Fresh Fruit

by Bethany Lashbrook

This week's Verse: Galatians 5:22, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Devotion:

One of my friends, Denise, has been reading a lot of Jim Cymbala (probably most known for his book Fresh Wind Fresh Fire, and pastors Brooklyn Tabernacle). She decided to bring one of Jim's lessons into our Sunday school class. It has been about listening to the Holy Spirit in our lives and letting the Holy Spirit work through us and within us.

This past week, we looked at the Holy Spirit in relation to fire. We were taught that:

1. Fire is cut-throat. It pierces through everything.

2. Fire is illuminating. Everyone can see it.

3. Fire spreads. And not only does it spread, but it does so quickly.

Luke records in Acts when Jesus told his disciples, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit". (1:4-5, NIV, emphasis mine)

Later in Acts 10:47, Luke records that Peter says, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have". (NIV)

If we are to let the Holy Spirit work in us without quenching it, we must give it authority in our lives. We must let it spread like fire. Fresh fire can lead to Fresh fruit - and who couldn't benefit from more of the fruits of the Spirit.

Freshness of anything is good. A Fresh start in life once we are baptized promises a life full of newness (Romans 6:4). Putting out this fresh fire can inhibit spiritual growth (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

This week, it is my goal to purposely listen for the direction the Holy Spirit gives me in my life. I guess I should say not only will I listen - but then I will act. Maybe along the way I can spread some joy or some peace. And maybe, I can learn some self-control and faithfulness in my life!

Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. May we all know and learn from your direction in our life. Amen.

Application: Do you ever hear the Holy Spirit speaking directly to you? Does anything happen (heart beat increase, sweaty palms)? Is the holy spirit directing you to do something small (like letting the woman with only several items go in front of you at Walmart checkout line) or something big (paying for her groceries)? Pray this week to be attentive to what God is choosing in your life!

This Week's Verses:

John 7:37-39, 'On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.' (NIV)

Matthew 16:25, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."

I CAN Drive 55!

By Denise Reed

This Week’s Verse: Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (NIV)

Devotion: Confession: I used to speed. When I was younger and less responsible I wanted to get places as quick as I could. My motto was, “Move over and let me drive!” When I became more responsible, hauling around two children, I changed my ways, or so I thought. One day, as I’m driving along with the kids the back, singing along with the Christian radio station on, I look down and see that I am driving a nice 60mph in a 55mph zone. Perfect! Then God and I had this conversation:

God: “Driving over the speed limit is breaking the law, and breaking the law is a sin."

Me: “But God, cops won’t pull anyone over for going just 5mph over the limit. So if they don’t pull me over for it, it’s OK, right? Everybody does it."

God: “But what does the speed limit sign say? It doesn’t say 60pmh. You are breaking the law! You are sinning without remorse. Sin leads to death!"

And then God gave me this thought: Say I am driving just a meager 5mph over the limit and get into a fatal accident. Will I be rejected from Heaven because I was sinning without any remorse or thought of repentance? Wow! I decided I am not going to be denied those pearly gates for something so small.

As I continued to think about this new revelation over the next few weeks, God revealed something else to me. By speeding every time I got behind the wheel, I had been living a lifestyle of sin. Lifestyle of sin!? Isn’t that term just used for serial murderers, alcoholics, rapists, the sexually immoral and all those other people? Yes! But I was acting no better than any of them! This second revelation has opened my eyes to all people who are living a lifestyle of sin and the fact that it’s not my job to judge them. My sin is not better than theirs, nor does it receive a lesser degree of punishment.

So now as I drive along with my cruise control set at 55mph (thank you Lord for cruise control), it feels liberating to know that I am not breaking the law. My heart no longer skips a beat when I see a police car. The title of this devotion is not a misquoted lyric of Sammy Hagar’s, because now, I really CAN drive 55!

Lord, thank you for giving me this revelation of my lifestyle of sin. Please continue to show me my sin that put up a wall between my heart and You. Amen.

