Holy

 Sometimes we struggle with the concept of the Holy Spirit and look for evidence of the things He does. As we examine this concept, we are soon met with the idea that the Holy Spirit is the holy or dedicated spirit of God. We find that since creation, the Holy Spirit has been a part of the things that God and Jesus did (Gen. 1:2). He was the one who made things happen, turned chaos into order. When Jesus came to earth, His efforts were powered by the Holy Spirit, the spirit dedicated to praising God (Acts 10:38). We this find the statement, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Heb. 13:8) and understand that no part of the Triune God changes over history: while we understand their actions at various times as different, Their goal has always been intact. Some people talk about God being a God of wrath in the Old Testament and a God of love and peace in the New Testament, Yet God has the same intent throughout the Bible. He has been working to create a group of people who will live with Him forever and praise Him. In the Old Testament we see God as holy and pure; He punishes those who rebel against Him. The New Testament tells us the same thing. Moreover, some of the strongest warnings regarding the narrow way and judgment in the Bible come from the lips of Jesus (Matt. 7:14). At the same time, the New Testament certainly stresses God’s continuing love and mercy. In fact, it gives us the greatest proof that God loves us: Jesus laid down His life for our salvation (1 Jn. 3:16). This is culmination of what the Old Testament also reveals repeatedly about God’s love for us: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindness” (Jer. 31:3 NIV). The same Holy Spirit that helped with creation and empowered Jesus will do marvelous things with the person who will allow it. Jesus promised His disciples, He would not abandon them or leave them empty, but they would receive help when He went away, Jn. 14:15-17. 

Prompted

 Most of us have never heard what we would consider a direct command from the Holy Spirit, or have we? The Holy Spirit communicate with us sometimes by causing us to realize something needs to happen about an unfolding situation, and we only need the courage to follow through. A woman told a story in Bible class one morning about seeing a man standing near the edge of an overpass with a distraught and confused look on his face. She remembered several news presentations she had seen about the struggles of those who had jumped while trying to commit suicide and survived; concern for this man caused her to pull over and walk back to speak to the man. A slender woman approaching a man who was likely suicidal - perhaps not the best choice for personal safety. However, she was able to talk with him and convince him not to jump until police arrived. The police detained him and this action saved his physical life. A part of their conversation was about how to please God and he said he was a believer. Her story reminds me of a similar event thousands of years ago. "Then the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go up and join this chariot.'" - Acts 8:29 (NASB) Like this woman, Phillip could have said, "No," but he did not. The result was the Holy Spirit used Phillip to provide a greater understanding and a relationship with Jesus. So far as I know, the man on the overpass has not yet become a Christian, but he now has an opportunity to make the decision to follow Jesus. Sometimes we don't ask the Holy Spirit to lead us, other times we don't recognize His prodding, but sadly, we often say "no" to His prompting. We must desire His guidance and then have courage to follow our understanding.

Effective Love

In societies today, we use the word "love" to describe many things and many levels of feeling. When Jesus spoke, He intended "love" to indicate more than thoughts, but actions. When we reach out to help other people with the same concern as for ourselves, we mirror God's efforts for us. In Biblical Hebrew, there is another kind of love — חֶסֶד (chesed) “steadfast love”, “kindness”, “faithfulness”, and “loyalty” — that is often tied to God’s character and the divine loyalty to keeping covenant promises. He loved us so much He came to earth and suffered a cruel sacrifice for us. How should this realization affect our view of other people? "And the second command is like the first: 'You must love other people the same as you love yourself.' All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands." — Matt. 22:39-40 (ERV)

Sharing

As far back in time as Moses, God's focused servants who had the Holy Spirit, have wanted this Spirit to be distributed to more people. This would mean they could be closer to God. Those who accept Jesus' gift, possess what Moses wished for so long ago. "Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!" Num. 11:29 (NIV)

Mental pictures

Communication, verbally or otherwise, is essentially creating a mental picture in another person’s mind similar to the mental picture in the presenter's mind. In conversations, every sound we hear, motion we see, smell we detect, or touch we feel creates some part of a picture that develops in our minds. A mental picture appears as we piece together the inputs we receive and process them based on our past training and life experiences, as well as present emotions. Individual people arrange these information fragments in distinctive ways to form unique pictures; they may arrange them differently at various times. These pictures can differ slightly or significantly. A speaker can sometimes transfer a more complete representation of the picture in his mind with additional or more specific words, as well as other means of presentation. Many pictures are most easily communicated when compared to a presently known image. People with similar backgrounds and experiences may be able to exchange mental pictures more easily and more quickly. Mental pictures may represent images, ideas, concepts, conclusions, or understandings. Students bring this endeavor to a deeper challenge when they undertake examination of the Bible. The ideas and concepts mentioned in the Bible depend on creating revelatory pictures, since so different are the topics, attitudes, events, and commitments that surround us in the present day. These mental pictures gain a greater focus when one depends upon the indwelling Holy Spirit to clarify them. We need to depend on the Holy Spirit to do just this, clarify our mental pictures of godly elements in life. This is really the foundation of the question, "What would Jesus do?" A recent post mentioned that while the mental picture of death is not really a cessation of existence, but a separation of something. While alive, we may say “I am dead to that habit,” or "I am dead to that person". Physical death separates the body from an earthly existence, however spiritual death speaks of a separation from God. The opposite of death is life. Whereas death means separation to something, life means union with something. There is physical life, meaning all the systems of a physical body are functional to some degree and there is spiritual life, which means we have a union with God. This union was made possible because of Jesus’ sacrifice and is protected via the indwelling Holy Spirit. Heaven is a description of a place focused only on God, and inhabited by beings that exist to praise and serve Him. If a person is inhabited by the Holy Spirit while in their physical life, it might be accurate to think of them as being a bit of Heaven on earth. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us display godly actions towards others and display a bit of Heaven on Earth as we travel our unique independent spiritual journey to God. 

OLD AGE AIN’T FOR SISSIES

 “And even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; and I will bear you and I will deliver you”. - Isa. 46:4 A wise man once said, “Old age sure ain’t for sissies.” From the book of Ecclesiastes, it seems as though King Solomon would agree. He wrote of how the things we take for granted when we are young may cause us to lose delight in living when we’re old. Our eyesight grows dim - we start with reading glasses and then move to bifocals. Our hearing grows weak. We’re constantly saying “Huh?” to our spouses. We have time to sleep late, but we wake up early. Our hands start to tremble. Our desire for sex diminishes. Old age isn’t for sissies. We work hard to develop talents and abilities, but they disappear over time, even with practice. Our bodies just don’t work like they used to. Aches and pains are a daily reality, and morning stiffness is our companion every day as we get out of bed. Some parts of life can all be very depressing, and without God life can become meaningless. But with God, an older person can discover different things to occupy their time and challenge their minds. If they allow it, the indwelling Holy Spirit will encourage them each day along their unique individual spiritual journey. They can have the opportunity to help others in different ways. As one grows closer to the end of their physical life, there is wisdom, strength, joy, and the hope that when the body finally gives out, Spirit inspired physical life changes into the life God intended - in heaven with God.

Respond

As Jesus' servants, it is crucial that we try to respond to the Holy Spirit's promptings. When we accepted Him as our Savior, we also accepted Him as Lord, the ultimate controller of all we do. How doe we understand what our Lord wants? Perhaps we ask others for their opinions about what He might want, and they likely have opinions. When we consider the stated or practiced opinions of others, we must remember Paul's words to the searching Corinthians,  "So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit" - 1 Cor. 12:3 (NLT)  The best way to gather opinions about what Jesus wants is to consult his own words from scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand how the words apply to us in this time. As we read scripture, our minds may quickly become overwhelmed. These first words were spoken at a times far removed from today and to a culture that seems “different’ in the ways it valued people and interpreted concepts. We must, however realize that the people of the first century also struggled to understand some of the writings. Nonetheless, they relied on the Holy Spirit to help them understand the core teachings. The concepts written in scripture from God are greater than our greatest thought and are more complex than our most insightful moment can help us comprehend. But there is a promise on which we can always rely: the Holy Spirit will never lead us to say anything untruthful or unholy about God - as Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God convicts us of the truth, gives us insight into the truth, and empowers us to declare the truth. Confessing Christ as Lord indicates a heart full of faith, a testimony to God's grace, and is a declaration of our commitment to our Lord. The Holy Spirit unlocks our minds and empowers our hearts to confess Jesus as Lord!

