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Inspirational article from Joanne Lowe

Index of Writings by Joanne Lowe on Gospel Web

ARE THEY ALL THERE?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Galatians 5: 22, 23 King James Version

Many mothers have told me when their children were born that the first thing they did was count their toes and fingers to be sure they were all there. We, as Christians, should do a daily count of our hearts to be sure that all the fruits of the Spirit are in operation. If you will notice the first fruit is love. Unless we have the love of Jesus in our hearts we will never be able to serve Him or tell others about Him. There is someone who is searching our hearts daily to see if all of these fruits are active and His name is Jesus.

If you want to have a joy and peace that you have never known, give everything that you have to Jesus. It all belongs to Him anyway. Start telling everyone you see how much Jesus loves them. You don’t have to know everything in the Bible before you start spreading the love of Jesus. I don’t know all the historical events of the Bible but I know the Christ of the Bible. I know that He love us with an everlasting, amazing unconditional love.

When I was a teenager and still living at home, I knew this lady. She had been to Bible School, had taught in Christian schools, she sang in the choir at church, taught Sunday school, and played the piano and organ. She also had a weekly Bible Study in her home. She knew the Bible and taught the Bible but she was very hateful to her husband. She was always criticizing him and putting him down in front of their family and friends.

This lady knew the written Word but she didn’t have the living Word, Jesus, in her heart. She had a head knowledge of Him and talked about Him but she had never made a heart commitment to Him. Jesus gave us joy and peace when He came into our hearts to be our personal Saviour but if we say harsh and criticizing words to our loved ones, we will not have peace. The Bible says “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18) It’s no wonder that her husband wouldn’t go to church with her. He saw her living the exact opposite of what she was teaching.

When Jesus looks in your heart, what does He see? Does He see the fruits of the Spirit or does He see the fruits of satan? Are you allowing Jesus to cleanse your heart daily, and sometimes hourly, of the resentment, bitterness, anger and criticism in your heart?

Joanne Lowe
February 18, 2007

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