In Christ or Deceived?

God’s Word tells us to examine ourselves to see if we truly have a saving faith.

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
2 Corinthians 13:5

When we are truly born again and given a new heart cleansed by the precious blood of Christ our lives will drastically change.

We will have the following characteristics if Christ has residence within our heart:

1. A love for God’s Word.
Before I was saved I had little to no desire to read God’s Word consistently. I was dead spiritually. The spiritually dead in their trespasses do not crave the pure milk of the Word, nor can they understand it. If you’re dead, you don’t have an appetite. After I was born again and had the Holy Spirit residing within me I began to love God’s Word and started reading it faithfully. A healthy newborn baby has a hearty appetite just as a healthy christian will have a heart appetite for God’s Word.
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. 1 Peter 2:2

2. A hatred for sin.
If you love and tolerate sin in your life, you cannot be a growing christian. Jesus came to save us FROM our sins, not so we can continue in sin.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Romans 6:1-2
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21
Those who love the Lord, hate evil. Psalm 97:10-12

3. An obedient life.
He is the Author of salvation to all who obey Him.
If you love the Lord you will have the desire to obey the Lord?
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him…. Hebrews 5:9
If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

4. A new heart.
A heart that now loves what was once hated and hates what was once loved. If you’re truly saved you will know exactly what this means.

5. Becoming more Christ-like. Holiness is Christ-likeness.
Are we becoming more patient, merciful, long-suffering, joyful, kind, faithful, and self-controlled?
“Self-control is Christ control.” Warren Wiersbe

6. A doer of the Word
But be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22
Do we read His Word with the intention of following what it says or do we just read it and not apply it to our lives?

7. A concern for the lost.
If you have absolutely no concern for lost souls on their way to spend eternity in hell than you don’t truly love your brother and the truth is not in you. A soul that has been transferred from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light seeks to share Christ with others.

8. A desire to please and glorify the Lord.
Not to earn favor or salvation, but because we love him for all He has done for us! Serving the Lord will bring us joy, not a sense of drudgery! We will concerned with God’s opinion of us rather than the opinions of man. We will love God and not the spirit of this world.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world”
1 John 2:15-16

9. A tongue under the Spirit’s control.
Before I was saved my mouth used God’s Name in vain. I spoke carelessly and recklessly and could care less about how my words affected other. The words that I speak today are night and day different than what I used to speak. I still have to repent of words spoken in haste out of my flesh and pray that God will continue to do His refining work in me. Our words determine which Kingdom we belong to- the Kingdom of Righteousness or the Kingdom of darkness. What’s in the heart always comes out of the mouth.
No man can tame the tongue.
“But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” James 3:8
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” Luke 6:45


10. Boldness-
Do you refuse to talk about Christ because you fear what others will say of you? If you are ashamed of Christ, He will be ashamed of you at His return.
“Everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8-9).

Whenever I feel timid and sometimes scared to share Christ I often find that I have un-confessed sin in my life. Un-confessed sin makes men into cowards. A clear conscience and clean heart will cause us to be bold for the cause of Christ.


11. We walk in the light.
We will allow His Word to change us and reveal to us the sin in our life. We are convicted by the Holy Spirit when we sin and quick to confess and forsake our sin.
“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
1 John 1:4-7


12. We have a love for other Christians and enjoy being in their company.

We cannot say we love God and hate even one person. With God’s help we can forgive others. We can hate the behavior of others, but we must see each person as an eternal soul that will spend eternity in either heaven or hell. We should feel sorry for those who are practicing evil because they are deceived and under the control of satan. God has the power to redeem even the worst of sinner!
“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother” 1 John 4:20-21.



We will never bear fruit or grow as a christian if we do not abide in Christ. For without Christ, we can do NOTHING.
“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.“ John 15:5


The secret of being a fruit-bearing Christian is Christ in us- the Hope of glory! It is God who works in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure. It is a daily surrender to His will, being justified by faith.

