Cultivating the Fruit: Day 3

Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law"

Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

Day 3: Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

I could talk ALL day about faithfulness, especially God's faithfulness towards us. Faithfulness is your loyalty, dependablity, and trust. We all know that God is all of that to us; therefore, we must exercise those characteristics with others. God is so faithful that He wakes us up each morning, guides us safely to our destinations, and provides when He sees fit. Being faithful exhibits good character in that it shows your ability and willingness to follow through, your ability to keep your word, and your ability to be trusted. God desires your faithfulness...great is thy faithfulness.

Gentleness is humbleness. There is nothing more inviting than a humble spirit. Matthew 23:12 says " and whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" Being humble is a requirement; therefore, if you don't do it yourself you'll force God to do it. To be exalted by yourself is nothing to be  humbled by God is everything. When you are humble people are drawn to you. I have not yet seen the full speech, but I've heard a lot of great things about how humble Kevin Durant was in his acceptance of the 2013-2014 NBA MVP award. He now has new fans because of his humbling speech. It pays to be humble and it speaks volumes in terms of character.

Self-control. Jesus is the best example I can give for self-control. He is the ONLY man known to walk this earth that did not fall into the temptation of the devil. That's some MAJOR self-control. This is difficult for us because the devil uses people we label friend, sister/brother, cousin, teacher, boyfriend/girlfriend, wife/husband, etc. Just as the God uses His people the devil will use his that's why we must be able to recognize who belongs to who and how they can potentially affect our lives and our walk with God. We are to still love them, be patient with them, be kind to them, and show goodness towards them; however, we must remain cautious (Proverbs 25:28). The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy; therefore, we must gain self-control so that we don't fall victim to the devil and his tactics.

These fruits are essential for your Christian appetite. Unfortunately, you can not go to wholefoods, kroger, or walmart to buy them. This fruit is grown though seeds planted by the Holy Spirit who SHOULD be living in and through you.You shouldn't have to mention God for people to know that you belong to him. Instead your acts of love, joy, long-suffering, kindess, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control should speak for itself. As we continue on our journey as Christians our goal should be to become more like Christ and here are 9 ways to do so. Each day we should be evolving and growing in Christ. No one should ever look at me and say "same ole Kim" because I'm far from who I was last month and certainly last year. I'm not perfect nor do I pretend to be, but God still uses me and for that I'm grateful.

#FearlessFAITH

Cultivating the Fruit: Day 2

Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law"

Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

Day 2: Long-suffering, Kindness, Goodness
 If you read yesterday's blog, today you should be filled with love and joy with a peace of mind that only God can give you.
Long-suffering (patience) is a fruit that you definitely have to bear in order to operate in love, have joy, and be at peace with whatever you're faced with in life. Knowing that God does things in His timing and His timing ONLY will definitely test your patience. Honestly, if you don't have patience with God you can forget about having patience with other people, being stuck in traffic, at work or whatever it is that tests your patience daily. God has never been in a rush to do anything...it took ~31 years for Him to start using Jesus (in our sight) and ~2 more years to complete that work in Him. He called David to be King, but it didn't happen immediately. David spent years under Saul's leadership and more years running from Saul who wanted to kill him before He could sit on the throne that God had long promised him. I have no shame in saying that patience is an area that I definitely need work in because generally I want what I want, when I want it (not good...I know). In fact, yesterday I wrote a status on FB that said "My plans = God's entertainment". My plans were on an expedited schedule instead of God's schedule. To my surprise God has definitely found a way to slow me down to teach me a little patience. Good things come to those who wait, PATIENTLY. Oddly enough, God was kind enough to slow me down before I got out of control and wrecked myself...that's His kindness.

Kindness is similar to mercy; where, God spares you from what you REALLY deserve. You see I shouldn't be able to speak in God's name with all the sinning I've done, BUT GOD is so kind that He looked beyond my faults and scars to use me for His glory. He is so kind to prepare a place for me (and you) in the Kingdom just as long as I live for Him. He kindly disregards knowing that my last mistake will not be my LAST mistake and that my last sin will not be my LAST sin. That's when the goodness of God comes into play.

Goodness is very similar to grace where God gives you what you do not deserve. I love the saying "God is good all the time and all the time God is good". It's used a lot but that doesn't take away its validity...God is in fact good and you can never give Him enough credit for that. Everything that I have today is because of the goodness of God. I am blessed beyond measure. Goodness comes from the heart and it should flow from heart to heart. Just God is good to us we too should be good to others especially those who can do nothing for us.
David says in Psalm 23:6 "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever". I'll go out on a limb to say goodness and kindness are interchangeable with grace and mercy. As long as God shows us (and we show others) kindness and goodness and we patient in allow Him to do so we will have a place in the Kingdom forever. I don't know about you, but my goal is to see that place; therefore, if cultivating the fruit of patience, kindness, and goodness will allow it I will try that much harder to do it.

Testimony
Yesterday morning I was running behind...I couldn't get my hair right, then I had to cook breakfast, then after I got in my car I noticed I forgot part of my lunch so I had to go back inside, while inside I decided to change my shirt -- everything was going "wrong" in my sight. My commute is usually 20 min or so, but 45 minutes had elapsed and I was stuck in stop-and-go traffic which is unusual for the route that I take. I almost started to complain until I got to the place where a police was sending us on a detour due to an accident that caused them to shut down the entire road. God said to me "see that could've been you BUT I put things in place to ensure it wasn't". In that moment I realized God had tested my patience and had been kind and good in doing so by blocking it. If my morning had gone according to MY plans I could've been in a life-chaning accident.
God is Good!

#FearlessFAITH

Cultivating the Fruit: Day 1

Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law"

The book of Galatians (along with 1&2 Corinthians, Colossians, Luke, and Revelation) sites many specific right and wrong actions in accordance with living for God. You'll find several instances thoughout the Bible where planting and cultivating crops is at the forefront of a lesson (Personally I love the parable of the sower in Matthew 13). Where and how you are planted determines what will grow or if anything will grow at all. I don't know a lot about planting anything, but one thing I do know is that the growth is dependent upon the foundation, the type of soil that surrounds the seed, how much light it receives, and how it's fed. WOW! Spiritual growth essentially depends on those same things (where I'm rooted, who I surround myself with, God is the light, the Word is the food). What are you cultivating? As you are rooted and planted in the foundation that is the Lord and fed by the Holy Spirit you should be reproducing the Fruit of the Spirit.

Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

 In the next few blogs I want to focus on the Fruit of the Spirit. Since there are nine I will deal with three each day.

Day 1: LOVE, JOY, and PEACE  

You should be walking in love, full of joy with a peace of mind. Remember, if no one else does, God loves you! God is love; therefore, to know Him is to know love. Forget what Webster defined loved to be...God defined love when He GAVE His son. If you read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 you'll see where God defines love (you'll also find a little fruit there too). God loves us and in return He wants us to love Him as well as His people. That's not so hard right? WRONG!!!!! I never knew how hard it was to love ALL people until I had been wronged by a few people. I've even found that some people don't know how to receive love because they don't know love (God). With the help of the Lord I have learned how to love everyone in spite of anything they have ever done to me or said about me, with that comes joy.

Joy is a sense of gladness that comes from knowing the goodness of God. The situation you're in shouldn not and does not determine whether or not you have joy. Your knowledge of who God is determines whether or not you have joy! No matter what situation I am in JOY still exists. No matter what is said about me or done to me JOY still radiates from my spirit. I may cry and experience hurt but JOY still exists...I know this because the Bible says so in Psalm 30:5. The Lord still sees fit for me to wake up every morning to set out on the journey He placed me on and for that I will always be joyous and nothing can take that away. I can reJOYce (yes I know it's spelled incorrectedly) in knowing that He is not done and His plan is greater than any little thing that is said or done to me, with that comes peace.

Peace is like gold to me. It shows how much you REALLY trust God. When you find peace in the midst of your storm you must give all the credit to God. Peace comes with God's favor and in T.D. Jakes voice "FAVOR AIN'T FAIR" (Part 1 Part 2) Check it out in case you missed it last year. If you have peace be utterly grateful...peace removes worry thus freeing up space for praise, worship, and the receipt of your blessing. I thank GOD for peace of mind!

#FearlessFAITH

Running from God??

I went to a women’s conference with my sissy a few years ago and one of the evangelists spoke this word from the book of Jonah. I don't recall exactly what she ministered; however, the story stuck with me as I had never read the book of Jonah prior to that conference. As a you may know, Jonah is a book in the Old Testament that is a story about disobedience. God had called on Jonah to cry out against the city of Nineveh because it had been overcome by wickedness. Instead of Jonah being obedient to the call that God had put on his life he attempted to flee to Tarshish via a boat. On that journey the men amongst the boat found themselves in the midst of a storm in which everyone began to call upon their gods to calm the sea. Ironically, Jonah was fast asleep in the boat and was not aware of the storm. He was awakened by those amongst him and as they began questioning who he was. When they found out that Jonah was a Hebrew and feared the Lord they became afraid (funny that they did not worship our God yet when they heard His name and experienced His wrath even they feared Him). After hearing who Jonah’s God was even these men (who were not of God) began to call on the name of the Lord to calm the storm, which did not work. As the last resort, Jonah was thrown into the sea which  then calmed the raging waters. The men that were amongst the boat now feared the Lord, offered sacrifices, and took vows. As a part of God’s plan, Jonah was swallowed by a large fish. Jonah spent 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the fish. After Jonah had cried out to God from the belly of the fish God delivered Him and spoke the word that Jonah had ran away from once more.

There are 4 take aways in the first 2 chapters of Jonah.

1.       Disobedience (Jonah 1:1-3)

2.       Storm (Jonah 1: 4-16)

3.       Prayer (Jonah 2:1-9)

4.       Deliverance (Jonah 2: 10) 

Questions:Are you running from God out of disobedience? Are you the cause of a storm around you that you aren’t even consciously aware of?

Sometimes we don’t realize the importance of what God has called us to do so we ignore it as if we didn’t hear Him. You can do a lot of things but one thing you cannot do is hide from God, we learned that when Adam and Eve tried it back in Genesis...IT DIDN'T WORK!! In Jonah’s prayer he acknowledges the fact that even though he was disobedient God still covered him in the storm. When God has a plan for you in your efforts to run away you’ll run right into God… He'll still use you and you will be forced to acknowledge who He is, the power that He has, and His love for you. No matter how difficult the task may seem know that God entrusted you to do something for Him and if He gave you the task He'll give you the provisions to complete it.

GOOD NEWS!!! It’s not too late!! Once you’ve stopped running and surrendered to God (or He's trapped you in a place where your only way out is to acknowledge Him) He’ll instruct you again just as He did Jonah. [Thank you Lord for second, third, and fourth chances] Be ready to move when God says move don’t make Him force you. It's one thing to be in a storm that is of no fault of your own, but to be in a storm that YOU created by being disobedient is a different story.

Moral of the story: LISTEN to God! Don’t run away from Him! Running away is a race you’ll never win; instead, run towards Him. You’ll never cross the finish line running in the wrong direction…everything you accomplish outside of the will of God will not fully satisfy you and it definitely will not please God. Stop trying to please those around you...Live to please God!

#FearlessFAITH

Getting what God has for YOU

1 Corinthians 2:9 "But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" 

To get what God has for you He must first be able to communicate with you and you with Him. In past blogs I have talked a lot about prayer, hearing God's voice, and trusting God's plan. All of those things come together to equip you to receive what God has for you. Free yourself of distractions, making yourself available to be used by God (for His purpose) and to be blessed by God (for your good). 

