Spiritual Fruit

Romans 12 NLT

A Living Sacrifice to God

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

“I will take revenge;\I will pay them back,”\says the Lord.

Instead,

“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.\If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.\In doing this, you will heap\burning coals of shame on their heads.”

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Scripture Response

Most Wonderful SAVIOR,

I confess my impatience and frustration with myself and my friends. I confess my taste for revenge. Please continue in YOUR Long-Suffering with me and the evil I do.

LORD,

I want desperately to be part of YOUR Solution to the pain I cause in the world. Earnestly I say, will YOU teach me how? Please, hide this passage deep in my heart so that when my mouth waters in anticipation of revenge, it becomes like ash in my mouth. I ask for a measure of YOUR Patience so I may be ready to help those YOU send me. May my actions be honorable and bring glory to YOUR NAME.

Amen.

Grace for Today

I thought you might like to see how I am approaching my week.

Weekly Goal:

II Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG

So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.

The populist authoritarianism that is the downside of political correctness means that anyone, sometimes it seems like everyone, can proclaim their grief and have it acknowledged. The victim culture, every sufferer grasping for their own Holocaust, ensures that anyone who feels offended can call for moderation, for dilution, and in the end, as is all too often the case, for censorship. And censorship, that by-product of fear - stemming as it does not from some positive agenda, but from the desire to escape our own terrors and superstitions by imposing them on others - must surely be resisted.

~Jonathon Green, "Did You Say 'Offensive?'," as posted on http://www.wordwizard.com/

 

Sunday's Goal:

Exodus 20:8-11 AMP

[Earnestly] remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (withdrawn from common employment and dedicated to God). Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your domestic animals, or the sojourner within your gates.

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it [set it apart for His purposes].

The Hebrew here actually means “to Stop”, the rest is like a rest on sheet music. Pause, catch your breath. Then you may go on. The LORD offers here a time of respite for HIS People. As our CREATOR, GOD knows that if we don't allow ourselves the grace of HIS Pause, we will literally work all bodies to death: the animals entrusted to us, our children, our own physical bodies and minds, and finally, the Body of CHRIST, the Church. HE commands this because, The SPIRIT wants to impress upon us that GOD longs to take care of us, despite ourselves.

Monday's Goal:

Joshua 1:1-9 AMP

AFTER THE death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' minister¹, Moses My servant is dead. So now arise [take his place], go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to them, the Israelites. Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread, that have I given to you, as I promised Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river Euphrates--all the land of the Hittites [Canaan]²--and to the Great [Mediterranean] Sea on the west shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

This Book³ of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success⁴. Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

The beginning of the work week can be really scary. GOD wants us to gird our hearts with the Strength of HIS Word. Being well armed is being well prepared. Being prepared comes only from meditating on The LORD'S HOLY WORD.

Tuesday's Goal:

Psalm 84 verses 10 through 12 MSG

One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship,

beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.

I'd rather scrub floors in the house of my God

than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin.

All sunshine and sovereign is God,

generous in gifts and glory.

He doesn't scrimp with his traveling companions.

It's smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

GOD'S Message for Tuesday? Even though life is hard and you do have to work for everything worthwhile, when you work in MY Service, your spirit will be delighted.

 

Wednesday's Goal:

Psalm 118 verses 1, 4 through 9, 15-29 AMP

O GIVE thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!

Let those now who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord say that His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.

Out of my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free and in a large place.

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?⁵

The Lord is on my side and takes my part, He is among those who help me; therefore shall I see my desire established upon those who hate me.

It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man.

It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.

The Lord is my Strength and Song; and He has become my Salvation.

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents and private dwellings of the [uncompromisingly] righteous: the right hand of the Lord does valiantly and achieves strength!

The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly and achieves strength!

I shall not die but live, and shall declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the Lord.

