LORD, What is my calling?

What am I to do?

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (29) For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; (30) and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. {Rom 8:28-30}

Saint Paul was convinced that he was on the Lord's ordained path as he chased, arrested and witnessed the deaths of those who were of the "Way" (Followers of Christ). One day, Paul saw the light, literally! His path would never be the same again. And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.. {Act 9:5} God had a plan for Paul and it all began before Paul was born. In his mother's womb, as his tiny bones were being knitted together, The Lord caused his tiny heart to begin beating. Paul would be gifted at this moment with talents, skills, and specific temperaments that HE, the living God, would call upon years later "On the Road to Damascus".

Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, were all equipped before birth with specific talents and strengths that would be called upon by the Creator in order that His will might be done. Accomplishing His will through these human vessels created by His hands. But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased (16) to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood.... {Gal 1:15-16} Paul showed up!

Army Sergeant Brent Crawford was an E-5 Sgt with over 22 years in the Army when we first met. Twenty-two years, never busted or reduced in grade. Let that sink in. He was perfectly happy being a buck sergeant, refusing promotion after promotion. Crawford's job was serving as a "Dumpster-Diver", an equipment and material recovery specialist. God had so ordained this soldier at birth with certain talents and characteristics that suited him perfectly to his adult soldierly task of recovering things tossed out, items of worth and value that should not have been thrown out. He was very good. Sgt Crawford was also color blind and barley five foot five in height. Both of these being usual dis qualifiers for Army service. The color blindness afforded Sgt Crawford the ability to see patterns and shapes that normal sighted people could not see. Camouflage was useless around this NCO. As a result, the Lord provided the needed waivers allowing him to continue serving, and the Army began redesigning their technique of camouflage.

Over his eventual 26 years of service, Crawford retired as a Buck Sergeant, and was recognized as saving the U.S. Department of Defense multiple millions of dollars in recovered, serviceable material and equipment. One of Brent Crawford's last official acts of "Dumpster Diving" resulted in the recovery of a newborn baby girl that had been disposed of at Robinson Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany. His color blindness made her tiny body immediately visible among the various other colored material and food products in the Mess Hall dumpster. Tiny Hannelori survived and grew into a beautiful and intelligent young woman who founded a number of orphan support facilities in Europe. Crawford was right where he needed to be and exactly when God needed him. He showed up.

Crawford was a Godly man, born again, who quietly presented himself everyday to do his job. The Lord gave him a specific set of talents and characteristics that resulted in continuity of God's will through HIS Creation, HIS vessel. We know for certain that at least one tiny life was saved through his God given (or modified) abilities. Who knows if the millions of dollars of recovery he was responsible for shaped the lives of other folks over the years. Just by showing up and using that which the Lord gave him at birth, by God's grace, Sgt Crawford fulfilled the Creator's will. Praise You Lord!

LORD, What is my calling?

To serve and please your God, to love Jesus with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul; and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. That is your calling. That is your purpose. That is your job.

What am I to do?

From the moment of your conception, the Potter fashioned you into a one of a kind vessel, endowed with unique talents and gifts of His creation. You are unlike any other. Just as the sunrise has never repeated in it's colorful glory, God created you to bring glory to His Majesty and Holiness. Whatever your talent, whatever you are good at and excel in, do that. Do what you do best but do it in HIS glory and in HIS name. Show up. Be available. Represent HIM well. Learn of HIM.

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. {Gen 1:31}

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

LORD, What is my calling?

What am I to do?

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (29) For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; (30) and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. {Rom 8:28-30}

Saint Paul was convinced that he was on the Lord's ordained path as he chased, arrested and witnessed the deaths of those who were of the "Way" (Followers of Christ). One day, Paul saw the light, literally! His path would never be the same again. And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.. {Act 9:5} God had a plan for Paul and it all began before Paul was born. In his mother's womb, as his tiny bones were being knitted together, The Lord caused his tiny heart to begin beating. Paul would be gifted at this moment with talents, skills, and specific temperaments that HE, the living God, would call upon years later "On the Road to Damascus".

Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, were all equipped before birth with specific talents and strengths that would be called upon by the Creator in order that His will might be done. Accomplishing His will through these human vessels created by His hands. But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, was pleased (16) to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood.... {Gal 1:15-16} Paul showed up!

