Fruit of the spirit: 2012

Modeling the Fruit of the Spirit - Are Your Children Observing Good Fruit

Are you modeling the fruit of the spirit for your children? The fruits of the spirit consist of love,joy,peace,patience,kindness,goodness,faithfulness,gentleness and self-control. The two most important 'fruits' being the first and last. The fruits of love and self-control are two of the most important character traits we as adults can model to our children and serve as filters to all the other fruits. Meaning if we are not displaying love and self-control then we cannot effectively show all the other fruits because we must build off of love and self-control for all the rest. Without having love in your heart how can you possibly show joy,kindness or goodness?

It's the same with self-control. If you have no self-control it's very difficult to show the fruits of faithfulness,peace,patience and gentleness. As someone who has tried on my own to obtain self-control and show love to the unloving, believe me it is almost impossible to gain these on your own. If you need help, humble yourself before God and ask him to help you display love and/or self-control in your life. He WILL answer your prayers if you are desperately serious in your request.

In every aspect of life we need to approach people with an attitude of love. If we approach situations and people without love then we are doing a disservice to our kids. Children learn best by observing and modeling us. That is why we need to have genuine love in our hearts-not just an act we put on in front of certain people. This is also why we need to ask for God's help here. Not many of us have a naturally loving spirit so we must continuously seek God's help to get to this point. Once we obtain a loving spirit towards others, we very easily pick up the characteristics of joy,kindness and goodness because these are all offshoots of love. Self-control may not be as easy to model to kids because how many times do we as parents lose our tempers with our children?

Kids see us at our worst because they tend to make us crazy as times and they are always beside us constantly observing. Consciously keeping the fruit of self-control on our minds, helps us to be less likely to lose our tempers or act out in situations we cannot control. What type of reaction do think a child would have if we are dealt a bad card in life and we just laugh it off saying "Well I guess I'll just be glad because being mad isn't going to help me at all!" Children who are beginning to frame their world will see the appropriate response. Then the next time they are put in a difficult or incontrollable situation they would know that they could make lemonade out of the lemons they have.

Fruit of the Spirit

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

Have you ever been around someone that seems to ooze the fruit of the spirit? You can see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control and wonder how they do it?

Do you sometimes hear the same message or scripture from several sources within a short period of time? I have. Lately it's been the message of the "fruit of the spirit." When you hear something repeatedly, God's trying to tell you something.

Last night I talked to someone on the phone I had never met. She was a Christian author and excited about Jesus. I could hear her smile through the phone. Her energy was infectious and contagious. God was obviously present in her life. What does she have that I don't have? Even more important; how can I get that in my life?

I am very big on positive affirmations, meditating on the scriptures, prayer and all the positive thinking but it wasn't working for me. I was allowing fear to operate in my life. I had a spirit of confusion and fear that was dominating my optimism; my vision of the work God has blessed me with. I was acting like one of those Christians that I label as "being baptized in lemon juice." I was going around looking pitiful, acting pitiful and guess what? I was a self-fulfilling prophesy. I was pitiful.

2 Timothy 1:7 (Amplified Bible) 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

When I sat down to read my Bible this morning I had planned on going back to Leviticus. I am working on a plan to get through the Bible in one year and I was going to pick up where I left off yesterday. I read parts from the Old and New Testament daily. God had other plans for me. I decided, or I should say He decided, I would read the book of Galatians.

I had a highlighting day. Do you do that? My Bible is so marked up from scriptures that leap out at me. Galatians 5:22-23 was already highlighted in my Bible but I felt compelled to go back and read it over and over again.

The last one listed in the fruits of the spirit is self-control. We need to be in control of our thoughts and the things that we speak, all the time. The moment we speak defeat or show doubt, Satan is right there to feed you more of the same. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy your hopes, dreams, and confidence. The devil is a liar. But, we have the one thing that Satan must bow down to and that's the word of God.

1 John 4:4 (NIV) 4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

If we operate in the spirit of love, God's word says that it covers over a multitude of sin. That's a tough thing to do when someone has been ugly to you isn't it? But, when we are unforgiving, hold a grudge, or act unloving to someone, it's like drinking poison yourself and expecting someone else to die. You are the one experiencing the toxic effects of that unloving spirit. To love other people and treat them in a loving manner just plain feels good doesn't it? You know in your heart of hearts that love is pleasing to God.

