The fruit of the Spirit is the mirror image of a Christ follower. This fruit cannot come into your life unless you have been crucified with Jesus and have died to fleshly passions and desires. And, you cannot inherit these qualities by doing works. 

The Christ follower must be born again and living for Jesus above all else. He must be walking with Jesus under the authority of the Holy Spirit. 

What happens in our lives usually affects the fruit of the Spirit. We encounter trials and calamities and the fruit tends to disappear. Or, we have success and are radiant with joy. 

We are all human beings with a range of emotions. There is no way a believer can be perfect emotionally. We need to turn to God and release our negative feelings and pray for inner healing.

Ask God to strengthen your faith in times of distress and pour out His peace over you. 

The fruit of the Spirit is also grieved by those who live with pride and conceit.

The Christ follower is a humble servant and understands his human nature desires to defy God and live for self. He prays for meekness and the words coming out of his mouth will not be flattering or boastful. How can someone boast who knows Jesus and has been given the priceless gift of salvation?

He who believes in Me will be a fountain of Living Water touching all those around him!

The priority of Jesus is for believers to walk with Him by faith regardless of the circumstances in life.

Jesus will test your faith by creating trials and calamities in your life. Your response will measure your faith in God.

The Bible verse above relates to the Israelites who were delivered out of slavery in Egypt.

God was ready to give the Israelites the Promised Land. He told Moses to sent twelve spies into the Promised Land to survey their new homeland. Ten of the spies came back and were overwhelmed by the enemy tribes and fearful of defeat. They were afraid to obey God.

This lack of faith made God very angry. He changed His plans for the Israelites to quickly occupy their new homeland. What could have been a quick entry turned into a forty year journey and all of the adults above age twenty died in the wilderness and were not allowed to step into their new homeland.

The Israelites witnessed powerful signs and wonders but were unwilling to trust God on their journey through the wilderness. They wanted security in their own country and did not want to wander in the wilderness living off the provisions of God. They complained bitterly and turned to worship other gods.

The Christ follower cannot build his faith on what he sees with his eyes. God calls things that don’t exist as if they did. This how He created the heavens and earth and works in the life of a believer. Without faith you cannot please God.

God punishes those who complain and fall into unbelief. He sent poisonous snakes to the Israelites and several thousand died.

Jesus delivers believers by directing them to enter into His rest. The victories of Jesus are not by human might nor by power but by His Spirit.

Jesus keeps His promises!

The Holy Spirit spoke this scripture to me yesterday about how He views many believers in the Body of Christ. 

You can read the full account of this in Jeremiah 13. 

Abraham is the beginning of this story. He heard the voice of God and was obedient to leave His homeland and security to follow God without any wisdom about where He was going.

God made a covenant with Abraham and told him the Israelites would be His favored people among all the nations.

God delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. He gave them a new home in the Promised Land and destroyed all their enemies.

The actions of God caused the Israelites to cling to Him like a sash on the waist of a man. 

God told the Israelites they were a “set apart” people and were to reflect the renown, praise and glory of God. But the Israelites refused to listen to God or obey His precepts. They turned to the worship of idols and did not take God seriously.

God became very angry and punished the Israelites by allowing their enemies to destroy Jerusalem and scatter the people into desolation.

The Christ follower has the mind of Christ and is instructed to listen and obey the voice of God.

God is a Spirit. We are to worship Jesus in Spirit and Truth. The Spirit of Christ is sealed in all believers and He desires to speak to you and have an ongoing dialogue with you. If you don’t listen to God you cannot do His will. 

The people of God must submit to the Holy Spirit and give Him authority over their lives. This decision will fill believers every day with the thoughts of God and His omniscient wisdom. Jesus will be present and alive in all the moments of your life. 

The Holy Spirit will keep you on track with Jesus. He will convict and correct you when you make fleshly decisions to live for self that will lead to misery and destruction.

Jesus wants your obedience to His voice. If you are not listening to Jesus you will lose His protection and favor over your life!

