COMPELLED BY LOVE TO ENCOURAGE WITH LOVE

Several years ago, I prayed and asked God that He would allow me to be able to minister to His Ministers.  I do pray that I have not disappointed him in the opportunities that He has afforded me.  Our God is a God who will sometimes send an immediate answer to your petition.  In a recent prayer and Intercession, in need of encouragement, I asked God for a Word, within a week I received the following WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT from an incarcerated Brother!  This Word of Life so lifted me, encouraged and strengthened me that I was compelled to post it here that you too might be encouraged to press on toward the Mark!  

“I don’t really know the purpose of this letter, all I know is I’m compelled to write to you.  For to me ministers are the representatives of Jesus.  For it is the results of your obedience to God that people like me become curious about the Power and Love of the God you serve.  And then you open your mouth and the Spirit of the Lord began to speak the things that only the Spirit could know.  And it is in those spoken seeds that we later see life in its abundance.  The Spirit itself testifies of the Fruit as many of us take of the New Life, the Life of Christ.  And so it is in this newness that the Spirit goes before us to keep us from falling, interceding on our behalf and guiding us that we may walk in the trueness of God. When you speak, be it pen and paper or in person the commandment to love is all over it. And this is the Message of the BIBLE.  LOVE.  Man does not have Agape – God’s One-Sided Love and we can never understand it or appreciate it without the Holy Spirit.  We falter in Self-Will.  You know the old saying, “will-Power”.  If we could muster up everyone’s will-power we still couldn’t beat satan.  We need God’s Power, the person of the Holy Spirit. Not my will (self-will), but God’s will be done in me.  We must not block the Spirit (grieve it) but get out of the way, and let God fight our battles.  Let God love us the way He wants to love us.  It’s time to accept the inheritance.  It’s time to be Disciples and make Disciples; it’s time to be Ambassadors of the Holy and Righteous Kingdom. Preachers must be more that a name or title, Deacons and Deaconesses, Ushers, Choir Members, and Congregations must know that Christ is not coming for a title.  He’s coming for those without spot or wrinkle, those that have been washed in the Blood of Christ and pressed out by the Holy Spirit. I asked the Lord: “Lord, how will I know that you are present with me?” and, I was lead to Galatians 5:22-26”.  He said, “These things identify my presence for this is my character, says the Lord."              

GOD BLESS YOU…It gives me great pleasure to write to you!   YOUR FRIEND & BROTHER, JERALD POSEY

Galatians 5:22-26:  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

When rightly applied everything we do will take on purposeful meaning.  Our inward being will be filled with the characteristics of the spiritual fruit of love, joy and peace.  Our relationship with others will be characterized by Patience, kindness and goodness.  These inward and outward characteristics are the result of God’s Holy Spirit at work in us.  We can experience a spiritual transformation that will take us from rags to abundant riches spiritually!

One’s life should be more than a flurry of activity.  We were created to produce spiritual fruit. We expect fruit from fruit trees; therefore, in the Christian God expects that we will produce spiritual fruit.  So, the next time you face criticism return it with a response of “Kindness” which is from a Believer who has the Fruit of the Spirit manifested in their life.  Or, the next time you are wronged, instead of rage, respond with patience and experience a sense of joy in your life, even during the time you are wronged.  How about the next time you face uncertainty, substitute the agitation with a sense of peace and let nothing take your life out of order! Call on the Powerful name of Jesus and let He who is within you Stand up tall, square your shoulders and remember (Visualize) HIM and your sins that were crucified on the CROSS.            

Writer/Editor: Anita (Rita) Johnson / July 23, 2010