Application: Are you living a lifestyle of sin? Is there a guilty pleasure you let yourself indulge in just every once in a while? These both put up a wall between you and God. Repent from your ways. Ask Him to reveal to you these areas of your heart.

Power Verses: Psalm 139:23, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thought." (NIV)

1 John 1:19, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (NIV)

Hebrews 10:26-27, "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God." (NIV)

Holy Spirit, Rain Down!

by Denise Reed

This Week’s Verse: Acts 1:4-5, “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit’”. (NIV)

Devotion: Our Life Group read the book ‘Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire’ by Jim Cymbala. I had heard a few people talk about this book and how awesome it is. I’m one of those people who get disappointed after seeing a movie or reading a book that’s been ‘talked up’. It raises my expectations too high. This book, however, did NOT leave me disappointed in the least bit. In fact, I don’t think it could be ‘talked up’ enough, I recommend you reading it if you haven’t.

This book tells about how the Brooklyn Tabernacle went from a small, dysfunctional church to a very active mega-church. What is so amazing is not the high attendance numbers or the award-winning Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, but what God has done with the church. Back when it had few members, who were only there out of duty, the church (with Pastor Cymbala’s lead) broke down and cried out to God for His Spirit to move. And from that very simple, but humble act, modern-day miracles happened. The book recounts story after amazing story of personal spiritual transformations of people in the community (which is considered a rough area). It just amazed me and humbled me to read how powerful the Holy Spirit is. Not too long ago, the Holy Spirit was something foreign to me. Of course I’ve always known about the Trinity, but the Holy Spirit was an unknown, therefore neglected by me.

Back to the Brooklyn Tabernacle, the only reason the Holy Spirit moved was because the congregation started pleaded for it during their weekly prayer meetings. They prayed out loud, in unison – as one voice lifted to Heaven. As it states in Matthew 21:13 “It is written”, he said to them, “My house will be called a house of prayer…” Jesus didn’t say “My house will be called a house of great sermons, or great music…” Those things are good, but not the emphasis of Jesus’ teaching. In our Life Group we end our meeting praying this way. We pick a few topics to pray for that are weighing on our hearts and we pray for them at the same time – as one voice. It really is invigorating!

After reading the book, God heavily laid it on my heart that our church needs to have a time of corporate prayer, calling out for the Holy Spirit. I feel that if I ignore this nudging, I will be disobedient to God. So, I have spoken to our minister and plan on beginning weekly prayer meetings sometime in March. This is all very exciting and scary to me, but I know that is will be a ‘success’ as long as the prayers are sincere and heartfelt, and there is a true calling out to the Holy Spirit. To quote Jim Cymbala from his book ‘Fresh Power’ (a follow up book to ‘Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire’) he states the following very clearly:
1) The Holy Spirit’s power is our greatest need.
2) This power and blessing is freely promised to all of God’s people,
3) This promise can only be fully received through sincere praying in faith and through waiting of God for His blessing to come.

Lord, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit and please help us know the Holy Spirit and His blessings. Please send the wind and fire of your Spirit upon us, transforming us from the inside out.

Application: If the Holy Spirit is an unknown to you, pray that God will reveal His Spirit to you and be willing to wait upon the Lord.

Power Verses:
Phillipians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (NIV)

1 Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (NIV)

Acts 2:42-43, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.” (NIV)

All Prayed Out!

By Denise Reed

This Week’s Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “pray continually” (NIV)

Lately, I have been feeling like I am all prayed out. I pray before every meal. I pray throughout the day if something is weighing on my mind and when God reminds me of something or someone to pray for. I even ask God to help me remember to do things (when I’m not able to write myself a reminder) and He has never failed to remind me! Sometimes when I check my e-mail there is a prayer concern for a friend and I pray instantly. I pray with my children before bed.

Then I sit down to do my ‘serious’ praying and get out my list of prayer concerns. Oh my! The list is long. There is my immediate family to pray for, more further removed family who are struggling with issues, friends, and people who have not asked for prayer, but am praying for anyway (such as their salvation). There is my list of prayer concerns from my Sunday school class, my Life Group, my Mother’s in Touch group, prayers for the ministries I’m involved in, and of course, my own personal needs and wants. And this list does not even include national and global issues, which quite possibly need the most amount of prayer. I guess I think I’m too far removed from those issues that I don’t need to pray for them. Somebody else will, right?

I think, boy, that’s a long list and more are added to it every week. If I pray for everyone, I feel like I’m just going down the list to get it done. So, maybe I should break it up and pray for half the list now and the other half tomorrow. Then I feel guilty for not praying for everyone everyday. How often DO I really need to pray for all these people, especially the people I don’t even know? And how long should I keep someone on my prayer list? With all these thoughts running through my head, my prayer time is stressing me out! Satan knows my weaknesses, so he works on me during my prayer time.

However, when searching the Bible for verses about prayer, I did not find ONE verse where we are told to pray every single day for the same person in order for God to answer our prayer. This gives me encouragement to continue on. James 5:15 says “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.” (NIV). So maybe it’s not about how OFTEN I pray for something, but rather, HOW I pray for it. It’s more a matter of the heart. When I am praying for someone, am I doing it in faith that God can and will answer my prayer? Or am I praying for someone just because his or her name is written down on my piece of paper?

Lord, thank you for your examples and instructions on prayer. Help me block out distractions and other thoughts that try to creep in while we are having a one-on-one conversation. I have faith that you can answer every single prayer request I have, and help me understand if you don’t answer it the way I want. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Application: If you have been feeling all prayed out like I have, take heart. It’s not a bad problem to have. Just make sure your heart is in the right place when you are praying.

Power Verses:

Mark 11:24 “Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (NIV)

1 Samuel 12:23 “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.” (NIV)

Romans 8:26 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” (NIV)

Harvest

by Denise Reed

This Week’s Verse: Matthew 9:37-38 “Then He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few’. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (NIV)

Devotion:

I don’t know about you, but harvest season stirs something inside me. When I see that first combine out in the field I get excited. It means the farmers will finally reap what they have worked so hard to plant (maybe replant), spray, fertilize, and check up on for the past few months. There is something so satisfying about getting the crops out of the field and into storage.

It also brings cooler evenings, gorgeous leaves, and campfires with s’mores, radiant mums and football.

Seeing the first signs of harvest this year brought all these warm, cozy feelings back. However, God reminded me of HIS harvest. God’s harvest is more than just how many bushels per acre your corn and beans made. It is a matter between eternal life and eternal death.

God’s harvest is SO plentiful. Think of how many billions of people live on this earth. That’s how many plants God has in his ‘field’. God has called us to nurture each other with the Living Word and encouragement, just as fertilizer does for crops. WE are his workers. Once the harvest is done, it’s done – no second chances.

God’s harvest is not one of warm, cozy feelings, but one of urgency. Am I fertilizing God’s crops like I should so God has a bountiful harvest? Or have I failed to prevent weeds from growing up, therefore stunting the growth of the plants around me? Have I stopped gossip and negativity when I have heard it? Or did I sit back and listen to it, even without joining in?

As this week’s verse says, the workers are few. We must stand out and be bold under God’s authority. We must take responsibility of informing others about eternal life or eternal death to the plants around us.

Lord, I thank you for the beautiful harvest season I see around me. Your creation is magnificent. Help me to open my eyes and see YOUR harvest. Help me to reach out to those who need nurturing and prevent weeds to stunt my own spiritual growth and the growth of those around me. Amen

Application: As you drive along and see the farmers’ harvest this year, think about God’s harvest. Feel the urgency to go out and be the best workers you can be.

