Jesus Christ

An Introduction to the Fruits of the Spirit

There’s a great bacronym of BIBLE…..Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. It fits.


Now I’m a guy, which means that I typically disdain reading the directions…..but for The Word of God I make an exception. The Bible really is God’s instruction manual and OldWornBible_200x250we’d all be better off if we would follow it as closely as possible. I know that is easier said than done, but that does not mean it isn’t the truth. As The Doorknob says in Alice In Wonderland, “read the directions and directly you will be directed in the right direction.”


My minister is fond of saying that The Bible is an all-or-nothing proposition…..you either believe all of it or none of it, you cannot just cherry pick the elements that you like and ignore the parts that are a rather inconvenient hindrance to self-indulgence and an “if it feels good do it” lifestyle. The entire volume is essential…..every verse, chapter, and book. However, I do believe that there are highlights within The Bible, certain stories and passages that stand out, and not by accident. One of those snippets of scripture is Galatians 5:22-23, which says (taking into consideration small variations in translation) “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness (or gentleness), goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (or meekness), self-control (or temperance)”.


I’m not intimidated by studying symbolism, analyzing allegory, translating parable, or interpreting prophecy. The Bible isn’t meant to be an easy read. A breathing organism that is intended for us to incorporate into our daily lives, it needs to be actively studied. But occasionally it’s nice to cut to the chase, to have information imparted in as direct a fashion as possible, for the meaning to be easy and straightforward.  Galatians 5:22-23 is about as clear as clear can be.


What we have in this scripture is a simple laundry list of attributes we as Christians should emulate if we are to, as Romans 8:29 suggests, “be conformed to the image of His Son”. They are qualities that should become part of our character if we take Galatians 2:20 to heart: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” We tend to overanalyze what it means to be “crucified in Christ”, to “be conformed” into a reflection of Jesus. The ideals of Christian faith are so beautiful in their simplicity that we find them difficult to embrace. It seems like the rules should be more burdensome and complex. But what has dawned on me with the wisdom and experience of the years is the fact that the ideas, the foundation, the demands themselves are uncomplicated because the execution of them is so very very tough to successfully pull off. Of course that’s where grace enters the picture.


But I digress. I want to focus on the subject at hand, which is the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness/gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness/meekness, and self-control/temperance. My intention is to look at each one of these individually over the course of time, so stay tuned. The current discussion is designed as an introduction to the larger task.


The first thing that must be said is fairly obvious, but well worth pointing out. These are the fruits of the Spirit…..more specifically The Holy Spirit. In John 14:15-17 Jesus tells the disciples “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever. The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” The Holy Spirit is an often overlooked part of the Trinity, but it shouldn’t be. It’s the part that dwells within us, the part that God left behind to guide us after Jesus ascended into Heaven. These 9 fruits are, or should be, the result of that guidance if we make the choice to pay attention.


So why are these characteristics called fruits?? Think about when you see an apple tree. How do you know it’s an apple tree?? There is evidence there…..the fruit. Without the fruit it’d just be another tree. We have a choice…..do we want to stand out, make it obvious who we are and what we stand for…..or do we just want to blend in with all the other trees in the forest?? And if we make the choice that we want to stand out, how do we want to do that?? In modern society people do all kinds of bizarre things and come up with increasingly obnoxious ways to celebrate their individuality. But the Word of God has handed to us on a silver platter a set of directions on how to set ourselves apart from the crowd. Why go to all the trouble of piercing and tattooing, listening to loud and unbearably vulgar noise (or what the kids refer to as “music”), poisoning the body with booze and drugs, stepping over anyone and everyone to climb the corporate ladder, or any of the other myriad ways folks draw attention to themselves when what God really wants us to do is be loving, joyful, peaceful, good, kind, gentle, faithful, moderate, and patient?? One other thing to consider about fruit…..it is generally sweet. Sweetness has been maligned in 21st century America as an undesirable and weak quality. But God doesn’t see it that way. These fruits are the essence of God, and He is allowing us to share in a part of His divine nature by allowing His Holy Spirit to convey these nine divine qualities directly into our soul and personality.


