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As with each approaching New Year we come face to face with thoughts about what happened in the previous year, as well as what we would like to see happen in the coming year. Losing weight seems to be one of the ideals that invades our thoughts, and who can blame us especially when we have just finished off devouring a turkey with trimmings, cookies of all different style and decoration, boxes of candies and sweets, and of course a couple of gallons of egg nog just to wash everything down….

On a more spiritual note, I wonder if I might have the same kind of plea that the Apostle Paul expressed In Philippians 3:10 as my New Year’s resolution. “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…” Too often I have stopped reciting this verse after the first two statements. My spiritual hunger loves to feast on knowing Christ in a more intimate way as well as experiencing resurrection power to strengthen me for each day’s journey. The real question for this coming year rests on the next two statements.

Am I really willing to have fellowship with the sufferings of Christ along with being conformed to His death? Am I willing to lay aside “me” in order to gain more of “Christ”? The initial thought of this transaction reveals hesitancy in my walk with Christ. Maybe it’s because of my perception of what that fellowship and conforming might look like! Will my Lord bring about sufferings in my life that at the moment seems to be too harsh to bear? Will loneliness be my companion as it was with Jesus Christ in His final moments prior to the cross? I must admit, this kind of life does not appeal to my natural life.

All in all that is the problem. You see, Jesus Christ is not appealing to our natural life but to our spiritual life. Our natural life prevents us from going further with Christ. Our spiritual life is what leads us to “live by faith.” In order for us to express Philippians 3:10 as a passion for our lives we need to exercise faith in the directive and direction that Christ calls us to follow. The kind of faith that is willing to put feet to the words of God and walk on the path of self-abandonment to reach the goal of Christ likeness which we are told is “our reasonable act of worship.”

As we stand on the threshold of a New Year let’s make sure we walk by faith and not by sight. May it be our passion to desire Philippians 3:10 no matter the cost because the final goal will be well worth the journey.

There are times when I find myself remembering moments as snapshots of life that have left an indelible mark on my life. One such moment flashed across the eyes of my memory like the morning sun as it just breaks through its night slumber to awaken a new dawn. Though this memory took residence in my mind a couple of years ago, yet, at in a moment’s time it was fresh and gloriously renewed. This awakening all happened as I was driving past one of my student’s home; I use to drive a bus for Autistic children prior to coming to Grace.

The student’s name is Jake. Every morning when I went to pick him up for school Jake’s grandfather would put him on the bus and “strap” him in in the protective seat needed to safely transport these children. Then it was always said, “Now, Jake, you be a good boy today in school.” Jake never answered because Jake could not talk. It was one of the effects of his autism but Jake just smiled and off we were to another day at school. Usually each day was a repeat of the previous days because if one thing I learned in driving autistic children to school is that they do not like change. But, one day there was a change. Jake did something that I never noticed before. When his grandfather came to take him off the bus, Jake calmly and with a small smirk on his face, reached up and gently grabbed his grandfather’s ear as if to say, “Thanks grandpa, for being there for me.” Jake’s grandfather said, “It’s okay Jake, I got you,” and off the bus they went as Jake’s grandpa carried him all the way to the house. In the realms of great discoveries this one was not something that would shake the world of science or economics, but it did shake my soul. You see God used Jake that day to teach me a valuable lesson I will never forget.

This may be a bit of a theological stretch but the lesson Jake taught me that day is this: I wonder if God is longing for us as His children to reach up and gently touch His ear as if to say, “Thanks Daddy (Abba, Father), for always being there for me.” I know there are days when I don’t express enough thankfulness for all that God has done for me. I confess there are days when I just take God for granted. Even as I am writing I ask God to forgive me of my unthankfulness. But there are two ways to express thankfulness to God. One is through prayer by uttering a soft and heart felt word to the Lord, “Thank You.” The other way of expressing thankfulness, or should I say gently grabbing the ear of God, is by living a life of thanksgiving expressed through a desire to please our great God. In either case I can’t help but wonder if God would gently whisper back to our souls, “It’s okay my child, I got you.”

Thanks Jake for the lesson.

For the next few months editions of “The Kitchen Table” we will be writing what I am going to call “The Fruit of the Month” by contemplating a short series on Galatians 5: 22-23 which highlights what we know to be the “Fruit of the Spirit.”

The Apostle Paul lists nine character traits that the Holy Spirit produces in a believer’s life. Jesus Christ is the supreme example of every spiritual quality, having embodied the fruit of the Spirit perfectly because each one is inextricable liked to who He is. It is not by our effort that we can live supernaturally (like Jesus) instead of naturally (like the fallen Adam). It is only through the work and gifting of the Holy Spirit that the church – and every Christian – possesses the capability of reflecting the beautiful image of Christ to this fallen world.

The list of spiritual fruit falls into three categories; the upward qualities (love, joy, peace); the outward qualities (longsuffering, kindness, goodness); and the inward qualities (faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) are all Holy Spirit- produced characteristics. Calling these characteristics fruit indicates beauty, spontaneity, quietness, and growth instead of effort, labor, strain, and toil. The use of the singular ‘fruit’ indicates that there is a unity and coherence in the outworking of these virtues. Just as a tree is known by its fruit, so spiritual fruit manifests the Holy Spirit’s work in God’s people through the refinement of their character as they pursue being “conformed to the image of Jesus Christ” (Romans 8:29; 12:1-2).

In anticipation of the months ahead let’s engage ourselves in reading and meditating on Galatians 5: 22-23. Get ready because next month’s fruit is “Love.”

“Dearly beloved..” a phrase that is usually spoken at the beginning of a wedding ceremony, and highlights the first “fruit of the Spirit” known as “Love.” Love has been the theme of songs, cards, holidays, and gifts all of which express, for the most part, an emotion and not a Christian characteristic.

Maybe this misunderstanding is cultivated by our lack of knowledge of what really the love of God is all about. For me, children seem to have a better grasp of God’s love than most of the astute theologians whose books grace my office shelves.

I think children understand love because children don’t think in abstract ways. They understand what they can see, touch and hear. One child said, “Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him to make sure the taste is just right.” Another child observed, “Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.” And still another child told of, “When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too.”

Love at its best is far more than an emotion. It’s action. It’s something you do even without expecting anything in return. This kind of love, for all you theologians is God’s love known as ‘agape.” This kind of love is highlighted in 1 Corinthians 13 in terms of action and not emotions.

Love is patient, love is kind, love does not rejoice in evil but rejoices in truth. Love always protects, love always trusts, love always hopes, and love always persevere. Love never fails. This kind of love is sacrificial self-giving, centered around and imitating Christ’s cross-work, not primarily a nice-feeling but a maturing process which focuses on how much we need to depend on God and not ourselves.

“Dearly beloved”… let’s cultivate God’s love which is the beginning of our “fruit of the Spirit.” In all of our lives may this love shine in what we do in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior.

In days gone by, in my pre-teen days in Sunday School, I remember singing a song with the words going something like this; “Jesus, others, and you, what a wonderful way to spell JOY. J is for Jesus for He has first place, O is for others you meet face to face, Y is for you and whatever you do, put yourself third that spells JOY.” Well… a catchy song that seemed to get all of my classmates singing but I wonder if the true meaning of JOY was captured. Last time I knew, pre-teen children really do not contemplate wanting to be last…

In my Evangelical Dictionary of Theology it gives the definition of joy as, “a delight in life that runs deeper than pain or pleasure. From a biblical perspective it is not limited by nor tied solely to external circumstances. Joy is a gift of God, and like all of His other inner gifts it can be experienced even in the midst of extremely difficult circumstances.” Do you think the Sunday School song is on to something? If real joy can be experienced in extremely difficult circumstances, then maybe pre-teen situations about being last is a good definition of JOY after all….. Well, I digress.

As one of the characteristics of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), joy is listed as a follow up to love. It could be that in order to have real joy there must first be love. The kind of love that causes us to trust God in every circumstance of our life even if that circumstance is extremely difficult; say the circumstances of illness, maybe even terminal; how about the circumstance of lost wages; or what about the loss of a family member? The circumstances we face each day may not be a pleasant journey but, according to our definition, there can be joy.

What is interesting is that joy is expressive. There can be that calm assurance that no matter what may come our way, whether pleasant or dreadful, joy is the characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit that expresses praise to God, no matter what. Now I am not talking about looking at life through rose colored glass. But I am talking about life where each and every believer, no matter the circumstance, can live by loving Christ and rejoice with joy. Joy is the balm to our soul that brings about a steadfast reliance upon God in every part of life, that He is in control and we can trust Him because of His great love for us. 1 Corinthians 10: 13 reminds us well, “God is faithful”… no matter what we face.

May the Joy of our Lord Jesus Christ be your portion and strength..

The cessation of war; the quietness of an evening; the renewal of a once lost relationship; the feelings of rest that sooth ones soul which come after receiving good news; and ultimately, a satisfied relationship with God.

For the most part the preceding definitions have one thing in common. They are definitions that help us to understand the word “peace.” Each of us can draw from these definitions times in our lives where peace has been our comfort and companion as we walk with Christ.

We are reminded in Romans 5:1 that, “having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” At the moment of salvation we are translated from the realm of being lost and against God to the realm of being found and children of God. We have peace with God.

Not only do we have peace with God but we are also reminded in Philippians 4:7 and Colossians 3:15 that we have the peace of God that will guide our hearts and minds as well as rule our hearts.

Yet when we come to the fruit of the Spirit, described for us in Galatians 5:22, we find “peace” as the third characteristic following love and joy. At least from this placement it would lend us to understand that in order to have a “peace that passes all understanding” we must first experience the love of Christ and which one of us can fully understand God’s love? Also, In order to have a “peace that guards our heart and mind in Christ Jesus,” we must first experience the joy of Christ and who among us has not thanked God for the joy of knowing Him as our Father? Interesting how the fruit of the Spirit not only compliments each characteristic but each characteristic is the foundation for the next.

Peace is also the inner faith that even in the midst of what seems to be trouble in the world our faith is not controlled by those troubles because our faith is in Jesus Christ and the fulfillment of His promises which produce in us a peace that not only quiets our hearts but also strengthens our soul.

It is my prayer for you to know and experience “peace” as only that which comes from the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in our life. Jesus said it well, “My peace I leave with you.”

The next fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22 is “longsuffering.” Longsuffering may be equated as that biblical characteristic which enables a believer to stand in long lines at the store, be stranded in traffic, or even sit quietly through a boringly long sermon and come out of all three of these events unscathed by any ill thought! I believe we have all been there.

Longsuffering, I trust, seems to have a much deeper meaning than just being quiet or patient for a short period of time. The word itself describes what I am trying to convey by offering us an alternative to our menial displeasures. Here is what I mean. What would it look like if we took the two words of Long-suffering and switch them in place? What would we really be looking at? Maybe something like this, “Suffering-long.”

Over my time in ministry I have come to realize that many believers really believe that their new life in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) is supposed to exempt them from any of this life’s complications and nastiness. We, meaning myself and all of us who at times has felt this way, seem to believe that God owes us a life of no problems, illnesses, bills, worries or threats. We, again as I said before, have this convoluted thought that this life is supposed to be all wrapped up in a huge pink bow with a neon sign blinking “Enjoy to the fullest!”

Yet, when you come to read Hebrews 11: 35-38 we are introduced to a group of faith believers who suffered-long. Notice what the epitaph on their tombstone said, “Of whom the world was not worthy!” For me I believe there could not be a greater declaration than that for the life of one who is longsuffering.

Longsuffering goes beyond our inconveniences of life, right to the heart of the matter of living and loving God. Am I willing to be a witness for Jesus Christ even if it costs me everything I have? Try thinking about that the next time you are stranded in a long line at the store.

Take care my dear people, remember, we are not yet home.

The Greek word “chrestotes” is translated as “kindness” in Galatians 5:22 and is defined as “goodness of heart; not merely goodness as a quality, rather it is goodness in action, goodness expressing itself in deeds.”

In our pursuit of the fruit of the Spirit, kindness is listed as the next outward manifestation of our relationship in Christ Jesus which has been implanted in our soul by grace through faith. The moment one believes by faith the gospel of Jesus Christ, that person is not only promised eternal life, but that person also receives the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit through whom all the characteristics of this fruit is cultivated and produced for the expressed purpose of ministering to one another.

In Ephesians 4:32 the word “kindness” is highlighted in an action of “being kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

The options for expressing “kindness” are unlimited especially when we remember how the kindness of God has been first showered upon us as described in Titus 3:4. As believers we have the privilege of showing kindness in the realm of practical everyday life. A glass of cold water, an out-stretched hand, a smile, a hug, a listening ear and so much more can be expressions of kindness.

Kindness is the desire to show compassion because of the compassion of God first shown to us. Kindness is the desire to do good things for people because of all the good things God has done for us. Kindness is the desire to express tenderness to a wounded heart because of how God transformed our heart. All in all, kindness is that outward expression of care for people based upon what God has done for us.

The characteristic of the “Fruit of the Spirit” for this month is kindness. Let’s all be active in revealing who Jesus Christ really is by being conduits of kindness.

“Now be good!” How many times have we heard our parents say these words, as we were growing up, when we were about to leave the house? We also use this same phrase when it comes down to the game winning field goal and the team needs that field goal to be “good” in order to win. At the moment of contact between the kicker and the ball there is a thrust of air that comes from the offensive side which says, “Please be good!” Yeah!!! Football Season Is Here!!!!!

The Greek word “agathosune” used here in Galatians 5:22 is that trait of moral quality that is expressed through the life of a believer with the goal (notice the football analogy?) of doing kindly activity on behalf of those we minister to. What is interesting is this characteristic and the characteristic of “kindness” are closely related in their purpose. Kindness is the disposition for others while goodness is the activity shown toward others. Both seem to focus on showing the love of Christ, which is shed abroad in our hearts, to any who would come our way.

Let me give you an example. Recently I read an article that described a test that was conducted in a parking lot of a local shopping mall. This test was interesting because all the drivers who were part of the findings did not know they were being watched. So the findings of this test were not influenced by anyone’s preconceived knowledge. What the test proved was that it normally takes 32.2 seconds for an automobile to leave a parking place once the driver has started the car to the point of driving off. If the driver notices another car waiting for the parking space the same actions take 39.7 seconds. Now if someone happens to honk their horn to hurry the car away, the elapsed time jumps to 47.3 seconds.

The question on the table is this, which driver are you? Remember “be good” is the call of this month. Lee Strobel once said, “Do one good deed a day to keep your spiritual life in good shape.” Goodness is the activity of being good. Let’s show the goodness of God by being good to those around us, even if they honk their horn in the mall parking lot.

“Faithfulness” is the next quality of the Fruit of the Spirit as Galatians 5:22 declares. Faithfulness is that quality of the believer’s life which is displayed in everyday activity. Faithfulness is the living out of the faith we have in our relationship to Jesus Christ. One author wrote, “Ones faith is only as strong as in what or who ones faith is based.”

