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FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: PATIENCE

Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. - I Peter 2:23   REFERENCE I Peter 2:19-23   Webster's dictionary says Patience is "To be able to remain calm and not become annoyed when waiting for a long time or when dealing with problems or difficult people." It can be arduous since such an expression of Patience contradicts (our fallen) human nature. We often beat traffic lights, are unwilling to stay in queues, become harsh and impatient with a slow motorist with the 'L' sign...
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FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: PEACE

“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” – Mark4:39   REFERENCE: Mark 4:35-41   Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]….” (AMP). Peace is another fruit of the Spirit that believers are to manifest; “To this peace indeed you were called….”   This peace comes from intimacy...
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THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: JOY

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23   REFERENCE: Galatians 5:22-26   Manifesting the fruit of the Spirit reflects spiritual maturity in our Christian walk; it shows a life yielded to and led by the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is the product of the Holy Spirit’s presence in us, just as a fruit derives from the roots. Showing the fruit of the Spirit is the hallmark of true believers; it should be our Christian goal. We will study the fruit of...
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THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: LOVE

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23   REFERENCE: Galatians 5:22-25   Still, on the Holy Spirit, we will spend the coming days getting acquainted with the fruit of the Holy Spirit – the virtues the presence of the Holy Spirit in us will produce. The objective is that our lives will manifest every one of them. We will begin today with love. ‘Love’ means different things to different people. However, the love described in our text is ‘Agape’ in Greek. It...
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PARAKLETOS

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.” ~ John 14:16   REFERENCE:  John 14:15-26   Jesus gives His valedictory speech to His disciples; the thought of Him dying left them morose, like a child who had just got separated from his parents. That prompted Jesus to tell them He would not leave them as orphans; although He would not be present, He would send them a Helper just like Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. The Greek for ‘Helper’ is Parakletos.  Parakletos describes the ministry of...
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FOSTERING FULFILLING FRIENDSHIPS

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” ~ Proverbs 18:24   REFERENCE: Proverbs 18:24   Some people cringe when they hear about friendship because friends have once hurt them, so they steer clear of it. However, God designed us for connection and community; so, friendships are vital in our lives. Friends have supported, helped, and given people leverage over the years. Friendship is a good thing, and you need good friends around you. Fostering fulfilling friendships is an asset you need on your life’s journey. To have friends,...
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WHEN SUCCESS LOOKS EASY

“Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.” ~ Luke 4:14   REFERENCE: Luke 4:1-15   Have you seen professionals at their game, work, or art? They make it look easy. Ronaldo and Messi make scoring goals in football look easy, Israel Adesanya makes mixed martial arts look easy, Lebron James makes playing basketball look easy, and several other musicians, authors, actors, preachers, scientists, etc., who excel in their vocation make success look easy. Some people seem born to be successful, make money, or excel in all...
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IF YOUR HEART IS WISE

“My son, if your heart is wise, my heart will rejoice – indeed, I myself.” ~ Proverb 23:15   REFERENCE: Proverbs 23:15-16   Our focus verse captures a father’s earnest desire for his son; he expresses the joy he would feel if his son became wise of heart. Why would this be important to the father? It is because wisdom is the principal thing. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 8:1, “There’s nothing better than being wise, knowing how to interpret the meaning of life. Wisdom puts light in the eyes and gives gentleness to words and manners.” God, our Father, will rejoice if...
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HIDDEN IN THE BEDROOM

"But Jehosheba…sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons who were being murdered; and they hid him and his nurse in the bedroom, from Athaliah, so that he was not killed." ~ II Kings 11:2   REFERENCE: II Kings 11:1-12   It was a chaotic time in Israel; judgment came because of the sins of Ahab's house. God used Jehu to execute His judgment on Ahab's sons. Having killed them, including Ahaziah, Athaliah's son, she vowed to kill every son in the royal line so she could reign unchallenged. Joash was...
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YOU SHALL NOT KILL THEM

"Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, "My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?" But he answered, "You shall not kill them…" ~ II Kings 6:21-22a   REFERENCE: II Kings 6:13-23   The default mode of many believers is that God must kill enemies. You hear them saying, "Die, die," when praying about a person(s) they perceive as an enemy. However, our real enemy is the devil; he always wants us to focus on the people around us, terming them as enemies. Give a dog a bad name, and you can hang it....
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