Presentation

A person may quote the passage from John 16:13, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." But what did this mean to the disciples? Just like today, there were many religious authorities trying to convince people that their understanding of God's desires were correct. The difficulty is they had grossly misinterpreted what God wanted. One of Jesus' goals was to help people understand what God truly wanted from His people. When Jesus completed the sacrifice, He returned to the Father, but left the Holy Spirit within His disciples to continue the spread the truth about what God wanted. This indwelling Holy Spirit was the Spirit of truth. Today, we have this truth revealed, whether that truth was revealed through ancient prophecy, revealed through first century inspired writers, or revealed now. The Spirit is our assurance that we can know, understand, and apply the truth about Jesus. So when we hear true testimony, when people give true witness to Jesus, then the Holy Spirit is present, supporting that message, using that message to convict people of sin and bringing comfort from that message to those in need. When we speak the truth about Jesus, the Holy Spirit is present giving power to that truth. 

Unexpected

Have you ever experienced an unexpected life changing event in your faith journey? Did you sprint to take action to remedy this interruption in your life plans? Something like this happened to Joseph, Mary's husband. “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’” Matt. 1:20 (NIV) One key to this verse is, "after he had considered this." What had happed to him was beyond unfortunate, but Joseph did not act hastily. Why would God allow this to happen to him, a law abiding man? He had waited so long, been so faithful. How could she do this terrible thing? I trusted her; now she can’t even admit the truth, to me. As Joseph thought it over, and according to their law, putting her away was the best way to handle the sticky situation. Then, his plans were interrupted again. “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’” (Matt. 1:20). Hmm, this still didn't make any sense. Apparently, Joseph had not acted immediately upon his impulse, but had created time and space in his life to hear from God. Through the angel’s message, Joseph discovered things were not really as they appeared. Though others would not understand the why behind his decision, Joseph would keep moving forward and make Mary his wife. This baby growing in Mary was part of God’s miraculous plan. The Son of God was coming to save us from our sin. So despite whatever fears Joseph may have felt, he chose to trust God’s plan. Life on earth is messy and very unpredictable. Returning to the first question, have you ever experienced an unexpected life changing event in your life? Perhaps there has been a time, as a Christian, you sensed a move God wanted you to make, the Holy Spirit was prompting you. But, it didn’t make sense to others, or maybe it didn’t even make sense to you? Yet, you trusted the Holy Spirit knew what He was doing. Now you look back and see the Spirit’s faithfulness to help you as you took one right step after another. Was Mary surprised by the actions of John the Baptist’s mother? Joseph and Mary’s took tedious steps to Bethlehem. more and more people knew their plight. Did they fully understand? No, they probably didn’t understand all of God’s plan, yet they chose to go the way He had revealed so far. Later, Mary is said to treasure these things in her heart. Unlike Joseph, we may not have an angelic dream, but we can resolve to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance regardless of the opposition.

Trust

 Trust is sometimes a difficult feeling to develop. It is a feeling and it is one that begins with something from each person’s past and grows in some direction, either greater or lesser depending on words and actions experienced by each person. Some people have an approach of trusting anyone until they do something or say something to break that feeling of trust. Others, usually due to past broken events of trust, are very cautious to allow trust to develop. A large part of developing trust is the perceived risk in some way to a person’s safety and security. When two individuals meet or come in contact, each needs to develop a sense of acceptance and expectation of the other. This is sometimes most clearly visualized in children. The ultimate example is found in Jesus. What kind of trust must He have had when, "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil," Matt. 4:1 (ESV). There is a story about a man and his dog. Through time spent together, the dog trusted his master completely. In this story, the man was in a room in which the dog had never entered. When the door was opened, the dog sprang without hesitation to his master. The presence of his master overpowered any unforeseen dangers. Another story is told about a Father attempting to get his daughter to jump into his arms while he was standing in a swimming pool. While the little girl trusted her dad, his surroundings terrified her; she was afraid of something damaging her. Undoubtedly, she had been in bathtubs before, but this water source seemed much larger and more dangerous. She had done new things her Dad had asked her to do before, but this was different somehow. Her feelings of self-preservation overpowered the trust she felt for her dad. Although she had water rings on her arms, she needed coaxing and encouragement to take the step toward trusting her dad and setting aside her sense of self-preservation. When she set them aside an trusted her Dad, everything turned out fine and she enjoyed playing the water with him. Sometimes, our trust overpowers our our sense of self preservation. These are two examples of entities depending on trust. Trust allows us to move past unknowns and insecurities into better relationships with God and the Holy Spirit. It is true, there are many things about God, the Holy Spirit we are not capable of understanding. But is we read scripture and learn to trust Him, we should not be afraid to step forward when we understand He requests it. Whether we think of the Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit as one greater than us, LORD, in Proverbs 3:5 applies, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding". (NLT)

See, hear, act

Sometimes one can find themselves opposed by a person or group of people whose objections make little rational sense. When these times are driven by emotional opinions and diatribes, they may be little that can be done to make one’s rebuttal. These times can display an attachment to present satisfactions with no concern about future implications. Paul once found himself in such a position with those who were attached to the Jewish law in efforts to please God. Instead of presenting a united case against what Paul was saying, they began disagreeing and arguing with one another. In such a situation, there is little more to be gained with rational discussion until calm can be gained. In this discussion, the people began to leave the discussion. Because of his concern about his ethnic brothers, Paul made a final statement to prompt them: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet: “‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”- Acts 28:25-26 (ESV) This should prompt us to realize that many times the things God says through the Holy Spirit are not easily grasped. God’s ways are not the  ways we might readily accept. While God’s ways are ultimately best; adopting them may take some time to fully integrate them into our practices. We must attempt to grasp God’s word and rely on it for our actions. We must “see” it, or realize it; we must “hear” it, or put it into practice.

Hated

 Generally, people do not like to be corrected, that is, revealing their wrongs and guiding them to better practices. This is rejection, non acceptance. Bible students can be quick to point out that in scripture, "hated" may really means "loved less."This is highlighted in God's example of Jacob and Essau (Mal. 1:3; Rom. 9:13). However, in some cases nonspiritual "hated" means more than "loved less." And with such opinions come ramifications. [Jesus said,] "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause,’" - Jn. 15:18-25 (ESV). Jesus makes a profound observation in this passage which is, if He had not come to clearly explain their sin, the people could not be held accountable. Because Jesus was rejected, his disciples will also be rejected to various extents. Today, when Jesus' disciples follow His instructions to take the faith with them “as they go” (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 8:4), they may not face rousing welcome, but face rejection or persecution, hardship, and hatred because of their faith. They need to know that they are not alone. Heb. 12:1 speaks of believers being surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. Further, confident believers need to realize it is not them personally being rejected, but because they stand for Jesus’ principles they are rejecting these and being distanced. Jesus also faced these things as did other Christians before us have faced these things. Believers are accompanied by a God who lives inside them via His Holy Spirit and promises never to leave them or forsake them. Jesus' disciples must not take their mistreatment and persecution personally; they're not being rejected, but God, His will, and His grace are being rejected. As Jesus' disciples, we need to be faithful, and our testimony will affect other people in some way. Hopefully, because of our faithful actions, others will share the victory crown of life that awaits us!

Witnesses

 Every day our lives, we display a witness of something, whether joys or tragedies. In most cases, we can choose what that witness will be by deciding how to act, or attempt to act. When adapting our response to the things that happen around us and to us, we must remember that we have experienced God's saving work and are experiencing sanctification. We have been adopted as His children. We have the Holy Spirit living within us and can expect a mighty deliverance in the future. When we consider these blessings, how can we remain silent? Our lives will testify to our trust in His guidance. Yes, we experience daily challenges, but contemplating our present status via being indwelt by God, the Holy Spirit and our future home, should overpower feelings of discouragement, bitterness, or pessimism. We need to display our confidence in the God who raised Jesus from physical death. He is our Savior and he has set in us a deposit, promising to always love us. We should remember that besides the Holy Spirit inside us, Hebrews 12 reminds us we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses for our encouragement and 1 Peter 2 reminds us that we are here as witnesses to "declare the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light." And Isaiah also reminds us about Jesus, "I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior.  I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.” - Isa. 43:11-12 (ESV).

