Joy

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Memorable Scripture: Loving God – better than you imagine.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Continue reading →

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A Poem to Cheer Your Heart

A merry heart does good, like medicine, Prov 17:22

Sometimes you just have to laugh and chuckle; be happy and smile. It’s good medicine.
So today a less serious matter. I want to share something I wrote for fun about the return of Blue Bell Ice Cream to my area. Continue reading →

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Impart some Love!

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established — that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Rom 1:11-12

Impart – to give, convey, or grant from or as if from a store; to communicate the knowledge of. Continue reading →

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Fruit of the Spirit

Gal 5:22-23 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Over the weekend we had the Fruit of the Spirit VBS. During the first song I remember someone saying, “That’s what I need; self-control!”
My response was you start with love!

The fruit of the Spirit is a staircase.

What you will need first is love! You cannot have kindness or gentleness without it. You can’t have joy or peace if you have hate.

Love is the key – the first step to the fruit of the Spirit.

Self-control is last on the list. Before you will attain it completely you will have to have things like patience, faithfulness, and gentleness. Self-control is not possible without them.

The great thing is the fruit of the Spirit is not dependent on others. You can have it without any help and despite any opposition. It’s all about your personal relationship and availability to the Holy Spirit.

John 15:8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Abba, I want to be an orchard of good fruit for You! In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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Hard Work and Cheerfulness

2 Cor 9:7 God loves a cheerful giver.

I experience it. My children experienced it – the act of giving.

When I grew up and could buy and give a gift. I felt so good to buy my parents or Linda’s parents something for anniversaries, birthdays, and Christmas.

My children have felt the same joy with giving to us.

The ability to give comes with hard work and talent; the harder you work, the more you earn, the more you can give.

He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 2 Cor 9:6
In the world of agriculture it takes hard work to sow bountifully – to plant many seeds. It’s easy to plant one or two seeds and gather the harvest from them. It’s easy to keep the weeds away from one or two.

Plant an acre of seeds and it’s a totally different story. You will have to work hard to plant and to keep invasive predators and plants under control. You will work hard to gather the harvest but what a bountiful harvest you will have.

You have worked very hard and have more than you need. What a joy to give to someone else! You have become a cheerful giver.

And so it should be in church. You work hard to earn your pay but what a joy it is to give and see your church prosper and change the community. What joy to see your missionaries be blessed by your giving.

You become the cheerful giver.

Abba, though the sacrifice of Your Son has cost you much and it must have grieved You so – You must also have great joy at the response of sinners that have found the forgiveness in what was done. I for one thank You for giving. I pray I may do the same for others – give of myself. In Jesus’ name, YES&AMEN