 Photo by Daria Shevtsova THE NINE-FLAVORED FRUIT DEVOTIONAL SERIES But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB) THE FLAVORS CALLED “KINDNESS” AND “GOODNESS” This short article is called a “devotional,” but there is a world of difference between words on a page written to encourage the believer in their faith, and a life of devotion to God. Christians can ‘strategize’ their practical lives with displays of Christian characteristics, such as the Fruit of the Spirit found in the letter of Paul to the Galatians, and yet still be far from a life of devotion to God. It is not the characteristics that produce devotion. It is devotion that produces these nine characteristics, and displays them in our lives for all the world to see the wonder of our God! It is when our lives have an attitude of devotion to God that He Himself produces in us the Fruit of the Spirit...the very actions that reflect the nature of God! The nine ‘flavors,’ or characteristics of this fruit include the ‘flavors’ Kindness and Goodness. To measure our understanding of, commitment to and whether Spirit-produced Kindness and Goodness are present in our lives, let’s look at them in “3-D!” 1st “D” - DISPOSITION The word “disposition,” according to Webster, means, “a prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination.” Instead of a natural disposition to react to others on the basis of how we are treated, we ought to seek a spiritual disposition. This will enable us to act in accordance with God’s disposition and attitude He displays toward us. “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.” Luke 6:33. This disposition of Kindness inside the believer is created by the Holy Spirit and makes us see the needs of others as if they were our own. The Kindness we have toward others will result in doing Good to all men. “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” Galatians 6:10, and even, “...love your enemies, do good to them…” Luke 6:35. 2nd “D” - DEEDS Kindness is the authentic desire for God’s best for others, and Goodness is the action that intentionally results in deeds that contribute to that end. Instead of, or perhaps along with, what we have come to call “random acts of kindness,” perhaps we ought to intentionalize and become proactive as we seek to represent the loving hand of God in people’s lives. Doing good ought to be deliberate, not just impulsive. There is a time for being impulsive, but it is always time to be deliberate! A person is seen as a Kind person, caring about others, not mostly by what they say, but by the Good that they do. 3rd “D” - DISTINCTION As a high school teacher, of theology at that, I would cringe slightly when I would hear one of my Sophomores ask their friend, “Hey, how are you doing?!”then to hear the response of, “Good!” While not an English teacher by any stretch of the imagination, the adverb that should be used is, “Well!” How great would it be if when we are asked, “Hey, what are you doing?” that we would answer, “Good!” Oh, that our lives would be less consumed with whether we are pleased with our own circumstances, and be more filled with Kindness and doing Good, positively affecting the circumstances of others! If I am kind, I will want to do good! Suggested prayer Father, create in me the Kindness that is in your heart for me, so that I can demonstrate the Goodness to others that you have so graciously and mercifully shown to me, that they too can say, ‘I love you Father. Thank you for loving me.’” In the Good name of Jesus, Amen.
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 THE NINE-FLAVORED FRUIT DEVOTIONAL SERIES But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB) When God has free reign in our lives as children of His, it is then that His Spirit will produce characteristics in our lives that are supernatural in origin. If we have begun our relationship with God on the basis of faith in His Son, Jesus, why would we think that resorting to human effort would result in Christ-likeness?! What Paul told the Believers in Galatia is applicable to us today. If we first walk in the sphere and the power of the Spirit, we will not succumb to those things that call us to walk away from Christ. It is then that He Himself produces in us the Fruit of the Spirit...the very characteristics of God! The nine ‘flavors,’ or characteristics of this fruit include the ‘flavor’ Patience. “Hurry up and wait!” “Watch pot, never boil.” “Slow and steady wins the race.” “Lord, I want patience, and I want it NOW!” Do you have a favorite saying about “Patience” that you love to hate?! Has the microwave oven become too slow in heating your coffee? Does it take too long to get connected to the Internet? Does that red light seem to love making you wait longer than anyone else?! To measure our understanding of, commitment to and whether Spirit-produced Patience is present in our lives, let’s look at it in “3-D”! 1st “D” - DELAY One burglar that would love to rob us of the ability to display Patience is “Delay.” Whether it is picking the wrong checkout lane at the grocery store, or at a red light, even when we change lanes to be more efficient, our timing and schedule is compromised. It is right after you change lanes the man pulls out his checkbook, which you haven’t seen in forever. Or in traffic, the driver who didn’t see the light turned green because she is on her phone texting. It is easy in either case to almost lose it! When this translates into more important life issues, then the grace we have received so freely from God becomes scarce. We can get a glimpse of how self-centered we really are. Showing patience to others, especially when they don’t deserve it, would display a godliness that is all too rare in these hypersonic times! 