Individual pathways

In general, people want to pursue the paths they have decided are correct for the given situation: the ones containing the least resistance to meeting their individual goals. People who live in a "free" society have less overriding requirements and more opportunities for personal choices to achieve their own goals. A difficulty arises when the means to arrive at those goals becomes very difficult or seemingly impossible. This is a time for reassessment of those goals. Such goals or desires are usually enjoyable and very important to the individual. It is at these times many people look for other ways to achieve their desires. If the person remains convinced the goal is the best solution, they may seek help or make decisions they never thought they would choose to achieve that desire. Hopefully, there will come a time when a person’s life beyond this one, is considered. It is at this time a reexamination of one’s overall goals needs to occur. At this time, the person is met with a bold reality: by myself, there is no way I can achieve the goal of being with God after I leave behind the goals on this earth; I need help. If we are sincere in this concern, God will provide a way for someone to introduce us to the one who will offer a solution to this goal. Jesus provided a sacrifice for all those who will believe He exists and He did this for them. Another reassessment of our desires and goals may indicate that the future life we desire is worth changing some of the goals we have held so dear. We may also find that by some redefinition, many of those goals can still be accomplished. The new goal needs be allowing the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them toward a realization that offers praise to God, first. Throughout this exercise of life, the Christian can look back and realize God was always close to those who genuinely seek after him. But at his point, we still must be careful since there is the adversary that wants to entice us to drift away from Him, lose interest, and leave His presence. Yes, it is ultimately up to our own choice as we travel along our unique individual spiritual journey. So let's continue to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us through the tough or glorious encounters we face. "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near." - Isa. 55:6 (NIV)

Cleansed of Sin

If a believer is really honest, being accused of a sin is shocking. Christians usually think that they try to do as much as possible according to the Bible teaching we understand, but do they miss something? Yes, almost certainly they do. Humans are weak creatures, even with the Holy Spirit living inside us, we can deny His promptings and leadings. Even Paul recognized the impossibility of avoiding sin, "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin." - Rom. 7:24-25 (NASB) However, even though we cannot always avoid sinful thoughts or acts, we can continually admit this truth and repent, trying again to live a more sanctified (holy) life. Our Comforter is close by to help, if we will ask Him to do this.  "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 Jn. 1:8-9 (NIV).

Who to Please

 A well known person once said something like, "you can satisfy some of the people all the time; you can satisfy all of the people some of the time, but you can't satisfy all the people all the time." That spawns a very serious question, who are you trying to please and how often? Who was Pilate trying to please at Jesus' trial, God or the masses? Who were the masses trying to please, the trusted leaders or God? Who are you trying to please, yourself, your peers, or your Savior? Answering that last question is just as crucial for you as it was for the masses and for Pilate about two thousand years ago. "For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." - Gal. 6:8 (ESV) Who you are trying to please will either consecrate you or corrupt you! So choose this day to live in a way that pleases the Lord — not only is it the right way to live, but it also has eternal benefits!

Meditate

 History is teaming with ways the word "meditate" has been used to describe the actions of people at various times in their lives. However, one of the general characteristics of this action is to pause from activities that fill our day with distractions. Once you have some extra time, what will you do with our thoughts? Unless you are asleep or distracted by TV, phones, or chores, your mind will continue to churn. You may think about what you did earlier in the day or what you have left to do, but you will think about something. When you have this time, a good choice is to read or listen God's word and think about what you have gathered. When we openly think about God's Word and talk to Him about the promises or divine counsel means, especially to you, this is the time the indwelling Holy Spirit will help the Christian become more aware of who God is and how He wants to or may already be strengthening you for the day or days ahead. The Bible is as insightful today as when it was first given to humankind. Let it be your guide in your own loving relationship with Him and others, because "The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times." - Psa. 12:6 (ESV)

Choices

 In our everyday Christian spiritual battle, we make countless decisions about choices. Realistically, some are good and some are bad; sometimes, we think, "I wish I had that to do over again, because I would do it differently." That mistake was a learning process! We often find ourselves struggling with the strength to choose between good, better, and best. If we consult the indwelling Holy Spirit, we will generally have a reasonable concept of what is good and bad; perhaps He prompts our consciences to help us. Many times, we try to respond in a way to accomplish some intended goal, but we may not be able to completely predict the results. Sometimes, we find a major challenge is the strength and confidence to act on our true beliefs. If we ask, the Holy Spirit can help with goal clarification, guidance, and strength to move forward on good, even excellent decisions - no matter how inconvenient this excellent decision may seem. Paul would say, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” - Phil. 1:9-10 (ESV)

I will not abandon you

While there can be many reasons, have you ever felt 'alone'? Usually, the numbing, aching loss is caused by the death of someone dear to us, however, the loss of a close friendship either by location or by disagreement can also cause such a feeling. Jesus' disciples had observed, and perhaps experienced, such losses already. Now, the one who had restored all the emptiness was about to go away. Jesus knew he would soon execute the next steps for the salvation of all believers and return to the Father. Jesus understood this and said to them, "I Will Not Abandon You!" [Jesus said,] "No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live.  When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.." - Jn. 14:18-20 (NLT). As the disciples loneliness was replaced by a closer relationship with Jesus after He left, we are not left alone either. When we accept Jesus as our savior, our brother, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit. He is the abiding reminder of Jesus' victory over death and his ascension to heaven with power. One day we will live with Him in the place He went to prepare for us.

What is It?

When many people read Matthew 7:7-8, they may be thinking of material things they would like to acquire (food, drink, clothes, goods). However, please recall Jesus' previous words in Matt. 6:33: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Jesus' ministry was acutely focused on the spiritual health of human creation. I suggest His focus was our spiritual life. As such, a valid translation based on the context might be: “Ask about righteousness and guidance toward the Kingdom will be given to you; seek righteousness and guidance toward the Kingdom and you will find help toward this goal; boldly pursue righteousness and guidance toward the Kingdom and barriers will be removed for you. For everyone who asks about righteousness and guidance toward the Kingdom receives help; the one who seeks righteousness and guidance toward the Kingdom finds the path; and to the one who boldly pursues righteousness and guidance toward the Kingdom the gifted path to these goals will become apparent." (paraphrased) “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" If we will allow Him, the Holy Spirit will initially  guide us toward the 'it'! "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened" - Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV). After this, if we ask, the Holy Spirit will lead us on our unique individual spiritual journey to eternity.

Proper balance

Referring to Ezek. 11:2-4, Phil Ware admonishes Christians. "Our lives and the word of the Lord are needed to counterbalance the leaning of this culture which tends to put its own selfish slant on things.  Let's ask the Spirit to convict us of the lies we are told in our culture. Let's ask the Spirit to empower us to both live and speak God's truth with grace, truth, and power. Our lives and voices are needed to speak to people who are being sucked down the drain of sin and destruction by the many voices around them that do not speak the will of God." We do need to ask the Holy Spirit to lead us along our unique individual spiritual journey. Along this journey, we can encourage others and gain encouragement from them.

Remembered

And I [John] heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them" - Rev. 14:13 (ASV). To the disciples, Jesus described the Holy Spirit as the Comforter and promised the Spirit's abiding and comforting presence within those who accept His Sacrifice - Jn. 14-16. Jesus' word for the Holy Spirit also could be understood as Advocate, Helper, and Counselor. The abundance of the Spirit's presence fills up the goodness of each of these terms. Those who have lived for Jesus are given two promises by the Spirit: Not only will they enjoy the rest of God, but also what they have done for the Lord will be remembered by the one who matters most. What we do for Jesus matters eternally, and it will not be forgotten! - Heb. 6:10. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to guide us on our unique individual spiritual journey to grow ourselves and encourage others.

Feelings

 Many people try to focus service to God only on facts from the Bible. This can be admirable, but we must not forget God made people with feelings. While they should not be the primary guides for the Christian life, they are nonetheless a vital part of it. At one point, we find the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept," Jn. 11:35. Many of the actions done by Jesus are accompanied with the understandings, the emotions, the feelings of the people surrounding Him.Imagine the feelings and wonder when He raised to son of the Widow outside Nain - desperation and sadness turned into relief and great joy - Lk. 7:11ff. Paul shared many struggles, and those struggles caused feelings, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies" - 2Cor. 4:8-10 (ESV). In difficult times, we need to focus on the feeling we have when we know someone is praying for us. Paul usually asked for prayers of success, that he could share the news of Jesus. One time however, he makes a global statement, "Brothers, pray for us." 1Thess. 5:25 (ESV). We need others to join us in our prayers. Paul would also say, "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" - Phil. 4:6-7 (ESV). We can feel the strength when we know others are praying for us. This is our Kingdom privilege.

