KINDNESS IS ALWAYS APPLYING THE GOLDEN RULE

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Topic: Fruit of the Holy Spirit & God’s Promises for All Our every Needs

Love God, Love People, and Make Disciples,

Pastor Elias Aguilar Busuego Jr PhD DTM

Founding Pastor – Home Fellowship Churches – https://homefellowshipchurches.org

The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT

Podcast Episode: The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT – KINDNESS #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 Faith of a Gentile Woman

In Matthew 15:21-28 NLT says, “21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to Him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” 23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then His disciples urged Him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” 24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep – the people of Israel.” 25 But she came and worshiped Him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!” 26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master’s table.” 28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.”

Let’s meditate and learn about this Gentile woman. Apparently, a woman had heard about our Lord Jesus Christ’s miracle-working power and how He could cast out demons, so she wasn’t going to miss a chance to see Him. The woman called Jesus Lord, Son of David, showing her acceptance of our Lord Jesus Christ’s identity as the Jewish Messiah. She may have been a Greek proselyte. Sometimes Gentiles would convert to Judaism, attracted by its strong moral qualities. This woman came to our Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of her daughter, who was tormented by a demon.

The woman continued to follow after them, and she continued to shout. Finally, the disciples urged our Lord Jesus Christ to tell her to leave. Our Lord Jesus Christ, always compassionate, would heal the woman’s daughter, but not just to make her stop following them. He had a lesson about faith that He needed to teach this woman. In so doing, He would teach the disciples a lesson as well.

Our Lord Jesus Christ’s words do not contradict the truth that God’s message is for all kinds of people (Psalm 22:27; Isaiah 56:7; Matthew 28:19; Romans 15:9-12). After all, when our Lord Jesus Christ said, “I was sent only to help the people of Israel . . . not the Gentiles,” He was in Gentile territory. He ministered to Gentiles on many other occasions (Matthew 4:24-25; 8:5-13).

Our Lord Jesus Christ was simply telling the woman that Jews were to have the first opportunity to accept Him as the Messiah because God wanted them to present the message of salvation to the rest of the world (see Genesis 12:3). While on earth, our Lord Jesus Christ restricted His mission to the people of Israel. He was doing His Father’s will (Matthew 11:27) and fulfilling the promise God made to Jews in the Old Testament. The restricted mission of our Lord Jesus Christ and the disciples echoes the principle recorded in Matthew 10:5-6.

Undaunted by our Lord Jesus Christ’s apparent unwillingness to respond to her request, the woman came and worshiped Him, pleading for help. Our Lord Jesus Christ’s answer comes in the language of a parable; therefore, we must not press the details too far. The simple parable meant that the children at the table should be fed before the pets; it would not be right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.

By these words, our Lord Jesus Christ may have meant that His first priority was to spend time feeding His children (teaching His disciples), not to take food away from them and throw it to the pets (just anyone). Our Lord Jesus Christ was not insulting the woman; instead, He was saying that she must not demand what God had ordained for the Jews. She should wait until God’s appointed time – when the Gentiles would receive the Good News of the Gospel.

This Gentile woman understood our Lord Jesus Christ’s parable. Her answer was wise, for she explained to our Lord Jesus Christ, by extending His parable, that children often drop morsels of food to their dogs. Not all the Jews accepted our Lord Jesus Christ, while some Gentiles chose to follow Him. Why couldn’t she have some of those crumbs that the Jews didn’t want? She adroitly or quickly and skillfully pointed out that even dogs ate with (not after) the children. She did not ask for the entire meal; she was perfectly willing to take second place behind the Jews. All she wanted right then was a few crumbs – or one “crumb” in particular – one miracle of healing for her daughter.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was delighted by the faith of the woman. He granted her request because of her humility and persistence. She had made her request in faith that our Lord Jesus Christ could perform the healing. She understood our Lord Jesus Christ’s lordship, and she understood the priorities of His mission. No wonder our Lord Jesus Christ exclaimed, “Your faith is great.” On that basis, our Lord Jesus Christ healed the woman’s daughter.

Our Lord Jesus Christ did not consider the woman inferior just because she was a Gentile, although that was the way most Jews of our Lord Jesus Christ’s day thought of Gentiles. Prejudice blocks the way of those who would like to practice the Golden Rule. There was an old Jewish prayer that said, “God, I thank thee that I am neither a Gentile, a dog, nor a woman.” Obviously, this prayer was not popular with dogs, Gentiles, or women.

In this passage, our Lord Jesus Christ reminds this Canaanite woman that He is a “Jewish Messiah” sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” It isn’t right,” said our Lord Jesus Christ, “to take the doctrinal bread of authentic, theological Judaism and give it to the dogs (non-Jewish people.” “Yes,” said the woman, “but even dogs are welcome to eat the crumbs that fall from the table.” Impressed by the woman’s faith, our Lord Jesus Christ healed her daughter.            

Kindness is listening to the hurting even if they are not our kind, or even if they don’t adhere to our true religion (Christianity – a way of life of relationship). Kindness is applying the Golden Rule to all – even those beyond our sociological or ethnic circle. “Do to others what you would have them to do to you” (Matthew 7:12) is the key to a majestic kindness that changes the world. Amen!

Caleb and Simeon Tribes Conquer the Land

In Judges 1:12-15 NLT says, “12 Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.” 13 Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife. 14 When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What’s the matter?” 15 She said, “Let me have another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.” So, Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.”

This same event is recorded in Joshua 15:16-19. Caleb was one of the original men who scouted out the Promised Land (Numbers 13–14) and, with Joshua, encouraged the people to conquer it. For his faithfulness, he was given the land of his choice.

After the death of Joshua, Judah was singled out as having the Lord’s presence for victory (Judges 1:2). The strength of the Canaanites had been shattered by Joshua during the conquest, but it was the responsibility of the tribes to complete the work and flush out remaining pockets of resistance. The law of retaliation (Leviticus 24:17-21) was applied to Adoni-Bezek (Judges 1:6-7). He was receiving the treatment he had given others.

The Israelites captured the heights but could not occupy the valleys, which were controlled by the Canaanites with their iron-reinforced chariots (Judges 1:19), or fully take Jerusalem (Judges 1:21). Two Canaanite worship centers, Beth Shemesh (“house of Sun”) and Beth Anath (“house of Anath”), were allowed to remain (Judges 1:33). Anath, the sister and consort of Baal, was a goddess of fertility. That failure to completely drive out the Canaanites constituted disobedience to God’s clear command (Exodus 23:33).

Caleb issued a challenge to whomever would take it up – “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage,” he said, “to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” Later when his daughter asked for a spring of water, Caleb generously gave to her what had already been given to him by God.

Caleb had received an inheritance in Canaan. Now he takes what he had received and passes it on to his daughter and son-in-law. How could Caleb be so kind and generous?

Caleb’s life is a study of faithfulness to God’s purposes in his life. His life was spared when all of his generations – except himself and Joshua – were condemned to die. He and Joshua together trusted God’s goodness and encouraged the people to take the land of Canaan (Numbers 14:1-9, 24). God in turn promised to bless Caleb and give him part of the land. Now, we see that promise being fulfilled. Caleb is given the entire area of Hebron (see Joshua 15:13).

How could one who had received so much ever be stingy? Caleb is faithful to God and trusted Him, so when God blessed him, Caleb blessed others. Isn’t that the essence of the Golden Rule? When we are blessed, shouldn’t our immediate response be to share the benefits of God with those around us?

Caleb was practicing the Golden Rule hundreds of years before our Lord Jesus Christ gave it form and words, and as a result, Caleb’s life became a witness to the ultimate triumph of kindness. When we find that God has blessed our faithfulness, we can share with others and know that we will not run out of the blessings of God. Amen!

Hope for Israel and Judah

In Jeremiah 50:6 NLT says, “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray and turned them loose in the mountains. They have lost their way and can’t remember how to get back to the sheepfold.”

