fruit of the Spirit

Mixed-up and Maxed-out

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frazPeople come in many shapes and sizes. Some of them are disillusioned and distracted; others are inquisitive and interesting.  G.K. Chesterton was a wordsmith with a keen wit, and he said: There is no such thing as an uninteresting subject. The only thing that can exist is an uninterested person.

Some people are interested in everything life has to offer, but their interest span is about the length of a common housefly. Because they’re easily distracted by the saccharine promises of a Splenda world, they never find the time to consider the splendor of the Lord.

As a king, David could have asked for anything, but as a child he asked his Father for one: I have asked the Lord for one thing— this is what I desire! I want to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, so I can gaze at the splendor of the Lord and contemplate in his temple. ~Psalm 27:4

When your focus is mixed-up and your emotions are maxed-out, pause to consider the splendor of the Lord.  When you emulate David, you cultivate your thoughts, prune the weeds of your mind, and fine-tune the melody of your heart.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.  We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. ~Galatians 5:22-26

It’s Time for Saints to Giddy Up

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Cavalry horses and their riders are exposed to smoke as members of the Dutch cavalry undergo a stress test at the beach in Scheveningen, the Netherlands, Sept. 14, 2015. The horses and riders are tested with gunfire, music and smoke for the next day's parade in The Hague, including the King and Queen in the Golden Carriage who will pronounce the Speech from the Throne, one of the main features of government policy for the coming parliamentary session. (EPA/MARTIJN BEEKMAN)

When you hear the word “meek,” what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?  Is it a spineless individual who has the composition of milk toast?  Is it a person who lacks grit?

There are only two people in the Bible who are described as being meek. The first one is Moses and the second is Jesus.  Even though they were described as being meek, neither of these individuals could be described as being weak.

An excellent definition of meekness is found in the picture of wild horses. Meekness means strength under control.  Wild horses are of little worth until they’ve been tamed.  Then they’re useful and of great value.

There’s a correlation between the taming of a wild horse, and a person manifesting the fruit of the Spirit.  Paul encourages Christians to:

Live your whole life in the Spirit and you will not satisfy the desires of the flesh. For the whole energy of the flesh is set against the Spirit, while the whole power of the Spirit is contrary to the flesh. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Those who belong to Christ have crucified their old nature with all that it loved and lusted for. If our lives are centered in the Spirit, let us be guided by the Spirit.

It takes strength to live the life described by Paul, and this is only accomplished when you crucify or tame the old nature and yield to Jesus as Lord and Savior.

It’s time to Giddy Up and get with it!

9 in 1

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9in1175x175Gal. 5:22-23 says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

When you read the verse above, did it register as plural or singular? When you read the phrase “fruit of the Spirit, did you think of more than one when you read the list that followed?

The Greek word for “fruit” is “karpos,” and it is in the singular. Even though there is a list of 9 graces, they are a unit of 1; and, they are already yours through the presence of the Spirit of God.

According to 1 John 4:8 and John 14:23, God is love, and His love is present within His children. With this in mind, think of this analogy: Love is the tree and these 9 graces are the fruit that it produces.

This may be what Paul had in mind when he said:

“It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” The fruit of the Spirit is the result of God’s divine power at work in you, and the words of Peter support my statement: “May grace and peace be yours in abundance through full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord! His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the full knowledge of the one who called us by His own glory and excellence. Through these He has given us His precious and wonderful promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, seeing that you have escaped the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires (2 Peter 1:2-4).”

When you put the words of Peter under a microscope, you can see:

• God’s grace and peace is available to you—in abundance!
• Everything you need for life and godliness is already at work in you and is accomplished not by your strength but by His divine power.
• God does not make mistakes, and He has called you by His own glory and excellence.
• God has given you the gift of His precious and wonderful promises—claim them!

9 in 1: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; these are the fruit of the Spirit. Is this fruit seen in you?