Burunche’s Blog

Isaiah 7:14 ^“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

Luke 1:26-31 Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.” 

We have been studying what the Book of Galatians tells us about holiness and how to become holy with the help of the Holy Spirit. But we are in the season of Advent, a season in which we should be preparing our hearts for the celebration of Christ’s coming. Perhaps no single prophet in the Old Testament has written more about the coming Messiah than has Isaiah.

Who was Isaiah? TheFamousPeople.com says this about Isaiah:

Isaiah was an 8th-century BC Israelite prophet who predicted the coming of Jesus Christ. He is believed to have lived about 700 years before Jesus Christ was born. The Book of Isaiah is named after him. He is considered a significant contributor to Christian and Jewish traditions. Not much is known about his personal life, but there is enough evidence to suggest that he was probably a member of an aristocratic family. He was born in Jerusalem and is said to have been called to be a prophet by a divine vision he had in the year of King Uzziah’s death. From his writings, it is evident that he was thoroughly educated in the language of prophetic speech, and it is sometimes argued that he was born into a family of prophets. As a pious and principled man, he was disturbed by the inequalities in society and the evils perpetrated by men. He sympathized with the poor and the downtrodden. He served as the mouthpiece of God to the common people and tried to warn them of dire consequences if they indulged in sinful activities. He was married and had at least two sons. His wife is referred to as “the prophetess” in his writings…Isaiah died sometime in the 7th century BC. The exact circumstances of his death are not known though certain sources suggest that he was killed by King Manasseh, the 14th king of the Kingdom of Judah.”

The prophecy recorded in Isaiah 7:14 is part of a larger prophecy given to King Ahaz of Judah at a time when the King of Syria and the King of Israel have banded together to attack Jerusalem.

Isaiah 7:10-25 “Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.”

But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!”

Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings. 

The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father’s house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah.”

And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will whistle for the fly that is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. They will come, and all of them will rest in the desolate valleys and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all thorns and in all pastures.

In the same day the Lord will shave with a hired razor, with those from beyond the River, with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the legs, and will also remove the beard. It shall be in that day that a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep; so it shall be, from the abundance of milk they give, that he will eat curds; for curds and honey everyone will eat who is left in the land. It shall happen in that day, that wherever there could be a thousand vines
Worth a thousand shekels of silver, it will be for briers and thorns. With arrows and bows men will come there, because all the land will become briers and thorns. And to any hill which could be dug with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; but it will become a range for oxen and a place for sheep to roam.”

What a strange place for a Messianic prophecy! Here Ahaz, the grandson of King Uzziah, has panicked and has resorted to asking Isaiah for help. Ahaz probably hopes that Isaiah will pray some kind of prayer and make his enemies disappear, but that doesn’t happen. When Isaiah orders Ahaz to ask from the Lord, Ahaz tries to score points for piety by refusing to do so. 

In this prophecy, Isaiah informs King Ahaz that he has nothing to fear from these two men, for God is going to frustrate all their plans. Isaiah also predicts that within 65 years Israel will no longer exist as a nation, and that “the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.” But Isaiah also predicts that the Assyrians will swoop down on Judah and destroy it.

Why does God drop a wonderful prophecy about the coming Messiah into a discourse on political upheaval? The key is in the name “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” God is with us at all times, whether or not we realize it. And God is always working, even when we think we are in the midst of disasters. Right now, a pastor friend of ours lies in a hospital in Guatemala, recovering from several severe health problems.

Our friend traveled to Guatemala to encourage believers in the forty churches his small congregation in western New York has helped start. While in a remote mountainous area, our friend fell sick, forcing those around him to evacuate him by any means possible until they could reach a large city with a good hospital. On the face of it, it’s difficult to see God’s hand in these events; however, while we assume God has only one purpose in a given situation, meanwhile, God may have seventeen different purposes. Who knows how many people in that hospital are going to hear about Jesus because a gringo pastor has fallen sick? Who knows how many people will increase their faith because of God’s hand in this situation?

As you go through Advent and Christmas, remember that Jesus IS Immanuel, God with us. Jesus is there in the middle of your stresses, your worries, your fears, your doubts, your disappointments ,and your depression. There is no time of the day or night when Jesus fails to be with us. And because Jesus is Immanuel, you can rest assured that God will never abandon you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we bless You for sending Jesus, Immanuel, to be with us no matter how we are suffering. Help us to remember that You are always there and that you are closer than our own heartbeats. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Galatians 6:11-16 Paul has one final word.

“See what large letters I am using to write to you with my own hand!

Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. They only do this to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ. For the circumcised do not even keep the law themselves, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation.

Peace and mercy to all who walk by this rule, even to the Israel of God.”

“See what large letters I am using to write to you with my own hand!” Paul is winding up his letter to the Galatians, but why is he making such a point of the fact that he is writing the letter himself and in large letters? Remember that Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” might be an eye problem, and that he even mentions that earlier in Galatians. If Paul is suffering from an eye problem, it makes sense for him to write in large letters so that he himself can read it. Paul also wants the Galatians to know that HE has written everything, and that some secretary has not taken liberties with what he wants to say.

“Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. They only do this to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ. For the circumcised do not even keep the law themselves, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.”

At this point, many Jewish leaders are siding with the Romans in an effort to suppress Christianity. By convincing the Romans that this new sect is a threat to the stability of the Roman Empire, the Jewish leaders hope to wipe out the Christians. Paul is writing to the Galatians because Judaizers within the fledgling Christian church are trying to force new Gentile believers to undergo circumcision. These Jewish sympathizers are hoping to report that they have convinced large numbers of male Gentile believers to undergo circumcision, thereby currying favor with the Jewish religious establishment and by extension, with the Roman hierarchy. These false teachers want to have a foot in both the Christian and Jewish camps in hopes of avoiding persecution.

“But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation.” Here Paul boldly states the bottom line for this entire letter to the Galatians. In your quest for holiness, don’t become distracted by traditional practices but realize that holiness is a matter of the heart.

What does Paul mean when he says, “through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world?” We must take those things that draw us away from God and refuse to have anything to do with them, mentally and emotionally nailing them to crosses so that we will not be tempted to indulge in them again. At the same time, we must be careful to please God rather than people, for there will always be those with hidden agendas, itching to add us to their list of successful converts to their position. If we are to be new creations in Christ Jesus, we must leave all these other things behind, seeking only for God’s perfect Will for our lives.  

“Peace and mercy to all who walk by this rule, even to the Israel of God.” Why does Paul close with this statement? Paul wants to go on record as wishing all believers well, whether they come from a Jewish background or from a Gentile one. By using the phrase “the Israel of God,” Paul affirms that God’s hand remains on Israel and that God has sent His Son, Jesus, the Messiah, to redeem all the people of the world.

What do these last verses of Galatians teach us? Many times, various Christian groups will encourage believers to engage in various practices. While these practices are not harmful in themselves, they can become a stumbling block when believers are more concerned about observing rules and regulations than they are about pleasing God.

Jesus himself said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) As we prepare for Christmas, let’s remember that trees and presents and decorations and gatherings are nice, but the most important thing we can prepare is our hearts.

PRAYER: THOU DIDST LEAVE THY THRONE E.S. Elliot

1 Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

2 Heaven’s arches rang when the angels sang,
Proclaiming Thy royal degree;
But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth,
And in great humility.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

3 The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
In the shade of the forest tree;
But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,
In the deserts of Galilee.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

4 Thou camest, O Lord, with the living word
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn, and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

5 When the heavens shall ring, and the angels sing,
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying “Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee.”
My heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus,
When Thou comest and callest for me.

Galatians 6:7-10 You Can’t Fool God!

 “Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.”

Ever feel like nothing you do is enough or that it counts for anything? Some days, no matter how hard you try to be virtuous, no matter how you pursue holiness, you feel like a total failure. You might find yourself in job situations where colleagues take credit for your work and your ideas. Perhaps you have recently learned that someone you have trusted has been systematically attempting to destroy your reputation. At this point, you might feel like giving up. But please don’t!

What we readily forget is that God is the One who sees everything and God is the One who knows the human heart. No matter how things appear to us, God is still on the Throne and God still keeps score. What does God say about these problems?

“Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

When people behave carelessly and think that they are getting away with their bad behavior, they fail to realize that ultimately, God will reward us. When our main aim is to glorify God and to please Him, God will reward us in wonderful ways we cannot even anticipate. And as believers in Jesus Christ, we can trust in His promises of eternal life.

Trusting in those promises, we may persist and go forward. “Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.”

No matter how tired or discouraged you might be, hang in there and trust! God sees and will give us the strength we need to fulfill His perfect Will for our lives. Knowing, these truths, we can continue to do good to all those around us, particularly to other believers.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to cling to Your precious promises that we will reap righteousness when we sow righteousness. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Galatians 6:1-6 Carry One Another’s Burdens

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own work. Then he will have reason to boast in himself alone, and not in someone else. For each one should carry his own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor.”

If we think the fruits of the Holy Spirit are only there so that we can become some kind of holy display, we’re sadly mistaken! God gives the fruits of the Holy Spirit so that we can be channels of grace to others. Let’s look at this passage carefully.