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.“ Romans 3:24-26


What happens if you read this and find that your life has no evidence of being saved? God’s Word says that if you are thirsty spiritually then He is inviting you to come and take of the water of life freely! He desires for you to know Him personally!
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
Revelation 22:17

God will NEVER turn away anyone that comes to Him in faith! Even if you have backslidden you can still come to Him. The promises of God has no expiration date or limit!

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37

If you have the desire to come to Christ, that desire has been put there by the Holy Spirit. Man would never seek God apart from the Holy Spirit. If you have the desire to come to Christ, then He is calling you to Himself. Please don’t quench the Spirit and harden your heart. We are not promised to hear His voice tomorrow.
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:44


Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear,
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood His grace,
Long provoked Him to His face,
Would not hearken to His calls,
Grieved Him by a thousand falls.
I have spilt His precious blood,
Trampled on the Son of God,
Filled with pangs unspeakable,
I, who yet am not in hell!

I my Master have denied,
I afresh have crucified,
And profaned His hallowed Name,
Put Him to an open shame.
Whence to me this waste of love?
Ask my Advocate above!

Now incline me to repent,
Let me now my sins lament,
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more.

Charles Wesley

Repent and believe the Gospel! Our God is mighty to save!

Blessings of Obedience and the Results of Disobedience

Picture Source

Obedience to God isn't an option. Those who truly love the Lord will obey Him and it will be a delight to do so. Obedience to God isn't always easy and there will be times when we will fail, but if we repent, God is always faithful to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.  Each morning the children and I try to have a short morning devotion. I thought it would be nice to type out the blessings of obedience and the results of disobedience and laminate them as a reminder of the blessings that follow obeying the Lord and as a warning of the path of disobedience. We plan to study some of the scripture references for our devotions in the upcoming weeks. 
Jesus didn't come only to forgive us of our sins, but He came to save us FROM our sins. Jesus gives us the power to overcome sin. In Him we have victory!
 
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:10

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.
Hebrews 5:9

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
James 1:22

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
 Matthew 7:21

Source

Blessings of Obedience:

Peace with enemies- Proverbs 16:7

Deliverance- Proverbs 11:21

Strong confidence and a place of refuge- Proverbs 14:26

Eternal life- Rom.2:7

Preserved by the Lord.-Ps. 121:7

Long life-Pr.3:2

Favor with God-Pr.3:4

Direction- Pr.3:6

Health to bones-Pr.3:8

Provision- Pr.3:10

Prayers that are heard- Pr.15:29

Delivered out of trouble- Pr.11:7

Fruitful life -.12:12

Mouth of wisdom- Pr.10:31

Peace, quietness, assurance- Isa.32:17

Mercy and truth- Ps.32:10, Pr.14:22

Children taught by the Lord and peace- Isa.54:13

Life everlasting -Gal.6:8

Happiness- Ps. 128:2

Blessings- Ps.128:4

No fear- Isa.54:14

Everlasting joy and gladness- Isa 51:11

Crown of righteousness- 2 Tim.4:8

Grace and glory -Ps.84:11

Life, righteousness, and honor- Pr.21:21

Friend of God- John 15:14

 

But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22

We can give all our money to the poor, share the gospel, teach sunday school, take care of the sick; but it doesn't matter if your ministry isn't the outflow of obedience.
 On the outside we may look the part, but if we lack obedience to the Lord and we're living intentionally in our sin without repenting or forsaking our sin, then nothing else matters.  Nothing we do can make up for lack of obedience to the Lord.  Before we can ever obey the Lord we have to first be born again; which means to be given a new heart that desires to please the Lord.  Without a new heart and the Spirit of God living inside of us, we can never live a life of obedience and will face the consequences listed below.
Results of Disobedience:
Death- Rom.8:6

