Lucifer the Fallen Angel

Lucifer the Fallen Angel

Ezekiel 28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: camelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. (NIV)

            In the beginning, everything was magnificently good that God made. He took great care to see that each part of His creation was in absolute perfection. The angels were a part of this creation for they were made prior to the world coming into being. But there was one angel who was set apart from the other angels. He was made with a uniqueness of beauty that far surpassed the rest. God even made precious stones to adorn him on the day that he was made. The Bible doesn’t say as to why this angel seemed to be made to outshine the rest, but he is the only one mentioned in the Bible who was described in this manner.

            This angel was not only beautiful, but he was given wisdom. Ezekiel 28:12 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “You were the seal of perfection full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” (NIV) He was a remarkable heavenly being whom God anointed to be a guardian angel also known as a cherub. The Bible gives reference to him being able to make music and therefore, this added to his extraordinary gifts. Isaiah 14:11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you. (NIV) He was an angel that exhibited light for his name was called Lucifer, son of the dawn and he walked along the sparkling gems in Heaven.

            Yet, something went wrong. Lucifer became discontent with his position in Heaven. He looked at his beauty and became infatuated with himself. He allowed pride to enter his heart and thought that he could be just like his Creator. Ezekiel 28:17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. (NIV) His God-given wisdom had become tainted with thoughts of arrogance, self-centeredness, and envy. He wanted God’s position; something that was out of his reach. Nevertheless he thought that he could attain it and was going to put up a fight to try.

            Can you imagine thinking that you could be equal to your Creator? No one in their right mind would, but Lucifer did not use logic. Instead, he allowed his newly embraced conceited ways to give him bad judgement. Isaiah 14:13-14 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. (NIV) Everything with Lucifer at that point was about himself. He did not take into consideration that this had to be heartbreaking to his Creator – the One who loved and adored him. Unfortunately, a battle was about to begin in Heaven. It was nothing like the angels had ever encountered before, but first, Lucifer had to recruit some followers, so that he could overthrow the Kingdom of God. 

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Who is Satan? Intro to Week-long Series

   Who is Satan? INTRO

2 Corinthians 11:3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (NIV)

          Jan had grown up in a home where both of her parents worked as American Christian missionaries in Haiti. As a child growing up, she had seen her parents work hard with the natives taking care of their physical needs as well as teaching, preaching, and winning souls for Christ. Her life was different from other American children who had grown accustom to modern-day conveniences, which were not offered in Haiti. However, she knew that one day, she would get to return to the place of her birth where she planned to experience another way of life.

            Upon turning 18 years old, Jan decided to go back to the United States in order to pursue her college education. Even though her parents were going to miss her, they gave her their blessing and prayed for her protection. As a parting gift, her father gave her an old precious Bible that was passed down throughout his family for generations, so that she would remember to always keep God first. Jan finally, said goodbye to her parents, boarded the plane, and continued to her destination, which was a high-ranking college in New York.

            It didn’t take Jan long to realize that life in the states was far different from what she was accustomed to in Haiti. There were young people on the campus from all walks of life and most of them were not Christians. The few that were, Jan considered to be boring and were often teased by the other college students as being Bible thumpers. Therefore, she did not choose to associate with them. The invitations to parties, clubs, concerts, and all kinds of entertainment for the college students to enjoy was too enticing for her to pass up even though she knew that she should. In addition to that, there were a number of her dormmates who dated different guys and lived an ungodly life in which she knew was wrong. Nevertheless, Jan ignored the still small voice that pricked at her to remain true to God.

            She became entangled by the excitement of her new surroundings. She replaced church attendance with clubs, Bible readings for porn, abstinence for sexual immorality, righteous living for ungodly entertainment and before long, she did not even recognize the person that she saw looking back at her in the mirror. She had forgone the things of God for the things of the devil until one day, she looked at the shelf that had the dusty old Bible that her father had given her. She opened the pages and realized that she had left God and allowed worldly temptation to enter her heart and mind. She asked herself, “ How did I allow this to happen?” But then it hit her…she listened to the voice of Satan.

            In this next lesson series, you will learn about Satan, how he went from being an angel in Heaven to the prince of darkness and what he and his demons seek to do on earth. At the end of this lesson, you will have a better understanding as to how he operates and be able to thoroughly answer the question: “Who is Satan?”

JOIN US TOMORROW FOR MORE ON "WHO is SATAN?"

             

Abortion is Murder...a vote for Hillary is a VOTE FOR DEATH!

          
          God is NOT pleased with the abortions taking place in this nation. It breaks His heart every time a baby is killed by way of abortion. God had given a vision to a prophetess (I have not asked permission to use her name so I will leave that blank) in where she saw Jesus. In the vision, she saw that He was crying tears of babies. Jesus is displeased with our nation taking the lives of innocent babies. God allowed me to put to paper what she had seen. I pray that you will take this to heart when you vote as well as share it with others that this is what God feels every time a baby is killed through abortion rather one day or nine months old. ALL LIVES MATTER EVEN IN THE WOMB!

The Deliverers of Justice and Judgement

The Deliverers of Justice and Judgement

Revelation 8:5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. (NIV)

            God is the Lord of Righteousness and Justice. He cannot stand for the sight of evil to be in His presence nor does He tolerate it. Many have tried to get away with it and although God is longsuffering, His patience will eventually come to an end when it comes to dealing with the evils of mankind. Habakkuk 1:13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? (NIV) The prophet, Habakkuk, lived during a time when evil seemed to thrive and he did not understand why God was allowing it to continue. Yet, God assured him that the evil had not gone unnoticed and the justice that was going to be rendered had never been seen before. Habakkuk 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. (NIV) God was not going to let evil continue and eventually justice was served to the Children of Israel who continued with their wicked ways.

            The Lord has used angels to administer justice on His behalf to the wicked in throughout Bible history. One example of this was when the Israelites had been enslaved by the Egyptians for 400 years. Joseph’s brothers and father, Jacob, had moved to Egypt when he was the governor during a time when there was a drought throughout the land that God had forewarned Pharaoh about in two dreams. Unfortunately for the Children of Israel, the Pharaohs that came to reign during their years of enslavement did not remember this part of Egypt’s history and therefore, felt the need to enslave what they considered as a possible threat to their existence.

The Children of were greatly oppressed and cried out to God for help. Exodus 3:9-10 “And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So not, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.: (NIV) God heard their cries and sent them Moses as their deliver, but prior to being able to leave, the Lord sent the death angel all throughout the land of Egypt to slay the firstborn of the Egyptians as well as the animals who did not have blood on their doorposts. Exodus 12:23 When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. (NIV) The death angel (destroyer) was sent to administer justice on behalf of God, so that the Children of Israel could finally go free.

            During the days of the apostles, the early church was going through tremendous persecution. King Herod, who ruled over the Jews at that time, had already put to death the apostle, James, and sought to do the same with Peter with whom he had arrested. To ensure that Peter could not escape, Herod had a total of 16 soldiers on guard and Peter slept that night between two of them, while bound with two sets of chains. This, however, was unable to hold Peter as an angel of the Lord led him out to safety. But once Herod heard the news of his escape, he had the soldiers executed after questioning them and went to another city to discuss the citizen’s concerns.

            The people did not have food of their own and relied upon Herod to provide them with food. He gave a public address to them, but as he did so, they began to praise him as a god. Herod’s heart became full of pride as they rendered his praises during his speech. This offended God and the Lord sent an angel to strike him down. Acts 12:23 Immediately because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. (NIV) Herod received justice for his evil ways and the angel carried it out in accordance to the will of God.

            In the book of Revelation, we read where God uses angels in the last days to pour out His wrath on mankind. Revelation 16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “T, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” (NIV) During this time, God will begin to administer judgments upon the wicked through His angels – similar to the plagues that were sent to Egypt. Because God is holy and true, evil cannot reign forever without being punished; therefore, angels are sometimes sent by God to be the delivers of justice and judgment. 

The Guardians

The Guardians

Psalm 91:11-12 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. (NIV)

            After the fall of Adam and Eve, they were no longer able to stay in the garden that they once called home. They had fallen into temptation by listening to the serpent’s lies and were therefore, ordered to leave the Garden of Eden with the knowledge that they would never be able to set foot in it again. Sin was not allowed to exist in God’s holy garden and they could no longer be allowed to eat from the Tree of Life. To ensure that they could never return to the garden, God placed angels called Cherubim to guard the entrance to the garden. Genesis 3:23-24 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (NIV)

            As seen with the story of the Garden of Eden, one of the roles of angels is to serve as guardians. After the Children of Israel had been delivered from enslavement from the Egyptians, God promised that they would enter into a land flowing with milk and honey. But first, there were enemies of Israel that the Lord would have to deal with. Therefore, God promised to send an angel to be their guardian, but they had to be faithful in obeying him for he would be God’s mouthpiece and would not tolerate insolence. Exodus 23:20-21  “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him.” (NIV) God promised to help them be victorious over their enemies as long as they did not worship the heathen gods of other nations and follow their evil ways. God did not want the other nations to even live amongst them in order to keep them from falling into idolatry. He ensured the Children of Israel that an angel would go ahead of them and lead them into enemy territories but He would destroy them with a mighty blow. Exodus 23:23 My angel will goa ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. (NIV) The angel was therefore their guide and guardian to prepare the way.

            The prophet, Elijah, having had 450 Baal priests killed after a showdown between himself and them to show the people the true God, fled to the desert, due to the wicked Queen Jezebel’s threats of having him killed in retaliation for the priests’ execution. After his journey, he was tired, hungry, and discouraged, but an angel from God came to give him food. 1 Kings 19:5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” (NIV) The angel had provided some hot bread and water for Elijah to have. After he ate, he fell asleep again and the angel awakened him so that he could eat again to gain strength for the remainder of his journey. 1 Kings 19:7-8 The angel of the lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. (NIV) The angel was Elijah’s guardian and was assigned to take care of Elijah’s earthly needs. We too have guardian angels assigned to us and keeps a watch over us. Matthew 18:10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in Heaven.” (NIV)

            During a part of Israel’s history, they had been taken captive by the Babylonians due to their rebellion. The king, Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed the city and the temple after taking the artifacts inside. Despite having been in captivity, there were a remnant who had been faithful to God and were blessed during this time. The prophet, Daniel and his friends were amongst few of them. Eventually, Babylon had been overthrown and King Darius of the Medes took control. Daniel had favor with this king as he had with King Nebuchadnezzar. Nevertheless, there were those who were jealous of Daniel and therefore, tricked the king into creating a law that landed Daniel into a den with lions. Despite their wicked schemes, God did not allow Daniel to die. He sent a guardian angel to close the lions’ mouths so that they could not hurt Daniel as he spent the night. Daniel 6:19-22 ⁽¹⁹⁾At first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. ⁽²⁰⁾When he came new the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has you God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” ⁽²¹⁾Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! ⁽²²⁾My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.” (NIV) The angel prevented the lions from eating Daniel all through the night and he was rescued from the den. However, his enemies were not so fortunate.  

            The apostles had encounters with angels, who rescued them from jail, after they had been placed there for preaching about Jesus. Acts 5:19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” (NIV) The jail was unable to contain them because the angel was sent by God to release them for others to hear the Good News about the Risen Savior.

            The apostle, Peter, was imprisoned for preaching the gospel, but the saints prayed continuously for his release and the night before he was to go to trial, an angel awakened him during the night and led him safely out of his cell. Acts 12:7-8 Suddenly and angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. (NIV) Peter was not fully awake and thought that he was in a vision. After the angel left, he finally realized that God had sent an angel to lead him safely out of the prison walls.

            Angels are there to always keep watch over God’s chosen people. They provide safety and rescue missions all the time throughout the world. We will never know the many times that God prevented harm to come to us by way of an angel until we get to Heaven. Nevertheless, while we are here on earth, we can be sure that we all have angels assigned to us who keep watch over us day and night. Whereas man’s methods of safety can fail, the power that God has given His guardians is incomparable to any earthly intervention. Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. (NIV)

The Messengers

The Messengers

Luke 2:8-11 ⁽⁸⁾And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁽⁹⁾An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ⁽¹⁰⁾But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ⁽¹¹⁾Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is the Messiah, the Lord. (NIV)

            In 1775, Benjamin Franklin was appointed to be the first Post Master within what would later be named the United States (U.S.) of America (Celebrate Boston, 2016). To this day, people all across the nation receive letters, packages, and other items by the

U.S. Postal Services and well as other carriers from around the world. In today’s society, modern technology has even made it possible to submit electronic mail (Email) or messages without having to leave the comfort of one’s home. These messages can be sent in a matter of minutes whereas traditional mail could take days to arrive.

            Heaven has its own special mail delivery service as well. God is the Post Master and the messengers are His angels. They delivery special messages from God all around the world. They do not have to upload to an internet service or wait for the truck to come by to pick it up. They use their God-given swiftness to deliver news to His children faster than the speed of light. Psalm 104:4 He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. (NIV) All throughout the Bible there are stories telling of messages that angels delivered to God’s people.

            The book of Genesis tells the story of a disagreement between Sarah, Abraham’s wife and Hagar, her handmaiden. For many years, Abraham and Sarah could not have children; therefore, they took matters into their own hands and came to a mutual agreement to have Hagar carry a child for them that could continue Abraham’s bloodline. However, this did not work too well between the two women. Hagar became arrogant when she conceived and Sarah retaliated by mistreating her. Eventually, Hagar ran away from her mistress, but later returned after receiving a message from the Lord that was delivered by an angel. Genesis 16:9-11 ⁽⁹⁾Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” ⁽¹⁰⁾The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” ⁽¹¹⁾The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.” (NIV) The angel delivered the message from the Lord to Hagar and she did as she was told.

            Angels never go on their own accord, but are sent by God to do His bidding. They give directions and even take on human form at times to give a word from the Lord. Genesis 18:2-3 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, “If I have found favor in  your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.” (NIV) Angels are ambassadors of God and therefore, where recognized by those in the Bible to speak on His behalf. They were often referred to as “Lord” because of their direct connection to God, but were never to be worshiped as God as some religions are in error of doing. Revelation 19:9-10 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.” (NIV)

            God’s heavenly messengers are an important part of the believer’s life for they are there as the message center from God to us. The news of Jesus’ birth and resurrection was done by angels for God’s select few know of both monumental occasions. Luke 24:4-7 ⁽⁴⁾While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.⁽⁵⁾In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁽⁶⁾He is not here, he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁽⁷⁾‘ The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” (NIV) The angels delivered the message of Jesus’ resurrection from the grave to the women, who had arrived to put spices on His body, and they delivered the news to the disciples. The angel’s message kept Jesus’ followers from worry, so that they would remember His words that He would die, but rise again on the third day.

Angels are a reliable source of information from God and will never lead His people astray. They do not carry gossip or malicious rumors, but only deliver what God gives them to say. They are God’s unique mouthpieces and whatever they say, we must be obedient and do. They do not always appear in a form that is obvious, so the Bible lets us know to be kind to everyone because you never know if you may encounter one of His messengers. Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. (NIV)

Join us tomorrow as we talk about angels as GUARDIANS.

Angels: The Highest Created Beings

The Highest Created Beings

Psalm 8:4-5 What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. (NIV)

            Who are angels? Not many people can answer that question because their knowledge is limited to that of a painting, adornment, card, or simply put, a flashy reminder of the Christmas season. During the month of December, church choirs, musical artists and others sing a variety of Christmas carols commemorating the story of Jesus’ birth and the angels’ delivery of the good news. Nevertheless, there is a lot more to angels than a seasonal event.