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness.” When we catch someone else doing something wrong, frequently our first reaction is to gloat, particularly if the individual in question has been unkind or critical to us. But the Holy Spirit buzzer is sounding and that response is wrong. If we were footballers (soccer players for you Americans), we would be getting red cards. Notice that God expects us to be spiritual-why? Because God gives His Holy Spirit to believers, and therefore we should be led by the Holy Spirit and not by our own passions and desires.

Next, notice that we are to restore this person “with a spirit of gentleness,” the gentleness of the Holy Spirit. How gentle do we have to be? Isaiah 42:1-3 tells us, “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench…”

While reeds in swamps might be quite strong and flexible when intact, once bruised, they can easily be broken beyond healing. The phrase “smoking flax” refers to the flax used as wicks in oil lamps. As long as there is oil, the flax will continue to burn brightly; however, once the oil is running out, the flax may begin to smoke, signaling that it is about to fail completely. When a flax wick begins to smoke, it’s a tricky business to replenish the oil and blow softly on the wick to encourage the flame to burn properly again.

Many times, someone who has appeared quite strong may be faltering. Perhaps this person has been severely bruised or perhaps his supply of spiritual oil is running out and he is about to fail completely. At such times, we are far more vulnerable to temptations of all sorts, particularly those most appealing to our personalities.

“But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” We should avoid any self-righteousness, for we too can fall into the same temptations that have ensnared others. For example, someone might be eliminating pornography on someone else’s computer, only to begin to enjoy it themselves.

“Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” How can we carry someone else’s spiritual burdens? First, we can pray for them, asking God to heal them in that particular area. Next, we can try to help them avoid temptation; this could mean inviting someone who has just been bereaved to join you for recreation or for a meal, so that they won’t find themselves alone with their temptations. If we want to help, God will certainly show us creative ways of bearing those burdens. Perhaps these burdens are not spiritual but financial. If God shows you a need, you must pray and ask God to guide you as to how you are to help with that need.

“If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own work. Then he will have reason to boast in himself alone, and not in someone else. For each one should carry his own load.” Oh, how quick we are to judge others and how slow we are to judge ourselves! Through the years, I have learned to back off when an individual or a group begin proclaiming that he/she/they are far too spiritual to associate with anybody else. Such thinking is Satanic and very dangerous. There is only one God, and we are not Him! The ground is level at the foot of the cross of Jesus. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. Again, we must examine ourselves and confess any sins the Holy Spirit reveals to us.

“Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word must share in all good things with his instructor.” Why does Paul include this advice as he concludes this section? Instructors are frequently the ones who sensitize us to our own faults; being an instructor may involve lots of risk with very little reward. When we encounter truth-tellers who enlighten us, we should be as kind to them as possible, sharing whatever we have with them. After all, the advice these people have given may have dragged us back from the brink of some yawning spiritual chasm. Why not reward those who have helped deliver us from ourselves?

In one of his books, Leo Rosten quotes the famous Jewish teacher and rabbi Maimonides as having said, “Tell the truth and see the world.” Spiritually restoring people can be a very risky business, for the very ones you are trying to help may turn and attack you. But God continues to call us to a ministry of restoration. Let us follow our Master Jesus, the Messiah, and continue to heal bruised reeds and to restore smoking flax.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to restore others in a spirit of gentleness, remembering that our turn for restoration may come at any point. Help us to share all good things with those who are instructing us and leading us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Galatians 5: 24-26 “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.”

For several days, we have been studying the fruits of the Holy Spirit. But fruit is useless unless it changes our lives. Why should our lives bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit? What do these meditations have to do with Advent; after all, Advent began a few days ago. Advent is the time when we are preparing to celebrate Christmas, the Gift of God’s Son. This season has always been a time for believers to prepare hearts and minds for Christmas. Nothing is more important than a quest for holiness, so that we will be prepared to welcome the Christchild into our hearts.

Every bit of the Book of Galatians is eminently practical. Paul doesn’t waste time in fancy theories, but goes right to the heart of human relations. We might say that we belong to Christ Jesus; however, what does it mean to “crucify the flesh with its passions and desires?” In Paul’s day, crucifixion was one of the ghastliest forms of death available. Nothing was more final than nailing someone to a cross, for death would be inevitable.

Here Paul is advising believers that they must crucify their fleshly natures with their passions and desires, making an end to them finally, so that they can live and walk by the Holy Spirit. As long as believers hang onto any part of their old natures, they cannot possibly be led by the Holy Spirit because light and darkness can’t exist in the same place at the same time. Someone has asked “What is the speed of darkness?” The speed of darkness is the speed of light, for as light comes in, darkness flees.