Judah had been misled by its leaders (Jeremiah 2:20; 3:6, 23), and had taken to the mountains. This is probably an allusion to the Canaanite religious practices, performed at mountaintop shrines, in which they had indulged. Resting place—i.e., for the “sheep,” referring to their “fold” (RSV, NEB, JB); for Israel this was the temple in Jerusalem.

Sheep without a shepherd – what a pitiable thought! Sheep who have no shepherd must search for food, find a shelter from storms and hide from wild animals. They are helpless and alone. What are we, who have a shepherd, to do with these lost sheep? Are we to leave them abandoned? Of course not. We need to invite the lost sheep into the fold.

The people were lost. They were called “lost sheep,” meaning that they had no shepherd to guide them or protect them. What the people needed then was someone to save them. What people need now is someone to save them. The condition of people today is the same as it was when Jeremiah spoke God’s Words to lost Israel.

Our Lord Jesus Christ reminds us that we are to share what we have with the rest of the world. In Matthew 10:8, our Lord Jesus Christ tells His disciples that they have received “freely.” What was it they had received? They had received friendship with God’s Son, so, He was to be the grand offering to others. All missionaries including us as Born-Again Christian believers have one message: “We have received the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ – our God, and Savior; now He is yours.”

Freely our Lord Jesus Christ came to us, but often we are not floodgates of grace but dams across the flow. Our cowardice or our separation from God stops the flow. Cowardice asks, “What right do I have to impose God’s grace on others?” Separation from God leaves us too remote to remember that God wants to redeem all people. We pass in callous disregard those whom God longs to save. So, our Lord Jesus Christ is missed!

Let’s consider the exotic glory that was ours when our Lord Jesus Christ first came to us. He loved us, as we were – a miracle in and of itself. He forgave our sins – a triumph, considering that He had carried His love for us to the hour of His death. He filled us with His Holy Spirit – a welcome abundance, considering that our lives had been so empty. He gave us a place in His community, a community filled with souls like ourselves, who have wandered into wonder.

The cost of all this? For us, nothing; for Him, everything. I praise and give thanks, and all glory to God for the opportunities to those people I’ve met, prayed for them, and led them to our Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord of their lives. There is a world of lost sheep waiting to hear from us. We have a Shepherd, our Lord and our God – Jesus Christ. Now, let’s share the Good News, the Gospels, and show Him to others! Amen!

The Eastern Tribes Build the Transjordan Altar

In Joshua 22:9-27 NLT says, “9 So the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the rest of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. They started the journey back to their own land of Gilead, the territory that belonged to them according to the Lord’s command through Moses. 10 But while they were still in Canaan, and when they came to a place called Geliloth near the Jordan River, the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh stopped to build a large and imposing altar. 11 The rest of Israel heard that the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth at the edge of the land of Canaan, on the west side of the Jordan River. 12 So the whole community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and prepared to go to war against them. 13 First, however, they sent a delegation led by Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to talk with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 14 In this delegation were ten leaders of Israel, one from each of the ten tribes, and each the head of his family within the clans of Israel. 15 When they arrived in the land of Gilead, they said to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 16 “The whole community of the Lord demands to know why you are betraying the God of Israel. How could you turn away from the Lord and build an altar for yourselves in rebellion against Him? 17 Was our sin at Peor not enough? To this day we are not fully cleansed of it, even after the plague that struck the entire community of the Lord. 18 And yet today, you are turning away from following the Lord. If you rebel against the Lord today, He will be angry with all of us tomorrow. 19 “If you need the altar because the land you possess is defiled, then join us in the Lord’s land, where the Tabernacle of the Lord is situated, and share our land with us. But, do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar other than the one true altar of the Lord our God. 20 Didn’t divine anger fall on the entire community of Israel when Achan, a member of the clan of Zerah, sinned by stealing the things set apart for the Lord? He was not the only one who died because of his sin.” 21 Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the heads of the clans of Israel: 22 “The Lord, the Mighty One, is God! The Lord, the Mighty One, is God! He knows the truth, and may Israel know it, too! We have not built the altar in treacherous rebellion against the Lord. If we have done so, do not spare our lives this day. 23 If we have built an altar for ourselves to turn away from the Lord or to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord Himself punish us. 24 “The truth is, we have built this altar because we fear that in the future your descendants will say to ours, ‘What right do you have to worship the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 The Lord has placed the Jordan River as a barrier between our people and you people of Reuben and Gad. You have no claim to the Lord.’ So, your descendants may prevent our descendants from worshiping the Lord. 26 “So we decided to build the altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, 27 but as a memorial. It will remind our descendants and your descendants that we, too, have the right to worship the Lord at His sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. Then your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no claim to the Lord.’

When the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar near the Jordan River, the rest of Israel feared that these tribes were starting their own religion and rebelling against God. But before beginning an all-out war, Phinehas led a delegation to learn the truth, following the principle taught in Deuteronomy 13:12-18. He was prepared to negotiate rather than fight if a battle was not necessary. When he learned that the altar was for a memorial rather than for pagan sacrifice, war was averted and unity restored.

Before returning across the Jordan River to their own lands, the Transjordanian tribes built a copy of the altar of sacrifice (Joshua 22:10). The rest of the Israelites perceived their act to be one of idolatry (Joshua 22:17) as well as a potential bringer of God’s anger (Joshua 22:18). The erection of the altar appeared to be a violation of the law of Deuteronomy 12:13-14 that required a central sanctuary. But the Transjordanian tribes explained that the altar was only a symbol to unify worship and was never to be used for sacrifices. The rest of the Israelites accepted that explanation (Joshua 22:26-29) and a civil war was avoided (Joshua 22:33). Such a war would have been in accordance with Deuteronomy 13:12-18, which required the Israelites to destroy an apostate city.

When the tribes west of the Jordan understood the reasoning behind the building of the new altar, they were all the more ready to bless their brothers as they celebrated a common legacy of faith. The new altar’s name became, “A Witness Between Us that the LORD is God” (Joshua 22:34).

In Joshua 4:20-22, Joshua built a very similar altar and told Israel that, in future years when their children asked, “What do these stones mean?” they were to give their testimony of God’s grace.

Altars are sometimes reared as monuments to celebrate the kindness of God. Each time we have seen the “Cross”, we remember the greatest story ever told. It is a story of love and forgiveness, thankfulness for the kindness of others through that agape love from God. Altars should celebrate kindness, and they should motivate us to serve others with the virtues those monuments memorialize. When we have our new house here in Texas, the first thing we did was to build an altar with the Cross and Words of God.

As nations and as individuals, we would benefit from a similar approach to resolving conflicts. Assuming the worst about the intentions of others only brings trouble. Israel averted the threat of civil war by asking before assaulting. Beware of reacting before you hear the whole story. Do not judge the book by its cover. Amen!

The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh but God is Slow to Anger

In Nahum 1:1-3 NLT says, “1 This message concerning Nineveh came as a vision to Nahum, who lived in Elkosh. 2 The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and wrath. He takes revenge on all who oppose Him and continues to rage against His enemies! 3 The Lord is slow to get angry, but His power is great, and He never lets the guilty go unpunished.
He displays His power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are the dust beneath His feet.”

Nahum, like Jonah, was a prophet to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, and he prophesied between 663 and 612 B.C. Jonah had seen Nineveh repent a century earlier (see the book of Jonah), but the city had fallen back into wickedness. Assyria, the world power controlling the Fertile Crescent, seemed unstoppable. Its ruthless and savage warriors had already conquered Israel, the northern kingdom, and were causing great suffering in Judah. So, Nahum proclaimed God’s anger against Assyria’s evil. Within a few decades, the mighty Assyrian Empire would be toppled by Babylon.

Elkosh was a village thought by some to be in southwest Judah.

God alone has the right to be jealous and to carry out vengeance. Jealousy and vengeance may be surprising terms to associate with God. When humans are jealous and take vengeance, they are usually acting in a spirit of selfishness. But it is appropriate for God to insist on our complete allegiance, and it is just for Him to punish unrepentant evildoers. His jealousy and vengeance are unmixed with selfishness. Their purpose is to remove sin and restore peace to the world (Deuteronomy 4:24; 5:9).

