Free Gospel Concert In Atlanta: Praise In The Park 08/01/09 Doors Open 11am Concerts Start At 2pm

Rev Ike Passes Away

Ok, I know the bible says there is a time to be born and a time to die, but LAWD who would have thought the death angelwould have came knocking at so many doors July 2009. Yet another soldier (or whatever title you’d like to give him) has gone on. Rev. Ike! Guess what, Rev. Ike use to be Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith many moons ago. Growing up in NYC you’d see that ole Ike always telling God’s people to send that money in so he can send you back a green money prayer handkerchief  (yeah whatever). That prayer Palace of his was something else too. Well, rest on dear ole Rev. Ike. I hope you made it in. If not, there will be plenty of people in the second resurrection for you to deceive once again (I said it, but you thought it!). Below is an article I found on the internet aboutRev. Ike. In all seriousness, regardless of if you believed in his ministry or not, Papa Ike was a husband and a father so with that said we stand in agreement with that family that “earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal”.

The Reverend Ike, as he was known to his followers, offered to open people’s hearts to the love of God: “But it won’t be the God you learned about in Sunday School. It won’t be that stingy, hard-hearted, hard-of-hearing God-in the-Sky.” Instead it would be a God who teaches that salvation lies in being rich.

“Close your eyes and see green,” he exhorted his followers. “Money up to your armpits, a roomful of money and there you are, just tossing around in it like a swimming pool.” Or alternatively: “Don’t wait for your pie in the sky, by and by. Say I want my pie right now – and I want it with ice cream on top!”

There was no point in prayer and repentance: “When you kneel down to pray, you put yourself in a good position to get a kick in the behind.” And there was absolutely no virtue in self-denial: “If it’s that difficult for a rich man to get into heaven, think how terrible it must be for a poor man to get in. He doesn’t even have a bribe for the gatekeeper.”

The way to salvation was through a self-help philosophy which the Reverend Ike called “positive self-image psychology” or “thinkonomics”, and his approach was to interpret the Bible “psychologically, rather than theologically”. “This is the do-it-yourself church,” he proclaimed. “The only saviour in this philosophy is God in you.”

The main beneficiary of this approach was the Reverend Ike himself. As well as founding no fewer than three churches, he was one of the first evangelists to exploit the power of television. At the height of his success, in the 1970s, he reached an audience estimated at 2.5 million.

In return for spiritual guidance, he requested cash donations – notes, preferably, rather than coins (“Change makes your minister nervous,” he claimed). He also sold a range of merchandise, including guides on issues such as to “How to have surplus instead of shortage”; “How to make people love to do exactly what you want”; and “Enemy Fixer”, a guide to “getting rid of your enemies without getting into trouble”.

Since money was “God in action” and its accoutrementsasign of Divine Grace, the Reverend Ike had no qualms about flaunting it with luxurious homes in New York and Hollywood, a huge rhinestone-encrusted wardrobe, drawers full of flashy jewellery and a fleet of Cadillacs, Bentleys and Rolls-Royces. “My garages runneth over,” as he put it.

Frederick Joseph Eikerenkoetter II was born on June 1 1935 at Ridgeland, South Carolina. His father was a Baptist minister of Dutch-Indonesian extraction, his mother an African-American schoolteacher.

He began his career as a teenage preacher at his father’s church and, after leaving school, took a degree in Theology at the American Bible College in Chicago. After two years in the US Air Force as an assistant chaplain, he returned to Ridgeland, where he founded his first church, the United Church of Jesus Christ for All People.

Somehow, though, the traditional Christian message did not seem to offer the answers the Reverend Ike was looking for, and in 1964 he moved to Boston where he founded the United Christian Evangelistic Association and set himself up as a faith healer. Two years later he moved to New York City to establish the Christ Community United Church, setting up shop in an old cinema in Harlem. It was here that he began to tailor his message to appeal to a more prosperous audience.