The biggest challenge a Christian faces is surrendering all to Jesus. Very few believers get to this point. The ties to the world are just too important. 

Surrendering to Jesus is an internal decision from the heart to agree to live by this spiritual principle:

“Not my will but Yours be done.”

This decision is not about changing your external life or attempting to do works to please God. You have to get to know Jesus.

Jesus desires to live in a personal and embracing relationship with a believer.

Salvation begins with giving Jesus authority over your life and letting go of your rights and independence.

Jesus will be an imposition to your lifestyle because He thinks and acts differently than a human being. And, Jesus does want anything to stand in the way of your relationship with Him.

It is up to you to make this decision. Jesus will never coerce you into making this commitment.

The believer must come voluntarily to Jesus. Salvation is about resting in Jesus and seeking His will for your life. If you surrender to Jesus He promises to meet your every need so there is no need for striving or worrying about the future.

Surrender to Jesus should not be an emotional decision. You will be unable to keep your vow to Jesus when the trials and calamities come. 

The Christ follower identifies with Jesus and must die to his natural life on the Cross. The salvation of God is designed to crucify your ego and desires to live for self. 

Surrender to Jesus gives you a living presence with Him. Jesus will speak to you and draw you into oneness with Him through the Holy Spirit. For in Him, you will live and move and have your being.

Walk by faith believing in His promises and not what you see with your eyes.

Jesus detests religion. Your only obligation is to obey the Holy Spirit and worship God in a church which honors Jesus and respects the Word of God without compromise.

Surrendering to Jesus is learning to be obedient to His voice regardless of the pain or cost to you. The Christ follower never questions the logic of Jesus. He just obeys God.

Come into a symbiotic relationship with the Living Christ and your life will never be the same. You will know Jesus and trust His every word!

I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.

The Holy Spirit spoke the title of this narrative to me today.

The rules of gravity were established by God in the process of creation. 

They will last until God removes the laws of the universe and then strange things will happen like stars falling from heaven and the sun turning into darkness.

The magnetism of Jesus started with His death. Jesus declared He would draw all people to Himself. 

The Cross raised Jesus from death, destroyed all the Old Testament laws and conquered death. 

The death of Jesus brought the judgment of God upon Satan and eventually he will be cast out of the world and burn in hell. 

Jesus draws people to Himself in many different ways.

The gospel of Jesus is a compelling message and causes many people to make a decision for Jesus.

There is an overwhelming desire to be with Jesus when you personally meet Him and are enfolded by His qualities of love, power, and truth. He is nothing like the world and offers heavenly purity, peace and comfort that can be found nowhere else. 

All human beings have to face death and they will be lifted up to Jesus to experience eternal life or will be dispatched to hell. 

If you are a believer the Holy Spirit is sealed inside you. He is at work to draw you to Jesus and develop His character inside all believers.

If you draw near to God He promises to draw near to you. 

The believer draws near to God through prayer, reading the Bible, and listening for the voice of God. 

Jesus draws near to you by becoming very present in your life and sharing His attributes with you. He desires to live in oneness with all believers.

Jesus is a God of unconditional love and reaches out to the non believer many times to invite him to accept the gift of salvation. There becomes a time when God will no longer compete with the rebellion of man and chooses to leave him alone. The non believer must take the initiative and make a decision for Jesus and he will readily be accepted into the loving arms of the Lord.

Come to Jesus and He will lift you up. 

The Cross will give you a new identity and transform you into the character of Jesus.

You will live with Jesus forever!

The Holy Spirit spoke the title for this narrative today. 

The starting point is understanding “I was created by God and I am His servant.”  This changes the dynamics of success for a Christ follower. 

You must reject the principles of the world because they conflict with God. The world is not your friend.

The decision for Jesus is “Not my will but Yours be done”.

Jesus takes you out of the world and into the kingdom of God. He teaches you the importance of learning His values and living them out in your life. Jesus wants you to seek the will of God for your life above all else.