Confidence

 Life in the earthly realm is challenging. When considering his situation, John Schnieder commented about life, "there are things that happen in everyday life that are wonderful, not so wonderful, and that are heart-wrenching." This is true for all Christians as we move along our unique individual spiritual journey. Some challenges are caused by our own decisions, some are not. Times like these on earth are inescapable. When these events or situations arrive, that's when our confidence in the Lord's salvation and our relationship with Him is tested! We must persevere! We will do so by depending on the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Peter said, "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." - 1Pet. 1:7 (NLT). In these times, we must keep putting one step in front of the other trusting that the Holy Spirit will give us the strength for the next step. No matter how hard it is at the moment, don't give in to despair; let this struggle build confidence. God does not mind if we argue and complain to Him through the Holy Spirit, but never let go of His promise. The indwelling Holy Spirit is a seal of ownership and a guarantee Christ is coming back for us; don't quit! "Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised." - Heb. 10:35-36 (NASB)

Rejuvenation

 If we will pause and honestly consider our lives, we understand we will die one day. Our physical bodies will be separated from our energizing life force. However, our spiritual life does not need to under go a separation from the force that provides energy for serving God. Realization of this truth should make us want the best for ourselves and others. "But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you" - Rom. 8:10-11 (NIV).

Expected

Almost everything that Jesus did while on earth was predicted in the Old Testament; the Bible student really gets to view how He made it happen. Ezekiel says, “Then the Spirit lifted me [Ezekiel] up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple." - Ezek. 43:5 (NIV) First, Peter says, “you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” - 1 Pet. 2:5. Paul will also later describe the church as the temple of God, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” - 1 Cor. 3:16-17. Further, speaking of unbelievers, he says, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH." But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. (1 Cor. 6:15-20). He then adds,“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.” - 2 Cor. 6:14-18. To another group of people Paul says, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,” - Ephesians 2:19-22. Yes, God’s people replaced the image of the stone temple and He dwells within this new temple via the Holy Spirit.

The indwelling WORD

There are many ways to describe the operation of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and one of the best is closely related to Bible study. These are the times we focus more on God's direction than our fractured surroundings. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." - Col. 3:16 (NIV)

Shocking

"And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and he said to me, “Say, Thus says the LORD: So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind." - Ezekiel 11:5 (ESV) What a frightening thought sometimes, "someone else knows what I thought about that topic or person!" Perhaps shocking, but it is true, God knows the innermost thoughts of everyone. We can plan, scheme, and plot quietly so so no other person might know what we are thinking. We can choose to share our inner thoughts to no one else, but God knows them. For the Christian, the indwelling Holy Spirit will help us dismiss the bad thoughts and focus on the good ones, if we will allow it. The Spirit not only inspired God's message in Scripture, but he also convicts, informs, and transforms our mind and spirit, helping us overcome the pull of our fleshly nature. The Spirit challenges and confronts the thoughts we wouldn't dare say out loud. When God's words are spoken, heard, and read, they are directed to the struggle of each heart seeking to be conformed to the will of God. The message of God comes from the Holy Spirit. That message has power because the Holy Spirit convicts as well as informs. Let's ask the Spirit to speak to our hearts, minister to our needs, inspire our godly longings, support us through our weaknesses, confront our duplicity, and help us know God's truth!

The Human mind

 "And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and he said to me, “Say, Thus says the LORD: So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind." - Ezek. 11:5 (ESV). What a frightening thought sometimes, "someone else knows what I thought about that topic or person, about what I almost said!" Perhaps shocking, but it is true, God knows the innermost thoughts of everyone. We can plan, scheme, and plot quietly so as no other person might know what we are thinking. We can choose to share our inner thoughts to no one else, but God knows them. For the Christian, the indwelling Holy Spirit  wiil help us dismiss the bad thoughts and focus on the good ones - if we will allow it. The Holy Spirit not only inspired God's message in Scripture, but he also convicts, informs, and transforms our mind and spirit, helping us overcome the pull of our fleshly nature. The Spirit challenges and confronts the thoughts we wouldn't dare speak. When God's words are spoken, heard, and read, they are directed to the struggle of each heart seeking to be conformed to the will of God. The Holy Spirit brings messages from God. Those messages have power because the Holy Spirit informs and convicts us; many times those messages come due to a scriptural teaching we remember. If we will allow Him this freedom, the Holy Spirit will change our thought patterns and cause us to remember many things He has already provided from God's Word. This is the manner in which we proceed down our unique individual spiritual journey.

Isolated or empowered

As a Christian, do you ever feel isolated? The Christian is never really isolated, they have the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide them and empower them. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father." - Rom. 8:14-15 (NLT). Because of this, as we travel our unique individual spiritual journey, we do significant things by God's powerful presence, the Holy Spirit living in us and empowering us. We speak and we serve by the inspiration and power of the Spirit. The gifts that we are given come from the Holy Spirit — that's what the term "spiritual gifts" means. The Spirit gives each of us appropriate gifts at various times to use in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:4-7). Using these gifts brings glory to God — Father, Son, and Spirit — because God is the source and the strength of all of the good that we do. We are God's empowered army, fighting Satan and defending our siblings. 

Focus

 Focus is a single concept has held the key for success in so many different endeavors of life. Businesses thrive when their actions are highly focused; they become skilled at delivering a high quality product. Dancers, musicians, physicians, and sports athletes spend endless hours practicing in order to become the best they can be at their chosen endeavor. A great deal of this practice involves developing "muscle memory," (action without analysis) immediate action born out of training. This concept was at the heart of Paul’s own interest when he challenged believers to “set our minds on things above” in the Colossian letter (3:2). It was the foremost attitude of Paul's message to the Philippians when he said, "it is the one thing I do." Focus is fundamental to spiritual success as well as other areas of success. Keeping the main goal in focus during the multitude of their other responsibilities is always a challenge for a follower of Jesus Christ. One of the key elements to spiritual growth is the ability to obtain and then maintain focus during the Christian life. The critical part of the ultimate solution is to let go of our own limited solutions and let the indwelling Holy Spirit guide us to do what He wants. When one does this, they will be successful in the things that matter most in life: another step along the pathway known as your personal spiritual journey. "Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:13–14 (NASB)

Obigations

As citizens of a society, we are surrounded by many obligations. When one lives in a society, one is obliged to follow the social rules of that society. When one drives, they are obliged to follow the rules or laws of the road; this also has implications for auto insurance. Not only these obligations, but we are also constantly encouraged by others to do things that are not ethical and could be physically or spiritually harmful. Our interaction with other Christians also contains obligations - to their spiritual lives. The indwelling Holy Spirit will help us fulfill those obligations to others, if we will let Him guide us. The needs of others are sometimes different and complex, our response to others may not look exactly identical, but if we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, those responses will be what is needed. Paul very clearly discusses flesh and physical actions, things that could cause us or someone else spiritual harm, when he writes, "Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation — but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. - Rom. 8:12-13 (NIV)

Coming changes

When speaking of the coming judgment on Jerusalem, Jesus said, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Lk. 17:32 NKJV). With this statement, the disciples would have remembered being taught that Lot, his wife, and their daughters basically had to be dragged by the hand out of the city for escape. As they were led out of the area of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his family were given explicit instructions, [not to look back]. "But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt." (Gen. 19:26 NLT) Unjust? A deeper study of this phrase indicates the thought was likely, 'leave behind all desires for whatever was now in their past'. Yet, Lot's wife did look back, and it appears not to have been a quick glance and sigh of "at last we are gone," or "lets see what is next", but she looked back in a longing manner. Perhaps she anticipated missing her daughters' weddings and grandchildren or other things, but she was not really ready to move beyond their past sinful surroundings. The disciples would need to break with some previous and familiar surroundings as they followed Jesus' pathway - what a masterful example. So many human attitudes and actions are directly linked to our internal feelings of comfort and familiarity, and we must monitor them very carefully. When we become Christians and enter into God's spiritual kingdom, like the disciples, at times we must move out of our comfort zone; we must set aside our previous entrapments and move forward to serve Jesus in some way. We are empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit to accomplish this goal, to find those things we can do to flesh out Jesus' strongest desires, Help others! For us to move out of our comfort zone, Jesus' desires must become a part of our internal desires. When we begin acting and watch for the Holy Spirit's guidance, these changes become more natural and easy. We must allow the Holy Spirit to lead us on our unique individual spiritual journey with all fervor.

