Fruit of the Spirit

Week Eight

Fruit of the Spirit

Until a few years ago, I wasn’t even sure what the fruit of the spirit was or how we got it. But the Lord is teaching me daily how to develop this fruit. If you think about fruit and how it is formed, you will understand this process a little better.

First a tree has to be mature enough to bear fruit. If a tree is too little, it cannot stand up under the weight of the fruit. So new Christians and those who are not really growing in the faith probably aren’t ready yet to produce much fruit. That is okay, it is the natural progression that produces the fruit.

That being said, those Christians who are mature in their faith, those who have been walking with the spirit for years should be producing much fruit by now. If you are a mature Christian and you aren’t producing fruit, then something is wrong.

What exactly is the fruit of the spirit? In Galatians 5:22, 23 we find out. “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.” This fruit is the works that take place in us when we let the spirit of God control our lives.

Love is one of the most important ways that people know we are Christians. The new testament speaks continuously about the love we should have for one another. God so loved the world, Jesus loved us enough to die for us, the Spirit loves us and longs to dwell in us. We should exhibit this same love toward those God puts in our pathway. If we look at others with God’s eyes, we will see that everyone is a person of worth to God. He wants them to know that he loves them. How can we show that love? What can we do or say to someone today to let them know that God loves them? Who showed us the love that God had for us? What did someone do or say to us to let us know about that love?

Joy is something that is lacking in so many Christians and I can’t put my finger on why. We have so much to be joyful about, the very fact that we will spend eternity with God, the promises of God that he is with us always, the hope that we possess and the very fact that we are children of the king of the universe! What is so hard about being joyful?

Yet, if you go into any church on Sunday morning, the folks sitting in the pews and the choirs look so serious and as if they were baptized in vinegar. Why do we take ourselves so seriously? I am just as guilty as anyone else - how do we get the joy of the Lord into our worship services so that those who have never experienced God will know that he is not a mean God, but one who wants us to be joyful.

Being joyful is not the same as being happy. Happiness depends on circumstances going on in our lives. Joy is something that is deep inside us. We can be joyful just as Christ was joyful. Even as he went to the cross the Bible tells us that he knew that what he was enduring was going to bring about the salvation of all mankind and he had joy for the end result of his sacrifice. Our joy may not always be evident, but it should always be present in our hearts.

Peace is a fruit that should be obvious to everyone we come in contact with. If we are fretful and worry about everything how can we be a witness to the fact that God is in control and that he will provide for all our needs.

How can we become peaceful in the midst of problems? Every time we find ourselves losing our peace, we need to call upon God. Our prayers should focus on him and the very fact that he is a God who is able to bring order out of chaos, he is a God who is able to calm every storm, he is God who is able to give us words of peace when those around us are speaking words of anger and hatred. Turn to him to find peace.

Patience is a fruit that seems hard to develop. When we have the least patience that is when we can develop this fruit. My own experiences with patience have been in traffic, I use the opportunity to pray for those in the cars around me. That they would make it safely wherever they may be going. I pray for folks in the store while I am waiting in checkout lanes. I pray for little children who are crying and upset when I really want to join them by being upset also. I have found that being in the middle of situations that require patience is the perfect time to pray. I turn to God to find patience.

Kindness is a character trait that seems to come easier than most. When we are truly trying to be Christlike we know that being kind is one way to be like him. This is a fruit that is obvious to everyone and most non-Christians point out this fault very quickly when they know you are a Christian. If you have family members or co-workers who know that you are a Christian, they will tell you very quickly if you have done something unkind. It usually sounds like this, “Why did you say (or do) that? I thought you were supposed to be a Christian!”

Goodness rates right up there with kindness. It is not possible to always be good, but that is a goal that every Christian aims for. How can we be good? And what exactly is goodness? It is a conscious act of the will. We have choices in everything we do, we can choose to do things in a good way or a haphazard way. Example, making a bed. We can choose to make the bed in a good way as if Jesus himself were going to sleep in that bed, or we can choose to throw the covers up so that it looks okay on the outside, but maybe not so good underneath.

We have the ability to do good every day in all we do. Of course, our good works do not get us into heaven, but our good choices can make a difference here on earth.

Faithfulness is a fruit that requires time. A person can be faithful for years and then decide that they want to live a different lifestyle and abandon the old ways. Faithfulness is not wavering, it is a decision to stick with the Lord no matter how hard life gets, to believe his word no matter what others think or say, to stand up for our beliefs no matter if it means that we are persecuted for our faith. Faithfulness is a fruit that endures, it doesn’t spoil or rot. This is a fruit that others will see in you and want to have themselves. This is a fruit that we need to share as often as possible.

Gentleness is a fruit that comes with humility. To be gentle we must first be humble. Many of us equate gentleness with being a doormat or being wishy-washy. But Christ was a gentle man, he was not pushy yet he spoke with authority. He was not violent yet he is the king of kings. Jesus was mild mannered yet he turned the world upside down with his teachings. If we are to possess gentleness, we need to remember that our words should be chosen wisely, that our actions should reflect our adoption as sons and daughters of the king of the universe, and that our faith should be practiced daily, not just when we are in church.

Self-Control is the hardest fruit to develop because it means we give up control of our lives to the Holy Spirit. We let God take over control of our lives and use us so that he may be glorified. Self-control means telling the flesh no over and over again. The flesh may want something 50 times a day, but we have to continue to say no. Eventually, the flesh will get tired of asking.

An illustration can be found in not giving in to anger. If someone points out that I have made a mistake at work, my first reaction may be to tell them off or to point out one of their mistakes. My defenses go up when I am attacked or when I view something as an attack. But, if I stop before I react and ask God to help me respond, I am showing self-control. Eventually this becomes a habit, when we feel our defenses go up, we automatically ask God for help. We turn to him for help in controlling our emotions.

Ultimately, we turn to God for help in each one of these areas and he will help us grow and develop the fruit. His spirit wants us to become just like Jesus and will not stop doing a work in us. I have heard it said that we should all be “fruity Christians”. The type of Christians that others pluck our fruit all day every day.

Heavenly Father,

We do want to grow and be loaded with the fruit of your spirit. Help us daily to become more Christlike and to exhibit this fruit in our lives. May we remember to ask you for help as we grow in these qualities and may we be spiritual fruit trees to glorify you. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Mustard Seed Faith

Week Seven

Mustard Seed Faith

When the disciples failed to heal a boy who was demon possessed, they asked Jesus why they couldn’t drive the demon out. Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith.” He said, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain. Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:19-21)

Again in Matthew 21:21-22 Jesus told his disciples, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

In Luke when the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith, he replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (Luke 17:6)

Faith, how do we get it? It grows with exercise, it follows God despite the circumstances, it involves endurance until the end, it is the way God works through people.

Faith comes from seeds that are planted deep within our spirits. Each time we encounter a person who has faith, it is possible for them to plant a seed inside us and that seed grows with each encounter of other people of faith. It increases more and more. When we surround ourselves with people who want to share their faith, people who have experienced God moving in their lives, it comes out in words, in actions, in their demeanor. That touches a place within us that longs to have the same type of faith and that encounter strengthens our faith.

This faith that grows and increases will continue to grow if we tend it, water it, intentionally putting ourselves in situations with others of deep faith and soak up what they have until one day, without our even knowing it, we have become ‘a mustard plant’ with others learning from our experiences, hearing our stories of faith and wanting to be near us so that they may grow in their faith.

I think Jesus had hoped that his disciples had been with him long enough to have increased their faith. But, the disciples had not yet received the Holy Spirit and that kept them from possessing faith to the degree that Christ had it.

How does obedience to God increase our faith? When we know God, we know the things that he expects from us. The only way we can really get to know God is through his word. It is an instruction manual for us as we live our lives here on earth. Each time we do something that he asks us to do, our faith in increased.

A few years ago I was praying for a girl in my church who had been in a terrible accident. Her mother needed a care giver because the lady who had been helping her had quit. I was just asking the Lord to send someone to her and he spoke very clearly to me, not in an audible voice but in my spirit, he said “you call her”. I came up with every excuse possible why I couldn’t do it, but the spirit would not let me alone until I called her. It would require only a few hours each day to get Rachel up, dressed, fed and ready for the school bus. Easy enough, but then her mother told me that Rachel had to have a shot each morning and I knew that was one thing I could never do. Sorry God, I guess you’ll have to find someone else - wrong! When I told God that I couldn’t give her shots his response to me was, “I will give her the shots, just let me use your hands.” I had to do it and every day for nearly two years I took care of Rachel.

God used me in a mighty way to minister to not only Rachel but her mother as well. Because of my obedience my faith grew so much over that time.

God taught me through TV ministers that I would watch before I had to get Rachel up each day, he taught me through the devotional time I had with Rachel each morning, he taught me through Rachel’s ability to see angels all around us and her childlike faith that shared these things so easily. He taught me that sometimes life is very difficult, but he is with us through every trial, every heartbreak, every ache and pain. Yes, my faith increased through my obedience to him.

If you hear the voice of God speaking to you to do something, no matter how big or small the task, respond in obedience. Your faith will increase. Remember Abraham, when God asked him to take Isaac up the mountain and sacrifice him. Don’t you think that when the angel stopped Abraham from killing his son, and God provided the sacrifice, that Abraham’s faith increased one hundred fold that day?

We serve a big God, a God who is mighty and powerful, a God who wants to bless us and wants us to be a blessing to others. Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” God will hear the prayers of those who are obedient, those who want to increase their faith. Ask and it will be given unto you.

As your faith increases, start sowing mustard seeds everywhere you go. Those seeds will begin to grow and those you have witnessed to will have their faith increased and begin to sow seeds themselves. It is an amazing way that our faith spreads to others.

Holy God,

We are like the father in the Bible who wanted Jesus to heal his son, he cried out, “I do believe, help thou my unbelief.” We want to believe, we want our faith increased. Speak to us right now and tell us what you would have us do. We will obey and trust you to use us not only in the big events of our lives, but also in the small, mustard seed deeds that are done out of obedience to you. Enable us with the power of your Holy Spirit and because of the blood of Jesus. Amen

Week Six

The Church is One Body

The church is referred to in the Bible as the body of Christ or the bride of Christ. This isn’t referring to a denomination, but all true believers whoever they are and wherever they are. Anyone who accepts the gift of grace that God has offered by believing that Jesus Christ came to earth in the form a man, that he was fully God and fully man. Believing that Jesus willingly died on the cross for the sins of all mankind. Believing that he rose from the dead and that he is coming back for all those who believe in him. That is the church.

As a body of believers how do we fit together to be the one body that Christ intended us to be? Who am I within that body? This is the mystery that Paul talked about in the new testament. Each believer has a part to play in the building of the kingdom of God. It is up to us to find out what God’s plans are for us.

When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, he sends his Holy Spirit to live inside us. The Holy Spirit gives each one of us a gift to be used to glorify God. God never expects us to be someone we aren’t. He wouldn’t expect us to do anything out of character for us. Instead, he uses each one of us, right where we are to be Christ to those around us.

His ways are perfect and as the Psalmist said, “For you created my inmost being: you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16

It is up to each one of us to discover what our gift is and how God wants us to use it to strengthen the body-the church.

That is the purpose of each gift, to edify the body. These gifts are not given for personal gain, they are not given for us to profit from or misuse, but always only to glorify the Father and to become more Christlike. Romans 12:5 tells us that each member belongs to all the others.

It has taken me years to find my gifts. I didn’t even know that God would use me to edify the body for years after I became a Christian. This whole Chrisitanity lifestyle is a process and the sooner we start to move forward, the quicker the process goes.

If you are new in the faith, I urge you to take an inventory of your life and maybe take a spiritual gifts test to help you define what your passion is.

For years I carried burdens around with me not knowing how to unload them. God had given me the gift of intercession, but I didn’t know that was what I had. I just knew that at times the weight of the world would press on me and I felt so responsible for fixing everything. I could hardly stand the pressure. When I finally realized that the burdens were placed in my heart so that I could pray for those people and intercede on their behalf, it was the most wonderful day of my life.

Suddenly I knew that God had a purpose and a plan for my life. God didn’t expect me to fix anything, Jesus had already done that. All that he wanted me to do was to bring requests to him. He just needed me to stand in the gap for those who either couldn’t pray for themselves or maybe those who didn’t even know that they needed prayer.

We are on a journey to find out what it is that Christ wants us to do. Once you understand your place within the body, there is such joy in fulfilling your purpose. It is not a chore, it is not an impossibility, it becomes a passion within you.

How can we know where we belong? Sometimes we have to step out and try something on to see if it fits. Your spirit will tell you almost immediately if you are in the wrong place doing the wrong thing. If something seems like a chore, like it is taking all you have to perform a duty - then it probably isn’t a gift you have.

Until recently I always thought of the body as parts that we could see, like eyes, ears, legs, etc., but in reading a book on prayer, I heard Peter Wagner put it another way. He referred to intercessors as glands in the body. You don’t see them, but they are vital to the function of the body. We all understand that glands are important. Anyone who has ever had swollen glands knows that they play a major part in fighting infections and keeping the body healthy. So it is with intercessors, you may not see them, they may not be visible parts of the body, but they are important.

Find out what your gifts are and you will be on your way to becoming all that God intended you to be. There are spiritual gifts tests you can take. Pray and ask the Father to reveal your gifts to you. What do you have a passion for?

Dear Holy God,

You are so awesome and so wise. You have given each one of us the ability to serve you in special ways and you are the one who gave each of us different gifts. We praise you for the wonderful way you give us what we need and we pray that today, you will show us what we can do to serve you in spirit and in truth. May we become the people you designed us to be and may we glorify you in all that we do. Thank you for being a God of such diversity and such amazing love.

Show us just where we belong in the body of Christ and empower each of us to do the work we were created to do. These things we ask through your Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen

Grains of Sand Multiplied

Week Five

Grains of Sand Multiplied

In Genesis 22:17 God told Abraham, “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.”

We, as believers in Christ, are those grains of sand, we are descendants of Abraham. How numerous are we? How many Christians are there in the world, how many have gone on before us? How many are there alive right this second? Each one of us who has ever looked for the Messiah, the Anointed One and found him is one of those grains of sand.

We refer to Abraham as our ancestor and are numbered as one of his descendants.

When we think that we are each equivalent to one grain of sand, it doesn’t seem like much, but if we are all put together we can become a beach, more and more of us can become an ocean bottom. It is awesome to think what can happen if we all work together. It all started with one grain of sand, one faithful man, Abraham.

His faith has begat multitudes. Abraham never saw his descendant, Christ, but his faith was so great that he believed without seeing. He believed what God told him. We are to be like Father Abraham and continue to grow new people in the faith. We are to share our faith and help others become like us, children of the king.

How awesome it is to think about one grain of sand working to make believers out of those around us. If we really ponder it, one grain of sand can really be an annoyance, if you have sand irritating your skin, it can rub you raw, one grain of sand is all it takes to make a pearl of great value inside an oyster. One grain of sand can cause problems if you have it in your gas tank or if it gets in your eye or your sandal.

One little tiny grain of sand can do a lot for the Lord, if that grain of sand is one of Father Abraham’s children. Do you remember a Christian that would not leave you alone, but kept speaking the word of God to you? My mother was like that to me. Sometimes I would get so irritated with her, her answer for all of lifes’ problems was Jesus. As a child and a young woman it seemed old fashioned to me - I just didn’t get it.

I thank God for her persistence now, and I find myself being the same way with my own children and grandchildren. We have to continue being that grain of sand that never gives up.

This is the way that the Good News of Jesus Christ is spread. My mother taught me, I taught my children and I am teaching my grandchildren as well. The message is a solid one.

In Deuteronomy 6:4-9 we read an account of God telling Moses what he expected from his children, the Israelites. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

This means, that we are to live and breathe the will of God. He wants to be in our hearts all day, every day. How very amazing that is. And we are to share what we know of him and his goodness with our children and those around us.

Jesus gave us similar commands in Matthew 22:37-40. “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Father Abraham understood these commandments nearly 400 years before Moses received them and nearly 2,000 years before Jesus spoke them. God was speaking to Abraham directly and he understood what God’s plan was. Abraham knew what God required of man. That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness. He believed without ever seeing the promise.

How much greater our faith should be, having seen the promise. How much greater our faith should be having God’s written word at our fingertips. Why are we lacking the kind of faith that Abraham had? What can we do to honor him? If we look to Hebrews 11 we can get an idea of just what those who have gone before us had to endure to bring us into the kingdom.

The definition of faith is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” Heb. 11:1-2 Do we have that kind of faith? If we do, then we need to pass it on no matter what the cost. If we are certain of eternal life because of our belief in Christ, then who are we telling about this ‘Good News’? Lets continue to multiply that ocean bottom until the whole world knows.

Heavenly Father,

We want to be multiplied, we want our faith to be like the faith of Abraham. Your word tells us that because Abraham believed, it was accounted to him for righteousness. That is the kind of faith we want, we want to believe that whatever you say will happen, will happen. You told Abraham that you would bless him and that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. This promise is still being fulfilled and we want to thank you. Thank you for being a God of such provision and such love that you have called each one of us to believe as Father Abraham believed. Thank you for your undying, eternal love. Thank you for coming to earth in the form of Jesus Christ and dying for our sins. Bless you Lord, you are mighty and awesome. Thank you for being so wonderful. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.