Also to be found in Galatians chapter 5, just before The Fruits of the Spirit are conveyed, there is another laundry list, the antithesis of The Fruits. They are behaviors that God is repulsed by and will cause one to lose that vital relationship. Galatians 5:19-21 says “the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness (or lasciviousness), idolatry, sorcery (or witchcraft), hatred, contentions (or variance), jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions (or emulations), dissensions (or seditions), heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” I may or may not cover each of these individually in the future. However, I believe it is important to mention this passage here. It’s 200908-omag-supermarket-220x312another clear indication of what is expected of us, only it’s saying what we are expected not to do. I don’t like to make assumptions or sweeping generalizations, but I suspect that the average person (like me for example) has engaged in nearly every one of these “works of the flesh”, many on a nearly daily basis. The world we live in, a fallen world where Satan reigns until Christ decides He’s had enough and makes His return, fosters and even encourages these behaviors. In contrast to the difficulty of exhibiting and living according to The Fruits, exhibiting the works of the flesh is easily done. It’s so easy that we engage in these activities without a second thought. Little effort is required to wallow in sin. But again, this is where the pure genius of God, who offers us the free gift of grace through the cleansing power of the blood of His Son Jesus Christ, comes in mighty handy.


I look forward to examining each Fruit of the Spirit individually. It will be an insightful journey, hopefully for both writer and reader.


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The Godfather of Cyberspace’s 35 Undeniable Truths of Life

(Originally published 12/19/2007)

Back in 1988 The Godfather of Talk Radio, Rush Limbaugh, published his 35 Undeniable Truths of Life. A few years later he did a revised list since many of the originals had to do with communism, The Soviet Union, & other outdated concepts. Now, here, in the Year of Our Lord 2007, The Godfather of Cyberspace humbly presents my own list of The 35 Undeniable Truths of Life:

 

 

1. Jesus said “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3), “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6) , and “this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).

 

2. Never put anyone on a pedestal…they will eventually come crashing down.

 

3. The most overrated sports dynasties are Notre Dame football and the New York Yankees.

 

4. Nothing is more important than family…never take sides against the family…never let anyone outside the family know what you are thinking.

 

5. “Look thou character
Give thy thoughts no tongue, nor any unproportioned thought his act
Be familiar, but by no means vulgar
Those friends thou have, and their adoption tried, grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment of each new-hatched, unfledged comrade
Beware of entrance to a quarrel but, being in, bear it that the opposed may beware of thee
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice
Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgement
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, but not expressed in fancy – rich, not gaudy
For the apparel oft proclaims the man
Neither a borrower nor a lender be
For loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry
This above all: to thine own self be true
And it must follow, as the night the day, thou cannot then be false to any man”
– Shakespeare’s Hamlet

 

6. If you work on weekends then you are not at the top of your chosen profession. (notable exceptions: the clergy and sports)

 

7. Disappointment is the worst emotion, as it is a blend of both anger and sadness.

 

8. Faith and religion are two different things. Religion is a public show too often put on by hypocrites, while faith is a deeply personal thing that can change your life. Share your faith, not your religion.

 

9. Rap is not music. Poetry maybe. But not music.

 

10. Perception is reality & reality is perception.

 

11. When in doubt, atleast act like you know what you are doing.

 

12. Anyone who doesn’t shed a tear during the last 10 minutes of Field of Dreams doesn’t have a heart.

 

13. Don’t be sad because it’s over, be happy it happened in the first place.

 

14. Abortion is wrong and capital punishment is right. This makes perfect sense.

 

15. “It’s not what you know but who you know” is just as true as it ever was.

 

16. Guns don’t kill people…evil, crazy, stupid people kill people (sometimes with a gun).

 

17. Music makes our world a better place.

 

18. Freedom of religion has been hijacked to mean freedom from religion, which was not the intent of our Founding Fathers.

 

19. Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons
Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others – even the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit
If you compare yourself with others you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans
Keep interested in your own career, however humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time
Exercise caution in your business affairs for the world is full of trickery
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is
Many persons strive for high ideals and everywhere life is full of heroism
Be yourself
Especially, do not feign affection, neither be cynical about love
For in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself
Be at peace with God
And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world
Be cheerful
Strive to be happy
-The Desiderata

 

20. Milk is the universal beverage, going well with almost all meals and nearly any type of food.

 

21. Timing is everything and hindsight is 20/20. Looking back, we can all see situations, great & small, where a seemingly insignificant shift of time (a few minutes, a day or two, a month) made a notable difference.