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.” Here in Ghana, lorry drivers are fond of turning their outside rear view mirrors so that they can admire themselves, thus defeating the original purpose of the mirrors. Believers should learn a lesson from these foolish drivers. When we are living and walking by the Holy Spirit, we must be in step with Him, neither running ahead nor lagging behind. Our eyes must be fixed on God and not on ourselves. As soon as we begin focusing on ourselves, admiring ourselves for our holiness, we will be in trouble. One prayer my husband and I pray daily begs God to help us refrain from praying that God should arrange people and circumstances so that we will be more holy.

Only God can measure human holiness; only God truly knows the human heart. The more we focus on our own holiness, the more conceited we will become. Few things are more provoking than someone with a “holier than thou” attitude. That kind of behavior only provokes others to respond by doing everything they can to demonstrate that this person is no holier than anybody else. At the same time we are busy admiring ourselves, we may also be envying others who appear to be more spiritually advanced. We have no idea what’s happening in the lives of those other believers; perhaps they are envying us!

How do we avoid playing spiritual games that only hurt everybody and accomplish nothing positive? Live by the Spirit. Walk by the Spirit. When we are focusing our attention on the Holy Spirit, we will only look at ourselves long enough to confess our faults and ask God to change us.

“Great!” You say, “How do we do that?” The best way to remain focused on God is to memorize His Word. Find a few verses that really speak to your situation at this point. Put those verses on your phone. Write those verses on post it notes and stick them where you will see them. The more you meditate on those verses, the less you will think about yourself and the happier you-and your neighbors-will be.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to fix our minds and hearts on You and on Your Word, so we won’t be obnoxious to our neighbors. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Galatians 5:22-23 “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.”

Reading the list of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, we might be tempted to think, “Well, I can be loving and joyful. God can give me peace and help me to be kind, good, faithful, and gentle. But self-control? Lord, you MUST be kidding!”

Throughout our lives, we have learned that there are some things we can control and others that we can’t. While we might be able to control our work schedules to a degree, we have no idea when one of our children will fall sick at school, prompting a hurried trip to collect the child and a rearrangement of duties for the rest of the day. We think we can control our schedules at home until the day we sleep through our alarms and are nearly late for work.

We know we can’t control the weather! Due to a five-hour time zone difference between West Africa and Buffalo, New York, my husband was able to watch the last quarter of the recent Buffalo Bills football game. The Buffalo area was being pounded by a blizzard, and officials had to keep stopping the game to sweep the snow off the field! During the latest rainy season in our area, the rains came late and then those in a neighboring country opened the spillways on a dam. The results were that parts of our area flooded worse than they had ever been flooded previously.

But what’s tougher to control than anything else? Self-control is tougher. Exerting self-control is like playing the game “Whack-a-Mole.” Just when you think you have successfully struck the mole in one place, another mole pops up someplace else. We might not have a problem with overeating, but pressures from advertising are impelling us to spend money wildly for Christmas presents. And if you manage money wisely, how well are you doing with your exercise program? Have you said something regrettable recently? Are you shirking on your duties at home?

Face it, folks; we need divine help! What’s the difference between our stressing and straining to exert self-control and the self-control that is a fruit of the Holy Spirit? Results. When the Holy Spirit enters our hearts and lives, He changes us so that we are able to bear things we previously thought were unbearable. Just as we need the Holy Spirit to enable us to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, and gentle, only the Holy Spirit can enable us to truly have self-control.

Why is self-control so important spiritually? Won’t God love us if we fail in a particular area? Yes, God will still love us; however, the more we learn about God, the more we want to tell others about Him. If we are careening through our lives, swaying from one extreme to another, we are bad advertising for God.

“Oh!” you say, “but I’m impulsive. That’s simply my nature.” True, but impulsiveness is not God’s nature. God is all-powerful and all-knowing and therefore has no need to be impulsive. God doesn’t waste time or energy or resources; we are the ones who waste those things.

If we say we are God-followers, we should want to reflect God’s nature and not our own. The problem is that the more we know of God, the more we realize how very short of His majestic nature we fall. It’s a spiritual truth that people become what they have worshipped. When you worship anything less than God, you are opening yourself up to Satanic influence. Worshiping God is the only safe spiritual path.

How can we gain self-control? James 1:19-27 tells us “My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls. Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

The only way we are truly going to gain self-control is to allow God to fill us with His Holy Spirit. And the only way the Holy Spirit can come is when we confess that we are sinners and cannot free ourselves and ask God to deliver us from our sins. God wants to send the Holy Spirit to us; we are the ones hindering Him. When we humble ourselves, God will gladly send the Holy Spirit, and when the Holy Spirit enters our hearts, He will immediately begin changing us into God’s likeness. That process of change will last the rest of our lives.

How do we know God has changed us? Some frustrating problem comes up, and we find ourselves able to deal in a way we never could before. Or someone says something bitter to us, and rather than becoming offended and striking back, we are able to intercede for that person. If overeating has been a problem, we find we are able to control our eating; in fact, we are able to control whatever obsessive behaviors we have previously indulged in. Before, we were trying to do things ourselves, but now the Holy Spirit is empowering us, and we are gaining self-control.

This Christmas, why not give yourself the best gift you can possibly give? Tell God you are powerless to help yourself and beg Him to give You His Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes, He will immediately begin manifesting His fruits in your life.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners, caught in our own wrong-doing, and that we cannot free ourselves. Thank You that You have sent Jesus Your Son to die for our sins and to deliver us. Please send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts so that we will live lives full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We ask this in the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Galatians 5:22-23 “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.” Gentleness has been defined as “Showing care and respect for others in the way that you act and speak, the quality of being kind and careful, being compassionate.” Unfortunately, many of us have little experience of gentleness in our lives. Perhaps our parents were not demonstrative or even absent. Perhaps we have had to struggle for years to make a way for ourselves. We have become hard and don’t know how to help ourselves.

In an article for Crosswalk.com, Molly Parker describes Jesus as the perfect example of gentleness.10 Ways Jesus is Gentle 1. His invitation is broad. “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Jesus has an affinity for the weary and burdened. He longs to be gentle with them, much like we do with our own kids after they’ve been sick all night or had a lousy day at school. But unlike our compassion, which is inconsistent at best and reserved for a certain few, Jesus’s compassion spreads far beyond his “own kids.” His invitation to “come to me” has an all-ness to it, going way back to the promise he made to Abraham, that through him “all nations will be blessed” (Galatians 3:8).

2. He provides rest for your soul. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul” (Matthew 11:29). Before the arrival of Jesus, God’s people were living in a hopeless time. The yoke of Rome was weighty and oppressive. Pride and self-assertion—the opposite of gentleness—ruled in the hearts of the Jewish leaders. So when the Messiah came at last, many assumed he was going to be a cultural and political Savior, not a “gentle and lowly in heart” Savior. Little did they realize, sin was their problem. What they really needed was a Savior to rescue them, to provide soul rest.

3. His method of bringing about victory involves thoughtful and careful leading. “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice through to victory” (Matthew 12:20). Bruised reeds and smoldering wicks? Though we don’t often squeeze such wording into our everyday lingo, it certainly portrays our gentle Jesus in a way that really packs a punch (or more fittingly, a friendly pat on the back). The point is, when Jesus finds a bruised reed, instead of breaking it off, he’s more likely to bind it together in hopes it’ll become strong again. And should he come across a barely-there flame, he’s more likely to fan it back into a radiant flame instead of snuff it out. And we can count on him acting this way “until he brings justice through to victory.”

4. He tenderly cares for the defenseless. “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:11). I’ve heard it said that gentleness is a strong hand with a soft touch, a quality every good shepherd should possess. Not only does a flock of sheep need tender care, they need protection from predators—something David can attest to in 1 Samuel 17:14-36. But for those who think David’s shepherding skills are top-notch, they should first consider the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. He’s the true expert in all-things requiring a strong hand and a soft touch, for it was prophesied that “he will rule with a powerful arm” (Isaiah 40:10), all the while caring for his lambs—his children—by feeding, gathering, holding, and leading them.

5. His tender nature causes even the most critical audience to soften. “By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you.” (2 Corinthians 10:1) Jesus never flexed his muscles for personal gain. Rather, he did everything to the benefit of those in need and to bring glory to God the Father. And here, Paul emulates the very nature of Jesus. He models the controlled strength of Christ, for it is the basis by which Paul makes his appeal to the church at Corinth. Gentleness goes a long way in reaching a critic. Still, many in our culture think we’ve gone soft when humility becomes our go-to virtue, making it more important than ever to “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than [ourselves]” (Philippians 2:3).

6. He has gentleness to spare, no matter how selfish, rebellious, and lost we’ve been. “So he returned home to his father. And while he was a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20). The parable of Prodigal Son is a personal favorite, not just because of what singer-songwriter Keith Green did with it, but because Jesus paints for us a picture of what he’s like; he describes his very own character. He grabbed hold of his compassionate, generous, slow-to-anger, and gentle qualities and wove them right into the narrative of the Prodigal Son. How lovely is that?

7. His gentle ways stand in stark contrast to cultural expectations. “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey’” (Matthew 21:5). As predicted long ago by Isaiah and Zechariah, Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. He didn’t waltz into town on the back of a stallion with fancy chariots in tow, something more fitting for a king. Instead, he entered Jerusalem humbly, in the same lowly manner he entered the world.But oh, that won’t be his style when he comes again. Pastor John Courson puts it this way: “The first time Jesus came, He came as the Suffering Servant. But the next time he comes, it will be as the conquering King.”

8. He is moved by our great sorrow and his even greater love. “So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is sick’” (John 11:3). Sure, Mary and Martha had already seen Jesus perform miracles, thus boosting their confidence he’ll do another. But I wonder if it’s not the miracles that brought such assurance but what they know of his character. I wouldn’t be surprised if his interactions with others—the way he kindly and respectfully talked to people, the way his all-knowing yet all-loving eyes settled on theirs (imagine Jesus locking eyes with you!)—had more to do with the manner of their request: “Lord, the one you love is sick.” Notice the sisters didn’t say, “Lord, the one who loves you is sick.” If God’s countless acts of compassion were dependent upon our love for him, we would be in a hopeless state! Thankfully that is not the case.

9. His character doesn’t change, even under intense suffering. “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son’ . . . From that time on, this disciple took her into his home” (John 19:26-27). While he hung on that cross, he continued having precious and selfless thoughts toward others. Not even the most torturous suffering could stomp out his gentlemanliness. Though he was naked and thirsty, he thought of his mom! And he discussed her care and protection, not at a family dinner table with loved ones all around, but while he hung on the cross for the sins of the world—her sins included!

10. His gentleness is equal to his power. “Worthy is the lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:12). Jesus is the worthy Lamb who was slain. He went willingly and silently to the cross, where by his blood he “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). He is also the conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah. He punishes evil and commands us to follow him. But hanging our hats on one aspect of his nature over the other, thinking, “I prefer a soft and gentle Jesus, not a strong and mighty Jesus,” will only lead to a lopsided, flimsy faith. Jesus is 100% Lion and 100% Lamb. We need his compassion, but we also need his resurrection power.”

How can we become gentle when we have never experienced gentleness ourselves? Ask God to send His Holy Spirit, for He is the only One who can truly make us gentle.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are anything but gentle. We push through our days, forcing our ways through people and events. Please change us into Your Image! Give us Your Holy Spirit and let Him change us completely. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Galatians 5:22-23 “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.”

The dictionary defines goodness as “being morally good or virtuous.” A good person has “qualities of character or conduct that entitle the possessor to approval and esteem.” Goodness is closely related to kindness, for kind people graphically demonstrate that they are good.

When we are with good people, we feel at ease and can relax. But it’s not just humans who can perceive goodness. Animals are actually far better at sensing when a person is good than humans are.

Years ago, my dad nearly died in a terrible car accident. After weeks in the hospital, Dad was allowed to come home, probably because my mother was a trained nurse. It took more than six months before Dad could get around without crutches; meanwhile, the farm work had to continue. We had an “Old McDonald” type farm with milk cows, beef cattle, pigs, and chickens. Lacking mechanization, we cared for all the animals by hand. This meant that the cows had to be milked twice a day, while all the animals had to have feed and water available.  I was only seven years old, and my brothers were four and two, so we were little help. My parents hired an older bachelor who had worked on several local farms to help out with the work, but we soon discovered a major problem: The second this man came close to any animals, they panicked! We had moved the milk cows over to my grandparents’ place, which was connected to ours by a series of back lanes. When this man entered the milking parlor, the cows went berserk and jumped every fence between my grandparents’ farm and ours to escape. My grandparents took over the milking. (Yes, Grandma helped. As a good Swedish American girl, she learned to milk cows by hand at an early age.)

When this man entered the pig pasture, the pigs immediately ran as far away from him as possible, clustering at the far end of the pig pasture. The beef cattle huddled in one corner of their pen. My grandmother was very proficient at caring for chickens, so this man never entered the chicken house. To look at this man, one would think there was nothing wrong; however, the animals knew differently. Finally, Dad assigned this man to care for the crops along with help from our neighbors, but once the crisis was over, we never employed him again.

Most of us want to be good, but persisting in goodness is tough. So many times, we fall short of doing the best thing in a given situation. We allow prejudices and pet peeves to get in the way of being consistently good to those around us. If we were to wear “Goodness Meters” around our necks, you would see the needle on the meter fluctuating wildly, depending on the time of day, how well we have slept, how work is going, how encouraging our friends and coworkers have been, etc.

