FRUIT TEST - 10.19 - missed post

Have you thanked Him?
Have you praised Him?
Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?
Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?
1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)
1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Yesterday while in Lancaster during our coordinator’s review I heard the term “fruit tester” for the first time in a while.

You ever heard that before?
I am sure you have had your “fruit tested” at some time in your life.

Don’t think so?
It is likely it will happen today.
Has anyone or anything tested your patience?
Then your “fruit” has been tested.

Your Spiritual fruit is what I am referring to today. 
You know the Spirit that…
…produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23 NCV)

Day after day adversity and challenges “test” our fruit; it gets put “under the light for inspection” so to speak and we need to continually ask ourselves, “How is my fruit holding up when being tested or when being scrutinized?”

How is my love when someone does something a little “unlovable” to me or in my circumstance?

How is my joy? Am I allowing my mood to be dictated by my surroundings or am I walking in the JOY of the LORD that is my strength?

How is my disposition?
Am I demonstrating self-control when under pressure? What about gentleness? Am I willing to take the take the kinder gentler route in my conflicts or am I the aggressor saying “My way or the highway”?

“Fruit is always the miraculous, the created; it is never the result of willing, but always a growth. The fruit of the Spirit is a gift of God, and only He can produce it. They who bear it know as little about it as the tree knows of its fruit. They know only the power of Him on whom their life depends” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer

You see when our “fruit” passes the test each day, it serves to glorify the VINE!

John 15 (NCV)
(Jesus said):
“I am the true vine; my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that does not produce fruit….
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in me. “I am the vine, and you are the branches. If any remain in me and I remain in them, they produce much fruit. But without me they can do nothing."

And without the VINE our “fruit” won’t pass the test.
But connected to it, IT WILL!
For without the VINE our fruit, regardless how lovely we think it looks, won’t pass inspection!

The truth is today your FRUIT will be tested.
Yet if you are starting your day connected to the VINE and allowing Him to birth and cultivate those fruits of love, gentleness, patience etc. then your fruit will surely pass the test; in fact your harvest will be greater than you could ever imagine!

…In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:5 MSG)

In other words, fruit that will PASS the TEST!

Have a BLESSED day!
I love you all.
FREEDOM CHURCH (CHAMPIONS NETWORK)