2nd “D” - DISAPPOINTMENT Patience is often AWOL when life doesn’t turn out the way we expect. God’s ‘Waiting Room’ is not a very fun place to be, especially for an extended period of time. But remember, your disappointment is second to God’s appointment with you; He has never been late for an appointment. He is always on time! 3rd “D” - DOUBT When waiting, Doubt can make patience evaporate. Doubt really is the notion that we know better than God. The strength of waiting patiently, either for practical or spiritual needs, comes from seeing the faithfulness of God displayed, over and over. It is that, not only is He able, but He is eager to show up on our behalf. Sometimes we are myopic, or short sighted, and do not see that God is much more interested in changing us to become more like His Son than getting us from point A to B. The ability to wait with godly patience comes from believing that accomplishing my goals is not as important as my transformation into the image of Christ! What are you waiting for? Do you trust the Lord to accomplish His purposes in His time? Remember, it is worth the wait! “Love is patient…” 1 Corinthians 13:4a SUGGESTED PRAYER “Father, help me to be more eager for you to change me, than for you to change my circumstances. You have been so patient with me when I have chosen to wander, help me to show your patience to others, when my arrogance, disappointment and doubt would rob me of that blessing. Thank you for making me wait, but thank you for never being late! In the name of the One who is coming soon! Amen”
 THE NINE-FLAVORED FRUIT DEVOTIONAL SERIES But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB) Many of us have walked down the Mall in Washington DC on a hot summer day, and climbed the steps to enter into the National Gallery of Art. The refreshing air conditioning revives the body, while the art inside revives the soul! Here are just a few of the masterpieces. If they aren’t familiar, I urge you to plan a trip there either virtually or in person. But how many of us would mistake this painting by the famous Pablo Picasso as real fruit? This fruit, while a very famous still-life painting, is not a realistic substitute for, nor even a representation of fruit. You could not, nor would you want to, pluck an apple from it and expect it to refresh or satisfy. So it is with the Christian life. The satisfaction of it does not come from mimicking the spiritual fruit that the Apostle Paul describes in Galatians 5. You see, the nine characteristics, or ‘flavors,’ are the spiritual product in our lives that God Himself produces. That is, if we walk in the power and presence of the indwelling Spirit of God. The nine characteristics of this fruit include the ‘flavor’ Peace. To measure our understanding of, commitment to and whether Spirit-produced Peace is present in our lives, let’s look at it in “3-D”! 1st “DIMENSION” - PEACE WITH GOD “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1 Before we can experience and enjoy the peace of God, we must first be at peace with God. Man once walked with God in perfect fellowship and friendship. But because of sin, man entered into an enemy relationship with God. There is a wall called “sin” between God and man. Man must be reconciled to God, not God to man. Man must be brought back to God as it was man who moved, not God! Because of the person and work of Jesus Christ on the cross where He paid the required payment for sin, man can now be reconciled and justified freely! It is when I was justified by faith (God now looks at me ‘just-(as)if-I’d’ never sinned!) that I can renew a friendship-type relationship with God who, because of my rebellion, had become my enemy. Are you the enemy of God, or the friend of God?! 2nd “DIMENSION” - PEACE OF GOD “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 Once we have made peace with God, it is then that He can give us the very peace of God! The feelings of anxiety plague our hearts and minds. However, we are unable to change how we feel. Has anyone, even a well-intended friend, or Bobby McFerrin himself, ever told you, “Don’t worry, be happy!” or, “Cheer up, Charlie!”? The train of Life, the engine of Fact, and the coal car of Faith will pull the caboose of Feelings. Trying to drive a train with the powerless caboose of Feelings will, quite literally, get you nowhere!! No one can change how they feel by an act of the will. What we can do, according to Philippians 4:8-9, is to think rightly and do rightly, and our feelings of Peace will follow. 3rd “DIMENSION” - PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER “Live in peace with one another.” 1 Thessalonians 5:13b Yes, we are told to live in peace with other people, but what about that parent who just doesn’t understand your circumstances?! What about that ‘bff?’ Who is testing the ‘b’ part, or the ‘f’ part, or the other ‘f’ part?! We must love one another, but if someone is not likeable, that is not our part! While we are to “Pursue peace with all men” Hebrews 12:14a, we are also told in Romans 12:18, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” God is able to be at peace with you, give you His peace, and be your friend. Don’t you think He might empower you to do the same with others who are hard to live with...just like you?! SUGGESTED PRAYER Father, thank you for befriending me, when my heart was so far from you. Thank you for giving me peace that no one else could give, because only you understand. And father, thank you for __(name of someone I should be a friend to)__ in my life, because, by grace, you have accepted someone like me. In the name of the Prince of Peace, Amen.”