Compare that erratic behavior with the goodness of God. A popular Christian song says, “God is good all the time!” This statement is true. Goodness is one of God’s many qualities, and God remains good, no matter the circumstances. God says in Malachi 3:6, “For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”  God chose the people of Israel, and even when the Israelites proved faithless, God continued to be good to them as long as they would let Him. God only removed the Shekinah glory from the temple in Jerusalem when idolatrous believers took over every part of the temple.

The question for us is this: How can we be good when we fail so frequently? The blessed answer is that by ourselves, we cannot be completely good. But God has promised to send His Holy Spirit to all believers. When we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives and hearts, the Holy Spirit changes us into the spiritual image of God. The more we yield to the Holy Spirit, the more radically He can change us. Such change is a life-long process; the longer we go on as believers, the more the Holy Spirit will work in us.

Want to be good? Ask God to send His Holy Spirit into your heart and then give the Holy Spirit permission to change you. You might not see the difference, but others certainly will!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and there is no goodness in us at all. Please send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts to change us into Your image. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.   

Galatians 5:22-23 “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.”

Today we are looking at the quality of faithfulness. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines faithfulness as follows: steadfast in affection or allegiance, loyal, firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty (conscientious), given with strong assurance or binding, such as a faithful promise, true to the facts, to a standard, or to an original, as in a faithful copy. 

Faithfulness is one of God’s many attributes. The Bible has a great deal to say about God’s faithfulness.

• Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23reliabilitylovecompassion

• The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:24

•  Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
  bind them around your neck,
  write them on the tablet of your heart.
  Then you will win favor and a good name
  in the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 3:3-4loverewardheart

• Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23

(For other Bible verses about faithfulness, check out https://dailyverses.net/faithfulness )

It’s relatively easy to be faithful when all around you are faithful, but how will we behave when others whom we have trusted prove faithless?

Years ago, I had a very wise friend who patiently listened to my complaints about the training program I was in, the struggles I was having, etc. Once I had finished dumping my load of grief on this kind lady, she asked me one question: “Are you acting or reacting?”

If we persist in “React” mode, we are allowing others to control our characters. We will bounce around like a new ping pong ball in a tile bathroom; in short, our feelings will be all over the place. But if we chose to act instead of reacting, we must analyze situations and then ask God how He wants us to behave. Yesterday, I told the story of how my mother won over my grandmother with persistent kindness. But today I want to tell another story from my mother’s life, a much sadder one.

My mother returned to college to complete her B.A. when she was 35 years old. For six years Mom commuted 80 miles round trip each class day, taking partial course loads as time and finances would allow until she graduated successfully in 1963. That fall Mom began teaching high school English at a local high school, proving to be one of the most successful and inspirational teachers at the school. Mom was well liked by her fellow teachers and was always telling us stories about her colleagues and her students.

Mom expected to remain at that position until retirement; however, problems arose. Mom had headed the English department for years, but when a new principal arrived, he immediately gave that position to a man who was far junior to Mom. This principal had just completed his Master’s degree and was in his first position as a principal. Even though Mom had taught at that school for 13 years and had a record of motivating failing students to complete and continue for further training, this man wanted to demonstrate that HE was in control. I seriously doubt that there was any attempt at discussion; I suspect Mom came in ahead of the school year to find the decision had been taken without any explanation and that she was just supposed to accept it. Mom’s heart was broken; she never expected to be treated so unkindly. All those years of work appeared to count for nothing. Blessedly, one of Mom’s fellow teachers had secured his Master’s degree and was now heading the Junior High School. This kind man immediately invited Mom to teach Junior High English instead, a post she held gladly for two years before retiring.

Upon reflection, I know that Mom’s basic problem was a reaction to the faithlessness demonstrated by that new principal. Had Mom trusted God and His faithfulness, she could have weathered the situation far better. Mom remained faithful to that school system, but I’m not certain she ever forgave that principal.

Two generations ago, many people would enter the workforce at a company, expecting to remain there for the rest of their working lives. These days, companies have no loyalty to their workers and workers repay that attitude by jumping from one company to another. More than 50% of marriages end in divorce. Student athletes who have been playing for one school on scholarship may enter the portal and suddenly shift to another school.