Wrath of God- Rom2:7

Shortened life- Prov.10:27

Curses- blindess, madness, confusion, and disaster-Deut.28:20,28

Unfruitful life- Lk.8:14

An end that leads to destruction- Phil.3:19, Prov.10:29

Enslaved, weighed down- Lk.21:34-36

Death -Ezek.18:4

Will reap vanity and corruption- Pr.22:8, Gal. 6:8

Trouble- Pr.15:6

Never satisfied- Pr.13:25

Will perish -Ps.1:6, Ps.37:20

Will reap what he sows- Ps.7:15

Lack of understanding- Prov.28:5

Sudden calamity- Pr.28:18

God’s displeasure -Pr.15:8

Far from the Lord- Prov.15:29

Tribulations and anguish- Rom. 2:9

No peace- Isa.57:21


 

Stop Striving and Start Abiding

I can't think of anything more exhausting than trying to produce fruit apart from Christ.  It is impossible. You cannot become more loving, patient, or kind without abiding in Christ daily.  It is not our job to produce fruit, but to bear fruit.  If you are struggling with a hot temper, foul mouth, bad attitude, you don't need to work harder to change your behavior, you need Christ.  Ask yourself when the last time was that you spent time with the Lord and if you are abiding in Christ.

Hos. 14:8 "From Me comes your fruit."

To abide in Christ is the only way to live a fruit-filled life.  We abide in Christ when we:

1. Are filled with the Holy Spirit- without the Spirit you can't produce the fruit of the Spirit.

2.  Are led by the Spirit.
Not by your desire to impress others, not by selfish ambitions, but by Christ Who is living inside of you.

3.  Spend time each day in prayer.
If we truly love someone we will spend time with that person.  How can we say we love Christ, but not spend time in prayer getting to know Him?

4.  Spend time in His Word.
God's Word is our daily bread- It is alive and active.  I heard a quote somewhere that said that the Bible is the only Book you can read with the Author standing right beside you while you're reading it.  Spending time in His Word strengthens our faith, convicts of our sin, directs our paths, and encourages our hearts. 

 If we neglect any of the following we will notice that it's not long before the works of the flesh become evident. I've learned that whenever I neglect prayer or reading my Bible, I always develop a bad attitude.  I have a short temper with my kids and have a complaining and critical spirit.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  
envyings,murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21

Whenever you are lacking in the fruit of the Spirit you need to repent of any known sin and run to the cross of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is our only Hope. 

John 15:2
"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."

John 15:8
"This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Matthew 7:20 "'By their fruits you will know them"

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

John 15:4-5 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing"

Characteristics of a Meek and Quiet Spirit

Zephaniah 2:3
Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

1 Timothy 6:11
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

We are to seek meekness, put on meekness, and pursue meekness.  This is a wonderful article below that lists some of the characteristics of a meek and quiet spirit.  I fall so short of having this type of a spirit and realize that I can't develop these characteristics on my own.  Only through abiding in Christ and His grace can I ever manifest any of these characteristics mentioned below.  Meekness isn't a word we use very often in our society.  Society teaches that we are to be bold, loud, outspoken, opinionated,and to stand up for our "rights" as women.  Being submissive, having a meek and quiet spirit is looked down upon by society, but is highly valued by God. 




The meek will be at rest in the storms of life …

(Matthew 11:28–30; Psalm 37:7; Hebrews 4:1–11)

The fretful will be fearful in the storms of life …

(Mark 4:35–41; Jeremiah 50:6)



The meek will react to circumstances with peaceful trust …

(Isaiah 26:3–4)

The fretful will attempt to manipulate individuals or circumstances …

(James 4:1–3; Proverbs 7:21)



The meek will make life choices based on Scriptural principles …

(Psalm 119:105)

The fretful will make life choices based on emotions or fleeting passions of the moment …

(James 3:13–18; Proverbs 19:16)



The meek woman’s confidence is in the security of the truths of Scripture and the faithfulness of God …

(Proverbs 3:26, 14:26; Psalm 119:165; Jeremiah 17:7–8)

The fretful woman’s trust is in her own abilities and power to control others and details …

(Proverbs 12:15, 14:12, 16:25; Jeremiah 18:12)







“Meekness is the silent submission of the soul to the 'providence' of God concerning us.”