Army Sergeant Brent Crawford was an E-5 Sgt with over 22 years in the Army when we first met. Twenty-two years, never busted or reduced in grade. Let that sink in. He was perfectly happy being a buck sergeant, refusing promotion after promotion. Crawford's job was serving as a "Dumpster-Diver", an equipment and material recovery specialist. God had so ordained this soldier at birth with certain talents and characteristics that suited him perfectly to his adult soldierly task of recovering things tossed out, items of worth and value that should not have been thrown out. He was very good. Sgt Crawford was also color blind and barley five foot five in height. Both of these being usual dis qualifiers for Army service. The color blindness afforded Sgt Crawford the ability to see patterns and shapes that normal sighted people could not see. Camouflage was useless around this NCO. As a result, the Lord provided the needed waivers allowing him to continue serving, and the Army began redesigning their technique of camouflage.

Over his eventual 26 years of service, Crawford retired as a Buck Sergeant, and was recognized as saving the U.S. Department of Defense multiple millions of dollars in recovered, serviceable material and equipment. One of Brent Crawford's last official acts of "Dumpster Diving" resulted in the recovery of a newborn baby girl that had been disposed of at Robinson Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany. His color blindness made her tiny body immediately visible among the various other colored material and food products in the Mess Hall dumpster. Tiny Hannelori survived and grew into a beautiful and intelligent young woman who founded a number of orphan support facilities in Europe. Crawford was right where he needed to be and exactly when God needed him. He showed up.

Crawford was a Godly man, born again, who quietly presented himself everyday to do his job. The Lord gave him a specific set of talents and characteristics that resulted in continuity of God's will through HIS Creation, HIS vessel. We know for certain that at least one tiny life was saved through his God given (or modified) abilities. Who knows if the millions of dollars of recovery he was responsible for shaped the lives of other folks over the years. Just by showing up and using that which the Lord gave him at birth, by God's grace, Sgt Crawford fulfilled the Creator's will. Praise You Lord!

LORD, What is my calling?

To serve and please your God, to love Jesus with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul; and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. That is your calling. That is your purpose. That is your job.

What am I to do?

From the moment of your conception, the Potter fashioned you into a one of a kind vessel, endowed with unique talents and gifts of His creation. You are unlike any other. Just as the sunrise has never repeated in it's colorful glory, God created you to bring glory to His Majesty and Holiness. Whatever your talent, whatever you are good at and excel in, do that. Do what you do best but do it in HIS glory and in HIS name. Show up. Be available. Represent HIM well. Learn of HIM.

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. {Gen 1:31}

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

{Mat 11:28}

What a week this has been. In fact, the last few weeks, even the whole month has been quite a struggle. Where does all this turmoil come from?

In morning devotions with my Lord, I asked this question; "Father, Jesus teaches us to always trust in You; always include You in all that we do with the purpose of continually bringing glory to You through our obedience. Show me where I need to do better in pleasing You Lord, Amen".

I then went about my usual studies. When I opened Oswald Chambers, Utmost for His Highest, it was the chapter entitled Christ-Awareness that immediately bonded my full attention. I pray that you will find direction and comfort in what Brother Chambers has written as I did, AMEN.

CHRIST-AWARENESS

Oswald Chambers

Whenever anything begins to disintegrate your life with Jesus Christ, turn to Him at once, asking Him to re-establish your rest. Never allow anything to remain in your life that is causing the unrest. Think of every detail of your life that is causing the disintegration as something to fight against, not as something you should allow to remain. Ask the Lord to put awareness of Himself in you, and your self-awareness will disappear. Then He will be your all in all. Beware of allowing your self-awareness to continue, because slowly but surely it will awaken self-pity, and self-pity is satanic. Don’t allow yourself to say, “Well, they have just misunderstood me, and this is something over which they should be apologizing to me; I’m sure I must have this cleared up with them already.” Learn to leave others alone regarding this. Simply ask the Lord to give you Christ-awareness, and He will steady you until your completeness in Him is absolute.

A complete life is the life of a child. When I am fully conscious of my awareness of Christ, there is something wrong. It is the sick person who really knows what health is. A child of God is not aware of the will of God because he is the will of God. When we have deviated even slightly from the will of God, we begin to ask, “Lord, what is your will?” A child of God never prays to be made aware of the fact that God answers prayer, because he is so restfully certain that God always answers prayer.

If we try to overcome our self-awareness through any of our own commonsense methods, we will only serve to strengthen our self-awareness tremendously. Jesus says, “Come to Me…and I will give you rest,” that is, Christ-awareness will take the place of self-awareness. Wherever Jesus comes He establishes rest— the rest of the completion of activity in our lives that is never aware of itself.

