Graced To Do God's Will

Deuteronomy 1:27 You grumbled in your tents and said, “The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.

We all face difficult times in our lives. Some of us are going through a difficult time right now. Regardless of how difficult the situation looks, it’s not because God hates us. We face difficulties for two reasons.

The first reason is consequences. If we intentionally touch fire, we have to go through the pain of being burnt. The second reason is that difficulty is a component of life. Just because we’re children of God doesn’t mean we’re exempt from tests or trials. The difference between the trails we face versus the trials the world faces is we have a guarantee of victory. The trials we face produce endurance and it tests the genuineness of our faith (James 1:3; 1 Peter 1:7).

No matter the reason behind the trial or how long we’ve been in the trial, it’s not because God hates us. God loves us and He only wants the best for us. As we totally rely on God in the midst of our trial and not waver, our faith is strengthened and destroys the very trial we face.

As we face trials, read the following verse below to continue to stay encouraged:

Deuteronomy 1:29 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes.

Isaiah 54:4 Fear not; for you shall not be ashamed: neither be you confounded; for you shall not be put to shame: for you shall forget the shame of your youth, and shall not remember the reproach of your widowhood any more.

We’ve all made some mistakes in our past. We’ve said some things we shouldn’t have said, done some things we shouldn’t have done, and didn’t do some things we should have done. A lot of those mistakes occurred when we were younger, but some are more recent. Regardless if it was yesterday or 10 years ago, it’s still the past and it’s up to us to forgive ourselves and move on.

When we ask for forgiveness from God, God has not only forgiven us, but He’s forgotten the mistakes we made (Heb. 8:12). In order to continue to make progress in our lives, the Word of God instructs us to forget about our past mistakes. It’s our choice to forget and to forgive ourselves. There is no benefit of rehearsing the mistakes we’ve made. God already knew the mistakes we would make, therefore, He’s orchestrated our lives to have those mistakes work out for our good and for His glory. 

It’s time to let go of our past and move on. Anytime the thought of the mistake comes, let’s remind ourselves that God has forgiven and forgotten our mistakes so, we should too. Trust that God will cause everything (good and bad) to work out for our good (Rom. 8:28).

Inspired by Pastor D @ amazingchurch.com 

John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

At the cross, there were some great exchanges that took place. Jesus was whipped so that we can be healed (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus became poor so that we can be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus became sin so that we can become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). There is one exchange that’s rarely mentioned. Jesus became isolated from everyone He knew so that we can enter the family of God.

From the time He was arrested to the time He was on the cross, Jesus was separated from the ones closest to Him. Jesus was separated from His earthly family and from His disciples. Eventually, for the first time in eternity, Jesus was separated from His Heavenly Father (Matthew 27:46).

Like the other exchanges, this exchange was for our sakes. Jesus was isolated from God and everyone He knew so that we can rightfully be adopted into the family of God. We will never be alone because God is always with us. God forsook Jesus so that He will never forsake us. Regardless of what we do or where we go, God is always with us, willing to forgive and bless us.

Receive the gift of family.

Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has (past tense) blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

There is no act or performance that will get God to move on our behalf. Every promise has been made available by Jesus Christ. Our belief that Jesus made these promises available for us is the currency we need to obtain these promises.

Now that we know our faith obtains the promises of God, we have to ask ourselves, what’s our motivation to do the other spiritual things? What’s the point of fasting, praying, reading, confessing, or speaking in tongues? These things are all beneficial in their own way. They won’t get God to move, but they have the potential to move us towards a more mature relationship with God.

READING – How will we know what promises or rights have been made available to us by Jesus if we don’t know what they are? It’s important to read and agree with the Word of God regarding all of His promises He’s made for us.

PRAYING – Praying keeps us in constant communication with God. It’s not only talking to God, but allowing God to speak to us. In prayer, God can reveal some things about ourselves, reveal the wisdom we need to handle a situation, or bring ideas into our minds.