In 1965 he devised the “Blessing Plan”, under which the faithful were exhorted to give whatever they could afford to the Reverend Ike, withthe promise that it would be returned withinterestto those of sufficient faith.

In 1969 the fruits of the Blessing Plan enabled him to pay $600,000 for the old Loew’s 175th Street movie theatre, a 1930s extravaganza described as being built in the “Byzantine-Romanesque-Indo-Hindu-Sino-Moorish-Persian-Eclectic-Rococo-Deco style”. He made it his headquarters, calling it the Palace Cathedral. By the mid-1970s the Reverend Ike was touring the country and preaching on 1,770 radio stations and on major television networks.

From time to time his financial dealings attracted the unwelcome attentions of the Internal Revenue Service, but his church somehow managed to retain its tax-exempt status and continues to this day. Its website describes its founder as a man whose teachings “are accepted as universal truths”. Sadly for Christianity, they probably are.

The Reverend Ike married, in 1962, Eula May Dent. They had a son, Xavier F Eikerenkoetter, who inherits the ministry.

Why Its Important To Continue To Preach Doctrine.

I just wanted to share this with my readers today. I was reading Apostolic Friends Forum and decided to share with the message board that my local assembly will be having a doctrine conference this weekend starting tomorrow night Thursday. Well, after a few comments, an individual said something that caused me to respond in such a way that I would need to defend the reason for why its important to continually preach doctrine. Below you will see our discussion.

Doesn’t Paul teach us about dividing the body over various doctrines like, oh, “the doctrines of baptisms” along with the other things he mentioned?

AFF Forum Reader: I’m just sayin as much as I am wholeheartedly for Jesus Name baptism, and will never consider personally baptizing someone any other way and will never consider allowing my children to be baptized any other way (solely), I don’t think that Christians who are baptized F,S, and HG are lost simply because of their baptism.

Is there any church that does everything exactly like the first church did?

So what we do that’s different is acceptable because we do it and we have the Holy Ghost that bears witness that our different way of doing things is acceptable.

Below you will read my personal response.

Pope Of Pentecost Responds: Please read your Word with the understanding that the Holy Ghost has given you. Hebrews 6:2 has nothing to do with NOT telling someone about the doctrine of baptism however it has EVERYTHING to do with Christians who are already IN the TRUTH to begin to move/progress forward in their quest towards holiness. Start out by reading verse 1 of Hebrews 6and I’ll quote “Therefore leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ” If one does not have the basic foundation (elementary principles) one cannot possibly move on to progressive holiness if there is NO FOUNDATION. The sole purpose of any doctrinal conference is to lay the foundation of what we as Apostolics believe. Since there will be numerous denominations in attendance, we cannot possibly skip over the foundation and go straight into building a house. It will fall. With that said, I firmly believe and stand in agreement that if one is Holy Ghost filled but is NOT baptised in Jesus Name, they need to be told the truth (hence the reason why we as a church have decided to invite other people outside of our organization/denomination).

Now, if 100% of people in attendance already have the basic fundementals of The Truth (i.e. repentance, baptism in Jesus Name, infilling of the Holy Ghost) then Hebrews Chapter 6 would be a great chapter to quote since the basic concept of this chapter is that since the foundation has already been laid, its time to move on in your walk with Christ. I agree 100% with Paul when he clearly says we cannot “lay again the foundation” but that we need to “progress…..move forward” in our Christian walk. That being said, since there is only ONE Lord, ONE Faith and ONE baptism, one would at least need to attempt to do things the bible way instead of just saying “Is there any church that does everything exactly like the first church did?”

I’ll leave these final words with you, no TRUTH equals no freedom. 100% Truth equals 100% freedom. And that freedom I speak of is the freedom from all erroneous doctrine. Until Jesus comes, there will always be people who need MILK preached to them as well as people like you and I who need MEAT preached to them. If only meat is served, we all need to toss out our new converts classes but since milk and meat needs to be preached, we as an Apostolic body need to find an equilibrium in our preaching methods, hence the reason why a “doctrine” conference is always going to be in order.