 THE NINE-FLAVORED FRUIT DEVOTIONAL SERIES But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB) Paul wrote to the Believers in Galatia, now in modern day Turkey, about the dangers of legalism. He warned them that the gospel, plus works, was no gospel at all! We are also instructed that growing in the Christian life is not a matter of human strength, but of supernatural empowerment. As we ‘branches’ draw our daily life from Jesus, the Vine, the Spirit of God will produce in our lives the nine-flavored Fruit of the Spirit, one of the ‘flavors’ being JOY. This delicious flavor, craved by any who have ever tasted sadness, hopelessness or sorrow, is often disguised and served up as ‘happiness,’ These two flavors, while similar in appearance, can be worlds apart. Just bite into a grapefruit when you are expecting an orange! Remember, “grin and bare it” is not Joy...it is a sham. True Joy is experienced when we see things God’s way. The letter of Paul to the Believers in Philippi mentions the word, form or root of the word “JOY” fourteen times. To measure our understanding of, commitment to and whether Spirit-produced Joy is present in our lives, let’s look at it in “3-D”! 1st “D” - DEMANDED In Philippians 4:4, Paul tells the believers, “Rejoice in the Lord, always; again I will say, rejoice!” Paul does not ask, or suggest that we rejoice. He demands it! Who does he think he is, telling people to be happy?! Wait, he is not telling them to be happy. He tells them to rejoice. Paul was under house arrest, chained to a rotating group of assigned palace guards, and robbed of his freedom. When he was in prison, probably in stocks sitting in his own excrement, what did he do? He burst into song, singing songs of praise to God. He didn’t do this because he was happy, but because his JOY was greater. Happiness is based on our circumstances, on happenstance, on what is happening to us. JOY is based on Who we know. If we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) then we no longer need to be “under these circumstances,” but instead we can live with God’s perspective of our lives...from above, with JOY! 2nd “D” - DELAYED In Philippians 2:16, Paul says how glad and grateful he is the Philippian Christians are clinging to and being faithful to the Word of God, to the end that, in the future, when the Day of Christ comes, that Paul’s JOY will be full, seeing that his life and labor and investing in them was not in vain, and that it mattered! Have you ever wondered if living the life you are called to in Christ is worth it? Thinking no one cares about your faithfulness to Jesus?! Dear brother and sister, Jesus said in Matthew 25:23 that one day, as you have been a faithful servant, He will say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant...Enter into the JOY of your Lord!” Even Jesus endured the infinite agony of the cross for future JOY; “for the JOY that was set before Him [He] endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) “Runner when the road is long Feel like giving in, but you're hanging on Oh runner, when the race is won You will run into His arms” -Runner by Twila Paris 3rd “D” - DELIGHT True JOY must be expressed. Over and over in the Word we see that JOY is uncontainable! Praise, singing, dancing, shouting and even silence in the face of “indescribable joy”! As we are able to express the JOY that is ours in Christ. In spite of our circumstances, our happiness that has been missing has a chance to rise and join with the JOY that is greater. It will bring a personal reality and gladness that warms the soul! Is there anything more joyous than a wedding? It is comparable to the delight the bride experiences as she unites with her long awaited groom. “Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.” (Song of Solomon 2:3) This is the Fruit called JOY. Happiness is wonderful! Joy is greater! SUGGESTED PRAYER “Lord, help me to find my JOY in living my life in Your Word, in my life in light of the soon return of your Son, and in the delight that comes from pleasing you, my Father!”