FASTING – We are spiritual beings, but we live in a fleshly body. The flesh is always an unwilling participant in the things of God. Fasting keeps our flesh in check. Fasting denies our flesh the right to rule and reign in our lives. When our flesh is subdued, fasting allows the Holy Spirit to be magnified.

CONFESSION – Confession is an active component with faith. Romans 10:9 says, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Luke 6:45 says, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. If belief plus confession was necessary to receive salvation, belief plus confession is necessary to receive the other promises of God.

SPEAKING IN TONGUES – Speaking in tongues allows us to speak the wisdom of God, builds ourselves up, and keeps us in the love of God (1 Corinthians 2:1-12; 14:4, Jude 1:20, 21).

Our motivation for these spiritual exercises should not be to get God to do something. It should be to establish or deepen our relationship with God and improve in the areas where we need to be more reflective of Christ.

Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

As we can see, every blessing or promise has already been given to us through Christ. It’s not in the works or on order. It’s done. Our faith, and our faith alone, is the currency to transfer these promises from the spiritual realm to the natural world. Faith is simply believing that whatever we desire has been (past tense) made available for us by Christ Jesus.

In the past, we’ve been taught to do a number of things to get God to move on our behalf. We were taught our faith moves God, fasting moves God, praying and reading our bibles for an extended period of time moves God. These are all beneficial things, but it doesn’t get God to move.

Once again, everything God is going to do for us has already been done. God is not orchestrating a solution as soon as we realize we have a problem. Our solution is already available. Without doubt, believe that it’s done, confess that it’s so, and expect the promise to manifest itself.

Exodus 10:24 Then Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, “Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be detained. Even your little ones may go with you.”… 26 Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord.”

After numerous plagues, Pharaoh attempted to negotiate with Moses about who can stay and who can go from the bondage of Egypt. Pharaoh initially agreed to let only the men go (Exodus 10:8-11). When Moses didn’t agree to Pharaoh’s deal, Pharaoh agreed to let everyone leave except the flocks and herds. Although the deal was tempting, Moses said no deal.

Satan is a lot like Pharaoh when it comes to obtaining the promises of God. We are joint heirs with Christ and we’re entitled to everything God promised us (divine health, prosperity, wealth, joy, etc.). Satan will try to influence us to scale back on what God promised us. Instead of being totally healed of that disease, Satan will attempt to negotiate with us on having the disease, but keeping it under control by taking medication for the rest of our lives. Instead of stepping out on faith and starting that business, Satan will attempt to negotiate with us on letting that dream go and working at that job for “income security.”

Like Moses, some of the deals Satan presents are pretty tempting. If we take the deal, we can rest from our faith fight and we’ll have a moment of happiness. But in the back of our minds, we’ll know we limited God’s ability to positively impact our lives.

Never negotiate with the devil. Believe that you have received all that God has for you.

Inspired by Pastor Bill Winston.

Religion will tell us we to behave a certain way in order to receive the goodness of the Lord, however, scripture shows us it’s God’s goodness that leads us to repentance or correct behavior. Let’s take a look at the life of Simon Peter.

Luke 5:4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Simon Peter was a sinful man, but the goodness of God led him to repent and follow Jesus. No one deserves what they have now. It’s by grace, through faith, we have what we have and nothing more.

Has God been good to you even though you know you haven’t been living in a manner that pleases Him? His goodness is trying to get your attention to repent and follow Christ. Make the change and repent.

Romans 2:4 Or despise you the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Inspired by Joseph Prince. 

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

When a decision needs to made, believers may instruct a person to consult with God. However, if a person has never been instructed on how to hear from God, they may not know what to expect. There are three voices we can hear when making a decision. We have God, our flesh, and Satan through our flesh.

To know we’re hearing from God, we have to ask ourselves some questions.

1. Does our decision align with God’s Word?
-God will never instruct us to do anything outside of His Word (ex. rob a bank, take another woman’s husband, etc.).

2. Do we have peace with our decision?
–Colossians 3:15 says, let the peace of Christ be the controlling factor in your hearts deciding and settling questions that arise. If there’s no peace, it’s not God.

