Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:
against such there is no law.
Recently I read the book "Secrets of
The Vine" by Bruce Wilkinson (also
author of "The Prayer of
Jabez"). I highly recommend this
book to everyone! The theme of the book
is centered on John 15 (included below)
one of the last conversations and lessons
from Jesus to his disciples. I personally
gained great enlightenment concerning my
own walk with the Lord.
Something that really stood out to me
though was the scripture above Galations
5:22-23. For several years I have been
concerned about my walk with the Lord.
Knowing full well that I have accepted
Christ as my Savior, repenting of my
sins, asking His forgiveness and bringing
Him into my life I am saved by grace and
have a place in Heaven waiting for me
there was still something missing from my
life. After reading the book
"Secrets of the Vine" I
realized just what that was. As mentioned
in the book many people are lead to
believe that to be "fruitful"
we must bring others to know the Lord.
The fruits of "our vine" being
souls won to the Lord. I had or have at
this point NONE. But I want nothing more
than to do the Lords will!
After being lead to Galations 5 and then
reading John 15 again I realized that
Jesus' last words did not say "to be
fruitful you must win souls for me".
He says "John 15:11 These things
have I spoken unto you, that my joy might
remain in you, and that your joy might be
full." Galations 5 list fruit of the
Spirit - love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
and temperance. Praise the Lord! I do my
best every minute of my life since coming
to know the Lord not only do these things
but to have them in my heart and to show
others, believers and non-believers,
these things.
Have I at this point in my walk with the
Lord sat down with the bible and walked
another person threw the steps to
Salvation? NO! Have I been used by the
Lord to bring another soul to Him? I have
no way of knowing! The elderly lady I
smiled sweetly at in the grocery store
the other day - did she go home wondering
what it was that made me smile at a
stranger? Did something touch her heart
to seek out answers and come to know the
Lord? Did that stranger who visited my
web site and saw the love I have for the
Lord and He for me click threw to the
page "Peace with God" or
"The Roman Road"? No way of
knowing! The other day when I put my arms
around my 10-year-old kissed him on top
of the head, and said, "I love
you". Did he think in his mind
"Mom has changed maybe I should find
out more about this 'Jesus' she talks
about and to all the time"? Don't
know that either!
Do I feel I am "fruitful"? Yes,
I do! My prayers are that all of these
things showed my love of the Lord and
what He has done for me since I've
allowed Him into my heart to live. Do I
need a list of names Bob, Mary, Joe, and
Sue who I have lead to the Lord? No, the
most important person knows already -
Jesus Christ Our Savior! I trust in the
Lord that He will use me, as He feels
best. I do someday pray to be able to
experience the joy of face to face being
allowed to be part of bringing another
soul to know Jesus Christ if only for the
experience of sharing that joy with
another. But I no longer feel I am
"fruitless" without that
experience. I know the Lord will answer
my prayers!
Are you a Christian? Have you forgotten
when the last time was you lead another
to the Lord? Have you forgotten the last
time you showed love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness and/or temperance to
another, friend, family, or stranger?
Possibly you should try it and see how
your fruits can multiply abundantly. I
beg you please don't let the negative
thoughts, the "excuses" that
easily slip into our minds stop you from
being fruitful in the Lord's eyes.
Keep in mind,
there are more than one kind of fruit in
the world.
What fruit are you producing for the
Lord?
If you don't know Jesus Christ Our Lord
as your own personal savior I invite you
to click on any of these links below or
visit a local Christian church or pick up
the phone and call them. Tell someone
there you would like to know more about
God Our Father there are millions of
Christians out there who would dearly
love to help you welcome Christ into you
heart and life and insure your eternal
life in Heaven.
Peace With God - Romans
Road
- Salvation
The Bad News ~ The Good
News
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John 15
1
I am the true vine, and my Father is the
husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not
fruit he taketh away: and every branch
that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that
it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which
I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the
branch cannot bear fruit of itself,
except it abide in the vine; no more can
ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He
that abideth in me, and I in him, the
same bringeth forth much fruit: for
without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast
forth as a branch, and is withered; and
men gather them, and cast them into the
fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide
in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it
shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye
bear much fruit; so shall ye be my
disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I
loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall
abide in my love; even as I have kept my
Father's commandments, and abide in his
love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you,
that my joy might remain in you, and that
your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love
one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his
friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever
I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants;
for the servant knoweth not what his lord
doeth: but I have called you friends; for
all things that I have heard of my Father
I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have
chosen you, and ordained you, that ye
should go and bring forth fruit, and that
your fruit should remain: that whatsoever
ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he
may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye
love one another.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it
hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world
would love his own: but because ye are
not of the world, but I have chosen you
out of the world, therefore the world
hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto
you, The servant is not greater than his
lord. If they have persecuted me, they
will also persecute you; if they have
kept my saying, they will keep yours
also.
21 But all these things will they do unto
you for my name's sake, because they know
not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto
them, they had not had sin: but now they
have no cloak for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father
also.
24 If I had not done among them the works
which none other man did, they had not
had sin: but now have they both seen and
hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word
might be fulfilled that is written in
their law, They hated me without a cause.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I
will send unto you from the Father, even
the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth
from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness,
because ye have been with me from the
beginning.
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Ephesians 5:9
(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness
and righteousness and truth;)
Ephesians 5:11
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works
of darkness,
but rather reprove them.
Titus 3:14
And let our's also learn to maintain good works
for necessary uses,
that they be not unfruitful.
Hebrews 13:15
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of
praise to God continually,
that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to
his name.
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