A Genuine Blessing - The Fruit of the Spirit
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Loading ...Galatians 5:22, 23 (Amplified Bible) But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the works which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].
Today, we want to consider the fruit of the Spirit in general and the characteristic of love in particular. The apostle Paul had just finished addressing the works on sins of the flesh and the consequences thereof in verses 19 through 21, He now shows us a much better way of living by allowing the fruit of the Spirit to be active in our lives. Our sinful nature chose to do the works of the flesh. However, as Christians, “…old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (II Cor. 5:17b)
In the Greek, “the fruit of the Spirit” is in the singular tense. It reads “is” and not “are”. Therefore, the nine characteristics mentioned are not individual parts, but rather make up the whole. Another fact we need to note is that “the fruit of the Spirit” is produced by the Holy Spirit and not by our spirit. However, we must desire to have the fruit evidenced in our daily lives in order to make a positive difference for Jesus in the world. In order for the Holy Spirit to produce the kind of fruit He desires, we must provide Him with good fertile ground with which to work. For us to do so, we must have an intimate relationship with Jesus through being obedient to His Word, which requires study, and times of communicating with Him in prayer through out the day. This relationship will bring us to a place where we see others through the eyes of God and will love them with the love of God.
Love is the first characteristic listed and is the adhesive that binds all nine of the traits together. There are four words for love in the Greek and the one used here is agape meaning affection or benevolence. Regardless of what negative effect we may experience due to someone else’s actions, we will seek only the best for that person. We must not allow our emotions to rule us but to will, that with the help of the Holy Spirit, to minister the highest good to those who attack us through words and/or deeds.
Jesus gave us the commandment in John 15: 12 and 13 to love one another as He has loved us. There is no greater love than when we lay down our life for others. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 13 that without love we will become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. He states that faith, hope and love are all important but that the greatest of the three traits is love. We are truly challenged by the scriptures to see others, both saved and unsaved, through God’s eyes and to be His hands extended as we demonstrate His love for all mankind.
My prayer is: Father, let me be a blessing to someone, somehow in the next twenty-four hours. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen!
amplified bible apostle paul continence control Evotational eyes of god fertile ground forbearance fruit fruit of the spirit galatians 5 holy spirit intimate relationship jesus love meekness positive difference self self restraint sinful nature singular sins of the flesh Filed under Evotational | Comment (0)The Day The World Changed
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today marks the 6th anniversary of the events of sept. 11. six years ago i was on my way into a systematic theology class at southwestern. it was certainly a day which will live in infamy.
you hear a lot about how “the world changed on sept. 11,” as if the day and the events brought a paradigmatic shift in our lives, brought a change in how we live. certainly, many every day occurrences are different now, but i dont think it’s fair to say “the world changed after 9/11″. in fact, the change was long before then.
“do you live in a cave,” you ask. no. but i believe the world became a different place (fundamentally shifted) when a first century jew was crucified around AD 33.
saint paul dealt with this issue his letter to the roman church. the true act of power, strength, and change was done in weakness, love, and humality: the cross. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5.8.
our lives arent governed by what happened on 9/11. instead, we try to make sense of 9/11 (and subsequent events) in light of the cross, the love of God. the cross narrates every detail of our lives. childhood, marriage, children, death are all informed, not by 9/11 but by the cross. for christians, indeed for everyone, the world changed in AD 33.
6th anniversary 9/11 class crucified Evotational fundamental shift infamy jesus jew love niv occurrences paradigmatic shift paul romans sept 11 six years systematic theology theology weaknes Filed under Evotational | Comment (0)Let The Problem Go!
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Your confession is a vital part of your prayer life! It is vital before you pray, during your prayer, and after you pray. Your confession after you pray will either bind the problem to you or release you from it. The problem is yours and God will let you have it back if you want it. You are the one to determine the outcome and proclaim it in faith!
“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19
The authority of binding and looseing is on Earth. You have that authority! One translation says, “You have authority to bind what is bound in heaven and to loose what is loosed in heaven.”
Loose the Answer!
Ask yourself, “What is bound in heaven?” The curse is bound in heaven. There is no poverty there; no sickness, pain, sorrow, or suffering. Jesus said that we have the authority to bind those things here on earth. PRAYER is one of the ways to bind and loose.
”…pray ye… Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9,10
How is it in heaven? What is loosed there? Abundance, life, happiness, joy, health, peace – and Jesus gave YOU authority to loose those things here on earth!
Your Words Bind You
Words are powerful creative forces. It was the speaking voice of God that created everything that exists. Words bind and loose. Your words are your bond. Your words are your authority here on earth. The things that you say are the things that you believe…either currently or in the future.
What will you say? – Wealth or Poverty?
What will you bind? – Sickness or health?
What will you loose? – Fear or faith?
Release the Ability of God
You can release the ability of God through the words that you say- or- you can talk so much about the problem, pray your problem, hold fast your problem, and your problem will become greater. If you talk your problem until your neighbors start believing it, soon they will tell someone else about it. Someday soon you will have a lot of people believing that you have a problem. Then you DO have a problem! Remember that Jesus said that…”If any two of you agree on earth…” (Matthew 18:19)
Lay Hold Of The Answer!
Do you see what speaking your problem will do? Don’t ever talk your problem before people that believe in problems. Find someone who believes in answers from the Word, someone that will agree with you that the problem is removed. Let go of the problem and cast your whole care on the Lord! (1 Peter 5:7 ). Take hold of the answer. Hold fast to the answer until that is all you can see.
When you are holding onto the problem, God’s hands are tied. When you turn it loose, then God can do something about it.
“Casting the whole of your care – all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all – on Him; for He cares for you affectionately, and cares about you watchfully.” 1 Peter 5:7 amplified
God will not take your cares, but He will lovingly receive them!
confession faith keys of the kingdom words are powerful Filed under Evotational | Comment (0)Prayer…the mightiest weapon in the believer’s arsenal!
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Can it be true that people just like us can speak to God personally? That’s incredible! But it is more amazing that God would allow us that privilege. In the monarchical kingdoms of history and even today, the subjects never are allowed to speak to their king unless spoken to first. As Jesus taught us to pray, He said that our prayer should begin like this, “Our Father…”. King’s children are different. They have audience with the king at any time! We are King’s Kids! No appointment necessary…so come boldly!
It is far more amazing that God would go beyond hearing our prayers. God, the Almighty, listens. Talk to God about anything you wish. He hears and listens. He understands! Anger, pain, joy, or sorrow…No one understands like Jesus!
Now for the best part! Yes, He hears and understands. But He responds. God only does what is best, every time, all the time. It is yet more amazing that God will participate in conversation with us. We Pentecostals have a distinct sense of hearing from the Lord. He speaks to us.
What a cycle we call prayer! Prayer…the mightiest weapon in the believer’s arsenal!
god listens prayer talk to god Filed under Evotational | Comment (0)God will take care of you
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...If we are all honest with each other we would admit that we have days where we wonder what is going to happen tomorrow. How am I going to make it? Where am I going to get the money to fix the car. Though we do have to think about tomorrow, we don’t need to worry. God takes care of us if we are trying ot please him first. Jesus tells us in Luke 12, (24)Look at the ravens - they don’t plant or harvest or have barns to store away their food, and yet they get along all right.(27)Look at the lilies! They don’t toil and spin, and yet Solomon in all his glory was not robed as well as they are. God clothes the flowers. The birds aren’t farmers. The can’t plant crops, but God feeds them just the same.
Remember that wanting and needing are two different things. God may not give us things that we want just so we can ‘keep up with the Jones’, but he does always supply your needs. I think of Elijah, who in a season of drought was led to a river and was fed by a raven, the miracle of the 5 loaves and 2 fish. All the hungry were fed.
There are times in my own life that I can look back and see how God provided for my every need in expected and unexpected ways. I have handled times in my life sometimes with frantic and sometimes with peace. It all depended on if I was looking at the situation with my eyes or through His. Today, before you start, take time to reflect and thank God for his love and provision. He has supplied all of our needs according to His riches and glory.
Luke 12:22 - 29
Don’t worry about whether you have enough food to eat or clothes to wear. For life consists of far more than food and clothes. Look at the ravens - they don’t plant or harvest or have barns to store away their food, and yet they get along all right - for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable than any birds. Besides, what’s the use of worrying? What good does it do? Will it add a single day to your life? Of course not. Look at the lilies. They don’t toil and spin, and yet Solomon inall his glory was not robed as well as they are. And if God provides clothing for the flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, don’t you suppose that he will proved clothing for you? And don’t worry about food - what to eat and drink; don’t worry at all that God will provide it for you
barns birds clothes crops elijah flowers food to eat going to happen lilies plant ravens single day solomon in all his glory takes care think about tomorrow time to reflect toil two different things worry Filed under Evotational | Comment (1)