(My deepest gratitude to Oswald Chambers Publications - London with this heartfelt thanks by attribution)

It is so difficult for some of us to actually take our hands OFF the steering wheel and let HIM drive. Trust in Jesus. Satan's most effective tool of temptation is our impatience. We HATE to WAIT.

Let the Lord drive. Trust no one but Him.

Come into me Jesus, remove the me and replace it fully with Thee, AMEN.

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. (30) "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." {Mat 11:29-30}

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

{Mat 11:28}

What a week this has been. In fact, the last few weeks, even the whole month has been quite a struggle. Where does all this turmoil come from?

In morning devotions with my Lord, I asked this question; "Father, Jesus teaches us to always trust in You; always include You in all that we do with the purpose of continually bringing glory to You through our obedience. Show me where I need to do better in pleasing You Lord, Amen".

I then went about my usual studies. When I opened Oswald Chambers, Utmost for His Highest, it was the chapter entitled Christ-Awareness that immediately bonded my full attention. I pray that you will find direction and comfort in what Brother Chambers has written as I did, AMEN.

CHRIST-AWARENESS

Oswald Chambers

Whenever anything begins to disintegrate your life with Jesus Christ, turn to Him at once, asking Him to re-establish your rest. Never allow anything to remain in your life that is causing the unrest. Think of every detail of your life that is causing the disintegration as something to fight against, not as something you should allow to remain. Ask the Lord to put awareness of Himself in you, and your self-awareness will disappear. Then He will be your all in all. Beware of allowing your self-awareness to continue, because slowly but surely it will awaken self-pity, and self-pity is satanic. Don’t allow yourself to say, “Well, they have just misunderstood me, and this is something over which they should be apologizing to me; I’m sure I must have this cleared up with them already.” Learn to leave others alone regarding this. Simply ask the Lord to give you Christ-awareness, and He will steady you until your completeness in Him is absolute.

A complete life is the life of a child. When I am fully conscious of my awareness of Christ, there is something wrong. It is the sick person who really knows what health is. A child of God is not aware of the will of God because he is the will of God. When we have deviated even slightly from the will of God, we begin to ask, “Lord, what is your will?” A child of God never prays to be made aware of the fact that God answers prayer, because he is so restfully certain that God always answers prayer.

If we try to overcome our self-awareness through any of our own commonsense methods, we will only serve to strengthen our self-awareness tremendously. Jesus says, “Come to Me…and I will give you rest,” that is, Christ-awareness will take the place of self-awareness. Wherever Jesus comes He establishes rest— the rest of the completion of activity in our lives that is never aware of itself.

(My deepest gratitude to Oswald Chambers Publications - London with this heartfelt thanks by attribution)

It is so difficult for some of us to actually take our hands OFF the steering wheel and let HIM drive. Trust in Jesus. Satan's most effective tool of temptation is our impatience. We HATE to WAIT.

Let the Lord drive. Trust no one but Him.

Come into me Jesus, remove the me and replace it fully with Thee, AMEN.

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. (30) "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." {Mat 11:29-30}

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

I HAVE LOVED YOU

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. {Jer 31:3}

We should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. (14) It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. {2Th 2:13-14}

He who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity. {2Ti 1:9}

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. (17) How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! (18) If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. {Psa 139:16-18}

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. {Joh 3:16}

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. {1Jn 4:10-11}

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

I HAVE LOVED YOU

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. {Jer 31:3}

We should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. (14) It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. {2Th 2:13-14}

He who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity. {2Ti 1:9}

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. (17) How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! (18) If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. {Psa 139:16-18}

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. {Joh 3:16}

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. {1Jn 4:10-11}

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

WATCH, BE ALERT

"Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

{Mat 25:13}

"Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; (35) for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. (36) "But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." {Luk 21:34-36}

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. (15) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. (16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (18) Therefore comfort one another with these words. {1Th 4:13-18}

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, (2) who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. (3) Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. {Rev 1:1-3}

See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.

{Heb 12:25}

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another... (27) ...and do not give the devil an opportunity. {Eph 4:25, 27}

"But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. {Mar 13:32}

ARE YOU READY?

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

WATCH, BE ALERT

"Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

{Mat 25:13}

"Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; (35) for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. (36) "But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." {Luk 21:34-36}

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. (15) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. (16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (18) Therefore comfort one another with these words. {1Th 4:13-18}

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, (2) who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. (3) Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. {Rev 1:1-3}

See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.