 

22. It’s always about the money. Always.

 

23. The wussification of America, in which overly sensitive followers of political correctness have turned our nation into the United States of The Offended, is very real and very disturbing.

 

24. There is a difference between being alone and being lonely.

 

25. There are three sides to every story – the two conflicting views of the parties involved, and somewhere in the middle is the truth.

 

26. Creationism and evolution don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

 

27. To laugh often and much
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends
To appreciate beauty
To find the best in others
To leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a redeemed social condition, or a job well done
To know that even one other life has breathed because you lived
This is to have succeeded
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

28. There are three answers to a prayer: yes, no, & not right now.

 

29. Anyone who says they’ve never contemplated suicide, even if only very briefly, is either very fortunate or a liar.

 

30. If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise
If you can dream but not make dreams your master
If you can think but not make thoughts your aim
If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, and stoop and build them up with worn-out tools
If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss
And lose, and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss
If you can force your heart and nerve and muscle to serve your turn long after they are gone
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue or walk with kings and not lose the common touch
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you
If people count on you, but none too much
If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run
Yours is the earth and everything that’s in it
And, which is more, you’ll be a man, my son
-Rudyard Kipling

 

31. Cigarettes & multiple tattoos/piercings decrease a woman’s attractiveness by atleast 50%.

 

32. There really is no place like home.

 

33. Don’t ever pray for patience, lest God give you plenty of opportunities to learn your lesson.

 

34. Life is a lot like the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away. It’s really just you, alone on an island, struggling against the elements. There may be many people in your life, but almost all are like the soccer ball Wilson…they keep you company and give you someone to talk to, but in the end they’re fake, full of hot air, and float away. In matters of survival (food, shelter, etc.) you can only really count on yourself.

 

35. If you think you are beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don’t
If you like to win, but you think you can’t, it is almost certain you won’t
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out of the world we find success begins with a fellow’s will
It’s all in the state of mind
If you think you are outclassed, you are
You’ve got to think high to rise
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before you can ever win a prize
Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man
But sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can
— Unknown

 

 

 

 

Let’s Talk About God: Value

We’ve all had that experience of getting a song stuck in our head for hours or even days for no apparent reason. I’ve had two songs running through my head off and on for weeks now, and I finally figured out why. The two songs are Blessed Assurance and Victory In Jesus. I grew up in and still attend a small country church with a fondness for the old traditional hymns. It’s not that we, or I, are unwilling to venture outside the box. I’m not against some of the newer, more modern, rockin’ “contemporary Christian” music. Some of it is quite good. But there’s just something about those established and timeless tunes. Anyway, I want to specifically look at one section of each of the two songs I mentioned.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood


O victory in Jesus
My Savior, forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood


When looking at those stanzas, something really jumps out at me. There are two phrases..…”purchase of God” and “”He sought me and bought me”…..that leap off the page.

We all shop, right? We buy groceries, computers, birthday gifts, and a plethora of other items on a daily basis. When we pay our hard earned money for things we demand value. We want our food to taste good, our clothes to fit and be comfortable, our cars to work properly so they can get us where we need to go, and our entertainment to be…..well, entertaining. We demand value for our money. So why would we expect God to want anything less?

Now I know what you’re thinking…..salvation is a free gift. That is a true statement in that it is free for us if we so choose to take it. However, it is only free to us because the price was paid by Jesus Christ. God purchased us, sought us and bought us, not with dollars and cents, but with the currency of His son’s blood. So the question becomes…..what do you do if something you buy doesn’t work or isn’t up to your standard? If you’re a nice person like me you very politely return the item and exchange it for a new one. If you are a bit more aggressive you may become angry and have some heated words with a salesman. Either way, we demand value.

