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Theme: Day 10 (Completes
our Theme)
When we read the qualifications of church officers in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1, we see that temperance (not being given to wine) is one requirement, but it is linked with all the other fruit of the spirit. We also see as we ready further that church officers are not the only ones who should show temperance and the other fruit of the Spirit. All Christians, as God's "dear children," should "walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us" (Ephesians 5:1, 2). All of us should let the Lord and the Holy Spirit, who indwells us, so control our lives that it becomes increasingly natural for us to live out His life. You can be as fruitful as you desire to be. Don't cheat yourself out of the Lord's abundant blessings. Reach out and take what He so freely offers you. The reason so many Christians lack a fruitful character is because they don't want it enough to meet the Lord's demands--simply depend on the Holy Spirit's enabling, be faithful in Bible study, prayer and meet regularly with other Christians in God's house. No magic formula will ever make you a fruit-bearing Christian. Rather, it is faithfulness and obedience to the Lord Jesus. Let's pray that the Lord will help us all to have the "want-to" in our hearts so that we won't be branches that bear "nothing but leaves; or if we do bear fruit, produce merely skimpy fruit or even moderately fruitful branches , but instead be branches that bear MUCH FRUIT that will bring honor and glory to HIM!
This concludes
the theme: Click next to return to retreat schedule This
theme is taken from a very old SP
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