DEVOTIONAL SERIES: THE NINE-FLAVORED FRUITBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB)  Paul tells us in Galatians chapter five that if we are walking in the Spirit we will be manifesting the fruit of the Holy Spirit who dwells within all those who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior. It is not that we are called to “try harder” to produce this fruit in our lives. It is that we are to walk by faith in the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit and He will produce this fruit, supernaturally, in our lives. The nine characteristics of this fruit include the ‘flavor’ Love. All you need is Love, so say The Beatles, and every other love song, in their own way! Love is spoken of so often, and misunderstood and ignored so badly. The next time you tell someone or write on your Instagram or Facebook entry, “Love ya!,” “Love you!,” or “I love yooooou!,” ask yourself, “Do I?!” Depending on the version you use, it is mentioned in the Bible well over 300 times. To measure our understanding of, commitment to and whether Spirit-produced Love is present in our lives, let’s look at it in “3-D”! 1st “D” - DESIGN If you have ever attended a wedding, chances are you have heard someone read from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, “Love is patient, love is kind. It [Love] does not envy; it [Love] does not boast, it [Love] is not proud. It [Love] does not dishonor others; it [Love] does not self-seeking, it [Love] is not easily angered, it [Love] keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but [Love] rejoices with the truth. It [Love] always protects, [Love] always trusts, [Love] always hopes, [Love] always perseveres. Love never fails.” A challenge: First read this passage out loud with the word “Love” used where it ought to be in the text. Next read the passage with the word “Jesus” used where the word “Love” ought to appear. Then finally, read the passage with “your name” where the word “Love” ought to appear. How did you measure up?! 2nd “D” - DEFINITION My working definition of Love is that “Love is wanting God’s best for someone, expecting nothing in return, believing it will probably cost you something.” Love is not about you. It is about the one you choose to love. You can love your enemy this way. You can love your sibling or friend this way. You can love your sweetheart this way! 3rd “D” - DISTORTION Beware! There is much and there are many out there that would fool you into thinking that it is Love that they are peddling! To like someone is not necessarily to love them. You can like someone and not love them. You can love someone and not like them. They might not be likeable! You can want someone and not love them, either! Ultimately it is the example Christ showed us of how we are to love. “This is Love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 Like, want, and trust are not unconditional. Love is. Suggested prayer: “Father, remind me today of how much you loved me by giving me Jesus. Help me to love someone like that, today! I pray in the lovely name of Jesus. Amen”
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB)  Photo by Trang Doan One of the great misunderstandings concerning the Christian life is, if we are ‘good,’ then we will be ‘spiritual’ people and will please the God who seems never to be happy with us! True Christians are those who have appropriated, by faith, the substitutionary payment for sin Jesus Christ purchased for them by His death, burial, and resurrection. He never insisted we should attempt to keep the law, which we know to be futile. They often wonder that, if salvation has purchased for them a new life in Christ, then why does victory over sin seem so difficult, and actually impossible? “If only I were a good child, then my parents would love me.” So goes the backwards assumption that only leads to discouragement, a sense of despair, and to defection that leaves the Christian uttering the words of surrender to their spiritual mirage. “If the life of victory is always before me, but never attainable, then why bother?!” If we try to live by the letter of the law, we are doomed to die by it. The solution to this dilemma is very simple, but because this failed approach of merit is so ingrained into our view of life and living, it is not very easy. In Paul’s letter to the believers in Galatia, an area located in modern day Turkey, in Chapter 5, he tells the believers there the formula for what he describes as our Walk in the Spirit. I include the text for verses 16-25 here, because it is the text that imparts truth, power, and the possibility of the victorious Christian life. I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, 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. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. The formula for fullness in the Christian life is this: Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust, passion, and empty striving of the flesh. It does not say we must try to avoid and triumph over the flesh, and by that, enter into and enjoy the Spirit life. So many who read the words in verse 16, read it in reverse. They understand Paul to be saying that if we do not fulfill the passions of the flesh, then we will walk in the Spirit. No! Paul says the very opposite. He says if we walk, move, and have our lives in the very Spirit of God who indwells every believer from the moment of salvation, it is then that we can have freedom from the sin that so easily controls us. “God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” 2 Corinthians 3:5-6. If we try to live by the letter of the Law, we will fail and die by the law. If we choose to live by the Law of the Spirit, He will succeed and we will live truly spiritual lives. To refer to the child analogy, a child does not need to try to be good so that the parent will love him. When the parent loves the child well, the child’s passion and power come from that love, and the child will then be motivated and equipped to live a life that pleases their parent! It is not that the flesh is evil. It is neutral, yet tainted by the inherited sin nature that Adam passed down to all people...the Ultimate Pandemic! People like to be hopeful and magnanimous and say what is patently false, that man is “basically good.” No, man is basically a sinner and does not need to learn how to be selfish. No newborn child has to learn how to make themself the center of their universe. At salvation the sin nature is not eradicated, although it will be in the future. But for now, we should know that the power and sway of sin over the believer has been broken, as chains off of a prisoner who has been set free. He does not need to live like a prisoner any more. Once bound by shackles, he has been set free. The struggle is described in Galatians 5:17 where the Word says that the battle rages. However, the outcome has been won and the ultimate victory is sure. As it says in verse 25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” How did we receive eternal life and become born again by the Spirit at salvation? By faith (John 3:3-6)! How should we walk about and move and live in the Spirit? Also by faith! It is not by the keeping of the law that makes us spiritual. It is by realizing that we are spiritual creations and living by faith in the power of the Spirit who indwells every believer that we will experience and enjoy victory. In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul describes the Fruit of the Spirit. It is not that we have to strive to produce this fruit in our lives. It is that, as we walk by faith in the realm and power of the Holy Spirit of God who resides in us, that He will produce the evidence of His presence by displaying this ‘nine-flavored fruit.’ It is not Yin & Yang battling it out...it is not good versus evil that leads to the victory of the stronger entity...it is not ‘good’ spirit trying to beat ‘bad’ flesh...it is not even God wrestling with Satan! The battle has already been won. Live like it! We have been loved with an infinite love. Respond to it! We have been victorious, through Christ, over sin. Celebrate it! The Fruit of the Spirit is not something for us to strive for. Because of our salvation in Jesus Christ, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God, the fruit of the Spirit in our lives is in fact the evidence that we have ceased from striving, and started truly living! “This I say then: Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
 Many believers desire to do the wonderful things Jesus did while He was on earth. We desire to do even greater things than He did but have we known Him enough to walk in His dimension of revelation? We desire to know Him more but we have spent little or no time sitting at His feet in order to learn from Him. We have faced so many battles and we’ve been trying to fix it on our own but if we had brought it before the feet of Jesus, all our messes would have been turned into blessings. A recent study by the Centre for Bible Engagement polled 40,000 from the general population in the U.S.A. from the ages of 8 to 80 reveals, and found that those who study the Bible four times a week stand a chance of reducing anger issues by 32 percent; bitterness in relationships/marriage 40 percent; alcoholism 57 percent; feeling spiritually stagnant 60 percent; and viewing pornography 61 percent. Meanwhile, sharing your faith and discipling others jumped to 200 and 230 percent, respectively. In Luke 8:27-29, scripture recounts how a demon-possessed man cried out with a loud voice and fell at His feet when he saw Jesus. That demon-possessed man was filled with sleepless nights and murder attempts but, as soon as he met Jesus, he found rest in Him. In verse 35 of the same chapter, those who knew him found him sane at the feet of Jesus. There was no hope for this poor, wretched man until he fell at the feet of Jesus. At the feet of Jesus, is a place of rest. Luke 7:37-38 tells us of a woman who came to Jesus with a broken and contrite heart. Though she was a sinner, she received instant pardon. She stood at the feet of Jesus behind Him weeping. She began to wash His feet with her tears and wiped His feet with her hair and kissed His feet, anointing them with a precious oil. It doesn’t matter the depth of your sins, at His feet, there is pardon and restoration. In Matthew 9:12, Jesus said, they that are whole need no physician but they that are sick. There is pardon and restoration awaiting your repentance. Jesus came for the lost and He’s ever ready to receive you. At His feet is a place of pardon and restoration. Run to Him now! Great multitudes came to Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others. They laid them at the feet of Jesus and He healed them all, (Matthew 15:30). There is no better place to receive your healing/miracle than at His feet. He is our great healer. By His stripes we were healed. Verse 31 tells us that the multitude glorified God. Jesus’ healing power has not diminished over these 2000 plus years. He is still the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He can heal you today, so run to Him and sit by His feet because this is a place of healing and miracles. In Mark 5:22-23, Jairus runs to the feet of Jesus with a prayer request. No wonder Jesus Himself says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." You can come and lay all your burdens at His feet. There is no hopeless prayer at the feet of Jesus. At the feet of Jesus is a place of prayer. Sincerely lay all your burdens, problems, and issues of life at His feet through prayer, and He will show up mightily in the midst of your storm. Luke 10:39 says, “And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His word." At the feet of Jesus is a place of learning. We must stay at His feet. It is when we stray on our own that we lose our compass. If we would be sincere enough to stay at His feet, we would walk in His newness of life.
