Focus on Fruit

 This title is borrowed from my brilliant husband who wrote a blog last week.  He is, of course, speaking of spiritual fruit - that which is made possible by the Holy Spirit that dwells within every single born-again believer in Jesus Christ.  The 9 items listed on the towel and in Galatians 5:22-23  (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) are the natural product of that Spirit that lives within us.  The gift of the fruit - single entity - is then developed as we grow in our faith.  This is what Don said:

"I must never forget.  Fruit is God's goal.  His grace doesn't change this expectation or make it unnecessary.  Just makes it possible."

So, what do people see in me?  What do they see in you?  Our women's Bible study is finishing a study by Jenn Wilkin on the first 18 chapters of Exodus and, oh my goodness, those Israelites really knew how to grumble!  The Lord God freed them from hundreds of years of oppressive slavery, and they're still grumbling! The Lord told them over and over again, listen to me and all your needs will be met and I will be with you.

You know what, the Lord tells us the same thing today in His word.  Joy is available even in heartbreaks.  Peace is available even in the midst of strife.  Kindness is available even when we are mistreated.  I do not want to live like the Israelites always complaining about what they didn't get.  About what isn't the same as it used to be.  I want to "focus on the fruit" and be grateful for the privilege to serve a God who loves me so much He gave His only son that I might have an abundant life.

For further study:  Psalm 52:8-9, Matt. 7:16, Luke 8:15, John 15:16, 2 Cor. 5:10, Galatians 5:22-23, Phil. 2:1-2, Philemon 1:4-6, James 2:14, 1 Peter 2:12.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

This is the day the Lord has made... Ps. 118:24

 Carol Burton McLeod has written a book entitled GUIDE YOUR MIND GUARD YOUR HEART GRACE YOUR TONGUE and several chapters got me!  One in particular is entitled "Are There Two of Me?".  She said I had waited my whole life for this chapter but I'm not sure that's true!  In it she says I have a soul and a spirit (not new information) and that my soul (mind, will, emotions) "...under the influence of the fallen human nature, will try to chain you to your emotions and lead you away from the character of Christ".  In other words, what I am feeling often guides my behavior and makes my decisions for me.  Doesn't take a psychologist to know that's not a good thing.

McLeod says: "A powerful and well-fed spirit is able to take charge of an immature soul and demand that it doesn't go outside of the boundaries that have been set by the Holy Spirit".  Here's another fact she reveals:  "Scientists tell us that our emotions travel eighty thousand times faster than our thoughts travel" which says to me we have to be pretty intentional about our thoughts (or mind) driving us.

A beloved Bible teacher told our group a story which you may have heard before:

An old Christian gentleman was telling his grandson about walking with God.  "Well son," he said, "it's like two dogs that fight all the time, a black one and a white one.  The black one is pride, selfishness, anger, hatred, fighting and fear.  The white one is humility, generosity, peace, love and joy."  "Which dog wins, Grandpa?" asked the boy.  "The one I feed the most."  Grandpa replied.

Which one of you are you "feeding the most"?  The soul side which feeds on your feelings and  circumstances or your spirit where it's primary influence is the Spirit of God?  A good barometer is how much time we spend thinking about us and our needs or are we thinking about God His purposes?  Are we praising Him in worship and prayer?  Are we bearing fruit (Gal. 5:22-23)  such as JOY and is that what people see in us?  Are we serving others or only ourselves?

McLeod says:  "The powerful gift of joy is able to give you indomitable strength during your days of pain and trauma.  If there is anything the devil hates more than a Christian, it is a joyful Christian."

I know what I need to do.

For further study: Psalm 16:11,  Proverbs 20:27, Isaiah 55:10-12, Habakkuk 3:17-19, Romans 7:21-25, 2 Cor. 10:4-5, Galatians 5:16, Phil. 4:4, Titus 2:11-12, James 1:2-3.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

May the Grace of the LORD bless you and keep you

 There was a recent article in our newspaper entitled "Alexa, make me happy".  While it was definitely written a bit tongue-in-cheek, can you believe there are people all over the world talking to electronic gadgets to satisfy their wants/needs?  Maybe it's entertainment, maybe it's information but maybe it's something much deeper than that.  The article states that retailers are actually trying to convince us that if we buy their product, they will "...fulfill us and thereby make us happy".  That's called consumerism and it's a dangerous thing to depend on.  

