PEACE Is The Companionship Of Our Lord JESUS CHRIST

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The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT

Podcast Episode: The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT – PEACE #5

“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]

We need to understand that love is the first characteristic of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is well placed at the head of the list, for it permeates all the rest of the attributes. Somehow, if we live a life of love, the other virtues will attend us all the days of our lives. Love is the key that unlocks the entire fruit basket of Galatians 5:22-23, as well as permeating 1 Corinthians 13.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

In Luke 24:13-17; 30-39 NLT says, “13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus Himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing Him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”

30 As they sat down to eat, He took the bread and blessed it. Then He broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. And at that moment He disappeared! 32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” 33 And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, 34 who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”

35 Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized Him as He was breaking the bread. 36 And just as they were telling about it, Jesus Himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” He said. 37 But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! 38 “Why are you frightened?” He asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? 39 Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.”

Luke Chapter 24 Verses 13-14 describe that this event occurred on Sunday, the same day as the Resurrection. Two followers of our Lord Jesus Christ were leaving Jerusalem and walking the seven miles to the village of Emmaus. Little is known of these disciples; one was named Cleopas (Luke 24:18), and the other was not one of the eleven disciples, as noted by Luke 24:33. During their walk, they were talking about everything that had happened.

Moving forward to Verses 15-16, they describe the two men were deep in discussion as they walked along. Apparently, a man walking in the same direction drew up beside them (they knew He had been in Jerusalem, Luke 24:18). This man was our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, but they were kept from recognizing Him. In other appearances after the Resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ was also not recognized at first (John 20:14; 21:4). Here, God prevented these men from seeing Jesus Christ until our Lord Jesus Christ was ready to reveal Himself to them (Luke 24:30-31). God’s divine sovereignty kept them from understanding until the full reality of the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ could be understood.

Verse 17 describes our Lord Jesus Christ, who had walked up behind these men during their deep discussion, asked what they were so concerned about. At our Lord Jesus Christ’s question, they stopped short in their sadness. Apparently, in their discussion they had been unable to come to any understanding, so they were still sad and upset about what had occurred.

Reading forward, our Lord Jesus Christ had apparently walked up behind these men, so they assumed that He too, was a pilgrim traveling home from Jerusalem. If He had been in Jerusalem, how could He not have known what had happened there?

Our Lord Jesus Christ asked what things had occurred. They answered that much had happened to a man named Jesus. The two followers described Him as a prophet who did wonderful miracles and a mighty teacher. They had heard Jesus teach and had seen Him perform miracles of healing; but, as far as they knew, He had died like all the other prophets before Him.

The telling item in this statement is that these two disciples knew who was responsible for our Lord Jesus Christ’s death. The Romans may have actually done the executing, but the Jews’ (they said our) leading priests and other religious leaders arrested Him and handed Him over. If all of Jerusalem knew what had happened, then the religious leaders’ plan to try to blame the execution on the Romans had failed. Everyone knew the leaders’ role in our Lord Jesus Christ’s death.

The disciples from Emmaus had thought that our Lord Jesus Christ could rescue Israel. Most Jews believed that the Old Testament prophecies pointed to a military and political Messiah who would free the nation from Roman tyranny. Our Lord Jesus Christ had come to redeem, however, and had indeed paid a huge price – His life. No one comprehended this yet. They didn’t realize that the Messiah had come to redeem people from slavery to sin. When our Lord Jesus Christ died, therefore, they lost all hope. Their report that, that all happened three days ago reveals a bit of expectation at our Lord Jesus Christ’s promises regarding the “third day” after His death. As far as they knew, however, nothing had changed.

Another insight found in this statement is that these two men had left Jerusalem, hopeless and downcast, after having heard an amazing report. The women who had been to the tomb and heard the Angels’ words said that our Lord Jesus Christ’s body was missing and that Angels had said, “Jesus is alive”! Then some men (Peter and John, 24:12; John 20:3-4) verified what the women had said. Yet, there was still gloom, as noted by these disciples who had all this information, but had left the city still believing that all their hopes in our Lord Jesus Christ had been dashed.

Why did our Lord Jesus Christ call these disciples foolish? Even though they well knew all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures, they failed to understand that our Lord Jesus Christ’s suffering was His path to glory. The prophets had said that our Lord Jesus Christ would have to suffer before entering His time of glory. Beginning with the writings of Moses and then moving through all the prophets, our Lord Jesus Christ explained to these bewildered disciples what all the Scriptures said about Himself. Our Lord Jesus Christ pointed out all the Scriptures and how what had happened to our Lord Jesus Christ had fulfilled everything that had been prophesied regarding the Messiah.