—Matthew Henry



The meek woman finds her worth and value in knowing who she is in Christ …

(Ephesians 1:3–8)

The fretful woman finds her worth and value in her own accomplishments and what others think of her …

(Psalm 49:11–20; Proverbs 11:28, 16:18–19, 29:25)




The meek woman finds her strength of character in Christ …

(Ephesians 5:8–11)

The fretful woman finds her strength of character in her own personality traits …

(Proverbs 28:26)


Meekness restrains the stormy tempest of our emotions and passions by commanding them“peace be still” …

(Proverbs 16:32)

Fretting fuels the stormy tempest by venting passions and emotions …

(Psalm 37:8; Proverbs 14:29–30, 29:11, 22)



Meekness is the strength and courage to battle and overcome our own sinful anger and passions, by holding fast to peace—through trusting in the providence of Almighty God …

(Romans 12:18–19; Colossians 3:1–17; 1 Peter 4:19)

The fretful woman is too fearful and weak to trust God,but allows her sinful emotions and passions to rule …

(Proverbs 28:25)


“The work and office of meekness is to enable us to govern our own anger when at anytime we are provoked, and patiently bear out the anger of others that it may not be a provocation to us.”

—Matthew Henry



Meekness is constancy and steady composure in spirit and frame of mind, reflecting the consistent stability of our Lord, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

(Psalm 102:25–27; Ephesians 4:13–15; 1 Peter 3:13–16; Hebrews 13:8)

The fretful woman is always on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, continually up and down …the only thing consistent about her is that you never know what mood to expect.

(Proverbs 21:9, 19, 25:24)



Meekness does not allow the mind to run away with vain imaginations and to dwell on thoughts which inflame volatile emotions and passions …

(2 Corinthians 10:3–5; Philippians 4:8–9)

The rash woman is filled with suspicions, doubts, and assumptions based entirely on emotion, and allows these imaginations to determine the course of action …
(3 John 9–10)



The meek woman does not avoid or run from controversy, but walks through necessary confrontations under the control of the Holy Spirit …

(Galatians 6:1–2; Proverbs 27:5)

The rash woman enters controversy hastily and recklessly …

(Proverbs 10:19, 13:3, 14:16–17, 29:20)




The meek woman is at peace because she is master over her passions …

(Proverbs 17:27, 25:28, 29:11)

The rash woman is fretful because she is mastered by her passions …

(Psalm 37:1–8; Romans 6:16; James 1:14–17)




“It is better by silence to yield to our brother, who is, or has been, or may be, our friend, than by angry speaking to yield to the devil, who has been, and is, and ever will be , our sworn enemy.”

—Matthew Henry




The meek woman speaks truth in love, the law of kindness is on her lips …

(Proverbs 31:26, 16:24; Ephesians 4:1–2, 29)

The rash woman speaks harshly, and is not truly concerned for the listener’s feelings …

(Proverbs 12:18, 16:27; James 3:6–12)




The meek woman patiently waits to hear the whole matter before reacting …

(Proverbs 15:28)

The rash woman reacts emotionally before giving time to pause and consider …

(Proverbs 15:18, 18:13)



The meek woman is not unemotional, but her emotions are ruled by the Spirit of God …

(Proverbs 14:30, 31:25; Galatians 5:22–26; Philippians 4:4–7)

The fretful woman is ruled by circumstances, emotions, and passions …

(Proverbs 29:22; Psalm 37:1–8)


“To study the art of quietness is to take pains with ourselves, to work upon our own hearts the principles, rules, and laws of meekness; and to furnish ourselves with such considerations as tend to the quieting of the spirit in the midst of the greatest provocations.”

—Matthew Henry


The meek woman does not entertain suspicions or assume the worst concerning others—but reacts based on first-hand knowledge …

(Proverbs 18:13, 17)

The rash woman imagines and assumes the worst, then she reacts accordingly …

(1 Timothy 4:7, 5:13)


The meek woman is not easily offended …

(Proverbs 19:11; Romans 14:19, 1 Corinthians 13:4–7)

The fretful woman is easily offended …

(Romans 12:3, 16)


The meek woman forgives quickly …

(Matthew 5:23–25; Ephesians 4:26–27, 31–32)

The fretful woman holds onto offenses and hurts, becoming bitter …

(Hebrews 12:14–15)


Meekness demonstrates gracious restraint. It responds to accusations or criticism with restraint rooted in humility, by recognizing that without God’s grace, I am capable of far worse than what I am being accused.

(1 Peter 3:8–9)



Rashness seeks vengeance. It responds to accusations or criticism with the wrath of a haughty heart.

(Romans 12:14–19)




“If God should be as angry with me for every provocation as I am with those about me, what would become of me?”

—Matthew Henry


The meek woman is still and knows that He is God; therefore she trusts in Him and is at peace …

(Psalm 46:10; Proverbs 18:10, 30:5)

The fretful woman runs through life at a frantic pace, not stopping long enough to sit still and listen to the Master’s voice …

(Luke 10:38–42)

“It is 'in the sight of God of great price.' It is really a precious grace, for it is so in the sight of God … Herein we should every one labor and this we should be ambitious of, as of the greatest honor … it is a thing attainable through the Mediator from whom we have received instruction how to walk so as to please him. We must walk with meekness and quietness of spirit, for this is 'in the sight of God of great price.' Therefore this mark of honor is, in a special measure, put upon the grace of meekness, because it is commonly despised and looked upon with contempt by the children of the world … meekness and quietness of spirit is a very excellent grace which we should every one of us put on and be adorned with.”

— Matthew Henry



© Revive Our Hearts. Written by Kimberly Wagner. Used with permission. www.ReviveOurHearts.com Info@ReviveOurHearts.com

Meekness is not to be confused with weakness: the meek are not simply submissive because they lack the resources to be anything else. Meekness is quite compatible with great strength and ability as humans measure strength, but whatever strength or weakness the meek person has is accompanied by humility and a genuine dependence on God. True meekness may be a quality of the strong, those who could assert themselves but choose not to do so.

Leon Morris
Matthew, Eerdmans, 1992, p. 98.

Article shared on the Raising Homemakers Link Up.

Fruit of the Spirit

Apart from Christ we can do nothing.  It is only through abiding in Christ can our lives have true spiritual fruit.  Here is a list I found that names some of the things that will be present in our lives if we continue to abide in Christ. 


A Partial Inventory of Spiritual Fruit.


A desire and ability to:
1. Pursue God's glory (1 Cor. 10:31).
2. Mature in Christlikeness (1 Pet. 2:2).
3. Be kind to others (Eph. 4:32).
4. Restore relationships (Mt. 5:9).
5. Rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 4:4).
6. Persevere through trials (Jas. 1:2-3).
7. Suffer persecution for Christ (2 Tim. 3:10-11).
8. Delight in God's commandments (Psm. 119:47).
9. Read, study, memorize, listen to and meditate on the Bible (Jos. 1:8).
10. Share your faith (2 Tim. 4:5).
11. Be patient with others (1 Thes. 5:14).
12. Contribute to church unity (Eph. 4:3).
13. Desire goodness (2 Thes. 1:11).
14. Pray without ceasing (1 Thes. 5:17).
15. Faithfully prioritize church (Heb. 10:23-25).
16. Prefer others (Rom. 12:10).
17. Surrender fully to Christ (Lk. 9:23).
18. Act faithfully (Gal. 5:22).
19. Serve in the church (1 Cor. 12:7).
20. Experience true peace (Gal. 5:22).
21. Be a committed marriage partner (Col. 3:18-19).
22. Love God and others (Mt. 22:37-39).
23. Guard your heart (Pr. 4:23).
24. Manifest a tempered spirit (Tit. 2:2).
25. Exercise self-control (Gal. 5:23).
26. Grow in the knowledge of God (2 Pet. 3:18).
27. Repent of known sin (Lk. 13:5).
28. Develop biblical wisdom (Eph. 5:15).
29. Examine yourself (1 Cor. 13:5).
30. Practice hospitality (Rom. 12:13).
31. Be humble (1 Pet. 5:6).
32. Work hard with integrity (Col. 3:23-24).
33. Act with gentleness (Gal. 5:23).
34. Manage your home (1 Tim. 3:4).
35. Instruct and discipline your children biblically (Eph. 6:4).
36. Listen more than you speak (Jas. 1:19).
37. Want Christian fellowship (Ac. 2:42).
38. Speak wholesome words (Col. 4:6).
39. Encourage others (1 Thes. 5:11).
40. Be an example for others (1 Tim. 4:12).
41. Forgive others (Mt. 6:12).
42. Fast (Mt. 6:16).
43. Hate evil (Rom. 12:9).
44. Be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).
45. Support missionaries (3 Jn. 1:7-8).
46. Engage in spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:13).
47. Sacrifice with your finances (2 Cor. 8:3-5).
48. Experience hope (Heb. 6:11).
49. Sing spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19).
50. Develop biblical convictions (Jas. 4:17).
51. Commit to pure doctrine (Tit. 2:1).
52. Desire God's will (Jn. 4:34).
53. Be thankful (Col. 3:15).
54. Submit wherever necessary (Eph. 5:21).
55. Prioritize spiritual things (Col. 3:1-2).
56. Long for our Lord's return (Rev. 22:20).

