Gentleness Is The Childlike Godliness

The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT

Podcast Episode: The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT – GENTLENESS #1

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL. There is no law against these things.” [Galatians 5:22-23 NLT]

The Lord Speaks To Samuel

In 1 Samuel 3:1-10 NLT says, “1 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. 2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. 4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!” “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did. 6 Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!” Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.” 7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. 8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed. 10 And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”

In Verse 1 describes the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli – Samuel’s age cannot be determined by the Hebrew na’ar, which means lad, and could apply to an early teenager. Josephus, the Jewish historian writing in the first century A.D., says he was twelve. Whether an office of assistant had been specially assigned him, or it arose from the interest inspired by the story of his birth, Eli kept him as his immediate attendant. There would be many housekeeping tasks in a sanctuary visited constantly by worshipers. Or he might be compared to a page or acolyte. the word of the LORD WAS PRECIOUS IN THOSE DAYS; THERE WAS NO OPEN VISION – The Hebrew word haz“n is a common word for prophetic vision (Isaiah 1:1; Daniel 1:17; Obadiah 1:1). “Open” (Hebrew nifrats) means “ordained” (McKane), i.e., from God. This suggests that there were false visions (Jeremiah 14:14; 23:16). Only two prophets are mentioned as having appeared during the entire period of the Judges (Judges 4:4; 6:8). The rarity of authentic vision and the lack of prophets whom the people could consult and from whom they might learn the will of God, caused Samuel’s vision to attract all the greater attention.

In Verse 3 describes the temple = Hebrew, hˆkhal, can be rendered either “temple” or “palace”; here it applies to the tabernacle, since the temple had not yet been built (“Palace,” “temple,” NBD). The tabernacle or tent that sheltered the Ark had been transformed into a more permanent edifice, called the “temple,” since the Israelites were no longer nomads (Mauchline). Ark – Above the Ark is where the Lord manifests His presence and issues His commandments (cf. Exodus 25:22). The Ark housed the two tablets containing the Decalogue. For its physical aspects, see Exodus 25:10-22. Atop the Ark stood two figures called cherubim; between their outspread wings was the “throne” (sometimes called the “footstool”) of the Lord.

In Verse 5 describes Samuel ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I – It is clear from the action that this is not a dream. It is implied that Samuel and Eli slept in adjoining chambers, and that Samuel was accustomed to being called during the night, perhaps because of Eli’s encroaching blindness (1 Samuel 3:2). The three successive calls addressed to the boy convinced Eli of the divine character of the speaker. So Eli urged Samuel to respond directly to God’s voice the next time.

God approaches us gently when He speaks to us, so that we won’t be frightened. The Scriptures contain many examples of His gentle approaches. He whispered to Elijah, answered Gideon with a fleece instead of words, and came to Moses in a burning bush.

In Isaiah 49:15 NLT says, “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!

God’s tenderness toward Israel models the sort of gentleness He would love to see in His followers. ”Can a mother forget the baby at her breast?” asks the prophet. “Though she may forget,” says Isaiah’s God, “I will not forget you.” God sees Israel as His child, and He is the gentle, loving Father.

Gentleness is God’s demeanor in all of the tender ways He relates to us. The prophet’s metaphor here is that of a nursing mother. Can a mother forget her child? Never! But, says the prophet, even she does forget, God will never forget us. God is tender – He is gentle in His relationships to all His children. It is God’s purpose to counter the heinous crimes of tyrants with gentleness. The world is all too often a brutal and ugly place, but God steps into the world’s terror and horror and gently reminds us of His purpose.

Our Lord Jesus Christ Feeds Five Thousand

In John 6:1-13 NLT says, “1 After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following Him wherever He went, because they saw His miraculous signs as He healed the sick. 3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with His disciples around Him. 4 (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) 5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for Him. Turning to Philip, He asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for He already knew what He was going to do. 7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” 8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” 10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered 5,000.) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward He did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. 12 After everyone was full, Jesus told His disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.

