31 May 2013

Fruit Bearing

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives we will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galations 5:22-23 (NIV)
The fruit of the spirit has always been something that I have wondered about. What does it mean to bear fruit, how do we bear fruit and is our fruit bearing limited. 

I read this the other day when I started thinking about it; "How do we bear this fruit? It will be surprising to many Christians that it isn’t by trying harder, going to church, or any other works. Your fruit comes from spiritual wisdom and understanding given by the Spirit." - Anonymous 


I think from this quote that we "bear fruit" when we actively give the Holy Spirit room to work in out lives. I don't think it's possible for us to bear fruit without the Holy Spirit in our lives.  When we're not allowing God to move in us, we become joyless and less enthusiastic about things.  We also don't show the fruit of kindness or love as much as we would if we as open to God as we should be. The only way that we can really bear good fruit is if we are in Jesus. It says in John 5:19 "Jesus replied, "I assure you the son can do nothing by himself. He does only what the sees the father doing...: Jesus lived a life where he showed every single on of the fruits and he only did that because he was watching and doing what God was doing, thus enabling him to bear fruit. 

Matthew 13:23 says; "But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown"  Christians hear the word at church, they read the word and they pray. I think that even though we hear it, we need to absorb it and then let God transform us. As we allow God to transform us, we start living more like Jesus and we will then start showing more characteristics of him, therefore bearing more fruit. 

I also think that to bear fruit we also need to be spending time with God, John 15:5 says; I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."  We need to be growing in Jesus, just like a plant gets nutrients to grow, we get nutrients to grow spiritually with Jesus, our vine. With out this we won;t grow or bear fruit.  

I don't think that it's possible to bear fruit and grow spiritually if you are not deeply rooted in Jesus. We need to be open to him working, we need to be allowing him to shape and mold us to be more like him. We also need to be tapping into Him to renew and fill us. 

xKx

12 May 2013

Testimony

A few years ago I listened to someones testimony. They were sharing about how they had slept with their previous boyfrieds and how when they married their husband God made it feel like the first time.  I had spoken to them, (Tarryn), about it afterwards. I have slept with my prevouis boyfriends and I really wish that had waited until I had met my Mr right and married him.  I also often wondered about what they meant that God had made it feel like the first time as as thought heir husband had been their first kiss and first relationship. 

At camp I got the verse, Joel 2:25a "The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts"

At first I thought that it was about restoring relationships, but last night while Dave and I were chatting about stuff I realised that it also has to do with the past and what I had done.  During the convesation with Dave, I looked at him and said, "This sounds really silly, but this feels like you're my first boyfriend and you're the fist guy I've ever kissed."  After I said that I was like... "oooooh, know I know what Tarryn meant.  It's really silly, when I'ma round Dave I get all nervous and giggly when I hold his hand, or kiss him. I get hundreds of butterflies in my stomache when I see him across the room or when he brushes my arm with his hand. I feel like a teenager with her first boyfriend ever.

God totally restored what I destroyed by sleeping, kissing and dating other guys instead of waiting for the guy He had intened for me. God really blows me away with how he heals and restores completely when He works in your life. 

xKx

 

9 May 2013

Realness with my Bestie


On Sunday I had a good gigle to myself when I realised that Terri and I are really good friends.  We've been friends since grade 8, which means we've been friends for13 years. That's almost like forever!  This past weekend we went on our church camp, while we were packing up to go home I needed to go to the toilet but there was no more toilet paper becasue it had been packed away.  I went to Tree and asked her for a tissue. As she took them out of her hand bag she asked me if I was going to make a wee.  So I said yes, I wouldn't poo now - you know I haev toiler issues.  She then looked at me and asked if I had pooed at all this weeked. I said yes, but I had to be ninja. I have a fear of using public toilts and pooping in strange toilets except my own.

As I ran off to toilet I got the giggles as I thought about that conversation, it's a conversation I would only have with Tree. It also made me realise that we're really good friends and also very strange and real with each other.  

I really appreciate that we can be real with each other, real in an honest and raw way. We share everything and walk this crazy life we have together. We spend hours together laughing, drinking tea and praying together. We also build each other up and encourage each other in our walks with God. 

Tree really is the BESTEST BEST friend in the whole world Im uber blessed that God put us together as best friends.



xKx