They approached Emmaus and the journey’s end for the two travelers. Our Lord Jesus Christ would not have stayed with them if He had not been invited. But they were impressed with all that our Lord Jesus Christ had been telling them – probably answering many of the questions the two of them had been discussing before this man had joined them. They wanted to talk further, so they invited our Lord Jesus Christ to stay.

In these passages Luke 24:30-35, they describe at the meal, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, asked God’s blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. When He did so, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. These two disciples had not been at the Last Supper, so this was not what sparked recognition. This was the exact time God wanted them to recognize our Lord Jesus Christ. God had kept them from understanding (Luke 24:16), and now He opened their eyes through the teaching of the word (Luke 24:27) and the breaking of the bread. His mission accomplished with these two disciples, then our Lord Jesus Christ disappeared.

Our Lord Jesus Christ had vanished as quickly as He had come, and the two disciples were left to discuss how their hearts were stirred as our Lord Jesus Christ had talked with them and had opened the Scriptures to them. Our Lord Jesus Christ’s presence had almost imperceptibly, or difficult to perceive by the mind changed their mood from despair to hearts feeling strangely warm. Their hope had been confirmed; their doubts dispelled.

Evening may have been coming on (Luke 24:29), but their news was too exciting to wait until morning. Within the hour the two disciples were on their way back to Jerusalem. When they got there, they found that our Lord Jesus Christ had already appeared to Peter. Paul also mentioned that our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Peter alone (1 Corinthians 15:5). This appearance is not further described in the Gospels. Our Lord Jesus Christ showed individual concern for Peter because Peter felt completely unworthy after denying His Lord. But Peter repented, and our Lord Jesus Christ approached him and forgave him. Soon, God would use Peter in building our Lord Jesus Christ’s church (see the first half of the book of Acts).

The two disciples then told their story of how our Lord Jesus Christ had appeared and talked to them and how they had recognized Him. Why our Lord Jesus Christ chose certain people to whom to appear at first and not others are unknown. Peter apparently needed an extra personal encounter; Mary Magdalene’s love and devotion accorded her the opportunity to see our Lord Jesus Christ first. Whatever the reason for our Lord Jesus Christ to have spent a lengthy time with these two disappointed followers on the road to Emmaus, the story stands as a beautiful treasure of our Lord Jesus Christ’s compassion and love for those who (we also who are Born-Again Christian believers), when discouraged and confused, needed His presence and wisdom to comfort them (including us).

Luke Chapter 24 Verses 36-37 describe that as our Lord Jesus Christ’s followers discussed His recent appearances, suddenly our Lord Jesus Christ Himself was standing there among them. He appeared among them behind locked doors (John 20:19). Our Lord Jesus Christ could do this because His resurrection and glorification had altered His bodily form. In this new body, He was able to transcend all physical barriers.

Our Lord Jesus Christ’s first words to the group of disbelieving and bewildered followers and disciples, all of whom had deserted Him in His time of greatest need, were: “Peace be with you.” This was a standard Hebrew greeting, but here it was filled with greater meaning. Our Lord Jesus Christ brought a greeting of peace, and His presence brought peace.

These people in the locked room were still wrestling with the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ’s body was missing, and then they heard amazing stories of His appearances to several people of their group. Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared among them suddenly, and they were frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost. But our Lord Jesus Christ’s body wasn’t a figment of the imagination; they weren’t seeing a ghost. Our Lord Jesus Christ encouraged them to look and touch. He had flesh and bones and could even eat food (Luke 24:43). On the other hand, His body wasn’t a restored human body like Lazarus’s (John 11) – He was able to appear and disappear. Our Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrected body was glorified and immortal.

This will be our glorious day, too, when the rapture comes as indicated in the book of 1 Corinthians 15:12-24; 35-55 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Let me encourage you all to read these Scriptures, understand them, and know the truth. Amen!

When we discuss this passage, not much is made of the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ opened the Scriptures, yet how fundamental this is to our inner peace. If the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ can bring Scripture into the life of the tormented, God’s Word might also serve as a part of our recipe of peace. Amen!

