Galatians 5:16-25 ~ walk by the Spirit

Galatians 5:16-25

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Revelation 17:7-9, 14


When I saw her, I marveled greatly. 7 But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated;

14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”


The Seven hills of Rome
The Seven hills of Istanbul
The Seven hills of Kiev, Ukraine
The Seven hills of Moscow
The Seven hills of San Francisco
The Seven hills of Seattle
The Seven hills of Iaşi
The seven hills of Mecca, Saudi-Arabia
The seven hills of Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
The seven hills of Tirumala - Tirupati, India
The seven hills of Western Sydney, Australia
The seven hills of Abergavenny, South Wales, United Kingdom
The seven hills of Ibadan, Nigeria
Theseven hills of Lisbon, Portugal
The seven hills of Providence, Rhode Island, United States
The seven hills of Sheffield, England
The seven hills of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
The seven hills of Amman, Jordan
The seven hills of Bergen, Norway
The Seven hills of Turku, Finland
The Seven hills of Jerusalem, counted at the time of Christ:
1 The northern summit (hill) is called Scopus [Hill One],
2 The middle summit (hill) was called Nob [Hill Two],
3 The highest point of Olivet itself, and the southern summit (hill) was called in the Holy Scriptures the "Mount of Corruption" or "Mount of Offence" [Hill Three] (II Kings 23:13).
4 On the middle ridge between the Kedron and the Tyropoeon Valleys there was (formerly) in the south "Mount Zion" [Hill Four] (the original "Mount Zion" and not the later southwest hill that was later called by that name),
5 The "Ophel Mount" [Hill Five],
6 To the north of that the "Rock" around which "Fort Antonia" was built [Hill Six],
7 And finally, there was the southwest hill itself [Hill Seven] that finally became known in the time of Simon the Hasmonean as the new "Mount Zion."

It's interesting to note Amman, Jordan was part of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and Revelation 17 verse 12 speaks of an hour of power referring perhaps to the practice of being able to 'marry' a prostitute for an hour.

This week we spoke at the Pregnancy Center were I volunteer.  On Salvation is accomplished.  We need to remember not to focus on the Do of works based salvation and always know the  Do ne portion of Jesus Christ - Done. Salvation is accomplished by the Lord for the faithful who call upon Him in belief. 

We had a new believer and she studied Galatians 5, and was wanting to ask me about hell. Jesus uses the word Gehenna 11 times to describe the opposite to life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

I frankly get uncomfortable with hell and Revelation. Revelation to us is like Isaiah to the people before Jesus chose to walk with us as Grace upon Grace and Truth. We won't entirely know. Scholars expected Jesus to arrive as King, not in a stable manger. But just as we see glimpses of Heaven, we see what Jesus referred to as hell.

Our new believer said, well, if the Fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control - how can we say not all will inherit the kingdom of God.

So I gave her the true story of a friend who had her dad do what 60% of divorcing fathers do in divorce, according to the Dallas Morning News. They ditch their kids and a lot of them do not return. Our friend sat with her dying father, decades later, because Christian people forgive even the ditcher dad. She found to her relief and surprise, her dad had found the Lord. As she sat outside in the Hospice Hospital, she shared this with a Hospice nurse who said she'd been working Hospice for decades and certainly some deaths have pain, but typically there are two types of death - Heaven or hell. People screaming literally of fire and hell.

Not all people work towards love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Mostly people do. But there are those who do not. And those few don't know Jesus and their lives do not have this fruit.

One of the glimpses of hell is the boredom we use to create Trouble. And Selfish Interests. I find it disturbing we have not realized Video Games look and scream the way they do. What are we teaching our kids. I've never bought a video game, but I can tell you my kids certainly have. I wish to tell Father GOD -  I'm sorry I didn't parent that better. 

If you have the chance - seize - Give us the Day.

Remember to raise your children with accomplishments and not entertainment. A life of meaning and the fruit of patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control certainly would tell us to teach our children the enjoyable and fruitful ways caring for each other and having a home are FUN.

One of the aspects of the Gospel we are forgetting in this busy time - plan on teaching your children to do things they will do as adults. Cultivate the unique gifts they have. Foster a Spirit of Teaching.

Father God, in our lives, let us have more glimpses of Heaven than of hell. Help us to do Your Will and bring Heaven to Earth. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen


For He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with Him are called and chosen and faithful.

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