There comes a time in the life of every believer when the devil attacks him with exceptional force and vexes his life. Eph. 6:13 calls it the “evil day”; Micah 7:8 uses the metaphor of darkness to represent it.

But as long as the time of trouble is a ‘day’ or a specific period, it will surely come to an end. And at the time God has determined.

God allows certain unpleasant things to happen at particular periods in our lives so that His greater glory will be revealed. When the disciples of Christ asked Him as to the cause of the predicament of a man born blind, here was His reply: “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:1-3).

And we are married to Christ as His Church! The Lord God told ancient Israel: “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married to you …” (Jer. 3:14).

By Elder Enoch Ofori Jnr

The fruit of the Spirit is a set of virtues Spirit-filled believers must exhibit; it's a set of conditions that should characterize the life of every believer. The fruit of the Spirit is a nine-fold virtue made up of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance (Gal. 5:22-23).

The primacy of love in inter-personal relationships, whether of God and man or of man to man, is without question. But fourth in ranking after love is long-suffering! How many believers who claim to be Spirit-filled exhibit this fruit of the Spirit?