Our Lord Jesus Christ crossed over the Sea of Galilee, a great body of water (which is actually a lake, thirteen miles by seven miles) given the name the Sea of Tiberias by Herod Antipas in honor of the Roman emperor Tiberias in A.D. 20.

In Verses 2-4 describes our Lord Jesus Christ was popular, and a huge crowd kept following Him, mainly because of His miracles as He healed the sick. Presumably to continue teaching, our Lord Jesus Christ went up into the hills (the Sea of Galilee is surrounded by hills) and sat down with His disciples. John mentions three Passover celebrations in this Gospel: the first in John 2:13 (when our Lord Jesus Christ was in Jerusalem), the second here (when our Lord Jesus Christ remained in Galilee), and the third in John 12:12 (when our Lord Jesus Christ went to Jerusalem and was crucified shortly thereafter).

In Verses 5-6 describes the crowds followed our Lord Jesus Christ right up into the hills. As our Lord Jesus Christ saw them, He asked Philip where they should buy bread to feed all these people. If anyone knew where to get food, Philip would because he was from Bethsaida, a town about nine miles away (John 1:44). Our Lord Jesus Christ was testing Philip to strengthen His faith. By asking for a human solution (knowing that there was none), our Lord Jesus Christ highlighted the powerful and miraculous act that He was about to perform.

John clues us in: our Lord Jesus Christ was testing Philip, for He already knew what He was going to do. In usual use, the word “test” (peirazo) has a neutral meaning. It refers to a proving experience like Jesus’ testing in the wilderness or Abraham’s test over the sacrifice of Isaac. In all these cases, God allowed the test to occur, not expecting failure, but placing the person in a situation where his or her faith might grow stronger. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not want Philip to miss what He was about to do.

In Verses 7-9 describes what Philip realized that with the number of people climbing in their direction, it would take a small fortune to feed them. But, in fact, Philip did not really answer our Lord Jesus’ question. The Lord had asked him to consider where they could get food; Philip responded with what he perceived as the larger problem – the money it would take to supply the food.

At this point, Andrew (who is usually presented in the Gospels as Simon Peter’s brother and takes a subordinate position to him) took advantage of an opportunity to join the discussion. Apparently a young boy who had overheard the conversation pulled out his lunch and made it available. It was Andrew who inadvertently answered our Lord Jesus’ original question. He pointed out that the only available food was the boy’s lunch: five barley loaves and two fish. (Barley loaves and fish were food for the poor.) Then Andrew added the disclaimer: “But what good is that with this huge crowd?” Whether Andrew was speaking in humor or hyperbole we can’t be sure, but we can be fairly certain that he did not expect what followed.

In Verses 10-13 describes what was offered was enough for our Lord Jesus Christ. He told the disciples to have everyone sit down. The men (the Greek word means “male individuals”) numbered five thousand. So with women and children, there were many more. Then our Lord Jesus Christ took the loaves, gave thanks, and passed them out to the people. The fish were also distributed in like manner. After all had eaten and were full, they still had leftovers; the disciples filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over. This miracle and these leftovers reveal our Lord Jesus Christ once again as the all-sufficient Lord. Our needs and problems are not obstacles to Him, for His abundant power transcends any need or problem we place before Him.

True Wisdom Comes From God

In James 3:13-18 NLT says, “13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”

The truly wise person demonstrates his or her understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ by the way he or she lives. Our works show where our hearts are invested (Matthew 6:19-21, 33). Do our attitudes and motives match our actions? While we may not claim to be wise, we can aim at living in wise ways – a life of steady goodness. The guidance given to us in God’s word is dependable wisdom. But as we seek to do good deeds, we must watch out for pride. Pride is having an attitude of self-importance about the talents and abilities that God has given us and using them to set ourselves up as superior or to be divisive in our relationships with others. Wisdom, then, involves both actions and attitudes in living. A wise life will display not only goodness, but also humility.

