June 29, 2014 | Fruit of the Holy Spirit | Kindness

Dear all, welcome to THE NATHAN REPORT!

What a beautiful day that God has made.

We started off with "Praise and Worship", here is the playlist:

1) Forever - Chris Tomlin

2) For all you've done - Hillsong United

3) Here I am to worship - Tim Hughes

4) Alabaster Jar - Gateway Worship 

It was a wonderful session!

We started with the quote, "LET EVERY THING THAT HAS BREATH, PRAISE GOD!" We have power in Praying. At times it is very easy to give out, but really difficult to pray at times. We do not need a paying church, but a praying church.  

We generally have three services on Sunday. During today's morning service, we had a pleasure to listen to sister Mabel's testimony.  Her leg was broken which caused swelling and to operate, her knee cap was removed and she was hardly able to sit, walking was next to impossible. She encouraged us to be very active in praying. Whenever pastor asks to raise hands to pray, do that, it is good, no harm in it. She wanted to shout and dance with joy, but body was not in a position. So we as church, need to be encouraged and worship God with all our heart and mind.

Followings are the list of announcements:

- If anyone has prayer request, can send on our church website.

- Young Adult's meeting will be held at our Church office this Saturday at 6:30 PM.

As we move further, we have a "Child Dedication" ceremony. Brother Amar and sister Tanuja have been blessed by a baby, who they named "Caleb". Entire Church was involved in blessing Caleb and his parents. We have a photo below:

Alright, as you know, this month's theme was "Fruit of the Holy Spirit", and today we will be discussing about "Kindness".

According to various dictionaries, we have following meanings for "Kindness":

- The quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic."

- Tendency to be kind and forgiving.

- The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

Is it what the word of God teaches? Well, we will learn more about this in today's word. 

Galatians 5:22-23 says, "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

According to Koine Greek, the word used for kindness in the verses above is pronounced as "Chrēstotēs", which literally means "Grace in Action".

God is kind!

How do you know God’s kindness?

Kindness is an act of doing something which demonstrates love to other person. Loving a person seems to be very difficult. But, God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 – he went to the cross without guarantee of a positive response from the people he loved – this is ultimate kindness.

If we notice the events in the Garden of Eden, while Adam & Eve committed first sin, God could have finished them off the face of this earth and recreated a new man and woman. He didn't, because God is kind and he gave both another chance. We have few references:

Genesis 3:21, "And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them."

Genesis 4:15, "Then the LORD said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him."

Isaiah 54:8, "In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer."

Romans 5:8, "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

HOW CAN WE SHOW KINDNESS?

1) By loving people genuinely.

If we ever notice, sometimes we tell our friends, "I love you". At times friends laughs and we celebrate with them a good time laughing and sharing happiness. Whereas, while we tell someone, "I hate you", see the expression. We genuinely hate that person. The idea is, it is easy to hate someone, but very tough to love genuinely. 

There was a story of a missionary who goes to Canada, where his father is murdered by a tribe, for preaching gospel.  After some weeks, missionary manages to meet the tribesman who killed his father and tells him, "Since you killed my father, now you have to be my father. Take my house and take all my ice clothes." The tribesman responded by saying, "I killed your father and felt nothing while I murdered him, but now after meeting you I feel you killed me in reality."

Well, this is easily a perfect example of Kindness and genuine love. Jesus died for our sins, that is a genuine example of love. God wants us to be kind with each other. We can always change situations, for that we need to be kind.

We have few references:

Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Luke 6:35-36, "35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."

Proverbs 5:22-25, "22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. 23 He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray."

Matthew 5:46-47, "46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" 

2) By learning to value other's view points.

Are you a good listener? At times, the speaker at the Church says, "God be with you", most of us respond by replying, "God be with you also". Imagine at times while someone poses a different question and we respond by a different answer, which can create a major change in the expected output. 

Here are further exhortations to Christian duties; to like-mindedness and lowly-mindedness, according to the example of the Lord Jesus. Kindness is the law of Christ's kingdom, the lesson of his school, the livery of his family. Several motives to brotherly love are mentioned. If you expect or experience the benefit of God's compassions to yourselves, be compassionate one to another. It is the joy of ministers to see people like-minded. Christ came to humble us, let there not be among us a spirit of pride. We must be severe upon our own faults, and quick in observing our own defects, but ready to make favorable allowances for others. We must kindly care for others, but not be busy-bodies in other men's matters. Neither inward nor outward peace can be enjoyed, without lowliness of mind. By learning to value other's view points, we can achieve a mutual respect and love for each others. 

Philippians 2:2-4 says, "2 Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." 

3) We can really be kind by seeing something positive in other person.

God has made everyone with a purpose. Sometimes we concentrate on negative things and that causes strife.

Illustration: Two members of worship team. Lets us name them Adam and John. John plays Piano and Adam Plays Guitars. Now while practicing, John noticed that Adam is playing out of Rhythm, which angers John. He does not says anything to Adam, but keeps up to himself. On the other hand, Adam respects John. So one day, Adam meets John and say, "John, I know I play bad and most of the time out from rhythm, so accept my humble apology. I hope one day I can play better, as I know I have this opportunity to play with a wonderful musician such as you." Well, when John hears this, his anger goes off and he feels bad about his opinion for Adam, whereas Adam shows perfect example of how we should talk it out and maintain love for each others. 

Based on this illustration, John was not aware what was in Adam's heart. If it would have been something bad, John would have not wasted more time and could have added more fuel to this fire. 

We have few references:

Philippians 4:8, "I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God."

Philippians 4:18, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

We have another illustration from the story of Zacchaeus. The original story occurs in the gospel of Luke 19:1-10. 

"1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” 

Here is we notice in verse 5, Jesus didn't mocked Zacchaeus, in fact He asks him to come down and that if Zacchaeus can arrange a stay in his house. Those who sincerely desire a sight of Christ, like Zaccheus, will break through opposition, and take pains to see him. Christ invited himself to Zaccheus' house. Wherever Christ comes he opens the heart, and inclines it to receive him. He that has a mind to know Christ, shall be known of him. Those whom Christ calls, must humble themselves, and come down. We may well receive him joyfully, who brings all good with him. Zaccheus gave proofs publicly that he was become a true convert. He does not look to be justified by his works, as the Pharisee; but by his good works he will, through the grace of God, show the sincerity of his faith and repentance. Zaccheus is declared to be a happy man, now he is turned from sin to God. Now that he is saved from his sins, from the guilt of them, from the power of them, all the benefits of salvation are his. Christ is come to his house, and where Christ comes he brings salvation with him. He came into this lost world to seek and to save it. His design was to save, when there was no salvation in any other. He seeks those that sought him not, and asked not for him. So, it is very important for us to really be kind like Jesus was, who managed to changed Zacchaeus' heart with love. Jesus showed act of kindness to the one who was rejected by all. He saw something positive in that person.

In conclusion, there are three more things we have to keep in our mind:

- Show kindness, you will see great outcome.

- Kindness is often taken for granted. 

- Kindness can be exploited.  

We need to help cultivate Kindness. To do this, we need meditate on God’s Kindness – choose to respond in kindness. And do acts of kindness – even when it will not be re-payed. 

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you one person with whom you can make a difference by sharing the kindness of Jesus. He will guide you in sharing His kindness, compassion, and love in practical ways that can turn people around for eternity. He will open your eyes to see a need, to care for that need, and to set that person on a new path in life.

We come to the closing with a powerful prayer. We encourage you all to pray with us...

Dear Lord, 

Thank You for the great kindness you have shown me. Throughout the generations, Your loving kindness remains. Thank You that as I abide in You, I have Your footsteps of grace to follow. May Your kindness guide my heart and mind. Please help me to be kind and considerate. My hope is to be a living expression of Your kindness. Please fill me with the Fruit of the Spirit; my actions be full of peace, love, and mercy. Help me to look beyond my own needs and stand beside those who are without. Please use me as Your vessel to minister to those who are hurting. Help me to always reflect You throughout all situations. May the light You placed within me, burn brightly for You. May I walk beside You with a humble heart. My heart’s desire is to be like You; for my conversation to be full of light, flourishing with love, kindness, and wisdom. Please draw my attention to those in need of kindness in their lives. 