1 Peter 4:8 (NIV) 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

When we operate in the fruit of love, we experience joy. We see reasons to feel joyful all around us. Joy is being content with the life you are leading. Joy is being happy with what you do have rather than what you don't have.

Peace or calmness knows that God is in control. God is large and in charge. No amount of worrying is going to change what you are going through. Be at peace knowing that God is right there with you. It might not always work out the way we want it to but if you surrender your burden to your Heavenly Father it will always work out for the best.

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Here is one of our favorite words; patience. Am I the only one that struggles with that one? My intuition says probably not. God is not always on the same time table as us but let God be God. He knows what He's doing. If you treat people with kindness, you are most likely treated the same way. What you want to manifest most in your life is what you should be giving away freely.

Luke 6:38 (NLT) 38If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving--large or small--it will be used to measure what is given back to you."

In church, you most often hear the scripture above when it is time to collect the offering. I think we would be mistaken to think that Jesus was only referring to tithing. In fact, if you read the verse previous to this one, Jesus also talks about judgment, condemnation and forgiveness. So, whatever you give, you will also receive. Give kindness and it will be returned to you. Let your walk and talk always be filled with kindness.

Goodness is a conscious choice to do the right thing. It's more of an attitude of making the right choice that will benefit others more than benefit ourselves. The more we allow for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, the more goodness becomes evident in our every day life. The ultimate act of goodness is when Jesus died on the cross for you and me. Jesus did not need to die for himself; he had no sin in his life. In God's goodness he sent Jesus Christ to be an example for us. In Jesus' goodness he died on the cross for us so that we may have eternal life. There was no benefit for Jesus in dying. It was all for us.

Faithfulness is something or someone that you can count on with no doubt at all in your mind or senses. When I think about why I love God so much it all comes down to God's faithfulness to me. Even though He owes me nothing I can count on Him for everything. He will NEVER leave me or forsake me. I don't know of anyone that I can trust that much. The word "trust" is grabbing me as I write it. That's how we develop faithfulness; by trust.

Modeling the Fruit of the Spirit - Are Your Children Observing Good Fruit

Fruit of the Spirit Spin and Toss: A Preschool Bible School Activity for Memorizing Gal 5:22

One of my favorite Bible verses has got to be Galatians 5:22-23 which gives us the wonderful "Fruit of the Spirit." This is because it was one of the first Scripture songs I ever wrote. I love sharing this verse with children of all ages but when I share it with preschoolers I tend to focus on the first 3 fruits of love, joy and peace. Here is a fun Bible school activity to help your little ones learn the first part of this verse. I call it "Fruit of the Spirit Spin and Toss."

Here's what you do:

For this activity you will need to create 9 large circles the children will toss. I created mine from the tops and bottoms of frozen juice cans. On 3 of the circles, attach a picture of a heart. On 3, attach a picture of a joyful smile and on the last 3 attach a picture of a peaceful sleeping baby or child. You will also need a large bowl or bag into which the circles will be tossed. Finally, you will want to make a line on the floor with a piece of chalk or tape behind which the children will toss the circles.

Here's how to play:

Pick a child to come forward and stand behind the line. Before letting him toss the 9 circles into the bowl, slowly spin him around while saying the following Bible verse to a bit of a beat. Emphasize the words I have underlined:

"But the fruit of the Spirit

Is love, joy and peace..."

After the giggles subside, let the child toss the circles into the bowl one at a time. Count how many circles made it in the bucket by encouraging your little ones to count along with you. Then point out which kind of "fruit" made it into the bucket - love, joy or peace. When showing each circle, you might say, "God wants us to love one another," or "God wants us to be joyful," or "God wants us to be peaceful." After every child has had at least one turn. You might want to conclude your activity by handing out fruit cups.

Before playing this Bible school activity, you might want to introduce it in the following way:

Who can tell me their favorite fruit? (Wait for responses.) I'm so glad all of you like fruit. Did you guys know that God loves fruit too? He does. He loves apples and oranges and grapes just like you, but He also loves a special kind of fruit called the Fruit of the Spirit such as love, joy and peace. When we have love, joy and peace in our lives we will be sweet and "yummy" to everyone we meet just like a good piece of fruit. Let's play a fun game to help us remember God's wonderful Fruit of the Spirit. It's called "Fruit of the Spirit Spin and Toss."