God wants value for the price He paid too. He wants us to be the very best we can be. He wants us to honor and worship Him and keep his commandments. He wants us to read and study His word and live in a manner befitting someone who has done so. He wants us to tell the world about Him. He wants our life in exchange for the life of His son. Fortunately for us He doesn’t expect us to die. Actually, He wants us to live. He just wants us to live a life dedicated to the things He stands for rather than the empty, shallow, meaningless things that the world stands for. That doesn’t mean we can’t laugh and have a good time. On the contrary…..we can enjoy our life knowing that we are living for something substantial, something that matters, something…..eternal.

Knowing how upset we get if our pizza arrives cold or our brand new television works improperly or our luggage gets lost in transit, how can we so nonchalantly disregard God and the hurt He must feel every day that we don’t live for Him and give value and meaning to the sacrifice that was made for us??

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50 Reasons Christ Came To Die

Jesus on the cross

Jesus Christ

Some of the most important questions anyone can ask are “Why was Jesus crucified?”, “Why did he suffer so much?”, “What does this have to do with me?”. Why did Jesus suffer and die? The central issue of Jesus’ death is not the cause, but the meaning–God’s meaning.

I ran across the following list online. It is based on a book called The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper, which I’m assuming is pretty decent since it has a 4.5 star rating on Amazon. I have made the decision to no include the actual text of the verses referenced because I feel it a worthy task for each individual to dig into the Word of God and study it personally.

* To Absorb the Wrath of God
– Galatians 3:13, Romans 3:25, 1 John 4:10

* To Please His Heavenly Father – Isaiah 53:10, Ephesians 5:2

* To Learn Obedience and Be Perfected
– Hebrews 5:8, Hebrews 2:10

* To Achieve His Own Resurrection from the Dead
– Hebrews 13:20-21

* To Show the Wealth of God’s Love and Grace for Sinners
– Romans 5:7-8, John 3:16, Ephesians 1:7

* To Show His Own Love for Us
– Ephesians 5:2, Ephesians 5:25, Galatians 2:20

* To Cancel the Legal Demands of the Law Against Us
– Colossians 2:13

* To Become a Ransom for Many – Mark 10:45

* For the Forgiveness of Our Sins
– Ephesians 1:7, Matthew 26:28

* To Provide the Basis for Our Justification
– Romans 5:9, Romans 3:24, Romans 3:28

* To Complete the Obedience That Becomes Our Righteousness
– Philippians 2:8, Romans 5:19, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 3:9

* To Take Away Our Condemnation – Romans 8:34

* To Abolish Circumcision and All Rituals as the Basis of Salvation
– Galatians 5:11, Galatians 6:12

* To Bring Us to Faith and Keep Us Faithful
– Mark 14:24, Jeremiah 32:40

* To Make Us Holy, Blameless, and Perfect
– Hebrews 10:14, Colossians 1:22, 1 Corinthians 5:7

* To Give Us a Clear Conscience – Hebrews 9:14

* To Obtain for Us All Things That Are Good for Us
– Romans 8:32

* To Heal Us from Moral and Physical Sickness
– Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 8:16-17

* To Give Eternal Life to All Who Believe on Him – John 3:16

* To Deliver Us from the Present Evil Age – Galatians 1:4

* To Reconcile Us to God – Romans 5:10

* To Bring Us to God – 1 Peter 3:18, Ephesians 2:13

* So That We Might Belong to Him
– Romans 7:4, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Acts 20:28

* To Give Us Confident Access to the Holiest Place
– Hebrews 10:19

* To Become for Us the Place Where We Meet God
– John 2:19-21

* To Bring the Old Testament Priesthood to an End and Become
the Eternal High Priest
– Hebrews 7:23-27, Hebrews 9:24-26, Hebrews 10:11-12

* To Become a Sympathetic and Helpful Priest – Hebrews 4:15-16

* To Free Us from the Futility of Our Ancestry – 1 Peter 1:18-19

* To Free Us from the Slavery of Sin
– Revelation 1:5-6, Hebrews 13:12

* That We Might Die to Sin and Live to Righteousness
– 1 Peter 2:24, Hebrews 13:12

* So That We Would Die to the Law and Bear Fruit for God
– Romans 7:4

* To Enable Us to Live for Christ and Not Ourselves
– 2 Corinthians 5:15

* To Make His Cross the Ground of All Our Boasting
– Galatians 6:14

* To Enable Us to Live by Faith in Him – Galatians 2:20

* To Give Marriage Its Deepest Meaning – Ephesians 5:25

* To Create a People Passionate for Good Works – Titus 2:14

* To Call Us to Follow His Example of Lowliness and Costly Love
– 1 Peter 2:19-21, Hebrews 12:3-4, Philippians 2:5-8