In Verse 14 describes that being bitterly jealous is misguided zeal that results in contentiousness. It is anger at the accomplishments of others. Whenever we find fault with a leader, we must ask ourselves what is motivating us to feel strongly about that person’s failure. Do we actually share the same weakness? Do we imagine ourselves doing better in that role? Or are we, in fact, simply envious of the abilities or success God has allowed him or her to have? A positive answer to any of these ought to make us very careful in how we express our criticisms.

Here and in Philippians 2:3, selfish ambition refers to leaders in the church who are developing a “party spirit.” This produces factions who are for or against the pastor or certain programs, who take sides on issues not necessarily central to the Christian faith. Selfish ambition is the desire to live for one’s self and no one or nothing else, only for what a person can get out of it. In an attempt to persuade others, the person may lose his sense of reason and become fanatical. Having confidence in only his knowledge, he arrogantly lords it over others. Such a person should not brag about being wise for that is the worst kind of lie.

In James Chapter 3 and Verse 15 describes the source and standards of this kind of wisdom are from the world and not God. Its teachers are self-centered and shallow. This wisdom doesn’t come from faith – it is earthly and unspiritual. “Unspiritual” could refer to the natural man. The term for unspiritual is used in the New Testament for the person who does not have God’s Spirit (James 3:15), or does not accept the guidance that comes from the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). This person teaches only the wisdom of this life, based on human feelings and human reasoning alone. The real source of these thoughts is the Devil whose purposes are always destructive; they can produce a climate in the church, at home, and at work that damages relationships. Think of how quickly our words, language, and tone of voice can create a destructive climate (not Climate Change, LOL!.

In Verse 17 describes that people filled with jealousy and selfish ambition think they must be first in everything. They cannot stand to see anyone else in the limelight, or have anyone else cast a shadow on what they do. This leads to desires and strategies for revenge that can lead to disaster. By contrast, the following seven (7) characteristics of heavenly wisdom are strung together like pearls. They are what wisdom is and produces.

1. The wisdom that comes from heaven is . . . pure. To be fruitful for God, we must have moral and spiritual integrity.
2. It is also peace loving. This is peace that goes beyond inner peace; it is opposed to strife. It is peace between people, and between people and God. It must be peace that affects the community. Christians must not only prefer peace, but they should also seek to spread it.
3. It is gentle at all times. This is the opposite of self-seeking. It does not demand its own right. To be gentle is to make allowances for others, to temper justice with mercy. It is the kind of treatment that we would like to receive from others.
4. This wisdom is also willing to yield to others. Heavenly wisdom is reasonable, flexible – willing to listen and to change. Just as good soldiers willingly follow orders from their superiors, people with heavenly wisdom willingly follow God’s orders and respond to His correction.
5. This wisdom is also full of mercy and good deeds. God’s wisdom is full of God’s gracious forgiveness. And His love leads to practical action, helping and serving others. We should be willing to forgive even when the problems we are facing are someone else’s fault.
6. God’s wisdom shows no partiality, meaning single-minded and free from prejudice toward people and without double-mindedness toward God (James 1:5-8).
7. Finally, it is always sincere, meaning “unhypocritical.” God’s wisdom makes people genuine.

Consider the adjectives that James used to describe godly wisdom: “pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” God is gentle, and His gentle wisdom should be our desire. His gentleness is exactly what we need as we minister to others.

In James 3:18 describes that the Peacemakers are able to plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness. This section gives three (3) suggestions for controlling the tongue:

1. Seek God’s wisdom.
2. Admit jealousy and arrogance without trying to cover them up.
3. Create a climate of peace wherever God leads you.

In Matthew 5:9, our Lord Jesus Christ promises that the peacemakers will be blessed. Their reward will be to see right relationships between God and people. (For more on sowing wisdom and truth and reaping righteousness (see Psalm 1:3; Proverbs 11:30; Galatians 6:7-10; Philippians 1:11.)