3. Are we certain?
-God is like a person. If we’re uncertain, don’t hesitate to ask Him again and again. Once we’re confident in what He said, act on that decision.

This is a short list on how to hear from God. There may be other factors to confirm God’s Word such as, confirmation with other witnesses and signs and wonders following (Matt. 18:16; Mark 16:20). Let’s hear from God and do what He says.

Matthew 27:14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge–to the great amazement of the governor.

Jesus was separated from God, beat, whipped, mocked, stabbed, insulted, spat on, exhausted, and hung on a cross by nails. If anyone had a right to grumble and complain, Jesus did. Jesus didn’t do anything to deserve this treatment. Jesus was innocent, blameless, and without sin. He would have been justified in saying, this isn’t fair, why Me, or it’s not My fault and yet, He didn’t say a word. He received this treatment because of us.

We’re not going through half of what Jesus went through, but some of us have the gall to complain. We’ll complain about traffic, grumble about our bosses, or complain about not having this or that. That’s not the will of God.

If Jesus is our example and He didn’t grumble or complain after being tortured and beat for something He didn’t do, we shouldn’t gripe or complain about anything we face. Not only should we not complain because Jesus didn’t, but Jesus was tortured so we won’t have a reason to complain through the victory we have through Him. It’s about perspective.
Let’s glorify Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us by living a life free from complaints.

Philippians 2:14 Do everything without complaining and arguing,

As believers, it seems we’ve limited our belief based on our logic, what we can see, or what we can comprehend. We read the scriptures about God doing the impossible or performing miracles; but, because we don’t experience it or see it in the lives of others on a regular basis, it’s hard for us to believe.

When we limit our belief, we limit what God will do in our lives. If we truly desire a house, we shouldn’t get discouraged and act like we didn’t want the house if we don’t receive it in a couple of years. It will happen. Continue to believe and stay in faith for that house. If we truly desire a spouse and children, we shouldn’t limit our desires by giving ourselves the “I’m probably better off by myself” death (not pep) talk. It can happen.

Whatever we desire from God, it can happen. It may not happen instantaneously, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. During the time between our request to God and the manifestation of our request, let’s focus our attention on God and what He wants us to do and the purposes He wants us to fulfill.

Mark 9:23 “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”‭‭

We all have desires, dreams, and goals we want to accomplish, however, to correctly obtain these goals, we must step back and allow God to govern our lives.

There will always be a temptation to obtain our dreams and goals using our own strength and logic because that’s all we can see. The problem with using our strength and logic is that it’s limited. God’s power and wisdom is unlimited. 

For instance, if a person desires to go to college, the only way they can see paying for college is by going to school full-time and working two jobs. This seems extremely exhausting. However, by decreasing and handing their desires to God, He may give that person a plan where they can apply for a grant, a scholarship, or have His favor on that person where someone generously gives them the money to pay for school. Yes, it can happen. 

We may not see how God is going to fulfill our desires, but as we trust Him and give Him full authorization over our lives, our desires and beyond our desires will manifest themselves. 

Trust Him.

After seeing Jesus do the miraculous, Nicodemus came to Jesus that night and stated the following: 

John 3:2 “This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God is not only with us, but in us. Since God is with us, we too should be performing the miraculous all over the world. We should be laying hands on the sick and the sick recovering. We should be bringing the dead back to life, and we should be binding the attacks of the enemy. We have this authority (Luke 10:19).

Let’s not limit ourselves to only miraculous spiritual signs. Jesus said, we can do the miraculous works He’s done, and even greater works (John 14:12). Because God is with us, we should effortlessly grasp an understanding of what’s being taught to us at school. Because God is with us, we should be at peace and prospering while everyone else is stressed at work. Because God is with us, our vehicles, appliances, and the structure of our home should outlast the so called expiration dates. 

By having God with us, our lives should stand out and look different. So different until, strangers, friends, and family members are attracted to the God with us and in us. 

