Tag: Jesus

Fruit of the Spirit: GOODNESS

Galatians 5:22-23(NLT), “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

GOODNESS. Goodness is the ability to choose right over wrong, or good over evil. God’s Spirit works in us to create pure hearts that are willing to choose what is right from God’s perspective. We are living in a time where choosing godliness is not usually celebrated. Instead many people are more interested in pleasing the flesh, and doing whatever they think makes them feel good. Living by feelings and the flesh instead of the Word of God will lead to destruction (James 1:15). Choosing to obey God’s Word and live by the Holy Spirit (goodness), will lead to life (John 6:63).

I pray God will help us as Christians to choose what is good in His sight, even when we feel the pressure of the world’s evil ways. I pray He will help us not to compromise and fall prey to sinful temptations. As we choose to live righteously for Him, we will enjoy the blessings of the abundant life Jesus died to give us.

God’s Word is GOOD…

1.Romans 12:21 (NIV), “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

2.Romans 12:9 (NIV), “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”

3.Nahum 1:7(NIV),“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.”

We overcome evil by choosing to do what is good. Cling to what is good! God is a good God who will always do what is right. So we can trust Him completely. We can have full confidence that when we choose what is “good”, He will fight on our behalf to bring justice wherever it is needed. Walk in Goodness!

***Share your thoughts on GOODNESS in the comments.

Fruit of the Spirit: PEACE

Galatians 5:22-23(NLT), “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

PEACE. The presence of God’s peace is pretty hard to put into words, but similar to JOY, it’s not dependent on our circumstances. We serve a generous God, who has promised to give us His peace in exchange for our worries. However, we must be willing to make the exchange. I desperately need His peace. I’m learning to open my heart to receive it everyday. The peace of God is priceless.

GOD’S PEACE KEEPS US ANCHORED:

1. 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. (John 14:27, NIV)

Jesus assures us that the peace He so freely gives to us is different from what the world gives. He knew we would have all kinds of troubles in this world. It’s easy to be plagued with fear but His peace will bring calm if we are willing to receive it. Don’t forget we can ask God to help us to willingly receive the peace He offers.

2. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. (Romans 8:6, NLT)

It’s important to place our focus on the things of God and allow His Spirit to lead us. When we take our eyes off of Him, we can quickly become driven by the desires of our flesh. Living by our flesh will lead to death, but following the ways of the Lord will lead to life and peace. We must ask God on a regular basis to show us ways that we are following our flesh instead of His Spirit.

3. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colossians 3:15, NLT)

Peace is supposed to rule in our hearts. That means it should overpower everything else, including our worries and fears. Having an attitude of thankfulness brings peace to our hearts. Thankfulness keeps our focus on the goodness of God. Knowing that our God is a good God, who will take good care of us keeps our souls peaceful.

4. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)

Don’t worry, keep praying, be thankful, and receive God’s peace. Not just any peace, but the peace that will surpass all of our human understanding. He also said His peace would guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Knowing that God is personally guarding us from evil wicked schemes and trouble is an amazing comfort.

***Please share your thoughts about God’s PEACE in the comments.

Next Reading: Fruit of the Spirit: Patience

Great peace have those who love your law.

Stay Connected to the True Vine: Prayer

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, NIV)

J E S U S. He is the Source that gives us life. When we are connected to Him, we bear fruit. Fruit that will last. Fruit that will make a true difference. While Jesus was here on Earth, He set a great example for us by showing us how He stayed connected to the Father.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35, NIV)

Jesus realized that regular communication with the Father through prayer, was the way to stay focused and empowered. It’s no different for us. We need to have our special quiet times where we can spend time alone with God in prayer. However, we also can say short prayers throughout our day. Our Father is always available to us, no matter where we are. He tells us to pray continuously (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Prayer has many benefits but here are some that I have experienced:

Prayer…

1. Keeps us aware of God’s presence.

2. Keeps us sensitive to the leading of The Holy Spirit.

3. Keeps us focused on what matters most.

4. Builds our trust and faith in God.

5. Gives us peace.

6. Helps us to walk in love.

7. Brings healing to our lives where needed.

Because of Christ we have direct 24/7 access to our Heavenly Father through prayer.

What are some of the ways you have seen prayer work in your life?

Refreshed in His Presence

Yesterday was Communion Sunday at church. I’m always very thankful to have the privilege to join with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and take communion. It’s refreshing to take time out to remember the sacrifice Christ made for us. As we eat and drink together, I find strength and hope because I am reminded that the victory for every dilemma we face was won at the Cross. Every obstacle that may try to threaten us has been conquered.

1 Corinthians 11:24-25 (NIV) says, “and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Jesus’ blood was shed and His body was broken so that we can be cleansed of sin and made completely whole. He wants to bring healing to everything that is broken in our lives. Rather the healing we need is physical, emotional, mental or financial, He wants us to be well and do well.

As the old hymn says, “There is pow’r pow’r wonder-working pow’r in the blood of the Lamb!”

We can rejoice because we know that the wonder-working blood, of the precious Lamb Jesus Christ, will NEVER loose it’s power!

NEVER!

The Lord’s Supper & my favorite Bible verse

But the Gift of God is Eternal Life (part 3)

Romans 6:23(NLT), “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

In case you missed them, or would like to reread them, below are links to part 1 & 2.

But the Gift of God is Eternal Life (part 1)

But the Gift of God is Eternal Life (part 2)

Now for part 3…

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV), “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.“

We know God has forgiven us for our sins (part 1). We have finally managed to dump guilt and shame and forgive ourselves (part 2).

But what do we do about the consequences we must sometimes deal with because of our past sins (part 3)?

Well its true, even though God forgives us immediately when we repent and we eventually forgive ourselves, the consequences of our wrong choices may linger. It can be hard to pick up the pieces and get back on track because of the damage that may have resulted.

For example, if someone commits a crime they may end up in jail for years. If someone commits adultery, they may loose their spouse in a divorce. If someone is sexually promiscuous they may end up with an STD. If someone lies on a job application and gets hired, once the truth is revealed, they may later get fired. I think you get the point. Although forgiven, a person may still have to, do jail time, be a victim of divorce, have an STD, or be jobless.

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of how we can best deal with the consequences of our past sin is…

God’s Grace.

When my daughter was about eleven years old, I asked her what she thought was meant by God’s Grace. Her response was, “Grace is God giving us strength to do what we can not do on our own.” Smart little girl!

We could not pay the penalty for our sins on our own. Christ Jesus had to do it! So guess what? We also cannot carry the consequences of our sins on our own. Christ Jesus has to do that too! We must completely rely upon His grace to keep us when we are dealing with sins ugly consequences. A lot of the times we don’t consider the consequences of sin while we are committing the sin. It’s not until sometime afterwards that we begin to realize we shouldn’t have done whatever it is we did.

Negative consequences can make us feel as if we have no hope for the future, but God’s grace says the opposite. He will give us the ability to see things from His perspective so we can begin to heal. His grace will soothe our worries and calm our fears. Through His grace, we can find lasting hope.

Whatever consequences you may be facing, I hope you will find true restoration where it is needed most. You’re not alone. I too have had regrets for mistakes I made. I have experienced the pain of divorce and other failed relationships, but God’s grace carried me through those difficult times. Even though we cannot erase the past, we can through Christ Jesus move forward and live purposeful, abundant lives now and in the days to come. His grace is more than enough to meet even our most urgent needs. We can also pray and ask God to send the right people and resources into our lives that can assist us in our healing.

His Grace is Sufficient for You!

Let’s pray…

Father,

Thank you for giving us grace to persevere through the consequences we face that are related to our past sins. We know You are sovereign over the events of our lives and still love us when we fail. You knew we would never be perfect, so that’s why You sent Your Son. Help us to hold fast to You and receive Your peace as Your Holy Spirit works in our lives to restore whatever is lacking because of sin. We also ask that You send the right people and resources into our lives that can help us. Thank you for the good plans You have for us.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

Don’t Cry!

Luke 7:13 (NLT), “When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said.”

In this story in the book of Luke, a widow had lost her only son. The funeral was in progress when Jesus saw her. He ended up walking over to the coffin, touching it, and speaking to the deceased boy. He told him to, “Get up!” The boy sat up and begin to talk! Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Our Lord Jesus has a heart that overflows with compassion for each of us. When we are hurting, he feels our pain and sees our tears. His words to us are the same that they were to this widow, “Don’t cry!”  He is ready to touch our hearts and speak life into situations that appear to be dead. With Him, it’s never too late for things to turn around.

The same compassion that Jesus extends to us, we are able to extend to others when we have accepted Him as our Savior and Lord. Praying regularly keeps us closely connected to His heart, so that we can sense another person’s hurt and pain. We can call out to them and say, “Don’t cry!” We can offer them comfort because we ourselves know the Comforter.

There are a lot of reasons to cry as we look at the condition of the world around us, as well as the situations we must face in our own lives. However, Jesus is calling out to us with compassion, eager to dry our tears and bring healing.

So…

Don’t Cry! He is working things out for you!

Father,

How amazing it is that You see our every need, hear our every cry, and feel our every pain. When we rejoice, You rejoice. When we mourn, You mourn with us. Thank you for being a God who is concerned. Thank you for being eager to bring healing to our hearts and comfort to our souls. Thank you for having a heart that overflows with compassion. Please help us to treat others the exact same way, so we will be a true reflection of Your love.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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But the Gift of God is Eternal Life (part 1)

Romans 6:23(NLT), “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

When we’re in Christ sin no longer has dominion over us. We may struggle with certain sins, but that struggle does not define who we are because through the blood of Christ we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). He overcame all sin when He died on the cross. However He didn’t just die, He also rose again showing us even further that He has conquered sin once and for all. We have our flesh that wants to enjoy the pleasures of sin and we also have God’s Spirit who convicts us of sin, because He knows the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life (Roman 6:23). No matter how good sin may feel to us at the time, we are told that sin when full-grown leads to death (James 1:15). It starts off small and keeps growing. If we choose to persist in sin, some type of death is impending rather it be spiritual, emotional, mental, or even physical. When we turn on the TV and see chaos and tragedy on the news,  much of what we are seeing is a result of sin that has become full-grown and lead to some type of death.

plant flower rose blossom

Not one of us is without sin, for all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). It’s just a matter of how we choose to handle it. I’ve struggled with certain sins like anyone else, but I can remember God telling me, “This is not who you are.” The enemy of our souls (and the society we live in), will work overtime to try to convince us that sin is acceptable or even worse, that it’s just who we are. It’s not acceptable and it’s definitely not who we are. When we have accepted Jesus as Lord of our lives, we have a way out. He will give us strength to resist sin. If we fall into sin, we can repent in the name of Jesus and move on. He has promised us that He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Unconfessed sin leads to death, but accepting Jesus Christ leads to life (John 14:6).

Choose Life!

Continuing Reading: But the Gift of God is Eternal Life (Part 2)

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