Living in the Spirit

Joel 2:28-32 (New International Version)
28 "And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the LORD will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the LORD has said,
among the survivors
whom the LORD calls.

Acts 2:1-4 (New International Version)
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.

Galatians 5:16-26 (New International Version)
Life by the Spirit
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

I know I have included some long scripture verses today. However, I think these three are KEY to being a Christ follower truly living in the Spirit. I told you a story yesterday about my morning and how I had allowed God to walk with me through all the mundane craziness that mornings at my house can bring and how he showed me that he noticed by making sure my path was clear....all my lights were green.

I told that story to my daughter and she said "Mom, I think God has more important things to do than to make sure you have green lights".

You know, I used to think just like her. I used to think that God only had time for important things, why would he waste time on simple little prayers. Well that was what I thought until I truly received the Holy Spirit into my heart. You see, I was living a religion not a relationship with God. I had gone to church as a child, kind of fell out of it as an adult having sporadic fits of attending church but never finding a home. I never studied the bible.

I was one of those people who thought God didn't really intervene in our lives, he gave us free will and if we lived a "good" "clean" life we would be OK. I thought God had a finite amount of time and ability and only intervened in extreme circumstance.

Well let me say this, I have found out how wrong I was. Living the way I was thinking was NOT living in the Spirit. It allowed me to chose what I thought was right or wrong which leads to "bending" the rules. I was also under the false impression that living by the "law" was how you would get into Heaven. Well guess what I was headed right down a path of destruction....my life was spinning out of control, I had no direction and I felt lost and alone.

I found myself asking God for help....and indeed he did help. He led me right to what I needed to hear. I woke up one day and was truly led to the bible studies and devotions I needed to hear. He was showing me that I could NOT be truly saved until I had received the Holy Spirit into my heart....and that alone was salvation. If I ever meet Kay Arthur in person, I will kiss her right on the spot. She showed me, right in the words of the bible that God sent his son Jesus to die for our sins and our salvation and Jesus left us the Holy Spirit to guide us in his absence until we meet again. Living and walking with the Spirit is the only way to attain salvation.

I also discovered that God's power is infinite, not finite. Him turning my lights green yesterday morning did not lessen his ability to help a patient dying of cancer. With the Holy Spirit truly inside of us, God is with us during every task, no matter how small or how large. Living in the Spirit also compels us to live as Christ...keeping the Law wont get us into Heaven, but living in the Spirit gives us to power to live a Christ like life, and leads us away from the "sins" he died for and toward the fruits of the Spirit. The Spirit is power over sin!!

Galatians 5 shows us what is like to live without the Spirit and in turn the contrast, what Life in the Spirit is....it is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. All of these I have received and it has literally CHANGED MY LIFE!! I turned 43 yrs old last month but God never gave up on me. I missed out on a lot of years not living in the Spirit and I paid a price....but all that is in the past, God has forgiven me and I am looking so forward to my future living the fruits of the Spirit....read that list again....all I can say is WOW.

I pray everyday that my displaying what it is like to live in the Spirit, I can change someone else's life and give them the gifts I have received. Perhaps someone is reading this and God will lead them to the Spirit. Please share this message with someone you think might need it today, or share it with all your friends.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you, thank you for showing me what life can be like living in the Spirit. I want to be led by the Spirit in everything I do, showing others those fruits so they can find the same blessings I have. Amen"

Walking with God everyday!!

1 Samuel 17:37a (NIV)
"The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."

Deuteronomy 31:8,
"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Phil 4:11b,
"for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Luke 10:40-42 (New International Version)
But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Psalm 139:23-24 (New International Version)
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with the mundane? I often feel like I do the same things every day, get up, stress about getting the family up and off to school and work, go to the same job every day with all the stress it brings and then back home to cook, clean and just try to keep up. Where does the time go and what purpose does any of this serve to the greater good. Is this all I am meant to be?

I have been feeling a bit like this lately. Much of my prayer lately has been in asking God to show me the "purpose" of my life. You know what? God truly answers prayers and sometimes the answer is not what you expected at all.

This morning I was feeling particularly overwhelmed by the mundane as I awoke. I read my first devotion and it was like God had put it right in my hand....directly on point. He showed me how content David was with his life as a sheperd....watching over his flock and calling on God to help him with this mundane task. By asking God to walk with him everyday in even the most routine ways, David knew that God was with him when he needed him the most, fighting Goliath. He never doubted God's presence, even when his work was not all that interesting.