Power Verses:

John 4:35 “Do you not say, “Four months more and then the harvest”? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (NIV)

James 5:20 “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (NIV)

Acts 11:23 “When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.” (NLT)

What If?

by Denise Reed

This Week’s Verse: Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV)

Devotion:
Sometimes when I’m lying in bed I get a bad case of the “what-ifs”. My mind starts thinking about every possible bad or tragic thing that can happen to me and my family. What if my husband gets in a fatal accident to/from work? What if one of my children dies in some sort of freak accident? What if someone breaks into our house while we’re sleeping?. . . and the list goes on and on.

Next thing I know, I’m crying in bed, and I’m feeling stupid. I’m crying about my husband dying and he’s laying right next to me! I’m just hoping he’s already asleep so he doesn’t hear me sniffling. I wouldn’t want to tell him why I’m crying! Does anybody else do this?

But then, thankfully, God reminds me of this week’s verse and I feel peace and relief. I am not relieved because tragedies will never happen. But I am consoled because I know that if disaster strikes, God will get me through it.

Just look at the example God provides for us in the book of Job—in fact, I’m convinced God included Job’s story in the Word to inspire us to hold on through any hardship. In this extreme case we see the proper way to react when tragedy occurs. He relies on God during his excessive hardships and remains faithful. He learns more about the nature of God through his adversity and we would do well to grasp the same truth.

God is our comforter, our strength when we are weak. It is SO hard when difficulties come, but it will be okay. God promises to never hurt us. We have to trust His promises and carry out our mission here on this earth. Although we would love for it to, the world will not stop for us in times of calamity.

How terrible it must be for non-Christians to go through tragedies without knowing God’s promises! We believers have something they don’t, though, and it’s our job to reach out to them and anyone needing the promises and strength of Christ.

We have the answer to the world’s “What ifs…”

Lord, thank you for the example of your servant Job. I pray that you will remind me of your promises when my mind starts to wonder. I pray that I can console others with your promises when tragedies occur. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application:
Next time you get a case of the "what-ifs" allow yourself to be comforted by God’s word and find strength in knowing that tragedy will not overcome you.

Power Verses:
2 Cor. 1:4, “…who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (NIV)
Rom. 8:18, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”(NIV)
Ps 119:50, “My comfort in my suffering is this: your promise preserves my life.” (NIV)

In This World, or Of This World?

by Denise Reed

This Week’s Verse: John 15:19, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (NIV)

Devotion
Most of us know and love singing the song “Amazing Love.” However, one day as it played on the radio, a certain verse grabbed my attention: “I’m forgiven, because you were forsaken. I’m accepted, you were condemned.”

Then it struck me; what makes us accepted in this world? Are we so worldly that we blend in with everyone else in such a way that no one can tell if we are a follower of Jesus? I knew that this conviction had come from God and it weighed on my mind for the rest of the week.

The very next Sunday we read the story of Stephen in our Sunday School class. The story is found in Acts and it reaffirmed that my earlier insight was from God. Stephen was a man full of God’s grace and power. He was chosen by the other apostles as a disciple of Christ. He did great wonders and miraculous signs, but you know what?

He was NOT accepted by the world. He WAS condemned. Because of his faith he was persecuted and stoned to death. As he died, he mirrored what Jesus said when he died on the cross by saying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

This man--who was a true follower of Jesus--is a great example for us. Are we willing to stand out in the crowd, or are we trying too hard to be accepted by the world?

Oh, and to top it off, we sang “Amazing Love” during the worship hour that SAME Sunday. Was God speaking to me or what?

Dear Lord, thank you for the great example of Stephen. Help me to never take my eyes off my purpose here in this world. This world has nothing for me, Lord. Help me remember that. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application:
This week, let’s make a conscious effort to share God’s love with everyone we come into contact with, even if we think they might shun us, or make fun of us. If we are made fun of, we will rejoice!

Power Verses: 1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (NIV)
2 Timothy 3:12, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (NIV)
1 Peter 2:11, “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage was against your soul.”(NIV)