PRAYER Lord Jesus, help us to sit at Your feet in all situations. When the storm tides lift and the cables strain, teach us to run to Your feet because that is the place where all our needs can be met. Amen! WANT TO SUBMIT A DEVOTIONAL? If you are interested in writing devotionals for TRINICY, please email us at [email protected]. We would love to hear from faithful servants of the Kingdom who have the desire and talent to communicate the word of God in a way that is relevant to our conservative Christian students, scholars, staff, and supporters!
By Immanuel Kwesi Arthur | TRINICY.org  “Take the world, but give me Jesus, sweetest comfort of my soul; with my Saviour watching over me, I can sing though billows roll” – Ascend the Hill In Romans 1:20-22, Paul explains that God manifested Himself to man through His created things but man never found the need to glorify Him as God. Man became vain in his imaginations making his heart darkened. God still saw the need to reconcile man back to Himself by revealing Himself to man through His prophets but this too proved futile. Hebrews 1:1-3 says that God in many times and in diverse manners spoke to man by His prophets but has in these last days spoken to man by His Son, Jesus. God had to present someone who is His replica (express image of His person) so that man could clearly see God. God knew man was saying, ‘Give me Jesus!’ and God had no option than to give Him to us. Today, believers enjoy free access, truth, and eternal life because we have Jesus. The song "Take the World, But Give Me Jesus" by Ascend the Hill speaks volumes about the Son of God. This song reminds the world that Jesus is the Ultimate. If we would give ourselves holistically to Him and believe that He is always watching over us, we can happily sing though the billows roll. Who then is Jesus? He can be summarized to be the height and depth of mercy; the length and breadth of love; the fullness of redemption and the pledge of endless life. He showed mercy when the two blind men sitting by the way side cried for mercy (Matthew 20:30-34). He heard the cry of the ten lepers and cleansed them (Luke 17:12-14). John recounts that there is no greater love than what Jesus did by laying down His life for us (John 15:13). Jesus is the length and breadth of love. He is the fullness of redemption and He pledges of endless life above. He came for a reconciliation and He confidently crowned it with eternal life. Boldly, Jesus said, ‘In My Father’s house are many dwelling places, if it were not so, I would have told you…’ (John 14:2). Outside Jesus Christ there is nothing, but with Him there is everything. If you have no proper relationship with Jesus Christ, just cry out to Him. He is all we need to have our needs met. PRAYER Precious Father, thank You for giving Your Son to me. If my situation ever becomes unbearable, remind me of Jesus whom You have given me. Remind me of His presence in my life because He is all I need to have my needs met. Help me to better appreciate Him by inviting Him in all things I do. Amen. WANT TO SUBMIT A DEVOTIONAL?