Next, if you liked this Sunday School/Homeschooling idea, then sign up to today to receive Scripture Lady's Free Email Kid Tips packed full with creative ideas and receive 6 FREE BIBLE REVIEW GAMES to help get the kids you minister to excited about the Bible!

Are You Exemplifying the Fruit of the Spirit?

It's common that we have influences in our life but as we grow mature in Christ we start to discover who we are in Him. Many times we're looking to others for validation when our true validation comes from Christ.

In the process of seeking the approval of others we lose focus on where the true validation comes from. Because of this, some people start to emulate the behaviors of people that they look up to.

I believe that there is nothing wrong with looking up to others, the concern that I have is what types of people are we looking up to? Do you take into consideration the types of people and role models you have in your life?

I think that we should look inside and ask ourselves these important questions. We should choose to expose ourselves to role models who have a positive impact on our lives. When we think of role model type figures, we should think of someone who models the fruit of the Spirit.

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

Are we exemplifying this behavior? We should aspire to represent the fruit on a consistent basis. I believe that it's time that we as believers are to step up and take on the responsibility of exemplifying these Christlike behaviors.

The world is looking at us and they are looking for us to show the love, peace and kindness that Jesus commands us to show. We hear so many stories about people who were in the church and made a judgment on the church based on there experience. Unfortunately, the people of the church have been stereotyped as being hypocritical.

Lets be an example for others who need to see that positive role model. For some people you're the only Jesus they're going to see. I encourage you to practice modeling the fruit of the Spirit as you go forth in your life journey.

Fruit of the Spirit Breakdown

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. - Galatians 5:22 (NKJV)

Love - There are 3 types of love. There is Eros love, which is known as "erotic love". There is Philos love, which is a brotherly love or a love known between two friends. And lastly, there is the ultimate love, Agape love, which means unconditional love.

Agape love is the love that, Jesus, displayed and therefore is the love referred to in Galatians 5:22 when defining the fruit of the spirit. Love is a powerful thing because it covers a multitude of sins as 1 Peter 4:8 tells us. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

When you love unconditionally, it doesn't mean you won't be hurt, it doesn't mean that you won't be talked about but it does mean that you are displaying the fruit that, Jesus, displayed. Agape love will take you a long way in life. Make a decision to love unconditionally regardless of how people have hurt you.

Joy - There is a difference between joy and happiness.Happiness is an emotion. It's something that you feel one minute and could be gone the next, based on what's going on around you. Joy, however is a gift from God. People who are joyful may not always be happy but they choose to display the Joy that God has given them and shine their light so that the world may see.

You may be going through the worst trial known to man but if you choose to be joyful regardless of your situation, regardless of your past, then God sees that and He honors that.

Peace - Peace is another fruit that is based on a choice. When you have a bad day, you can either choose to wallow in despair, hang your head down and complain, or you can choose peace. You can make the choice when you walk out the door in the morning that no matter what happens to you today, you're going to smile and not get hot and bothered. Make no mistake, it won't be easy but it's worth it!

Long suffering - Many times God doesn't move when we want Him to move. It can be tough exercising patience while in adversity. I encourage you, my friend, to operate in patience regardless, don't get uptight. Psalm 27:14 encourages us in times of distress because it tells us: "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Remember, every trial you face is just a test. God looks at how you handle the adversity while you wait and He rewards you for enduring it with patience.

Kindness - Kindness is very much like love in the sense that it's an unselfish act. When you're walking through a door, just because the person in front of you doesn't hold the door open for you, doesn't mean that you shouldn't hold the door open for the next person.

A wise man once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." In other words, instead of judging someone when you don't agree with their actions, set an example. Kindness is an example that we need to see more of, especially in the world today.

Goodness - Goodness and kindness also go hand in hand. I encourage you to always do what you know is right. About a year ago, in 2008, ABC had a reality show entitled, True Beauty. As I watched this show, I noticed that they would put the contestants in situations where there were hidden cameras and they had the opportunity to do what was right or wrong.

There was an episode where a decoy was riding a bike on the street and he would fake a fall right in front of these candidates. The question was, would these contestants just walk away and not help the decoy or offer a helping hand?

What would you do in a situation like this?

