heat index. With Florida humidity, it pushed the temperature up over 100F!

Lord Jesus used examples from nature and man’s relation to growing plants in His teachings that all people can understand. He said, “I AM the true Vine, and my Father is the Vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:1-2)

We, God’s people, true believers are the branches. In us flows the life from the Vine, Lord Jesus, which is Holy Spirit. At times in our lives we are pruned of the old dead stuff, diseased parts, and twigs covered with parasites. God the Father decides when, where, and how. He is the Vinedresser.

God does this for our own good because the old stuff is sucking the life out of you. Pruning allows for new growth and an abundance of fresh fruit on green branches.

Sometimes we do not wish to be pruned, continuing in our old habits, living with a painful condition, or holding on to a sin much to our calamity. Resistance against God’s work in our lives produces little fruit. God sees this.

To prune us, God cuts, just as I used pruning shears, large cutters and a saw for branches. Cutting removes something permanently.

God uses the Sword of the Spirit—His Word and Holy Spirit, (Ephesians 6:17) both of which convict us of sin, show us an area of weakness being taken advantage of by the enemy, or expose a curse. He gives us knowledge and power to break these things, cast them off and free us from the entanglements through His Word and by His Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The process hurts. We must agree to abide by God’s will, but the final result will make us better believers, with improved characters, demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)

In the Old Testament, God brought the children of Israel (approximately 2.4 million) out of 400 years of slavery in Egypt. In that country, they had learned the Egyptians’ ways, which included idolatry, grumbling, giving up on God and not obeying Him. They remained wandering under God’s leading in the wilderness 40 years, until the last generation and their sinful ways had passed. The pruning took 40 years. Then they entered a new land. (Book of Exodus)

He pruned the nation that carried The Messiah, Lord Jesus, into the world, of sin with His Word. The Lord spoke to them through Moses, the man of God, and through the Word of God, written on stone tablets with His very finger—the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 31:18)

When God prunes His church, as a body, it takes time. It happens in stages. (Exodus 17:1) The purpose is to bring them into one body, cleaned up and ready to go produce an abundance of fruit!

Some will allow Him to prune them, some will not. Those who don’t will continue in their sins. The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)

Every branch that does not bear fruit, He takes away. (John 15:2)

Are you allowing God to prune you of sin?

If you’ve traveled to Israel on a Holy Land pilgrimage, you’ve no doubt visited Nazareth in the Lower Galilee. Lord Jesus grew up here, just about one block away from where my spouse also grew up.

When I visit Nazareth, I walk the streets, sidewalks and stairs, climbing higher and higher until I reach my mother-in-law’s home. The city sits atop five mountains and her house is built into the side of one. I like to walk instead of travel in a car because I can see the people, greet them, speak with them and take my time. My daily habit is to stop and pray in the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation built over Mary’s well. You can still drink from it. Up to the right of the well are stairs seen behind glass, those which Mary, the mother of Jesus would have used to descend to the well and fill her water jugs.

The church itself is about 600 years old and is our family church. My children were baptized here in deep golden bowls of water infused with oil, numerous family wedding ceremonies have been conducted inside, and final funeral ceremonies are held, including my father-in-law’s.

This church is a holy place, built to preserve a Biblical location. Here, the virgin Mary received a visit from the angel Gabriel, telling her that she would become the mother of the Savior. (Luke 1:26-38) At this time, the Jewish nation endured persecution at the hands of the Romans. They looked for a savior.

Beneath the church are tunnels and hidden caves where early Christians, persecuted, worshiped in secret. Passing through priestly gardens, my father-in-law once took me below through a cobbed web entrance to see this. Persecution of the early church pushed believers out of Jerusalem and into other places, taking the Gospel with them. (Acts 8:1)

Lord Jesus explained this to His disciples: “Remember the Word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20) The Lord was persecuted throughout His ministry, tortured, and then crucified.

This is the life of a follower of Lord Jesus; it will not always be as a ship upon a calm balmy sea. Storms suddenly surf up!

Why? Why are believers hated so?

Lord Jesus stated, ““They have done this to fulfill the Word that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’” (Psalm 69:4)

We are hated by the world because we are in the world, but NOT of it. We are from the Kingdom of Light, the Kingdom of Lord Jesus, and NOT the Kingdom of Darkness, the Kingdom of this world. (Colossians 1:12-13; Ephesians 2:2; 1John 5:19) The two kingdoms are at war with each other.

When you are attacked and hated, persecuted, even oppressed on every side, look to The Lord, Who understands well what you go through. He will help you. (Psalm 46:1)

My spouse’s family dates their faith back 2000 years. They have lived through many wars, racial conflicts, and religious attacks. Before my father-in-law went to Heaven, he had lived through 14 wars, each day prepared as if it was his last.

LOOK UP!