If you are interested in writing devotionals for TRINICY, please email us at [email protected]. We would love to hear from faithful servants of the Kingdom who have the desire and talent to communicate the word of God in a way that is relevant to our conservative Christian students, scholars, staff, and supporters!  “For the son of man came to seek and to save the lost”- Luke 19:10 Recently, I heard about a man lost in the city of Delhi in India. The man was found after several days by a policeman and, when asked how he lost his way, the man gave an astonishing reason, saying that he forgot his point of origin. In Luke 15, the Bible describes three types or conditions of being lost: 1) The lost sheep, whereby that which was lost wandered off in the wilderness and the only way it was found was through a search operation; 2) The lost coin, where the thing that was lost did not wander off but helplessly remained lost where it was dropped; 3) The lost son, where the lost sought his way back home and was found. We saw in these lostness the shepherd looked out, the women searched, and the father waited. They each did not give up on what they had lost. Francis Thomson, in his poem “The Hound of Heaven,” penned the relentlessness of God, “Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest; I am he whom thou seekest.” It was God who found Francis Thomson through a relentless pursuit. You may be lost in any of the ways described above, but ‘do not be disheartened’ says the Bible. ‘He will never forsake you,’ ascertains the word of God. You may be stuck or trapped in a position or place, unable to move as a coin, and utterly lost. Keep believing anyway. God will not rest, much like the woman who lost her coin, until He finds you. Like the lost son, you may have wandered and traveled far off, but remember what God has done in your life and get right with Him. He is waiting for you and He has not forgotten you. God is always searching, looking out, and waiting because you are precious to Him. "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; If I make my bed in the depth you are there." - Psalm 139:7-12 We can never be so lost for God to not be able to find us. The greatest search operation in the history of mankind is God sending His Son to save and to seek that which is lost. Wherever you are today, remember that, we are lost when we forget our origin - that is God. And we will never be found until we remember our destiny - that is God. Let not life in between deceive and dilute you but, instead, always be in constant check to get right with and get found by God. PRAYERGuide me, Lord, that I may walk through this day safe by your side. Guard my heart, my mind, and my steps that I may always be found in you. Amen! WANT TO SUBMIT A DEVOTIONAL?If you are interested in writing devotionals for TRINICY, please email us at [email protected]. We would love to hear from faithful servants of the Kingdom who have the desire and talent to communicate the word of God in a way that is relevant to our conservative Christian students, scholars, staff, and supporters!
By Razak K. Dwomoh | TRINICY.org  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.’’ - John 13:34 NKJV “This is My Commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.’’ - John 15:12 NKJV (emphasis in bold) God has given us a “new commandment” - meaning, an old commandment was given prior to the new one. Anytime there is something new, it presupposes that the old is abrogated or abolished. The old commandment was given with the requirement that we love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12: 31), but the new one requires us to love people not just as ourselves but as Christ has loved us. The standard of love is no longer us. Christ has become - and was always meant to be - the standard for how we can truly show the love of God to others. The question is, how did Christ show His love towards us? The Bible clearly indicates that Jesus Christ showed His love for us by dying for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). Jesus did not wait for us to be perfect before showing us His love. If He did, absolutely none of us would have qualified for His love. He loved us unconditionally! Likewise, He does not want us to expect people to be friends with us, do good to us, agree with us, praise us, or bless us in anyway before we show them love. God’s standard of love is so high that He even commands us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us! While definitely a challenging call, we have the assurance that all things are possible with God. This is why we need to continually abide in His love before we can demonstrate His love to others. After all, we can only give what we have. Do we have the love of Christ? Has Christ showed us His unconditional love? Then it behooves us, and the onus lies on us, to do the same for others. This is His commandment and it is the new commandment. “and a ‘man’s enemies will be those of his own household” - Matthew 10:36 (NKJV) Since one’s enemies will be those of his own household (not someone else’s), then the enemy here could potentially be our father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, wife, husband, grandparents, nephews, niece, In-laws, friends, church member, pastor, neighbor or even our own children. Whoever the enemy turns out to be, Jesus admonishes us to love them. But the weapon our Father wants us to use to defeat them is the weapon of love! Some children of God try to fight their perceived enemies using their own strength. They ostracize them, think little of them, quarrel with them, punish them, and/or refuse to associate with them. In such times when we fall short, we are refusing to use the weapon God has given us to wage spiritual war. This negative approach by some children of God results in divisions in families, churches, and communities. One may ask, How, then, can we show love to our enemies? “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you.” - Proverbs 25:21-22, Romans 12:20 (NKJV) PRAYERDear Heavenly Father, please help me to see and appreciate Your love for me. Help me to abound in Your love that I may extend Your love to others and love them unconditionally just as You have loved me. I know that, with You, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Thank you for loving me and giving me the grace to love others, even my enemies. in Jesus Name, Amen! WANT TO SUBMIT A DEVOTIONAL?If you are interested in writing devotionals for TRINICY, please email us at [email protected]. We would love to hear from faithful servants of the Kingdom who have the desire and talent to communicate the word of God in a way that is relevant to our conservative Christian students, scholars, staff, and supporters!
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