God is slow to get angry, but when He is ready to punish, even the earth trembles. Often people avoid God because they see evildoers in the world and hypocrites in the church. They don’t realize that because God is slow to anger, He gives His true followers time to share His love and truth with evildoers. But judgment will come; God will not allow sin to go unchecked forever. When people wonder why God doesn’t punish evil immediately, help them remember that if He did, none of us would be here. We can all be thankful that God gives people time to turn to Him.

Our Lord Jesus Christ counsels us never to go to worship with a broken relationship in our lives (see Matthew 5:23-24). If we try to praise God while we are harboring a grudge against someone, we must leave the worship service, begs our begrudged enemy to forgive our anger and only then, when we are at peace, return to the altar and begin again. Our kindness will have made our worship possible.

Worship is a place of relationships, a place where we bring our cleansed hearts to put them in concord, agreement, harmony, peace with the immaculate, perfect holiness of God. And so, we approach Him, having set our thirst for holiness and right relationships clearly out front for all to consider. But what if we detect a blemish on our deportment, manner, posture, or behavior, the smudge of some intentional fault or grudging attitude? What then do we do?

Let’s read, understand, follow, obey apply these Scriptures or passages: John 5:1-15 and John 9:1-11, then, we will see the following: A New Way to Walk and a New Way to See, respectively.

We may realize after the past days or weeks or maybe years, we may be saying, “All of this sounds good, Pastor Elias. But my heart is still hurting and the person who hurt me has never even said they’re sorry.”

I get it. Healing can feel impossible when there has been no resolution with those who have hurt us. We want them to admit they were wrong. To make things right. To at least apologize.

But we need to learn that our ability to heal cannot depend on anyone’s choices but our own.

The first time we became aware of this truth about the only two (2) healing miracles our Lord Jesus Christ performed in Jerusalem mentioned in the book of John 5:1-15 and John 9:1-11. “One of these miracles showed us a new way to walk and the other showed us a new way to see.”

“We don’t need to wait on others to do anything. We must simply obey what God is asking of us right now. God has given us a new way to walk. And God has given us a new way to see. It’s forgiveness. And it is beautiful.”

Our ability to heal cannot depend on others wanting our forgiveness, but only on our willingness to give it.

Our ability to heal also cannot depend on them receiving adequate consequences for their disobedience, but only on our obedience to trust God’s justice whether we ever see it or not.

My healing is my choice. And your healing? It’s with the utmost compassion that I say your healing is your choice, too. We can heal. We can forgive. We can trust God. And none of those beautiful realities can be held hostage by another person.

God is slow to anger. We are to look to Him for guidance regarding how we should live. We should observe God’s kindness and love toward those who do wrong, and we should determine to mirror that patience, kindness, and love. But God is also just. We can trust that He will judge those who sin against us. We can leave vengeance in His hands.

When we have been wronged, when we have been sinned against, we must leave our gift unoffered and go out into the world. We must find those with whom we have grievances and straighten out our relationships. When we have done our best to mend our broken world, we may return to the altar and offer praise. God loves the whole world, and when we allow ourselves the luxury of nursing a grudge toward any of His children, we cannot meet with God in open communion. God wants no subterfuge, trick, ploy, or deception going on within His family. Peace in the family is what every loving family wants. Amen!

Now, let’s talk about “Prayer and “Salvation”.

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 the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, the first of the list > 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 KINDNESS Series of Podcast, we learned the following PURPOSES of this fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT:

• Learned and knew the world way of thinking
• Learned always to be kind in time of need
• Learned to get angry without sinning by grace
• Learned to approach by grace
• Learned how to apply always the golden rule

Next week, we will start the Podcast Series of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit: GOODNESS

On every Podcast, I always have three (3) questions we can answer from only these two (2) Sources: The Bible and the 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 you 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. Please 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. (See 1 Peter 2:2). You need to find a church or fellowship to grow spiritually. We are glad to establish or bring the fellowship to your own home if it is safer.

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 Message to be Blessed:

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.