Jesus will define your success by your faith in Him and obedience to His voice. 

Jesus wants you to walk in oneness with Him and yield to the authority of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus gives and He takes. The believer has to learn to be content with His present circumstances.

Jesus does not owe you anything. He dispenses His goodness by examining your motives and His plans for your life.

Jesus does not want a believer to pursue wealth. This creates greed which can never be satisfied.

Jesus defines a successful spirit filled believer as one who dispenses Living Water wherever he goes. 

Jesus wants to give you an abundant life but the caveat is the priorities of your life. They must align with the purposes of Jesus. You cannot live for yourself and expect the favor of God.

The success of Jesus comes to those who walk in oneness with Him and zealously seek His will for their lives. Jesus is a living reality and present in every moment of their life.

The Holy Spirit spoke this name for Jesus today. 

The definition of quintessential is representing the most perfect example of a quality or class. 

Jesus is claiming He is a perfect God. 

How do you and I know Jesus deserves this title?

I look around the world and see wars, innocent people killed by terrorists, and all kinds of evil taking place.

If Jesus is quintessential where is He! Why is Jesus hiding when we need help?

I am going to attempt to explain this controversial subject without religion.

Jesus does not think or act like a human. And, He has no ego.

Jesus makes decisions the human mind cannot understand. They defy human logic. He operates on deep spiritual principles built on the Word of God.

I have personally been in the presence of Jesus and it was the most terrifying experience of my life. I witnessed the power of God and know nothing is impossible for Him.

I hear His voice every day of my life.

I see His angels while praying.

I experience His omniscient wisdom. He has told me numerous times about something that will happen in my life or in the world and it always takes place. 

Jesus rescues me out of trouble.

Jesus has healed many times of various ills including a bout with cancer.

Jesus provides me with supernatural wisdom to cope with the challenges of life. 

Jesus can be very demanding. He asks me to do things that make no sense or logic.

Jesus does not answer all my prayers. His timing is not my timing.

Jesus tells me to walk by faith not by what I see.

Jesus does not care about religion. He tells me to avoid it.

Jesus holds me responsible for all my actions. He convicts and corrects me of my many mistakes.

Jesus forgives me for all my sins and reminds me to ask for His blood to cover me.

Jesus has taught me about the war between light and darkness and made me a participant in this conflict with Satan.

I have learned Jesus is quintessential and all powerful.

I don’t like all His actions but I have no choice but to accept Jesus as my Savior and seek His will for my life.

Jesus is a living reality!

Can you imagine having no place to find peace or rest knowing every day your enemies are trying to kill you?

This is what Jesus faced every day of His ministry on earth.

The Jewish teacher came to Jesus and said “I will follow you wherever you go”. Jesus responded “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

What is the lesson in this story for a Christ follower?

Jesus knew He faced death and His life on earth was coming to an end. Jesus was telling the Jewish teacher that he had no idea what it meant to follow Jesus.

Jesus said in the world you will face tribulation but I will give you My peace. 

As a believer, you probably do not have to fear for your life but the attacks of Satan are inevitable.

The world is not our home. We live in the world but we are not of the world. The Christ follower must cut his ties with the world and concentrate on seeking the will of God.

The journey of a Christ follower will bring many trials and times of unrest. The advantage to the believer is “He who lives in me is greater than he who is in the world”.

We have the Holy Spirit. He is the life of Christ and is sealed inside all believers. The Holy Spirit is a refuge of peace and protection. Jesus offers a heavenly peace that cannot be found on the earth to deal with your challenges.

The Jewish teacher wanted the glory of God but did not understand the hardship or cost to receive the fullness of Jesus.

The Christ follower must die to self and live as a servant to Jesus. There will be times of desolation and feeling estranged from Jesus.

The Cross brings many trials and calamities. And, you have to deal with the attacks of Satan. Your safety net is walking in oneness with Jesus yielding to the Holy Spirit. 

