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[s]indwelling or sin-indwelling
If we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit…. Here is an interesting verse to look at because there is so much packed inside of it—and I would like to unpack some of it: “Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”Romans 7:20 ESV Paul wrote this letter to the Romans as a follower of Christ. Paul, like all Christ followers, has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. So, the sin that dwells within each Christian must be sharing a dwelling with the Holy Spirit. That sounds like they could be roommates—except that they are…
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Fruit bombs, secondhand kindness, and the fruitcake of the Spirit
Have you ever seen a healthy apple tree or lemon tree or an orange tree produce so much more fruit than its branches can handle? I’m talking about a tree that will actually stunt its own growth by unintentionally harming itself simply because its own branches will break under the sheer weight of all the fruit it is producing. If a person doesn’t come in there and harvest the fruit, then that’s exactly what will happen. At least eventually. “The fruit tree with no one to eat from its branches becomes the image of a dying tree” That’s also what can happen to any Christian who is deep in the…
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The Funny Thing About Prayers….
In the past I have prayed this prayer: God, please help me to be a better father. Also, please help my child to be more obedient and kind and loving. Give me patience and gentleness and compassion and understanding and self-control—especially over my anger—and help me to be a better reflection of Christ in my life so my kids can look at me and see the virtues of my Savior throughout my deeds and behavior. At the time, I thought it was an awesome prayer. Somehow, God was going to imbue me with a self-control I have never before experienced. I will soon—with God’s grace—have my prayers answered and be…