With that being said, you can see it is extremely important to continue steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine with Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Corner Stone. I am 100% Apostolic. My church is 100% Apostolic and we have committed ourselves to spread THE ONLY TRUTH to a world that needs it.

Doctrinal Conference 2009

2009 Doctrinal Conference at Atlanta West Pentecostal Church

Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 7:30 pm to Sat, Aug 01, 2009 at 2:00 pm EST Lithia Springs, GA

The Bible clearly warns us of a time in which people will be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). During this time people who do not develop a “love of the truth” will fall for deception and “believe a lie” (II Thessalonians 2: 10-11). On July 30 – August 1, 2009, Atlanta West Pentecostal Church will sponsor a conference designed to benefit pastors and church leaders as they endeavor to continue “steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). Topics scheduled for discussion include the nature of God, the doctrine of baptisms (water and Spirit), and current trends in theology.  Other highlights of the conference include a luncheon at which questions may be posed to our guest speakers, an on-site bookstore featuring the works of our guests speakers,  a performance by the award-winning Atlanta West Sanctuary Choir, and breakout sessions that will include tracks for youth and Spanish ministry.

 

Our guest speakers for this event are Rev. David K. Bernard and Rev. Daniel L. Segraves. David Bernard is the founder and senior pastor of New Life Church. He is also superintendent of the South Texas District of the United Pentecostal Church and serves as president of Urshan Graduate School of Theology. He has earned a doctor of jurisprudence with honors from the University of Texas, a master of theology from the University of South Africa, and a bachelor of arts in mathematical sciences and managerial studies with high honors from Rice University. He is currently a doctor of theology candidate in New Testament at the University of South Africa. He is an ordained minister of the United Pentecostal Church, International. In addition to his ministry at New Life and throughout the United States, he has ministered in forty-five countries on six continents. Pastor Bernard is also a prolific writer. He has written extensively on the Bible, theology, the history of doctrine, and Christian living. To date, he has written thirty books, with a circulation of about 750,000. He has been published in thirty-six languages.

 

Daniel Segraves, PhD (Regent University) is academic dean and assistant professor of biblical theology at Urshan Graduate School of Theology. He earned the MA in Exegetical Theology with highest honors and a master of theology with honors from Western Seminary. The former president of Christian Life College (Stockton, CA), he has written several books, including commentaries on eight books of the Bible. He is also the recipient of the Writer of the Year Award given by the United Pentecostal Church, International and has been an ordained minister with that organization since 1968.

 

Registration for the conference costs $25 per individual and will include entry to all sessions, workshop materials, and lunch on Saturday. You may register from this website (see section to the right), or you may mail payment and your contact information to 2960 Skyview Drive, Lithia Springs, GA 30122. There are two options for taking a free tour of the AWPC campus, one on Thursday at 5:00 PM, the other at the conclusion of the conference on Saturday. Spaces are limited, so please go ahead and sign up today if you are interested. If you have any further questions, please call the AWPC church office at (770) 944-3522 or email the outreach coordinator at jcopeland@awpc.org. We look forward to seeing you in July. God bless!

 

Accomodations:

 Hampton Inn

999 Bob Arnold Blvd.

Lithia Springs, GA 30122

770-745-9990

 

Mention the “Doctrinal Conference” in order to receive a rate of $85/night.

 

 Country Inn and Suites

960 West Point Court

Lithia Springs, GA 30122

678-945-0945

 

Ask for the “Atlanta West Pentecostal Church Corporate Rate” of $79/night for a standard room, $89/night for a mini-suite, or $99/night for a two-room suite.

Pentecostal Assemblies of the World 2009 Convention Speakers

Now This Is An Apostolic Praise Break Haaaaaaaaaaa Mo Seeeya!!!!!!!!!!

