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Day Nineteen 

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. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.                              Galatians 5:22-25 NIV

What is your favorite fruit? I love oranges. I love all types of oranges. I love navel oranges, tangerines, mandarins, and clementines. I love orange juice, but not a fan of orange marmalade. I loved picking oranges, especially in my grandfather’s orange groves in central Florida. My brothers and I enjoyed riding on the tractor pulling the picked oranges to be cleaned for shipping. The pickers only picked the ripe fruit. The bad fruit was left on the tree or on the ground. Pickers were paid on the good fruit, not the bad. It was important to know the difference.
Paul wants us to know the difference. He wants us to distinguish the good fruit from the bad. He writes, “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.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book, The Cost of Discipleship, writes, “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”. The Puritans defined a follower of Jesus by their fruits. If the tree is good, it will produce good fruit, but if the tree is bad, it will produce bad fruit. Paul knew the remedy, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Take time to confess your sins to the Father, who gives good fruit to His children. Pray for good trees at NewLife. Pray for good fruit at NewLife. Pray for us to leave the bad fruit on the ground, don’t try to pick it up it’s rotten to the core. You will be known by your fruit. It’s time to watch God grow good fruit in your life. It’s harvest time!