Then, I turned to my second devotional this morning....guess what that one was about today? You guessed it, feeling overwhelmed with the mundane. I smiled and knew right there, God was telling me, he is with me ALWAYS, even in the most common of circumstances. There is no shame in performing routine duties of daily life, what I need to remember is HE is still with me even in those tasks. I need to learn to ask him to walk with me in everything I do, whether it is getting the kids clothes ironed, lunches packed, or whatever. He is with me every step of the way. Learning to call on him even for the slightest task will make it that much easier to call on him in the "big" moments of life.

Well, I let God be with me this morning, and it was a morning where things didn't go that smoothly, but I didn't stress, I felt a calm come over me, knowing God was right there with me and everything would work out. The uniform I forgot to dry got done and on my child, we had to come back home for forgotten cheer clothes...I never got aggitated or upset...I remained calm and at peace knowing God was right there. We were going to be late, oh well. You know what happened....every light in my path this morning was green. That NEVER happens!!! As I went through the forth light that was green and we hadn't been stopped at one yet, a huge smile spread across my face. That was God answering me...."see I am here and if you trust me with the little crisis' in life, think what I can do in the big ones".

This is one of the "Ah hah" days for me. I have accepted the Holy Spirit into my life and he will NEVER leave me....not on an average day and not on a really bad day.....what JOY that brings. I probably wont quit smiling all day!!

Fruit of the Spirit - Self-Control

Galatians 5:22-24 (NIV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

As you can see, we have made it to the last fruit of the Spirit. It isn't last because of it's lack of importance. In fact, I believe that without this one, we could never acheive the others. So, let's take a look at this fruit of self-control.

As we have seen throught these lessons, there is a biblical definition of these fruit and then a watered down easier cultural version. Self-control is no different. The biblical definition of self-control is the God given ability to bring our bodies, our minds and our appetites under control, but more specifically under the control of Christ. This is different than the cultural definition which simply has us trying to figure out how to get a grip on ourselves rather than submitting to Jesus.

Why does self-control matter?

First, by learning and developing self-control though God's Spirit, we are set free. This is in direct oppostion to the tyranny of being enslaved to something whether it be an alcohol additiction, eating problem, angry temper, being unable to control our spending, being consumed by worry and fear, etc, etc, etc....

Romans 6:6-7 (NIV)
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Second, self-control increases our productivity as a Christ follower. It keeps us from being unproductive and inffective as models of Christ. Our controlled actions bring honor to Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lastly, self-control is absolutely required for leadership in God's army. If you can't get a grip on the things in your life, if you can't control your body, mind or appetite you cannot be a resource for God.

Titus 1:6-9
An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer[a] is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Let us consider what self-control isn't, at least not the biblical definition. It isn't trying hard. We can try as hard as we can but without the Spirit, without Christ, we will never gain self-control. It isn't "white knuckling" or holding on for dear life trying not to lose control. That isn't self control, it is just exhausting.

What biblical self-control is...

It is God given. It is a fruit of the Spirit. It isn't something you go do it is something that was given to us by God through prayer, quiet meditation and by asking. It is Spirit granted.

It is peaceful. With Christ in the center it yields peace. It is an enforced calm, knowing with the help of the Spirit we won't lose control. Consider Jesus in the sea of Galalee with the disciples, in the midst of a big and frightening storm. He said to the disciples "peace, be still". That is the peace you get from God given self-control.

Finally, it is the fruit of submission. God given self-control requires us to daily submit everything to God, asking him to reign over our lives completely. Consider the ultimate submission, Jesus on the cross. Do you recall when the guards were taunting him, saying "if you are God, then come down off the cross and show us". Don't you know during that agonizing taunting Jesus had to show the ultimate self-control in not doing just that. Sure he could have shown them, but that wasn't the job that needed to be done. It wasn't the nails that held Jesus to the cross but his total submission to God the Father!!

So, how do we facilitate self-control in our own lives?

1. We acknowledge the struggle. We become completely honest with God, ourselves and those around us and quit pretending we have everything under control. We need to admit to God and to fellow Christ followers we trust that we aren't always in control and we need help. We need to allow them to circle around us and help us to grow.

Romans 7: 18-20
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

2. We need to change how we see ourselves. We need to begin to view ourselves and everything as belonging to God. We need to become slaves to Christ. We mistakenly think sin is natural, when in fact if we live acknowledge we belong to God then holiness, goodness and righteousness is what is truly natural. God has made us holy.

Romans 6:19-22
I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

3. Discipline your mind. Control your thoughts. Let go of the strongholds of negative thoughts that control your life because they steal your joy and rule you. Think as God would have you think. Read scripture. Train your brain.

2 Corinthians 10:2-4
I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

Colosians 3:1-2
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

4. Discipline your body. Your body is the last bastion of self-control. Don't let your body own you, but own your body. Submit it to God. Put into your body the things that will bring you closer to God. Let God be your personal trainer!

1 Corinthians 9:24-26
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.

As we consider this last fruit, remember that self-control is not impossible but you can't accomplish it alone, you need God's help. Get over your pride and sense of perfection and invite help from God and fellow Christ followers.

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for inspiring this series on the fruit of your Spirit. I pray that what You say and command in Your word will be true about us as Christ followers. I pray that the fruit of Your Holy Spirit will be freely manifest in us. I pray for love, that we will learn to enter into that unconditional acceptance and blessing of others, that covenant relationship that You model for us even in our sin. I pray for joy, that we will have that abounding Spirit that is not dictated by what is going on around us. I pray for peace like in the Sea of Galalee, calm by Your presence. I pray for patience, that we will learn longsuffering through You. I pray for kindness that changes lives, goodness that manifest Your activity in the world, faithfulness not to quit when things get hard and gentleness so that our strength and potiential will be yeilded to You. I pray for for this gift self-control that we won't be disqualified from serving You because we cannot submit our appetites and attitudes to you. Make us a fruit bearing people, I pray that You would make us love, talk, give, feel, invest and serve like Jesus did and make our heart like His. Thank You for these gifts, help them grow in us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!

Fruit of the Spirit - Gentleness

Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Colossians 3:12 (New International Version)
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Philippians 4:4-5 (New International Version)
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

So, what exactly does Paul mean when he calls us to gentleness through the fruit of the Spirit. Well, first, I can tell you what gentleness is not. It is not weakness or meekness. This fruit is not frail and yielding, or wimpy as we might associate with the term.

The Greeks regarded gentleness very highly. They considered gentleness the picture of self control, powerful, strong, under control. In fact, Aristotle is quoted as saying "Gentleness is that good temper that resides somewhere in the middle of excessive anger and complete apathy." He put forward the idea that gentleness was our emotions being controlled by a force greater than ourselves, controlled power - tamed potential.

Well, that isn't too far off from the biblical definition of gentleness which is humble disposition that demonstrates that we are under the Spirits control. Through gentleness we surrender ourselves, turn ourselves over to the Spirit, yield to the Spirit. Gentleness means we don't have to prove ourselves, we know where we come from, know where we are going and we know who owns us. Through that humble disposition we are able to fulfill our potential and our power is control.

The examples of gentleness in scripture occur during out of control situations. For it is at those times we need the power of the Holy Spirit and the ability to demonstrate control and gentleness. In fact, we need to be the most gentle when we feel the least gentle.

As Christ Followers, there are times we are presented with situations where we need to display gentleness or Spirit filled power.

First, when we are questioned by a "seeker" to explain our faith to them. Most of the time, that scares us. We feel inadequate to answer their questions because we are just lay people. However, all Christ asks us to do is be prepared to tell our own story, with gentleness and respect tell the person how God has worked in our lives. How our personal relationship with Christ has improved our situation, attitude and life.

1 Peter 3:15 (New International Version)
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

Second, we need to exhibit gentleness when someone tries to engage us in a argument over scripture.

1 Timothy 2:1-8
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.
I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

Lastly, there are times when we are called to confront a Christ Follower who is entangled in sin. It is our duty to not write them off or try to overpower them but to help restore them, being firm yet forgiving, trophies of gentleness.

Galatians 6:1 (New International Version)
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

So, finally we come to the question. How do we activate this fruit, gentleness, in our lives.

First, we acquire gentleness by pursuing it on a daily basis. Gentleness wont come to us as we sit on the couch, instead we should diligently pursue it and embrace it.

1 Timothy 6:11 (New International Version)
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

Second, we need to allow God's word to change us. This is where gentleness gets its traction. We should allow the Spirit to make us different people which is what this "fruit of the Spirit" is all about.

James 1:21 (New International Version)
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Lastly, and most important, look to Jesus as our role model for gentleness. The scripture is full of examples of Christ's gentle nature. He was certainly the most gentle human to ever inhabit this planet. Consider his actions in the Garden of Gethsemane when he asked God if there was any way he could avoid this burden, he said "I will serve Your will Lord, not mine". On that same night the soldiers came and the others wanted to fight, Jesus pulled out a basin and said "let us wash each other's feet". Even when he was hanging from the cross Jesus exhibited great gentleness...."Father forgive them, they know not what they do". Wow!!

Matthew 11:29 (New International Version)
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Gentleness is not weakness but controlled power granted to us through the Holy Spirit. Let us work daily to exhibit a Christ like gentleness to others in this world.

