Posts Tagged ‘fruit’

I might be able to love my neighbor if they would just…earn it?

Sunday, April 21st, 2013

Industriousness, April 21

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
”Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
”You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
”No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
”You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

John 15:12-16, www.solascriptura.com

Father, You have taught us that the two greatest commandments are to love You with all our heart, mind and soul and to love our neighbors as ourselves. It seems Father, that all Christians find the first commandment completely clear and that the command to love our neighbors, though clear, is much more challenging. Help us understand that the kind of love we should have for each other is as the love You have for us.

Father, not many of us have the depth of love for others that we have for You. Help us see that our own imperfections make it difficult at times for others to love us. Then help us see that the imperfections in our acquaintances and friends are not only to be expected (and they are not very different from our own) but they are to be forgiven as You have forgiven us.

Father, You say… bear fruit! We thank you for defining the fruits of the Spirit that should characterize our lives; love, joy, peace, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Goodness and Self control (Use the acronym PKG FGS, Patience, Kindness and so on as a mnemonic device, preceded by love, joy, and peace,  so we can memorize the fruits of the Spirit). Then, help us  manifest our love for You by loving our neighbors in a way that is impossible without Your Spirit in us. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in God's Children, God's Gift, Industriousness | 9 Comments »

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are yours…accept them!

Friday, February 15th, 2013

God’s Gifts, February 15

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

2 Corinthians 9:15, Galatians 5:22-23, www.solascriptura.com

Father, when Paul uses the word “gift” in this verse, he calls it indescribable. Why would he say “indescribable? One reason may be that you shared some information with Paul that he was told not to share with us. He said they were “inexpressible” words which he was not permitted to utter, after being caught up in what he called “the third heaven”.

Father, if there is a third heaven, is there not a first and second heaven? Paul said he could not tell us but he does say the gift is “indescribable”. O’God, we really do see things “dimly” and we know that what is, is not what will be. The frustrations and difficulties of this life do not compare with the glory You will yet show us.

Father in the midst of the turmoil of this world, Paul reminds us of what we can experience right now. We look forward to no more pain and disabilities for eternity.  Here and  now You grant us the fruits of the Spirit, freely given to all who seek them; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. No matter how difficult life can be, these promises are to us all, right now. We praise You for Your love for us. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, God's Gift, Holy Spirit, Worship, faith, peace, salvation | 14 Comments »

The kind of fruit we bear, marks us for eternity

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013

The Narrow Gate, January 22

 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
”Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
”Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
”You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
”Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
”A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
”Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
”Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

Matthew 7:13-20, www.solascriptura.com

Jesus, Matthew repeats the same admonition that Luke stated. The gate to heaven is indeed narrow. In this instance, where You remind us that few will enter the Kingdom of heaven, You tell us that the kind of fruit our lives bear is critical.
 
We know we are not to judge each other. Jesus, You have told us that judgment is Your province and we know that You tell us not to try and help with that task. Your word tells us that event will happen in the twinkling of an eye. Judgment day will come upon us when we least expect it. We will either run to You or turn away in fear.

But here You say we will know a person by their fruits. The identity of those who love You and who do not love You, with all their hearts, mind and soul is made evident; we disclose it all day long.

You tell us elsewhere that a brackish well does not yield fresh water and that an olive tree does not bear figs. Help us, today, to yield the kind of fruit that identifies us as Your disciples. That is what we want to be, Jesus; a follower of You who seeks to be to others as You have been to us. Strengthen us, we pray, in Your Holy name, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, End Times, Law of God, Perseverance, salvation | 105 Comments »

Why might God be postponing your death?

Tuesday, July 24th, 2012

Heaven, July 24

 …now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

Phillipians 1:20-24, www.solascriptura.com

Father, Paul, who once was a notorious persecutor of Christians, following his miraculous rebirth, became one of Your trusted communicators, more effective than he may have ever expected.

Here he makes it very clear that his life is dedicated to serving You and that his death will be gain, not loss. We sometimes fear death but we are being taught that being with You will be better and permanent. You have prepared a place for us and You will draw us to You in the twinkling of an eye.
 
Father, none of us want to die before our appointed time and none of us will. The day of our departure is known by You, controlled by You and here we learn that being with You will be far better than any place that we could be.

Paul’s final sentence explains his motivation for living on, for continuing to serve in this place. It is his witness that he wanted to sustain and here, two thousand years later, we are still listening to that which You led him to share. We too have some time left and we too want to use it as a witness of Your love in our lives. Sustain our witness, we pray, in Jesus’ name.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, End Times, Forgiven, God's Gift, Heaven, Providence of God, Religion | No Comments »