Category Archives: Fruit of Spirit

Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit, Healing, Inspiration, Salvation

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

acts 1:8 bible verse

New Series Intro: Book of Acts

I have been seeking God recently as to what my next series will be on, as I have just finished my teaching series on decision making. My last two posts dealt with a prophetic word I received from God. I don’t know about you, but I strongly believe the Gifts of the Spirit are available to all who ask for it today. I have felt led to start a new teaching series on the Book of Acts. Some people give this book the title of ‘The Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles’. Officially the Book of Acts author is unknown, but many believe it was written by Luke. The main purpose of the Book of Acts is to show how God worked through the Holy Spirit in people who were truly devoted to Christ. If you want to have the Holy Spirit work in your life, and outpour in your life, then I suggest that you become truly devoted to Christ 100 percent.

Acts 1:1-8

In this teaching I am going to cover Acts 1:1-8, you can read the full text by clicking here. I would first like to point out a few items in verses 2-3 (KJV), which say: “Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God”. Jesus gave instruction to his apostles through the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit was the power behind the earthly ministry of Jesus. In the King James Version of these two verses, it uses the word passion, if you dig deeper into this the passion it is talking about is when Jesus died on the cross. Why did Jesus die on the cross? To save us and give us eternal life. John 3:16 (NKJV) tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”. Also, Romans 5:8 (NKJV) tells us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”. After Jesus arose from the dead, He stayed with the apostles for 40 days before he ascended to be with the Father. 

Acts 1:4 (NKJV) tells us, “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;”. So what is it that God promised them? Let’s look back at John 14:16 (NKJV) where Jesus said to His disciples, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—”.  The word comforter comes from the Greek word Parakletos, which means an advocate or helper. Now let’s jump down a few verses to see what Jesus told His disciples in John 14:26(NKJV), “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”. The Greek word Parakletos refers to the Holy Spirit which is our advocate, who tells us what is to come. The Holy Spirit is our helper who teaches us everything. If you are struggling to understand something in the Word of God, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. The Holy Spirit is also the mediator that glorifies Christ.

If we read Acts 1:5 (NKJV) it says, “for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”. This scripture tells us about how John the Baptist baptized people with water, which was symbolic of repentance. Repentance is still important today, we all need to repent of our sins, and sin no more. However, we know Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit. When we become born again the Holy Spirit makes our spiritual being new. We are to sin no more after our second birth when we become born again. However, going away from sin 100 percent is not an overnight process, and there is no quick way to do it. This requires us to spend time in the Word of God, in prayer, in church and fellowshipping with other Christians. Once we are born again our Spirit knows not to sin, but often our soul and body get in the way. Our soul is our mind, and our body is the flesh. We must renew our mind with the Word of God and apply it so that our newborn Spirit can overtake our soul (mind), and then our body (flesh). Romans 12:2 (ESV) tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”.  Many people are religiously, and worldly brainwashed and do not accept the fact us having a Spirit, soul, and are inside a body. I would encourage those people to read 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV), which tells us, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I would next like to skip to Acts 1:8 (NKJV) which says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive a power inside of us, therefore we must allow the Holy Spirit to overflow in us so that we can receive which Gifts of the Spirit God has for you when you ask to receive them. Often, we become too busy to truly overflow with the Holy Spirit. We need to be constantly sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit. Often in church, you look back at the clock. We should not limit the Holy Spirit. Ministers should not be concerned about the timing. If a church service goes longer than expected, then it was meant to be, someone might have needed to hear a word or maybe someone needed prayer. We need the Holy Spirit to run our churches, not the world. When we let the Holy Spirit in our churches and in our lives, we can expect a breakthrough to happen in our lives, and in other people’s lives inside our churches. If we keep trying to run on a restrictive time schedule, then we put a limit on the Holy Spirit. It is wrong to limit the Holy Spirit because it is given without measure. John 3:34(NKJV) confirms this, “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.”. I felt God tell me as I was writing this to not limit the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit knows how to do His job and He does His job perfectly. Furthermore, in Acts 1:8 it discusses the disciples being a witness of Jesus Christ to people all over the known world at that time. That applies to each of us today, we must take the Word of God to all the world. Mark 16:15 (NIV) tells us, “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”. God told me that someone will read this teaching and that God is calling you into going on the mission field. If God is calling you to do something, He will make a way for you to do it if you stay faithful to Him. Philippians 1:6 (NIV) reminds us, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”. However, you may not be able to go on a mission’s trip to another country, or that may not be your calling. But what about spreading the Word of God in your own town, city, state, our country. There are many people who live near you who need to hear the Good News!

As I close this teaching, I would encourage you if you have not done so already, to accept Jesus Christ as your savior. As you begin to develop a personal relationship with Him, you need to ask God to baptize you with the Holy Spirit as they were in the Book of Acts. Everyone will have their own unique gifts. Also, allow the Holy Spirit to overflow in your life, don’t try to manipulate the working of the Holy Spirit, otherwise you will get stuck in a rut. Not letting the Holy Spirit overflow is what causes constipated Christians, it lets the enemy put pebbles in living water that is flowing within us from Jesus Christ.

Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit, Inspiration, Sin, Wisdom

How is Your Goodness

basket of fruit

It is hard to believe this is the last fruit of the Spirit for me to cover in my current series. I am hoping that these teachings have blessed you and helped you grow in your relationship with God. The last fruit of the Spirit for me to cover is goodness. Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV) says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”. As I have said previously the fruits of the Spirit go hand in hand with each other. Applying them all in your life should result in goodness and will let you be of the Spirit and not of this world.

God expects us to walk in goodness, because of the goodness he provides to us. Psalms 31:19 (WEB) “Oh how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, before the sons of men!”. As true followers of Christ, we must fear God. Proverbs 8:13 (KJV) tell us “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”. As this scripture tells us to fear God, we must hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and perverted speech. My question to you is do you truly hate those things I just listed? Many of those things I listed are deemed “okay” in our society. Or they are labeled as “the way to be”. We can all be guilty of these things at times, I will admit that I myself am not perfect either. But we must recognize our flaws so that we can apply as much goodness to our life so that we can walk in the Holy Spirit.

In America’s society today, we are dealing with a culture war, it has been going on for years. However, this culture war has gotten stronger with evilness. In my lifetime so far, I have seen so many perverted movies and entertainment come out, and yet people that call themselves Christian indulge in this type of content. There are many people who indulge in the evil way, one of the parts of the evil way is witchcraft. In the early 2000s, a woman by the name of J.K. Rowling started releasing the Harry Potter book series. These books are easy for anyone, especially children to access at the bookstore or the school library. These books make their way home with children. Little do people know these books teach witchcraft but appear in the form of entertainment to make it look innocent. There are many Christian parents who permit this content to enter their homes. I am going to say something very bold here, these books have an evil Spirit about them, bringing this book into your home opens the door for the enemy to work in your life. Leviticus 19:31 (KJV) tells us, “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.” If we want to walk in the fruit of goodness, we must be careful of what we watch, listen to, read, speak, and think. Even the best Christians can fall short of this (even I myself fall short at times), but we must constantly analyze what we bring into our lives. If we tolerate evil, it will dominate our life! I don’t know about you, but I want the promises of God to dominate my life and not the evilness of this world.

Walking in goodness does not only apply to what we allow into our lives but how we treat others. Matthew 12:35 tells us, “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.”. As followers of Christ, we want to bring forth good things, at times because we are never perfect, we can sometimes fail at this. When we fail at this, we must recognize our error and improve upon it. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (WEB) reminds us, “He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.”. I would like you to take some time and reflect on the following questions:

  1. Am I lacking in goodness? If so, where?
  2. Am I allowing the evilness of the world to come into my life by any means (literature, music, entertainment, words, thoughts)?
  3. Does my goodness reflect all the time?

Once you ask yourself these questions, work on improving. That might involve giving up the music you always listen to, instead listen to Christian music, or have the bible read to you from your phone. Have you participated in any evilness in your life? f so that means you must remove that evil activity and spend more time in prayer and in the Word of God. You may also want to revisit my previous teachings on the fruits of the Spirit and determine if you are weak in any of those. Remember that God is your strength, and nothing is impossible.

Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Inspiration, Wisdom

What About Self-Control?

bible opened on tablet with pencil and notebook.

As I continue my teaching of the nine fruits of the Spirit, I have two more fruits that I have not talked about yet. I would like to discuss the term self-control. The scripture listing of the nine fruits of the Spirit is in Galatians 5:22-23(ASV) which says: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such, there is no law.”.  Self-control is simply how someone controls themselves both in their thoughts, words, and actions. Someone’s ability of self-control can be reflected in how they handle difficult situations.  So how are we as followers of Christ to control ourselves? And how does being born again in Christ change our self-control?

When you have accepted Christ as your savior the old in you is gone, and the new in you has started. You might feel you won’t ever have self-control from poor habits of sin, but when you accept Christ as your savior the past is the past, and you have a new beginning ahead by staying in His word. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) tells us, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”. We are saved or born again through our faith in what Jesus Christ did on the cross for us. Like the scripture tells us that old things are gone and everything following our salvation becomes new. This is not as simple as just saying the sinner prayer, you must believe the Word of God with faith, and read the word of God, and live according to the Word of God. Ephesians 2:8-9 (WEB) tells us “for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.”.  Acting in faith and believing go hand in hand, therefore we must believe in Jesus to have eternal life as it is written in John 3:16 (WEB), “For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”.

Like the scripture tells us through our faith when we become saved, all things of the past remain old, and everything following our salvation is new. You might ask how this is possible? Can a criminal become saved and be made new in Christ? Absolutely! Of course, any criminal will have to face a punishment for their wrongdoing according to the law of the land in which they live in. You might ask how someone’s sinful past can just go away, especially if their sin was a bad habit. Of course, there will be memories of actions done and words said in the natural world, but in the spiritual world after proclaiming your life for Christ you start a clean slate as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that I quoted earlier. Romans 12:2 (ESV) tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”. When we live according to the nature of the world which is full of sin and darkness that starts to overrule our life in the natural world, which in turn will overrule our life in the spiritual sense. But when we live according to what the will of God is, by knowing his word we renew our mind and know what is right and wrong. This change first happens in the spirit realm, then this can overrule the natural realm. Colossians 3:2 (KJV) tells us: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”. The things of this earth are only temporary. We won’t have the things of this earth when we pass away. So why worry so much on the stress of this world if our focus should be on the word of God, which is eternal? This all comes down to self-control.

When we become saved through Christ, all things are new for us in our Spirit. When we become saved what does God give us in our Spirit? The answer is in 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV), which says “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”.  A sound mind sounds a lot like what I talked about in my teaching of God is Our Peace just recently. However, let’s look at the Amplified Bible on this scripture. 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP) “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control] .”. Notice in the Amplified Bible it uses the term self-discipline which means self-control.  2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT) says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”. Once we are saved, we must know the Word of God by our minds and heart, so we can apply it both to the spirit realm and the natural realm. Psalm 119:10-11 (WEB) tells us “With my whole heart, I have sought you. Don’t let me wander from your commandments. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”.  We must also apply an important scripture in the book of James that will help us with self-control. James 1:19 (KJV) tells us, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”.

To have self-control as a new creation in Christ we must first know the word of God, apply it to our lives both in the spiritual realm and the natural realm, and we must also act according to the Word of the God. When you are born again and acting in your faith according to God’s word, people will notice a positive change in you. People will often notice something that is different within you, this can often open the door to you bringing someone to Christ. I challenge you as a follower in Christ to assess the areas in your life in which you are lacking self-control? Once you identify those areas seek God to help you grow in your weakness. You can also look up specific scriptures to help you with what you are lacking, it is very easy to find scriptures today with modern technology. Also, you can seek help from other believers, as believers we must stick together and help build each other up. Hebrews 10:25 (ESV) tells us, “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”.  Once you identify areas in self-control in which you are weak, identify areas where you are weak in the other eight fruits of the Spirit. In my next teaching, I will talk about the fruit of goodness and putting all the nine fruits of the Spirit together.

Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Inspiration, Wisdom

Wait Times

clock with question mark

As I continue my teaching on walking in the Holy Spirit by applying the nine fruits of the Spirit to our lives as true Christians, let’s take some time to reflect on the ones that I have already covered. I have recently talked about peace, which as Christians our peace comes from God. Next, I have also talked about kindness, love, and gentleness, which all have their similarities in how we can apply them to our lives, even though we can struggle with them. I have also talked about faith, which sometimes we lack during times of trouble. The first fruit I talked about was joy, which likewise with faith it can be hindered from us during times of trouble if we let something steal our joy.

There is one fruit of the Spirit I think everyone can say they are not perfect at applying, and that is patience or also called longsuffering in the King James Version. Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP) says, “But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love , joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”. Note what the Amplified Bible says about patience and that is ‘how we act while waiting’. So how do you act while you are waiting for something? Are you quick to anger? Do you give up too quickly?  What do you say under your breath while you are waiting? Is what you say or do while waiting pleasing to the Lord? This is something I am sure all of us can improve on one way or another.

By walking in the Spirit with the fruit of patience, God expects us to act a certain way while waiting. Exodus 34:6 (ESV) says, “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,”. This verse right here explains how God expects us to act when we need to wait. You might be waiting to be seen by the doctor, you might already be angry because you aren’t feeling good or the doctor is running late. God wants us to be slow to anger and be gracious.

You might ask, why does God want me to be patient? God has shown us patience during the time he waited for us to repent and accept His only Son as our savior. Romans 2:4(ESV) says, “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”. This is also confirmed in 2 Peter 3:9 (CSB) which says, “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.”.

Since God has been patient with all of us, we should be patient to others as true followers of Christ. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (ESV) tells us “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it.”. You should remember this scripture from my teaching on the fruit of love, love, and patience go hand in hand. During the times of your sinful repetitive cycle, God has been patient with you for you to repent and correct your sinful nature. You may not realize how patient God has been towards you through His love, but just think how far you were for Him before you repented and accepted Christ. List every sin that was between you and God before you got saved, then imagine yourself at church right in front of the altar, for each sin take a step back. God waited during your sinful times for you to repent become saved, so that distance between you and God could be removed. He desires each person so much to have eternal life. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”. 

I challenge you to take some time and think back to when you were dealing with a situation that you had a wait time for, how did you act? Was it pleasing to the Lord? How can you improve for your next wait time? Take some time and reflect these questions. Ephesians 4:31-32(ESV) says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”. If you are struggling with patience, which I know I can at times, remember to always seek the Lord to help you in your weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us “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.”. God is our strength in our weakness, God can help you show His love during your time of waiting.

Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit, Inspiration, Testimony, Wisdom

God is the Source of Our Peace

mountains picture with sun reflecting on clouds.

As I continue with my discussion on walking in the Spirit, I would like to talk about another fruit of the Spirit which is peace. The listing of the fruits of the Spirit can be found in Galatians 5:22-23 which says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.”. So how do you apply peace to your life when walking within the Holy Spirit?

Peace is defined as having “harmony and accord brought about by cordial relationships. It has its source in God through Christ and the Holy Spirit” (Barbour’s Bible Dictionary & Concordance.). In John 14:27 (ESV), Jesus said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”. When you face a troubled time in your life do you turn to something to give you peace or do you turn to the Lord? If Jesus is offering us peace through Him, I would want that than something of this world. We all know this world is full of darkness. Often times we consume ourselves with things of this world that influence a negative culture on us that can hinder our peace that comes from the Lord. In John 16:33 (ESV) Jesus said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”. This world will give us trouble, it is unavoidable, but with what Jesus did on the cross and through rising from the dead he overcame the world for us. How does one benefit from this peace within Christ? You must believe in Him and have accepted Him as your savior.  Titus 2:11-12 (NIV) says, “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,”.

