fruitful

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fruitful

…but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. John 15:16, 17

If you are a child of God, saved, a believer, then you have been chosen to bring forth fruit in your life! And Jesus wants that fruit to be eternal…. which means there is fruit that is not eternal. Cultivating this eternal fruit is for OUR benefit: it strengthens our prayer life and helps us love others!

WOW! What a thought!

BUT, what exactly is fruit?

There is a parable Jesus tells in the gospels of a man sowing seed: being the gospel, and fruit growing or choking: being those who accept or reject Christ, people getting saved. So in witnessing we are cultivating fruit and when people accept Jesus shed blood as payment for their sin, we see fruit. Sometimes this fruit will not be known until we all reach heaven! (see Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8, John 4 and others)

Many other places in Scripture are implications that fruit is also characteristics that grow IN  US.

Fruit unto Holiness (Romans 6:22)
various attributes called the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
peaceable fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11)
and many more

The Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…then holiness, being peaceable, having righteousness… When we cultivate these attributes; ask God for them; learn what they are and let the Holy Spirit do a work in our heart, we bring forth fruit! And then we gain the benefits mentioned in these verses: strengthening our prayer life and helping us love others..which in turn allows us to benefit even more!

What an amazing God we have.

What a loving Heavenly Father!

Is it not amazing that, while being fruitful may seem like a daunting task, God offers rewards that we can see in this life, as well as eternal ones?!

Let’s strive in this area of bringing forth fruit today!

 

…but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. John 15:16, 17

If you are a child of God, saved, a believer, then you have been chosen to bring forth fruit in your life! And Jesus wants that fruit to be eternal…. which means there is fruit that is not eternal. Cultivating this eternal fruit is for OUR benefit: it strengthens our prayer life and helps us love others!

WOW! What a thought!

BUT, what exactly is fruit?

There is a parable Jesus tells in the gospels of a man sowing seed: being the gospel, and fruit growing or choking: being those who accept or reject Christ, people getting saved. So in witnessing we are cultivating fruit and when people accept Jesus shed blood as payment for their sin, we see fruit. Sometimes this fruit will not be known until we all reach heaven! (see Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8, John 4 and others)

Many other places in Scripture are implications that fruit is also characteristics that grow IN  US.

Fruit unto Holiness (Romans 6:22)
various attributes called the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
peaceable fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11)
and many more

The Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…then holiness, being peaceable, having righteousness… When we cultivate these attributes; ask God for them; learn what they are and let the Holy Spirit do a work in our heart, we bring forth fruit! And then we gain the benefits mentioned in these verses: strengthening our prayer life and helping us love others..which in turn allows us to benefit even more!

What an amazing God we have.

What a loving Heavenly Father!

Is it not amazing that, while being fruitful may seem like a daunting task, God offers rewards that we can see in this life, as well as eternal ones?!

Let’s strive in this area of bringing forth fruit today!

 

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

gifted with … power, love & a sound mind

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gifted with … power, love & a sound mind

In the passage below, Paul is speaking to Timothy, his son in the faith… exhorting him to continue in the faith and in teaching and in serving the Lord.

6~Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in in thee by the putting on of my hands. 
7~For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8~Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God…
2 Timothy 1:6-8

You can read a little more about these attributes we are given in 1 Corinthians 6:14, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Ephesians 3:19-21, Philippians 4:2-8. {This is not an exhaustive list! Please study these wonderful truths!} Also read through Jesus’ miracles in the gospels and many of the chapters in Psalms, just to know about God’s power!

Just take a moment and think about this. The spirit of fear is a result of sin, a gift (if you will) from Satan. When God enters our life at salvation, He replaces this deadly donation with God’s Power and His Love and a sound mind!

A simple truth found between the lines here is that when we want something evil taken from our lives we must replace it with something from God! AND God gives us MORE than we “give up”!

Paul tells Timothy to remember the gift of God… to realize that fear is NOT from God and God replaces this *1* detrimental emotion with *3* charitable and constructive strengths!

May we go about our day and also remember….

God has given us *3* strengths
with which to combat
just *1* of Satan’s weapons in our life.

In the passage below, Paul is speaking to Timothy, his son in the faith… exhorting him to continue in the faith and in teaching and in serving the Lord.

6~Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in in thee by the putting on of my hands. 
7~For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8~Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God…
2 Timothy 1:6-8

You can read a little more about these attributes we are given in 1 Corinthians 6:14, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Ephesians 3:19-21, Philippians 4:2-8. {This is not an exhaustive list! Please study these wonderful truths!} Also read through Jesus’ miracles in the gospels and many of the chapters in Psalms, just to know about God’s power!

Just take a moment and think about this. The spirit of fear is a result of sin, a gift (if you will) from Satan.When God enters our life at salvation, He replaces this deadly donation with God’s Power and His Love and a sound mind!

A simple truth found between the lines here is that when we want something evil taken from our lives we must replace it with something from God! AND God gives us MORE than we “give up”!

Paul tells Timothy to remember the gift of God… to realize that fear is NOT from God and God replaces this *1* detrimental emotion with *3* charitable and constructive strengths!

May we go about our day and also remember….

God has given us *3* strengths
with which to combat
just *1* of Satan’s weapons in our life.

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

capable

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capable

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me
Philippians 4:13

This is such a familiar verse to many of us, but do we truly live this truth?

This capability is not in thinking we can do things like jump off a building and fly or some other crazy thing. It is not a replacement for learning and study of things we want to know.

This capability is that we CAN DO anything God has told us to do:

teach the gospel, be kind to people, show mercy, help people, be a godly wife & mother! etc. 

Let’s remember we ARE capable IN Christ …. to do these commands from God’s Word and then go and do them!

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me
Philippians 4:13

This is such a familiar verse to many of us, but do we truly live this truth?

This capability is not in thinking we can do things like jump off a building and fly or some other crazy thing. It is not a replacement for learning and study of things we want to know.

This capability is that we CAN DO anything God has told us to do:

teach the gospel, be kind to people, show mercy, help people,be a godly wife & mother! etc. 

Let’s remember we ARE capable IN Christ …. to do these commands from God’s Word and then go and do them!

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

free

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free

Freedom… such a concept we seem to prize in our American culture… but it has also become a bit twisted in our current society.

Often it is seen purely as a release from restraints, an ability or even right to make our own decisions or to take something without consequence.

But let us read a few verses that speak of our FREEDOM in CHRIST:

17~But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18~Being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness.
Romans 6:17-18

and

1~There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2~For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1

Did you notice anything about this being FREE in Christ?

We are not free FROM Christ! We are free from SIN!

We are no longer slaves to the law of sin and death!! What comfort!

What a FREEDOM!!

But with this freedom comes another obligation, another master. We are to walk after the Spirit. We are to be servants of righteousness. What a privilege! What a TRUTH to cling to!

This world thinks that freedom is in having the right to choose things like how they want to live or what they want to wear and eat, regardless of others’ thoughts or desires.

But true, complete freedom is only found IN Christ… in serving Him and in striving to live for Him!

Freedom… such a concept we seem to prize in our American culture… but it has also become a bit twisted in our current society.

Often it is seen purely as a release from restraints, an ability or even right to make our own decisions or to take something without consequence.

But let us read a few verses that speak of our FREEDOM in CHRIST:

17~But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18~Being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness.
Romans 6:17-18

and

1~There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2~For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1

Did you notice anything about this being FREE in Christ?

We are not free FROM Christ! We are free from SIN!

We are no longer slaves to the law of sin and death!! What comfort!

What a FREEDOM!!

But with this freedom comes another obligation, another master. We are to walk after the Spirit. We are to be servants of righteousness. What a privilege! What a TRUTH to cling to!

This world thinks that freedom is in having the right to choose things like how they want to live or what they want to wear and eat, regardless of others’ thoughts or desires.

But true, complete freedom is only found IN Christ… in serving Him and in striving to live for Him!

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

confident

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confident

3~I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4~Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5~For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
6~Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
7~Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
Philippians 1:6

When I think of the word confident I usually think of being self-assured or certain about something… in a self-centered way. But here, our confidence is NOT in self! Our confidence is [and should only be] found in the work that Jesus has done and will do!.

We can be completely assured that Jesus’ work on the cross was enough for our salvation.

We can be certain that He has begun and will continue a good work in and through each of our lives.

We can walk through the day, not in self-centered optimism that the world proclaims, but in the humble, hopeful certainty that God is with us and Jesus is doing a work through us… to make us more in His image.

3~I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4~Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5~For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
6~Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
7~Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
Philippians 1:6

When I think of the word confident I usually think of being self-assured or certain about something… in a self-centered way. But here, our confidence is NOT in self! Our confidence is [and should only be] found in the work that Jesus has done and will do!.

We can be completely assured that Jesus’ work on the cross was enough for our salvation.

We can be certain that He has begun and will continue a good work in and through each of our lives.

We can walk through the day, not in self-centered optimism that the world proclaims, but in the humble, hopeful certainty that God is with us and Jesus is doing a work through us… to make us more in His image.

signature

d31fb     d31insta      d31twi