Faithfulness and loyalty appear to have gone out of style; yet, both are very necessary for any meaningful human relationship. Trust is easily destroyed but takes large amounts of time to build. We can choose to act faithfully, even when others disappoint us with their faithlessness. This does not mean that we have to offer ourselves as victims to someone who only wants to use us; however, it does mean that we will guard the reputations of others, insofar as we can. Having said this, there are times when we are forced to become whistle blowers, reporting wrong-doing even if we jeopardize our positions. Our number one loyalty must be to God and not to people.

This Christmas, why not seek out friends with whom you haven’t connected for a while? Communicate with them, encourage them, and demonstrate that their loyalty is precious to you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. Please send the Holy Spirit to empower us to be faithful as You are faithful. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.  

Galatians 5:22-23 “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.”

Today is the first Sunday in Advent, the day we specially begin preparing our hearts and minds for Christmas. Last Friday was Black Friday, so-called because of the crowds and the chaos of millions of shoppers competing for bargains. Now it’s time for a heart-check: if you shopped in stores on Black Friday, how kind were you? When you saw the last one of the items you desired, did you push and shove to get it, perhaps throwing an elbow in someone else’s face? Why did you want that item or those items? Were you buying Christmas presents, and if so, did your behavior on Black Friday honor Christ?

Sadly, many of us commit countless little murders throughout our days. Rather than being kind, we settle for snide remarks, back-biting, and cutting, even with those whom we claim to love. When I was growing up, I had relatives who could reduce those around them to emotional rubble with a single comment accompanied by a raised eyebrow. Unfortunately, as a small child, I quickly copied that behavior, only to be questioned as to WHY I could possibly behave that way. Looking back, I can think of several reasons for such behavior; however, it is extremely destructive and has no place in the life of a believer.

Some of my family members emphasized being “nice;” however, niceness and kindness are two totally different things. The same relatives who made cutting remarks felt that they were being nice, but I can tell you from personal experience that they were anything but kind. And these people also felt that as long as they were being nice and socially acceptable, nobody should criticize them. After all, they weren’t doing anything wrong…except for breaking hearts.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines kind-hearted as “A kind-hearted person is one who likes other people a lot and always wants to help them.” Other signs of kindness are people who are friendly, generous, and considerate. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”  

Although these verses describe love, they are also describing kindness, for kind people will be patient, long-suffering, refusing to envy or parade themselves or behave rudely or seek their own good before anyone else’s. Kind people remain unprovoked, do not think evil about others, do not rejoice when others behave badly but rejoice in the truth. Kind people also will bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things. Love and kindness are inextricably bound together. One cannot be loving without being kind and one cannot be kind without being loving.

These days, we have all kinds of apps on our smart phones for monitoring things. We can monitor our pulse, our blood pressure, our blood sugar, and the results of exercise programs. Given the right tablet and the right probe, we can perform ultrasounds. But one app you’ll never find on a smart phone is a kindness app. Oh, you can chart your good deeds on a smart phone; however, no smart phone has ever been invented that will analyze your spiritual state.   For that kind of analysis, we must turn to God.

As we prepare for Christmas, let us prepare spiritually as well as physically. Pray over your family members and friends and ask God to show you where you have hurt them and how you can make amends. If apologies are needed, apologize. If you have neglected someone because you were too busy, find ways to include them in your life.

When my mother married my father, she didn’t realize the complications of marrying an only child of an energetic mother. Mothers of only children are generally sure that NOBODY is good enough for their child. My grandmother expected Dad to marry a nice Swedish American girl from our community; instead, he met Mom at college, marrying someone who was Welsh/German/Irish/Scot. To make matters worse, my father’s mother was a Carlson, and those Carlsons could work just about anyone else into the ground; meanwhile, my poor mother was quite ill for the first thirteen years of their marriage. My mother’s poor health gave my grandmother the opportunity to repeatedly demonstrate that my mother was a slacker who wasn’t doing enough for her family. (WRONG! Mom did a lot, but she had three children while Grandma had had only one.) But when my mother succeeded in addressing her problems with several allergies and became healthy, she began having coffee with my grandmother every Friday afternoon. Those Friday coffee times became so precious to my grandmother that when my mother died at the age of 58, my grandmother grieved for months afterwards.

What changed my grandmother’s heart? It was my mother’s kindness. My brave mother deliberately began an unusual act of kindness AND THEN REPEATED IT FOR YEARS. True kindness cannot be a one-off thing as the Brits would say. Kindness is not only loving but persistent.

This Christmas, why not consider acts of kindness as Christmas presents? You might spend a little time and a little money, but you never know how much those acts of kindness will mean to the recipients. If you have trouble being kind to someone, ask God for help.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to be kind to all those around us, particularly to those who are difficult to love. Thank You that You have promised to send Your Holy Spirit to guide us and to empower us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.