By having salvation through the grace of God through His son, Jesus Christ, we can have and walk in peace. This does not guarantee that we will live a trouble-free life. Romans 8:28 (NKJV) tells us, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”. As true Christians, we are to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord. When we love our God and serve Him with all our heart, all things will work for good when we are in troubled times. During prayer in troubled times speak the scripture Romans 8:28 and say that it is written. When the Lord works through in a situation give thanks to Him and remember what he did for you in that situation. In the book of Deuteronomy chapter 8, it talks about remember what God has done for you, in the context of chapter 8 it refers to when God lead the people out of Egypt. Deuteronomy 8:15-16 (NKJV) says, “who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock;  who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end”. I would like to challenge you to keep a small journal and jot down all the provisions God has provided for you through troubled times. As you continue listing more items, refer back to them periodically and give thanks for those items. Also refer back to the blessings the Lord has given you when you are going through troubled times.

During troubled times when we might be lacking peace, it might be due to fear, worry or anxiety. This world can definitely tear us down from the stresses of work, finances, and our health. When you are dealing with fear and worry take your circumstances to the Lord in prayer both as a request and thanking Him in advance for what He will do in the situation. Philippians 4:6 (AMP) says, “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.”. When talking about having peace through the Lord by walking in the Holy Spirit, we know we have reassurance in our hearts through our savior Jesus who has overcome the world. Philippians 4:7 (ESV) says, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”.  We have the reassurance of peace because God is the source of our peace. Philippians 4:9 (ESV) says, “What you have learned[a] and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”.

In troubled times we also must apply our faith, which is through God’s promises within His word. Hebrews 11:1 (CSB) reminds us, “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”. In troubled times worry often finds us and hinders our peace because we cannot see what is ahead of us, but God sees what is ahead and He has the final say. I am sure there is one spot in your life where you could be lacking peace in whether it is with your job, health, or finances, seek the Lord for peace because he is the source of peace. As you apply the nine fruits of the Spirit to your life, I challenge you to find one area in your life where you are lacking peace. Once you identify that area in your life, seek God to give you peace for it and to provide provisions according to His will. As the Lord provides peace for you along with His other provisions keep a journal of how He has been moving in your life, revisit it often and reflect upon it. Also, use this as encouragement for yourself and others.  

Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit, Inspiration, love, Sin, Testimony, Wisdom

Are You Lacking Love

cross in middle of snow covered hill.

As I continue my series on the fruits of the Spirit, I would next like to discuss the fruit of love. Let’s first look at our main scripture for the fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.”. God loves every single one of us, whether or not we are a true Christian. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world,  that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”. God loves everyone no matter who you are, this is why he gave us His only son so that if we stay true to Him we can have eternal life. Mark 12:30 says, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”. Since God loves us so much and has given us all His best, which is our savior he expects us to love Him back to the best of our ability. If you read the next verse in Mark 12 it says, “The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”. As followers in Christ, we are to show love to others, even though it can be challenging at times.

You might ask what difference will it make if I show everyone love or not? The answer can be found in John 13:34-35 where Jesus said:  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”. In this scripture Jesus is talking to his disciples, the word disciple has the following synonyms: adherent, believer, admirer, devotee, and follower. If you are a follower of Christ then you should show love to the people around you along with walking in the other fruits of the Spirit. In order to be successful followers in Christ, we must lead by certain characteristics, which one of those is love. 1 John 4:8 says, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”. God is love, so we must show love to others.

Aside from loving a family member or a spouse, the Bible provides a very clear definition of love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.”. This scripture gives us a great definition of how we are to act with love. We can all take away one thing if not more from this scripture that we can improve upon. Colossians 3:14 says, “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”. Love keeps us together, many families fall apart often because of lack of love, because they have fallen short of something mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

The main reason families start lacking love is because of works of the enemy. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”. Sometimes we will have an aspect in our life that opens the door for the enemy to work. For instance, if you are in any sin, this opens the door for the enemy to work in your life. If you are thinking negative thoughts, this opens the door for the enemy. If you are listening to music that has lyrics that promote sin, that also can open the door for the enemy in your life. Even as followers of Christ we can open the door for the enemy to try to oppress us which can hinder our walk with God. When our walk with God becomes hindered we can start to lack the fruits of the Spirit, which include love. When we do this we will often have problems with our family or friends.  Often when families fall apart because of a lack of love, it is because one or more people in the family have an open demonic door for the enemy to work. This is why as followers of Christ we must stay true to His word and commandments. This is why by reading the word of God daily and walking in the Spirit will help us keep demonic doors closed. Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”. Do not worry about what the world says is the trend, worry about what God’s word says the trend should be for every follower of Christ. God loved us so much, that He gave His only son to undo the works of the enemy. 1 John 3:8 says, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”.

Even when we may not have open doors for the enemy trouble can still arise. This is when we must use our faith and seeking God to overcome the situation. During troubled times we must show love to others because as it is written in 1 Corinthians 13 ‘love bears all things’. We might need to show love to others who are going through a difficult time. Helping others in difficult times is a great way to help build their faith up or even lead them to Christ. One of my favorite scriptures for when you are going through a challenge is Romans 8:28 which says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[a] for those who are called according to his purpose.”. I leave you with a couple of challenges.

  1. Are there any open doors for the enemy in your life?
  2. Are you lacking showing love to others as Christ commanded?
  3. Are there any parts of the definition of love in which you are weak in as listed in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8?

Once you go through these questions, spend time with God in prayer on the next steps of walking more in the Holy Spirit.

Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit, Healing, Inspiration, Salvation, Sin, Testimony, Wisdom

Overcoming by Faith

clouds in sky with sun shining through

As I continue my series on the fruits of the Spirit, I would like to discuss another fruit of the Spirit which is, faithfulness. Previously I have discussed joy, kindness, and gentleness. I am not going in any order, I am simply going in the order in which the Holy Spirit guides me. The listing of the fruits of the Spirit can be found in Galatians 5:22-23 which says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.”. So, what is faithfulness? And how should we apply faithfulness to our daily lives?

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”. Notice John 3:16 does not use the word faith it uses the word believe. Looking at Ephesians 2:8-9, it says “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”. Unlike John 3:16 this scripture uses the word faith. By accepting the message of salvation through Christ as true, we can be saved by grace through having our faith in the Lord. However, we cannot become saved or born again by just our works alone, many religious people will argue with that. I believe doing good works is important, by walking in the fruit of the Spirit. Having faith in someone involves trust. One of the ways we build a relationship with others is through a foundation of trust. This applies the same with faith, by having faith we trust in Christ as our savior. Therefore, by becoming saved through faith we must begin and maintain a personal relationship with Him. Titus 3:5-6 says, “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,”. Again, this confirms we are not saved by our own works, but by the work of Christ. When we accept Him as our savior with full faith, we are washed clean of sin.

When we are dealing with sickness we are to turn to God for a healing. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds, we are healed.” Notice this scripture says, ‘we are healed’, NOT ‘we might be healed’. How do you apply faith to receive a healing from Christ our healer? Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”. Often when we receive a bad diagnosis, our initial understanding of the situation is what the doctor tells us, because it is the first thing we hear when we receive the bad news. Right before my nineteenth birthday, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. When I was admitted to the hospital the doctor came into the room and explained to me what Type 1 Diabetes is, which is an autoimmune disease in which the body makes antibodies that perversely attack the insulin-making cells in the pancreas. The doctor explained to me that I would daily insulin injections for the rest of my life along with frequent blood sugar monitoring and very careful meal planning. In this situation, the first thing I was learned how to inject myself with insulin, check my blood sugar, and count carbs. I was more busy learning how to manage this disease than what the word of God has to say about my situation. Over time I have learned if I want to beat Type 1 Diabetes, I must understand the promise of healing and apply faith to the situation. Right now, I am still battling this disease, but I know what the word of God says, and God has the final say. After applying more faith to my situation my insulin need has decreased by almost 50% in the last year. I have to speak with authority to my body that all my hormones and immune cells will be in perfect alignment, and that there will be a full resurrection of my pancreas.

Much of condition is based off my blood sugar levels on what my glucose meter tells me. Even though I might see some high and low numbers, I know one thing is true and that is 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”. I know I see where my levels are and what the doctors report shows, but with faith, I know what the word of God says. Even though the blood work shows I am a Type 1 Diabetic by antibodies and pancreatic levels, I know that God’s hand is at work in this situation. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”. I might not have seen a report stating I am no longer a Type 1 Diabetic, but by my faith, I am expecting one. I also know Isaiah 53:5 says ‘we are healed’. Jesus never said we would be healed instantly, but we will be healed. A healing might be instant, or it might take time, therefore we must apply Hebrews 11:1. You might know someone who recently died of cancer who had strong faith but still died. One verse I would like to remind you of is Job 1:21, “And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”. Though we might experience a loss or a troubled time, God is still with us and blessed is His name.

Walking in faith can be challenging, therefore we must always be in the word and seeking God daily. Knowing the word of God prepares us for when trouble comes our way. When you are struggling in faith, I would like to remind you of two scriptures which are 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”. We often let fear decrease our faith, therefore we must let our faith overtake the situation and not let our fear overtake us. Also, one of my favorite verses is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”. Turn to God in full faith for strength for whatever you are going through in life and remember nothing is impossible with God.

Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit, Inspiration, Salvation, Sin, Wisdom

Walking in Gentleness

person walking in wheat field.

Previously, I have been discussing the nine fruits of the Spirit. Recently I discussed both joy and kindness. Today I would like to take a closer look at the Fruit of Gentleness. Gentleness is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit in 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.”. I found a great list of synonyms for the word gentleness in The Collins Dictionary, which are tenderness, compassion, kindness, consideration, sympathy, and softness. The word gentleness can also be translated into the term meekness. Meekness is defined as, a kind, gentle, and humble spirit.

 

So how do we apply gentleness in our lives so that we may walk in the Spirit? First off we must apply all nine fruits of the Spirit together, we cannot pick certain ones we like. A good example of gentleness is when we are courteous to others. This could apply to both people we know and people we simply pass by during our busy day. You might have a co-worker or family member who did you wrong, whether they apologize or not you should first forgive them, and also you must not seek revenge. Seeking revenge would conflict with gentleness and the other eight fruits of the Spirit. Titus 3:2 says, “To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”.

 

Another aspect of gentleness comes when we witness to non-believers. At some point in your walk with Christ, you will come across a family member, friend, or co-worker who is a non-believer and you might have the perfect opportunity to share the Gospel with them. The outcome can be unpredictable, they might accept it, totally reject it, or the might be on the fence. Mark 16:15 says, “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”. When sharing the Gospel with anyone we must be gentle about it and respectful, this is written in 1 Peter 3:15 which says,  “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”. We will have witnessed to people who totally reject the message of the Gospel, we must remember 1 Peter 3:15 to be both gentle and respectful. Just remember when you cannot get the message of salvation through to a particular person, pray that they will come to salvation. Romans 10:1 says, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.”.

 

At the beginning of this article, I listed some of the synonyms for the word gentleness, one of them was softness. Proverbs 15:1 tells us, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”. I think this is a verse that every one of us needs to hear, and seek God to help us with daily. With our busy and hectic lives we can become quick to anger, I myself can be guilty of this. Whether you feel under the weather or received an unexpected bill in the mail, or your car won’t start, turn to the Lord first before turning to anger. If you forget and turn to anger, seek God to help you with being gentle. Romans 8:26 tells us, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”.

 

I challenge you to find parts in each day of your life to find an area where you can apply gentleness. If this is something you are struggling with seek the Lord. We must apply gentleness in our character along with the other eight fruits of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are a package deal, you can’t have one of them without the others. Galatians 5:16-17 which says, “ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”.

 

  1. Ray, Rayburn W. “Barbour’s Bible Dictionary & Concordance.” Barbour’s Bible Dictionary & Concordance, by George W. Knight, Barbour Books, 1998, pp. 206–206.
Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Inspiration, Salvation, Sin, Wisdom

The Fruit of Kindness

bible

In my last post, I talked about one of the nine fruits of the Spirit which was joy. In this post, I am going to discuss a different fruit of the Spirit, which is kindness. We are told in 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.”. So we know that kindness is one of the fruits of the Spirit. In order to walk in the Spirit, we must be kind to others, even when it can seem difficult. We must also be reminded of Galatians 5:16-17 which says, “ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”. God does not want us to pick and choose from the fruits of the Spirit, he wants us to apply all of them.

 

Being kind can be both easy and hard to do. If it means being kind to someone you love, then it should be easy. We often find it difficult to be kind to those who give us a hard time. 1 Peter 3:9 says, “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”. We will have people in our lives who might annoy us or make our job difficult. When dealing with these people we must remind ourselves that God loves that person just as much as he loves us. The same Jesus that died for you died for them also. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”.

 

The fruits of the Spirit are characteristics that followers of Christ should apply to their lives. The opposite of a kind person is a cruel person. Proverbs 11:17 says, “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.”. There are many ways that we can be kind to others, and there are many opportunities to accomplish this. Galatians 6:10 tells us, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”. Additionally Proverbs 19:17 tells us, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”. God will repay us for our good deeds and even our bad deeds. Galatians 6:7 tells us, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”.

 

As you go through your day try to take one opportunity to be kind to someone and act on it. It can be a simple gesture of kindness. By applying kindness and the other eight fruits of the Spirit, we avoid ourselves from walking in the flesh. I don’t know about you but I would rather walk in the Spirit with God, than of the flesh of this dark world. There will be times that we fall short of kindness and the other fruits of the Spirit.  When this happens we must turn to God who is our strength to help better us in our weakness. 1 Chronicles 16:11 says, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”. If you are struggling to be kind to others, seek God more every day, and try simple deeds of kindness each day.

Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Healing, Inspiration, Salvation, Wisdom

Filled with Joy

Christmas ornament imprint the word joy

As Christmas approaches very quickly we often become to busy with shopping, cooking, parties, and family gatherings to realize the true joy within our lives. While spending time with loved ones important this season as it should be all the time, let’s take a deep look into the term joy. As you read this article of mine, list some of the struggles you are going through in life whether it be health, family, financial, or emotional, and see how you can apply joy to that particular situation.

 

Galatians chapter 5 discusses the nine fruits of the Spirit which help us walk in the Holy Spirit. The nine fruits of the Spirit are characteristics one should have that is a true follower of Christ. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.”. Joy is happiness from the consistent promises of God within His word. We have joy when God gives us provisions according to His word. This can come from anything from a healing to a financial need that is supernaturally met. If you are a true born-again Christian then you already have one thing to be joyful for, and that is your salvation. Psalm 21:1 says, “O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!”.

 

So why should we always be joyful? Since joy is one of the nine fruits of the Spirit we must apply joy to our character. When we apply the fruits of the Spirit to our character, we are walking within the Spirit and not the flesh. Galatians 5:16 says, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”. You might be weak in one of the nine fruits of the Spirit if so turn to God to help you with your weakness. We must remember our strength comes from the Lord. 1 Chronicles 16:11 says, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”.

 

So why must you apply joy even when going through a rough patch in life? First Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”. Notice the scriptures uses the word abound which has the following synonyms listed in the Webster’s dictionary: be plentiful, be abundant, be numerous, be full of, and overflow with. Also, Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”. The more time we spend rejoicing and in prayer, the less stressed out we will be. Spending time worrying is just wasting time that you could be praying. We are to continue our joy even in trials, and our perseverance during our trials will be dependent upon our joy. James 1:2 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds”.

 

When we get distracted by things of the flesh we walk out of the Spirit. This can make our circumstances worse for us because when we walk by flesh and not Spirit it opens the door for the enemy to work. John 16:22 says, “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”. While we will have our trials here on Earth, we must remember that if our hearts are right and if we are walking in the Spirit we have eternal life. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  The scripture of John 3:16 is one reason every believer should be filled with joy. Many secular views tell us that heaven will be a place of partying and a good time. This secular view is completely wrong and will hinder one from walking within the Spirit. Heaven will be a place of praise and worship to our creator. Romans 14:17 tells us, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”. I believe that God wants us to walk in the Spirit as much as possible when we are here on Earth so that we can rejoice in heaven.

 

I challenge you to be filled with joy during times of struggle and seek God for strength. By walking in the Spirit and not the flesh, we can expect to see more of God’s promises in our lives. Also by spending less time worrying, and more time in prayer, we will have more hope. As Christmas approaches quickly, be joyful for at least one thing, if not more, and that is the birth of our Savior.