The right thing to do would be to help this person indeed. Do what you know is right in every situation whether or not someone is watching.

Faithfulness - You may not be able to see the outcome of what God is doing in your life or where He's taking you but always know that God will never lead you astray. He's got your best interest at heart. God is the captain of our ship and we have to trust Him for He's got the course plotted. He's knows the end.

Gentleness - Have you ever been out and you got a feeling that you shouldn't have been where you were? Many people call it intuition.

When God speaks to us, He doesn't ring out loud in a thunderous voice from the Heavens, like many of the movies portray Him. You will know when God is speaking to you because you will feel a gentle nudging in your spirit to do right when your flesh wants to do wrong.

It's not our place to judge others. When someone is going down the wrong path, instead of belittling and talking down to them, encourage them to do what is right with a spirit of meekness.

Self-Control - Anger is another emotion such as happiness. There are going to be times when people or situations make you feel angry but I encourage you to make the choice to exercise self-control. Wrath is one of the works of the flesh, (as outlined in Galatians 5:19-22) which is very much the opposite of the fruit of the spirit.

Temperance is the spirit that, Jesus, carried to the grave. He was called out of His name, He was betrayed by Judas and He was spat on, bruised and chastised.

In the world today, if someone is called out of their name, that would be a fight waiting to happen but Jesus didn't operate that way. He chose to exercise Self-Control. Make the choice today, to exercise love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, as you charge forward in your life journey.

The Real Mark of Christianity (Engaging the Fruits of the Spirit)

In the midst of growing political, social, and cultural divisiveness, there has been a lot of chatter lately about what true Christianity is or what defines a true Christian. Some people accuse other of not being "true" Christians because they have certain political ideas, belong to a certain church, engage in certain activities, or don't engage in certain activities. However, what if the true mark of Christianity had less to do with political affiliation, stating the right doctrines, belonging to the right denomination, or even "doing" the right actions? What if it had much more to do with what kind of person you have become in your personality, reactions, relationships, and everyday life? Perhaps, the true essence of the Christian life has less to do with whether you use certain terms or phrases, and more to do with you living out those values. The Bible says that the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.

Recently, in my life I have been trying to explore what it means to let those characteristics become a part of who I am, whether it is my relationships, my job, my activities, my reactions, and my way of thinking. In the end, this is what true Christianity is about- letting the Spirit of God take our lives and form our personalities and beings into something peaceful, joyful, and overflowing with love. Obviously, this internal change will quickly flow over into actions. In the end, Jesus doesn't want to just take our same characteristics and personality and just put a Christian twist on it; he wants he to be continually reforming and reshaping our being and the way we see the world. These next couple of weeks, I am going to be blogging twice a week regarding each one of these fruits and how we can allow the Spirit to make them a reality in our lives. I hope you read along, comment, and start your own journey in understanding how we can become internally changed, so we can make a bigger impact in the world around us.

The Fruit of the Spirit and Wasted Emotions

Deplorable emotions have the destructive way of disturbing dynamics within us and the rapport we would otherwise enjoy with others. If we eradicate these wasted emotions we will enjoy the fruits of the Spirit.

Correspondingly, the items on the list of wasted emotions are direct opposites of those fruits of the Spirit:

HATE (THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE)

We all have to watch for this twisted and tormented emotion, especially Christians.

This is because Christians, of all people, though they are to love, are most prone to becoming pharisaic (judgmental) in their perception and interpretation of the world around them.

Hate of any variety - from indifference to contempt - is a poison and must be dealt with through prayer by God's grace.

SADNESS (THE OPPOSITE OF JOY)

This is not about sorrow, for that's often a godly emotion.

Joy is full enough an emotion that it can be simultaneously happy from within and also sorrowful; if a Christian has joy they have a grasp on real hope as well as having the capacity to lament the state of brokenness in the world.

Sadness, as opposed to sorrow, is fused in what the self is missing out on. Besides grief - which necessitates, for a time, irreconcilable sadness - it would be better to swap sadness for sorrow. Sorrow is a more pure emotion.

ANXIOUSNESS (THE OPPOSITE OF PEACE)

Worry is a waste of time, but still we will engage in it if we don't have an abiding peace, based in faith, to rely upon.

Many people have disorders around anxiety. For these there is no luxury for choice; they play the hand they are dealt. We can only hope that they are able to experience more and more peace as the years contend.

For those who experience ordinary levels of anxiety, the alternative is peace. It's about finding the situation's need and being content in that.

IMPATIENCE (THE OPPOSITE OF LONG-SUFFERING)

This wasted emotion is perhaps the most fundamental issue behind most sin.

Impatience is always driven by one of the seven deadly sins. We have the opportunity, however, to follow Jesus - who Cyprian of Carthage called Perfect Patience. As a virtue, patience is the start of the true gospel life.

ANNOYANCE AND ANGER (OPPOSITES OF GENTLENESS)

Unmet needs go behind the fear manifest in annoyance and anger. These wasted emotions are a veil for a deeper position of want.

Imagine the aggression in annoyance and anger; these are actually pitiful emotions hoarded by scared individuals.

GUILT AND SHAME (OPPOSITES OF GOODNESS)

How prevalent are these?

Guilt and shame drive every single one of us; more for some, less for others. Certain cultures promote shame, and others promote guilt; both are of the devil, unless they motivate repentance. After making up with God they should be dropped.

But we do tend to come back to them.

Our challenge is to find a coping mechanism, and the inner feeling of God's forgiveness, that eradicates guilt and shame.

ENVY AND DISGUST (OPPOSITES OF FAITHFULNESS)

Common emotions are these in any age, particularly this one, when all-the-more people are keeping up the Joneses and the urges toward political correctness have people judging others and forming impressions as disgust.

It's such a better option to model God's faithfulness by diverting thought from what we don't have to what we do have - and to be thankful.

Likewise, disgust selects for vitriolic indifference. Much better it is to value diversity and understanding. If we do, we're faithful to God.

SELF-PITY AND PRIDE (OPPOSITES OF MEEKNESS)

Meekness is not a pushover so much as it's the quintessence of humble circumspection. It has good account of itself and doesn't willingly submit to the erosion of self-pity and the folly of pride.

Both pride and self-pity are truly wasted emotions. Best we root these out at the earliest sign.

HELPLESSNESS AND POWERLESSNESS (OPPOSITES OF TEMPERANCE)

The value of prudence (alternatively self-control or temperance) is immeasurable. Along with diligence, these two are the keys to self-mastery under the guise of the Lord's Wisdom.

He Is The Vine And We Are The Branches - Fruit Of The Spirit

The church that is in the Father's heart is like the vine. The Lord Jesus is that vine, He is the church. For in Him are all things. He is the Life of the vine and without His life the vine would not have life, the life imparted by the Holy Spirit. We are the branches that spring forth out of the Vine and only have life insofar as we are joined to the Vine. The life that we have comes from the very life of the Vine. And, the fruit that we bear is the fruit that comes from Him, for that fruit is His very nature that He imparts to us. This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit that we read about in Galatians.

So to is the church that has been in the Father's heart since eternity past. The Lord Jesus Christ, and He alone is the Head of the Church His body. We are the members of that body, placed there by the Holy Spirit at the moment of rebirth. And there baptized, submerged, into His Body we are to bear fruit as we are joined to the Head, Jesus.

More than just being the Head, Jesus is also the Chief Cornerstone or foundation and in Him the whole body is built up to be a dwelling place for the Father. There is no place for man-made institutions here. This is the work of the Holy Spirit as He continuously points us to Jesus and not to traditions of man.

The fruit that we are to bear can only be produced in one place, and that place is the Body of Christ - the church that Jesus is building. And that fruit dear fellow believer is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This fruit cannot be produced in any training schools designed by man. There is no discipleship training school on the face of this earth that can teach you how to produce this fruit.

It is the work of the Holy Spirit to work in us to build us up into the fullness of Christ, so to it is His work to produce this fruit in us but... it can only take place when we are members of the Body of Christ. This is not "Church Membership" as most know it. It is not a piece of paper - it is a Life and a lifestyle, and that is Christ in us the hope of glory. The very Life of God being lived in us by Jesus His Son. Nothing less!!! The apostle Paul declared this in Galatians when he said that he no longer lives but Christ lives in him.

If you do not have the assurance that Christ lives in you then no matter what "church" you belong to, no matter what denomination or house church movement, you are lost, cut off from the Vine, and are in desperate need of Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God. For in Him alone will you find your place in God's family and have the assurance of eternal life. And only there can you produce the right kind of fruit.

This is serious. Chances are 90% that you are trapped in some or other institutional church. There you have been fed with the teachings and traditions of men that have nullified the true Word of God in your life. You have no chance of really knowing God your heavenly Father. You may have learned and know about Him, and then possibly the wrong things, but you do not know Him by experience in your heart. Do not be coerced into believing that it is only through membership of a "church" that you have salvation. That is a lie from your enemy the devil.

Do not believe that you have to go out and witness, lead others to Christ, to be able to bear fruit in the Kingdom of God or to earn your place in heaven one day.

Do not believe that because you were raised in a "Christian" home and have always attended church that you are saved.

Jesus said in John 17:3, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." And this knowing is experiential and not head knowledge.

Nothing can bring you into a personal relationship with God your Father but your own heart. No special prayer, no membership classes, no nothing but an honest and open heart. This brings the power of the Holy Spirit to work in your heart.

You see dear friend, God has poured out His Spirit on ALL MANKIND. The purpose being that when ANYONE turns to the Lord with an open heart, the Holy Spirit is right there to immediately come in, and when He does the most wonderful thing takes place. He transports you into the open, waiting arms of a loving God. He introduces you to Jesus Christ your Saviour and Lord. You are taken into the fellowship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. At one and the same time you become a part of the Family of God, the Body of Christ and the future Bride of Christ.

Is that not absolutely amazing. How does that happen? Why does it happen? For God so loved the world (all the inhabitants) that He sent Jesus to pay the price for your soul by dying the terrible death of crucifixion. Then He raised Jesus from the dead to be the start of a new creation; a creation that would not have to try to live by their own strength. But... a new creation that would live by the life of His Son Jesus Christ.

In doing this He opened the way back to Himself. He, God your Father, desires to have a personal, one to one relationship with you. He no longer desires, as in Old Testament times and in institutional churches today, to have to work through a mediator like Moses, the Kings and prophets or pastors, bishops and the like. In fact He never did plan for it to be that way. That was man's decision and still is to this day. The same pattern. His Holy Spirit is the guarantee that He left us because it is He, the Holy Spirit that carries out the will of the Father today. The Lord Jesus did His part and His work on earth is finished. All we need do is just accept what He did for us and embrace His Life which He so freely gives. You cannot live the Christian life.

No matter what your standing in life is: millionaire or pauper, church goer or atheist, prostitute, drug lord, thief, murderer, upper class or bum; GOD LOVES YOU. He has made the way onto this relationship so easy; all that it requires is an honest heart; and then He will shower you with His love by the Holy Spirit which He so freely gives to us.

I challenge you today to be honest with God.

Are you an atheist? Well tell God that you do not believe that there are any gods, let alone the only true God. Tell Him you believe in your own strength and knowledge to get you through life and when you die... that's it. Tell Him you believe in evolution and that you came from an ape. Show Him all the written theories of learned scientists. You may even get angry at Him for daring to challenge your intellect with all the twaddle you have read in this article. Go on - tell Him. You don't even have to go down on your knees. All you need to do is just be honest with Him. That's it. Resist Him all you want, just be honest. Then just wait and you will be surprised at what will happen. Afraid to do it? Then obviously you do believe that God exists.

Are you enjoying your life so much that you do not have time for God? Tell Him. Be honest and tell Him you want to wait a few more years and then you will think about it. Life is too much fun doing whatever it is you are busy with. Be honest with Him... tell Him how you feel.

God appreciates honesty, in fact He hates hypocrisy. You don't need to use any special language as He understands all. Just talk to Him from an honest heart. Anyone can talk to God. You do not need any special qualification except an honest heart. Just tell Him how you feel about what you are doing and how you feel about Him.

I would like to end this article with a short extract from Watchman Nee's book "A Table in the Wilderness."

They that dwell under His shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn and blossom as the vine. Hosea 14:7

Who ever gave much thought to vine-blossom. It is in fact one of the shortest-lived flowers, scarcely noticed before it is gone and has already turned to fruit. In nature we may recognise three types of plants; those which flower but bear no fruit at all; those, such as the peach, which are remarkable both for their blossom and for their fruit; and those like the vine, whose blossoms are of small account, and which men prize only for their fruit. Evidently God places here a high valuation on the last of these.

