Topic: Fruit of the Spirit II [Open Heavens Wednesday 24th January 2018]
Memorise: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. – John 14:27
Read: Acts 27:20-36 (KJV)
20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.
27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;
28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.
30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.
33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.
Bible in One Year: Exodus 1-3, Revelation 22
MESSAGE
Yesterday we established that the
manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in the life of a person is a result of cultivating a relationship with the Holy Spirit, a process which the Bible refers to as walking in the Spirit. We also started taking a closer look at individual character traits that emanate from such a relationship. Together, these character traits form the totality of the character of the Holy Spirit. Today, we will consider the dimensions of this character that enables the Holy Spirit reach out to us as the Comforter: Joy, Peace and Longsuffering.
Joy is a nature of gladness in the spirit that is not impacted by external circumstances. How does a person manifest joy in the midst of sorrow and calamity? A person who walks in the Spirit is able to manifest joy because he or she is privy to heaven’s information and is therefore able to see the bigger picture of what God is doing in every situation. Due to his or her relationship with the Holy Spirit, such a person receives secret information from heaven on the true state of things (John 16:13). This was why Paul, even as a prisoner about to be shipwrecked, was able to eat, drink and give thanks in the middle of a storm! The Holy Spirit had already revealed to him what was going to happen, and so he was full of good cheer, unmoved by the external circumstances around him. I pray that from today, you will be filled with joy in the Holy Ghost in Jesus’ Name. similar to joy, peace is a nature of calmness that reflects a freedom from strife within. To understand peace, just watch a little child sleep. The Lord Jesus Christ manifested this when He was able to sleep in the midst of a raging storm. When He was awoken by the disciples, He was able to extend the nature of peace within Him to the stormy environment around Him (Mark 4:37-39). This is what He expects of us also (John 14:27). You can only manifest the peace of God when you are at peace with the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. you cannot be at peace with the Holy Spirit if you are involved in anything that is contrary to His nature. If you confess that you are saved, yet you are not at peace, examine your ways and motives; there might be some things contrary to the nature of the Holy Spirit hiding somewhere. Longsuffering is a nature built on the hope of a greater glory that lies ahead after enduring sufferings. How does a man hold on to his faith in the midst of adversity? When the Holy Spirit reveals to you the glory that is reserved for you after overcoming hardship, you will manifest a longsuffering nature. This nature continually propelled Paul in the face of adversities (Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 11:23-27). How we need the Spirit in these perilous times!
Prayer Point: Father, let the nature of Your Spirit in joy, peace and longsuffering find expression in my life in Jesus’ Name.
Hymn 2: I Need Thee Every Hour
1. I Need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
Chorus:
I need Thee, Oh, I need Thee,
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh bless me now, my Saviour;
I come to Thee.
2. I need Thee every hour;
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their pow’r
When Thou art nigh.
3. I need Thee every hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.
4. I need Thee every hour;
Teach me Thy will,
And Thy rich promises
In me fulfil.
5. I need Thee every hour,
Most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son.
Open Heavens 24th January 2018, Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.
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