Differentiated

 {Differentiated} Jehovah God once chose a people called Israel. Because of their  infidelity, the work of Jesus revealed another group of people which became known as Christians. These are people who acknowledge Jehovah as the one God and attached themselves to Him via Jesus' sacrifice. These are people willing to be led by the Holy Spirit and become spiritually different from those who do not accept Jehovah God. The Holy Spirit does not control their decisions and actions, but from His omniscience, He is aware of all their choices before they make them. God has set a pathway for Christians, those who accept Jesus as Messiah, but humans make many personal choices to stay on the pathway. Speaking of God's children, James reflects on how involved the Father becomes in the lives of His willing children. "[you are] the people chosen (selected) according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying action of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus, the Messiah, and to be sprinkled with his blood. May grace and peace be yours in abundance!." - 1 Pet. 1:2 {ISV}

Coach Holy Spirit

People who are interested in the Holy Spirit will usually ask questions like what does the Holy Spirit do or how can He help me? These can be difficult questions because the Holy Spirit was not sent to help humans accomplish their own goals. He remains here to help humans accomplish God’s goals for them. When a person aligns their personal goals with those stated in the Bible (God created good works for us to do), that person may observe more of their deep desires fulfilled. So how does the Holy Spirit go about those sanctifying acts?

In many places around the world, sports activities and games are a large part of people’s interest, regardless of gender. Within those activities, the coach is crucial. The coach is the team leader, this person usually has the end goal in mind always. In this sense, the Holy Spirit is a coach. He does not perform the actions of the game, but guides the players down the needed pathway. The players have the personal option to do or not do what the coach advised them to do. Christian make their own personal physical and spiritual  choices, but if they ask, the Holy Spirit will coach them in their spiritual decisions. If one asks, He will help them on their unique independent spiritual journey.

Lord

In this modern age, how do we understand the meaning of the word "Lord?" During the time the Bible was written, the word "Lord" meant the one who had ultimate control of one's life. Today, many of us are our own "Lord." We consider ourselves as wise, knowledgable, and powerful as any other entity - we are self sufficient. We are "independant." But are we really? If this viewpoint were true, what is the reason tasks we want done are not done nearly as quickly nor as robustly as we would prefer? What is the reason our relationships disappoint us at times. No, we are not self sufficient, all people heed to follow our unique individual (but not independent) spiritual journey having confidence the Holy Spirit will help us grow closer to what He wants and thereby closer to Jesus' desires. This pathway will result in spending Eternity with Jesus. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought." - Jer. 17:7-8.

Frustration

 I once saw a poster that read, “You don’t really know someone until you tell them no about something.” In the secular part of the world, this implies some form of disagreement for any number of reasons. Based on our desires, and self confidence, we react - badly sometimes. When God says no, it is based on His perfect knowledge and the result is always best for us. As the Christian walks the unique independent spiritual journey, we need to seek choices that follow His desires. "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." Deut. 31:6 (ESV)

Dwelling place

The statement is sometimes made that we are a temple of Jesus. Perhaps more understandable is that many Christians who are indwelled by the Holy Spirit assemble and become a dwelling place from which the Holy Spirit can radiate to others. "And in [Jesus] you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." - Eph. 2:22. When the New Testament letters were written, a temple was considered the dwelling place of some god. Various believers in this god would collect there to be near others who believed likewise. Using this definition, Paul presents the concept that as each Christian has the Holy Spirit living within them, together they become the building blocks of a spiritual temple in which God lives with the Holy Spirit interconnecting all parts. 

Bubbling

Have you ever though of the Holy Spirit as bubbling up inside you? He will if we allow Him to do so. Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water [from Jacob's well] will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." - Jn. 4:13-14. Bubbling is a good description of following Him as we move along our unique individual spiritual journey to heaven.

Blessings

Have you gotten an email or a note when the ‘closing’ was “Blessings”? Did you consider this a positive statement, or are “blessings” sometimes other than what we might desire? My point is the “blessings” we receive might not seem like good things at first, but believing that God never gives anything to His children that is not good must be retained. A blessing from God may appear like a curse at first, but later the faithful person realizes what they received was a better gift than they first imagined. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." Jas. 1:17 (NIV).