Prayer:
Father I am so humbled by Your word and what I have learned about gentleness, it is not something to be avoided or that compromises who we are. Thank You for Your modeling and demonstration of being tough yet tender, firm but forgiving. Help us Father as we follow in Your footsteps and through control in the Spirit we can be like You. Make us the kind of people who can be trophies of gentleness. In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Fruit of the Spirit - Faithfulness

Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Psalm 31:23 (New International Version)
Love the LORD, all his saints!
The LORD preserves the faithful,
but the proud he pays back in full.

Psalm 117:2 (New International Version)
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD. [a]

Faithfulness by definition and translation infers trustworthiness, reliability or someone who can be counted on. It means keeping our commitments over the long haul and not giving up when things get tough. Faithfulness deals with our relationship with God and others. The relationship with God gives us the tools to help us remain faithful in the toughest times.

There are many times when we want to give up, when faithfulness becomes very, very hard. I know over the past few weeks, I have questioned whether this page or my efforts are worth it. Is anyone listening, does anyone care. Or like this morning when I spent an hour typing up today's message only for my computer to crash and I lost everything!! I also know over the years my "religion" has come in fits and starts. I will try to find a new church, go for a little while, become disillusioned and just stop going. There are many things that make faithfulness a challenge for us. Here are just some of them...

1. Faithfulness isn't always easy or fun. Is the thought of going to the beach, pool, hunting, fishing, etc sound more fun than spending your Sunday morning in church?

2. Faithfulness takes time, it takes an investment of time and energy on our part over the long haul. Faithfulness is more like a marathon than a sprint. How many of us have the endurance to see it through?

3. Faithfulness typically requires sacrifice. We usually have to give up something in order to remain faithful.

4. Faithfulness is not valued in our society. People leave jobs, teams, families to find "greener" grass on the other side regularly. Remaining faithful and loyal is no longer a noble concept in the world we live in.

5. Faithfulness waivers when times get hard. Bad things make us doubt and our faithfulness comes into question.

Well, given all the challenges we face in our efforts to remain faithful to God and those around us, the good news is, God wants us to succeed. He makes faithfulness attainable to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is with the Holy Spirit inside of us, we can remain faithful in this world.

Romans 7:18-19
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

There are things we can do to help build up our faithfulness.

1. We can hold on to the faithfulness of God. No matter how we have messed up or strayed God never gives up on us. He is always there to pick us up and help us on our journey.

2 Timothy 2:13 (New International Version)
if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

1 John 1:9 (New International Version)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

2 . We can keep focused on doing good even when we don't feel like it. We can train ourselves for the marathon and not the sprint. We can keep promises and our word. We can show up when we say we will. We can say what we mean and mean what we say. We can produce top quality work. We can faithfully encourage our spouse, family and friends.

Psalm 37:28 (New International Version)
For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

3. We can fully embrace the power God has given us through the Holy Spirit. God wants us to remain faithful and has given us the tools we need to stay the course. We just need to hang on to them and call on him for help.

Psalm 97:10 (New International Version)
Let those who love the LORD hate evil,
for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

2 Timothy 3:15 (New International Version)
and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

4. Start or continue to do even small acts of faithfulness. If you are having trouble in your marriage or family life start doing the small things you used to do. Do small things that will restore your faith in God. Let God's power help you get back on track.

Matthew 25:21
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

5. Get someone else to help you stay faithful. We need the help and support of family and friends on our spiritual journey. God intended for us to be a family of believers, each helping the other along the way. Join a bible study, small group, get a pray partner or find a church.

Hebrews 3:12-14
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

6. Remember that being faithful is worth it!!! God is always there telling us to never give up, to never quit. He never told us it would be easy but he said we would get great reward for staying the course and remaining faithful!!

Revelation 2:10 (New International Version)
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

So, when you think you can't go on another day, and your faith starts to falter, remember always that God has never given up on you. He loves you and wants you to succeed. He has offered us the greatest of help in the power of the Holy Spirit. All we need to do is grab on and stay the course and our reward will be awesome!!

Prayer:
Father, I thank You that You don't quit on us that You have not quit on me and that You haven't quit on anyone else reading out there. I thank You that You won't EVER quit on us. For great is Your faithfulness. You are big enough to take us through anything, You can take us to the goal line we we never thought we could finish the race. I put into Your hands all of us and that You will strength and challenge and whatever they need to be faithful to You, those around them and theirselves. In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Fruit of the Spirit - Goodness

Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Romans 15:14 (New International Version)
I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

Ephesians 5:8-10 (New International Version)
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

You ever been shopping for something and they have three versions of it...good, better, best? We have been programmed to think that something good is just average, not great but just OK.

As a fruit of the Spirit, that is certainly not what God intended in his version of Goodness. Kindness and goodness actually have many similarities and overlap as fruit of the Spirit. However, goodness can have a kind of starkness to it.

A person can be good without kindness, but kindness seems to always come with goodness. This is probably why kindness comes first in the list of fruit. Kindness is more about attitude or spirit. Goodness is more about action or service.

Acts 10:37-38 (New International Version)
You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

Most of the time, doing good will be something we do with kindness led by God's Spirit, that touches the need of another person. It could be something as simple as holding a door in the right context, choosing to do the right thing even when no one is looking, sitting and talking with someone who doesn't get talked to much, sharing what we have, or forgiving someone not necessarily deserving of forgiveness. Goodness is an action spurred on by kindness in the Spirit by something deep within us that God placed there through Jesus Christ.

Sometimes it can be hard to do good because many people reject goodness. People are often too independent and like to do things themselves and can reject acts of goodness on our part. They don't trust in goodness and push back from receiving it. However, if the Spirit is leading us to do good, then something good will come of it whether or not we see the result first hand.

Goodness is also about engaging in the battle with evil we face every day in our world. It is anything that brings light into the darkness of this world. Giving someone hope when they are in the depths of darkness and despair.

Romans 12:21 (New International Version)
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Genesis 1:4 (New International Version)
God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.

So, how can we grow and nurture the fruit of goodness?

1. We can ask God to increase our compassion.

1 Corinthians 13:2-3 (New International Version)
2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

2. Re-arrange your world so goodness is more prevalent than evil.

Romans 12:9 (New International Version)
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

3. Remind yourself every day as a Christ Follower you are filled with goodness.

Romans 15:14 (New International Version)
I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

4. Ask God to help change your priorities so goodness will grow.

Matthew 6:33 (New International Version)
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

5. Look for opportunities to do good.

1 Timothy 6:18-19 (New International Version)
Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

The bottom line is, when we do good, true, rich, spirit filled good things, we will enjoy a life that is truly living. When our life is about someone else, bringing light to darkness and overcoming evil, we will be given abundance beyond measure. When we let spirit filled goodness overflow from our lives we will get a taste of real life and quite possibly a taste of heaven on earth. By helping win the battle over evil we will one day live in a place where evil is gone completely.

So, let's all fight the good fight!!

Prayer:
Father, I thank You for the chance to learn from Your word, thank You for Your incredible goodness toward us, thank You for allowing us to be children of God. I pray that none of us will leave the same and that there will be opportunities for us to live out Spirit filled goodness and bring light to darkness. Thank you for filling us with your Spirit and allowing us to grow in your fruit and become closer to you. In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.

Fruit of the Spirit - Kindness

Galatians 5: 22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

2 Timothy 2:24
And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

Ephesians 2:7 (New International Version)
in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.


Kindness is higher and more noble than most of us think. Kindness reflects the benevolence of God. Whatever kindness is in a Christ Follower, it is a reflection of the kindness of God. Kindness is an act of grace, favor and mercy to an undeserving person. It is a benevolent activity to someone who isn't necessarily deserving.

Kindness is best portrayed by God's act of sending His Son, Jesus, to die for us on the cross. This is the single biggest act of kindness in history. It was a benevolent gracious gift to a people who did not deserve it. Jesus was sent to die for sinners who proved over and over again they could not remain true to God. This act of kindness is the kind of act that takes your breath away...it is AWE inspired.

Titus 3:4-7
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

So, let's first look at what kindness is NOT, because kindness is much more dramatic than helping someone with a task, which is not a bad thing, but Godly kindness is much, much more than just being nice.

1. Godly kindness is not random.
2. It is not simply being nice. It doesn't settle for acts that require no personal investment from us.
3. It is not superficial.

OK, then what exactly IS kindness as it relates to a fruit of the Spirit.

1. Kindness is deliberate and strategic. God knew exactly what he was doing when he sent Jesus to die for our sins. He made a deliberate decision to perform an act we didn't deserve.

2. Kindness is results oriented. It results in a change of circumstances.

3. Kindness is profound. It is not superficial, but so profound that the person on the receiving end of the kindness is NEVER the same again. It takes their breath away and they are able to see the blessing of God.

Consider the story of David and Mephibosheth. David had experienced great suffering at the hand of Saul, but what was his reaction? It was not vengeance but a profound act of kindness...Godly kindness.

2 Samuel 9
David and Mephibosheth
1 David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?"
2 Now there was a servant of Saul's household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?"
"Your servant," he replied.

3 The king asked, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?"
Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet."

4 "Where is he?" the king asked.
Ziba answered, "He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar."