Note: Our hearts must always be examined as much of this can be produced in the flesh.

Randy Smith


Here is a later post I wrote about the Fruit of the Sprit.

Super Mom vs. Abiding Mom

Found this online without a name so I dont know who to give credit to, but felt it was worth sharing.


Does
Is (Psalm 46:10)

Tries to impress others
Pleases the Lord (Eph. 5:10, Proverbs 29:25)

Is controlled by an agenda (curriculum, schedule, etc)
Is controlled by the Holy Spirit: (Gal. 5:22-26) (Uses curriculum & schedules as tools for orderliness so she's more free to follow the spirit)

Her self worth is found in her accomplishments (clean house, perfect kids, the perfect bulletin boards, etc.)
Her self worth is found in an accurate view of who she is in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:10)

Her peace is found in the “perfect” environment
Her peace is found in Jesus in the midst of any storm (Is 26:3)

She is discouraged by failure
Failure reminds her that God's strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

She expects perfection from herself and others
She practices grace with herself and others (Eph 4:32)

She teaches her kids to be good
She teaches her kids to be Godly (Proverbs 22:6)

She is frustrated with her lack of spiritual fruit
She abides in Christ and bears much fruit (John 15:5)

She does things with her children
She builds a relationship with her children (Deut 6:6-7)

Her perspective is based on what is seen
Her perspective is based on what is unseen (Col 3:2)

She chooses quantity of activities
She chooses the most excellent Way (I Cor 13)

Rest

Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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.”

Rest. Something the world considers as being lazy, idle, and unproductive. Most days I feel like I need to always be doing something, yet God says it is a good thing to rest. We all NEED those quiet times, those moments of peace where we can be alone with God and replenish our strength from Him. As Nancy Leigh Demoss says, "You have to drink of Him before you can pour out into others’ lives." So true! Whenever I neglect resting in the Lord I find myself snapping at my husband and kids and living my day feeling drained instead of replenished. I often feel like I am running on empty. Instead of running faster and trying harder I need find rest in Jesus and let Him be the satisfier of my thirsting soul!
Being a wife and mother of 3 is hard work! Alot of days I tell myself that I don't have time to rest. That I just have to much to do and that I have to keep going in order to get everything I need to get done, done. I continue living my day in my own strength and end up frustrated, tired, with nothing left to give to my family. I believe the reason so many mothers are overwhelmed with the daily duties of motherhood is because we don't begin our day with Jesus. We wake up and tackle the day on our own, in our own strength, but our strength will never be enough. We might spend our days being busy, but there is a difference in being busy and being fruitful. We cannot live a fruitful life apart from Christ. Only through abiding in Him can our lives produce fruit. How often we plan our own steps, goals, dreams, and how we spend our precious time. When was the last time you asked the Lord what HIS plans, dreams, and goals for your day was? I am speaking to myself as I'm writing this because I'm guilty in not seeking the Lord's will as I begin each day. I usually read my Bible at the end of the day before bed, but have realized that this is not what God wants for me. He wants me to BEGIN each day with Him. God's yoke is EASY and His burden is LIGHT! God wants us to find rest for our souls in HIM. We wont find true rest for our souls by reading a good book, having a break from the kids, getting the house in order, or by getting more sleep. Come to the only One who can give you the rest your soul yearns for!
Lord, as I begin each day help me to seek Your will and not live according to my own plans. Your word says that your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Help me to weed out the things in our family that do not produce fruit. Lead me to still waters and help others to see the reflection of Jesus living in me. Amen.

