Tag Archives: fruits of the Spirit
BUILDING STONES FOR CHRIST
Have you become petrified or, are you a living, building stone for Christ?
Christians are all part of the body of Christ and have an important role to play in God’s plan. Ask Jesus everyday what He wants you to do? Seek His guidance in everything. Be a useful stone in the building of the Church. Even in the wilderness the Israelites relied on a Spiritual Rock.
1 Cor. 10:3-5 All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. FOR THEY DRANK OF THAT SPIRITUAL ROCK THAT FOLLOWED THEM, AND THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST!
When Christ started His ministry and began building His Church, He selected twelve apostles to train in building His Church. Jesus chose Peter as the chief apostle and rock of the Church to start His building!
Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church.
The Church has grown in two thousand years to about two billion Christians on the earth. It is still growing as you the building stones of the Church are spreading the gospel of salvation to reach the lost of the world.
Again I ask are you petrified or are you a living stone for Christ? Are you using your life to reach others who are lost? Are you planting and watering so God can give the increase? That is what He commands!
1 Corinthians 3:6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
Ephesians 2:20 Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF BEING THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. Thess. 1: 6 You became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, WITH JOY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Be moved by the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit dwells in you! Let Him use you as a fruitful building stone for Christ.
IDLE WORDS
People can say anything but what you do says a lot more than what you say!
Matt. 21: 28-31 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”
Examine yourself to be sure your motive is right before you commit to anything. Don’t let your moral or ethical principles be compromised, do all with honesty. Let your actions speak louder than words.
Titus 2:1 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine!
You need the wisdom of Jesus shining like a light from inside you, so that those who do not know Him will be curious as to what makes you so different, perhaps even desiring the same thing you have. Let your example be like a sweet honeycomb.
Imitate Jesus because He changes everything! Be effectual in all things, bearing fruit to Christ, amen!
JESUS SAVE OUR NATION
I was reading an article by Billy Graham where he said that our nation had become so evil that we need a great revival. Billy Graham quote, “I am convinced that unless we have a great spiritual revival, we cannot endure much longer.” He goes on to say, “We must return to Christ, He is the only answer”! Yes, we need to have faith in Jesus, so let our faith do its spiritual work. The bible says in: Matthew 17:20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Therefore, faith the size of a grain of mustard seed is strong enough to move a nation back to God. This nation is in moral crises. We as a nation need to get on our knees and submit to Jesus Christ. Pray that the faith of Jesus in us will turn the tide of lawlessness, corruption, greed, and hate that is so prevalent to “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law”. Galations 5:22-23
Now is the time for Christians to glow with the very body of Jesus Christ in them in every aspect of their lives. Show forgiveness when abused, turn the other cheek when confronted, pray for those who persecute you and mistreat you, never returning hate for hate but let the unsurpassed love of God triumph.
Jesus I pray that you will strengthen your Church, the body of Christ, and through the body by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit bring a powerful spiritual awakening and revival to this nation, the United States of America. I pray all to Your glory in Your holy name, Amen.
WORK FOR GOD GREAT RETIREMENT BENEFITS
What better retirement benefits can you get than these? Working for Jesus Christ really does have its perks!
We get a new body. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
We share Christ’s throne. Revelation 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
We share His glory. 1 Peter 5:4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
We receive a great reward in heaven. Luke 6:23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
You will be given a high position in heaven. Revelation 3:12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God
You will receive eternal life! Revelation 2:7 I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
God be praised! Join Him, surrender your life to Jesus Christ and be saved, share His everlasting retirement benefits.
I pray you are blessed by God and are called to His eternal kingdom.
Preaching the Word of glory! Amen!
Please join me and INOE in prayer on the International Day Of Prayer For The Unsaved-2017 August 20th.
There are approximately 6 billion unsaved people on the earth. The world is ripe for the harvest!
LIFE GIVING FAITH
When God the Father calls you to Christ and you are saved, it is not by “your faith” but by the faith and righteousness of Christ in you. God says your faith and righteousness is as a filthy rag to Him. Your faith was of the wisdom of world. So it is by the power of the faith of Christ that you are saved. Thanks to the glory of God!
When you are saved, believe in your new faith, do not fear the worlds pitfalls, be bold and fervent standing up to worldly assaults. Deal with it and be passionate for the Lord will never leave you.
The only way you can see faith is by its results!
Faith is neither tangible nor visible but you can feel and view faith by the spiritual fruits of your life. Look at yourself; scrutinize your inward person to be sure you are following Jesus who is in you. You become a living sacrifice for Christ by faith but still live in your corruptible body even though Jesus loved you so much He died for you on the cross so that you might live. In so doing God gave you a great gift, the gift of grace something you were not qualified for or deserved. Christ gave Himself because of His great love for you.
Now you must live in faith but even then it is not your greatest asset for that is reserved for love which is the greatest force of all. With Christ in you, you are filled with the love of God.
Here are eight scriptures giving insight and guidance on faith.
- Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, … Romans 5:1
- that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God…1 Corinthians 2:5.
- Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong….1 Corinthians 16:13
- For we walk by faith, not by sight….2 Corinthians 5:7
- Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? … 2 Corinthians 13:5
- I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. … Galatians 2:20
- For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, … Ephesians 2:8
- And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. …1 Corinthians 13:13
Seek faith and pursue it earnestly in Jesus Christ and your reward in heaven will be great.
God bless you!
Preaching the Word of glory!
INOE International Day Of Prayer For The Unsaved on August 20,2017 Join Us!
FIFTH FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
I have covered four of the fruits of the Spirit in previous articles and now will get into the fifth fruit of the Spirit, kindness.
Kindness is one of those virtues of God that is just there. God’s kindness is the opposite of cruelty and exhibits compassion and sympathy. The definition of kindness in the Oxford dictionary is: the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Yet people can show the kindness defined in the dictionary and never be compassionate or considerate. God’s compassion is like shoving you out of the way of a bus and letting the bus hit Him instead. That is exactly what Christ did for us on the Cross and there is no greater kindness than that God would take on the flesh of a man and give His life for mankind on the Cross so that we could continue living forever.
The apostle Paul understood Godly kindness and suffered more than any man showing the kindness of Christ through him.
2 Corinthians 11:25, 28 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; besides the other things, what comes upon me daily:
2 Corinthians 6:4, 6 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God:…, by kindness…
Ephesians 2:4 -7 God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Paul also tells us that we as believers are to follow his example and display the kindness of Christ who lives in us.
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness
Read the Holy Word of God and pray that you understand what the real spiritual kindness of God is all about. Follow His example not the ways of this world.
I pray that God blesses you and gives you peace.
DON’T BE A POLITICAL GRUMBLER !
Here are the words of God that puts us back into perspective in the midst of all the talk on both sides concerning the candidates for the presidency of the United States of America. Please take note! This involves both non religious people and those who have religious beliefs.
Does this describe you?
Jude 1:16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.
Politics can be used for good or bad as is often displayed by people all over this nation, but because we are blessed to live in such a free society, we can express ourselves any way we please. That is not always a good thing! The whole population of the nation who votes for their choice for president is made up of individuals who speak for themselves. What and how we speak reveals our character, personality, and qualities. This brings to the for-front the real bearing of our purpose by the verbal communication that spews from our mouths .
James 3: 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.
I implore you to restrain from the common “political correctness” and let the goodness in your heart prevail instead of scorning the opposing candidate and whoever votes for them.
Colossians 3:8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but let the spirit of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, and self control be your beacon to this nation and the free republic in which we live under God.
THE WORLD IS WATCHING!
THE THIRD FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS PEACE
The third fruit of the Spirit helps mold our minds to be Christ like.
As I continue to expound upon the fruits of the Spirit we come to the third fruit of the Spirit. Let’s be mindful of how important they are to God. God wants us to understand why we need the impact of the fruits of the Spirit in our lives. Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: James 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
How do we get this peace that Jesus talks about so much in His Word? First of all if God calls you to salvation through Jesus Christ and His saving grace and you acknowledge that you are a sinner and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins He will do so. His Holy Spirit will then begin to dwell inside you and fill you with understanding of the fruits of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Jesus shares His peace!
Jesus wants to share everything about Him with us and He gave His life to make it possible. He tells us in the gospel of John just before He was crucified on the cross how much He wanted us to have His kind of peace.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
God sent Jesus to this earth in the form of a man to preach a message of peace.
Jesus came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God and taught all things pertaining to the Spirit because as of that time no one had received the Holy Spirit of salvation. The Jews thought they would be saved by keeping the LAW, they did not understand the things of the Spirit. That is why it was imperative for Him to teach about the fruits of the Spirit and explain peace, the subject today. Acts 10:36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ — He is Lord of all —
God teaches us that to do good, be spiritual minded, and to preach the gospel of peace to all people will also build a well of peace in our own hearts.
Ephesians 2:14 For He Himself is our peace
2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
GOD BLESS YOU! AMEN!
THE SECOND FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS JOY
On June 4, 2016 I wrote about the first fruit of the Spirit which was love. Now I write about the second fruit of the Spirit which is joy.
The fruits of the Spirit are very important to God and He wants us to know what they are for a reason. They are expressly about the Spirit, the character of the Spirit and we should imitate Him, have His character. The ways of the Spirit are Holy to God and He expects us to reverence the Holiness of the Spirit. Jesus severely chastised the Pharisees about being disrespectful of the holiness of the Spirit in Mark 3:29 “but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”
Believers are temples of the Holy Spirit for the Spirit dwells in them. The fruits of the Spirit should be our nature as we follow the Spirit of Christ in us. Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
What more joyful thing could you want than that? Jesus says in John 17:13 “But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.”
Later after the church had grown in the Spirit and increased in numbers we find in Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul gives us more insight to how joy is an important aspect of our lives when he says in Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Paul tells us what our joy should be like in Philippians 2:2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Then Paul sums up the spiritual meaning of our joy as being like a crown in the hope of glory. 1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.
The fruit of the Spirit is Gods holiness in believers and should be on display and shared with everyone.
WORLDWIDE INTERNET EVANGELISM 