St. John Apostolic Holiness Church is still going coo coo for co co puffs. I wonder what Atlanta West would do if a praise like THIS broke out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh Loooooooooorrrrrrrrd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

42nd Annual GMWA Convention and Gathering – July 25-31, 2009 in Cincinnatti, OH

God Is Too Good!

When I tell you that God is good! I mean the Lord is sho nuff good! God has been doing great things where of I am glad and for that (Lord Jesus) I love Him today! I thank and praise God for His wonderful blessings and most importantly the gift of the Holy Ghost. If it were not for Him, truly I don’t know where I would be. I owe Him a praise. YOU owe Him a praise. WE owe Him a praise.

As I stated in our Sunday morning choir rehearsal before morning worship, the Lord has blessed me to start my own business where I am really and truly helping people. It started all from a mere conversation that I was having. During this conversation a decision was made to no longer conduct business as usual but to instead launch  out into the deep and get whats mine (and by that I mean the blessing God had for me).

I am truly a living witness that when you put God first, He will make you the head and not the tail. He will make you first and not last. He will make you the lender and not the borrower. I am looking for great things to happen within my new secular business as being a consultant (I help people find gainful employment). I know without a shadow of doubt, if I keep God first in all that I do and be obedient to the regulations that are set before my as outlined in the  Word of God, all things will truly be possible!

With that said, my apologies for being slack on the website. I have been so focused on my new position that I have not had the opportunity to sit down and incorporate my blog within my new career. As with anything new, it seems as though you concentrate more on the “new thing” than that which is old. However, its my commitment to all of my readers to continue to spread the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as taught by the Apostles, Jesus Christ being the Chief cornerstone (Hmmm, I like the sound of that, perhaps when I open up my church I’ll call it Chief Cornerstone Apostolic Church . . . has a nice ring to it don’t ya think??????? Hmmmmm, or perhaps Cornerstone Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ an affiliate of the United Pentecostal Church International . . . . yeah, gotta fuse my COOLJC roots with my new found organization UPCI) ha ha ha ha.

With that said, God bless you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. When your in the Atlanta, GA area come look me and my church up (because God knows Pastor has been preaching like its the last days every Sunday). I must now retire and go to bed. Talk to everyone tomorrow, Lord say the same. And remember, because Jesus Christ who is God almighty IS the greatest power, we shall not be defeated! (wait a minute, I done found my church slogan now……speak Lawd!)

Lets Have Church Today!

After all the Lord did for you this week, you owe God a praise! Lets have crazy church all over the nation today in Jesus Name!

You Must Be Born Again! (Hezekiah Walker 1990 Recording)

This to me is VINTAGE gospel. Can you believe just 2 years later after this recording I was a member of this choir at 14. Whoaaaaaa! I know all yall old LFC and LFT heads that read my blog remember this song. Sho ya right!

COKO presents THE WINNER IN ME, in stores today!

Michael Jackson Salvation Reports ‘Not True,’ Pastors Say

Pentecostal pastors Andraé and Sandra Crouch say recent reports that they led pop singer Michael Jackson to Christ three weeks before his sudden death Thursday are false.

In a posting on her Facebook page, Sandra Crouch, who with her brother, Andraé, leads Christ Memorial Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles, said reports that she and her brother met with Jackson and led him in the sinner’s prayer are “incorrect and absolutely not true.”

“We recently met with Michael to discuss recording two songs with our choir for his newest recording project,” Sandra Crouch wrote in a statement signed by both Crouches. “Michael always had a respect and curiosity for spiritual things. During our meeting, not unlike many other creative/music meetings we’ve had with him the past, we sang together, prayed together and had a wonderful time.”

Reports that Jackson sought prayer from the legendary gospel musicians began circulating Friday after the contemporary gospel duo Mary Mary posted a message they received from an associate of the Crouches on their Facebook page. “Michael asked Andraé to play ‘It Won’t Be Long and We’ll Be Leaving Here,’” the posting read. “Michael then prayed with Sandra and [Andraé] and accepted Christ into his heart. Now he’s singing in the heavenly choir! Our hearts rejoice!”

A representative from Christ Memorial would not confirm or deny the accuracy of a separate posting on Andraé Crouch’s Facebook page claiming that Jackson requested prayer “concerning the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and how he could make his music more ‘spiritual’” during a meeting with the Crouches roughly three weeks ago.

Dave Nassaney, Andraé Crouch’s Facebook page administrator, wrote that Andraé and Sandra Crouch told Jackson about the anointing and about Jesus. “He wanted to know what makes your hands go up, and makes you ‘come out of yourself’ and what gives a ‘spirituality’ to the music,” Nassaney wrote. “He then requested to hear his favorite song that he loves, and wanted [them] to sing to him, so they sang that song to him, and joined hands and sang together, and he said, ‘It was beautiful.’”

Nassaney said Crouch told him Jackson “definitely had an ‘encounter’” during the visit, but it remained unclear whether the pop icon accepted Christ. Jackson was raised a Jehovah’s Witness and reportedly converted to Islam in 2008.

“He did NOT reject Jesus or the prayer when they prayed, and gladly joined in prayer,” Crouch said, according to Nassaney’s post. “He usually doesn’t touch anybody, but he touched them, and held their hands in a circle as they sang and prayed.

“There was NO actual ‘sinners prayer,’ however, but they did talk and pray about Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. They also told him, “Michael, we consider you as our son,” and he said, “Yes, yes, yes,” and [Jackson] gave him his latest music on a CD, and he told him, “Andraé I trust you with this,” and gave him CDs of two songs-unpublished, beautiful music.”

Sandra Crouch said she and her brother are praying for the Jackson family. “We loved and respected Michael enormously and we’ve been friends with him for many, many years, and are deeply saddened by his sudden and tragic death,” she wrote.

“We are praying for Michael’s family and desire nothing less than God’s best for them,” she added.

Top Gospel Albums

The latest effort from Mary Mary titled The Sound celebrates its twelfth consecutive week atop Billboard’s Top Gospel Charts. In addition, the album sits at #1 on the Top Christian & Gospel Charts, #14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Charts, and #59 on the Top 200 Albums Charts on the heels of their performance at the recent BET Awards. Kerry Douglas Presents: Gospel Truth Magazine: Gospel Mix Vol. 3 debuts at the #2 position while The Power of One from Israel Houghton jumps to the #3 spot. The WOW Gospel 2009 compilation comes in at #4 while Just Love from Brian Courtney Wilson rounds out the week’s top five albums. Other notable chart movement includes Crystal Aikin’s self-titled release jumping nine spots to #14 while Greg O’Quin & iPraize’s After The Storm debuts at #19. Reveal Your Glory: Live From the Cathedral, the latest effort from Vicki Yohe, debuts at #20 and The Brown Sisters’s self-titled release enters the charts at #21.

I Started My Own Business This Week! Praise GOD!

Praise Him! Sorry for no post this week. The good news is that I started my own consulting firm and I have been slammed with work. I praise God for that, as I am sure its everyones dream to own their own business. From getting business licenses here in Atlanta to opening up my first P.O. Box, to advertising and doing my own human resources. WHOA! Its been a very busy week for me. As soon as I get a handle of things, I will start posting again on a regular basis. Until then, praise God with me for this glorious opportunity because truly all the glory belongs to God!

Fruit Of The Spirit: Temperance

 

Temperance or self control is the last in the list of the fruit of the spirit, not because it is least, but because it binds all the rest. Temperance is a word which covers the whole field of emotion and passions, control of spirit, body, and mind. It has to do with enemies within, the lust and passions which war against the soul. A whole army storming on the outside is less than a single enemy within the walls which gives over the key to attacking forces.

Temperance or self control is not merely getting a hold of ourselves, shaping ourselves by our own strength. Self control, for our own good and for the glory of God comes only as we surrender ourselves first to God and commit ourselves to His way. Then His spirit puts within us both the desire and power to control our appetites, impulses, imaginations, and desires. Peter says a person is a slave to whatever controls him…2Pet 2:19

Temperance or self control means at least 3 things.

1.it means to refrain from all known wrong—There is no area of life excluded from the will of God for us. We are told to be “temperate in all things”. This means we are to discover and apply the will of God to the whole scope of life.

Temperance does not mean that all things are good if one is temperate in using them. To experiment cautiously with sin is wrong. To be temperate or practice self control means to control our lives so that what we do or do not do is in line with the divine will. We are to avoid all experiences, relationship, and attitudes contrary to the way of Christ. It is moderation in the things which are good and total abstinence from the things which are foul.

2.Temperance or self control does more than police wrong desires and hungers. It means we are to weigh what is best and abstain from the rest. It helps us know how to sacrifice the lesser for the higher good, how to discern between the good and the best. That is the sign of spiritual maturity.

The writer to the Hebrew Christians told them to “LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT” (HEBREW 12:1) What is a weight?—It is anything in life which keeps us from being our best for God. So a weight maybe something easily justified as right and good in the sense that it is not outright sin. But it may keep us from winning the Christian race.

Suppose some morning we go to a race. Runners are all lined up. All is ready for the race when suddenly, we see another fellow coming to the starting line. But, strange as it seems, he is fully dressed. He has on a full suit, a heavy overcoat, boots and woolen cap. In his hands he carries his lunch bucket, an umbrella and his pockets are filled with bottled drinks.

We cannot tell him what he carries is sin. But we know he will never win the race. Why? Because he is loaded with weights.

So self control requires us not only to avoid sin but also demands the discipline to give up good things that will keep us from being and doing our best for God. Self-control means moderation and restraint in the things which are legitimate and the elimination of those things which tear down or destroy spiritual life.

3.Self-control involves discipline—The Apostle Paul compares the moral struggle to the games so renowned in ancient Greece. He says that everyone taking part in these games was temperate in all things.(1Cor 9:24-27) Ten months of hard training was required. Discipline in everything was most severe. It could not be relaxed a single day. Otherwise a rival would get to the front.

But the candidates did not go around each day, complaining how hard their lot was. They chose to enter the game. They talked of the prize they expected to win. They spoke of the special privileges which were theirs should they win. Temperance becomes easy and exciting when we see not a corruptible but an incorruptible crown.

Finally self-control is possible when we realize that we are humans and the Holy Spirit is the power to help us overcome. Caesar of Rome had a slave as his constant companion. The slave’s duty was to whisper in his monarch’s ear, “You are human.” We all need this reminder.

But we also need the reminder that the Holy Spirit lives in us.

We gain self-control when we have the glory of God as our goal, not merely for the good of others. Most people who live evil lives do not want evil to destroy them. But they are overcome because they do not have a higher goal than self-enjoyment and self-gratification.

We can also seek to keep from sin simply because of what sin does to us personally and to others. That maybe of some worth. But the strength to exercise self-control over the second best will not be possible until we see that our calling is to the very best in Christ. “If you would learn self-mastery, begin by yielding yourself to the One Great Master.”

Fruit Of The Spirit: Meekness

I used to have a friend who called Meakness, “Power under control”. More specifically, it is yielding our rights to God so He can demonstrate His peace and power through our lives.One Hebrew word translated meekness is -anavah. It is derived from the root -anah, which means “to humble oneself, to bow down, to be afflicted, to become low.” One Greek word for meek is -praus. It simply means “mild, humble.” The word meekness is often used in combination with other words such as lowliness (see Ephesians 4:2), righteousness (see Psalm 45:4), and gentleness (see II Corinthians 10:1).

Significance of Meekness

Meekness is vital because it is the one quality that Jesus used to describe Himself: “… Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). Thus, the more we understand and develop meekness, the more we take on the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is therefore understandable that Jesus would begin His discourse on discipleship by praising the quality of meekness: “Blessed are the poor in spirit… . Blessed are they that mourn… . Blessed are the meek… .” (Matthew 5:3-5).