We need to feel the impact of these same truths as James in the book of James in the Bible describes situations that are only too true in churches today. The quarrels and fights that James observed still characterize the life of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ and seriously hamper the effective communication of the Gospel. Outsiders who look to the church as a place of solace and salvation often find it is full of strife. We desperately need God’s wisdom in our churches and/or fellowship.

Our Lord Jesus Christ healed the blind and lame. Children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.”

In Matthew 21:14-17 NLT says, “14 The blind and the lame came to Him in the Temple, and He healed them. 15 The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.”
But the leaders were indignant. 16 They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’” 17 Then He returned to Bethany, where He stayed overnight.

In Verse 14 describes that It was significant that the blind and the lame came to our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple. Usually they were excluded from worship in the Temple based on laws stemming from 2 Samuel 5:8. With the coming of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself welcomed them and healed them there in the Temple. This was also an expected result of the messianic age (Isaiah 35:5).

In Verses 15-16 describes our Lord Jesus’ actions in the Temple provoked the anger of the religious leaders. The children who were in the Temple were crying out, “Praise God for the Son of David,” echoing the cries made by the crowd along the road to Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9). The religious leaders’ question indicated that they objected to the concept of our Lord Jesus Christ as “the Son of David.” But our Lord Jesus Christ heard what the children were saying and did not stop them, for what they said was true.

In Verse 17 describes that with the religious leaders plotting to kill Him, Jerusalem would hardly be a safe place for our Lord Jesus Christ to spend the night. So when evening came, our Lord Jesus Christ and the disciples left the city and returned to Bethany. Most pilgrims who traveled to Jerusalem for the great feasts found lodging outside the city.

The children are the last to be silenced on Palm Sunday. They keep shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” The implication of our Lord Jesus’ Messiahship was heretical to the chief priests and teachers of the law. If the heretics were adults, they could be stoned or burned, but what are we to do with a child heretic? The great thing about Christian truth is its simplicity. Children can celebrate its gentle doctrines as readily as those who are older and sometimes more grudging.

Let me encourage our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ, and I want my readers and listeners to be both strong in the faith and sensitive to others’ needs. Because all, we as Born-Again Christian believers are strong in certain areas and weak in others, we constantly need to monitor the effects of our behavior on others.

In these GENTLENESS Series of Podcast, we will learn the following PURPOSES of this fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT:

1. Learn To Humble Ourselves Like A Child – Podcast Gentleness #1
2. How To Receive Healing Touch Of God – Podcast Gentleness #2
3. Know A Way Of Winning Others To Our Lord Jesus Christ – Podcast Gentleness #3
4. Helps Us To Speak Of Friendliness And Cheerfulness – Podcast Gentleness #4
5. Learn The Art Of Ego Displacement – Podcast Gentleness #5

Observation: What do these passages say to you?

Interpretation: What do these passages mean to you?

Application: How do the meaning of these passages apply to you or to your situation?

If you are not sure that you are Born-Again Christian believer, please take a look of one of our ministries, “An Invitation To Meet Our Lord Jesus Christ” at https://homefellowshipchurches.org/an-invitation-to-meet-our-lord-jesus-christ/

Suggested Prayer: Father God, we come into your presence in our Lord Jesus Christ name, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for Your agape love and forgiveness. Thank you Holy Spirit as our Helper and Comforter. Thank you for the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, courage and strength. We cling, yield, plug-in and tune-in to you Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s Words and obey them, receive Your divine revelation, know the Truth that sets us free, and apply them in our lives, in Jesus name, Amen!

God bless you all and our families!

In Malachi 3:10-12 AMPC says, “10 Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it”, says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” [Malachi 2:2.] 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer (insects and plagues) for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruits before the time in the field,” says the Lord of hosts. 12 “And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight”, says the Lord of hosts.

If the people would obey God, giving as they should, God would flood His people with blessings. There would be an overabundance of God’s blessing if He was given what He requested.