Fighting the Battle!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)

I read an interesting article today. Actually, it was a sermon about the church. In summary this pastor claimed our churches are changing to attract a more "modern crowd". He claims churches are bowing to culture by eliminating sermons where people might get offended. He said churches are more interested in relevance and filling pews than the truth of the gospel. It was a sad and often true statement for many churches. In my own group of motorcyclists I minister with, I had a time I was more worried about numbers than spreading the gospel. It is easy to justify my thoughts in saying we need more members to spread the word, right?

We forget easily that we are not in control of our ministry, God is. Just like other areas of our lives, if we step in thinking we know Gods will, replacing his calling with our own motivations, our churches and our ministries will fail. We can't be caught up in the ways of the world. We have to be bold for Christ, strict about following his word, and unwavering in our principles. In a world of no right and no wrong, we are fighting a battle for the truth. We are fighting about Gods truth vs immorality. Yes God loves us, but he does not want us to compromise just to fill the pews. He adores us, but does not want us to ignore our calling to holiness. We are heading for disaster. We are heading for a complete melt down of moral principles. Will we, Christians, rise up to stand against ill conceived church laws? Will we strengthen our moral fortitude or buckle to societies pressures?

Lord help us follow you and your lead. May we never change just to fit in. May your love, your judgement and your word, guide us every single day. May we stand against those that would eliminate the way you designed us to live. Lord protect us from the devil traps of this world. Keep us from bowing to society instead of you.i love you and worship you. Praise God!

You have to admire the Apple!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV)

It's one of my favorite times of the year. We are harvesting apples! I love apples in nearly every conceivable way. I love cherries, oranges, blueberries, and nearly every kind of fruit. But, you have to admire the versatility of the apple. Cobblers, pies, with peanut butter, Carmel, brown sugar, apple sauce, cider, juice, peeled, raw, in cookies, and turnovers. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. Of course you could have another great conversation about the best type. Macintosh, golden delicious, Granny Smith, and more all have their own wondeful taste. Yes, it is a wonderful time of the year.

It takes an entire season to make a good apple. The fruit can't be picked too early nor too late. Great apples come from years of growth in the tree. This wonderful list of "fruits of the spirit" also take time to develop. They are the result of turning your life to Christ and letting him mold you so that you can bear this fruit. I am seeing these fruit more and more as I grow older. I'm not ready for harvest but they are ripening. I am thankful God is patient with me and cares for me while the fruit grows. I am thankful to see the fruit in others shared with me. Praise God the harvest draws near! I love you Lord!