Rewards of Meekness

1. Knowing Jesus Christ

The goal of the Apostle Paul was “to know Him [Jesus Christ], and the power of His resurrection …” (Philippians 3:10). He declared that he counted “…all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).

2. Comprehending the Gospel

The good news of salvation is available to everyone. However, only the meek will understand it and respond to it. Jesus explained this when He opened the scroll of Isaiah and read, “The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek” (Isaiah 61:1).

3. Transforming Our Souls

It is by the quality of meekness that one is able to make God’s Word a vital part of his mind, will, and emotions and thereby conquer the sinful and destructive habits of life. (See James 1:21.)

4. Receiving God’s Guidance

One of the most important challenges in life is making wise decisions. We often make decisions that we are sure are right, but they turn out to be wrong. When we demonstrate the quality of meekness, the Lord will direct us in our decisions. (See Psalm 25:9.)

5. Developing True Character

Scripture explains that the “hidden man of the heart” is more important to adorn than the outward appearance of a person. This inward adornment is to be meekness. (See I Peter 3:3-4.)

6. Enjoying Life to the Fullest

Many people do not actually enjoy their own possessions. They eat food, but it does not satisfy their appetites. However, God promises that “the meek shall eat and be satisfied” (Psalm 22:26).

7. Receiving a Lasting Inheritance

The meek will receive an eternal reward. Jesus promises, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

Personal Evaluation: How Meek Are You?

• Have you dedicated yourself to God and yielded all your rights to Him?
• Do you have full confidence that God controls all that happens to you?
• Is it your goal to become more like the Lord Jesus Christ?
• Have you received and responded to the good tidings of the Gospel?
• Do others praise you for a meek and quiet spirit, or do they react to an angry spirit?
• Do people resist your advice or counsel when you try to help them?
• Do you speak evil of those in positions of leadership?
• Do people ask you why you are so peaceful when serious adversities come into your life?
• Have you exchanged your burdens for the yoke of Christ?
• When you do good works and are praised for them, do you deflect the honor to others who helped you?

How Do We Learn Meekness?

We learn meekness by coming to Christ with the recognition of our own weaknesses and being united with Him by belief in His finished work on the cross. Then we must grow in the experiential knowledge of Christ, Who humbled Himself for us, that we might be conformed to His image.

Happy 4th of July!

Fruit Of The Spirit: Faith

Faith in Christianity is based in the work and teaching of Jesus Christ. In this way Christianity declares not to be distinguished by its faith, but by the object of its faith. Faith is an act of trust or reliance on God. Rather than being passive, faith leads to an active life of obedience to the one being trusted. It sees the mystery of God and his grace and seeks to know and become obedient to God. Faith is not static but causes one to learn more of God and grow, it has its origin in God. In Christianity faith causes change as it seeks a greater understanding of God. Faith is not fideism or simple obedience to a set of rules or statements. Before the Christian has faith, one must understand in whom and in what one has faith. Without understanding, there cannot be true faith. Understanding is built on the foundation of the community of believers: the understanding of the scriptures and traditions of the community of believers and on personal experiences of the believer. In the New Testament, the word faith is derived from the Greek word pistis or from the root word peitho, meaning to trust, to have confidence, faithfulness, to be reliable, to assure.

By faith we are saved and thus begins the “Fruit of the Spirit within us Faith.”  We need to make the effort and take the  responsibility to move forward in our faith.  We should strive to develop and nurture that faith as we study the Word of God, the Bible.  Just a Jesus knocks at the door of our lives we have to open that door to allow Him to come in, we had to make the effort.  The same is true about spiritual growth, we have to make the effort to grow into a deeper relationship with the Lord.  We have the initial faith that allowed us to be saved, now it’s our responsibility to develop that faith throughout our lives.