Mark 6:31
31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."


Psalm 127:2
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Let His Light Shine In

　
　
I’ve always been told it’s not good to dwell on my faults so I would always box them up, turn off the light, and shut the door, but the Holy Spirit is always faithful to turn the light back on and reveal the faults in my life that is keeping me from producing good fruit. It has been overwhelming at times. Issues that I would rather not deal with because of pride and denial. I mean who actually LIKES to look at their weaknesses? I would tell myself that nobody is perfect and try to move on.
We like to measure our spiritual maturity by how "good" we are, but the truth is that not one of us is "good" and if we say we are than we have no room for God’s grace. God loves us the way we are, but He refuses to keep us that way. We are to walk in holiness, but that doesn’t mean we will be without blemish. As soon as God helps me overcome one issue, another issue shows up. It can be discouraging, but I remind myself of a saying I once read in a book "your not where you need to be, but thank God you’re not where you used to be." Whenever I think I’m making no spiritual progress I just look back several years and see how much God has changed me. He still has a lot of work to do, but I know he will do it. God’s word says that "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion." When I sin the Holy Spirit is always faithful to show me the way and make my paths straight.
I want my life to produce good fruit for Christ. I want people to see me as authentic and not as a hypocrite. Why is it so hard for us to talk about our weaknesses? We find it pretty easy to talk about someone else’s weaknesses, but not our own. We usually take someone’s weakness and use it against them. God wants us to confess our weaknesses to one another, not to embarrass them but so we can encourage each other. When we isolate ourselves in our problems we make ourselves vulnerable to Satan. Satan wants us to feel that we are the only one with weaknesses and that we shouldn’t have any if we were really a TRUE follower of Christ. Satan is a liar and sometimes we actually believe his lies. Only when we face our weaknesses and shine light on them can we begin to overcome them. We are all part of the body of Christ and we all need each other!
Sometimes it is so hard to see God’s love for me. How could He possibly love ME? I guess that is the beauty of His GRACE. I have known about God’s grace since I was a child, but just knowing about grace doesn’t set me free, I need to ACCEPT it! Grace frees us from trying to earn God’s love and acceptance when it’s already ours for the taking. Someone can give you gift, but you can’t use the gift until you actually unwrap it. It’s only when you actually accept the unconditional love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and acceptance that you actually start doing things because you LOVE God, not because you are trying to earn God’s love. (I’m still a work in progress on this one.) We already have His love. God doesn’t look at my actions, He looks at my motives behind my actions. The "why" not the "what" of what I do. Being a follower of Christ is a daily decision and sometimes for me a minute by minute decision. Our flesh has to die to self. I used to follow the lead of my feelings, but I’ve learned that my feelings can not be trusted and they often get me into trouble. I am trying to put aside my feelings and do what God’s word tells me to do even if I don’t "feel" like it. That is part of a growing relationship with Christ. We can’t grow in Christ if we our faith is never tested.
Don’t just accept your weaknesses, but don’t let your focus only be on your weakness’ either, rather keep your focus on Jesus Christ and let his Truth set you free!
Philippians 1:6
6. being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
　
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
　
1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.