* To Create a Band of Crucified Followers
– Luke 9:23, Matthew 10:38

* To Free Us from Bondage to the Fear of Death
– Hebrews 2:14-15

* So That We Would Be with Him Immediately After Death
– 1 Thessalonians 5:10, Philippians 1:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:8

* To Secure Our Resurrection from the Dead
– Romans 6:5, Romans 8:11, 2 Timothy 2:11

* To Disarm the Rulers and Authorities
– Colossians 2:14-15, 1 John 3:8

* To Unleash the Power of God in the Gospel
– 1 Thessalonians 1:18, Romans 1:16

* To Destroy the Hostility Between Races
– Ephesians 2:14-16

* To Ransom People from Every Tribe and Language and People and Nation – Revelation 5:9

* To Gather All His Sheep from Around the World
– John 11:51-52, John 10:16

* To Rescue Us from Final Judgment – Hebrews 9:28

* To Gain His Joy and Ours – Hebrews 12:2

* So That He Would Be Crowned with Glory and Honor
– Hebrews 2:9, Philippians 2:7-9, Revelation 5:12

* To Show That the Worst Evil Is Meant by God for Good – Acts 4:27-28

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Let’s Talk About God – Matthew 7:7-8

Jesus Christ

Jesus is the way, the truth, the life

I used to hate memorization exercises, not because I couldn’t memorize something but because usually the final mission almost always involved reciting what one had memorized in front of a group. I don’t mind so much now the task of public speaking, but as a child it scared the daylights out of me, even though more often than not I’d work myself up into a frenzy in the days and hours leading up to the event but then be perfectly fine in actually doing what needed to be done.

One such memorization exercise has been tossing about in my noggin for about a week now, and I’m not sure why. I don’t remember the particulars, but I do recall attending some sort of Vacation Bible School (I’m almost sure the one in question was not at my home church, but at my maternal grandmother’s – she was a “soldier” in The Salvation Army) and being asked to learn Matthew 7:7, which says “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”. This was probably 30 years ago, and I still remember it. For current purposes we are going to also throw into the mix verse 8, which goes on to say “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

A few things need to be said about this passage. First of all, it may seem clear, but for clarification purposes let’s point out that we’re obviously talking about prayer. Ask, seek, knock. The Lord doesn’t play offense. He gave that up after Adam and Eve ate a certain fruit He’d told them was off limits. This brought about free will, which means we make our own decisions, both good and bad. But He’s there, and He’s not going anywhere. It’s up to us to seek Him out, to knock on His door, to ask Him for help. Why do we find this so difficult?? Is it pride? Is it a culture that values self reliance, the old “I can do it on my own” attitude? Does seeking out assistance from God make us feel weak? Has The Lord made it seem too simple for our suspicious, cynical, “what’s the catch?” mentality to grasp? It’s probably all these and a lot more.

Secondly, the question arises…..what is “it”?? “It will be given…you will find (it)…it will be opened to you…”. I’m quite certain “it” doesn’t encompass anything and everything we ask God for or ask Him to do. I’m sure many have asked Him for lots of stuff…a cool car, a great job, a new house, to win the lottery, for that cute gal or guy to notice how awesome we are. But intellectually we know it’s not that easy. Even on a television game show one has to do something to earn a prize, it’s just not handed out freely. So what is “it”?? What does God promise us if we ask, seek, and knock? I think “it” boils down to two things: peace and salvation, i.e. eternal life.

Which leads to the third point. Look at this passage again. Ask, seek, knock. This is not a lazy, effortless, sedentary, passive project. However, neither is it that complicated. God wants to be more than just our ICE contact…..He wants to be on our speed dial. He wants us to call on Him often…every day, every hour, every minute. He wants to share everything with us in a reciprocal way. In other words, He’s given us, well, the entire world…so He’d like to be the main attraction in our life. I personally don’t think it’s too much to ask, even though I claim to be no better at actually letting Him be those things than anyone else. That’s a topic for another time though.