Hi friends, what's up? Liney and I had some guests over this weekend and some really good fellowship as we enjoyed a meal together, opened up the Bible and also had some time to pray together. Joy, peace, love!
Please pray for my friend, Bill, who has had one berserk lady at his work who has been trying to cause him trouble for several years. The company plans on letting some workers go and it would appear that she is trying to reduce the numbers early so that it won't eventually cost her own job. God knows it all.
What have we been up to. Fellowship with some pastor friends and old buddies. I've shared my faith some lately and have been busy today, because I had two desktop computers die on me and I'm not even sure why. But I bought a hard drive enclosure at a really good price from one of those huge computer stores and was fortunately able to retrieve most of my lost data off of them both ..to my laptop. Ever had a major puter crash like that happen before? Hate that. Temporal junk. I think I'll wipe the disks and rebuild at least one of these machines this week. Anyways, here something I hope will build you up. ~kurt
Let's Talk Some About The Spirit!
"I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever." ~John 14:16, nkjv
Don't you just love to read through the book of Acts to see the torrents of water flowing so to speak.. you know, the acts of the Spirit? What an encouragement! Man, I think the Spirit is a Fisher! I think the entire Godhead is.
It's not about what we, the Church, can do.
I love how the Holy Spirit is a Helper (with a capital "H") and not a hinderer of people. Mr Lu-Cifer on the other hand is always seeking to hinder people.. to deceive em, to lie to em, to rip em off, and to destroy the people whom Jesus died for.
But the Holy Spirit still wants to help peeps..yup, help you get right with, and get closer to the heavenly Father. Sure; family closeness.
It's maturity time!
It's not the Spirit's desire or goal to destroy people. He could, but He really wants all of us to enjoy His age abiding life—life during life. It's non-stop abundant life! Not all of course will chose Christ and His holy heaven, but the Spirit help whoever will let Him help. Some church folk and leaders unfortunately play favorites. Some parents sadly do this with one child over another. Some business folk also wrongly play favorites in different situations, but the Spirit doesn't do that ..even though all Christians are His favorite children you could say.
He strongly loves em all the same. The Spirit is passionately thinkin' about both males and females no matter the color ..from every tribe, nation, and tongue! He wants em near. He shows respect for our decisions, but He's no respecter of persons. Do you spend time thinking and praying about people of different nations too?
The power that compels us to share comes from the Spirit who indwells us and Who also shares.
"Blest Holy Spirit from above with all Thy quickening powers
Come, shed abroad the Savior's love and that shall kindle ours." ~Watts
"You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me." ~Acts 1:8
Question. Could it possibly have been the same exact Spirit that was hovering over the surface of the deep in the Book of Genesis ..that later fully indwelt and controlled the earthly ministry of our prime Example (thee Fisher of men), Jesus Christ?
Answer. Yes; that was Him! Not a mean Spirit in the Old Testament and a different "nicer one" in the New. He hasn't changed one bit.
The Holy Spirit has always been. He doesn't need you or me or anything. He wasn't ever created and He won't ever have an end. Duh! Good idea to be on His Team. He wins. His love for people is unending too, but His interest in soul-winning on earth will one day have an end. One day all evangelists will need to be retrained, because there will be no more evangelistic opportunities. That's why we need to take advantage of em on earth while we can! The Spirit who thought of witnessing will show us how.. but not forever.
I love what the Bible says about our Example (Christ) as well, "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure" (Jn. 3:34). Could you imagine if that was the case with you—no measure at all? Exploits-mania! I personally desire more of the Spirit. Want Him to have more of me daily. He consistantly thinks of others and helps. Man, let's talk about Him some more. Tell me what you've learned. What is the third Person of the Trinity really all about? Is He a cosmic energy force without personality? No! But what were you taught as a child about Him? I wasn't. Did the thought of Him scare you?
Well, in the Gospel of John we see Christ speaking of this third Person of the Trinity and calling Him the Spirit of truth. Principles and methods change, but truth never does. When you think about it.. no Member of the Godhead plays fast and loose with the truth ..as many preachers do trying to wow you with their so called "special revelations!"
Jesus said, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you" (Jn. 14:16-17). Why? Well, it's because the Holy Spirit always works through the truth, which is incarnate in Christ Jesus and logged in the Holy Scriptures.
I want you to know that through the Word of God you can "receive the promise of the Spirit through faith" (Gal. 3:14)—you can receive the Holy Spirit Himself! Promises were given and need to be claimed. Did you know that God can still speak and direct you today. He does that by His Spirit.
Listen this promise of faith will cost you nothing really.. except your entire life (yeah, there's no money or good works whereby you can pay for this uber-superb biblical experience). Righteousness if a free gift! But you can know Him and obey Him. That would sure be wise (..understatement of the year)!
Peter spoke of this "receiving," "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever" (1 Pet. 1:23. Also see John 1:12-13).
And when the time is right, believer, the Spirit can speak through you ..if you'll let Him. The Scriptures say, "for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. 1:21-22).
Christ explained, "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (Jn. 14:26). He went on to say, "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me" (Jn. 15:26).
The Father sent the Holy Spirit for a worldwide evangelistic purpose that you can be privileged to be apart of! He still constantly points to Jesus Christ not to Himself. And He wants us to do that too ..wherever He leads us.
Yes, the Spirit is not only referred to as the Comforter, but He is also referred to as the Counselor, because He gives people God's kind of wisdom (and that's different from this world's insufficient lame wisdom), guidance for practical living, insight, and keen understanding of God's unchanging truth for the purpose of application.
"God's guidance and help that we need day to day are given to all who believe;
The Spirit has come and He is the source of power that we can receive!" ~Branon
"If you believe in Me [Jesus], come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within. (When He said "living water," He was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in Him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into His glory.)" ~Christ, John 7:38
"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." ~Paul, Romans 8:5
Perhaps as a child you heard Him called the "Holy Ghost," but most people today call Him the Holy Spirit. It's because He is altogether pure and Holy—He is completely separate from sin. There has never been anything even slightly evil or perverse about Him. And here's the cool thing.. He can make you pure and holy as an effective representative for God as well. He sanctifies Christians.
Do you currently have a relationship with this Spirit, or with Jesus, or with the Father?
When you confess and sincerely repent of your sin ..and, by faith.. invite Christ to come in to take control of your life as your Lord and Savior, that's when this super wonderful Spirit of God accepts you and does His work inside of you. It's an inside to outside work.
In fact, minus the "seal" of the Spirit's Presence in your life, you have no eternal credibility or standing with God at all.
That's for real, "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the Word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory" (Eph. 1:13-14). Yes you and I were made for the praise of His Glory, but how often do the believers that you know set aside the complaining and praise Him? How often do they thank and give Him the glory?
But with the "seal" of His Presence you have the guarantee of Heaven becoming your eternal home with all the radically exciting blessings of the Lord. I feel grateful. Praise the Lord!