5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.

6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.
David said, "Mephibosheth!"
"Your servant," he replied.

7 "Don't be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table."

8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?"

9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

Godly kindness is much more than anything we could imagine or grasp on our own. Without the great kindness given to us by God through Jesus Christ his son, we would be incapable of such acts of kindness. However, we are now called to this Godly kindness through the Holy Spirit.

Kindness is an expression of love. It is the ultimate demonstration of God's love for us. We understand kindness first through God's expression of love toward us and we in turn return that kindness to others because of our deep love for Christ Jesus.

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind.

Kindness is linked with forgiveness. God's ultimate kindness forgave us ALL our sins. One of the greatest gifts of kindness we can give is to forgive. Release others from the debt we feel they owe us, from any wrong they have committed.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Finally, kindness doesn't discriminate. Jesus died for ALL of our sins and for ALL sinners. We can't withhold kindness from those we don't feel are deserving or those who we do not feel will appreciates our acts. We are called to manifest God's kindness and let God work out the results. We can't consider skin color, social status, religious beliefs, etc when deciding who deserves an act of kindness. We are called to be kind to everyone.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-15
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Today I urge you to ask yourself and pray to God for answers to the following...

1. To whom do I most need to show kindness toward today?
2. What results do I want to produce for them? What need can I meet in them?
3. How might your kindness forever change their life?

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for the kindness that You have shown us in Christ, that draws us to You Lord. I pray that we manifest this fruit in our hearts and our actions and we act deliberately and strategically and results oriented and that we can have an impact in peoples lives, a profound impact. Make us a kind people Lord. Allow us to continue to grow in the fruit of Your Spirit as we become more aware of just what they mean in our lives. I pray everyone will share these fruits with others who have not yet come to You Lord, for we are ultimately all disciples of Christ. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Fruit of the Spirit - Patience (Controlling your wait)

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Colossians 1:10-12
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[a] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

Colossians 3:12-13
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

How is your patience doing today? Do you have a "wait" problem? How do you react when you have to wait too long in a line, in traffic, when people around you don't act the way you would want or expect them too? I think this is a fruit we all have difficulty with at times and need help from the Lord to cultivate!!

What causes us to be impatient? Well for most of us, we become impatient with the following:

1. We become impatient when people don't change or come through for us like we think they should.
2. When life doesn't work out the way we want it too.
3. When God doesn't answer our prayers on our time table or as we think he should.
4. When we believe something MUST happen for us to be OK or worthwhile.

Look at that list. The bottom line is we become impatient when we focus on ourselves more than others. Impatience comes when we focus on our goals and our satisfaction and forget about others wants or needs. Impatience is selfish. It causes us to be agitated and irritated. To lash out at people we love and care about.

So, on the flip side, what is patience?

Patience is spirit directed strength and perspective that God gives us. It helps us to wait on God to act in the changing of someones actions or a circumstance, when wisdom or immediate danger do not dictate otherwise.

Examples of this are:

Patience lets other people change at their given pace and according to their ability and God's action in them. Patience is letting others change according to their place in the spiritual journey, not where we think they should be. It is accepting that others may not think or behave or grow in the same way we do. Patience is ultimately accepting that the circumstances around us may not turn out in the way or time frame we had hoped.

Ephesians 4: 1-3 : " As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

We become impatient when we demand things from God or others.

First, we demand God answer our prayers our way or on our timetable. We forget God is not on a clock, he has no past, present, future. God knows better than we do what is good for us. He knows what we need and when we need it. He is a perfect parent, guarding us against ourselves.

We also demand changes in other people. We become frustrated when people will not conform to what we think they should be. We forget that changing people is God's business not ours. We can pray for people and try to show them the right way to act. However, sometimes we have to step back and realize it is not in our control and leave it up to God.

2 Timothy 4: 1-2 ; In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Lastly, our impatience grows when we demand a change in our circumstance. There is nothing wrong with praying for change. God loves for us to ask for his help. However, we need to remember God is more interested in building our character rather than changing our circumstance. We need to trust in him and realize the answer we get may not be the one we want.

Isaiah 30:15 (New International Version)
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.

So, what can we do to obtain patience?

1. Admit and ask God to help remove our demands. Trust God for the results. Let him do the changing, control what you can but trust in God to do the rest.

Psalm 56:4
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?

2. Change your demands to desires. Do the best you can to encourage people to change, be an example, be gentle and reasonable.

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

3. Pray for the changes you long for.

Mark 11:24 ; "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

4. Start using your wait time differently. Try looking at things from a different perspective, sometimes you will be surprised to see God show up during the wait!!