In Matthew 25:14-29, Jesus is teaching a parable on the wise use of the talents He has given to the servants of the kingdom. As you have so have I heard other sermons on this passage which speak of judgment, wise use of our talents and “use them or lose them.” Yet I see an overriding theme in this passage. I see the display of “faithfulness,” or the lack thereof, lived out in the lives of the three servants who are given certain amounts of talents to use prior to the return of the master to his land. The focus of the talents in this parable is not on the amount given but on the wise use of them. The goal of the servant was to use their given talents in order to gain more for the master. In other words, every opportunity they had to gain more was based on their faith in respect to their master. Obviously we see two of the servants being successful in their pursuit while the third was reviled for his lack of faithfulness.

With all this being said, or should I say written, faithfulness is not based upon what we can expect to receive, but upon who Jesus Christ really is. Faithfulness is, as we have previously seen, a conduct of personal surrender in order to please our great Savior just because of who He is.

So this coming month let’s all of us display the characteristic of faithfulness as we walk each day with the desire to please Christ because He really is worthy.

“Now be gentle.” A phrase we use to warn of proper handling of a newborn, especially if the newborn is being welcomed by a sibling of not too many years older. Gentleness is the next quality listed in Galatians 5:22-23 which is remembered as part of the “Fruit of the Spirit.” What is translated “gentleness” in many translations should really be translated “meekness” because of the Greek wording of the passage.

You have probably heard it said before, “Meekness is not weakness,” especially when presented as an illustration of Christ recorded in Matthew 21:5. In reality, that saying is the truth. The Greek word for meekness is understood to mean “mild, gentle, and soft.” So a meek person is someone who is gentle, mild, tenderhearted, patient and submissive.

When Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem, Matthew 21:5, He was not riding on a white charger but on the foal of a donkey. That was really low-class transportation. Jesus was meek. Meekness is gentleness and mildness of spirit, and a subdued character, but it is not weakness. It is power under control. Meekness is a by-product of self-emptying, of self-humiliation, of brokenness before God. Meekness is the taming of the lion that lurks within each of us.

I am sure you might be thinking of the time when Jesus cleaned house in the temple by throwing out and whipping the money changers who were desecrating God’s house. Where is meekness displayed in this instance? Well as one author put it, he wrote, “Twice Jesus cleansed the Temple. He blasted the hypocrites. He condemned false leaders of Israel. He fearlessly uttered divine judgment upon people. And yet the Bible says He was meek. Meekness is power used only in the defense of God.”

Meekness may very well be displayed in two ways. First, in handling of people who do not know Christ, and in fellowshipping with those who do, we need to be gentle, mild, and soft. Second, when it comes to sin in our life, we need to be throwing out and whipping every “money changer” we can in order to present ourselves holy and wholly to God.

“Now be gentle.” More than a saying, let’s make sure it becomes a reality in our pursuit of Christlikeness.

“You’ve got to be kidding!” Really! This being my most favorite time of the year and we come to the last of the fruit of the Spirit, which just happens to be SELF-CONTROL! If at any time of the year, other than the Giants winning the Super Bowl, self-control seems to be last on my wish list. You know, shopping and wrapping, visiting and eating, along with shoveling and de-icing, there just does not seem to be any place for self-control.

I doubt very much the apostle Paul had any of my ideas in mind when he penned the words of Galatians 5:22-23 known as the “fruit of the Spirit.” Self-control, though placed last in the list, is in no way intended to be least of the other characteristics which precede it. Self-control can be described as follows: “The various powers bestowed by God upon man are capable of abuse; the right use (of these bestowed powers) demands the controlling power of the will under the operation of the Spirit of God.”Maybe at first thought the characteristic of “self-control” seems to be confusing. “How can we control our self?” Well, actually it is not us who are doing the controlling. When we relinquish the control of our will to the control of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit not only produces all of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit in us, but He actually uses these characteristics through us to display a life that has been changed by the very power of God in which we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).

Self-control goes beyond the mere thought of stopping ourselves from purchasing “one more gift, or eating one more piece of pie.” Self-control is that Holy Spirit control which keeps us from doing our desires in order for us to live in the desires of heaven, which, by the way, is honoring God in all that we say and do. There can be no greater gift.