Be careful though, because although God longs to bless you the devil longs to block those blessings. Therefore, the devil will stage "blessings" of his own to distract you from the true blessings of God. The things that the devil tempts you with may sometimes closely resemble what God has for you, but differs in that it comes with stipulations and consequences that are designed to hold you captive. It is often something that will consume you so much so that you are too busy to seek God and receive what is really yours. NEWSFLASH: God's blessings have already been paid for...there are no stipulations. In fact, God's blessings come filled with love and the provisions you need to to be free in Him. 

God's blessings can be received by Praying for discernment and praying with stability (even in your weakest moments pray with the strength that you know God has). Do NOT pray to God with uncertainty in Him and His power... that is insulting! In addition, you must also love Him to receive His blessings. Your love for God is shown by how much you put into your relationship with Him and how you treat His people. Ultimately God is most concerned with the condition of your heart (which is a completely different topic) and He blesses you accordingly. Worship God for who He is not what He can do for you because at this point He's already done enough. We have to be grateful of His generosity to CONTINUE to bless us knowing He doesn't have to.  

It's time to set the atmosphere to receive your blessings...what an awesome way to start the week! 

Worship song: Set the Atmosphere by Kurt Carr

Heaven Bound

Romans 8:18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us"

 

This is a scripture that will stick with me for the rest of my life. It is the last scripture that my grandfather marked in his Bible before going to glory. This is also a reminder that no matter what we are currently experiencing God is right here with us...no matter how bad it seems it's a part of His plan. More importantly none of it matters because it doesn't compare to the glory that will be revealed when we make it to Heaven. Even in your weakest and/or darkest moments the glorious home waiting for you is something you can surely look forward to.

  

I love the picture above because it says you GRACE will bring me home to you...not your works, good deeds, or kind words but God's GRACE! Nothing that you do will go unnoticed; however, nothing you do will ever repay Jesus for the place He secured for you in Heaven. Ride out your suffereings on the earth because I assure you just as the Word says there is no comparison to the glory that will be revealed to you. This makes me smile and hopefully it will make the way you view your sufferings, problems, and etc. I know my Papa and Dear are having a good ole time walking around Heaven together! I can bet my grandaddy wishes he had a camera to take tons of pictures and send to us.

We miss you and love you both dearly!

 

#Heaven

#FearlessFAITH

Prayer and Supplication

Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

 

It has almost been two months since my grandfather passed and he has been heavily on my mind lately. His being gone is still very surreal as I have never lost anyone so close to me. As I was sitting talking to my grandmother about my grandfather she told me that no matter what condition he was in physically he ALWAYS got on his knees to pray at night. I'm not sure about you and your prayer life, but I rarely get on my knees to pray...I generally pray in the shower, in the bed, in the car basically whereever is convenient for me. PROBLEM: prayer isn't supposed to be convenient to me it should be a priority and I should kneel down before the Lord in prayer giving Him my FULL attention versus praying while doing something else. So I made a vow to myself that I would start getting on my knees to pray...it lasted for a few weeks and once I stopped I noticed a difference. Nothing drastic happened, but I was definitely in a deeper more intimate fellowship with God when I actually got on my knees to pray. So here is my challenge to you (if you don't already do it) start getting on your knees to pray EVERY night not just when you're going through a difficult time and see if it makes a difference in your intimacy with God. Although at times it may be tough to pray...you must still pray with stability being confident in God's ability.

I read the book Anxious for Nothing: God's Cure for the Cares of Your Soul (John Macarthur) as part of my Bible study class. The book stated that God gives you strength one day at a time and through prayer you can avoid anxiety. Don't worry...instead pray right, act right, and think right. The only way to replace a bad habit is to replace it with a good one. For me praying while doing other things is a bad habit that I've acquired so my goal is to replace it with the good habit of praying on my knees, giving my full attention EVERY night not just nights following tough days.

 

Happy Saturday!! Get on your knees tonight!!!

#FearlessFAITH