{Heb 12:25}

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another... (27) ...and do not give the devil an opportunity. {Eph 4:25, 27}

"But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. {Mar 13:32}

ARE YOU READY?

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

PRAYER AGAINST VAIN SERVICE

O MY LORD,

Forgive me for serving thee in sinful ways —

by glorying in my own strength,

by forcing myself to minister through

necessity,

by accepting the applause of others,

by trusting in assumed grace

and spiritual affection,

by a faith that rests upon my hold on Christ,

not on him alone,

by having another foundation to stand upon

beside thee;

for thus I make flesh my arm.

Help me to see

that it is faith stirred by grace that does the deed,

that faith brings a man nearer to thee,

raising him above mere man,

that thou dost act upon the soul

when thus elevated and lifted out of itself,

that faith centres in thee as God all-sufficient,

Father, Son, Holy Spirit,

as God efficient,

mediately, as in thy commands and promises,

immediately, in all the hidden power

that faith sees and knows to be in thee,

abundantly, with omnipotent effect,

in the revelation of thy will.

If I have not such faith I am nothing.

It is my duty to set thee above all others

in mind and eye;

But it is my sin that I place myself above thee.

Lord, it is the special evil of sin

that every breach of thy law arises

from contempt of thy Person,

from despising thee and thy glory,

from preferring things before thee.

Help me to abhor myself in comparison of thee,

And keep me in a faith that works by love,

and serves by grace. { This I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.}

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

The Lord's Blessings and thanks to The Banner of Truth Trust and the book Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennet for this wonderful prayer.

PRAYER AGAINST VAIN SERVICE

O MY LORD,

Forgive me for serving thee in sinful ways —

by glorying in my own strength,

by forcing myself to minister through

necessity,

by accepting the applause of others,

by trusting in assumed grace

and spiritual affection,

by a faith that rests upon my hold on Christ,

not on him alone,

by having another foundation to stand upon

beside thee;

for thus I make flesh my arm.

Help me to see

that it is faith stirred by grace that does the deed,

that faith brings a man nearer to thee,

raising him above mere man,

that thou dost act upon the soul

when thus elevated and lifted out of itself,

that faith centres in thee as God all-sufficient,

Father, Son, Holy Spirit,

as God efficient,

mediately, as in thy commands and promises,

immediately, in all the hidden power

that faith sees and knows to be in thee,

abundantly, with omnipotent effect,

in the revelation of thy will.

If I have not such faith I am nothing.

It is my duty to set thee above all others

in mind and eye;

But it is my sin that I place myself above thee.

Lord, it is the special evil of sin

that every breach of thy law arises

from contempt of thy Person,

from despising thee and thy glory,

from preferring things before thee.

Help me to abhor myself in comparison of thee,

And keep me in a faith that works by love,

and serves by grace. { This I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.}

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

The Lord's Blessings and thanks to The Banner of Truth Trust and the book Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennet for this wonderful prayer.

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT II

Many years ago as a teen aged boy I found myself being introduced to the Biblical concept of Fruit of the Spirit. Her name was Janet and she was a most pretty and smart girl. We had met in school. As we sat in her living room the ritual of meeting the parents had just begun. Janet's mother, a very kind and soft spoken woman asked the usual questions, where I was from, where I grew up, did I enjoy being in church earlier that morning? I did not reveal that the only reason I was in church that morning was because Janet was there!

Janet's father was not so mild mannered as was his bride. He had been staring a hole in me from the first moment we laid eyes on each other. "So, Mister Thompson..." said the father, with his arms folded on his chest and his eyes squinty...."Tell me about your fruit."

I had no idea what he was talking about, and I certainly had no forewarning that he was a Preacher!! Over the next 90 uncomfortable minutes, the Preacher taught a crash course on what it meant when asking about the FRUIT. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. {Gal 5:22-23} I soon discovered most of my fruit was rotten.

Love and forgiveness, compassion, these seemed to be very high on the list of good quality fruit. The preacher talked about Moses and God's graciousness in re-writing a second set of stone tablets on which the Lord etched the law, on mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments.

Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; (7) who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin..." {Exo 34:6-7} This compassion by God was sorely needed since Moses had crushed the first set of Commandments.

