Fruit: Patience, Kindness, Goodness

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

Oftentimes, we serve God, and others, out of a feeling of obligation, and not out of desire. When we serve in this manner, it often comes through in our attitude, and the way we treat others. We end up coming across like disgruntled Christians who are miserable, but trying to tell others how great Christianity has been since we accepted Jesus as Savior. It is one thing to love others, it is another to love others with the right attitude. If we are going to love others the way Jesus loves us, then we need to be patient with them. We need to show others that we are giving them room to grow in their own walk with Jesus. Being patient with others means being slow to get angry or impatient with them when they do not perform to, or live up to, our standard or expectations. How often do we fall short of God's standard and expectations? It means not being mean-spirited, but kind. It means treating them with the same kindness we treat those who are near and dear to us, so that they never have to fear that we will do them harm. What I am saying is that we should not be known as people who are quick to take vengeance against others for personal offenses. In Christ, we should treat others with the same goodness God treats us with. Jesus told us that God does good to both the just and the unjust. We are called to love even our enemies. To treat others with goodness means to be willing to do good and be a blessing to others, even if they have offended us. We are not to withhold doing good to others based on our personal opinions, or biases. We need to do good to others, simply because we know that God loves them and died for them also. The most challenging time for us to do all this is when we, ourselves, are facing challenging circumstances. Those are often the times when we become impatient, unkind, and do not feel up to doing good to others, because we are to busy hosting a pity party for ourselves. It is during those times, when we are squeezed spiritually, that we find out how much freedom we are giving the Spirit to produce His Fruit in our lives.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Fruit: Love, Joy, Peace

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

The reality of growing in our relationship with Jesus, and the Spirit producing His Fruit in our lives, is that we grow most when facing difficult circumstances. The test of how much Fruit the Holy Spirit is producing will become evident by our ability to show others the love of God, while we are in the heat of difficulties. When we truly love, that love will not be dictated by circumstances or emotions, but by the simple fact that we know that God's desire for us is to love as He loves. It is in the midst of trials that we can find contentment in knowing that God is walking with us, and has allowed the circumstances to enter our lives. Having joy does not mean we always have to be "in a good mood". It simply means that in spite of our mood, we are able to trust God through the time of difficulty. Finally, having peace, or the ability to remain calm, while our world seems to be falling apart, is the evidence we have that the peace that passes all understanding is now in effect via the power of the Holy Spirit. This is not to say that we cannot feel sadness, disappointment, or any other emotion. However, our emotions should never be what controls our lives or decisions. The bottom line is that our ability to love, have joy, or have peace, during difficult situations, is completely dependent upon the power of the Holy Spirit, and should not be dictated by our emotions or circumstances.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Unfruitful Servants

Ephesians 4:11-12 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

What in the world does having spiritual gifts have to do with the Fruit of the Spirit? I am glad you asked. The truth of the matter is that we can use our talents and abilities and still lack fruit. Have you ever met, or seen, someone who is talented and possesses gifts that they use wonderfully for the Lord, and God seems to use them greatly; yet, we later find that the same person is unkind to others, seems to always be stressed about life in general, and not exactly the person we would want to be like personally, as a Christian? Why is that? We might find that another person seems to lack the talents and abilities that others have; yet, he/she is the kind of person who genuinely loves on other, and is continually at peace, regardless of their circumstances. They seem to be the kind of person, although quiet and serving behind the scenes, who simply lights up the room when they walk in. Why is that? Well, it is because God is God, and He can use whomever He chooses. How often do we read in the Bible that God uses even the ungodly? The reality is that we can deceive ourselves into thinking that just because God uses the talents and abilities He has gifted us with, that we are doing okay in our walk with Jesus. We need to understand that Jesus will glorify Himself, in spite of us. The words Jesus spoke in Matthew 7:23 should frighten us, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" This will be in response to those who will stand before Him proclaiming the things they did in His Name. As Jesus' followers, we need to step back and ask the Lord to show us if we are substituting service for real, genuine, growth in Christ Jesus. If we are busy serving and using our gifts for God, but have not grown in our ability to love others, have true peace and joy, be more patient, be kinder and gentler toward others, lacking self-control, then we may very well be hindering the Spirit from producing His Fruit in our lives (Galatians 5).

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

The War Within

Galatians 5:17-18 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

For any one of us who is a born again believer, it becomes obvious very quickly that there is a war that begins to rage the moment we call upon Jesus to be our Savior and Lord. At that moment, when the Holy Spirit indwells us and seals us, the battle immediately begins. As He begins to work in us, as new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), to make us more like Jesus, we come face to face with how sinful we really are. No longer being slaves to the devil, the world, and our flesh, the war begins in an attempt to recapture us, and oppress us; in order to keep us enslaved to the guilt of our past, and cripple our walk with, and service to, Jesus. The attacks intensify in those moments when we stumble. Praise be to God that in Christ we have the Spiritual Armor we need in order to stand in the battles (Ephesians 6). In the process of making us more like Jesus, the Holy Spirit produces His Fruit in our lives. That Fruit has several parts, much like an orange or grapefruit when it is peeled. The more these parts begin to manifest, the more evidence there is of the Spirit working in us. Over the next few devotionals we will take a closer look at the Fruit of the Spirit, and its makeup. If we expect to be victorious over the flesh, the world, and the devils' attacks, we must be careful to walk in the Spirit every day, so that He can grow His Fruit in our lives.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Nothing Escapes Him

Psalms 103:19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.

I have to admit that when I hear a born again follower of Jesus use words like "chance, coincidence, or luck", I cringe. Why, you ask? Well, because we have a God who is sovereign, and is in control of all things. There is nothing that our Lord does not know, even before any of it happens. Before any one of us came to be, the Lord already knew us, and had a plan for our lives. Our God is not somewhere far off, watching us live life, without caring about what happens to us on a daily basis. Quite the opposite is true. Jesus is with us, every day, up close and personal. The Lord knows every little detail of yesterday's, today's, and tomorrow's life events and circumstances. He promised never to leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and also promised that He would work all things together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). The bottom line is that in Christ we never walk alone. In good times, tough times, sad times, times of mourning, and times of celebration, Jesus walks with us. So, is there really any such things as chance, coincidence, or luck? No, no, no...our God is always in control, even when things appear to be out of control. His sovereignty, His Kingdom, rule over all. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is ever out of His control, down to every heartbeat and every breath we take.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Unshakeable Joy

1 Peter 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

How is your joy today? Strange question you say? Well, I guess what I am asking is, "What brings you joy, and what determines whether or not you have joy?" Is our joy dependent upon our circumstances, or is it rooted in Jesus? Our joy is either going to crumble and disappear, or stand strong and be unshakeable. Please understand that I am not talking about being happy. Happiness is usually rooted in what is going on in our lives from moment to moment. I am talking about true joy; a joy that is evident, even when it seems that our life is falling apart around us. The strength of our joy is going to measure in accordance to where our hope lies. In this chapter, the Apostle Peter reminds us that we have an inheritance waiting for us when we finally leave this place to be with Jesus. That my dear brothers and sisters is true hope. Too many of us "hope" that our circumstances will work out in our favor. That is not what biblical hope is all about. Biblical hope tells us that we have a Living Hope in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3). Real hope is the belief, and expectation, that something is going to happen, without a shadow of a doubt. In other words, by faith we believe Jesus is who He says He is, and will one day return to get us. If we are not alive to see that day, then by faith we believe that when we are absent from this body, we will be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). The bottom line is that if our hope is in Jesus and all His promises, then regardless of our circumstances, our joy will not be shaken. We will enjoy the peace and joy that comes from putting our faith in our one and only Living Hope; our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

His Strength and Our Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

How many of us enjoy loss, pain, or suffering? I am sure some of you are probably asking, "What kind of silly question is that?" I know none of us enjoy suffering or experiencing pain. However, it is often through trials, loss, and pain that we gain the most spiritually. It is during the most difficult times in life, and our walk with Jesus, that we learn some of the greatest spiritual lessons. I still remember the time, many years ago, that I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I was at the height of ministry, traveling, singing and preaching in a number of different churches. Yet, at that moment that I was given the news, there was a peace that obviously came from the Lord as He reminded me that He already knew that there were lesions on my brain, long before the doctor told me. I often struggled with short term memory loss, feeling light-headed, fatigued, numbness on the left side of my face, and trouble speaking. Amazingly, whenever I had to get up to sing and preach, there was no hint whatsoever that I was struggling. The Lord carried me through that time, and not once did I struggle with speaking a word, singing a song, or recalling a verse of Scripture when I was behind the pulpit. As many prayed for me, as I prayed, and made some adjustments in my eating habit, the miraculous happened. At my last appointment, more that 11 years ago, the doctor informed me that he had never seen anything like what he saw in my MRI. He thought that the medication he prescribed, which I informed him I never took, had caused the lesions in my brain to heal. Needless to say, I was more than happy to tell him that the healing did not come from the medication, but as an answer to prayer to my God. As I left that last appointment, a great sadness came over me. Why, you ask? Well, because those weeks and months that I struggled with the symptoms of MS were the most intimate days I had with my Lord. I had to rely on Him like never before, as I had promised that even if He did not heal me, I would continue to sing and preach for as long as it was physically possible. Now that I was healed, I was afraid that of my own doing my level of intimacy with Jesus would decrease. It was during one of the most challenging and uncertain times of my life in ministry that I learned the most about my Lord. He showed just how amazing His grace was, and is, and how perfect His strength was in my weakness. As strange as it might sound to some, I remember that time of suffering with great fondness, and have not experienced another time of intimacy like that one. So, I say as the Apostle Paul said, "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).