Wordfortheweek Week 32 Character (part 2 of 2)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

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Yeshua Jesus is the prince of peace himself. As the world is raging around us, our soul is at peace within us. Our presence is the balm for those around us. Our character is that of a peacemaker – we are the sons of God, and we are blessed because we are peacemakers (John 14:27). To be at peace, we must cast all our cares on Yeshua Jesus (1 Peter 5:7) and let his peace that surpasses all understanding fill us up (2 Thess. 3:16, Phil 4:7).

 

Patience is having self-control in all circumstances, not rushing to take action but trusting in our God. We become patient with everyone (1 Thess 5:14). Patience helps us to develop strength of character and character strengthens our faith (Romans 5:4)

 

Kindness is being considerate, helpful, generous, and having concern for others. It is also showing mercy to others when it is in your power to do so. Yeshua is kindness personified. It is kindness that makes us forgive and be forgiven by God who is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins (Ephesians 1:7).

 

When we say there is goodness in something, there is beneficial nourishment in that thing. Goodness is something that we experience, is done to us, or for us. We talk about the goodness of Elohim God in terms of the good things He does for us. What good things do you do for others?

 

Goodness and Kindness are like siblings. We show kindness by our actions and we do goodness in an action. The Holy Scriptures say whenever we have the opportunity we should do good to everyone (Galatians 6:1).

 

Faithfulness speaks to our integrity and honesty, our dependability and consistency. We can trust in the Lord because He does as he says and says what he does. We give our word and keep our promises to people. The character of a Christ-changed life is revealed in us.

 

Gentleness: Gentle people are usually thought of as ‘timid’, some would even call them fools because they do not get upset or angry easily. What a wonderful character trait. Without gentleness, it is difficult to find rest for your soul. Jesus said in Matthew 11:29 that he is humble and gentle at heart. Humility and gentleness go together. We understand gentleness where there is a conflict. If you answer gently, it deflects anger but harshly it fuels the temper (Proverbs 15:1).

 

Self-control: Gentleness helps self-control. Without self-control, we take hasty and rash decisions. We get angry and say some things that destroy rather than builds. I have learned to use the pause principles, never react to annoying things immediately. Lack of self-control has led to wars and the loss of millions of souls.

 

All these character traits cannot be separated or divided. That is why it is a FRUIT and not fruits. With love in our hearts, we have joy and peace; we become more patient, gentle, self-controlled; we are kind and good and faithful to others.

 

All these character items are my prayer points because they are God-character. I desire that people experience this in my relationship with them. Because that is how I reflect Yeshua to them not just because I say I am a Christian. These are the character traits of a child of Elohim God and citizen of His Kingdom.

 

How about you friends? Are you seeking these in your life – perfect love, joy unspeakable, the peace that passes all understanding, patience to endure all things, kindness to humankind, the goodness of the Lord and from you to fellow human beings, faithfulness in all things, gentleness like a river and self-control.

 

The gift of the Holy Spirit is available to you today. If you will believe in your heart that Yeshua Christ Jesus is the Son of Jehovah and accept him as your Lord and Saviour. This is simple to do;

 

Acknowledge you have sinned and come short of the glory of God,

Repent of your sins and be determined to turn away from them,

Confess and declare Jesus as the Son of God and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,

Accept him as your Lord and Saviour,

Declare openly your faith and become a new creature in Christ, old things have passed away,

Follow Jesus in all areas of your life.

 

And start that wonderful journey with Him immediately. I encourage you to search for a bible teaching fellowship near you to support your spiritual growth.

 

PrayerfortheWeek

Almighty Father, thank you for the gift of my life. Thank you for the gift of my salvation. May the fruit of Your Spirit dwell in me and be reflected in my character forever.  In the Mighty name of Yeshua. Amen.

 

If you accept Jesus or turned back to him through listening to this programe, please get in touch. I am so excited! You give me hope and joy and are my proud reward and crown when I stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns. Yes, you are our pride and joy. (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 NLT) Inbox me, email me, just get in touch. I want to join you in prayers every day. My email is info@adeolaakintoye.com

Wordfortheweek Week 31 Character (part 1 of 2)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

copyright aakintoye

When people say someone is of good character, we know that person is a good person.

But what makes a good or bad character? Who defines what character is - the societal cultures and norms? 

 

The world debates what is "good" because it is subjective with many variables like culture, beliefs, laws, own sense of 'good'. That is why defining ‘good’ is difficult. What is good to one person might be bad to another. Good is linked with morals as well. One can debate what is moral and come to different conclusions.

 

As believers, what is good character? How is this reflected in what we do and who we are?

 

As a believer and follower of Yeshua Christ Jesus, the Holy Scripture is our life manual. It does not matter the debate, what matters is the word of Elohim God, and it is in His words that every debate is settled. The character that the Holy Spirit produces in our life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law or debate about these. They are the ingredients of a ‘good’, ‘moral’ character.

 

Character is defined in the Oxford dictionary as ‘the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual”. The qualities that make a person. Merriam Webster also defines it as the way someone thinks, feels, and behaves.

 

Character is seen from your behavior, whether this is your attitude to things, what and how you do things. What you think is usually reflected outwards in your attitude and actions.

 

The Holy Scriptures tell us about the fruit of the Spirit. In the most inspiring sermons ever, the sermon on the mount, Yeshua taught about the character with the analogy of the tree and its fruit. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way, they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions (Matthew 7: 16,20 NLT)).

 

Fruit is evidence of the type of tree it comes from. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is evidence of the in-ward work of Christ in us. When we are transformed by our faith in Yeshua and walking in faith, we start changing from the inward and reflect these changes through our character. The evidence of the Spirit of Jehovah in us is our character – the fruit of the Spirit. We need to emphasise that more if we are to make disciples of nations.

 

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is not developed by mere human abilities. That is why the world can never have an agreement on what is good morals. Because these are human perspectives. Elohim God’s perspective is the fruit of the Spirit.

 

Love is perfect love. It originates from the Father, as God is love. When you have Christ in you, this perfect love is possible. Joy is more than happiness. Happiness is fleeting and dependent on external things. But Joy comes from within. The Holy Scriptures say that in the presence of the Lord there is fullness of joy (Psalms 16:11). Joy unspeakable radiates from within you to all those around you because of this amazing hope of glory. It is Elohim that will fill your heart with joy and peace (Romans 15:13). This kind of joy money can not buy. This kind of joy ignites those around us.

 

To be continued...

 

PrayerfortheWeek

Almighty Father, thank you for the gift of my life. Thank you for the gift of my salvation. May the fruit of Your Spirit dwell in me and be reflected in my character forever.  In the Mighty name of Yeshua. Amen.

 

If you accept Jesus or turned back to him through listening to this programe, please get in touch. I am so excited! You give me hope and joy and are my proud reward and crown when I stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns. Yes, you are our pride and joy. (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 NLT) Inbox me, email me, just get in touch. I want to join you in prayers every day. My email is info@adeolaakintoye.com

Wordfortheweek Week 30 Authenticity

But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” Genesis 39:8-9 NLT

 

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Authentic is a buzzword in leadership. It means genuine or original not a copy. It means being exactly what it is claimed to be. Cambridge dictionary says If something is authentic, it is real, true, or what people say it is. According to Merriam- Webster it is being true to one's personality, spirit, or character.

 

Years ago, when I was doing a coaching course, my coaching framework was based on balancing the being side with the doing side. Who I am should be reflected in what I do. Who you are is what you do and what you do is who you are. That is my definition of authenticity.

 

Of all the faiths in the world, Christianity is unique. When we claim to be a Christian, is what we do practically, every day a reflection of our faith? How are we in our work/business places, in our relationship with people, with our family, with ourselves?

 

I love the story of Joseph. When I reflected on all the men and women of God in the Bible, except for Jesus, someone that was always authentic - whose inside was reflected outside, was Joseph. 

 

Genesis chapters 37, 39 - 50 tells the story of Joseph. After he was sold as a slave, Joseph served in the house of Potiphar. What we first read was that “The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.” Genesis 39:2 NLT

 

Why was the Lord with Joseph? What did he do? His actions as a young man gave us some insights into who he was inside.

 

He was an obedient son:  He was ready to take a dangerous journey alone to do what his father asked. “Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem. When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I will send you to them.” “I’m ready to go,” Joseph replied.” Genesis 37:12-13 NLT

 

He was an honest person to a fault. He tells it as it was; 9 Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!” 10 This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” Genesis‬ ‭37:9 ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬.

 

Joseph was an excellent worker. Everything ran smoothly, his master did not need to worry about a thing. His response to the seduction by Potiphar’s wife was to flee because of his fear of God. He gave honour to God for his gift - interpretation of dreams and administrative skill. “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.” Genesis 41:16 NLT.

 

Irrespective of the situation, circumstances, temptation, he would not compromise his love and fear of God. God blessed him, he had favour amid challenges. God blessed the work of his hand. God blessed his masters because of him.

 

If we say we belong to Christ and we bear his name, are we truthful to what we believe, and honest in our dealings and relationship? We all struggle in these areas, nevertheless, Jehovah is so loving, patient, just, and faithful. He is ever ready to forgive a repentant heart. 

 

Jehovah’s relationship with Joseph is also available to us through His Son Yeshua Christ Jesus. If you would accept him as your Lord and personal saviour.

 

Joseph enjoyed an amazing blessing. He might have gone through hardship for 13 years of his life, but he had an extraordinary 97 years - “So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph lived to the age of 110” Genesis 50:22 NLT.

 

Will you turn back to the Lord and accept Him today? Why not take that step into grace today. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Acknowledge you have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Repent of your sins and be determined to turn away from them.

Confess and declare Jesus as the Son of God and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.

Accept him as your Lord and Saviour.

Declare openly your faith and become a new creature in Christ, old things have passed away.

Follow Jesus in all areas of your life

 

And start that wonderful journey with Him immediately. I encourage you to search for a bible teaching fellowship near you to support your spiritual growth.

 

PrayerfortheWeek

Almighty Father, thank you for the gift of my life. Thank you for the gift of my salvation. I will live an authentic life. Old things have passed away and all things are new in Christ. May I be a fruitful ambassador of Christ always.  I pray in the name of Yeshua Jesus. Amen.

 

If you accept Jesus or turned back to him please get in touch. I am so excited! You give me hope and joy and are my proud reward and crown when I stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns. Yes, you are our pride and joy. (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 NLT)

Inbox me, email me, just get in touch. I want to join you in prayers every day

My email is info@adeolaakintoye.com

 

I pray that this inspires you to reflect on your relationship with Elohim and be determined to be more and do more for Him each day. 

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