If you choose to follow Jesus there will be times with no place to lay your head. Your world will be upside down and surrounded by darkness. 

The confidence of a Christ follower is knowing Jesus keeps His promises and will never fail you!

You cannot avoid the repercussions of Christ whether you are a believer or not. Jesus operates with the principles of discipline and judgment in dealing with humans about sin. He is not looking for perfection but a willing heart to change.

If you are not a believer, there comes a point where God will no longer seek you out after numerous attempts to get your attention. He will not contest with your rebellion and darkness. You will be alone and have to take what God sends your way. The door is always open but you must come to God.

The Christ follower falls into a different category. The decision for Christ sets you on a course of conviction and the judgment of God.

The biggest challenge is recognizing you can never come close to the standards of God and you have a deep reservoir of darkness inside you. If you think you have a clean moral compass you are living in delusion. 

The Christ follower is always under the microscope of God and is instructed to turn away from darkness and walk in the light.

God delights with those who have a contrite heart and openness to change.

The repercussions of Christ also come in the form of trials and calamities. These cannot be avoided and tend to be more extreme for those who are serious about Jesus.

God engineers trials to teach you patience, strengthen your faith and to help you learn the importance of resting in Jesus.

The judgments of God also create repercussions affecting all human beings. God is very angry today over those nations who have rejected His teachings, promote darkness through new laws and leaders with callous hearts. He is unleashing furious judgments in the form of economic woes, famine, wars, and natural calamities. No one is immune of these actions.

The Cross is the solution to dealing with the repercussions of Christ. The blood of Christ cleanses you of all sin. You can stand blameless before God without shame or condemnation. The death and resurrection of Christ gives you a new identity and begins your transformation into the character of Jesus. 

Jesus gives you the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is the life of Christ and is sealed inside all believers. The Spirit will give you liberty from sin and protection against the severe repercussions of God.

Now is the time to turn to Christ. There is no hope for you in the world! Jesus died to give you a life you can never achieve on your own!

Self sufficiency is the method employed by many people to get what they want. If you can get everything to have a happy and carefree life why do you need God?

What can Jesus add to your life that you can get from no other source?

Jesus is a living reality. He offers the gift of salvation and the ability to live with Him forever.

Jesus is omniscient and sees into the past and future. He can give you wisdom that will protect you and keep you away from dangers.

Jesus is a personal and embracing God who wants a symbiotic relationship with you. Jesus wants to speak to you, teach you His values and be present in every moment of your life.

Jesus offers you supernatural strength, wisdom, joy and protection which you cannot find in the world. These unlimited attributes come directly from heaven.

Jesus seals believers with the Holy Spirit who is the life of Christ. This is the only way you can get rid of bad habits or compulsive behaviors. He transforms you into a new identity filled with the character of God.

Jesus forgives all your sins with His blood. You can stand blameless before Him without shame or condemnation.

Jesus gives you a new life built on the work of the Cross. You become born again of the Spirit and Water. 

Jesus has power and dominion over the heavens and earth. There is no one like Him. He wants to bring quality to every aspect of your life.

Jesus provides believers with unspeakable joy that can never be found in the world and has nothing to do with your circumstances.

Jesus has a multitude of heavenly angels. He dispenses these powerful spiritual beings to protect you from evil.

Jesus delivers His people. When calamities come into your life He promises to deliver and restore believers.

Jesus is a healing God. He heals people all over the world by faith and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is unconditional love. He knew you before you were born.

Jesus is omnipotent and nothing is impossible for Him. Draw near to Jesus and He will demonstrate His transfigured power and glory in your presence.

Jesus is not asking you to become a religious robot. He does not desire for His people to live under laws and rituals or attempt to appease Him through works. He hates religion.

The world can never deliver the promises of Jesus. You may encounter some success but you are on a downward trend headed to nowhere good.

The world is not of God. It is built on employing self centered measures to achieve your goals. And, the world doesn’t care about you. Jesus died for you!