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Since the days of Paul, there has been a temptation to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why? Because it didn’t make sense to believe that this carpenter’s Son was the Messiah. The temptation to be ashamed may be even greater now than it was back then.

Through the introduction of scientology, recently discovered historical facts, and the popularity of no belief, it takes an even bolder person to not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Christians have been called everything from simple-minded beings to slaves of the “white man’s religion” based on our beliefs. It doesn’t make sense to believe that a man, born of a virgin, died for everyone’s sins. People often fear the things they don’t understand.

As new information arises to diminish the truth of Jesus Christ, it’s time for believers to be unashamed and bolder about the gospel. Our boldness of Jesus Christ may be the push an unbeliever needs to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So pray in public, praise in public, and let the world know where our blessings come from. Our boldness may be a person’s last chance to receive salvation. 

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

It’s 2016 and a lot of us desire to make some changes. We desire to get closer to God, exercise, buy a home, or let go of people and things that are hindering our progress from accomplishing God’s will. We can desire all these changes, however, these changes will not manifest until we have a change in our thinking. Nothing is changed or transformed without the renewing of the mind.

For those who desire to get closer to God this year, our thinking needs to change by intentionally making Him a priority. For those who desire to buy a home, our thinking needs to change regarding how and where we spend money. For those who need to let things or people go, our thinking needs to change as we consult the Holy Spirit regarding what or who we need to let go and having the boldness to let go and not look back.

Whatever changes we desire to see in our lives, the first change needs to take place in our thinking. Correct thinking will cause correct believing and correct believing will manifest the things we desire to see.

Inspired by T.D. Jakes

Happy New Year!

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Come ALL. No one is exempt from the word all. We don’t have to have special permission, know someone in the ministry, or have our lives together to come. 

If you just had an abortion, come.

If you recently were released from prison, come.

If you’re confused, come.

If you’re hurting from past or present pains, come. 

If there is an addiction you just can’t seem to break, come. 

If you want to do right, but you just don’t know where to start, come. 

If you want better, come. 

God is waiting on us to approach Him, through Jesus Christ. He’s not going to kidnap us or take over our minds. He wants us to make a quality decision and choose Him. As we approach 2016, make the decision to come.

*Please share this message with all, even those who you think are unsaved.

Matthew 6:33 essentially tells us to put God first in everything we do. We usually don’t have a problem with putting God first, however, it can be problematic to keep God first. Keeping God first takes discipline.

There are distractions set in place to remove God from being first in our lives. We can be distracted by the things that are going on at our jobs, the events surrounding our children and family, or entertainment (TV, social media, games). It takes discipline to block everything surrounding us in order to prioritize God all the time, in every situation.

So, how do we discipline ourselves to keep God first? First of all, we ask God to reveal our distractions. Secondly, we allow God to give us some strategies to minimize and eventually remove those distractions. Some of those strategies may include, repeating Matthew 6:33 in order to have seeking God first constantly flowing in our minds, writing out “Did you seek God?” all throughout our home, or have us partner with someone who can hold us accountable regarding seeking and keeping God first.

Whatever God tells us to do, just do it. The discipline we exhibit is for our benefit so that everything we need and desire will be added to our lives.

1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

Ephesians 4:15 “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—”‭

-Everybody knows Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.

-You need to stop being so critical of someone else’s life and focus on bettering yourself.

-You know they need to stop smoking weed and cursing. 

-You need to be in church. 

-You need to serve in church.  

These statements are all true, but were they done in love? Or, were they done in judgment, condemnation, or mockery? 

As mature believers, we need to put ourselves in another person’s shoes. Would we receive the truth about Jesus Christ if someone was critical of something we’ve believed all our lives? Would we change our ways if someone told us to change with an undertone of judgment? Of course not. So how can we expect people to receive the truth if it’s not given in love? Also, allow the Holy Spirit to direct us on our timing. We can speak the truth in love, but the other person may not be ready to receive it. 

God is love and as His ambassadors, we need to be operating in love. It’s love that sent Jesus for ALL of us, it’s love that compelled Jesus to stay on the cross, and it’s love that covers a multitude of sins. 

Do everything in love. 

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your lap. For with the same measure that you measure it shall be measured to you again.

As a result of our giving, God promised that people would give back to us. However, if we’re filled with pride, we’ll miss out on an opportunity for God blessing our lives. 

If someone wants to give us some “just because” money, offer to take us on a expense-free vacation, or have us over for dinner, we sometimes have the tendency to have this false sense of humility. We’ll deny the offer as if it puts us in a better light. In actuality, what we’re doing is denying God the opportunity to bless our lives because we’re prideful. We want God to rain His blessings down from heaven, but God will send His blessings through people. We’re also denying the other person the opportunity to sow a seed because we’re prideful. 

This mindset was implemented by the enemy. It’s pride disguised as humility. If we’re not willing to receive blessings and others  don’t have the opportunity to sow seeds for their own lives, God can’t receive the glory. 

Let’s remove our pride and be willing to receive everything God has for us. 

1 Timothy 3:5 For if a man knows not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?

God’s Word said He wants us to seek Him first in everything we do (Matthew 6:33). We seek God first by initially asking ourselves, how can where we are and what we have benefit God and His Kingdom? 

By saying God should be first implies there are things we can seek second, third, or fourth. God being first doesn’t mean the things that come after Him are not important. A few of those things after God include family, finances, and stability. Some of us have even more such as, running a business or helping another family. 

It’s great we want to please God,  but we can’t be so spiritually minded until we neglect the things outside of God and His Kingdom. We shouldn’t be in church seven days a week meanwhile, our family is falling apart. Unless God specifically instructs us to, we shouldn’t give our last dollar to the Kingdom and not have enough for insurance or relying on the church to pay our bills. The Bible says seek God first not, seek God alone. 

As we celebrate Christmas and begin the New Year, let’s not neglect our families and our finances. If we’re truly seeking God first, He will give us a plan to manage the things that come second, third, and fourth. 
Merry Christmas

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Contrary to religious belief, God is so loving that He’ll meet some of our needs even if we don’t give financially. However, the needs God promises to fulfill without our participation in sowing are the bare essentials. The bare essentials include food, water, and shelter.

What most of us desire is surplus. Surplus includes everything else in addition to the bare essentials. When we financially give to the Kingdom of God, God fulfills so many layers of surplus. Such as…the classic promise of God opening up the windows of heaven and pouring out so many blessings we won’t have room enough to receive them in Malachi 3:10. God stops the devourer from taking the things we have according to Malachi 3:11. We have God meeting ALL (not some) of our needs for every situation and circumstance (Phil 4:10-20). God provides opportunities for other people to be inspired to give blessings into our lives (Luke 6:38).

All of these promises fall under the surplus of God. God loves us enough to not let us starve, and has designed an opportunity for us to live in surplus. Thus, His love and these great benefits should compel us to give to His Kingdom.

Psalms 136:1-3 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever:

Every verse in Psalms 137 ends with “For His mercy endures forever.” Is the Word of God trying to tell us something? Maybe God’s mercy endures forever.

The definition of mercy is: a kind or forgiving treatment of someone who could be treated harshly. What does that mean for us? That means, we all deserved death and worse out of life, but because of Jesus, we have the opportunity to receive God’s mercy. This mercy is not for a limited time only. God’s mercy endures forever.  

With God’s mercy, we don’t have to walk around in shame after missing the mark. God’s mercy endures forever. We know our sins are truly forgiven because God’s mercy endures forever. The blessing is on our lives because God’s mercy endures forever. Every good thing we experience is a result of God’s infinite mercy. 

Praise God for His mercy!

Psalms 135:13 “Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your fame, O LORD, throughout all generations.”

“Our job on the earth is to make God famous.” -Kirk Franklin 

In the early days of civilization, God’s name was famous based on the great miracles He performed through Moses. God’s name was again made famous through Jesus Christ. Finally, we see God’s name made famous through the apostles. Since biblical times, it appears, God’s name has been slowly pushed towards the background. 

In these last days, our job is to resurrect God’s name. How??? By witnessing to others about Jesus Christ. By boldly believing God for our needs and desires. By only trusting and relying on God. By living a life that pleases God. By having the characteristic of God, unconditional love. Finally, by publicly giving credit, glory, and honor to God when good things happen to us. 

Let’s keep God’s name famous. It may be the only thing an unbeliever hears to intrigue them to get know God, through Jesus Christ. 

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

The final fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Self-control refers to the control over one’s emotions and impulses. If we can control our emotions, we can control our behavior.

Every behavior is attached to an emotion. For sadness, some may sink into depressions, over eat, or drink heavily. For anger, some may become violent, reckless, or destructive. For happiness, some may party, shop, or exercise. For compassion, some may give or help.

God created emotions within mankind, however, these emotions were never meant to govern our lives. We were never meant to live this life based on how we feel. We are to live this life by faith, being led by the Spirit.

God put us in control and it’s a choice to pick up or put down an emotion. Emotions just don’t overtake our lives unless we allow them to. When we control our emotions we can have a better diet, better relationship with others, and a better outlook on life. There is only one emotion God desires for us to constantly display. That emotion is love. This brings us back, full circle, to the first fruit of the Spirit.

Be in control over every emotion and display God, Who is love.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Some may say kindness and goodness are self-explanatory, but it goes a little bit deeper than what most people think.

If we’re allowing the Holy Spirit to govern our lives, kindness and goodness should be displayed on all occasions. We shouldn’t just be kind or good only if someone deserves it. Our kindness and goodness should be demonstrated regardless of if someone deserves it. These two fruits can cause any relationship (marital, working, parental, etc.) to flourish. How? Because we’re not waiting on someone else to be kind to us in order to demonstrate our kindness.

Honestly, maintaining kindness and goodness on all occasions forces us to apply the fruit of self-control. Everyone will not respond the way we desire after we’ve shown our kindness. In fact, some may get meaner depending on what’s going on in their lives. That meanness by the other person may have our flesh ready to react in an ungodly manner. But, by applying self-control and being consistent with our kindness and goodness, we’ve sown a seed into our lives and possibly into the life of that person.

Our kindness and goodness may lead a person to repentance (change in thought/behavior) and it may help them be a better person, but if it doesn’t, don’t be discouraged. We have a promise from God that says “whatever good any person does, the same goodness they shall receive from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:8).

Be good and be kind because this hurting world needs it.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Let’s face it, we have difficulties. Our relief for those difficulties may not happen immediately. While we wait on our relief, we need longsuffering. 

Another word for longsuffering is patience. A definition of patience is doing what’s right even if what’s right doesn’t seem like it’s working. If we separate the word longsuffering, it simply means to suffer long. 

With the Spirit of God operating in our lives, we have the ability to remain patient during difficult times because of the other fruits operating in our lives. When we activate love, joy, and peace in the middle of our situation, we have the ability to stay in that position for however long it takes. 

For those in the middle of a difficult situation, activate the other fruits of the Spirit within you so that you can correctly get through this time, allowing yourself to totally place your faith in God. 

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

How do we know the Spirit is governing our lives? Because we have joy and peace.

Joy goes beyond happiness. Happiness depends on the situation. Joy maintains its consistency regardless of the situation. We have joy in the midst of challenging circumstances and we have joy when we’ve overcome those circumstances. Joy arrives because we know the One we trust can never fail. No matter how bad the circumstance appears, He can never fail. This joy is then spread towards others. It’s like spreading Christmas cheer every day of the year.

Joy is accompanied by peace. When the Spirit of God is operating in our lives, we’re not worried or stressed. We should have the peace of God that surpasses everyone else’s understanding (Phil. 4:7). Some may say they can’t help but to worry, however, worrying is a choice. Our peace and lack of worrying is associated with Who we trust. When we truly trust God to handle all of our affairs, we have peace.

It’s a choice to allow the fruit of joy and peace to be evident in our lives. We can join in with the crowd and be depressed or stressed over life’s situations, or we can operate in the Spirit by having joy and peace.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

As the Spirit of God is operating through us, the attributes listed above should be present. 

The main attribute that should be present is love. As we know, God is love therefore, His Spirit, which is made of love, should yield the fruit of love. Although God is love and His love should be radiating through us, God gave us choice. It’s a choice to express God’s love towards others. It’s not a feeling or an uncontrolled emotion. It’s a choice.

At no point does the Word of God say loving will always be easy. We love when others treat us poorly. We love when the other person didn’t do anything to earn our love. We love because Christ, our example, loves. As children of God, it should be a pressing desire to love. As we can see from above, God’s desire is for us to love too. 

So, drop your rocks, anger, bitterness, and resentments and share the fruit of love. 

*Share this with others. More to come. 

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

A tree is known by its fruit. If we see a tree that has apples on it, we know it’s an apple tree. If we see a tree with oranges on it, we know it’s an orange tree. This concept is easy to understand in the natural, but the same concept applies in the spirit. 

The fruit of the Spirit, or the way we know the Holy Spirit is evident in our lives, is if we display the attributes mentioned above. In order to have the fruit of the Spirit operating in our lives, the Holy Spirit Himself must be planted and reigning in our spirits. The Holy Spirit is the tree from which all of the fruit is developed. 

If we’re not operating in the attributes mentioned above on a consistent basis, we have to ask ourselves, are we allowing the Holy Spirit to reign in our lives? Or, are we allowing certain events to have us respond according to the flesh? (Flesh response: Galatians 5:19-21)

Let’s take some time to think about our responses regarding certain issues in life. Let’s make a conscious effort to respond based on the fruit of the Spirit.  

Stay tuned. More to come tomorrow. 

Genesis 8:16 Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him.”

‭‭At this point, Noah has obeyed God in the most illogical ways. He built an ark when rain was nonexistent and he allowed wild animals to reside with him and his family for over 150 days. Now, after the rains have stopped, Noah obeys God again by coming out of the ark.

The storm is over and dry land can be seen. Why should Noah continue to obey God? Because everything the Lord told him came to pass. As a result of Noah’s obedience, Noah and his family didn’t perish with the rest of mankind. Noah and his family were safe and all their needs were met during the flood.

With God, we seem to be on our best behavior when going through a storm. We pray, read, and are obedient like never before. However, when the storm is over, some of us go back to doing things our way. We don’t consult God or we limit our time with Him. The same God that got us through the storm, should be the same God that leads us to our destiny. Just because the storm is over doesn’t mean we don’t have to obey God. Let’s obey God until the end.

Psalms 127:1 “Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.”‭‭

Are you attempting to live this life on your own, using your own knowledge, skills, and intellect? If so, you’re living this life in vain. 

There are actions we take and decisions we make. If God is not involved with those actions and decisions, a possibility of failure is on the horizon. We may miss an opportunity, increase the problems in our lives, and end up working harder. It magnifies the grace and mercy of God if we’re not consulting God in our decisions and everything still seems to be going well because legally, any decision without Him leads to death (Proverbs 14:12). 

This is just a quick reminder to include God in all of your decisions and experience the peace, joy, and favor that result from putting Him first. 

Imagine, for lunch today, we want to eat at a fast food restaurant. We want a burger, fries, and a lemonade. We desire certain toppings on that burger, our fries lightly salted, and no ice in our lemonade. A successful cashier will carefully listen to our order and get the order correct. 

To be successful in life, we have to be cashiers to God’s order. We have to be the ones to listen carefully and allow God to order our steps. 

God may request forgiveness to a person who has wronged us. He may have us to remove pride and mend a relationship with our friend. He may also have us return back to school, buy some property, or spend more time in His Word. 

These orders are not to enslave us, but to allow us to be all God has called us to be. Be a good cashier and get God’s order correct. 

Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–

God did not have to do anything for us. He could have left us alone to die in our sins. But, because of His grace, He allowed us to receive salvation through His Son Jesus. There was nothing we did to receive salvation. This gift of salvation was free and undeserving. It’s by grace we’re saved, through faith. 

If there was nothing we did to receive salvation, why do we think there is something we must do to receive the other promises of God? Every promise in the Word of God is undeserving. It’s by grace, through faith, we have an opportunity to receive anything from God. 

It’s by grace, through faith, we are healed.

It’s by grace, through faith, we are blessed.

It’s by grace, through faith, we are delivered from lust, anger, and pride.

It’s by grace, through faith, we are forgiven.

There is nothing we can do to receive any of the promises of God. All of them are a free undeserving gift. If we could simply believe that Jesus obtained them all for us, we can receive all the promises of God. Receive these promises by grace, through faith. 

Exodus 23:25 And you shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless your bread, and your water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of you.

Matthew 4:1-3 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.

When Satan came to tempt Jesus, he tested Him on the three following things:

1. His identity

2. His faith

3. His trust.

Trust

Satan tested Jesus’ identity by saying “IF thou be the Son of God” knowing, He was the Son of God. By testing Jesus’ identity, Satan simultaneously tested Jesus’ faith. If Satan could make Jesus question Who God said He was, he could have Jesus walking in disbelief. By offering Jesus an easy way out at His weakest moments, Satan tested Jesus’ trust in God.

Our Lesson: If we don’t trust God, how can we have faith in what He said about our identity? We can’t believe someone we don’t trust. In spite of what we’re going through, we must trust in God, His plan, and His direction for us. Trust that everything will work out for our good. Trust that God has our best interests in mind. Trust that God is always with us.
Let’s maximize our trust in God.

Matthew 4:1-3 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.
When Satan came to tempt Jesus, he tested Him on the three following things:

1. His identity

2. His faith

3. His trust.

Faith

As previously we stated, Satan already knew Jesus was the Son of God, but in times of trials, Satan tested Jesus’ identity by saying “IF thou be the Son of God.” What we also see is that Jesus’ identity was tied to His faith. If Jesus did not believe or doubted everything God said He was, His faith, His identity, and His mission would be in jeopardy.

Our Lesson: In times of trials and tribulations, what untrue thing has Satan said? Has he said the reason why we’re going through difficult times is because of something we did in our past? Has he said you’re not loved or forgiven by God? Has he said God is not going to bless you with a certain desire?

We must combat Satan’s lies with our faith. Once again, our faith is tied to our identity. Because we are the righteousness of God and children of God, we are forgiven, loved, and are worthy to receive the desires of our hearts. If we fail in the area of our faith, our mission is compromised. Stay in faith.

Matthew 4:1-3 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.

When Satan came to tempt Jesus, he tested Him on the three following things:

1. His identity

2. His faith

3. His trust.

Identity

Satan already knew Jesus was the Son of God, but in times of trials, Satan tested Jesus’ identity by saying “IF thou be the Son of God.”

Our Lesson: In times of trials, tribulations, or troubles we need to know who we are in Christ. We need to know we are still righteous even after we did something wrong. We need to know we have a blood-bought right to receive the promises of God. We need to know we are sons and daughters of God Himself.

If Satan can talk us out of our identity, he can talk us out of every uplifting thing God said about us or our future. Ultimately, Satan’s end goal is for us to feel low, unworthy, and wanting to die. Don’t allow Satan to mess with your identity.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Praise God, by the acceptance of Jesus Christ, we’ve been brought out of darkness and into His marvelous light. We are no longer bound by sin, under the curse of the law, or doomed to death. Since God called us out of darkness, let’s not voluntarily go back to the ways of darkness from time to time. 

Through the acceptance of Jesus Christ, we’ve been blessed with the Spirit of God living and leading inside of us. He’s letting us know where to go, what to say, what not to do. When we get that urge to go back in the ways of darkness, if we’re seeking His advice, He’ll let us see the consequences of those actions or explain how those dark ways don’t honor God.

Praise God He called us out of darkness. Let the Holy Spirit keep us out of darkness.