Hebrews 4:16 says:  "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  God is just waiting for us to come to Him to meet our needs...not try to meet them with status, ambition, family or material things.  I often forget Isaiah 30:18 that "...the LORD longs to be gracious to you".   Do you see the word "grace" in that?  In our pillow today, a paraphrase of Numbers 6:24, reminds us that blessings come from a gracious God...not some electronic gadget!

The Bible is full of references to prayer or,  in simple terms, talking to God.  We don't have to have flowery, long speeches to Him, just a word that shows we believe in Him to meet our needs.  When He gives us a need He fills it!  And, He starts by giving us His Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into truth. Don, my sweet husband, wrote a blog yesterday and he said:

"When my prayers become empty and powerless, I should be warned.  In my heart, my loyalties have shifted back to self".  Ouch...the reason we don't have is because we don't go to the Lord and ask for things "...according to His will" (1 John 5:14).     When we are focused on self, we will not be seeking the things of the Lord.  Trust me...I battle daily keeping myself at the bottom of my "to do" list, not the top!

Daily, the love of the Lord and His compassions never fail...they are "...new every morning". (Lamentations 3:23).  Make time every day to talk to your God before you talk to your gadgets! You might be amazed at the power He brings into your life.

For further study: Proverbs 15:8, Ecc. 2:26, Isaiah 58:9, Jeremiah 33:3, John 16:13, 2 Cor. 12:9, Phil. 4:6-7, Titus 2:11-12, James 5:13-16.    

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word,

Holly              

GRATEFUL

 Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth asked this in her book CHOOSING GRATITUDE:  "Is the gratitude that flows out of your life as abounding as the grace that has flowed into your life?".  

Good question.  Must ponder for a bit. 

Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with God - Micah 6:8

 Sometimes I am stunned by the truth of the Bible and how relevant it is today in 2021!  I grew up in church but I didn't receive Christ as Savior until I was in my early 30s.  For those 30+ years I remember the "search for certainty" and the worthless things I tried to fill my life with.  I was amazed how clear the truth of the Bible was when it was finally revealed to me.  I have never found anything more meaningful than studying God's word.  Truth is defined as "fidelity to an established standard" and I choose to follow the absolute standard of truth set forth in the Scriptures.  From Genesis to Revelation, if our Creator God said it ("...all Scripture is God-breathed" 2 Tim. 3:16), I believe it is true.  Biblical truth does not evolve...culture may, but "the word of God endures forever" (Isaiah 40:8).  If everyone lived by Micah 6:8, I believe the world would be a better place.

For further study: 2 Sam. 22:31, Psalm 119:160, Isaiah 45:19, Zechariah 8:16, John 8:32, John 14:6, John 16:13, Romans 1:25, 2 Timothy 3:7, Hebrews 4:12.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly

BE KIND - Eph. 4:32

 HAPPY NEW YEAR, sweet friends.  It is a popular thing these days to start a new year with a word or phrase that you would like to focus on during the year...what the "new" me should try to improve!!!  I don't usually do the popular thing, but for some reason the Lord kept bringing "kindness" to my heart as something He might like me to do better...maybe something the world around me needs more of.  Our grandchildren love the movie "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss.  Hear what one of the characters says: "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It's not." 

Oddly enough, in Galatians 5:22-23 passage on the "fruit of the Spirit", "kindness" is nestled in between "patience" and "goodness".  I think that is profound because it takes both of those to produce this character trait.  Do you know that in the Old Testament, there are 246 passages about the "kindness of God"...His very nature reveals kindness to all those He loves.  I think if He is kind than we must be kind. Someone once said "Kindness is how love behaves".

There is a story about the famous African American educator, Booker T. Washington,  President of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.  He was walking through a wealthy neighborhood one day when a resident approached him and asked him if he wanted to earn some extra money chopping wood.  He smiled, rolled up his sleeves and did the humble chore she requested.  A little girl recognized him and revealed his identity to the lady afterwards.  The next day she sent him a very apologetic note and he answered saying:  "It's perfectly alright, madam.  Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor.  Besides, it's always a delight to do something for a friend."   From HAVING A MARY SPIRIT, Joanna Weaver.

Are there "friends" around you that you could do something for?  My sweet husband in a blog this week quoted D.L. Moody: "our greatest fear should not be failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn't really matter."  The Greek word for "kind" is chrestos which translates as "useful".  Is there something we could do today that might be useful to another?  Something that might really matter?

For further study: Psalm 23:6,  Lamentations 3:22, Micah 6:8, Romans 11:22, 1 Cor. 13:4, Galatians 5:22-23, Colossians 3:12, 2 Tim. 2:24, Titus 3:4-7.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly