Tag: fruit of the Spirit

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A worthless tree

Jon Galloway

“Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ Immediately the tree withered” (Matthew 21:18-19 NIV).

This incident may seem a bit strange and quite harsh to us. It was early morning and Jesus was travelling back to Jerusalem with his disciples. He was hungry – after all, it was breakfast time. They saw a fig tree and went over to it, but there were no figs on it. So Jesus, basically, cursed the tree: “May you never bear fruit again!” Why did Jesus do this? Continue reading “A worthless tree”

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Are you content?

Jon Galloway

“Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either. But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that” (1 Timothy 6:6-8 NET).

Contentment. What most people want and so few actually have. Why aren’t we satisfied with what we have? If we have food and shelter, surely we should be satisfied! We might want to add in loved ones, as well. But do we really need anything beyond these necessities? – after all, we can’t take it with us when we die! Continue reading “Are you content?”

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Living behind a façade

Jon Galloway

Now the next day, as they went out from Bethany, he was hungry. After noticing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit on it. When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. (Mark 11:14 NET)

It was the last week of Jesus being with his disciples and living on the earth – later that week he would be crucified. During this last week Jesus and his disciples were staying in Bethany but traveled each day into Jerusalem. This particular morning as they left they saw a fig tree in the distance with leaves – and they were hungry (normal Jewish breakfast time was in the late morning, so they had not yet had time to eat anything). They approached the tree but there was no figs to be found – after all, it wasn’t even the right season. But Jesus “cursed” this tree: “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”

Have you ever wondered why Jesus reacted this way to this particular tree? After all, it wasn’t even the right season to find figs there. Was it just because he was hungry and found nothing to eat? Or was there more to it? Continue reading “Living behind a façade”

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The Organizer

J. Randal Matheny

The Holy Spirit, wrote H. Leo Boles in his book about the third member of the Godhead, is the “organizer and perfecter” of two realms, the natural and the spiritual.

The Spirit was present in creation. The Bible says about him: “the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water” (Genesis 1.2 NET).

Modern versions published by liberal houses consistently make the Spirit into a “mighty wind.” The Hebrew word ruach can mean “breath, wind, spirit,” but all signs point to the personal Deity in Genesis 1.2. The Holy Spirit was present and active in creation. Continue reading “The Organizer”