Clear minded

For those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good — crucified. Those who choose this unique individual spiritual journey must continually attempt to replace our physical foundations with spiritual ones. The Holy Spirit lives within us to do just this, as much as we will allow. "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives." Gal. 5:24-25 (NLT).

Analogy

When a person recognizes a child in physical danger, many people will go extreme measures to protect them. The children may be unaware of the danger or do not have the power to overcome the situation. The measures used for rescue may be life threatening to the rescuer. This example is directly analogous to the spiritual lives of many adults, today. Even the most experienced spiritual adults are really still children with much to learn about some spiritual dangers. We must trust the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead and fight our spiritual battles; there is no one more powerful and who can use us to overcome the spiritual struggles we and others face. We have a responsibility to other believers - we must help them follow the Holy Spirit's guidance. No, it is not our own efforts that cause results, but we must allow the Holy Spirit to use us and address the situation as He understands is best. When we follow this pathway, God is glorified, the trapped person is helped, and we realize we have been an effective servant. Paul spoke of this to some new converts in Galatia, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” Gal. 6:1. (NIV) "As a Christ-follower, having godly friends to help us steer away from sin is crucial. True Christian friends view each other’s holiness as important. We should welcome a friend in the faith who is willing to gently reveal when we need an attitude adjustment and a spiritual sharpening. . . In return, let’s be loving enough to do the same for our friends. There is something uniquely special about a Christian friendship. It’s a soul-to-soul connection that lasts for eternity."

Face to face with God

Certainly God is mysterious and beyond full human understanding. However, whenever God's chosen people turn to face God, as Moses did, God removes the veil and they are face to face! They can suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of ancient chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, as a living Spirit residing within a believer, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. "But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."  2 Cor. 3:16-18 (Berean Study Bible).

Friend or Foe

 On what basis do you consider a person to be a friend or foe? Many times the basis of this opinion is whether or not the person agrees with us about any number of opinions. Is it not better for a friend to be one who accepts us and our opinions and yet seeks our best interest? Foes tend to seek many ways to discourage, defeat or malign another. If one has a weak relationship with another, dismissing these encounters may be relatively easy. Most relationships do not lack a series of healthy disagreements, but they should be healthy disagreements. People are individuals and some have said there is a time to agree to disagree and move on. Healthy disagreements should not be competitions and one must not insult another or create data to best the other. As mistakes are an avenue for learning, disagreements are an avenue for one to determine the strength of their views or a need to change them, sometimes completely. Christians should not be afraid to express all their feelings to the Holy Spirit - He knows them intimately before they coalesce in our minds. However, we must accept that He is God and knows best. On our unique independent spiritual journey of sanctification, our challenge is to understand His directions and change our views to match His. [Jesus said,] "I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command." - Jn. 15:11-14.

Guard

There is a major aspect of our lives on which we chose to carry insurance. This generally indicates an object or part of our lives we greatly desire not to lose. Usually the amount of insurance policy indicates the monetary value we place on this thing.  We should value our relationship with God higher than any earthly thing. "What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us." - 2 Tim. 1:13-14

Status Quo

 Jeremiah once spoke about a time in the future when the status quo would change. The practices adopted by the most dedicated servants of God would be upended. Personal actions, which were followed so closely for reward, would be replaced by a freely granted status. The actions of Jesus would lead to a firm covenant of acceptance and guidance. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” — Jeremiah 31:33-34 (NASB) Those of this new covenant be empowered and transformed by the Holy Spirit of the living God who will place His instructions on our hearts and make them a part of His covenant people. As important as the scriptures are, the Spirit who inspired them is also the One who is essential for us to understand and live the intent of them. The Holy Spirit will inform, transform, and conform God's people to be like Jesus. Paul says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." - 2 Co. 3:17-18 (ESV). Yes, the indwelling Holy Spirit is the Lord or supervisor for the unique individual spiritual journey of all those who follow Jesus. 

Anguish

 Jesus felt anguish! His caring acts for his disciples as He taught them to minister to others were carried out as he battled his own personal anguish. His teaching of truth and service was shared with the disciples who would cause a significant part of that anguish. Knowing what lay ahead, Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice for the human race. It is amazing that the infinite God would expose Himself to the pain that could be inflicted on Him by finite and mortal people He has made. Not only this, but He lives within cleansed individuals via the Holy Spirit. God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit feel anguish at our betrayals and failures of loyalty to him. However, Christians walk on a unique individual spiritual journey and despite our failures, Jesus' sacrifice continues to cleanse us, moment by moment as we move along this journey to Him. "But if we [continually] walk in the light, as he is in the light, we [continually] have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, [continually] purifies us from all sin. 1 Jn. 1:7 (NIV).

Envy

James said: "Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?" - Jas. 4:5 (Berean Study Bible) Imagine the emotions of a young man who discovers someone else has captured the heart of the one he loves. That’s the same feeling James was describing when he wrote, “The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy.” Very succinctly, James states both that the Holy Spirit dwells in us and passionately yearns for us. This word “envy” comes from the Greek word phthonos, which was frequently used in literature from the New Testament period, thus enabling us to know precisely what it means. The word phthonos means jealousy — an emotion so strong that it tends toward taking vengeance upon someone. The young man, who lost the one he loved, feels jealous and has a deep desire for his former relationship to be restored. He also most likely bears some malice toward the romantic thief. He is envious of the relationship that has replaced the one he used to have with the one whom he loves, and desires to have again. This should make James 4:5 clear to us. The Holy Spirit loves us. He is preoccupied with us. He wants our total dedication. He passionately desires our affection to be set on Him. When we walk and talk like unbelievers and give our lives to natural pursuits, the Holy Spirit feels like a lover who has been robbed. He feels jealous for His relationship with us to be restored. He has divine malice for the worldliness that has usurped His role in our lives. And He is filled with a godly envy to see things put back the way they should be. When you put all three of these words expressing continual action together — dwells, lusts, and envy — this paints a vibrant picture. The Holy Spirit is not a passive partner. He aggressively and actively pursues us because He knows the choices are our own. When we give a piece of ourselves to something or someone else’s control, He wants to seize it and bring it back under His divine control. He even has godly malice toward our preoccupation with other things. As we live our lives in this world, we must work and function as human beings. Jesus didn’t pray that his disciples would be removed from the world, but that we would be kept from the world (Jn. 17:15) {perhaps being consumed worldly desires}. There is nothing wrong with going to work, buying a house, purchasing a new car, or enjoying beautiful clothes and grooming. Those things are part of living an abundant life on this earth. They are not wrong unless they consume and preoccupy our thoughts, allowing us to overlook the other humans we meet along the way. Many times, the first person to fade into the background is our partner, the indwelling Holy Spirit. The cares of this life sometimes pull us away from our indwelling companion. This hurts Him and causes godly envy.

It

We sometimes hear the following scripture used as encouraging words about many things, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." - Matt. 7:7-8 (NIV) But what really is "it"? "it" is not a serious or trivial physical desire. "it" is a close relationship with Jesus and entry into God's kingdom. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, "So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him; but Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask Him" — Jn. 11:20-22 (Berean Study Bible) Did Martha really know the meaning of what she said? She probably didn't know the full meaning of what she said, but her absolute trust is undeniable. Martha should serve as a model for us to trust beyond our understanding. This kind of trust is fostered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, if we allow it. It is the kind of trust Christians need to display as we walk along our unique individual spiritual journeys.

Acceptance

 The people to whom Peter wrote had developed interpersonal judgements which flows from competition. This competition was all to please the Jewish priests who guided them. Life in Jesus displays hospitality and encouragement; this flows from acceptance of the other person, as Jesus did. In their own view, they may not be what they want to be now or will become in the future, but they are likely not what others expect them to be. When believers accepted Jesus, they also received the indwelling Holy Spirit as a gift. This is a common connection all Christians share and should guide us to accept the other person wherever they are on their unique individual personal spiritual journey. "Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Pet. 4:9-11 (NASB)

Refined by Fire

Our body's natural reaction to physical pain is to recoil or move away from the source as quickly as possible. However, spiritual pain needs to be handled differently. God wants to teach us endurance--much like a long-distance runner builds up strength in training - so that we can fully benefit from what He is doing in our hearts. As a Christian moves along their unique individual spiritual journey, the Holy Spirit uses trials as a refining fire to purify us like gold and bring us to greater spiritual maturity. As we realize that we are actually being made more complete through our adversities, we'll begin to face challenging times with confidence that He always has our best interest in mind. While a worldly viewpoint sees hope and joy in the midst of dark times as naïve, a spiritual perspective discerns that we're really progressing on a journey toward life at its fullest. We can be filled with supernatural joy, knowing that the Lord is making us into world-changing spiritual warriors. God is always at work in our lives. Even during seasons of adversity, He wants to accomplish something powerful and good. How should this knowledge affect our response? We must learn to choose rejoicing during difficult times. This doesn't mean we have to be happy about the hardship itself. Instead, joy comes from drawing close to the Lord and believing steadfastly that through His redemptive power, He is growing and preparing us. If your usual response to trials is anxiety, anger, or depression, the idea of having joy in the midst of a negative situation might not seem logical. However, if you look beneath the surface, you will discover that this biblical directive makes sense for several reasons. In these times, our defender, the Holy Spirit, provides comfort (protection and encouragement). "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." - 1 Pet. 1:6-7 (ISV)

 

Motivation

 Most people work hard if they have a purpose and reason. Visible throughout the human race, some people are motivated about almost anything and others are motivated by almost nothing. Proverbs has much to say about the one who works hard and the alternative. {Proverbs 10:4, "Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich;" Proverbs 10:26, "Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy one to those who send him;" Proverbs 22:13 "The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!"} To some of the first believers Paul would say, "let him who works eat. .  ." - 2 Thess. 3:10; the Hebrew writer states it another way, "so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises" - Hebrews 6:12. So what are we to understand? First, we need to be careful not to criticize a person for not working as we think they should; only the Holy Spirit really knows all the details surrounding each person's motivations. Jesus healed many who were unable to work. Second, we should seek to understand their difficulties and encourage them. Third, we should seek ways to help them as the Holy Spirit wants, not as we desire. Christians have an important purpose: praise God in all our actions! The reason is that we are God's children destined for eternity with him, that should be strong motivation. Paul's admonition seeks to avoid bad feelings for those who followed Christ when he says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Col. 3:23 (NIV)

Interdependence

 Many times people offer great praise to the energy and drive observed in a sports team that demonstrates close coordination and seamless performance of the members. This coordination and interdependence is also observed in the famous U.S. Navy Blue Angel team. Some people say these examples show a spirit of team "oneness." When believers in Jesus are baptized, they become members of the body of Christ which includes other humans who are also on their own unique spiritual journey, allowing the Holy Spirit to prepare them for eternity. They were adopted into God's massive family of which Jesus is the head and all Christians are siblings with other brothers and sisters. "We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body... and we were all given the one Spirit to drink," 1 Cor. 12:13 (NIV). As members of this family, we have benefits and responsibilities. One major responsibility is encouraging others, whether it is other family members or those curious about the family ideals. To accomplish this, the Holy Spirit gives each Christian gifts (Gal. 5:25ff), perhaps unique, through which He works to accomplish His desires. These gifts may change from time to time depending of what the Holy Spirit needs accomplished. These gifts are supernatural and only come from the Spirit at His discretion. "All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines." - 1 Cor. 12:11 (NIV). The believer cannot demand these gifts, but they may request and explore, yet they should accept them by following the guidance given by the Holy Spirit to the specific individual to accomplish His goal of unity or oneness for praising God.

Catastrophy

There is an old adage something like, “continuing to do the same thing and expecting a different result is foolish.” Well, continuing to engage in sinful practices once one knows the truth, is catastrophic for the believer guided by the Holy Spirit. Resisting or rejecting the Holy Spirit is devastating to a person; it equates to unbelief and unbelief was the reason Jesus could do few miracles in His hometown. "And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them" - Mk. 6:5. (NASV) This is powerful! He "could do" few miracles could also be understood, He 'no power to do' many miracles because of their unbelief. Disregarding His guidance (e.g. once one knows the truth) is almost as severe as premeditated lying to him. When Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit, they paid for their actions with their physical lives. Based such observations, Paul stated, "How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" - Heb. 10:29 (NIV). A word picture of blatantly disregarding God’s instruction could be tossing it aside and trampling on it. The work of Jesus provides the only way to remove sins. If one rejects this work, he rejects everything that God is and everything He has given. Such actions continuously insults the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. This deflates grace and robs Him of the power to act in beneficial ways. The message of Jesus is precious and must never be spurned, rejected, discounted, treated lightly, or ignored. The message of Jesus is precious, and to reject this message is to insult all that is holy. We must remember, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” - Heb. 11:6 (ESV). As we seek Him, the Holy Spirit can lead us along a unique individual spiritual journey of praise to God.

Death

When we drive, we take on a massive responsibility: transport ourselves and perhaps other passengers from one place to another, while not harming other people or property along the way. Most times keeping the automobile on the roadway and "between the lines," is not critically challenging. When we consider this is a journey, we must make many choices, but the primary one is the desired endpoint. If yours is the only auto on the roadway for a time, the choice to accelerate or decelerate slightly usually causes few issues. All these choices change when there are other autos on the roadway around us. When we share the roadway with others who have different driving abilities, practices, goals, and personalities, we may find ourselves in a place which can almost turn into a battleground. This experience becomes particularly acute when there are intersections along the roadway. Radical changes in direction can be precarious if adequate provisions have not been made. Many years ago, one culture developed a travel element called a "roundabout," to ease these intersection difficulties. When using this method, roadway traffic did not stop when an intersection was encountered, all traffic went into a circular pathway merging in and out until they could safely change directions. Designed primarily for horse drawn traffic to avoid stopping, this method has remained in some areas today. This solution was all but replaced by building overpasses, in which one vehicle pass above the others. All Christians are on a spiritual pathway towards heaven. This is a pathway that allows each one time to be sanctified, or become more dedicated to God; people move at different speeds along this pathway. There are many other pathways Christian encounter on this spiritual journey; a major challenge is to choose the proper direction along this journey. When intersections of life and faith occur along this journey, the resulting pathway and subsequent results are not always the ones we might desire. Along this life journey, each of us must make many choices; some will not have the result we anticipate. While an example about driving and death may sound scary, the only way we can stay on this pathway and reach the goal is to die, or be separated from, distractions of the world. We must die and die and die. Every day we die to the things that supposedly make us strong in this world. Every day we kill the need to have more, to be more. Every day we die for Him. Our lives need to guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Mistakes

At some time, you have probably done something or said something and you just could not forget about. The event seems to haunt you. This might be your conscience reminding you about doing a thing that you knew was opposed to God's desires. All humans experience these times, but Christians should not despair.  There is a way to correct this feeling: realize and accept that Jesus paid an extremely high price to void those sinful activities, if we will trust Him. Since Jesus left, he left the Holy Spirit and He will help us learn from these events and put them behind us. "Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins." Heb. 9:14 (NLT) We need to remember this as we travel our unique individual spiritual journey, the Holy Spirit will help as we ask Him. 

Obedience

I read once of a person who remarked: "I've yet to meet a Christian whose knowledge didn't exceed his obedience." His point was simple: Most Christians know far more about God's truth than they live. Since the Holy Spirit lives within the Christian and is leading us toward greater sanctification (holiness to God), this should not surprising. In order to enable this process, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to direct more of our actions. "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." - Rom. 8:14 (NASV). Please note the active, "being led." We do this by actively following God’s direction left in scripture. We need to be diligent in searching and seeking God's truth and then acting on our understanding. This should describe our unique individual spiritual journey.

