Be Fruitful

 

DELIGHT IN THE LORD

Psalm 1:1-3

[1] Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.

[2] But his delight is in The Law of The LORD, and on His Law he meditates day and night.

[3] He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

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    To delight in The Law of The Lord is to take great joy in that which we both read and hear, especially when we read it aloud. And while some cannot hear with the ear, they will hear with the heart. Though the Word cannot leave the mouth, with the heart salvation is believed, and The Word remains in the reader/the hearer/the listener/the believer.

Jeremiah 15:16

Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became my joy and my heart’s delight. For I bear Your name, O LORD God of Hosts.

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BE FRUITFUL

A life lived in Christ yields a spiritual fruitfulness that nothing in this world compares to. The result of Delighting in The Lord is shown by the actions of the heart as one Fruit:

Galatians 5:22-23

[22] But the fruit of The Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

[23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

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    Righteous living is a Christ-centered lifestyle. Everything we do revolves around our commitment to being faithful witnesses of The Testimony that is within us. We may come off to some people as 'better than' or 'holier-than-thou' types, but we are merely men and women, boys and girls, who have chosen to believe that The Word of God is TRUE. And that this Word is God's Only Begotten Son Who was sent by God to deliver mankind of the punishment of our sins. [John 3:16-18].

    And when The Light that is in us shines into the darkness of the hearts around us, the dark hearts either rebel against The Light of God's Love and taunt us, or they believe The Light is God's Love and receive the same Light into their hearts.

    Right living is having The Divine Word of God be the compass for our interactions with each other, whether the people with whom we interact are believers like us, or unbelievers who refuse to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. This Word tempers our words with the Love of God.

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    In a world where hatemongering is plentiful, we choose to Love one another the way Christ has loved us. We love unconditionally. The color of our skin does not impede God's love within us. Neither gender nor culture will keep us from sharing God's Love with each other. We love because God is Love and God's Love lives in us.

    When we are born again into the family of God through our belief on The Name of Jesus Christ, we are receive His Spirit, as well. {Acts 2:38 "Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in The Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of The Holy Spirit.}.

    For where One goes, The Other One must go. {The baptism of The Holy Spirit is separate, it is to be immersed in The Spirit and empowered to share the gospel in another language without the benefit of special schooling to learn it [Acts 2:1-12}].

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    We are justified in Christ and sanctified in The Spirit upon repentance and belief.

    2 Thessalonians 2:13

"But we should and are [morally] obligated [as debtors] always to give thanks to God for you, believers beloved by The Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through the sanctifying work of The Spirit [that sets you apart for God’s purpose] and by your faith in The Truth [of God’s Word that leads you to spiritual maturity]." {AMP Bible}

    What a wonderful God we worship! He not only gives us His Son Jesus Christ to save us, but He gives us His powerful Holy Spirit to sanctify us! Peter [1 Peter 1:2] tells us that we are "sanctified by The Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ". Paul tells the church in Corinth [1 Corinthians 6:11], "washed, sanctified, justified in The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ and by The Spirit of our God"!

    So let us now, or continue to, Delight in The Word and Be Fruitful in Him.

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WASHED IN THE BLOOD - Antrim Mennonite Choir

LIVING FOR JESUS - a capella

Pardoned & Sanctified

 

Psalm 32:1

A psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Maschil: an instructive, didactic poem (didactic: intended to teach moral instruction)

Transgression: breach of trust, rebellion

Forgiven: to lift, carry, take away

Sin: *from the ATS Bible Dictionary* Any thought, word, desire, action, or omission of action, contrary to the law of God, or defective when compared with it.  Contrary to the nature, worship, love, and service to God. Ungodliness, iniquity/unrighteousness. In Genesis it is referred to as "the flesh". 

Covered: to cover over as to not be seen again, to clothe

    When we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, our sins are forgiven, for the blood of God's perfect Lamb, which was shed on the cross, covers our sinful nature--through the power of God's Holy Spirit--and clothes our souls with the righteous nature of Christ Jesus. 

    Romans 13:14 But put on The Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. 

    Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 

    Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead to the glory of The Father, we, too, may walk in newness of life. 

    Which brings us to being sanctified. In his letter to the believers' church in Rome, Paul was giving his references, his qualifications, for being the one who would bring the gospel message to the Gentiles--the non-Jews--ethnicities unrelated to the Hebrew culture.

Romans 15:16 ..to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by The Holy Spirit. 

Sanctified: made holy, consecrated, set apart, dedicated, hallowed, to separate

    It is the work of The Holy Spirit in us to make us holy. It is our job to listen to Him and obey The Voice of God when He speaks to us. And God does speak to us. In His written Word and in the nudgings of His Spirit within us. In prophetic tongues through His people God reveals Himself. The Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us in God's Word on a daily basis, when we read what the prophets and the apostles have written thousands of years past. We just need to believe that God's Word is True and Faithful. 

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS - Alan Jackson 

WORD OF GOD SPEAK - MercyMe