I would love to tell you that I retained what the preacher taught, but that would be a lie. I was more interested in being with Janet at the movies, and trying to steal a kiss as we sat in the back rows of the darkened theater. As the years went by, as I looked into my rear-view mirror, I found that I did actually retain much of what Janet's preacher dad taught that Sunday afternoon so long ago. Paul wrote:   Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, (2) with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, (3) being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. {Eph 4:1-3}

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. {Eph 4:32}

You might ask, HOW CAN THIS BE? that such a powerful all seeing, all hearing, all knowing God, can be so very tender, so merciful. Jesus is so wise, so righteous and this is what He teaches with every word from His mouth. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. { Jas 3:17}

In Matthew 23, a lawyer asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest. Jesus replied "You shall LOVE.." Love your God, and Love your neighbor as yourself" {para-phrase}

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, (5) does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, (6) does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; (7) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. {1Co 13:4-7}

Gal 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

Jas 5:7-8 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. (8) You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

If you believe, If you have love, if you give love, if you live by love, act by love, and if you receive love, all the rest of your FRUIT of the SPIRIT will mature into a glorious and delicious feast in glory to our Creator, Christ Jesus, Amen.

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT II

Many years ago as a teen aged boy I found myself being introduced to the Biblical concept of Fruit of the Spirit. Her name was Janet and she was a most pretty and smart girl. We had met in school. As we sat in her living room the ritual of meeting the parents had just begun. Janet's mother, a very kind and soft spoken woman asked the usual questions, where I was from, where I grew up, did I enjoy being in church earlier that morning? I did not reveal that the only reason I was in church that morning was because Janet was there!

Janet's father was not so mild mannered as was his bride. He had been staring a hole in me from the first moment we laid eyes on each other. "So, Mister Thompson..." said the father, with his arms folded on his chest and his eyes squinty...."Tell me about your fruit."

I had no idea what he was talking about, and I certainly had no forewarning that he was a Preacher!! Over the next 90 uncomfortable minutes, the Preacher taught a crash course on what it meant when asking about the FRUIT. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. {Gal 5:22-23} I soon discovered most of my fruit was rotten.

Love and forgiveness, compassion, these seemed to be very high on the list of good quality fruit. The preacher talked about Moses and God's graciousness in re-writing a second set of stone tablets on which the Lord etched the law, on mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments.

Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; (7) who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin..." {Exo 34:6-7} This compassion by God was sorely needed since Moses had crushed the first set of Commandments.

I would love to tell you that I retained what the preacher taught, but that would be a lie. I was more interested in being with Janet at the movies, and trying to steal a kiss as we sat in the back rows of the darkened theater. As the years went by, as I looked into my rear-view mirror, I found that I did actually retain much of what Janet's preacher dad taught that Sunday afternoon so long ago. Paul wrote:   Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, (2) with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, (3) being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. {Eph 4:1-3}

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. {Eph 4:32}

You might ask, HOW CAN THIS BE? that such a powerful all seeing, all hearing, all knowing God, can be so very tender, so merciful. Jesus is so wise, so righteous and this is what He teaches with every word from His mouth. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. { Jas 3:17}

In Matthew 23, a lawyer asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest. Jesus replied "You shall LOVE.." Love your God, and Love your neighbor as yourself" {para-phrase}

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, (5) does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, (6) does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; (7) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. {1Co 13:4-7}

Gal 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

Jas 5:7-8 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. (8) You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

If you believe, If you have love, if you give love, if you live by love, act by love, and if you receive love, all the rest of your FRUIT of the SPIRIT will mature into a glorious and delicious feast in glory to our Creator, Christ Jesus, Amen.

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?

IMMANUEL...GOD WITH US.

Mat 1:23

From the earliest of our times, even before the fall of man, as written in the book of Genesis, there have been visions and predictions of a time when the world would see our Savior. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. {Isa 9:6}

King Solomon finished building the great temple to God then publicly posed the following question; "But will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built. { 2Ch 6:18}

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. (14) And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. {Joh 1:1-3,14}

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ writes; By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory. {1Ti 3:16}

On the First day of the week, (Sunday), the risen Christ appeared in the flesh to ten of the disciples gathered behind closed and secured doors. There were only ten because Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus was dead and another was not there at that hour.

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. (25) So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." (26) After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." (27) Then He *said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." (28) Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" (29) Jesus *said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." {Joh 20:24-29}

Do you believe? I pray that you do. We all will see Him soon; believer and non-believer. That at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth. {Php 2:10}

Jesus, The King, Our Lord, Our Savior, Our God!

HAVE YOU READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY?