The Fruit of the Spirit: Be Kind
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick The fifth fruit of the Spirit is kindness. The dictionary definition of kindness is “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.” What a rich word! In the Greek language (chrestotes), it is defined as excellence or uprightness. Kindness is a fruit that is mostly directed toward another person. Generally speaking, kindness is meant to benefit those who are in our immediate circle and those around the world. Kindness is what drives the bride of Christ to serve and to give our lives away. Kindness is what compels us to a life of sacrifice. Jesus calls his...
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The Fruit of the Spirit: Patience is a Virtue…
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick Patience is a virtue… but it’s also a fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit are an all for one and one for all package deal. Once you abide in Christ and Christ in you, you will bear much fruit (John 15:5). When we are abiding with Jesus, connected to the Spirit, we will operate in patience. The word patience in the Greek is makrothymia. It means long suffering or fortitude. It implies a willingness to be willing to wait in spite of what our eyes can see. In the Amplified Bible, patience is described not as “the ability to wait, but how we act while...
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The Fruit of the Spirit: “Peace I Leave With You”
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick The third fruit of the Spirit is peace. The movie Sister Act 2 has an incredible scene where the nuns perform the song “Ball of Confusion” in a nursing home. Every time I hear this song, I’m reminded that the chaos of humanity has always existed. There has never been a time in history where the devil has not desired to release a ball of confusion all over the world. As the song says, “So, round and around and around we go. Where the world’s headed, nobody knows.” But in the midst of chaos, Jesus entered the chaos of this world and said, “Peace I leave with you;...
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The Fruit of the Spirit: Choose Joy
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick Joy is a choice. As our church’s worship leader says in one of the “I will choose joy!” This one doesn’t always come naturally. Without Jesus, it can feel impossible to walk in joy in the midst of this broken world. Remember, where one fruit is present, all nine are present. They are interdependent. But I do love the order because love and joy walk hand in hand. Joy proves that our affections are rightly aligned with God’s will. Joy flows out of a heart that loves him. When you are so intimate with the Father in heaven and his Son, Jesus, the Spirit gives our...
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The Fruit of the Spirit: First Comes Love
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick When you have an intimate connection with Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit is evident. The overflow of a Spirit-filled life is a Spirit-led life where the fruit of the spirit from Galatians 5:22-23 are found in ample supply. The first fruit of the Spirit is love. Love is the first fruit of Godly attributes and character found in the life of a believer. I find it so significant that love appears first. The Greek word here is agape. It means unconditional acceptance of another person just the way he or she is. No strings attached. The word agape is used to describe...
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The Fruit of the Spirit: An Introduction
A Moment of Hope
by David Chadwick The fruit of the Spirit is one of my favorite things to teach. In fact, every time I think about this topic, I immediately flash back to my daughter Bethany’s 6th birthday party. It was a “fruit of the Spirit” themed party. I dressed up as her favorite character called “Sunny Love Tree” and each child who came to the party was given a different fruit of the spirit. That party was one for the books! Much like I, as a Father, long to see my children walking in the light, Jesus longs to see his followers abiding in him. A life that displays the fruit of the Spirit is a...
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Fasting for Breakthrough: Guard Your Dream
A Moment of Hope
by Marilynn Chadwick We’re wrapping up our series on “Fasting.” I hope you’ve experienced a breakthrough in some area where you've felt stuck. The Bible encourages us to pray and fast when we encounter stubborn resistance. Could it be that some battles are harder than others because the enemy knows the stakes are so high? My epiphany came one day in a parking lot, of all places. I was heading home after a quick run for coffee with my husband. From a distance, we saw what appeared to be an aggressive bird battle under some nearby cedar trees. As we got closer, we saw the target of this...
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Fasting for Breakthrough: Are You Dangerous to the Devil?
A Moment of Hope
by Marilynn Chadwick "Fasting is a little scary," remarked a friend who had decided to fast for the first time. She's right. Whether it's food, a favorite treat, social media or shopping, giving up something we depend upon can leave us feeling empty. Thirsty. Maybe that's why fasting is so powerful. I'm forced to switch my lifeline from food (or whatever) to God himself. I find myself hungrier for his Word and more receptive to his voice. Even Jesus chose to fast before his duel in the desert with the devil. He had just been baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, God spoke from...
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Fasting for Breakthrough: Breakthrough in Broken Places
A Moment of Hope
by Marilynn Chadwick Fasting can be a powerful weapon in our prayer arsenal. Though I still have much to learn, I have noticed how fasting adds strength and precision to my prayers. The combination of fasting and prayer is like a one-two punch that has resulted in several spiritual breakthroughs in long-standing problems. But the most powerful testimonies I’ve ever heard about fasting came in a most unlikely place. The lesson is one I have never forgotten. Some time ago, David and I were invited to teach a group of men and women church leaders in Burundi on the subject of prayer. Burundi is...
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Fasting for Breakthrough: How Esther Saved a Nation (Part 2)
A Moment of Hope
Continued from yesterday… God is never actually mentioned by name in the book of Esther. But throughout the story, we see Esther quietly responding to what I believe must surely have been God’s whispers. I don’t think the Lord would have entrusted the very survival of the entire nation of Israel into the hands of a teenager unless he knew she would listen and obey. Training our heart to hear God’s voice is one of our most important jobs as believers. We do this primarily through reading God’s Word and spending time in prayer. But for some reason, fasting helps us depend on God and...
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Zadok is today’s man of valor. 1 Chronicles 12:28 describes him as “a young man mighty in valor,” who had 22 commanders under him that were from his father’s house.
Just from this verse alone, we can see that Zadok was esteemed within his family and given leadership on a greater scale because of his faithfulness. He clearly must have been a very well respected and highly skilled warrior.
Two particular things strike me about the story of Zadok.
First, he was a man of great courage, but also skilled. You can have all the courage in the world, but lack discipline and practical skills and you will be highly ineffective. I can think of many examples of people who are willing to run into battle, but have not become skillfully trained in using their sword. In their lack of skill, they become highly dangerous in battle!
A skilled warrior must know when to fight, when to be still, when to strategize, and when to take action. It is imperative that you learn how to be skilled in your valor. Be discerning. Be wise. Learn the art of discretion. It could be a matter of life or death.
Secondly, Zadok was a “young man.” Yet he commanded others, perhaps as many as 22 other soldiers. I would suppose that many of these soldiers may have been older, even stronger than Zadok. I immediately think of Paul telling Timothy not to be despised because of his youth. Just because someone might be younger does not mean that he can’t be given positions of leadership in battle. As God told David, man looks at the outward appearance, but God is always looking at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
This lesser-known, yet valorous warrior named Zadok was a crucial part of conquering the Promised Land for God’s people. That land was needed later for the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus.
Valor is a theme for all believers. Young and old. Men and women. All races. All nations. Anyone can choose to learn to be a person of valor. God can and will use you mightily! Stand firm! Be strong and courageous!
Jesus needs you in his army.