Today, I pray that each of you woke up feeling refreshed. Although I can’t say the same for myself, I will keep it short and sweet today to prioritize filling my own cup. The Lord has been impressing upon me the importance of compassion and gentleness, while also reminding me not to have pity on the wicked and to resist the spirit of Jezebel within His church. We are called to be gracious, but it is important to discern and not be deceived by those who may appear sweet on the outside but bear bad fruit within. True goodness can only come from a good tree, reflecting the fruit of Christ.
Scripture references are always helpful.
Isaiah 40:11 – “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he GENTLY leads those that have young.
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.
Matthew 7:17-18 – Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a BAD tree CANNOT bear GOOD fruit.
In addition, Jesus commands us to be gentle and kind to one another, a practice that applies to any situation. —no matter the societal status of a person. That said, being peaceful does not mean being a doormat or avoiding challenges; it means approaching people and situations with patience, understanding, and grace. God’s Grace!
It is the way of Christ’s agape love and the way to demonstrate our obedience (at all costs) in following Jesus Christ.
My gosh, I love Him!
In a world that often values cockiness, sarcasm, abrasiveness, and anger as “cool,” we, as followers of Christ (not like the knock-offs), must remember that this approach lacks tact. It’s not aligned with Christ’s way. And where there is always room for improvement, I pray that whoever reads this message receives it in love. What better time than now to want to please Jesus?
That said, I always place myself on the possible chopping block with my testimony but to me, honest and transparent testimony gives people hope and brings glory to Jesus Christ. Looking back on my past life I was the polar opposite of who I am today, which is matured in Jesus Christ.
As a kid, I was a street fighter due to the difficult circumstances of being beaten at home and having to raise myself later on. To protect myself, I created a false identity that the enemy manipulated me into believing was a good thing – being tough and hard. It did offer some protection in certain situations, but it also contributed to creating many of those situations if only I had known better. At that time, I identified as a Catholic and was religious, but I lacked self-respect and self control. I hadn’t yet come to understand that sanctification cannot be achieved through religion alone; it is only acquired through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
I share these things because I am unrecognizable to my own family now, all because of Jesus. It has taken years of hard work and commitment to allow Jesus Christ to lead my life. —the Holy Spirit did the rest but I dove head first because God asked me and I was tired of standing up for people who would pour water on me if I was on fire. Not much has changed but today it’s ok. I am free, whole and Spiritually, mentally and physically free.
John 8:36, confirms, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Nonetheless, we cannot simply pray away a bad character; we must surrender our hearts to Jesus and obey Him even when it hurts or doesn’t make sense. By the grace of God, Jesus receives all the glory. In today’s world, being a smart Alec may make people feel superior, but it reveals that something is missing inside them.
They are often empty. This emptiness can be observed even within the church, especially in churches where people may not have fully surrendered their hearts to God. Jesus desires for His Ekklesia to fully surrender to Him. He seeks that no one should perish or be a loudmouth bully. The truth sometimes hurts momentarily but benefits us in huge ways later on if we listen and obey. Jesus desires us to walk in the spirit of His fruit and with gentleness. We are to be bold but kind, loving and compassionate, yet not pushovers or naive.
The number one rule given to us is to love others as we love ourselves. However, knowing that our hearts can deceive us, the Lord provides a way through the Holy Spirit. Therefore we must actively follow His word in order to practice gentleness and kindness towards one another.
God’s goodness takes time to spread, just as evil spreads. But it is important to be kind even when others may perceive it as a weakness. Personally, I can assure you that I am a straightforward person who will stand up to anyone. —I don’t care who they are or where they are from.
If they are lying or acting wickedly, I have a way to approach the Lord without needing to scream and yell or make people feel bad about themselves. This is something that the Lord has taught me, and I (WE) must put it into practice day and night in our personal lives and within our homes with our families. It takes practice like anything else. Yes, it can be tough at times. There are moments when I want to confront people for their mean-spiritedness or lies, but I have to remember to repent and seek forgiveness, and allow God to redeem.
As followers of Christ, we all must be bold without being brash, and kind without being sappy. Like Jesus, we treat people with fairness, friendliness, and firmness. —Gentleness is about being considerate; it does not imply cowardice or weak willed. No, sir!
Scripture:
2 Timothy 2:24–25 reminds us that as the Lord’s servants, we should not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone. We should be able to teach, patiently endure evil, and correct our opponents with gentleness.
To be a public speaker we face a particularly challenging test when it comes to demonstrating gentleness in the face of hatred, but again, hard work pays off. Thank God for the years spent in the wilderness that’s how we learn valuable lessons and godly characters are made. We would not otherwise never be able to acquire Christ’s fruit and discover it on our own.
Jesus is our teacher, healer, helper, protector, and faithful friend, he is the one to whom we look up too, and listen. Well, I try to make it short and sweet. It’s difficult to say so much in such a small space. I hope this message blesses you and your families.
Much love,
Sister Christine
C. Beach ©️