The Lord has chastened me sorely, but He has not given me over to death.⁶

Open to me the [temple] gates of righteousness; I will enter through them, and I will confess and praise the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord; the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall enter through it.⁷

I will confess, praise, and give thanks to You, for You have heard and answered me; and You have become my Salvation and Deliverer.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

This is from the Lord and is His doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.⁸

This is the day which the Lord has brought about; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Save now, we beseech You, O Lord; send now prosperity, O Lord, we beseech You, and give to us success!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the house of the Lord [you who come into His sanctuary under His guardianship].⁹

The Lord is God, Who has shown and given us light [He has illuminated us with grace, freedom, and joy]. Decorate the festival with leafy boughs and bind the sacrifices to be offered with thick cords [all over the priest's court, right up] to the horns of the altar.

You are my God, and I will confess, praise, and give thanks to You; You are my God, I will extol You.

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.

GOD wants us to know we have freedom and then to live within that knowledge. Those that would imprison us in all kinds of chains and cells, The LORD asks us to discount them. They do not have the power or the stamina to battle against HIM for our souls. He has already won. On Wednesdays, you have an opportunity to be blessed with this message of grace, freedom & joy again and again when we meet with the Church.

Thursday's Goal:

II Chronicles 16:9a MSG

God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him.

Thursdays are days entrenched. This is when we feel we will give out, wear out, or wash out. GOD is watching us. These are the days to show commitment to HIM. HE bathed us with joy just yesterday, go refresh others.

Friday's Goal:

Isaiah 41:9-10 NIRV

I gathered you from one end of the earth to the other.

From the farthest places on earth I brought you together.

I said, 'You are my servants.'

I have chosen you.

I have not turned my back on you.

So do not be afraid. I am with you.

Do not be terrified. I am your God.

I will make you strong and help you.

My powerful right hand will take good care of you.

I always do what is right.

What does that mean? It means that when friends go over seas, they will still worship The LORD with a Body; and JESUS will still protect their faith and joy and peace. It means that when I go out of town, I still can commune with my GOD when I commune with HIS People. HE loves us, no matter where we go...highways or byways. HE walks with us, holding our hands as we travel in the big scary world.

Saturda's Goal:

Isaiah 40:28-31 MSG

Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening?

God doesn't come and go. God lasts.

He's Creator of all you can see or imagine.

He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath.

And he knows everything, inside and out.

He energizes those who get tired,

gives fresh strength to dropouts.

For even young people tire and drop out,

young folk in their prime stumble and fall.

But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.

They spread their wings and soar like eagles,

They run and don't get tired,

they walk and don't lag behind.

Whee! We have made another week in The PRESENCE of The LORD. HE has prospered me. HE has sustained me. HE has refreshed me. Thank YOU for the grace YOU give, I had enough just when I needed it.

1Cross reference: Deuteronomy 34:4-8

2Although the Hittites are mentioned forty-eight times in the Bible, some critics long refused to accept the possibility, or at least the probability, of the importance of such an ancient people. But archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century have confirmed the importance of the Hittites beyond all question. For instance, G. A. Barton in Archaeology and the Bible records the existence of an archive of clay tablets containing among other things a military treaty made by the Egyptians and the Hittites nearly thirteen centuries before the birth of Christ.

3More accurately “scroll”

4This is the only place in the early English versions where the word "success" is found. The secret of success is given in verses 5 through 9. Joshua accepted Moses' place of leadership without misgivings. God's will for him was his will, and he did not hesitate. To go "all out" for God was already habitual with him; it is the unfailing prerequisite of eternal success (Deuteronomy 6:3-5; Psalm 1 verses 1-3; Luke 10:25-28).

5Cross references:

Psalm 118:6 : Heb 13:6;

6Psalm 118:18 : II Corinthians 6:9

7Psalm 118:20 : Psalm 24 verse 7

8Psalm 118:23 : Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11; I Peter 2:7

9Psalm 118:26 : Mark 11:9, 10

Approximately What I Said

I cannot remember a single word I said the first time I shared communion thoughts with Hope. Last night I shared communion thoughts again with Hope and I feel like I was better able to communicate my love for GOD and HIS People. I want to share that love with you as well.
[P.S. Happy Birthday to me! in three days]

Communion Thoughts given

January 9, 2011

For The Bread:

Since August, we have heard how The LORD'S Good News is abundant in our lives: The Good News of Forgiveness; the Good News of GOD'S Desire for the Best for us, for Healing for us; the Good News of God's Gifts to us which none of us deserve, gifts of both Mercy and the Fulfillment of All our Needs; the Good News that we are Free because GOD makes us so; and my personal favorite, the Good News that we are Made Right with GOD through JESUS because otherwise we are always wrong. The only Good News I think Damon omitted is: GOD has made us wise.

I Corinthians 1: 20-29 tells us that only the 'wise' see the truth of GOD'S Salvation. To paraphrase the passage:

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when GOD called you. Instead, GOD chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And HE chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

But how do we show GOD'S Wisdom to the world in the 21^st Century?...Well one thing we do is the sharing of communion every week. In doing this we show the world, we show each other and we even show ourselves that we can only remain wise by living our lives with GOD at the center of our lives in all matters. We demonstrate our devotion to the Wisdom of GOD through the breaking of this bread as a symbol of how JESUS in HIS Wisdom broke HIS Own Body to save this body of believers here tonight. Please permit me to thank HIM in behalf of Hope for that demonstration of love now:

HOLY LORD, thank YOU for offering the world knowledge of YOU and touching our hearts so that we can share in YOUR Wisdom every day we roam the earth. I beseech you to give us the words that we may better display YOUR Light to those we encounter on our journey that they may see Your Wisdom and BEING shining through us.

In The Precious, HOLY NAME of JESUS, amen.

For the Cup:

OUR GOD Is Wise, is HE not?...The Traditional of communion we encounter here is in part to display how we remain in CHRIST'S Wisdom week after week, but it serves another purpose as well...In the Old Testament GOD in HIS Wisdom asked the Israelites to remember HIS Salvation of them from slavery to Egypt every year at a certain time which centuries later leads to JESUS celebrating Passover with HIS disciples and asking them to remember HIM and their salvation from the slavery of sin every time they broke bread together. GOD reveals HIS Purpose of HIS Initial Command to remember Passover in Exodus 12:24-27:

You shall observe this rite for an ordinance to you and to your sons forever. When you come to the land which the Lord will give you, as He has promised, you shall keep this service. When your children shall say to you, What do you mean by this service? You shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He slew the Egyptians but spared our houses. And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

Does CHRIST not share the same wisdom of The FATHER? As with Passover, our sharing of communion is also to provoke questions in our children. Questions like, “why we do this remembrance every week?” GOD'S Wisdom is to be shared with all generations. So as the cup is passed please say to the person seated next to you, “We do this to remember our freedom from sin and death.”

Please allow me to thank The LORD for our freedom from such things,

JESUS, in Your Wisdom you have taught us how to live in freedom from sin and death. Thank You for telling us how we can best teach our children to live in freedom through the ceremony of communion and the purpose behind why YOU asked us to remember YOU in this way. YOU are beautiful beyond words and we praise YOU for YOUR Revelation of Godly Wisdom.

In YOUR NAME, JESUS, we thank The Father of all Truth and Wisdom, amen.

For the Offering:

Earlier in my life when I prayed, and believe me I did pray for the time when I could stand before CHRIST'S Body and share with you how connected I feel to you and to our LORD through communion, I never thought much about what I would say before the offering. I confess I feel ill-equipped when it comes to this moment. I know we can never thank GOD enough for all the provisions HE makes for us; but I also know that throughout the New Testament there is wisdom to be gained about supporting ministries with our time, talents and monetary gifts. Please join me in my prayer for the wisdom to know how best to use our resources.

Dearest HOLY ONE, we come tonight to remember that everything we have is YOURS. Please give us the wisdom of how best to use the wealth YOU provide to bring glory to YOUR NAME. Thank YOU for taking such good care of us. In the NAME of The FATHER and of The SON and of The HOLY SPIRIT, amen.