Understanding the Fruits of the Spirit - Joy

The Bible refers to the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 and Ephesians 5:9. The fruit is singular, because however manifold it is, it refers to one harmonious whole. It is "fruit" in contrast with the sinful acts of mankind which are called "works of the flesh."

The manifestations of the Spirit are called fruit because they make one fruitful in the eyes of God.

One aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is joy. Being joyful because of worldly pleasure is not what joy from the Spirit is about.

Joy is often a lost cause. The physical things we are engaged in produce almost as much negative emotions as positive. Many people have as many feelings of despair and futility as joy. In contrast, things of God are all positive for the obedient.

The fruit of the Spirit refers to the qualities that the Spirit of God produces in believers. It comes from learning the ways of God and acting on them.

Jesus indicated that when you do what he tells you in the New Testament, you will be blessed and joyful (John 13:17) Do you see how it works? When you act on your faith, he gives you joy. There is a special connection with the Lord when you do for him what you love to do.

He gave you a unique ability and when you use it for his cause, he gives you joy.

The disciples of Christ were spoken of as full of joy in the Holy Spirit in Scripture (Acts 13:52). This is a bonus for being in Christ. You may find some joy in physical things, but it cannot compare with what God has prepared for the obedient. We are not to glory in riches or wisdom, but in the fact that we know God, because he acts with steadfast love, justice and righteousness

Jesus said, "I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete" (First John 15:11).

In Bible days when people obeyed God and realized their sins were forgiven and they would have a home in heaven, they leaped for joy and praised God. You may feel too sophisticated for an outward show of emotion, but you can at least have joy in your heart that your name is written in the book of life.

If you are not a Christian, you know nothing of the fruit or gifts of the Spirit. Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of the Spirit. They are foolishness to him. They are unable to understand them. They are spiritually discerned. To obtain them you must repent of your sins, confess Jesus as the son of God, and be baptized for the remission of your sins. You will then receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Fruits Of The Spirit

After a candidate received the Sacrament of Confirmation, and he receives the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Church teaches that these gifts bear fruits, the Fruits of the Spirits. These fruits are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Modesty, Self-Control and Chastiy.

The Fruits of the Spirit is a concept found in Chapter 5 :22 of Galatians and given the name Fruit because it was meant to imply harvest or the result of the Gifts the Holy Spirit gives during Confirmation.

The fruit of love is also known as agape love and there is a full description of love from Corinthians 13:4-8. It is often read at weddings because it fully describes what love should be. Agape and Eros are defined in Greek in this way. Eros is the physical love where as agape love is the mature love and transcends physical attraction.

Joy is beyond happiness, which is just conditional or emotional. You can be happy or experience happiness when eat a good dinner. Joy is a state of mind that often involves being in fellowship with God. People often say that they have an internal feeling of joy and have a general feeling of well being.

Peace is having a restful relationship with God. In obtaining this, the confirmed is more receptive to the will of go and what he is seeking from God. Life becomes less chaotic. God can still be present in time of conflict but the confirmed realizes that God has not left them.

Patience is the ability to endure and be strong. It's also the ability to better mirror Jesus with his ability to be patient with us. Patience is also a way to better carry our crosses without any upset. There are several levels of patience. The basic level is no complaining, second level is making progress in times of hardship. Lastly, the highest level is to desire a cross and accept it willingly.

Kindness is having sympathy and understanding for others and showing concern for those in need. This may be done though actions or just simple words of encouragement. On receiving the Spirit should innately be more kind because of the agreement to be more Christ-like.

Goodness is attained when the candidate is more in tune with God and what his will is for us. Conjoined is Gentleness, having mild disposition and behavior and helping to not being angry or bearing resentment.

The Fruit of Faith is the ability to believe what we cannot see. Faith is part of our intellect and in order to have faith in God we must be willing accept God over that intellect. It is by this faith that we understand the we should not commit sin and follow Christ's blue print to gain entrance into heaven.

Modesty, Self-Control And Chastity are all fruits that tie together. Modesty helps us to avoid offensive behavior even if it is not required in the circumstance. Chastity tempers the desires of the flesh even with in marriage. And in order to act Chaste, you must act with self control especially when dealing with unruly sexual urges.