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!  

We hope you all enjoyed this service. Please share with your friends and families. And yes, please share and subscribe for upcoming reports, God bless!

June 22, 2014 | Fruits of the Holy Spirit | Peace and Patience

Dear all, welcome to THE NATHAN REPORT!

Sorry for the delay for this report, since I had been busy this entire week at my office work, ensuring my best efforts for future reports be posted on time. I will try my best!

Alright, as usual, we started off with weekly praise and worship. Here is the playlist of this week:

1) All things are possible - Hillsong United.

2) One way - Hillsong United.

3) Draw me nearer - Traditional Hymn.

4) Healer - Hillsong United.

5) Our God - Chris Tomlin & Matt redman.

It was a beautiful session glorifying Lord.

We have announcements and offerings. Here is the list of announcements:

- "Acts of the Holy Spirit" by Paul Thangiah is available with the church team. Please ask for a copy.

- Women's Fellowship 28th June 2014 4:30 PM

- Worship Team Training 28 June 2014 2:00 PM 

As you all know, this months theme is "Fruits of the Holy Spirit". Last week we talked about two fruits of the Holy Spirit, "Love" & "Joy". We will discuss about, "Peace" and "Patience", in detail today. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the result of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the life of a Christian. The Bible makes it clear that everyone receives the Holy Spirit the moment he or she believes in Jesus Christ. One of the primary purposes of the Holy Spirit coming into a Christian's life is to change that life. It is the Holy Spirit's job to conform us to the image of Christ, making us more like Him.

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” For a better understanding, we will divide these nine fruits in three groups. 

1- Love, Joy, Peace.

2- Patience, Kindness and Goodness.

3- Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control.

Peace

Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

We have  a hymn lyrics of "When Peace Like A River". Here are the words...

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, 

when sorrows like sea billows roll; 

whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, 

It is well, it is well with my soul. 

It is well with my soul, 

it is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, 

let this blest assurance control, 

that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, 

and hath shed his own blood for my soul. 

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! 

My sin, not in part but the whole, 

is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, 

praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! 

And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, 

the clouds be rolled back as a scroll; 

the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, 

even so, it is well with my soul. 

This hymn was written by Horatio Spafford (1828-1888), who was a wealthy Chicago lawyer with a thriving legal practice, a beautiful home, a wife, four daughters and a son. He was also a devout Christian and faithful student of the Scriptures. His circle of friends included Dwight L. Moody, Ira Sankey and various other well-known Christians of the day.

At the very height of his financial and professional success, Horatio and his wife Anna suffered the tragic loss of their young son. Shortly thereafter on October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed almost every real estate investment that Spafford had.

In 1873, Spafford scheduled a boat trip to Europe in order to give his wife and daughters a much needed vacation and time to recover from the tragedy. He also went to join Moody and Sankey on an evangelistic campaign in England. Spafford sent his wife and daughters ahead of him while he remained in Chicago to take care of some unexpected last minute business. Several days later he received notice that his family's ship had encountered a collision. All four of his daughters drowned; only his wife had survived.

With a heavy heart, Spafford boarded a boat that would take him to his grieving Anna in England. It was on this trip that he penned those now famous words, When sorrow like sea billows roll; it is well, it is well with my soul.. 

Philip Bliss (1838-1876), composer of many songs including Hold the Fort, Let the Lower Lights be Burning, and Jesus Loves Even Me, was so impressed with Spafford's life and the words of his hymn that he composed a beautiful piece of music to accompany the lyrics. The song was published by Bliss and Sankey, in 1876.

For more than a century, the tragic story of one man has given hope to countless thousands who have lifted their voices to sing, It Is Well With My Soul. 

Peace in Greek is pronounced as "Eirēnē" and in Hebrew as "Shalom", but how would you define peace?

1) "That brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading." 

2) "The absence of conflict."

3) "Peace is knowing that we may get to the point where we can do nothing else, but that our all-powerful God has no such limits." (adapted from John MacArthur).

PEACE COMES FROM GOD!

We have few cross references:

- Isaiah 26:3, "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."

- Isaiah 54:13, "All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace."

- Isaiah 32:17, "The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever."

- Isaiah 57:21, "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

- Isaiah 66:12, "

For this is what the Lord says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees."

- John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

- Acts 16:16-34, "16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. 19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household."

- Nehemiah 8:10, "Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

- Philippians 4:2, "I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord."

- Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

The second definition of PEACE actually comes closer to getting it right. We know that Jesus description of peace didn’t mean merely the absence of interpersonal conflict, because conflict is a part of life. In fact, in Matthew 10:34 Jesus said that He didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword." The third definition is adapted from the definition that Dr. John MacArthur gave. "Peace is knowing that we may get to the point where we can do nothing else, but that our all-powerful God has no such limits." I like the perspective of Helen Keller when she said, "I do not want the peace which passes understanding, I want the understanding which brings peace.". The reality is that the peace which passes understanding comes from understanding the truth about God. 

Peace is a major theme in the Bible. It appears more than 80 times and it occurs at least 1 time in every one of the 39 books in the New Testament. 

We need the peace which comes from God because at some point in our lives we all struggle to maintain the peace we need. 

• For some it will be the death of a loved one– a child, parent, or spouse.

• For others it will be a heart attack, cancer, or another life threatening disease.

• Still others face divorce, financial ruin, or the loss of a significant dream.

• Sometimes the tragedies aren’t even personal.

• Tragedy comes into every life. The details vary, but the experience does not. 

That brings us to the difficult question of whether it’s even possible to have peace in the world we live in. Many people would say that it is not. It’s only as we examine the perspective of God’s word that we come to understand how that peace is not only possible, but should be normal in the life of the person who has the Spirit inside.

Many people don’t understand how trusting God can bring a sense of peace into our lives. You can focus on the bad things, or you can focus on the bright things, but I’m in charge either way and your final destination isn’t determined by what you see or feel along the way... " When we can understand that the Lord is in control in our lives, then we can experience a peace that is simply not possible without Him. However, when we understand this fact, it brings a peace into our hearts that affects everything else we do. 

True peace will never be possible until we realize that God is in control. 

In conclusion:

1. The Holy Spirit working in our lives means that we can experience peace on a level that defies human understanding. It means we can experience God’s peace in our church. It means we can experience God’s peace in our homes. It means we can experience God’s peace in our work place. Ultimately, it means that we can experience God’s peace in our hearts. It doesn't mean that any of these places is going to be perfect, because they’re not going to be. But it means in spite of the fact that those places aren't perfect, we can have peace there because true peace doesn't ultimately come from us, it comes from God. 

2. If God has established peace by reconciling us both to God and to one another in Christ, then we must do all we can to live out this life of peace. Paul summarized the challenge (Romans 12:14-21) of what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount when he wrotee, "14 Bless those who persecute you bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 

19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 "But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." 

3. To put it in a nutshell, we must do what we can whenever we can to get along with everyone we can for the glory of God. We are to make sure we’re doingwhat we can and at that point, we are fulfilling God’s requirement.

4. This is one of the reasons why Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount said, "Blessed are the peace makers." Christians are called to be peacemakers because we have been offered true peace within our hearts. It doesn’t mean we will always see eye to eye. It doesn’t mean that everyone is going to be easy to get along with, but it does mean that if we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us as He wants to, we can experience true peace. It’s not enough to have peace in our hearts, we must do our part to bring peace to our world.

5. Perhaps some of us here today don’t have this peace that we’ve been talking about this morning. You can. It’s based upon knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior & Lord. It comes from having your sins forgiven, & having His Holy Spirit living inside you. As we come to the time of invitation, let me ask a basic question, would you like to experience this peace I’ve been talking about this morning? You can if you ask Jesus into your heart.

So what exactly gives peace?

a) God's word.

b) Remembering what God has done in the past.

c) Prayer and petition can bring peace. (Phil 4:6-7)

d) Living by HIS priorities.
e) Confidence in God's authority will bring peace.

f) Peace of mind is something God has promised to us.

Patience

Galatians 5:22 say. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness." 

According to Koine Greek, the word used for patience is "makrothymia", which literally means "slow to anger". But what exactly is patience?

1. "Patience is self-restraint which does not hastily retaliate against a wrong." That’s pretty good. When someone does you a wrong, how do you respond - with patience or anger?

2. "Patience is the ability to accept delay or disappointment graciously." How do you deal with delay or disappointment? For some that’s really tough. Yet, patience is the ability to accept it without becoming upset.

3. "Patience is the powerful attribute that enables a man or woman to remain steadfast under strain - & continue pressing on."

Maybe that is where some of you are. You’re dealing with difficult circumstances. You’re a raising a child, or you’re caring for aging parents, or maybe you have a loved one who is ill & you’ve spent long hours at the hospital or nursing home. You’re weary, but patience is the quality that says, "This too, will pass. It’s almost over. I can keep on keeping on." 

4. "Patience is a calm endurance based on the certain knowledge that God is in control." 

Proverbs 29:22 says, "An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins."

In the light of this verse, take an example. Sometimes we are driving and it is likely possible someone is continuously honking horn at you or maybe someone just overtakes you with a risk of damaging your vehicle or might be losses otherwise. So we end up speaking heated words in our mouth sitting inside the car, even though that person has already left who was troubling us. 

We have few more references:

- Proverbs 15:18, "A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel."

- Proverbs 14:29, "Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly."

- Proverbs 14:17, "A quick-tempered person does foolish things, and the one who devises evil schemes is hated."

- Proverbs 11:29, "Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise."

1 Corinthians 13:4, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."

Patience is a virtue. And again & again the Bible teaches us that we need to develop this virtue in our lives. In the 26th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew we see Jesus coming to the Garden of Gethsemane. 

Leaving the rest of the disciples by the gate, He takes Peter, James, & John with Him into the inner recesses of the garden, & says to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here & keep watch with me" [Matthew 26:38].

Then Jesus went on a little farther by Himself & prayed. Luke 22:44 says, "And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly; & His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground."


Then when Jesus came back, He found Peter & James & John sound asleep. Now how would you react to that? Here Jesus was experiencing the most terrible night of His life upon this earth, & they fall asleep, not once, but 3 times. And yet Jesus treats them with love & patience & kindness.

Have you ever stopped & wondered why God hasn’t intervened? Why doesn’t God send a lightning bolt? Why doesn’t God knock terrorists off the face of the earth? Why doesn’t He intervene when injustice seems to run rampant?

For one reason, God is patient & He wants everybody to be saved. Every day that He waits is just one more day for people to repent & come to Him.

If you have not come to Jesus, one of the reasons He may be holding back His judgment is because you haven’t come, & you’re His child. And more than anything, He wants you to come to Him, too.

The door of salvation is open because the Lord is patient. The door to Jesus is open because the Lord is patient. Right now, the opportunity for us to be saved from our sins is still available, because the Lord is patient.

In conclusion...


Lack of patience can destroy relationships. (please refer to proverbs references above). Patience does not comes naturally to us. It comes with the help of God. If we have problems with anyone, what should you do?

a) Examine your own heart.
b) Go to the person.
c) Talk to the person.

We have few more references:

- Ephesians 4:2-6, "2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

- Ephesians 4:15-16, "15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

- Ephesians 4:1-2, "1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

- Galatians 5:16, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

The Bible says that there are some things that we just can’t handle on our own and that we’ll never be able to handle them without the Lord’s help. Only God can help with his Spirit. When the storm comes and it will, remember the promise of JOYFUL FAITHFULNESS that it produces, and it will produce Joy that is the JOY OF THE Lord that is the strength to stand.

1) You must have patience with people.
2) You must have patience with yourself.
3) You must have patience with God's plan.

And how is it possible? 

Like john 14:14 says, "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." 

We move to the closing prayer followed by meet and greet.

For all our readers, we encourage you all to pray with us...

 Heavenly Father,

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Your Word teaches me wisdom and fills me with newness of life.

As I come to you today, I bring my needs to you. Help me to lay down all my problems at your feet. Help me to lay down all my tangled thoughts and restless emotions.

Lord, I am seeking your peace and your patience. I want to learn to wait patiently for you to bring your answers to my prayers. I want to cooperate with your plans for me. Thank you for assuring me that your plans for me are good.

As I wait on you, I will continue to turn to your Word for comfort and direction. Your Word is solid and reliable.

Your Word steadies me. Your Word brings me truth.  Your Word gives me strength. Your Word chases away my worry and my fears. Your Word refreshes me.

Thank you for your Word.

Amen!

We hope you enjoyed this service. We encourage you to share the same with your friends and families as well. God Bless!

June 15, 2014 | Fruit of the Holy Spirit | Love and Joy

Good Evening!

Welcome to Nathan's report. Today is a special day, "FATHER'S DAY". Before I go further, here is a beautiful poem dedicated for fathers, written by an anonymous poet:

"My hero is the quiet type,

No marching bands, no media hype,

But through my eyes it's plain to see,

A hero, God has sent to me.

With gentle strength and quiet pride,

All self-concern is set aside,

To reach out to his fellow man,

And be there with a helping hand.

Heroes are a rarity,

A blessing to humanity.

With all they give and all they do,

I'll bet the thing you never knew,

My hero has always been you."

Fatherhood is the greatest delight of a man’s life, but it is also his biggest challenge. As those who have been privileged enough to have a father we can all too easily criticize our fathers. One reason is that just as sometimes people find it hard to relate to God because they found it hard to relate to their father, we Fathers have a pretty hard act to follow in being compared to our Father God! We can never be the perfect father that God is for all of us.  But we can father our kids, and we can be a spiritual father to others. Like Ephesians 6:1-4 say, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

Alright, we started off with a powerful praise and worship. Here is the playlist:

1) Father in heaven - Bob Fitts

2) Jesus loves even me - Traditional Hymn

3) Here is love - Traditional Hymn

4) Let us adore - Hillsong United

It was a wonderful session which ended with a powerful prayer. We move ahead for offerings and announcements. Followings are the announcements:

-  Men's fellowship and breakfast is on 19th at 6:30 AM.

- Young adults meeting is on 21st at 4:30 PM at Church office.

- Children's Church starts at 9:45 AM every Sunday.

- Youth meet at 8 AM on Sunday.

- "One Way Jesus", Christian concert is on 29th June, Sunday, starting at 6:30 PM. For passes, please contact.

As you all know, we have a monthly theme at our Church. This month's theme is "Holy Spirit" and today we will be talking about "Fruit of the Holy Spirit".

The fruit of the Spirit is what God desires our lives to exhibit and, with the Holy Spirit's help, it is possible. As we get to know the person, presence and power of the Holy Spirit there will be a natural by-product: Fruit. What does that mean? Simply this: As you develop your relationship with God, through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, there will be a marked change in your attitude toward everything. The Holy Spirit’s power is more than just to enable us to do the supernatural. He empowers us for the journey from doing what pleases the flesh to what pleases God. This is not an easy journey but it is also not a lonely journey. We have been given the Holy Spirit and we have been given the church to help us develop into the person God intends.

Like the word of God says, we are the "Salt". Salt influences curry, curry doesn't influences salt.  When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will be able to influence others. Pray a prayer of surrender. Because we have a free-will, we can resist the working of the Holy Spirit in us. But why would we want too? We need to come down on our knees and simply pray, “Lord, I surrender all of me to you and your will! Produce in me the character of Jesus Christ!” John 7:37-38 says, "On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Be a salt, not the curry. Pray and seek Lord's help!

We have few cross references:

Acts 2:4, "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."

Acts 4:31, "And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."

Ephesians 5:18, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit."

Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is an introduction to the realm of the Holy Spirit. We must continue to “walk by the Spirit”, and so, “not fulfill the lusts of the flesh”. It is possible to begin in the Spirit and then later “fall from grace”. This happens if we turn back to the law and ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit. Therefore we must not become proud and self-satisfied with the idea that we have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, but we must continually humble ourselves, deny the flesh and be led by the Spirit day by day.

A good example is the china berry tree, which is deciduous, which means that it loses its leaves seasonally. When fully grown, it is typically around 33 feet (ten meters) high. When the tree flowers, it has small, sweet-smelling lilac or purple blossoms. These eventually result in an abundance of yellow, berry-like fruits called drupes, which are an important source of food for many species of fruit-eating birds. The flowers, on the other hand, are typically unpalatable for many animals, including bees and butterflies. It is a highly invasive tree which has a tendency to spread rapidly, and is extremely difficult to uproot once it is established. However, the faster it grows, the lifespan is shortened and it eventually dries.

Chinaberry Tree

Let us not be like the China Berry tree. The Holy Spirit wants us to meditate on the Word  and on good things. Let us not grieve Him. Let us be obedient to Him. Let us talk to Him and CONTINUE in a wonderful relationship with Him. Then the purposes of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit will be achieved in our lives. It would be good to re-read this lesson and meditate more on what the Holy Spirit wants to do in us.

We have few more references:

Matthew 7:16-20, "16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."

Galatians 5:22-25, "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."

Nothing so much prevents men from entering the strait gate, and becoming true followers of Christ, as the carnal, soothing, flattering doctrines of those who oppose the truth. They may be known by the drift and effects of their doctrines. Some part of their temper and conduct is contrary to the mind of Christ. Those opinions come not from God that lead to sin. 

If it be our care to act under the guidance and power of the blessed Spirit, though we may not be freed from the stirrings and oppositions of the corrupt nature which remains in us, it shall not have dominion over us. Believers are engaged in a conflict, in which they earnestly desire that grace may obtain full and speedy victory. And those who desire thus to give themselves up to be led by the Holy Spirit, are not under the law as a covenant of works, nor exposed to its awful curse. Their hatred of sin, and desires after holiness, show that they have a part in the salvation of the gospel. The works of the flesh are many and manifest. And these sins will shut men out of heaven. Yet what numbers, calling themselves Christians, live in these, and say they hope for heaven! The fruits of the Spirit, or of the renewed nature, which we are to do, are named. And as the apostle had chiefly named works of the flesh, not only hurtful to men themselves, but tending to make them so to one another, so here he chiefly notices the fruits of the Spirit, which tend to make Christians agreeable one to another, as well as to make them happy. The fruits of the Spirit plainly show, that such are led by the Spirit. By describing the works of the flesh and fruits of the Spirit, we are told what to avoid and oppose, and what we are to cherish and cultivate; and this is the sincere care and endeavor of all real Christians. Sin does not now reign in their mortal bodies, so that they obey it, Romans 6:12, for they seek to destroy it. Christ never will own those who yield themselves up to be the servants of sin. And it is not enough that we cease to do evil, but we must learn to do well. Our conversation will always be answerable to the principle which guides and governs us, Romans 8:5. We must set ourselves in earnest to mortify the deeds of the body, and to walk in newness of life. Not being desirous of vain-glory, or unduly wishing for the esteem and applause of men, not provoking or envying one another, but seeking to bring forth more abundantly those good fruits, which are, through Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God.

While talking about the fruit of Holy Spirit, we will talk about Love and Joy. Bible says, "God is Love". Because God loved us, He gave us His only Son. 

Few references:

1 John 4:7-12, "7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."

1 Corinthians 13:1-13, "1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Footnotes:

1 Corinthians 13:3, Some manuscripts deliver up my body [to death] that I may boast.

1 Corinthians 13:5, Greek irritable and does not count up wrongdoing.

The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love. He that does not love the image of God in his people, has no saving knowledge of God. For it is God's nature to be kind, and to give happiness. The law of God is love; and all would have been perfectly happy, had all obeyed it. The provision of the gospel, for the forgiveness of sin, and the salvation of sinners, consistently with God's glory and justice, shows that God is love. Mystery and darkness rest upon many things yet. God has so shown himself to be love, that we cannot come short of eternal happiness, unless through unbelief and impenitence, although strict justice would condemn us to hopeless misery, because we break our Creator's laws. None of our words or thoughts can do justice to the free, astonishing love of a holy God towards sinners, who could not profit or harm him, whom he might justly crush in a moment, and whose deserving of his vengeance was shown in the method by which they were saved, though he could by his almighty Word have created other worlds, with more perfect beings, if he had seen fit. Search we the whole universe for love in its most glorious displays? It is to be found in the person and the cross of Christ. Does love exist between God and sinners? Here was the origin, not that we loved God, but that he freely loved us. His love could not be designed to be fruitless upon us, and when its proper end and issue are gained and produced, it may be said to be perfected. So faith is perfected by its works. Thus it will appear that God dwells in us by his new-creating Spirit. A loving Christian is a perfect Christian; set him to any good duty, and he is perfect to it, he is expert at it. Love oils the wheels of his affections, and sets him on that which is helpful to his brethren. A man that goes about a business with ill will, always does it badly. That God dwells in us and we in him, were words too high for mortals to use, had not God put them before us. But how may it be known whether the testimony to this does proceed from the Holy Spirit? Those who are truly persuaded that they are the sons of God, cannot but call him Abba, Father. From love to him, they hate sin, and whatever disagrees with his will, and they have a sound and hearty desire to do his will. Such testimony is the testimony of the Holy Spirit.

In the light of 1 John 4:7, Love is slow to suspect but quick to trust; slow to condemn but quick to justify; slow to offend but quick to defend; slow to expose but quick to shield; slow to reprimand but quick to empathize; slow to belittle but quick to appreciate; slow to demand but quick to give; slow to provoke but quick to help; slow to resent but quick to forgive. Jerry Cook tells about a church where the people make the following pledge to each other: “I’ll never knowingly say or do anything to hurt you. I’ll always, in every circumstance, seek to help and support you. If you’re down and I can lift you, I’ll do that. If you need something and I have it, I’ll share it with you. If I need to, I’ll give it to you. No matter what I find out about you, no matter what happens in the future—either good or bad—my commitment to you will never change. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Many people commit harm to their and other's bodies, and even attempt to take their and own lives. That is because it is not a Spirit of love, but a spirit of hate, which is not from God. Spirit of love binds us together. God is love, who gave us life.

Joy is deeper than Happiness. We rejoice in Lord. World can give you happiness but Joy can only be received with Jesus Christ. 

The persecution of the early Christian church is what led to the spreading of the word of God throughout numerous regions in the book of Acts. John Calvin once said that “the Church doth always over live her enemies.” The Church was not limited to preaching the word in just Jerusalem to the Jewish people, but rather had now become witnesses to all people for the mission of God. It was only through the persecution of the early church that this was realized. Without the persecution of the church and the martyrdom of Stephen, the Gospel might not have been sent out throughout the world. The documentation of the early church in the book of Acts shows that even though many will oppose the word and people of God, they will never succeed in disrupting the sovereign will of God. The persecution and suffering of God’s church is all a demonstration of a masterful plan that is far and above any human will or desire. The wonderful picture in the book of Acts is that through persecution, the joy of the Gospel reigned supreme. The Great Commission that Jesus gave was acted on in the book of Acts and has given believers today the realization that persecution may come, but God’s sovereign will is always going to be accomplished. Let us hold strong to this hope.

During this time, when Stephen was being persecuted by the punishment of stone pelting, which was much tougher than that of hanging, Stephen had Joy in his heart. Acts 7:59 says, While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 

Joy can come by knowing that "We are forgiven".

We encourage you to pray and ask Lord to fill you all with His Holy Spirit and may you all share Love of God and Joy in His Spirit.

We moved to the closing with a powerful prayer followed by a meet and greet session. 

We hope you enjoyed this service. May God bless you all as well as your families, ABUNDANTLY!

God Bless and blessed 'Father's Day' regards to all!