Psalm 46:10
"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

5. Focus on what you can control and who you are. Work on yourself.

Matthew 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

6. Learn to wait on the Lord.

Psalm 130:5
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.

Prayer:
Lord, Help me to show more patience everyday, help me to trust more in You, to be patient and wait, for what I want may not be what is best for me or for You. You are my Father and I trust You to know what is best for me in all situations. Help me to set an example of patience in this world and allow the fruit of Your Spirit to grow in me daily. Thank You for all Your blessings. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Fruit of the Spirit - Peace

Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

John 14:27 (New International Version)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Hear we are again, asking ourselves the question, what is peace?

There is peace as we know it in the world, our human term for peace and then there is peace in God. They, like joy and happiness, are distinct and different. Peace in a worldly human sense is the absence of conflict. It is dependent on what we have, see or experience. This perception of peace comes when their is no turmoil in our life, when we have completed a big project at work, when we have made enough money to relax and buy the things we want, when there is an end to war.

Then there is peace in the biblical sense. There are two types of peace in the bible. First, making peace with God and then, after we make peace with God, there is the Peace of God. This is the kind of peace that is sustained even during times of conflict or distress. The Peace of God is not dependent on circumstance, it is dependent on what we know to be true ABOUT God.

So, what do we know about God.

First, we know God to be a big, majestic, sovereign God. He is the creator of all things and is all knowing and all powerful. He is the ruler of all things. Second, we know we can trust God fully because of His track record with we humans over time. He has proven over and over and over again how much He loves us and how much He desires a personal relationship with us. Finally, God sent us His only Son to die for our sins so we would have everlasting life with Him. He sent his Holy Spirit to dwell in us as we await His return.

In John 14:27, Jesus himself tells the apostles, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you." Wow, what a gift. And as if that wasn't enough, consider the things Jesus tells the disciples on that night leading up to this gift of peace.

John 14:1 - "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."
John 14: 3 - "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
John 14: 6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14: 9 - "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
John 14:12 - "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father"
John 14:13 - "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father."

Don't you know the disciples were feeling anxious on this night, Jesus telling them He would have to leave them alone. Do you feel like that at times. However, Jesus, through His words was reassuring them and telling them not to be afraid but have the peace of knowing I am God and we will not leave you. We will be with you always, trust in us.

The Old Testament refer to the coming of Jesus as the coming of Peace to the world. The angels proclaimed this as well. Through God's gift to us in Jesus, we were granted the knowledge that if we trust completely in Him, nothing can harm us. He brought us PEACE!!

So, if we aren't experiencing the true PEACE of God, what can we do to get that peace?

1. Again, you need to know the God of Peace. If you haven't already you need to make peace with God and get to know Him. As big as God is, isn't it wonderful that he desires a personal relationship with each and every one of us. Through that relationship, we begin to grow the fruit of the spirit and "the peace that surpasses all understanding" is granted to us!!

Galatians 3:16-19 - I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

2. You need to trust fully in the God of Peace. He has never given us any reason to doubt Him or shown us anything but boundless love and compassion. We need to trust Him as our parent and find peace in knowing He will take care of us always.

Isaiah 26:3-4 (New International Version)
You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

3. Enjoy the God of Peace. Rejoice and be glad in the Lord. Experience life to the fullest knowing that whatever comes your way, God will see you through. His peace will give you the freedom to live life as God intended...have fun.

John 10:10 - I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Prayer:
Lord, again thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit so that I may experience the true fruit of the Spirit. In that fruit, I have found a peace which surpasses all understanding, a peace that boroughs deep in my soul, for I know You will protect me at all times and against everything this world can throw at me. Your gifts are amazing, thank You for blessing me. Let me live in Your peace and let me help others to know and find Your peace as well. In Jesus Name we pray, AMEN!!

Fruit of the Spirit - Joy

Galations 5: 22-26
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

James 1:2-4 (New International Version)
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

John 15:11 (New International Version)
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 (New International Version)
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 (New International Version)
Be joyful always;

Fundamental question, what is Joy?

Whatever Joy is, it is something much deeper and long lasting than mere happiness or pleasure. And while joy often occurs in special times of great excitement, it can also occur during or after some of our darkest moments. Joy is the emotion we feel every time we experience the greatness of God. So, we can feel great joy when we experience something great, like the birth of a child, because we know God is there, or when we experience some trial or difficulty, because we know God will come along and help us through that trial.

Joy and happiness are not interchangeable. I mentioned that in a note sometime back. Happiness is a man made emotion. It is fleeting. Joy is what we experience by knowing that God, through the Holy Spirit, is with us always, in good times and in bad. God often times uses negatives in our life to improve us. He uses hard things to make us grow and mature in Him, turning a negative into something great. And in turn there is great joy in knowing that.

How many times have you seen someone who suffered a loss or a disability, who did not dwell on that negative, but who rejoiced in the fact that God had given them an opportunity to use that negative, turning their life into something great. They then use that to further the glory of God. God's greatness showing up in the worst!!

We can have Joy through our tears, through financial hardships, problems with our children, health problems. How? Because it is at those times when God is at his best, when he is showing us his greatness and we see it most easily.

Christmas is the time we use the word Joy the most. "Joy to the world, the Lord has come" That is it folks, when we understand that, we can have joy in all circumstances.

There are things you can do to have joy in your life:
1. Invite God into your life and your heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with the fruit of the Spirit. We can't see the greatness of God unless he is living within us.

Hebrews 12:2 (New International Version)
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

2. Intentionally look for greatness of God moments. Don't miss them. Stop, look around and look for the greatness of God and joy will follow.

Deuteronomy 10:17 (New International Version)
For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.

3. Ask God to show you his greatness in the hard times.

Romans 15:13 (New International Version)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.


Prayer:
Lord, thank you for allowing me to experience the true joy of knowing you will always be right here with me, in both the great times and in those times of trial. My life was joyless before knowing you and I am so grateful to find pure joy in your love. You are an awesome God and my heart is full with joy in the Holy Spirit. I am so blessed, even though my circumstances are not the greatest. I know you will be right here to see me through it all and to love, comfort and support me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Amen

Fruit of the Spirit - Love

Galatians 5:22-25 (New International Version) 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Over the next several days, we are going to explore the Fruit of the Spirit....notice that the word fruit is singular....it is not fruits of the Spirit. When we walk in the Spirit, we walk with ALL of these qualities. We don't get to pick and choose which ones we want to portray...if we truly accept the Holy Spirit into our lives and into our heart, these are the qualities we begin to portray in everything we do, a singular fruit of the Spirit.

Love is the first fruit. I believe there is a reason it is first, because God is love. He created us for love. From love all others flow. To understand the fruit of Love we have to start with how much God loves us.

1 John 4:10 (New International Version)
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[a] our sins.

1 John 4:14 (New International Version)
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

Romans 5:6-8 (New International Version)
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Consider this, in the beginning God was sitting there...He didn't need man, God is all powerful He didn't need anything. However, even though he knew what a royal pain we would be and that we would turn on Him and not always love Him as our Father, He created man....Why?

Because he wanted someone to pour out His love onto. And then even after everything we as men had done to Him, the number of times we turned from Him, after He rescued us repeatedly and never learned, He still wanted to save us and sent His only Son to die for us! How many of us would sacrifice our child for anything or anyone. But God loved us that much, so much that He wanted to save us from ourselves...."For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."!!

Well, hence comes this fruit of the Spirit....Love. When we accept God into our lives and understand the kind of love He has for us. The ultimate gift He gave us, it will change the way we see love. When I think of everything God has done for me, the love that pours out of my heart is immeasurable. My heart overflows with love for God, which in turn is love for everything He created....all his people. It leads us to walk with Love everyday and with that love, we serve others, want to help others....through God's love we pour ourselves out on other people and give away that love. By pouring out this love, God intended for us to change the world around us for the better.

We have all heard the following verse...one of the most common at weddings....
1 Corinthians 13:4-13 (New International Version)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Today, consider it a little bit differently....consider that if we accept God's love for us and through His love He calls us to love Him and everyone else with the same love He has for us. If that is the case, then in the verse above, put your own name in everywhere it says or refers to love....(Michelle is patient, Michelle is kind. Michelle does not envy, Michelle does not boast, Michelle is not proud....).

Consider this is the way God intends for us to love everyday. Wow, what a test!! Do you love like that every day? Probably not, but if we call on the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us, we can aspire to love like that everyday. If we let the Holy Spirit work in us, God will fill us with His love.

Finally, consider this...

1 John 4:7-8 (New International Version)
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. Filled with the Holy Spirit, we become imitators of God. We pour out the same love he has poured out on us.

Ephesians 5:1-3 (New International Version)
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Let us today pour out the love we have received from God into everything we do and everything we touch. Through the power of the Holy Spirit may your fruit to grow stronger everyday.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for Your never ceasing love toward me, even when I do not deserve it. You have continued to be by my side, even when I have not been very loving toward You or my fellow man. I ask that You fill me with the Holy Spirit and grant me the fruit of love so that I may become an imitator of your love, serving others. Allow me to show all the characteristics of Your love so that I might be a true light of God in this world. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.