Freedom from Rules and New Life in our Lord Jesus Christ

In Colossians 2:6-7 NLT says, 6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. 7 Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

The Colossians had not merely accepted the doctrines of our Lord Jesus Christ, they had accepted Jesus Christ Himself as Lord. The verb accepted means more than the moment a person asks Jesus Christ into his or her heart. Paul most likely used the word, taken from Judaism, to describe the transmitting and safeguarding of traditions and teachings from one person or generation to another. Thus, when Paul reminded the Colossians of when they received Christ Jesus, he was reminding them of their receiving the proclamation and teaching, and their confession of faith, their baptism, and their new status as members of our Lord Jesus Christ’s body.

Because our Lord Jesus Christ dwells within all Born-Again Christian believers through the Holy Spirit, they should live in obedience to Him. The past event of receiving our Lord Jesus Christ should be a present reality in the believers’ daily lives.

Paul used several metaphors in these verses. Each metaphor has a specific and profound point for Christian living.

First, the Colossians were to let their roots grow down into our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as plants draw nourishment from the soil through their roots, so the believers should draw up nourishment from our Lord Jesus Christ. The more they would draw strength from our Lord Jesus Christ, the less they would be fooled by those who falsely claimed to have life’s answers.

Second, the Colossians were to grow in faith. Like a plant, they were “rooted” once and for all, but they had to grow continuously. Or like a building, they had a solid foundation, but had to keep on building with solid materials in order to be strong.

Third, the Colossians were to be strong and vigorous in the truth. This too, is continuous action, an ongoing process. The truth which these Colossian believers had been taught should be a source of abundant thanksgiving. True understanding of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done on behalf of believers can lead to no other response than gratefulness.

Peace is derived from our faith by continual companionship with our Lord Jesus Christ. A sure outline for finding the way to peace leaps from this passage and grips our minds. Consider it: Peace is a faith proposition. Just as we have received, so are we to walk. We cannot be saved without a confident faith. Faith appropriates eternity. Faith makes us friends with God. Faith hands us the key to the safety deposit box of all God’s promises, and we are instant heirs of all that our Lord Jesus Christ will inherit. (See Romans 8:17)

Continuing in our Lord Jesus Christ – our ongoing relationship with Him – is also a peace proposition. No one can be endowed with a spirit of continual inner harmony unless that person has a steadfast continuance in our Lord Jesus Christ. Being rooted in Jesus Christ is more than just walking; it is going deeper in our knowledge and understanding as a result of our desire. Amen!

The Sign of Immanuel – God is With Us

In Isaiah 7:10-17 NLT says, “10 Later, the Lord sent this message to King Ahaz: 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want – as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.” 12 But the king refused. “No,” he said, “I will not test the Lord like that.” 13 Then Isaiah said, “Listen well, you, royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? 14 All right then, the Lord Himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). 15 By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, He will be eating yogurt and honey. 16 For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted. 17 “Then the Lord will bring things on you, your nation, and your family unlike anything since Israel broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria upon you!”

Ask thee – implying that Ahaz did not believe Isaiah’s words. Sign – possibly, but not necessarily, a miraculous event (Young) that would give assurance that God will keep His promise of saving Jerusalem (Isaiah 37:7, 8, 30). Signs point to future promises, and Isaiah uses them frequently in his prophecies. In the depth, or in the height – Signs are offered to Ahaz from heaven to the depths of the underworld (i.e., Sheol) (Kaiser), to give him the widest limits possible for his choice.

Neither will I tempt the LORD – Ahaz’s refusal suggests his hesitancy to put God to the test (Matthew 4:7). Perhaps he was trying to act piously or earnestly compliant in the observance of religion. It may also indicate he did not even have the faith to believe God would give a sign let alone intervene in this military crisis (Young). To ask for a sign warranted by a prophet of God is not tempting God. His real reason for declining may have been due to his desire to negotiate with Assyria (2 Kings 16:3, 4, 7, 8, 10) instead of following God’s will. Men often profess reverence for God, and yet continue to make their own plans as if they did not trust God.

Is it a small thing? – meaning “Is it not enough for you?” (Numbers 16:9). Weary men – i.e., “try the patience of men.” Perhaps Ahaz’s political policies were oppressive to his countrymen, and now his conduct was wearying to God (Watts). Or perhaps this alludes to the king ignoring the prophet’s word, which is bad enough, but to reject God’s word was unthinkable (Young). Isaiah had not given outward proof that he was from God, but God had offered a sign which Ahaz publicly rejected. The sin is against both men and God. This results in Isaiah’s attitude of bold reproof.

The Lord himself shall give you a sign – because he remembers his everlasting covenant with David, not for the sake of faithless Ahaz. A virgin – In Hebrew ha’almah has a definite article and can rightly be rendered “the virgin” (NIV) or “the young woman” (RSV, NEB). The Septuagint uses parthenos, which means “virgin,” and it was probably the Septuagint that Matthew had in mind when he penned the famous words in his Gospel (Matthew 1:23). Based on a similar announcement in Ugaritic literature that an ‘almah was going to give birth, it has been suggested that this means a specific virgin would soon marry and later become the mother of a son. When the announcement of prediction was made, the woman in question was a virgin (Wolf). Immanuel—meaning in Hebrew, “God is with us.” The identity of the woman and the child has been the subject of lengthy scholarly debate over the centuries. Matthew’s use of this verse should be understood as the “fuller sense” of the prophecy (Wolf). For Ahaz at that moment, the birth of the Messiah some seven hundred years later would have been of little consolation! The sign must have meant something to the hearers of Isaiah’s message.

One view claims, especially in light of the address being made to the “house of David,” that the woman in question was a princess who would give birth to a future king of Israel (Hayes and Irvine; Grogan). Thus, the birth of the child would indicate that God was with His people and the Davidic dynasty would survive this crisis, while at the same time pointing to a “greater deliverance” from a tyranny greater than the present crisis (Young).

Alternatively, the child may well be the one about to be born to Isaiah’s wife (Wolf). The significance of the prophecy is not the mother, but the child and more specifically its name (Oswalt). God does not indicate that there was any condition attached to this child being born. The only condition found in this paragraph is that the immediate survival of the kingdom of Judah depended on the king’s trust in God (Isaiah 7:9). If Immanuel signaled God’s presence with Judah, then what might the name of the child be if Ahaz failed the test of faith? Second Kings 16:7 indicates that the king in fact did not rely on God and appealed to Tiglath-pileser for help. He did not believe and therefore would “not be established.” The only child whose birth is actually documented close to the prophecy of Chapter 7 is found in 8:3, 4 when the child is born to Isaiah and his wife. And the name is not Immanuel but Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which means “quick to plunder, swift to the spoil” (Grogan). The symbolic meaning of this name indicated that the destruction of Syria and Ephraim would soon take place, and signaled the fall of Judah in the not-too-distant future.

Butter – rather, curdled milk (Job 20:17). Honey – abundant in Palestine (Judges 14:8; 1 Samuel 14:25; Matthew 3:45). The significance of this combination is not clear (Herbert). That he may know . . . the evil . . . the good – referring to the age of moral responsibility and accountability; in Scripture (cf. Deuteronomy 1:39; Jonah 4:11), no age is assigned to the so-called “age of accountability,” but thirteen is the age in Judaism when one becomes responsible to obey the Torah. This would fit admirably with the historical setting of the siege of Jerusalem (c. 734 B.C.) because around twelve years later (722 B.C.) Samaria was destroyed (Oswalt).

The land – designating Syria and Samaria (northern kingdom) which had formed a united front against Judah. Isaiah 7:17-25 predicts the fatal consequences of Ahaz’s Assyrian policy.

The devastation for Samaria will be extensive. While the northern kingdom had periodically faced invasion from Syria in the past (e.g., 1 Kings 20:1; 2 Kings 5:1; 13:3), what was about to take place was beyond any previous destruction the nation had experienced since their becoming an independent state in 922 B.C.

When God got serious about peace, He came as a baby – as the baby and Lord Jesus Christ. Babies are powerful forces for peace. They come to us in utter dependency. They are helpless, needy, nonthreatening, and they require love to exist. No wonder Isaiah’s sign of peace was a baby.

But Immanuel doesn’t just say, “God is with us.” We must couple the word Immanuel with Golgotha (The Cross – The Crucifixion). Then we understand the permanence of peace and the victory of peace. These two words – Immanuel and Golgotha – say not merely that God is with us but God is with us regardless. Amen!

A Ruler from Bethlehem

In Micah 5:3-5 NLT says, “3  The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then at last his fellow countrymen will return from exile to their own land. 4  And He will stand to lead His flock with the Lord’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. Then His people will live there undisturbed, for He will be highly honored around the world. 5  And He will be the source of peace.”

The “woman” (Micah 5:3) referred to the Virgin Mary (cf. Isaiah 7:14). As the good shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ will care for the needs of His flock (Micah 5:4; cf. John 10:1-18). “Peace” (Micah 5:5-6) summed up what the Messiah would mean for Israel and the world. The Assyrian foe of Micah’s day was representative of the enemies of Israel that God would enable His people to overcome. Nimrod, the son of Cush, founded a kingdom in Babylonia that later extended to Assyria (cf. Genesis 10:8-12). Micah revealed God’s dealings with Israel’s remnant, which will be purged, purified, and converted (Micah 5:7-15). Military weapons will be unnecessary in the messianic age (Micah 5:10-11; cf. Isaiah 2:4).

Micah’s prophecy that our Lord Jesus Christ will be our peace suggests five truths. In fact, Micah names five virtues that accompany Christ’s peace: the shepherding of Christ, the strength of the Lord, the majesty of the Name, secure living, and a ministry that extends to the ends of the earth. Amen!

The New Temple’s Diminished Splendor

In Haggai 2:1-9 NLT says, “1 Then on October 17 of that same year, the Lord sent another message through the prophet Haggai. 2 “Say this to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of God’s people there in the land: 3 ‘Does anyone remember this house – this Temple – in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! 4 But now the Lord says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 5 My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.’ 6 “For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 9 The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place, I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”

The second message (Haggai 2:1-9) was a word of encouragement to the remnant of Israel. The date of the second message was October 17. This was a busy day in a busy month on the Jewish religious calendar. The Festival of Trumpets was observed on the first day, the Day of Atonement on the tenth day, and the Festival of Shelters on the fifteenth through twenty-first days.

There were those among the community of the returned exiles who had seen the Jerusalem temple before its destruction by the Babylonians (Haggai 2:3). They compared the past glories of Solomon’s temple with the present realities of the restoration temple and became quite discouraged. According to Jewish tradition, missing from the second temple were: the ark of the covenant, the Urim and Thummim, the holy fire, the Shekinah, and the Holy Spirit (Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 21b).
The people were reflecting on what was missing, not on what they had. Haggai encouraged the people with a promise of God’s personal presence. The shaking of the “heavens” and the “nations” (Haggai 2:6-7) probably referred to God’s future intervention into the affairs of men whereby He would overthrow earthly kingdoms in preparation for the establishment of the messianic kingdom. These words were quoted by the writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 12:26-27) in connection with our Lord Jesus Christ’s second advent.

The rabbis and church fathers have taken the well-known translation “the treasures of all the nations” to refer to the Messiah (Haggai 2:7). The “future glory of this Temple” (Haggai 2:9) may refer to the second temple refurbished by Herod the Great, or to the messianic temple (cf. Ezekiel 40–43). The promise of “peace” (Haggai 2:9; cf. Isaiah 9:6-7) would suggest the messianic interpretation.

Ever since that time, we have agreed with Haggai: The best house of God is the one we’re in at whatever moment we happen to be in it. Any structure is significant where two or three are gathered together God is in the midst of them. There, peace is the offering, and peace is the concord of our union with our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

Prayer is the key that unlocks and reveals faith. Effective prayer needs both an attitude of complete dependence and the action of asking. Prayer demonstrates complete reliance on God. Thus, there is no substitute for prayer, especially in situations that seem impossible.

So, let our hearts and minds in tune with God, in the power of God, the Holy Spirit. Let’s continuously and persistently pray for God’s perfect will be done. We as Born-Again Christians have been tried and cleansed, we have moved freely into a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ that is more powerful than it was before our trials. We are at home in the presence and fellowship of God, for we are heirs with our Lord Jesus Christ, more like Him that we could ever have dreamed possible. So, let’s continuously and persistently pray for God’s perfect will be done. Amen!

The principle is that no one has anything of value to bring to God in order to deserve salvation, mercy, justification, or even a second glance from God. The proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored. Acceptance before God cannot be achieved by good deeds, piety, or any amount of self-proclaimed righteousness.

Let’s never get over the effect of God’s saving transformation on people’s lives. People who were lost in sin, filled with anger and bitterness, give up their hatred and become approachable as we have studied and learned last time. That is, of course, why we minister to others. Those of us who minister are not people to whom (fruit of the Holy Spirit) love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control comes naturally. We are people who have been remodeled by grace. We thankfully leave our old natures far behind as we embrace joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, the agape love of God, and in our treatment of others. Amen!

Sunday by Sunday as we come to worship, 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 PEACE Series of Podcast, we learned the following PURPOSES of this fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT:

• A truce with God to end our alienation from Him
• Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace
• Knew and understood that in His presence we can have the evidence of confidence
•  Learned to understood and accepted the higher will of God
• Learned to spend time alone with the companionship of Christ
• To know and understand the reign of the Holy Spirit

On every Podcast, I always have three (3) questions we can answer from only these two (2) Sources: The Bible and Guidance of the Holy Spirit. The following are:

First is about our > Observation: What do these passages or Scriptures say to you?

Second is about our own > Interpretation: What do these passages or Scriptures mean to you?

Third is about how we can apply > Application: How do the meaning of these passages or Scriptures apply to you or to your situation?

If you are not sure that you are Born-Again Christian believer or you have relatives, loved ones, friends, neighbors, and people in your circle of influence, please take a look and/or guide them to one of our ministries, “An Invitation To Meet Our Lord Jesus Christ” at https://homefellowshipchurches.org/an-invitation-to-meet-our-lord-jesus-christ/

Let’s give an opportunity for the lost souls to experience on being Born-Again Christian as explained by our Lord Jesus Christ in the book of John 3:13 in the New Testament of the Bible.

It is as simple as A, B, & C > Admit, Believe, & Confess. All Born-Again Christian believers prayed this simple prayer we called “Sinner’s Prayer”

“Father God, I come to in the name of Jesus Christ. I acknowledge and admit that I am a sinner and I need a Savior. I believe and have faith in Jesus Christ who was born of Virgin Mary, died on the Cross for the penalty of my sins, and rose again that I may have the eternal life. I confess and declare Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord of my life. Comfort, guide, and help me Holy Spirit to live and grow in my spiritual life according to Your Words, purpose, and perfect will of God, in my Lord Jesus Christ name, Amen!”

If you prayed this, “Sinner’s Prayer” sincerely in your heart, you are Born-Again Christian believer. However, you are a spiritual baby who needs to grow up.

Now, let me pray for all of you:

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 you have done on the Cross of Calvary, and continue to intercede for us in prayer. 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, obey them, receive Your divine revelation, know the Truth that sets us free, and apply them in our lives, in our Lord Jesus Christ name, Amen!”

Let’s praise and worship God in Spirit and in Truth. Give all thanks to God for all answered prayers.

Please send your > Praise Reports (answered prayers) and New Prayer Requests via email to: TrinityBlessings@homefellowshipchurches.org. God bless you all and our families!

A Call to Repentance and Be Blessed

In Malachi 3:7-15 AMPC says, “7 Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’ 8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 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.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse – See 2 Chronicles 31:11; cf. 1 Chronicles 26:20; Nehemiah 10:38; 13:5, 12. If the temple storehouses were empty, it was the people’s fault. God had already blessed them with enough to give a little back to Him.

Instead of destroying our crops (blessings), God would make them come in greater abundance than we had ever imagined possible (Amos 4:9; Haggai 2:19; Zechariah 8:12). The devourer – probably referring to locusts, though the word here is general in meaning (Baldwin). In the Near East, locust swarms are known for their ability to damage huge tracts of agricultural land (see note on Joel 1:4).

A delightsome land – All of the blessings promised to Jacob would come to pass if the people would obey God (Deuteronomy 33:29; Zechariah 8:13). Their land would be a delight to all who saw it (Daniel 8:9).

The problem in Malachi 3:7-12 was the people’s departure from God as reflected by their neglect of tithes and offerings. Two annual tithes were required according to Israelite law – one for the Levites (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:21), and one to be used in worship at the annual feasts in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 14:22). A tithe was required every three years to provide for the needs of the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28-29). There is debate as to whether this tithe for the poor was in addition to or served as a substitute for the tithe used in worship.

The New Testament pattern for tithing is proportionate giving – a person is to give “in relation to what you have earned” (1 Corinthians 16:2). Certainly a tithe should be given proportionate to one’s wealth, but not all proportionate giving is a tithe.

The anticipation of blessing for obedience to God’s command to tithe was based on the Mosaic covenant, which promised blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience (Malachi 3:10; cf. Deuteronomy 28:15-68). Generally, God will meet the needs of His own people (Psalm 34:9-10; Philippians 4:19), but that is not an unconditional guarantee. There certainly were and are exceptions. Yet, where God chooses not to provide physically, He gives sufficient grace to go without (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The problem in Malachi 3:14-15 was that the people were guilty of arrogant words against God. They were saying, “There is no prophet who is serving God,” and “God is not concerned about justice.” God responded by showing that He did distinguish between the wicked and the righteous. The righteous would be blessed, and the wicked would be judged.