            In the beginning, there was only God. We know that God, being the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, has always existed. He has no beginning nor will He ever cease to exist. Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (NIV) Unlike God, angels did not always exist. Just as man was created by God, angels were also part of God’s creation as well; however, they were created first, but were not made to be equal to God. Hebrews 1:4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. (NIV)

            Angels, although being unequal to God, were made to be above man. They are servants of the Most High and were created to worship and honor Him. Hebrews 1:6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” (NIV) Angels are God’s special creation and He affectionately called them Morning Stars in the Bible for they sang as He created the earth’s foundation. They worshiped God with great joy as He brought His creation into being. Job 38:4-7 ⁽⁴⁾”Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. ⁽⁵⁾Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? ⁽⁶⁾On what were its footing set, or who laid its cornerstone – ⁽⁷⁾while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? (NIV)

            God calls angels His chariots and there are thousands upon thousands of them in the Heavenly realm. Psalm 68:17 The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary. (NIV) Chariots were considered to be swift modes of transportation during Biblical times; similarly, angels are moving about swiftly doing the work of God. Angels are everywhere to help attend to the affairs of mankind as directed by God. Psalm 103:19-21 ⁽¹⁹⁾The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. ⁽²⁰⁾Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. ⁽²¹⁾Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. (NIV)

            God created angels with the ability to sing. Angels are constantly present around the throne of God to worship and sing His praises. Revelation 5:11-12 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (NIV) He is their God and they are His servants who goes about doing the business of the Father. They do not seek to be above Him, but they honor and adore Him as their Creator for God created all things and forever is to be praised. 

JOIN US TOMORROW AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ROLE OF ANGELS.

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Who are Angels? Intro

Who are Angels? Intro

          A couple decided to go on an afternoon drive to enjoy the countryside one Sunday afternoon and to end the day by having a picnic at the local park. The wife packed the food and beverages as the husband pulled the car out of the garage and allowed time for it to warmup. After they ensured that they had everything ready, they proceeded to enter the vehicle, buckled up, and then pulled out the driveway to relish the day.

As the couple traveled, they enjoyed watching the many sights along the way and laughed at the commentator on the radio. The husband, after a long stretch along the country road, eventually came to a 4-way stop sign – saw that no one was coming and then proceeded to go. Suddenly, a truck came out of nowhere, failed to stop, and nearly slammed into the couple’s car without the slightest notion of letting up on the gas. Miraculously, the truck missed the couple’s vehicle by inches. Although visibly shaken, they knew that God had provided protection, intercepted the two vehicles and saved them from the probability of a fatal collision. An angel had arrived at the scene just in the nick of time.

Angels are an important part of people’s daily lives. They are not usually seen in the natural, but they are there nevertheless. They are servants of God whose mission is to perform a number of tasks that God delegates for them. Not all angels are the same and neither are their missions. However, when God gives an angel a specific duty to carry out for mankind, that angel obeys and assists in taking care of God’s earthly business. They are not to be worshiped or praised, but they act in humility to God. In this lesson series, we are going to learn some of the names, titles, and roles of angels in our lives, so that we can be able to adequately answer the question: “Who are Angels?”

JOIN US  TOMORROW AS WE CONTINUE THE 

SERIES, "WHO ARE ANGELS?"

Fruits of the Spirit & Epilogue

Fruits of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (NIV)

            The Apostle Paul let us know that we have unlimited freedom in Christ. We are not bound to the chains of sin that once enslaved us, but we are free to live a righteous life that is exemplifies the character of God. Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh, rather, serve one another humbly in love. (NIV) Living free in Christ does not mean that we can any way that we choose. The true followers of Christ will allow the Holy Spirit to lead and align their lives in accordance to what pleases the Father.

            God has given us a standard of living and that standard includes how we are to treat one another. Jesus gave a new commandment that we are to love each other. John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have love you, so you must love one another. (NIV) By loving one another, we show others the love of God. God’s love is the opposite of world’s standards and is based on His righteousness, purity and goodness.

            God desires for His people to live a life free from the chains of sin. Jesus came and died for our sins so that we would no longer be bound by them. Through His death and resurrection, he allowed us to also be able to die to the flesh and not give in to our sinful nature. Galatians 5:19-21 ^{19}The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ⁽²⁰⁾idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ⁽²¹⁾and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (NIV) These things will keep us from inheriting the Kingdom of God for sin cannot be in the presence of a Holy God.

            God gave us His Spirit that produces the fruit for which He want us to freely partake in. This is why Jesus told us to recognize the fruit, because we are known by our fruits. Matthew 7:16,20 ⁽¹⁶⁾By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ⁽²⁰⁾Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (NIV) So let’s breakdown the fruits that we are to have as believers to ensure that we are bearing the right types of fruit for the world to see.

a.)    Love – 1 John 4:20-21 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (NIV) Love is a fruit that we all must have because we cannot love God and lack love for our brothers and sisters. God is love and therefore, if we truly desire to live for Him, we will allow the Spirit of love to be in our hearts.

b.)    Joy – Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (NIV) There are times in life when we will have difficult situations that may cause us pain such the death of a loved one, illness, loss of a relationship or some other untimely and unwanted occurrence. Yet the Spirit of joy is always there to help us recover and to bring joy to a gloomy heart. 

c.)    Peace – 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. (NIV) Storms are guaranteed to come in the lives of believers, but during the eye of the storm, the Holy Spirit is there to give peace to those who have faith and believe.

d.)    Forbearance (longsuffering/patience) — Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (NIV) God is always patient with His children. We are to also be patient with each other in all aspects of our lives. The Spirit is there to give us the patience that we need so that we can deal with others as God does with us.

e.)    Kindness – Proverbs 11:17 Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves. (NIV) Jesus showed kindness to all who came to Him. Even the woman who was caught in the act of adultery was granted mercy and forgiveness by Him. Therefore, we too are to be kind to others and in so doing, we are showing them the kindness of the Spirit.

f.)     Goodness – Psalm 31:19 How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. (NIV) God is good and the Holy Spirit enables the believer to show goodness to others. When we help someone in need, that is showing the goodness of the Lord. The Spirit enables us to have a heart to do good, which also enables others to see Christ in us.

g.)    Faithfulness – Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who commandments. (NIV) The Lord has always been faithful to his children. His faithfulness has never stopped even when we are unfaithful to Him. The Holy Spirit helps the believer in their desire to honor God in their faithfulness. No one has the desire to be faithful to God on their own accord without the unction of the Spirit of God.

h.)    Gentleness – 2 Corinthians 10:1 By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you – I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away!(NIV) Paul expressed a great boldness in his letters to the church, but when he was met in person, he displayed the fruit of gentleness. The Holy Spirit gives the fruit of gentleness for the believer to use at the appropriate time when ministering, talking and relating to others. There is also a time when one has to be bold and unmoving when standing on the word of God, yet through gentleness, love and patience. is needed when helping someone one on one to understand about the love of God.

i.)     Self-control – Proverbs 25:28 Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. (NIV) Jesus displayed self-control with those who sought to destroy Him. He was never abusive verbally, physically or emotionally even when beaten, slapped, and mocked by others. His only response was for the Father to forgive His abusers. He responded with love and did not react with hate. The Holy Spirit enables the believer to also possess the fruit of self-control. This does not mean that one will never get angry, but even in our anger, the Holy Spirit helps the believer to not sin.

Epilogue

            The Holy Spirit is fully operational in the believer’s life. He is always present to give us the tools that we need to walk in the fullness of God. He is not an inanimate object, but is a real person who exist as part of the Godhead. He lives inside all believers who invite Him in. He loves, guides, teaches, and cares for us. He is our Friend, Companion, and Protector. He is everything that we will ever need for He is God.

            The Holy Spirit is never to be taken lightly or spoken against. God is a forgiving God, but when someone has a total disregard, and lack of respect for the work of the Holy Spirit by speaking curses against Him, that person cannot be forgiven of that sin. Mark 3:28-29 “Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” (NIV) All sins can be pardoned apart from this, which will land the individual into the eternal lake of fire.

            We are never to grieve the Holy Spirit away. How do we do this? This is done by ignoring His guidance and doing things our own way outside of the will of God. Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (NIV) The Holy Spirit is more important than food water and drink. Without Him in our lives, we would not be able to survive as a Christian. We would easily succumb to the enemy’s tricks and schemes. Nevertheless, God did not leave us without a Helper. All we have to do is allow Him to take total control over our lives and only then will we be victorious in the end.  

NEXT WEEK, WE WILL BEGIN THE SERIES ON ANGELS.