Living water

 We may marvel at this statement about water. Why such a big deal about water. Besides being an almost universal cleansing agent, in the middle East, clean water was very scarce in some areas. Webster defines addiction as, "compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (such as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly: persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful." Humans are addicted to water, they need it to survive. On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says." (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.) - Jn. 7:37-39 (MESSAGE). Jesus said this looking forward to the time when the Holy Spirit was poured out on all people (Joel 2:28). This is the time after which the Holy Spirit lives inside those who accept Jesus’ gift. This outpouring is a continual and unlimited supply which overflows outside the Christian. Some water sources can experience levels that fall or even dry up, but the source of spiritual water is never depleted. We should allow the Holy Spirit to use us and distribute His blessings to others as He directs us. If we will ask, He will help us provide overflow of His rejuvenation to others. Please look further: (Luke 11:13; Romans 15:13; cf. John 4:13-14.

Confidence

 As we live our daily lives, we generally accomplish better results when we pursue an activity with confidence. If the activities are of the physical world, we may have confidence due to our previous training or experience. This is  a dangerous place where pride can engulf us. With activity, we need to be confronted with the realization that we do not have all knowledge and we can (and must) learn something from every endeavor. We must also learn that many opinion and conclusions may be true for only ourselves; other may have different and valid conclusions for their lives. This is especially true for our spiritual lives. Each one who has accepted Jesus in now on an individual spiritual journey. Others may advise or support, but this journey is one's unique journey, as specific as their background, to date. The most confident advice we can accept or give needs to some from the Holy Spirit who lives with us. It is this residence which is empowering and transforming us continuously along our spiritual journey. "Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." - 2 Cor. 3:4-6 (NIV)

Awe

 While we don’t usually like to have conversations about burials, there have been some really interesting practices used over the years. The time and terrain has had much to do with burials over the years. Some have been buried in caves, in open ravines, in water (sometimes on a burning boat), or under the earth. While now, most have heard of the burial quip “6 feet under.” The origin of this seems to be a plague outbreak in England in 1665. As the disease swept the country, the mayor of London made a law about how to deal with the bodies to avoid further infections. Among his specifications, noted in “Orders Conceived and Published by the Lord Major and Aldermen of the City of London, Concerning the Infection of the Plague,” was that “all the graves shall be at least six feet deep.” This avoided dead bodies piled outside a township. They would be consumed by animals or parasites and gave rise to mass illnesses, usually called plagues, also many people did not like to be near the smell of decaying bodies. For those people who died in arid areas, dead bodies were sometimes covered with a shallow layer of soil and rocks. In the time of Jesus, the dead body was deposited in a cave-like structure. As the need arose, the structure would be used over and over to prevent animals from consuming the dead person or robbers from stealing whatever may have been left as memorials. They would allow the flesh to decay and then move the bones to allow later use of the tomb. To interrupt the mourning process and open a tomb before the proper time would not only produce a putrid smell, but a breach of the burial process. Such scandalous things were not done in the time of Jesus. Empathizing with those mourners, have you ever been at an event in which someone proposed to do an action that seemed either impossible or completely insanely unbelievable? You may have stood in wide-eyed awe. Well, that is what Jesus did. But, He did it for a time of teaching and relief for the family. So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me." – Jn. 11:41-42 (Berean Study Bible). As a Christian who travels their unique individual spiritual journey, let's offer empathy or sympathy where we can and observe how the Holy Spirit uses all events to provide glory to God in some way.

Give up

Step back from life for a moment and consider all that you have accumulated thus far in life. Perhaps you have made it through High School and college and found a vocation you really enjoy. Perhaps you have found people you enjoy being around as much as possible. Perhaps you have gone further and gained higher education and are in a vocation which benefits people as best you know how. Perhaps you are comfortable with your present life. What if you discovered the place you are in life and those things you have accumulated were not what you needed to gain eternal life. Could you, would you make the changes necessary to pursue eternal life? Jesus asked the rich young ruler to lay aside all the things that prevented this man from following Him (Lk. 18:18-23), he did not. However, Paul did. Once he discovered a love for Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, Paul did just that and writes to his co-workers in Philippi about this decision. "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things." - Phil. 3:8 (NIV) Are there things in your life that are preventing you from following Jesus? The short, medium, and long term results are worth whatever you must give up. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us along our unique individual spiritual journey, and shift our focus to His desires. This doesn't mean we need to give up everything, just everything that does not glorify God in some way.

Pure

 Have you ever longed for information that was pure, straightforward, and without contamination or defilement? This is especially important for our spiritual lives. Following "false data", or the wrong information can lead to eternal disaster. Jehovah God is the true God and He has promised to provide all those who follow Jesus the pure truth. "All that the Father has is mine. That is why I said, 'He will take what is mine and declare it to you.'" - Jn. 16:15 (ISV). God has given us His Holy Spirit for an indwelling partner. He will guide us into all truth from Jesus. One person has well stated, “God does not just want to convey information, but he is sharing himself in Jesus and in the Holy Spirit so that truth is much more than something we believe; it is something we live out of the very fabric of our relationship to God through the Holy Spirit.” As we follow our unique individual spiritual journey, we must depend on the Holy Spirit to guide us into God's truth.

The gift

As believers, we treasure that Jesus came so we might better understand this concept: a loving God who changed from God for us, to Immanuel (God with us), and finally God within us. As Christians, God’s Holy Spirit indwelling us, is our greatest gift from God; this is our guarantee we have been cleansed of our sins. When we receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we receive the gift and the giver. The Holy Spirit indicates unity with God, our source of communication with God, and the seal that we belong to Him - we become His children. In this verse, "being" indicates a continual process. "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." Rom. 8:14-17 (NASV)

Body a temple

At the time the Bible was written, worship of any gods was usually done at a site where that particular god dwelled or lived within. This site was called a "temple." Such sites were considered sacred since once entering them, a follower thought they would be closer to that particular god. This also applied to the Jewish temple for Jehovah God, except entrance to the presence of God was limited to only one priest, once per year. Paul used this common understanding to communicate that because of Jesus, the partition (Curtain) separating God from the people was eliminated. Then individual people became the temple of God and Jehovah God, as the Holy Spirit dwells within people. Thus, individual people become temples of God. "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." - 1 Cor. 6:19-20.

Proper worship

 When challenged by the woman at the Samaritan well, Jesus shared with her that a time was coming when worship of God would move beyond special places, special people, and special actions to a time when each person would worship God wherever they were whenever they desired. He said, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” - Jn. 4:23-24 9 (NIV)

Remembering

 One one of the ways the Holy Spirit communicates to us is via remembrance. We read and study His Word but it seems sometimes we get receive nothing from it at the time. However, when we read His Word, all the information to which we are exposed is retained in our minds. Sometimes when we need to use that information, the Holy Spirit helps our recall and we remember the parts we need at that time. Perhaps we have not yet gathered or experienced adequate supporting information, or perhaps we have not yet read a needed portion of scripture. The Holy Spirit understands this and may prompt us to explore a portion of scripture we have not considered before. When the time is optimum, the Holy Spirit can cause us to remember previously gained information. This is not NEW information, it is just a new realization of the information that was already revealed. This happened to Jesus' apostles, "Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him."- Jn 12:14-16 (NASB). As we travel on our unique individual spiritual journey, we need to consume the information left for us by the Holy Spirit, the Bible. 

Emotions

 In His life here on earth, Jesus displayed many earthly emotions. As we try to follow His example for life, it is helpful to explore some of the feelings and emotions that were displayed by Jesus. Regarding his physical body, He was tired, thirsty, and hungry. To know that he grew angry, became frustrated, felt sorrow, joy, exhaustion, anger, and even that He was indignant provides us great comfort when we feel strong emotions. The depth of the emotions of God is impossible to fathom, but nevertheless they existed. Jesus was touched by what he saw surrounding the widow at Nain’s son (Lk. 7:11-16) and Lazarus' death. He already knew that He would raise them, but the family and mourners didn't. The pain about losing His friend Lazarus had an observable effect on Him, even to tears, "When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept."  Jn. 11:33-35 (ISV). He was also moved when He considered that the Jerusalem leaders had rejected Him. He reflected, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” – Matt. 37-39; cf. Lk. 19:41-44 (ESV). Along a Christian’s unique individual spiritual journey, we will have the emotions Jesus experienced. It is critical when this happens, we should rely on the Holy Spirit to soothe and encourage us. While our normal expectations have been uprooted, we must depend on the Holy Spirit to guide us on the next step on this journey. These challenges are heightened during this time of uncertainty with the COVUS pandemic hovering around us. But we must redouble our efforts to depend on the Holy Spirit’s guidance, even when the next steps are not crystal clear.

Control

 Many of us would like to think we are in control of our lives, to some extent. Many times we rely on the concept from Physics, "cause and effect." Our decisions and actions usually produce predictable ramifications, to some extent. We learn to make decisions that usually cause good or bad results based on the expectation that repeated actions produce an expected result. Better, we learn which decisions produce the outcomes we desire. Although this sounds manageable, sometimes bad things happen in a good context, we may call these life-skills. However, events sometimes occur that are totally unexpected and perhaps difficult to grasp, or even shatter our understanding of how to manage life. When these events occur, we desperately seek for explanations guided by a power higher than ourselves. As a race, we are often greatly disappointed when the results of our words or actions do not produce the results we want and expect. However, sometimes really good things happen with no logical explanation. We did not plan or define the way to become a child of God, nor did we deserve it. The gift offered by Jesus is not payment for anything we did; we cannot control it or manipulate it. This is a free gift because of His love, which defies explanation. All people are invited to become children of God, to be born from above. Sadly, some will not give up trying to control their own eternity based on their own understanding; some will not want to receive this wonderful gift for something they cannot personally achieve. "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." Jn. 1:12-13 (ESV). As many people as possible need to accept the gift offered to all by Jesus. This will offer praise to God; that is the most important choice one can make.

Speak to me

  As a believer, do you desire for God to speak directly to you? Jeremiah also struggled with this and was told, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jer. 29:13 (NIV) One quick answer to this is to say read the Bible and God has just spoken to you. While this is certainly true, your real desire is for God to speak to you in a way you can understand. In order for this to occur, you must realize that the communication is likely not to be teaming with praise and accolades toward you. God is perfect, you are not. Communication from Him is meant to help you become more like what He wants you to be, meaning much of what He communicates may be corrective. But that leaves the question how do I understand what He wants me to understand? You might compare this to a recorded conversation with another person. When you replay the recording, you will likely perceive ideas or concepts that you did not when you first heard the words. Sometimes, time and reflection are needed for the communication to be understood. This is especially true for the things that God communicates. In order to help overcome this communication difficulty, God has given us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and clarify His desires for our understanding. So how do any of us receive His communication? Every day, God, speaks to the Christian through the Holy Spirit in some way. One challenge for us is that He may speak at different times and different ways to various people. At times He invites us to draw close and listen as He reveals Himself, His character and His direction. Other times He calls us to participate in His purposes. Still other times He my simply whisper, reminding us of His amazing love for us. Hearing from God is one of those topics that can easily stir up confusion and frustration. A critical question to ask is, "How do I know if God is speaking to me?" "How do I discern whether it is His voice speaking or just my own ideas and desires?" "What if I feel God telling me to do something that doesn’t seem logical? A basic truth is, there’s no magic formula for discerning God’s voice. We learn to recognize it the way we recognize voices of those close to us: by knowing Him. After all, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." - Jn. 10:27 (ESV). And when we know Him, we can tell if what we are thinking or feeling led to do is from Him or not. At only one time, I had a direct communication from the Holy Spirit. It was a dark time in my life, after some life changing events. I was seeking relief and solutions for issues that troubled me. As I was driving and praying "when is this going to change", a voice as if from the passenger seat came into my mind saying, "When it is time." I was so shocked, I pulled to the side of the road to examine the other seat. Was there a voice that caused my eardrums to vibrate or did the thought skip that sense? I am unsure, but the Holy Spirit used the necessary means to cause that information to sear my mind. It is an event that I have not forgotten for 20 years. I treasure that thought and I have been blessed in many wonderful ways in the years since. Communication from the Spirit can be startling and reassuring. When struggling to interpret communication from the Holy Spirit, these questions may help arrive at a clearer answer: 1. Does what I perceive line up with Scripture? God will never speak to us or tell us to do something that’s contrary to His Word. But unless we know Scripture, we will not be able to discern whether or not what we hear is consistent with the Word. We will learn the will of God when we read and pray the Word of God. 2. Is what I perceive consistent with God’s character? God’s Word also provides rich information regarding His character. Just as God always speaks in accordance with His Word, He speaks in accordance with His character. God will not say anything inconsistent with who He is. The longer we know Him and the more we experience Him personally, the more we learn about His character. 3. Is what I perceive confirmed through messages at church or in my quiet times? When God speaks to you about a particular issue, you cannot escape it. Around every corner there’s a sermon or Bible study lesson or speaker’s topic or conversation with a friend that’s consistent with what you’ve been hearing from God in your time alone with Him. When you invest in time spent alone with God, He will speak to you. Listen for His voice, and then look for the message to be confirmed. 4. Is what I perceive beyond me? Sometimes the Holy Spirit may call you to do something big that you can’t do in our own strength -- either it is beyond your ability or beyond your natural human desire. Perhaps this thing can only happen through the Holy Spirit's divine intervention. Don’t look at your inabilities and dwell in insecurities. Look at what God wants. See this call as your opportunity to watch Him work in you and through you. 5. Is what you perceive pleasing to God? Depending on many personal pressures, it is sometimes easy to reject the idea that we have heard something from the Spirit. In these situations, especially if the information is not pleasing to us, we might use any excuse to convince ourselves it is not His voice so we don’t need to act. If what you’re doing pleases God, then even if what you thought you heard from Him wasn’t His voice, you are still pleasing Him. You should always seek to do those things that please God. When these 5 questions align, the Holy Spirit will help you accomplish the task. Please remember, God's word says much about His desires and character; immerse yourself in learning more about Him. The Holy Spirit will provide understanding over time.

Vacillation

At one time, Paul became frustrated with the Christians in Galatia. They had accepted Jesus as Lord, were indwelled by the Holy Spirit, but were now vacillating - attempting to return to the actions they had decided to give up. "So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?" Gal. 3:5 (NIV). The Holy Spirit is God's gift to Jesus' followers. Because of this, God's power should be revealed in that person's activities as far as and so long as the person allows Him to guide them. He will not force good, better, or best decisions for the Christian. But, He may bring to their mind godly precepts they have heard or studied in the past. One of His tasks is to help clarify options for various decisions we must make. His power is released through the decision we make based on godly principles. 

John the Baptist

People at the time of Jesus desired the return of the promised Messiah. He was to free them of their captivity. Those in the first century watched John the Baptist preach challenging sermons to encourage them to follow God. He was confident and bold, even criticizing the Jewish King. He was fearless in his assigned task. He convinced the people to refocus their desire, intention and motivation. An indication of this rekindling was marked by baptism. Many of the Jewish people were confused by these actions. Since John taught with authority, could he be the Messiah or His predecessor? At a time when a wonton people were periodically presented with preachers claiming to be the Messiah, John seemed like a real possibility. University of Massachusetts Boston professor R. A. Horsely, found there were over 30 people around the time of Jesus who claimed to be the Messiah. Acts 5 confirms one instance in a man named Theudas. When Jesus asked His disciples who the people thought He might be, their response was, “And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” – LK. 9:18-20 (ESV). For what reason would people think John might be Elijah? Elijah was an important prophet in Israel’s history. For His importance related to Jesus, one needs to consult contemporaries Isaiah and Malachi. Isaiah predicted there would be a forerunner of the Messiah, - “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare[a] is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isa. 40:1-5 (ESV). Malachi would add, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” – Mal. 4:5-6 (ESV). Writings of these prophets were likely in the minds of the Jewish people. While John the Baptist accurately declared he was not a returned Elijah, however he did not fully realize his role in the works of God. Jesus clarified the symbolic place of John the Baptist when He said, “What then did you go out to see? A prophet?  Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.” – Matt. 11:9-14 (ESV). Mark would also say, “And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him,” – Mk. 9:11-13 (ESV). This statement became clear later, “But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist,” - Matt. 17:12-13 (ESV). Even in this capacity, John had to be reminded who Jesus really was (cf. Matt. 11:1-7; Lk. 7:19-24). John found people who were interested in the coming Messiah and baptized them to confirm their desire, intention and motivation to follow God better. People of all ages who believe Jehovah God exists and have desire, intention, and motivation will likely accept Jesus’ gift. At that point they will be perpetually cleansed and gain the indwelling Holy Spirit. If the person will allow, the Holy Spirit will lead them along a unique individual spiritual journey culminating at an eternal home with Jesus.