Fruit Of The Spirit: Gentleness & Goodness

The next  in the list of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23) is meekness or gentleness. What is the quality of meekness or gentleness? Certainly in the biblical sense it is not weakness, nor is it self-debasing or a belittling of oneself.

Jesus showed true gentleness both in the midst of conflict and in the midst of popularity. His healings and miracles often brought the crowds to a high pitch of enthusiasm. But He refused to let them make Him the kind of king they wanted. He reminded them of the passage in Isaiah 42:1–4, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”

Jesus knew who He was, but He was gentle and humble — quite a contrast to the lying teachers who today exalt themselves by noisy demonstrations and who too often begin to think of themselves as above the requirements of holiness and justice.

Jesus’ awareness of His power enabled Him to be gentle to those in need. The broken reed He would not crush but would fully restore. The flickering wick of a lamp He would not put out but would cause it to burn brightly again. His gentleness works. It brings forth righteousness, and it will bring forth justice in the earth, He gently takes the sinner and makes him whole.

May we cultivate that fruit of the Spirit which gives all the glory to God and shows a gentleness that is powerful and demonstrates the high, holy, faithful love of God!

The fruit of the Spirit is goodness. What do you think of when you hear the word goodness, or the phrases a good sermon or a good job? It refers to something that meets a certain standard, someone’s expectations. It fulfills the goal of the job. The sermon does what sermons are suppose to do — change lives. The meaning of goodness often depends on the context. A good book is different for different people and purposes. A good book for scholarly research is quite different from a good book for bedtime reading; and what is good recreation for one person may not be for the next.

What do you mean when you say you had a good experience? Each person may mean something different, but I believe there is one principle in common — the idea that there was some kind of benefit to us. A good deed benefits someone in some way. It is an act of kindness.

Thus, from our common usage of the idea of goodness I see three aspects that all derive from the first. Goodness, or the idea of being good, means that the thing fulfills its purpose or the expectations for it. In the ultimate context of God’s expectations, goodness includes the second aspect of morality, and that is defined by God. The third aspect is that in most situations the purpose or expectation involves some form of benefit.

These three aspects are just what is found in a study of goodness in the Scriptures. By looking at the usage of this word in the circles of context of the fruit of the Spirit passage beginning Galatians 5:22, we can see these principles expressed. The circles of context from the far to the near are: the Greek culture, the Hebrew background of the Old Testament, the rest of the New Testament, the rest of Paul’s writings, and then Galatians itself.

The Greek word for goodness in Galatians 5:22 is agathosune. Besides being used in this passage, it occurs about a dozen times in the Greek translation of the Old Testament from around 200 BC, called the Septuagint. There are no references to it in existing secular Greek literature from ancient times. Should we make anything out of this? The biblical writers simply added the Greek equivalent of the “ness” ending to the word good. But the idea of goodness was not new to the culture. We may not use the word teachableness, but that does not mean we do not have the concept in our culture. However, secular Greek writers did not know the depths of God’s definition of moral goodness.

The fruit of the Spirit must continually be cultivated. We do not produce them once for all time. We need to sow to the Spirit continually so goodness will be expressed in our lives instead of the old selfish qualities. If I meditate on envy, jealousy, lusts, worries, or fears I am going to reap from them some very selfish evil fruit in my behavior and relationships. I may explode all over someone and cause great harm rather than good. But when I sow to the Spirit by meditating on God’s qualities through the Word, I will bear good fruit of kind, generous, beneficial acts toward others. I will help others experience God’s forgiving, restoring love in Christ through faith. I will also live a morally pure life according to God’s holiness. Bearing goodness means God can depend on me to be honest, repent of my sins, and turn away from evil. We need to continually seek to express this goodness in our responses and actions toward others.

In conclusion, think of your favorite apple. What do you expect it to be like when you bite into it? What are the qualities of a good apple? Now, think about what you are like when someone bites into you. Do they receive goodness from you? Remember, only God in you is good.