Galatians 5:22 But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these. Philippians 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.     As the Holy Spirit works the grace of God in our hearts, the various aspects of spiritual fruit are manifested through us.   1.         "The fruit of the Spirit is love." This is divine love ("agape" love), a love that flows from the heart of God. "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God" (1John 4:7). It is a unique, heavenly love available only from the Lord. 2.         "The fruit of the Spirit is  . . . joy." Joy does not listen to circumstance – joy builds on truth – we are saved no matter what happens around us – this always remains, simply because our God maintains our salvation – not circumstances. When joy is the fr

  Mark 2:1-12. Time and again in the gospels we can read that He healed someone, performed a miracle, preached, taught or in some way or another was involved with people. He didn’t go where He wasn’t wanted or if the place didn’t accept Him. The events in this passage of Scripture happened early in Jesus’ ministry. According to Mark 1, He already had called Andrew, Peter, James and John to be disciples and begun to minister to the people of Capernaum in various ways. Now we’re going to see one of the more unusual episodes in the gospels. Jesus has returned to Capernaum. He had gone to a number of places”. I’m sure the people of Capernaum remembered how Jesus had not only taught with power, but had also cast out a demon from a man who somehow was in the synagogue! Further, there were probably some who remembered how Jesus had healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever. Here in this account there is a hunger and thirst for the Word of God. It’s true there were synagogues, where th

  Ultimately, we know that the final son of Abraham and Sarah is who blesses all nations and that is Jesus. And Jesus gives us a sign better than the circumcision given to Abraham. Ours is a circumcision of the heart made inwardly by the Holy Spirit (Romans 2:28). The reason for an inward circumcision is that the true children of Abraham are not the ones who come straight from Abraham’s line, but those who believe in Jesus (Romans 2:29) and are grafted into his line. And just as Abraham’s circumcision was a sign put on his body guaranteeing the fulfillment of the promise that was to come, the New Testament says that the Holy Spirit’s sign in us is our guarantee that all of Jesus’ promises will be fulfilled as well (2 Corinthians 1:22). “and put his Spirit in our hearts to show that we belong only to him.” Christians receive a new name as well. In fact, we are renamed twice. The first name is given to you when you put your faith in Jesus. You are made a new creation (2 Corinthians

               2 Chronicles 20:7: Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? Isaiah 41:8: But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Can any heathen god raise up anyone to righteousness and make him victorious over the nations? The Lord did so with Abraham. Sinners encourage one another in the ways of sin; shall not the servants of the living God stir up one another in his service? God's people are the seed of Abraham his friend. This is certainly the highest title ever given to a mortal. It means that Abraham, by Divine grace, was made like to God, and that he was admitted to communion with Him. Happy are the servants of the Lord, whom he has called to be his friends, and to walk with him in faith and holy obedience. James 2:23: And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto