Fruit of the Spirit

Colossians 4:12‭-‬13‭, ‬18 TPT

12‭-‬13 Epaphras, who is also from Colossae, sends his loving greetings. I can tell you that he is a true servant of Christ, who always labors and intercedes for you. His prayers are filled with requests to God that you would grow and mature, standing complete and perfect in the beauty of God's plan for your lives. Epaphras has such great zeal and passion for you and for those who are from Laodicea and from Hierapolis. ...18 Now finally, I, Paul, write this with my own handwriting, and I send my loving greetings to you! Remember me in my imprisonment. May the blessings of God's grace overwhelm you! Love in Christ, Paul

Growing in the fruit of the Spirit, and the mindset and lifestyle of Jesus, is so much more valuable than anything we could gain in this world.

Father, please help me grow.  Jesus, thank you for your loving example. Holy Spirit, thank you for your presence and power.  I love you.

Living generously

I started this post before Father's Day, so I was thinking about how my parents taught me to be generous with time and money.

2 Corinthians 9:6‭-‬12 TPT

6 Here's my point. A stingy sower will reap a meager harvest, but the one who sows from a generous spirit will reap an abundant harvest. 7 Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it spring up freely from the joy of giving—all because God loves hilarious generosity! 8 Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do. 9 Just as the Scriptures say about the one who trusts in him: Because he has sown extravagantly and given to the poor, his kindness and generous deeds will never be forgotten. 10 This generous God who supplies abundant seed for the farmer, which becomes bread for our meals, is even more extravagant toward you. First he supplies every need, plus more. Then he multiplies the seed as you sow it, so that the harvest of your generosity will grow. 11 You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, for when we take your gifts to those in need, it causes many to give thanks to God. 12 The priestly ministry you are providing through your offering not only supplies what is lacking for God's people, it inspires an outpouring of praises and thanksgiving to God himself.

This morning, I remembered that I had drafted this post and wanted to complete it, and then this verse was in my reading this morning!

Luke 6:38 TPT

Give generously and generous gifts will be given back to you, shaken down to make room for more. Abundant gifts will pour out upon you with such an overflowing measure that it will run over the top! Your measurement of generosity becomes the measurement of your return.

I am so thankful for what my parents have taught me. I remember a conversation with my dad when I told him that I wanted to give more than a tithe, and he told me that God would bless me for my generous heart.  I am thankful for Jesus's promise that you can't out-give God.  And I am thankful for my dad speaking this truth over me.

Father, you are so generous!  You send rain to the righteous and the unrighteous!  You love to give good gifts to your children!  Jesus, thank you for your example of generosity, even giving your own life.  Holy Spirit, thank you for empowering me and leading me to be generous. Thank you for parents who taught me these principles from childhood. I love you!

Imitating our Father

Luke 4:40‭-‬41,43 TPT

40 At sunset, the people brought all those who were sick to Jesus to be healed. Jesus laid his hands on them one by one, and they were all healed of different ailments and sicknesses. 41 Demons also came out of many of them. The demons knew that Jesus was the Anointed One, so they shouted while coming out, "You are the Messiah, the Son of El Shaddai!" But Jesus rebuked them and commanded them to be silent. ... 43 But Jesus said, "Don't you know there are other places I must go to and offer them the hope found in God's kingdom realm? This is what I have been sent to do."

Ephesians 5:1-2 TPT

1 Be imitators of God in everything you do, for then you will represent your Father as his beloved sons and daughters. 2 And continue to walk surrendered to the extravagant love of Christ, for he surrendered his life as a sacrifice for us. His great love for us was pleasing to God, like an aroma of adoration—a sweet healing fragrance.

Jesus showed us what it looks like to imitate our Father.  

I want to be bold in imitating my Father.

Father, your creativity is amazing! And I love your heart to heal.  Jesus, thank you for showing us how to live like Father.  Holy Spirit, thank you for being with us and giving us your power.  Please help me be more bold in opportunities to show your love and power.  I love you.

Living and parenting free-Spirited

Luke 1:68‭, ‬73‭-‬75‭, ‬78‭-‬79 TPT

68 "Praise be to the exalted Lord God of Israel, for he has seen us through eyes of grace, and he comes as our Hero-God to set us free! ... 73‭-‬75 He has rescued us from the power of our enemies! This fulfills the sacred oath he made with our father Abraham. Now we can boldly worship God with holy lives, living in purity as priests in his presence every day! ... 78 The splendor light of heaven's glorious sunrise is about to break upon us in holy visitation, all because the merciful heart of our God is so very tender. 79 The word from heaven will come to us with dazzling light to shine upon those who live in darkness, near death's dark shadow. And he will illuminate the path that leads to the way of peace."

Galatians 4:7 TPT

Now we're no longer living like slaves under the law, but we enjoy being God's very own sons and daughters! And because we're his, we can access everything our Father has—for we are heirs of God through Jesus, the Messiah!

I have heard some sermons on how bad Hell will be, and I have heard a few sermons about Heaven, but generally, I think we don't talk enough about the incredible goodness of the Lord.

As John the Baptizer was raised in a Spirit-folled home, so I want to parent from a Spirit-filled framework (not a religious framework).

Father, thank you for your incredible mercy and grace! Jesus, thank you for illuminating our lives and setting us free from slavery to law, sin, and religion.  Holy Spirit, help me live as a free son.  I love you.

I am a son of Abraham

Galatians 3:6‭-‬9‭, ‬14‭, ‬29 TPT

6 Abraham, our father of faith, led the way as our pioneering example. He believed God and the substance of his faith released God's righteousness to him. 7 So those who are the true children of Abraham will have the same faith as their father! 8 God's plan all along was to bring this message of salvation to the nations through the revelation of faith. Long ago God prophesied over Abraham, as the Holy Scriptures say: "Through your example of faith all the nations will be blessed!" 9 And so the blessing of Abraham's faith is now our blessing too! ... 14 Jesus, our Messiah, was cursed in our place and in so doing, dissolved the curse from our lives, so that all the blessings of Abraham can be poured out upon even non-Jewish believers. And now God gives us the promise of the wonderful Holy Spirit who lives within us when we believe in him. ... 29 And since you've been united to Jesus the Messiah, you are now Abraham's "child" and inherit all the promises of the kingdom realm!

I am a descendent of Abraham through faith, not through biology or religious law.  Abraham believed God's promise, not the law.  The law was given to Moses 4.3 centuries later.  Abraham was blessed because of God's promise, not because of the law.  Like Abraham, I believe God's promise, and I will share in God's promised blessings for Abraham (v. 9, 14, 29). 

The presence of Holy Spirit today for those who believe is the richest part of the blessings (v. 14).  How incredible!  God doesn't wait until after we die to share His Presence with us!  He gives Himself generously, and Holy Spirit guides us to step into the fullness of the promised blessings.

Father, thank you for sending Holy Spirit! Thank you for sharing your presence!  You are so generous!  You are a good Father, and you love to give good gifts to your children! What gift could possibly be better than your very Presence: Holy Spirit residing in our spirits?  Jesus, thank you for becoming a curse to remove the curse from us so that we could live to walk in the Father's promises and blessings! Holy Spirit, please help me keep in step with you. I love you.

Give thanks to the Lord

Psalms 118:1 NIV

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

I saw my wife crying because she was discouraged by the current housing market in two ways: first, that it seemed like there were already half a dozen offers on any house she inquired, and second, the offers were all way over asking price.  

So, I asked the Lord to bless us with a house for a good deal, in spire of the current market frenzy.

The next day, Brandi got a call from a lady saying that she would allow us to purchase her house significantly below her original asking price.

We went to look at the house that Saturday, and on Sunday, as we were praying for some visiting missionaries, I felt the Lord ask me if I believed it was an answer to prayer.  I felt awkward because the house is much nicer than what we were looking for.  

I think the Lord is trying to teach me that He is a good Father, and He loves to give good gifts to His children.

Many times when I see the sunset, I think of it as God's fingerprints, His craftsmanship. But what if, with an open heart, I can actually peer at a sunset and see His face?

Father, thank you for your extravagant generosity.  You are good and your love endures forever, regardless of whether or not you bless us with an amazing house. But I sure am glad to see several of my wife's childhood dreams fulfilled in this house. I love you.

Sanctification

I had a good conversation with Andres yesterday about entering God's rest and the connection to three aspects of salvation (justification, sanctification, and glorification), based on Hebrew 3-4.

This morning, I read this verse, and it reminded me of the importance of us devoting ourselves to the Lord in His process of sanctification:

2 Corinthians 7:1 TPT

Beloved ones, with promises like these, and because of our deepest respect and worship of God, we must remove everything from our lives that contaminates body and spirit, and continue to complete the development of holiness within us.

Father, I want to turn my affection toward you.  I want to be like you, as Jesus modeled for us.  Holy Spirit, lead me on further, higher, and deeper.  I love you.